General

New York City – – September 30, 2026 -- Hilarity for Charity (HFC), the nonprofit founded by filmmakers Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen, will host its fifth annual HFC Comedy Night on Friday, October 2, at Racket NYC, 431 W 16th St, raising funds for Alzheimer's caregiver support and brain health education.

The 21-and-over event kicks off with a VIP reception at 6:00 PM, followed by general admission doors at 7:00 PM and showtime at 8:00 PM.

Desi Lydic emcees a lineup of stand-up comedians and live music

Comedian Desi Lydic will host the evening, with stand-up sets from Byron Bowers, Jay Jurden, Bryan Safi, Jo Sunday and Maddie Wiener. No Static Orchestra will provide live music, and organizers promise additional surprises throughout the night.

New York – September 30, 2026 -- Couples can now exchange vows inside One Times Square, the building famous for hosting the New Year's Eve Ball Drop, after the launch of a new venue called One Times Square Weddings. Reservations are open now at OneTimesSquare.com, with ceremonies for up to 75 guests starting at $600.

Four rooms offer distinct views of the Crossroads of the World

Ceremonies run 30 to 60 minutes and take place in one of several spaces on the building's upper floors. The Eternal Room offers natural light and access to the 15th floor lobby, while the Ruby Room uses red drapes and carpet for a more intimate feel. The Harmony Room looks directly onto the intersection of 7th Avenue and 42nd Street through floor-to-ceiling windows, and the 15th Floor Bowtie Balcony puts couples above the street-level crowds for photos.

Oak Brook, Ill. – September 30, 2026 -- Vehicle thefts in the United States fell 21% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with all 50 states posting year-over-year declines, according to a new analysis from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

A total of 268,415 vehicles were reported stolen to law enforcement between January and June 2026, translating to a national theft rate of roughly 77.81 thefts per 100,000 people.

Every state saw thefts decline, but the drops varied widely

The District of Columbia posted the steepest improvement, with thefts down 52% versus the first half of 2025. Despite that drop, D.C. still recorded the highest theft rate of any jurisdiction analyzed, at 181.94 thefts per 100,000 residents.

Columbia, Md. – September 30, 2026 -- A new survey from One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning finds Atlanta is the most punctual major U.S. market, while New York ranks last among 10 cities studied, with traffic cited as the top reason Americans fall behind schedule.

Respondents run late by an average of 10 minutes, with traffic the biggest culprit

Traffic or transportation delays account for 38% of lateness overall and 39% of late arrivals to work specifically. For flights and travel, 23% blame underestimating travel time, while 20% say distractions or losing track of time cause them to be late to family events.

Los Angeles – September 29, 2026 -- Nonprofit Unlikely Collaborators will host flavor chemist Melissa Conklin for a free public talk on October 13, examining why the same bite of food can taste completely different to two people.

The event, called "Taste, Scent, and Perception Box," takes place at the organization's Santa Monica headquarters and will also stream online. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., the program starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. with no late entry, and a reception follows at 7:00 p.m. Registration is required but attendance is free.

St. Louis – September 28, 2026 -- Every time one of six newly signed college football mascots scores this season, Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to shelter cats, with the cat food brand pledging up to 500,000 meals total across the fall.

The brand announced it has signed six mascots from five universities into its "Certified Frisky" campaign: Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat from the University of Arizona, Truman the Tiger from the University of Missouri, Will D. Cat from Villanova University, Cosmo the Cougar from Brigham Young University, and Aubie the Tiger from Auburn University.

Each first score of the game triggers a 10,000-meal donation

Whenever one of the five schools' teams records its first score in a regular-season game -- touchdown, field goal or safety -- Friskies will donate 10,000 meals to Greater Good Charities. The meals go toward feeding shelter cats in the schools' local communities and beyond.

New York – September 24, 2026 -- Rivet, a new dating network founded by former Tinder and Match Group executive Taru Kapoor, launches nationwide across the United States today, free to download on iOS and Android.

Rivet replaces swiping with a network of human matchmakers.

The app introduces what it calls Social Matching, a model where users called Matchers review potential pairs and recommend introductions they think could work. When a pair receives a high Social Matching score, both individuals are introduced, and each person independently decides whether to start a conversation. Anyone can join purely as a Matcher, even if they aren't looking for a relationship themselves, to help someone else find a connection.

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. – September 24, 2026 -- Animal lovers, celebrities and rescue groups in more than 180 countries marked the 14th annual Remember Me Thursday campaign today, using social media, candle-lighting ceremonies and flag raisings to draw attention to pets still waiting for adoption.

Organized by Helen Woodward Animal Center, the movement asks participants to post on social media using the handle @RememberMeThursday and the hashtag #ShineALight, sharing stories about rescue pets to highlight the ongoing need for adoptions.

The campaign began in 2013 to address pet homelessness statistics.

Helen Woodward Animal Center President and CEO Mike Arms launched Remember Me Thursday after learning that more than a million homeless pets die in the U.S. each year without finding homes. What started as a call to rescue organizations has grown into a campaign involving more than 1,000 animal welfare organizations worldwide.

New York – September 22, 2026 -- Thousands of costumed dogs and their owners will descend on the East Village on Saturday, October 17, 2026, for the 36th Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

Registration opens September 25 for limited parade spots

The nonprofit New York Dog Parade, led by founder Fern Watt, organizes the event to celebrate dog-human friendship in New York City. Registration to march is required and opens September 25 at 12 p.m. ET at NYDogParade.org, with spots filled on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited capacity inside Tompkins Square Park.

Texas Hill Country – September 22, 2026 -- Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch has announced the birth of its third southern white rhino calf in three years, a rare feat among fewer than 10 such births publicly documented at U.S. facilities in 2026.

The milestone follows more than two decades of work toward the Ranch's first successful southern white rhino birth, which arrived in late 2023. Two more calves have followed within three years, turning that initial breakthrough into what officials call a sustained breeding program.

Southern white rhino births remain rare in zoological settings

Research cited by the Ranch shows only about one-third of southern white rhinos in zoological care ever reproduce during their lifetimes. Pregnancy lasts roughly 15 to 16 months, typically produces a single calf, and females generally space several years between births.