The new structure creates two independent businesses, with BrightNight focusing on the US market and Yanara focusing on APAC markets.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — BrightNight, the next-generation power and digital infrastructure company built to deliver clean and dispatchable solutions, today announced the spin-off of its Asia Pacific (APAC) business, which will now operate as a standalone entity under the name Yanara.

The move is aimed at creating two high-growth companies, each with its regional focus and operational flexibility to accelerate market expansion and deliver greater value to customers and investors.

BrightNight will concentrate solely on its U.S. business and the execution of its 35 GW renewable power projects pipeline. Yanara will now independently lead the APAC operations, with projects and offices in India, Australia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the Netherlands.

“This is the natural next step for two dynamic, rapidly growing companies,” said Martin Hermann, Founder and CEO of BrightNight. “Our business has grown significantly in both the U.S. and APAC markets, and this spin-off allows each entity to scale with greater speed and focus. BrightNight will continue to deliver on its extensive 35-gigawatt power project portfolio in the U.S., while Yanara builds on its impressive momentum across Asia Pacific.”

Management and ownership structure

As a result of the spin off, BrightNight and Yanara will have separate management teams, ownership structures and investor bases. BrightNight will continue to be led by CEO and Chairman Martin Hermann and supported by investors including Infrastructure at Goldman Sachs Alternatives and Martin Hermann himself.

Yanara will continue to be led by Jerome Ortiz, formerly CEO of BrightNight APAC, and will continue to be majority-owned by Martin Hermann, along with its strategic partnership with ACEN in India and the Philippines. Martin will continue in his role as Chairman of Yanara.

ABOUT BRIGHTNIGHT

BrightNight is a next-generation power and digital infrastructure company, purpose-built to serve the evolving needs of utilities, data centers, and commercial and industrial (C&I) customers.

BrightNight designs, develops, and operates large-scale energy and infrastructure sites that integrate utility-scale renewables, advanced gas generation, battery energy storage, and power-optimized hubs for digital infrastructure. BrightNight’s industry-leading 35 GW portfolio of best-in-class power projects is concentrated in the fastest-growing energy markets and data center hubs across the U.S.

BrightNight’s customer focus and proprietary AI platform – PowerAlpha® – enable it to deliver industry-leading economics, performance, and uptime.

To learn more, visit www.brightnightpower.com

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SOURCE BrightNight

General Matter Signs Lease to Revive Dormant Paducah Enrichment Site

PADUCAH, Ky., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — General Matter is bringing uranium enrichment back to the United States, starting at the site where the U.S. enrichment industry was born.

General Matter Signs Lease to Revive Dormant Paducah Enrichment Site

General Matter, the American uranium enrichment company, proposed a plan in coordination with the Department of Energy, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the local Paducah community to build a commercial uranium enrichment facility at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky.

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant was the first location where the U.S. industrialized enrichment technology, enabling the eventual widespread adoption of commercial nuclear power.

“Today’s announcement marks a significant step in the Department’s fulfillment of Secretary Wright’s vision of ensuring reliable, affordable, and secure energy for all Americans,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly.

This proposed enrichment facility will produce the fuel needed for the next generation of nuclear energy, central to America’s aspirations in AI, manufacturing, and other critical industries. The plant will also offset a large percentage of foreign imports from adversarial countries, saving the U.S. approximately $500M per year. In addition, it will bring significant economic benefits to the Paducah community, employing 140 people in well-paid, locally sourced jobs. The plant will be the anchor for over $1B in potential investment in the local area, and will catalyze the growth of the nuclear and manufacturing industries in Paducah and broader Western Kentucky.

“I want to congratulate the team at General Matter on this major step toward what would be the largest economic investment ever for Western Kentucky,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “This lease reflects Kentucky’s leadership in nuclear energy and our strong partnerships at the federal and local levels, as well as in the private sector. I am looking forward to being back in Paducah soon to celebrate the next key milestone for this exciting and historic project.”

“Sooner or later, I think America will understand that domestic use of nuclear energy is the way forward,” shared U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell during his remarks at the announcement ceremony. “All of you here deserve a round of applause for creating the kind of environment that would attract the plants of the future. I’m looking forward to witnessing what happens. Like I said, this is a big deal.”

“This is great news for Paducah, McCracken County, and the entire western Kentucky region,” added U.S. Senator Rand Paul. “I look forward to continuing to support the community as this project moves forward and to seeing new job opportunities and investment take root on this site and throughout the Commonwealth.”

“What a great day for West Kentucky, and what a great day for America,” said U.S. Congressman James Comer during his remarks at the announcement ceremony. “I’ve been in Congress almost nine years. This is the first time in my nine years that I’ve been at an event where both U.S. Senators, the U.S. Representative, and the Governor are all in attendance to celebrate the same thing.” Congressman Comer continued: “You can’t have economic development without energy, and that’s what we’re here to see today.”

“Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission selected Paducah to help lead the nation’s original enrichment efforts,” said General Matter CEO Scott Nolan. “We are proud to return to and reactivate this historic site to power a new era of American energy independence, and we thank our partners in Kentucky and at the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Nuclear Energy for supporting us in this landmark investment in American nuclear infrastructure.”

General Matter is the first privately-funded American company to develop uranium enrichment technology. The company was selected by the DOE as an awardee in both its LEU and HALEU enrichment acquisition programs, and it plans to be enriching uranium at the Paducah site by the end of the decade.

Enrichment is a safe, proven process that involves only separation processes, and zero nuclear or chemical reactions. Strict safety and environmental standards would be followed during development and operation, under oversight from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission during the licensing process.

About General Matter: General Matter is enriching uranium in America to reshore domestic nuclear fuel capacity and power the American energy production needed to lead in AI, manufacturing, and other critical industries. General Matter is backed by Founders Fund, the first institutional investor in SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril. The company brings together a team of American experts and engineers, recruited from across the U.S. with deep backgrounds in nuclear, tech, and government. General Matter focuses on speed, accountability, and transparency to deliver real progress in clean energy and national security. Their work is designed to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign fuel and power America’s future.

For more information on General Matter, visit generalmatter.com.

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SOURCE General Matter

More than 1,500 students in South Los Angeles are heading into the school year equipped for success, thanks to a collaborative back-to-school event hosted by AEG’s LA Galaxy, Herbalife and local nonprofit A Place Called Home (APCH).

The annual event brought together LA Galaxy players and Herbalife volunteers — including midfielders Riqui Puig and Edwin Cerrillo, forward Tucker Lepley, and goalkeeper John McCarthy — to hand out backpacks filled with essential school supplies such as backpacks, pencils, crayons, rulers, notebooks, calculators and books. The effort is part of a continued commitment to support education and wellness for underserved youth across the region.

“We are honored to stand alongside Herbalife and APCH in supporting the children and families of South Los Angeles,” said Gabriel Osollo, Director of Community Relations and Foundation at LA Galaxy. “This event highlights the power of community collaboration in creating opportunities and promoting wellness for all.”

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Herbalife and the LA Galaxy have partnered with APCH to support local students through the back-to-school initiative, underscoring a shared mission to uplift and empower the next generation.

The backpack giveaway was made possible by the Joint Community Partnership Fund — a longstanding initiative between the LA Galaxy and Herbalife that supports underserved communities through education, nutrition, wellness, and sports programs. In addition to school supply drives, the fund backs youth soccer field development, garden-based nutrition education, and the LA Galaxy Special Olympics Unified Team.

To learn more about the LA Galaxy Foundation, please click here.

 

Not Your Tragedy, Not Your Inspiration 

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment (GADIM) is proud to launch its newest project, PropsNoMore.org. Focusing on authentic disability representation, media skills training, and accessible education, Props No More aims to create a world in which disabled people are not just represented in the media, but are the media creators.

For far too long, people with disabilities have been used as props in storytelling. Disabled characters often exist solely to support the emotional journey, moral growth, or redemption arc of nondisabled characters—rather than being portrayed as full, complex individuals with agency and purpose of their own. These portrayals shape public attitudes, fuel stigma, and erase real disabled voices from the screen.

Props No More seeks to end this pattern by promoting authentic disability representation, offering media skills training, and advancing accessibility in all forms of media. With a global audience of media makers, journalists, and advocates- the website offers a downloadable toolkit of recommendations for representing disability on screen, disability language style guide, and upcoming educational videos on how to create media that is accessible for everyone. Further, a feature length documentary on disabled media makers is in post-production and is expected to be released in 2026.

“The misrepresentation of disabled people in media has dire consequences,” said Beth Haller, Co-Director of GADIM, who leads the Props No More project. “Because audiences are flooded with these negative characterizations and believe them. Even more significant is that these inaccurate portrayals can have a devastating impact on disabled people’s self-identity, if they wrongly believe that they are inferior to nondisabled people.”

To learn more, visit our website at PropsNoMore.org or follow us on social media @PropsNoMore.

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SOURCE Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–JAGGAER, a global leader in enterprise procurement and supplier collaboration, has released its 2024 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Impact Report, highlighting its progress in leading the procurement sector by example on sustainability. This year’s report focuses on how the company embeds sustainability across its Source-to-Pay (S2P) solutions and internal operations to empower strategic cost reductions, 360° risk management and sustain

  • Decentralised EV charging startup empowers local hosts and fleets to monetize unused spaces with smart chargers, starting with high-traffic commercial locations in the DMV area.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — DeCharge, a decentralised EV charging infrastructure network, today announced its official U.S. launch, bringing its community-powered charging model to American drivers and businesses. DeCharge enables anyone, from small business owners to parking lot operators, to host EV chargers and earn revenue, helping solve the critical shortage of public charging infrastructure.

DeCharge brings global innovation to local communities through its decentralised, AI-powered energy model. The company recently raised $2.5M in seed funding to build an autonomous EV charging network. Its U.S. rollout begins with pilot deployments in the DMV area, New York, and California. Over the next 12 months, DeCharge aims to onboard 1,000+ hosts across 10 states and launch pre-orders for its next-gen, community-owned fast chargers.

Mohan Kuldeep Ponnada, Founder & CEO of DeCharge said, “EV adoption is skyrocketing across the US, but infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. Our vision is to decentralize energy access and create an open network where anyone can earn by powering the future of mobility. The U.S. launch marks our commitment to accelerating EV infrastructure growth through community and commercial partnerships in high-demand regions like the DMV area and high-usage areas in California.”

DeCharge transforms everyday spaces like small business lots and fleet depots into clean energy hubs. Its host‑powered model offers transparent pricing, real-time payments, and zero-capex rollouts, ideal for commercial fleets and last-mile operators. With flexible revenue sharing, hosts maintain control and enjoy long-term earnings. Blockchain integration ensures secure, instant transactions. DeCharge’s flagship Beast 7.4kW chargers are easy to deploy, allowing hosts to set pricing. EV drivers can locate and use chargers via the upcoming DeCharge app and web portal.

About DeCharge

DeCharge is a decentralized EV charging network built to empower communities and businesses to monetize their space by hosting EV chargers. Through smart hardware, IoT-based energy payments, and tokenized incentives, DeCharge is building the future of distributed energy and mobility infrastructure.

For more information, contact ashish@decharge.network and visit www.decharge.us or follow us on Twitter/X (@DeCharge__).

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2744467/DeCharge_EV_Charging.jpg

 

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SOURCE DeCharge

Since 1919, Griffith Foods has been committed to building a more sustainable food system—blending care and creativity to nourish the world. From our roots in food safety and innovation to our bold 2030 Aspirations, we can restore nature, improve livelihoods and deliver affordable, sustainable nutrition for all.

Join us on our journey through this time-lapse video and see how our legacy is shaping a regenerative future.

Explore more: https://bit.ly/3EHAg9f

View original content here.

Our Sustainability Journey
At Griffith Foods, we are committed to driving positive impact through a regenerative mindset. Sustainability is connected to everything we do as a business, and by 2030, we are dedicated to significantly improving the future with a singular sustainable business strategy that we call our 2030 Aspirations. To learn more about Griffith Foods and its current sustainability efforts, visit them online and download the 2023 Sustainability Report.

About Griffith Foods
At Griffith Foods, our purpose defines who we are, what we do, and why we exist, highlighting what makes us distinct and authentic in the marketplace. We help our partners meet the evolving needs and desires of consumers in ways that respect and sustain the planet. Our care and creativity mean we’ll find the right mix of global reach and local impact to serve the earth and nourish all of us who call it home.

MONTICELLO, Miss., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Atlas-SSI, Inc. (“Atlas-SSI” or the “Company”), North America’s premier provider of water management solutions, announced today the strategic acquisition of WTR® Engineering (“WTR”), a trusted leader with over 100 years of expertise in mechanical water filtration. This acquisition enhances Atlas-SSI’s ability to provide comprehensive and robust water management solutions across diverse industries, including municipal, industrial, utility, and commercial sectors.

WTR Engineering is widely recognized for its expertise in identifying and solving complex water filtration issues, such as raw water intakes for industrial plants, condenser protection for power plants, and headworks challenges in sewage treatment facilities. The company’s experienced team specializes in providing economical, reliable, and customized equipment solutions, from initial greenfield project concepts to upgrades and turnkey installations.

“This acquisition is another milestone in our growth strategy, strengthening our position as the leading end-to-end water management solutions provider in North America,” said Paul Lewis, CEO of Atlas-SSI. “Integrating WTR’s century-long expertise and innovative solutions with our existing portfolio expands our capabilities and allows us to better serve our customers’ evolving needs.”

Atlas-SSI will leverage WTR’s deep technical knowledge and proven track record to enhance its product offerings, including the Talon Rake®, traveling water screens, fish-friendly screens, debris handling equipment, wastewater headworks, and stormwater management systems. Additionally, this acquisition provides Atlas-SSI with enhanced capabilities, further solidifying its role as an industry leader in sustainable water management.

“Joining Atlas-SSI represents an exciting opportunity for WTR to reach new markets and customers,” said Ryan Holbrook from WTR Engineering. “Together, we will continue to deliver innovative and reliable solutions, ensuring optimal performance and environmental sustainability for our customers.”

Atlas-SSI remains committed to delivering advanced water management solutions that protect mission-critical assets, preserve water ecosystems, and promote sustainability by reducing environmental impact through innovative technologies and practices.

About Atlas-SSI
Atlas-SSI is North America’s leading full-service provider of water management solutions, protecting mission-critical assets and water ecosystems through its comprehensive portfolio of screens, gates, barriers, wastewater treatment equipment, and related services. Atlas-SSI’s certified field service and dive teams deliver nationwide capabilities for turnkey installations, inspections, maintenance, and service support.

For more information, visit atlas-ssi.com.

Media Contacts

Henry Watson
Atlas-SSI, Inc.
info@atlas-ssi.com

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SOURCE Atlas-SSI, Inc

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), in partnership with the International Code Council and the National Building Museum, is proud to host Elevate 2025 on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Elevate 2025 is a one-day summit that brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and public-sector influencers to confront the deepening workforce crisis impacting America’s built environment. Recognizing labor shortages as a national security concern, the event will foster cross-sector collaboration and deliver scalable solutions to strengthen the workforce pipeline while advancing innovation in resilience, sustainability, and technology for a stronger, more future-ready built environment.

“The workforce shortage across the built environment has evolved from a past problem into today’s major crisis and will become a disaster in its own right if left unaddressed,” said George K. Guszcza, President & CEO of NIBS.

Elevate 2025 features a high-profile lineup from government, industry, policy, and labor, including:

  • Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Secretary of Labor, with Anna Palmer, CEO & Founder, Punchbowl News
  • Aileen Fuchs, President & Executive Director, National Building Museum
  • John Belcik, CEO, International Code Council
  • Major General Kim Colloton, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Corps of Engineers
  • Irish Horsey, Director of Industry Advancement, Procore Technologies, Inc.
  • Kelly Marchese, Infrastructure Leader, Deloitte
  • Elizabeth O’Brien, Senior VP, US Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes

…among others, dedicated to workforce development.

Key sessions include:

  • Punchbowl News Fireside Chat with Secretary of Labor Chavez-DeRemer
  • Unlocking the Veteran Workforce Pipeline
  • By the Data: Decoding America’s Labor Market Shortage
  • The Role of AI in Workforce Development

These discussions will explore labor trends, workforce readiness, recruitment pathways, emerging technologies, and policy strategies to ensure a skilled, resilient workforce for the future of the built environment.

Registration and full event details are available now at www.buildinginnovation.org/elevate. Complementary registration for the press.  Please contact Cheryl Foley for more information.

About

Established by Congress in 1974, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) connects research, policy, and practice to advance innovation across the built environment. Our mission is to support safer, more resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure nationwide. From shaping industry standards to guiding digital transformation, we empower decision-makers with solutions that enhance sustainability, efficiency, and preparedness.

Building American Innovation isn’t just our tagline, it’s our commitment. We foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia to drive forward-thinking strategies for resilient communities. Because at NIBS, we don’t just build structures, we build solutions.  

 For more information, visit nibs.org or follow @bldgsciences on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

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SOURCE National Institute of Building Sciences

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

Aflac, headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, recently donated a generous amount of furniture to area public school districts, transforming excess inventory into valuable resources for students and educators across the Chattahoochee Valley. The contribution not only helps the schools create more functional, organized and inspiring learning spaces, but also reinforces Aflac’s strong corporate commitments to waste reduction and philanthropy.

All told, more than 400 chairs, desks, cabinets, bookcases, tables, podiums and framed art pieces were donated, as well as a multitude of games, blocks and other classroom items no longer in use at one of Aflac’s on-site employee day care centers. Led by Aflac employee volunteers and members of the company’s Facilities and Wellness teams, representatives from school districts in Muscogee, Chattahoochee and Talbot counties in Georgia, and nearby Lee County, Alabama, combed through and selected items over a three-day period.

According to Mark Renner, Aflac manager of Office Design and Planning, the hearty surplus of quality items was no longer in use by the company and needed to be moved to open up employee workspace. His team reached out to Aflac Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resources team members responsible for community and school engagement for ideas as to how the items could be recommissioned for community use.

“We’re very happy to see these items getting a second life in classrooms and schools, where they’ll help foster creativity, comfort and success for students and educators,” said Renner. “This is a great reflection of Aflac’s pledge to renewable practices, not to mention our longstanding mission to help strengthen the communities where our employees live and work.”

Muscogee County School District [MCSD], which serves over 30,000 students across 56 schools and programs, left the Aflac campus with four box trucks and two trailers full of donated items. Dr. Travis Anderson, MCSD chief operations officer, called the opportunity an incredible show of community partnership. Dollars saved on items such as these means more can be put towards education, he added.

Anderson said that, while furniture is always useful, the things they are most grateful for are the surplus items from the day care center because the district’s new elementary teachers will be able to use them to stock their first-time classrooms — manipulatives, games, building blocks, kitchen sets, markers, clipboards and more. Prior to the start of the new school year, the system hosted a New Teacher Yard Sale event where they could select things for their classrooms, free of charge.

The smaller school systems in the area were equally as excited for the opportunity to receive items for their offices and classrooms.

“Donations are especially important to the smaller districts,” said Carson Grier, athletic director at Chattahoochee County School District, which serves about 1,000 students in Pre-K through 12th grade, roughly 70% of which are from families stationed at the U.S. Military installation, Fort Benning.

“We are a small school in a rural area and every bit counts,” he said. “Aflac’s generosity to our teachers and students and the company’s commitment to education, it makes a huge difference. It truly does. We are very grateful.”

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company and/or American Family Life Assurance Company of New York and/or Continental American Insurance Company and /or Continental American Life Insurance Company. Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA. 31999 Continental American Insurance Company | Columbia, South Carolina

Z2500565 
Exp. 8/26

 

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