Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is expected to be out for a few weeks after suffering a knee injury.
The 35-year-old is a phenomenal basketball player, but injuries have regularly affected him over the course of his career.
That has led to some criticism recently, but Charles Barkley has noticed a trend with Leonard that actually deserves some praise.
Leonard was recently branded as the 'worst superstar in the history of sports' by Stephen A. Smith after news emerged about his injury.
The ESPN host accused him of getting paid without working because of the number of games he has missed throughout his career.

#injury #Career #recently #kawhi

By Charles Boehm
We've entered a thrilling, devastating period of the MLS season: The time of lowercase Xs and Es.
If you're unfamiliar, tap the header at the top of the page ******* led 'Standings' and open it in a new window. Clubs that have clinched an Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs spot earn an X next to their name, and those eliminated get branded with an E.
In some cases it's a formality, like how runaway league leaders Nashville SC have already clinched first place in the Eastern Conference. Or at the other end, like how Wooden Spoon 'winners' in waiting Sporting Kansas City are the first team ruled ineligible for the postseason party. Others in between will have to sweat for their place right down to Decision Day, next month's regular-season finale.
However you splice it, we're now up to nine teams in and one team out. That's a decent enough place for us to start our Matchday 31 rundown.

#season #clinched #next

A family trip to Dollywood took an unexpected turn for Britney Spears after footage from one of the park's rides sparked criticism online. The pop star documented her excitement while riding a spinning attraction during the outing with her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James Federline. However, some viewers objected to her repeatedly yelling an expletive at the family-oriented theme park. One critic branded Spears "clueless and classless," while another accused her of deliberately attracting attention despite covering her face to avoid being recognized.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Britney Spears (britneyspears)
Spears visited the Tennessee theme park with Sean and Jayden, sharing a rare photograph of herself posing between her two adult sons. The 44-year-old singer wore a striped top and denim miniskirt while covering much of her face with sunglasses and a mask. Sean and Jayden coordinated in white T-shirts and sneakers.
"Wow wow!!! I didn't know this place existed, so incredibly cool and exciting," Spears wrote on Instagram. She added that the weather was "extremely hot" and joked that her skirt was too big before declaring, "Family outings!!! DOLLYWOOD IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!"

#family #Instagram

Britney Spears shared pictures and video from a rare public outing with her two adult sons, Sean Preston Federline, 21, and Jayden James Federline, 20, on her Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 7). In a sweet pic, Spears can be seen posing between the two young men, who tower over her, in front of the sign at Dolly Parton's beloved Dollywood resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
"Wow wow!!! I didn't know this place existed, so incredibly cool and exciting," Spears, 44, wrote of the 165-acre amusement park and resort the late country icon took over and rebranded in 1986. The singer was pictured wearing a short blue skirt, flip-flops, a red-and-white striped shirt and a white surgical mask, while the boys rocked baggy jeans and white T-shirts, with Britney lamenting that it was "extremely hot and my skirt is too big for me."
More from Billboard
Britney Spears' Son Jayden James On Being Chip Off the Pop Block: 'Expressing Myself Through Music Has Always Been My Best Therapy'
Dollywood to Celebrate Dolly Parton With New Installations & Experiences: 'We Will Carry Her Dreams Forward'

#britney #white

Prince William has been branded a "beautiful human" after his interaction with a four-week-old baby, which took place on Tuesday during an engagement in Ilminster. The royal, who is a dad of three, was also on hand to offer up light-hearted advice for the new mum.
In the video above, William can be seen meeting the tiny newborn, and he asked: "How old?" When the mum replied, "Four weeks," he exclaimed, "Four weeks!" He then proceeded to ask if it was her "first one" and when he discovered it was her second, he waved his hand in the air and said: "Dab hand," in a reassuring tone.
Prince William is a doting dad to three children (@ Getty Images)
The talk then turned to sleep, as it does with most parents, and when discovering the little one isn't the best sleeper, he jokingly instructed the woman: "Don't move," as the baby was sound asleep on her during the whole interaction.
When the clip circulated online, fans praised William for stopping to speak to the parent. One wrote: "William is a beautiful human being who is so much like his Mum was," and another added: "This is why people love William. So natural and caring, asking about the baby sleeping! Future king with such a kind heart."

#william #beautiful #interaction #weeks

Princess Diana's friend has slammed Charles Spencer's book, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," dedicated to his late sister. For those unversed, Spencer penned a memoir chronicling Princess Diana's experience being married to King Charles, dealing with intense media scrutiny and her tragic passing. Ever since the book was released on September 22, it has been making headlines.
Princess Diana's friend berated Charles Spencer and branded him as "deeply disloyal" for writing a book about his late sister. In a 1998 TV special with Sally Magnusson, Spencer had declared that he would never profit off his sister's death and thought it was "low."
Royal commentator Ingrid Seward was once a good acquaintance of Diana and had spent time with her shortly before her tragic death in 1997. Seward told The Royal Observer's Palace Unfiltered: "I think that Charles has been deeply disloyal, writing about his sister, putting himself up there, and then to attack the king was so unnecessary. I don't know if what he's saying is accurate, but you know, memory does change over the years."
The Daily Mail published an excerpt, detailing an explosive phone call between Spencer and King Charles over Diana's funeral preparations. As per Spencer, Charles retorted, saying: "Rest **** ured, we will forget her soon enough."
Diana's brother said he was "stunned" by Charles' harsh words for the mother of his children. Additionally, he also claimed the King sounded "giddily elated, like a lottery winner," just after her death.

#king #princess #diana

Prince William has a strong one-word nickname for Prince Harry and Charles Spencer. As per reports, the Prince of Wales was blindsided by the claims and allegations his uncle levied against King Charles and the royal family in his recent Princess Diana memoir. Spencer reportedly insists that he had informed William and Harry at the same time. However, multiple sources have alleged that the future king was furious upon learning the contents of the book.
Prince William is reportedly angry after learning that Prince Harry had prior knowledge of Charles Spencer's book. According to a source attached to Heat World, William has branded Harry and Spencer as "traitors". The source elaborated: "William is seeing this alliance that Harry has formed with their uncle and it's got him incensed and calling both Harry and Earl Spencer traitors."
The source explained that the Duke of Sussex has sided with his uncle amid his ongoing rift with the royal family. However, Harry has not publicly expressed support for Spencer or commented on the memoir. His silence has reportedly fueled William's frustration, according to the source.
The Prince of Wales reportedly suspects Harry had read the book and knew what Spencer planned to reveal. While Charles reportedly wants to move past the issue, William is said to be willing to confront his brother. According to Rob Shuter's report, both King Charles and William were surprised by the memoir's contents. Neither reportedly received an advance copy. However, a source claimed that Harry received a copy weeks before its official release.
William and King Charles reportedly learned about the memoir's more controversial claims as excerpts emerged publicly. Rob Shuter's source alleged that Spencer gave Harry preferential treatment over William. The source said: "Harry had the book weeks ago. Charles Spencer wanted Harry to understand exactly what he was going to say about Diana before the world read it. Harry was brought inside the circle. William was kept outside it."

#harry #however #book

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security dispute is in the news again after two men were spotted near the new school their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are enrolled in.
The two men, said to be European paparazzi, were described by the Sussexes' spokesperson as exhibiting "extraordinarily reckless" behavior and compared it to the recent security incident at RAF Fairford.
As Prince Harry and Meghan's request for taxpayer-funded police protection is pending RAVEC review, a royal author has branded the way they have handled the recent paparazzi story a "cynical strategy."
Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM / MEGA
Royal author Robert Jobson believes that the way Harry and Meghan have publicly discussed their security incidents could make it hard for the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) to leave their security arrangements as is.

#harry #royal #meghan

Jennifer Lopez is getting the "diva" treatment on social media again, this time over an umbrella. A video circulating on X shows the singer seated at an outdoor fashion show while a man standing beside her holds an umbrella overhead. The post accuses Lopez of making her bodyguard handle the task, bringing another round of attention to her alleged demands. The clip follows criticism of her New York City hotel exit earlier this year and a former television staffer's claims about her backstage dressing room.
KCS Presse / MEGA
X user Oli London shared the footage with the caption, "Jennifer Lopez branded a 'diva' for making her bodyguard hold an umbrella over her during fashion show."
In the screenshot of the post, Lopez sits with her legs crossed, wearing a brown outfit with a matching wrap across her lap. A man dressed in black stands beside her, seemingly her bodyguard, holding the umbrella above her seat. Other umbrellas are visible around the outdoor seating area.
Jennifer Lopez branded a 'diva' for making her bodyguard hold an umbrella over her during fashion show. pic.twitter.com/s5Kd84F8q9

#Umbrella #bodyguard #show #making

In mid-September, stablecoins received a fresh injection of legitimacy when payments specialist MoneyGram introduced a new Visa-branded debit card backed by one. The product is somewhat unimaginatively called the MoneyGram Card, underpinned by the USDC (CRYPTO: USDC) stablecoin. In turn, Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) develops and manages the coin.
I believe this is a positive development not only for USDC and the company that co-developed and manages it but also for the wider stablecoin ecosystem. Here's why.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
MoneyGram is the ideal company to offer such a card, as its bread and ***** er is remittances (i.e., cross-border payments, usually from people in economically advantaged countries to ***** ociates in less prosperous ones).
One of the great promises of cryptocurrencies is that transacting in them can be almost instantaneous and near-frictionless, anywhere in the world. So they're very suitable for remittances, as the facilitator behind them has less contact with challenges such as sharp exchange-rate moves, slow transaction settlement times, and other impediments to money transfers.

#usdc #signal #company #payments

Travel credit cards offer points and miles rewards on your spending, which you can use toward travel-related redemptions, such as flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. You'll often earn the highest rewards rate on travel purchases with a travel credit card. However, many also offer boosted rewards on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and more.
When you're comparing travel credit cards, it's useful to separate them into two distinct types: general travel rewards cards and co-branded airline and hotel credit cards.
With a general travel credit card, you'll have a number of flexible redemption options when you're ready to redeem your points and miles.
Travel card issuers generally have their own travel portals, like Chase Travel or American Express Travel, where you can book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. These programs also have a number of travel transfer partners to which you can directly transfer points or miles. For example, American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a rate of 1:1.
The flexibility of general travel cards means you can use your rewards to travel with different airlines or hotel brands. Each time you're ready to book, simply shop around between the portal or partners and compare the best options for your specific travel plans.

#rewards #points #you 're

Travel credit cards offer points and miles rewards on your spending, which you can use toward travel-related redemptions, such as flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. You'll often earn the highest rewards rate on travel purchases with a travel credit card. However, many also offer boosted rewards on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and more.
When you're comparing travel credit cards, it's useful to separate them into two distinct types: general travel rewards cards and co-branded airline and hotel credit cards.
With a general travel credit card, you'll have a number of flexible redemption options when you're ready to redeem your points and miles.
Travel card issuers generally have their own travel portals, like Chase Travel or American Express Travel, where you can book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. These programs also have a number of travel transfer partners to which you can directly transfer points or miles. For example, American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a rate of 1:1.
The flexibility of general travel cards means you can use your rewards to travel with different airlines or hotel brands. Each time you're ready to book, simply shop around between the portal or partners and compare the best options for your specific travel plans.

#credit #hotel #general

The casual Mexican restaurant sector has faced a challenging year in 2026, as dining chains have closed underperforming locations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize their businesses, and in at least one case, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation to shut down all operations.
Once popular Mexican chain On the Border ceased operations in 2026, after closing all of its locations before its operating company, OTB Hospitality, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on June 19, 2026, the company shared in a press release.
Another chain facing financial distress is Session Taco, a St. Louis-based casual Mexican dining chain, which closed one of its restaurant locations for the second time in seven months. The chain has not filed for bankruptcy.
The Mexican chain, originally branded Mission Taco Joint until a 2023 name change, closed its Sobremesa restaurant in St. Charles, Mo., on Sept. 13 after only three months of operation, according to its Facebook page.
The St. Charles location was previously branded as Session Taco until the company closed the restaurant on Feb. 13 to redesign and rebrand the restaurant as Sobremesa before reopening in June 2026.

#mexican #locations

Andy Burnham has warned of a "challenging" Budget as the Iran war drives up oil and gas prices.
The Prime Minister said he would do what he could to ease the cost of living after the Middle East conflict pushed price rises to a five-month high.
Mr Burnham branded the latest up-tick in inflation a "concern", as official figures showed the headline rate rose from 2.9pc in July to 3.1pc in August. However, he insisted that Britain's economy had shown "resilience across the board".
His warning of a difficult Budget in October will raise fears of tax rises as the fallout from the Iran war continues to weaken the public finances and erode the Government's fiscal headroom.
Oxford Economics has warned that the Chancellor will need to find £11bn if he wants to maintain the same wiggle room on the Treasury's books.

#warned #rises

Walmart and SCAN Health Plan announced a partnership on Wednesday to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage plans in two states, targeting a pool of more than two million Medicare enrollees.
The plans, pending regulatory approval, may include pharmacy, vision, food, and over-the-counter benefits, the companies said. Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins Oct. 15, according to MarketWatch.
A central feature of the partnership is Walmart's Everyday Health Signals platform, an AI tool designed to provide personalized nutrition and wellness guidance based on members' shopping preferences and self-reported wellness goals. The companies said they plan to make that capability available to participating plan members as part of broader coaching and wellness support.
"By combining Walmart's technology capabilities and consumer retail expertise with SCAN's Medicare product experience, we have an opportunity to develop products that translate those insights into meaningful support that helps members make more informed choices about their health and well-being," said Zack Myers, national general manager of SCAN Health Plan, in a statement.
Walmart Group Director for Consumer Health and Data Solutions Pravene Nath said the collaboration is distinct because of Walmart's role in customers' everyday lives. "Because customers regularly turn to Walmart for groceries and other everyday essentials, we have an opportunity for those who choose to participate, to use insights from their shopping experiences to make nutrition guidance more relevant and actionable," Nath said in a statement.

#Wellness #members #scan #advantage

Alluvium **** et Management, an **** et management company, released its "Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund" second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter reflected a sharp shift from geopolitical uncertainty and oil market volatility to a powerful equity rally led by semiconductor companies. Despite the broader market strength, the Fund declined 1.4% in EUR terms, 2.2% in USD terms, and 3.9% in AUD terms. Portfolio results were mixed, with Alphabet benefiting from strong Cloud growth, while Robert Half, H&R Block and other holdings posted solid gains. However, cable businesses and several healthcare and consumer holdings weighed on performance. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund highlighted Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK). Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) is a communication services company that provides a range of data, wireless, video, voice, and managed services. GCI Liberty, Inc. rebranded to Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) in May 2026. On September 15, 2026, Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) closed at $25.55 per share. Over the past month, Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) declined 1.50% and its shares lost 27.02% over the past 52 weeks. Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, and its stock trades within a 52-week range of $19.30 and $41.18.
Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund stated the following regarding Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"GCI Liberty, the Alaskan cable business that was spun out of Liberty Broadband, has been renamed Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) (to reflect a future which is expected to include a broader array of businesses, and with its legacy GCI Alaska cable business being the solid "cash cow"). It fell 40.6%. There was plenty of news. Most notable was its USD 360m acquisition of Quintillion, which owns around 3,000 kilometres of fibre cable and plans to expand it by a further 2,500 kilometres or so. This perfectly aligns with Liberty's GCI operations. We understand Quintillion generates around USD 55-60m in revenue and USD 30m in free cash. We would expect significant synergies (reportedly around USD 20m) so we have little doubt that the deal adds value. And in fact, when we incorporate it into our model, the valuation uplift is around 35%. Management also decided to retreat from the competitive and low margin video business. And finally, Liberty Capital had intended to acquire an interest in Liberty Latin America by striking a deal for an initial 6% stake and building on that by buying John Malone's interest. For some reason this did not proceed which perhaps spooked the market. With the share price falling (to levels approximating half our valuation), and encouraged by its CEO buying shares, we increased our

Jim Cramer sees Seneca Foods Corporation (NASDAQ:SENEA) as an attractive food stock after its sharp rally, but he wants investors to leave room for a further pullback. During the September 10 episode of Mad Money, he noted that the shares had recently fallen about 11% from their high the previous week. He added:
Looking at the chart, you'd think this was an AI data center company. The stock's up 256% over the past three years, nearly 70% year to date.
Cramer said its appeal starts with its exposure to both branded and private-label products:
They don't care whether you're buying the premium nationally branded stuff or the cheap private-label knockoffs because they package everything.
Seneca reported fiscal first-quarter 2027 revenue of $405.2 million, up 36.2% year over year, while diluted EPS increased to $2.85 from $2.14. Management attributed the revenue growth to the Green Giant U.S. frozen acquisition, private-label growth and the timing of contract-packaging sales. Cramer credited the Green Giant transaction with helping drive the improvement after Seneca acquired B&G Foods' U.S. frozen business in March.

#seneca #giant

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s decision to rebrand its day-to-day identity as "Novo" and launch a cultural reset is primarily a strategic response to the company's loss of momentum in the obesity-drug market, rather than a financial restructuring in itself. Reuters reports that the company is trying to regain competitiveness as pressure from Eli Lilly intensifies. The move comes as Novo prepares to unveil new strategic ambitions at its September 21 Capital Markets Day, making the cultural reset potentially important if it leads to faster decision-making, stronger commercial execution and a more aggressive R&D approach.
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ******* ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ******* ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.

#nordisk #lilly

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s decision to rebrand its day-to-day identity as "Novo" and launch a cultural reset is primarily a strategic response to the company's loss of momentum in the obesity-drug market, rather than a financial restructuring in itself. Reuters reports that the company is trying to regain competitiveness as pressure from Eli Lilly intensifies. The move comes as Novo prepares to unveil new strategic ambitions at its September 21 Capital Markets Day, making the cultural reset potentially important if it leads to faster decision-making, stronger commercial execution and a more aggressive R&D approach.
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ***** ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ***** ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.

#cultural #company #lilly

Walmart and SCAN Health Plan announced a partnership on Wednesday to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage plans in two states, targeting a pool of more than two million Medicare enrollees.
The plans, pending regulatory approval, may include pharmacy, vision, food, and over-the-counter benefits, the companies said. Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins Oct. 15, according to MarketWatch.
A central feature of the partnership is Walmart's Everyday Health Signals platform, an AI tool designed to provide personalized nutrition and wellness guidance based on members' shopping preferences and self-reported wellness goals. The companies said they plan to make that capability available to participating plan members as part of broader coaching and wellness support.
"By combining Walmart's technology capabilities and consumer retail expertise with SCAN's Medicare product experience, we have an opportunity to develop products that translate those insights into meaningful support that helps members make more informed choices about their health and well-being," said Zack Myers, national general manager of SCAN Health Plan, in a statement.
Walmart Group Director for Consumer Health and Data Solutions Pravene Nath said the collaboration is distinct because of Walmart's role in customers' everyday lives. "Because customers regularly turn to Walmart for groceries and other everyday essentials, we have an opportunity for those who choose to participate, to use insights from their shopping experiences to make nutrition guidance more relevant and actionable," Nath said in a statement.

#plan #Wellness #members #advantage

Alluvium **** et Management, an **** et management company, released its "Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund" second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The letter can be downloaded here. The second quarter reflected a sharp shift from geopolitical uncertainty and oil market volatility to a powerful equity rally led by semiconductor companies. Despite the broader market strength, the Fund declined 1.4% in EUR terms, 2.2% in USD terms, and 3.9% in AUD terms. Portfolio results were mixed, with Alphabet benefiting from strong Cloud growth, while Robert Half, H&R Block and other holdings posted solid gains. However, cable businesses and several healthcare and consumer holdings weighed on performance. Also, check the fund's top five holdings to see its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund highlighted Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK). Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) is a communication services company that provides a range of data, wireless, video, voice, and managed services. GCI Liberty, Inc. rebranded to Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) in May 2026. On September 15, 2026, Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) closed at $25.55 per share. Over the past month, Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) declined 1.50% and its shares lost 27.02% over the past 52 weeks. Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, and its stock trades within a 52-week range of $19.30 and $41.18.
Conventum – Alluvium Global Fund stated the following regarding Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"GCI Liberty, the Alaskan cable business that was spun out of Liberty Broadband, has been renamed Liberty Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:GLIBK) (to reflect a future which is expected to include a broader array of businesses, and with its legacy GCI Alaska cable business being the solid "cash cow"). It fell 40.6%. There was plenty of news. Most notable was its USD 360m acquisition of Quintillion, which owns around 3,000 kilometres of fibre cable and plans to expand it by a further 2,500 kilometres or so. This perfectly aligns with Liberty's GCI operations. We understand Quintillion generates around USD 55-60m in revenue and USD 30m in free cash. We would expect significant synergies (reportedly around USD 20m) so we have little doubt that the deal adds value. And in fact, when we incorporate it into our model, the valuation uplift is around 35%. Management also decided to retreat from the competitive and low margin video business. And finally, Liberty Capital had intended to acquire an interest in Liberty Latin America by striking a deal for an initial 6% stake and building on that by buying John Malone's interest. For some reason this did not proceed which perhaps spooked the market. With the share price falling (to levels approximating half our valuation), and encouraged by its CEO buying shares, we increased our

On August 6, PureCycle Technologies (NASDAQ:PCT) reported second-quarter results for the period ended June 30, and buried in the numbers was something the plastics recycler has chased for years: an actual branded product on store shelves. Select Downy detergent caps made with PureCycle's PureFive resin entered commercial production for Procter & Gamble during the quarter, the first tangible sign the company's purification technology can clear a major consumer brand's supply chain. Revenue came in at $4.5 million, up roughly 173% from a year earlier and the sixth straight quarter of sequential growth.
The Downy win was not an isolated event. PureCycle said select Tide caps are scheduled for retail production in the third quarter, with Vicks ZzzQuil PURE Zzzs child-resistant lids targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026. Seven customer conversions took place during the quarter, alongside six new commercial partnerships spanning closures, automotive, film, and food packaging, including Amcor, Motherson, and Innovia Films. Regulation is doing real work here too. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection approved PureFive as post-consumer recycled content, a decision that arrives as the state's food contact exemption expires in January 2027 and its recycled content requirement climbs to 20%, while California's SB54 is already in effect.
Operationally, the Ironton facility's planned turnaround finished ahead of schedule and under budget, with more than 170 reliability and rate projects completed and inspections showing no corrosion on major equipment. On-site compounding, commissioned in April, is now running 24 hours a day, five days a week, with plans to expand to seven by the fourth quarter. PureCycle also picked up ISO 9001:2015 certification in May and closed the quarter with $236.9 million in total liquidity after a June capital raise.
The other side of the ledger is harder to ignore. PureCycle posted a net loss of $142.2 million for the quarter, and adjusted EBITDA actually widened to a loss of $31.7 million from a loss of $27.8 million a year earlier, a shift the company attributes to smaller non-cash addbacks rather than weaker operations. PureFive production fell to 4.5 million pounds for the quarter, a direct result of the planned turnaround, even though output was still up about 32% from a year ago. Growth is not coming cheap either. Full-year 2026 project spending guidance was raised to a range of $45 million to $50 million, up from the prior $39 million to $45 million.

#year #loss

On September 10, Shoe Station Group (NASDAQ:SHOE) held its first earnings call under its new name, and the numbers told a story of a company still finding its footing. Second quarter net sales fell 7.2% to $284.3 million from $306.4 million a year earlier, with comparable sales down 7.1%. But buried in the report was a sharper signal: August comparable sales improved to a 2.7% decline, a real jump from the second quarter's pace, and management is pointing to store-by-store product changes as the reason why.
Shoe Station's turnaround argument rests on giving up the idea that every store should look the same. Interim CEO Clifton Sifford said the company had been running nearly identical ***** ortments across its stores even though its two banners serve very different customers, and that approach stopped working. The shift already shows up in the numbers. Once the company localized its athletic ***** ortments ahead of back-to-school, adult athletic sales moved from a low single-digit decline in the second quarter to a low single-digit increase in August.
Running shoes comped positive in both men's and women's categories, and men's work boots, a replenishment category with loyal repeat buyers, grew 2%. Management believes this fall's boot lineup is the best it has fielded in years, heading into what Sifford expects to be a bigger nonathletic fashion cycle. E-commerce sales grew 18.8% even as store traffic fell, and in-store conversion actually improved, evidence that customers who show up are buying; they just are not showing up in the same numbers yet. The company also ended the quarter debt-free with $131.6 million in cash, up $39.7 million from a year ago, giving it room to fund the localized rollout without straining the balance sheet.
The flip side is that the entire second quarter was ugly across the board. Shoe Carnival branded stores, still 63% of revenue, saw sales fall 6.5%, while the newly converted Shoe Station banner dropped 8.4%. Gross profit margin fell 690 basis points to 31.9%, a mix of a promotional footwear market and management's decision to accelerate liquidation of aged inventory, trading margin for cash. That combination cut net income to $6.3 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, down from $19.2 million and $0.70 a year earlier.
Management is not projecting relief anytime soon. Sifford said plainly, "We are not ***** uming the environment improves," and CFO Kerry Jackson noted that gross margins in fiscal August were still running below last year's levels at a pace comparable to the second quarter. Full-year gross margin guidance of 32.5% to 32.7% implies 390 to 410 basis points of compression for the year. Store impairment charges reached $6.7 million on 11 stores year to date, and management has already conceded that the core problem is not price, since conversion rates rose while total customer visits kept falling. That points to a marketing and trust problem rather than a demand problem, and fixing it will take more tha

After Josh Kerr became Great Britain's first ever Ultimate Champion with a dominant victory in the 1500m in Budapest on Sunday evening, he celebrated in customary fashion - Union Jack draped around him, beaming smile, arms raised before the cheering crowd.
But he also did something less traditional, ramping up a battle over funding at the top of athletics in the process.
The 28-year-old made a clear point of obscuring the Nike sponsor's logo on his Great Britain kit by tying his Brooks-branded running spikes over his shoulder, meaning that the video footage and photographs of his trophy lift highlighted his own personal sponsor rather than his nation's.
After praising the inaugural running of the Ultimate Championship, a new biennial event run by World Athletics with a focus on big names, Kerr explained the meaning behind the move in his interview with BBC Sport.
"There is one last thing that I think we can get right, which is allowing the athletes to represent their own brands versus their country," Kerr said.

#ultimate #athletics #josh #champion

Umios, the ******* anese seafood giant previously trading as Maruha Nichiro, has made another investment in Southeast Asia with a stake in Pataya Food Industries.
Tokyo-listed Umios is taking a 25.1% stake in Thailand's Pataya Food Industries (PFI), which was set up in 1979 and manufactures branded seafood and pet-food products, as well as acting as a B2B supplier in Asia.
Based in the capital Bangkok, PFI has a capitalisation of Bt280m ($8.4m), according to Umios, which did not disclose the target purchase price for the minority interest.
The transaction is being conducted through the Umios group firm Kingfisher Holdings.
Umios said in a statement the deal and "alliance" with PFI will "expand the group's portfolio of processed foods and other products, as well as its sales channels in Asia, advancing the local strategy set out in its long-term vision".

#pataya #industries #seafood #well

Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a fan of the label "nepo baby." In fact, she loathes it.
The Oscar-winning actress branded the term "horrific" in an interview with The Times of Britain, saying that her children Dylan, 26, and Carys, 23 – whom she shares with husband Michael Douglas – are working hard to carve out their own paths in the entertainment industry, despite having globally famous parents.
"It's hard for them to forge a way forward on their own," the 56-year-old told the newspaper, as she attempted to defend their respective acting careers, noting that they were both "plugging away."
"This horrific phrase 'nepo baby' is horrible because these kids didn't ask to be born into this, they're finding their own way in life," she said. Son Dylan is pursuing a career in acting, while daughter Carys is an aspiring director.
The buzzword "nepo baby" is short for nepotism, the practice of favoring friends and family members for job roles. The label has long sparked debate in Hollywood and beyond, with some angrily calling out the offspring of famous celebrities, claiming they have been handed their careers on a platter and that they are undeserving of fame and fortune.

#label #horrific #hard #acting

On August 13, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD), upholding a preliminary injunction that bars the defendants from importing or facilitating the sale of foreign-market Gilead-branded medications in the US. The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that the differences between Gilead's HIV medication for the US market and the foreign versions being imported were "material, not theoretical." The controversy began in December 2024 when Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) filed suit against a number of companies, including third-party administrator Meritain Health, pharmacy benefit manager ProAct, and pharmacies Rx Valet and Advanced Pharmacy, alleging illegal imports of its best-selling HIV drug Biktarvy.
The dispute dates back to December 2024, when Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) sued a group of companies, including third-party administrator Meritain Health, pharmacy benefit manager ProAct, and pharmacies Rx Valet and Advanced Pharmacy, alleging illegal imports of its top-selling HIV drug Biktarvy. The lawsuit arose from a specific instance in which a patient in Maryland received the medicine in the mail from Turkey, with label instructions written in Turkish.
A federal district court in Baltimore ruled in Gilead's favor and ordered a preliminary injunction, determining that the company was likely to succeed on its Lanham Act trademark violation and unfair competition arguments. As the case continued, the injunction was increased to include new sellers like CanaRx, ElectRx, and ScriptSourcing. The defendants filed an appeal with the Fourth Circuit, and the district judge declined to suspend the injunction while the appeal was pending, thus the import restriction has been in effect the entire time. The recent ruling maintains the order rather than overturning it.
In court documents, Rx Valet stated that the Turkish-sourced Biktarvy was chemically identical to the US version, which was offered at a significantly higher price. Meritain, for its part, said that it has never supported getting non-FDA-approved pharmaceuticals from outside the US and denies the claims, despite being named as a defendant.
The Fourth Circuit rejected the defendants' main argument that the imported and domestic versions of Biktarvy are interchangeable. The court's judgment that the two versions differ materially, not just in packaging or labeling, but also in the quality-control protocols that each version goes through before reaching a patient, challenges the basic argument that these alternative funding programs have used to support their business model.

#gild

As Oak Grove football defensive lineman Deven Robertson celebrated a sack late in the second quarter against Hattiesburg, his crimson-colored, Oklahoma Sooner-branded gloves provided a pop of color that was a contrast to Oak Grove's all black uniforms.
The Oklahoma commit and the rest of the Warriors' defense were dominant in Oak Grove's 36-20 win over Hattiesburg on Sept. 12.
"We've got a good defense," Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. "We've got guys over there that are really, really good."
The Warriors (2-1) held Hattiesburg (1-2) to 287 yards of total offense and forced two fumbles, one of which they returned 35 yards for a touchdown.
"The defense came and we played as a group," Robertson said. "We weren't selfish, we all came and played as one and played with effort."

#hattiesburg #defense #robertson #good

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is asking designers who use Figma, Inc. (NYSE:FIG) and similar tools to help test Project Oasis, a web-based graphic-design tool with brand-aware AI. The September 7 community invitation seeks feedback under a nondisclosure agreement before public launch. That makes it an early competitive signal, with neither customer wins nor meaningful revenue established.
The investment question is whether easier AI design draws marketing budgets toward Adobe or encourages customers to do more inside Figma. Both already serve people creating branded visual material. Winning that workflow could support subscriptions and paid AI usage, but another tool also gives customers another reason to compare prices.
Copyright: photogearch / 123RF Stock Photo
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $6.62 billion, up 13%, for the period ended May 29. Its AI-first annualized recurring revenue exceeded $500 million and more than tripled year over year. Those figures give its AI strategy substance beyond a product invitation. Its established creative customer base could also make testing and distribution easier.
The risk is that product experimentation fails to produce additional spending. Adobe must persuade customers that new capabilities deserve payment while competitors make basic ******* et creation easier. Oasis currently provides no disclosed conversion rate or financial contribution with which investors can test that proposition. Its invitation targets brand-identity and marketing workflows, so success would need to solve repeatable production problems. Generating an attractive demonstration is a different hurdle from becoming the tool a team pays to use every week.

#tool #easier

Wall Street sees Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) entering a significant hardware cycle ahead of its "Surprise and Shine" event streaming live on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Bank of America, in particular, expects a broad slate of new Apple devices led by new iPhones and a Foldable iPhone.
On September 8, BofA Securities ***** yst Wamsi Mohan reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $380.00 price target. While Bofa may be bullish, it must be noted that one of Apple's anticipated products is launching in a market where competitors are already pushing foldable technology forward.
Chinese tech giants revealed timed foldable products ahead of Apple's launch, sharpening competition. Both unveiled foldables days before Apple's event, offering a fresh look at the competition Apple is about to face.
Pixabay/Public Domain
According to the Wall Street firm, Apple is anticipated to announce three new phones: the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the tech giant's first foldable iPhone. This will likely be branded as the Ultra or the Fold.

#foldable #street