IJR News

Pregnancy Rewires Brain Circuit Driving Food Cravings in Mice — Sep 18, 2026Researchers have pinpointed a brain mechanism in mice linking pregnancy to stronger cravings for palatable foods: serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus become less active during gestation due to increased SK3 channel activity, which drives food-seeking behavior. The team also traced a neural pathway to the ventral tegmental area, where activation reduces cravings, shedding light on the neural basis of gestational eating patterns observed in humans.

Survey Finds Small Businesses Optimistic Yet Operations StagnatingBusiness — 2hMost surveyed small-business owners are optimistic about growth, but many report stagnant or declining efficiency, with expense management and fragmented financial systems creating back-office burdens. The article advises owners to identify operational bottlenecks and use integrated financial tools to free time for customers and growth.

Maya Lindstrom If owners spent half as much time fixing their back office as they do chasing new customers the growth numbers would look even better.

Xi Begins US Visit With Rare Trump Welcome — 5dXi Jinping arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit and was greeted on the tarmac by President Donald Trump in a rare planeside welcome, signaling high-level diplomacy amid tensions over trade, AI, and Taiwan. The trip will include a formal state dinner and has drawn mixed reactions, including criticism from some lawmakers about the lavish reception and the broader strategic dynamics with China.

Category 3 Hurricane Polo nears Baja California landfall Monday — 1dCategory 3 Hurricane Polo packs 125 mph winds as it nears Baja California landfall Monday under hurricane warning.

Rachel Meyers Category 3 strength still means serious wind damage on landfall.

Companies Advance Modular, AI-Powered Drone DesignsTech — 3dNew drone projects span defense and commercial applications: AEVEX is developing a modular, jet-powered autonomous aircraft, Eva Defense is advancing a quieter drone with plans for AI-enabled coordination, and a separate prototype is designed to autonomously enter buildings and broadcast sound. Electronics suppliers are also promoting integrated sensing, power, communications and custom battery systems to support next-generation unmanned aircraft.

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.

MarketBeat Stock Lists Span Apparel, Luxury, Auto, MusicBusiness — 3dMarketBeat’s screeners highlighted high-trading-volume stocks across apparel, luxury goods, automotive and music, including Nike and Lululemon in multiple categories. Separately, Ford shares fell 5% in the week ending Sept. 25, while General Motors edged higher.

IMF concludes review, backs adaptable lending reformsFinance — 3dThe IMF’s 2026 review calls for lending programs that are more realistic and adaptable, factoring in countries’ implementation capacity, credible economic assumptions and risks such as recurring shocks, with stronger contingency planning and a pilot strategy to prioritize structural reforms. Fiscal adjustment remains important, but the IMF says it should be feasible and growth-conscious, with attention to vulnerable households and caution against applying front-loaded cuts as a blanket prescription.

Meta Unveils VR Headset, Camera-Free Smart Glasses — 6dMeta is gearing up for a major Connect event with new smart glasses that omit built-in cameras to address privacy concerns, along with AI features and a lightweight mixed-reality headset codenamed Phoenix, plus ongoing Ray-Ban collaborations and privacy indicators. Separately, the INVEST Digital Health conference underscores wearables’ expanding role in healthcare, from vital-sign monitoring to integrating wearable data into care delivery and clinical trials.

WISeKey extends root of trust to verify AI models and agentsTech — 3dAs AI systems become more autonomous, security discussions span cryptographic approaches—from post-quantum blockchain design and verifiable AI identities to the idea that crypto could help align self-sustaining AI—and scrutiny of whether AI agents can be trusted. Deepfakes and software vulnerabilities underscore the risks of impersonation and fraud, while industry efforts and community debate focus on proving identity, integrity and authorization.

Analysts Rate Four Stocks Buy or Moderate BuyBusiness — 4dAnalysts broadly favor the covered stocks: Assurant has a consensus Buy rating, while Alumis, Ategrity Specialty and ASML each have a Moderate Buy rating. Recent quarterly results beat analyst estimates at Assurant and Ategrity Specialty, while Alumis missed forecasts; the ASML report also highlights demand for its next-generation semiconductor equipment.

Vertical Aerospace Begins Strategic Review, Seeks Partners — 3dVertical Aerospace has hired Jefferies to advise on a review of strategic alternatives, including potential partnerships and financing, as it moves its eVTOL program toward certification, industrialization and commercial launch. The company says operations and certification work will continue, but the review may not lead to a deal or strategic change; it has also raised about $100 million and appointed former Airbus executive Fabrice Brégier as board chair.

Jim Carrey vs Adam SandlerYourlist — VS BattleRubber-faced mania versus deadpan slob comedy — two 90s comedy titans, two entirely different engines.

GAO estimates annual tax fraud losses at $116B to $304B — 2dGAO finds the IRS has no agency-wide antifraud strategy after pegging yearly tax-fraud losses at 2% to 6% of taxes owed, up to $304 billion.

Dana Whitfield The IRS ought to prioritize building a real antifraud plan when this much revenue is vanishing yearly.

Hedge Funds Cut Treasury Basis Exposure 20% — 3dHedge funds are scaling back the leveraged Treasury basis trade as narrower price gaps and softer demand for bonds and futures reduce its potential returns; estimates put positions down substantially, though reported totals vary. Strategists say the pullback reflects fewer arbitrage opportunities rather than market stress, but the trade remains sizable and could amplify volatility if funding conditions worsen.

Lumen to shift stock and Qwest notes from NYSE to Nasdaq — 2dLumen plans to move its common stock and Qwest subsidiary notes from the NYSE to Nasdaq, with trading expected to begin there Oct. 6 under the same ticker symbols. The company says the move aligns its listing with its AI-focused enterprise networking strategy and will not affect operations, finances, reporting obligations, or require action from shareholders.

Jared Kim Switching exchanges for an AI strategy feels like a pointless shuffle if shareholders gain nothing from it.

Moody’s Tops 2027 RiskTech100, Nasdaq Ranks Second — 3dNasdaq climbed from fifth to second in Chartis RiskTech100 2027 with 14 category awards, up from five, after more than 900 vendors were evaluated.

Maya Lindstrom Moody's five-year streak at the top shows how hard it is for others to match their risk tech depth.

Can you read data — or just vibes?Quizie — QuizFifteen questions on charts, stats, and the tricks numbers play. The rank tells everyone whether to trust your slides.

Curate Launches Integrated Two-Way Client Texting — 3dCurate launched two-way texting for its event operations platform, enabling caterers and other event businesses to message clients from contact profiles and keep incoming and outgoing conversations in a shared chronological record.

Maya Lindstrom This texting tool should cut down on missed messages and keep everything organized for busy caterers.

Harris Plans Michigan Campaign Events With El-Sayed — 6dKamala Harris is campaigning with Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to mobilize Black voters and progressive supporters, aiming to unite a fractured Democratic base ahead of a pivotal race that could determine control of the Senate. The events spotlight a strategy centered on broad coalitions and voter turnout in Michigan, a battleground state whose outcome could influence national momentum for Democrats.

Chris Dalton Uniting the base here is a solid step but it will take real follow-through to keep people engaged through November.

RedBird Becomes Lead Investor in Puck at $250 Million Valuation — 3dRedBird Capital has taken a controlling investment in subscription news publisher Puck, valuing the company at about $250 million. Puck’s leaders say the funding will support hiring, expansion and acquisitions without changing its strategy or editorial independence, though RedBird’s media-industry ties have drawn attention given Puck’s coverage of companies in the sector.

Tom Gallagher RedBird's stake might bring needed cash for growth, but their media connections make me wonder if Puck's coverage will stay truly independent.

Greece proposes €15 billion EU 6G fund — 4dGreece has proposed pooling part of future national 6G spectrum auction revenues in a European Spectrum Union to fund strategic technology investment and ease pressure on the EU budget. The plan’s €12 billion to €15 billion estimate is preliminary and comes as member states negotiate financing for the bloc’s proposed 2028–34 budget.

AI Adoption Spreads Across Banks, Campuses — 4dOrganizations and educators are accelerating AI adoption while emphasizing cost control, practical skills and human oversight: Société Générale is cutting IT costs as it cautiously expands AI, while guidance for students and workers stresses learning generative AI and directing its tools effectively. Initiatives and policies also aim to shape responsible use, including free Gemini access and training for Irish university students and new Philippine higher-education rules on disclosure, integrity and human review.

Nicole Hardy Philippine rules requiring disclosure and human review of AI work should help maintain standards as more campuses adopt these tools.

Coretura selection boosts QNX royalty backlog $100M+Auto — 6dCoretura, the Daimler Truck–Volvo Group joint venture, selected QNX and Vector’s Alloy Kore as the safety-certified software foundation for its software-defined commercial-vehicle platform, marking Alloy Kore’s first design win. The platform is intended to simplify integration and speed development, while adding more than $100 million to QNX’s royalty backlog.

CanSemi plans ChiNext IPO that could make it first wafer maker — 5dGuangzhou-based CanSemi Technology is seeking to raise about 6.16 billion yuan in a Shenzhen ChiNext listing, pricing shares at 12.01 yuan and selling about 512.6 million new shares (potentially up to 589.54 million with overallotment) to fund 12-inch wafer production expansion and working capital. Strategic investors including Alibaba Cloud Feitian Information Technology, Goodix Technology and Biwin Storage Technology have taken stakes, underscoring strong demand for domestic chip manufacturing amid China’s tech self-reliance push.

ManningCast Draws 705,000 Amid Ratings Decline — 6dArch Manning faces ongoing scrutiny over inconsistent production after a strong start, with critics arguing his performance has failed to meet expectations ahead of Texas at Tennessee. Separately, the ManningCast’s guest-heavy format has drawn criticism for diluting football analysis, as viewership and ESPN’s overall MNF presentation strategy show the alt-broadcast losing some of its edge and remaining a contested but persistent element of the NFL telecast lineup.

US Export-Import Bank eyes financing for Argentina energy and minerals — 5dThe United States and Argentina formalized a multi‑billion‑dollar push to modernize infrastructure and energy/mining links, notably launching the Andes-Atlantic Corridor backed by up to $7 billion and focusing on Vaca Muerta and related export routes. Separately, Washington’s EXIM Bank plans up to another $7 billion in financing for Argentina’s critical minerals and energy projects, including LNG and lithium/copper developments, as part of a growing strategic partnership under Milei and current President Trump.