United States

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.

St. Paul, Minn. – September 28, 2026 -- James Beard Award-winning author Hank Shaw has released a fully updated edition of his venison cookbook, Buck, Buck, Moose, ten years and more than 100,000 copies after the original launched.

The 336-page hardcover adds 30 new recipes and modern cooking methods

The reboot brings the total recipe count to 125, alongside roughly 200 color photographs and updated guidance for cooking deer, elk, moose, caribou, pronghorn and other antlered game. Shaw said the book needed to change because venison cooking itself has changed over the past decade, drawing on more hunting, cooking and teaching experience since the first edition.

Louisville – September 28, 2026 -- Angel's Envy will release its Cellar Collection Volume 6, a rye whiskey finished in both peach brandy and toasted oak barrels, nationwide on October 9, 2026, priced at $199.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Master Distiller Owen Martin uses two finishing stages for the first time in the series

Created by Master Distiller Owen Martin, Volume 6 marks the first Cellar Collection release to undergo two distinct finishing processes rather than one. The blend of rye whiskeys spends 15 to 23 months in peach brandy barrels or 6 to 12 months in toasted oak barrels before blending, with total aging ranging between 8 and 11 years.

Camden, N.J. – September 28, 2026 -- Subaru of America unveiled two limited-production anniversary models, the 2027 WRX GD25 and 2027 BRZ ZC15, at Boxerfest 2026 in York, Pennsylvania, with only 350 and 300 units built respectively.

The names reference the chassis codes of each car's U.S. debut: the WRX arrived in 2002 on the "GD" platform, while the BRZ launched in 2012 on the "ZC" chassis.

The WRX GD25 pairs World Rally Blue paint with rally-inspired hardware

The WRX GD25 comes exclusively in World Rally Blue over gold-painted 19-inch alloy wheels, uprated Brembo brakes with gold calipers, and Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires. A dry carbon fiber swan-neck rear wing from Subaru Tecnica International -- the same part used on Travis Pastrana's WRX ARA25L rally car -- sits at the rear, while a flexible strut tower bar and performance-tuned suspension sharpen handling.

New York – September 28, 2026 -- BOOX has opened preorders for the Picco, a 3.97-inch monochrome ePaper eReader priced at $99.99, with shipping expected by November.

Weighing approximately 58 grams and sized roughly like a playing card, the Picco is BOOX's smallest eReader to date. It's built to slip into a pocket or bag for reading during commutes, lines or short breaks, offering an alternative to pulling out a smartphone.

The device introduces BOOX's new Tiles product category

Picco marks the launch of BOOX Tiles, a lineup that extends the company's ePaper ecosystem beyond traditional eReaders and tablets into new everyday form factors.

The 235 PPI screen includes adjustable warm and cool lighting

Users can navigate via touchscreen or physical page-turn buttons, and the display supports four-way rotation to accommodate different reading grips.

New York – September 27, 2026 -- Consumer365 has named Quay among the best prescription sunglasses for 2026, spotlighting the brand's fashion-forward frames, customizable lens tints, and published prices for shoppers seeking premium-looking eyewear on a set budget.

Three frame styles show off distinct design details

The feature highlights three models from Quay's prescription line. GONE VIRAL RX is a small oval aviator with metal construction, an integrated hinge, and adjustable silicone nose pads for a narrower fit. WIRED RX is an oversized unisex square with rounded corners, lightweight construction, and built-in nose pads for a relaxed profile. AURA POINTS RX is a narrow oval frame with a 141 mm frame width and 35 mm lens height, giving it a compact look. Each comes with a hard case and cleaning cloth.

Danvers, Mass. – September 26, 2026 -- Massachusetts homeowners can now access rebates of up to $8,500 through the state's Mass Save energy-efficiency program when upgrading to a heat pump, according to Danvers-based HVAC company Townsend.

The rebates, which range from a few hundred dollars to the $8,500 maximum depending on qualifications, are paired with 0% interest financing through Mass Save's HEAT Loan program and free home energy assessments that identify which upgrades a property needs.

Kansas City, Mo. – September 25, 2026 -- The Historic West Bottoms district kicks off Halloween season with Boo in the Bottoms, running October 2-4 during First Friday Weekend, before the neighborhood's haunted attractions Beast and Edge of Hell open their 2026 season on the night of October 2.

More than 30 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues across the 13-block district will be open, mostly from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, with hours varying by business.

Daytime shoppers hunt vintage finds while costumed characters roam the streets

Visitors can trick-or-treat at participating stores, take photos with family-friendly haunt characters, and gather at fire pits for s'mores and seasonal drinks from the Full Moon Street Bar, available Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haunt characters will appear Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.

Dallas – September 25, 2026 -- Smoothie King is giving away a free 12 oz. Coffee High Protein Almond Mocha Smoothie to Healthy Rewards members on September 28 and 29, getting a jump on National Coffee Day at participating locations nationwide.

The one-time offer applies exclusively to members of the brand's Healthy Rewards loyalty program during the two-day window.

The smoothie is built on cold brew and packed with protein

The drink uses cold brew made from 100% Arabica beans and delivers 14g of protein, 3g of fiber, and 0g of added sugar per serving.

Protein has been part of Smoothie King's menu for decades

The company points to more than 50 years of developing smoothies that balance nutrients and flavor, noting that protein has long been central to its recipes, including its existing lineup of Coffee High Protein Smoothies.

Customers can find participating locations and program details at smoothieking.com.

Las Vegas – September 25, 2026 -- ULTRALOQ has launched a new smart lock collection that lets homeowners choose between hands-free entry using ultra-wideband sensing or tap-to-unlock digital keys stored in Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet.

The lineup includes three models: Bolt Mission ($299.99 MSRP), Bolt Pro ($269.99 MSRP), and Latch 5 Pro ($249.99 MSRP). The collection is available now through ULTRALOQ's website and Amazon, with sales starting on The Home Depot's site in October.

Bolt Mission uses radar and UWB to detect true arrival, not just nearby phones

Billed as the industry's first UWB-enabled smart lock, Bolt Mission combines Bluetooth Low Energy discovery, UWB ranging, and radar-based presence sensing to distinguish someone approaching the door from someone simply moving inside the home. Users keep their phone in a pocket or bag while the Xthings Home app runs in the background, with no PIN entry or separate hub required.