IJR News

Dream, Mystics Set for WNBA Playoff Opener — 4dThe No. 4 Atlanta Dream and No. 5 Washington Mystics open a best-of-three WNBA playoff series Sunday in Atlanta, with the Dream holding home-court advantage. Atlanta closed the regular season strong, while Washington arrives after a franchise-best 28-win season and a late surge into the postseason.

Phillies Near Playoff Berth After 6-4 Win — Sep 23, 2026Zack Wheeler struck 11 batters, including a franchise-record seven in a row to start, as the Phillies defeated the Brewers 6-4 with Bryson Stott delivering the tiebreaking RBI in the eighth. Brandon Marsh homered and drove in three, Wheeler’s early dominance helped Philadelphia inch toward a playoff spot, while Jhoan Duran earned the save to preserve the win and the Phillies closed in on clinching with their magic number shrinking.

Maya Lindstrom Stott's eighth-inning RBI single after Marsh's homer shows this offense can deliver when the starter hands them a lead.

Wendy’s Franchisee Bankruptcy Puts 9,000 Jobs at Risk — 5dWendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group filed for Chapter 11 protection, citing rising costs and weak sales, and plans to keep operating its 314 restaurants while restructuring. Under an agreement with lenders, it could close at least 30 unprofitable locations, though Wendy’s itself is not bankrupt and the filing does not mean a chainwide shutdown.

Yankees Retire CC Sabathia’s No. 52 — 4dYankees retired CC Sabathia’s No. 52 on Friday, the 24th franchise honor; he said it felt bigger than the Hall of Fame after doubting he could win New York over.

Rachel Meyers CC earned every bit of this honor after leading those title teams.

Sharks name 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini youngest captain in franchise history — 4dSharks named 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini captain on Sept. 25, 2026, the youngest in franchise history; Joe Thornton presented the 'C'.

Sam Okafor This is a smart bet on Celebrini leading their rebuild from the start.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Dodgers Set Franchise Attendance Record With 4 Million Fans — 4dThe Dodgers set a franchise home attendance record with 4,034,219 fans in 2026, topping 4 million for the second straight season.

Rachel Meyers Breaking the franchise mark twice in a row proves how strong the team's fanbase has become compared to others.

Sun end Connecticut run with win over Tempo before Houston move — 5dThe Connecticut Sun closed their 23-year run in Connecticut with a 95-81 win over the Toronto Tempo, led by rookie Ashlon Jackson’s career-high 18 points. The franchise, whose history includes four WNBA Finals appearances, will relocate to Houston and become the Comets in 2027.

Tom Gallagher It's bittersweet seeing the Sun wrap up 23 years in Connecticut with a strong win, but Jackson's 18 points gave fans something positive to remember.

South Sudan School Roof Restored for 701 ChildrenBusiness — Sep 21, 2026The relevant articles explain that homeowners should assess roof condition before investing in replacement: proper inspections can identify ventilation issues, guide choices suited to local hazards, and determine whether repairs can protect property value as effectively as a new roof. A separate religious-law article clarifies that completed vessels such as intact furniture cannot be used as sukkah roofing, while dismantled wood may be permitted; unrelated franchise and school-restoration stories are omitted.

Mystics Set Franchise Wins Record With 27th Victory — Sep 23, 2026Washington Mystics extended their franchise-record to 27 wins and clinched a playoff berth under first-year coach Sydney Johnson, with Shakira Austin delivering 25 points and 13 rebounds in the latest win and Cotie McMahon contributing in double figures. Despite being outrebounded by Connecticut, the Mystics solidified their sixth-place standing and continued their timely run into the postseason.

Semien Homer Lifts Mets Past Rangers, 7-2 — Sep 22, 2026Marcus Semien returned to Globe Life Field as a member of the New York Mets, receiving a pregame tribute from the Rangers and reflecting on his 2023 World Series championship with Texas, while his ongoing stint with New York and lingering ties to the Rangers colored the series. The coverage highlights his impact in Texas’ title run, the trade that sent him to the Mets, and the mixed emotions of leaving a franchise he helped define.

McDonald’s Plans $8.5 Billion Franchisee Support Through 2036 — 6dMcDonald's will provide $8.5 billion to franchisees through 2036, projecting about $100,000 more yearly cash flow for the average U.S. restaurant.

Jared Kim I wonder if workers will see any benefit or if it all stays with the owners.

Toy Story vs ShrekYourlist — VS BattleThe toy box vs the swamp: two animation revolutions, one inevitable playground argument.

Rockies Reach Fourth Straight 100-Loss Season — Sep 21, 2026The Colorado Rockies are on the brink of a fourth consecutive 100-loss season after a 2-1 defeat to Seattle, needing six straight wins in their final six games to avoid joining a rare, painful franchise club. The skid has featured a combination of poor run support, a struggling rotation and historically weak ERA, underscoring a season of franchise-worst trends.

Brewers Clinch National League First-Round Bye — Sep 21, 2026Milwaukee clinched a first-round playoff bye by securing the NL Central and preserving the best record, positioning the Brewers for home-field advantage and a potential No. 1 seed in the NL playoffs. The team has set a franchise win record and is on the cusp of a 100-win season, with ongoing milestones like Chourio’s 20-20 potential highlighted as they close the season.

NHL Weighs Houston, Austin Expansion by Year-End — Sep 21, 2026After a six-month vetting period, the NHL says no decisions on expansion to Houston or Austin have been made and no firm deadline exists, though a December vote by the board could clarify the path forward. The Friedkin Group remains evaluating both cities, with a split among owners on where to expand and a $3.5 billion commitment (franchise plus arena) cited as the scale of the move.

Retailers, Social Media Shape 2026 Toy TrendsBusiness — Sep 20, 2026The holiday toy preview for 2026 highlights collectibles, sensory play, screen-free options, and popular franchises like Pokémon, Marvel, and Bluey, with social media driving demand and nostalgia keeping LEGO, Barbie, and Hot Wheels in the mix. Here Group reports strong Q4 revenue and IP growth to 22 IPs but posts a net loss and narrowing margins, signaling profitability challenges despite an expanding toy IP portfolio; Smyths confirms Pokémon-led top toys for Christmas 2026, including the Pikachu Puppetronic, underscoring continuing franchise popularity.

Pick a food for every letter and the AI reveals your futureQuizie — QuizA to (almost) Z, one delicious decision at a time. At the end, the AI reads your feast like tea leaves and tells your fortune.

Silent Hill: Townfall Shifts to First-Person View in 1996 Scotland — Sep 21, 2026Silent Hill: Townfall shifts the franchise to a first‑person experience set in St. Amelia, Scotland, focusing on exploration, puzzles, and psychological horror with limited combat, delivering a atmospheric and story-driven reinvention that many reviews laud for capturing the series’ spirit while diverging from traditional gameplay. Critics praise its atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and fresh perspective from Screen Burn/No Code using Unreal Engine 5, though some note it may not fully satisfy longtime fans expecting the classic trilogy’s pacing and style.

Dana Whitfield Longtime fans like me might miss the deliberate third-person pacing even if the environmental storytelling holds up in Unreal Engine 5.

JD Sports to Enter Mexico via Franchise With Over 140 Stores From 2027 — Sep 21, 2026JD Sports will open more than 140 stores in Mexico from 2027 via a long-term franchise with Grupo Axo.

Rachel Meyers Grupo Axo partnering on 140 stores feels like a smart way for JD to test the market without full ownership risk.

Brewers Set Franchise Record With 98th Win — Sep 21, 2026The Milwaukee Brewers set a franchise-record with their 98th win by shutting out the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 to complete a sweep and secure the NL Central while holding the majors' best record. William Contreras homered, Cooper Pratt drove in two, Jackson Chourio joined the 20-20-20 club to start his career, and Trevor Megill earned the save as Jacob Misiorowski worked a brief, workload-managed start.

Marcus Bell Chourio hitting the 20-20-20 mark so early is a big reason this team keeps breaking records.

Prescott Sets Cowboys TD Record in 37-20 Win — Sep 20, 2026Dak Prescott broke the Dallas Cowboys' franchise record for most touchdown passes, throwing his 249th career TD to seal a 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders and surpassing Tony Romo. The performance featured key TDs to CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson as Dallas moved closer to the franchise's all-time leaders in wins and touchdowns.

Maya Lindstrom Prescott throwing his 249th TD to top Romo feels like a solid milestone for the franchise.

Seahawks Rout Cardinals 31-7 for 12th Straight Win — Sep 20, 2026Seahawks defeat Cardinals 31-7 for franchise-record 12th straight win as Jaxon Smith-Njigba catches three touchdowns, including an 82-yard score.

Priya Raman Smith-Njigba turning those catches into three scores, especially the long one, shows he's becoming a real threat in the passing game.

Major Wendy’s Franchisee Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy — Sep 17, 2026Meritage Hospitality Group, operator of 314 Wendy's restaurants across 15 states, filed Chapter 11 on Sept. 17, 2026, after store-level EBITDA fell 48% in 2025.

Maya Lindstrom Chapter 11 could help them restructure but I hope it doesn't lead to more store closures in my area.

Shepard triple-double leads Wings past Sparks 97-77 — Sep 18, 2026Jessica Shepard recorded her fifth triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as Dallas beat Los Angeles 97-77 for its fifth straight win and a franchise wins-record tie.

Sam Okafor Bueckers scoring 19 points helped set the tone, but the third-quarter run was what really put the Sparks away.

Disney Names Smith Streaming Chairman, Earley TV President — Sep 17, 2026Disney named Adam Smith chairman of Direct-to-Consumer for Disney Entertainment, to oversee Disney+ and Hulu including product, engineering, adtech and analytics, while Joe Earley becomes President of Disney Entertainment Television Franchise and Content Strategy to lead TV franchises and international originals. The moves follow a broader leadership overhaul at Disney Entertainment aimed at strengthening its direct-to-consumer and content strategy.

Maya Lindstrom Joe Earley's focus on franchises and international shows might finally give Disney TV a clearer direction instead of scattered projects.

Purecore Begins Yurchison Uranium Data ReviewBusiness — Sep 15, 2026Purecore Metals has launched a data compilation and technical review at its Yurchison Uranium Property in Saskatchewan to integrate decades of historical and modern geoscience data, digitize records, and generate a ranked set of targets for future field exploration under its option with Skyharbour. The effort consolidates geological, geochemical, and geophysical datasets to refine the property's geological framework and guide subsequent exploration decisions.