IJR News — today's news from every sideJared Kim Slaughter should get some reps if Porter's back keeps him out. Depth matters more than the contract mess right now. Nicole Hardy Cooper Rush starting against the Falcons despite the back spasms could make Pittsburgh a tougher spot than usual. NASA's Roman Space Telescope launches aboard Falcon Heavy — Aug 30, 2026The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, progressing through key milestones such as stage separation, a second-stage burn, and approaching orbit, while SpaceX’s boosters execute controlled returns as part of the mission’s reusable-launch strategy. The mission aims to answer major questions in cosmology, including dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets, with science observations expected to begin in the coming years, complemented by market and tech context around SpaceX and the telescope’s $4.3 billion price tag and hardware capabilities.
Urban Gardens Bloom Across Cities, Empowering CommunitiesLifestyle — Aug 28, 2026Community gardens and urban farms are expanding access to fresh, pesticide-free food and strengthening neighborhoods through education, culture, and collaboration, with examples from Memphis’s Black Seeds Urban Farms, a rooftop-to-meadow transformation in India, a Red Hook garden, and community yard networks in Memphis and Glendale that show how shared spaces become hubs of belonging. The stories highlight how neighbors turn unused land, balconies, and parking lots into productive, beauty-filled spaces through collaboration, social networks, and intergenerational involvement, fostering empowerment and community resilience.
FalconTST 2.0 Rolling Out Across Six Banks — Aug 20, 2026Ant International launched Falcon Time-Series Transformer Model 2.0, signing six major banks including Citi, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, and Barclays to apply the AI for cross-border payments, FX risk, and liquidity management as part of a broader push to embed specialized AI in finance. The model boasts a leading time-series benchmark with over 93% forecast accuracy, a MASE of 0.666, and the company has highlighted a $1.2 billion fundraising last month to expand its use across industries such as aviation, e-commerce, and logistics.
