Boston – September 15, 2026 -- Gong cha is marking its 20th anniversary with a free, limited-edition Birthday Boba Bottle for every guest who orders the brand's Birthday Drink on Sept. 15 at participating U.S. locations, while supplies last.

The Birthday Drink layers mango foam over strawberry milk tea

The limited-time drink, topped with sprinkles, is available only from Sept. 6 through Sept. 15. Guests who miss the free bottle giveaway on the 15th can still buy one for $4.99 with any purchase while supplies last, though the bottle will not be restocked once the anniversary window closes.

Schwerin – September 15, 2026 -- Ulrich "Uli" Durst, 59, from Ostfildern near Stuttgart, has won a pool villa on Lake Plau in Germany's Mecklenburg Lake District through the Omaze house lottery, a prize worth roughly €2.5 million including €100,000 in starting funds.

The win comes just two months after Durst and his wife Carmen, 60, were victims of bank fraud. Criminals created a virtual debit card linked to the couple's account and withdrew about €15,000 across various supermarkets within four days. Durst said his initial reaction to Omaze's visit was disbelief, admitting he first suspected another scam before realizing the house was genuinely theirs.

Washington – September 15, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council are rolling out new public service announcements and expanded resources at VA.gov/REACH as part of Buddy Check Week, running Sept. 21-25, 2026, within the ongoing "Don't Wait. Reach Out." campaign.

Suicide remains a leading cause of death among young Veterans.

In 2023, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for Veterans under 45, with 6,398 Veterans losing their lives that year, according to the 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.

Refreshed PSAs target Veterans who question if they deserve support.

The updated "You Are a Veteran" PSAs, developed pro bono by creative agency GSD&M, use Veteran-to-Veteran messaging to reinforce that all Veterans, regardless of when, where or why they served, earned access to care and resources. The ads will run nationwide on donated media placements.

Minneapolis – September 15, 2026 -- A 15-minute shower was long enough for an Italian Mastiff puppy in Columbia, South Carolina, to pry open a drawer, chew through a bottle of naproxen, and go into kidney failure, according to Pet Poison Helpline.

One tablet of a common painkiller can be fatal to dogs and cats

Owner Jim Wren said his puppy, Phaedra, got into an old bottle of his grandmother's naproxen while he was out of the room. Naproxen, an over-the-counter NSAID used by humans for pain and inflammation, has a very narrow margin of safety in animals -- as little as one 220mg tablet can trigger severe symptoms or death, per Dr. Renee Schmid, senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline.

Atlanta – – September 15, 2026 -- OrderlyMeds and Veo Health have launched a partnership that lets weight-loss patients track biological changes happening beneath the scale, not just the number on it.

Two new membership tiers track more than 60 biomarkers

OrderlyMeds customers can now access Veo Core, which screens 60-plus biomarkers with AI-powered insights, or Veo Pro, which expands to 80-plus biomarkers and adds physician consultations, health-advisor sessions and a personalized action plan. Veo Health members, meanwhile, get discounted access to OrderlyMeds' prescribing and clinical network.

Rancho Santa Fe, California – – September 15, 2026 -- The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe has completed a $14 million renovation of its Clubhouse, unveiling reimagined dining, gathering spaces, and member amenities at the private golf club.

The project, designed by Hatch Design Group and Ohana Architects, blends the club's original Tuscan architecture with contemporary Mediterranean design elements.

The Dining Room now features century-old reclaimed white oak floors

The Terrace has been outfitted with radiant-heated stone floors, while the Club Bar received sound-attenuation panels to improve acoustics in social spaces.

Phoenix – September 15, 2026 -- Pickleball fans in the Valley can join professional players on the court this month as the Phoenix Flames host two community events tied to the Carvana PPA Tour's Veolia Arizona Open, running Sept. 13-20 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa.

Two events let amateurs mix with pros before the pro tour arrives

The Phoenix Flames, the Valley's Major League Pickleball (MLP) team owned by Jeff and Chrissy Tsao, will hold a Pickleball Party on Sept. 13 at Center Court Scottsdale Shea and a Beat the Pro Ladder on Sept. 14 at Center Court Gilbert. Both events are organized in partnership with Center Court.

Westlake, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Animal health company Virbac is inviting pet owners, veterinary professionals and animal advocates to nominate a shelter, rescue or nonprofit for its Every Pet Project donation program, which awards $2,500 each to two animal welfare organizations every month.

Anyone can submit a nomination once a day through the program's website, and any 501(c)(3) registered shelter, rescue or animal welfare nonprofit in the United States qualifies.

The program has already reached 198 charities across 45 states

Since its launch, Every Pet Project has distributed a cumulative $500,000 in donations, driven by more than 150,000 public nominations.

Virbac says the funding is meant to help organizations facing rising intake numbers, limited staff and growing demand for veterinary services.

Dubai – September 15, 2026 -- Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has officially launched Bybit AI, a conversational assistant that lets users trade, manage accounts, and get customer support through a single chat interface inside the Bybit app.

Users type requests in plain language and Bybit AI carries out the action

Instead of navigating separate menus and dashboards for tasks like checking a portfolio balance, placing a trade, or filing a support ticket, users can simply describe what they want and Bybit AI executes it directly in the chat. The company describes the tool as a co-pilot for daily trading and account management.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- A new survey from Rover finds that 45 percent of dog owners in Germany say their actual dog-related expenses turned out higher than they initially expected.

The online marketplace for pet care, which commissioned market research firm Pollfish to poll 1,000 dog owners in Germany in August, found that the early stages of dog ownership often carry the biggest financial surprise. More than half of respondents, 52 percent, reported total acquisition and start-up costs of 500 euros or more, while nearly 15 percent spent 2,000 euros or more.