Author: sHq_LoGiNz
Four-year financing commitment supports accelerated action by developing countries towards 2030 environmental goals
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Donor countries have pledged an initial $3.9 billion to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for its ninth replenishment cycle, in a powerful demonstration of commitment to meeting international environmental goals through multilateral cooperation.
The significant funding will enable the GEF to bolster investment in nature-positive development, helping developing countries address their most urgent priorities and generate global environmental benefits that help people as well as ecosystems.
Further pledges in support of a robust and ambitious four-year financing round are expected by the GEF Council meeting at the end of May, when the final replenishment package will be approved.
Read the full press release in English, French, or Spanish
“This replenishment sends a clear message: the world is not giving up on nature even in a time of competing priorities. Our donor countries have risen to the challenge and made bold commitments towards a more positive future for the planet. The coming four years of the GEF-9 cycle will reflect this high-ambition push to achieve the 2030 environmental goals,” said Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson of the GEF.
The GEF-9 investment cycle will cover the period from July 2026 to June 2030. Four overarching priorities will define the ambition and approach for the GEF over the next four years:
- Integration and Integrated Programs
- Blended Finance
- Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society Approaches
- Robust Funding for LDCs and SIDS, and a Significant Increase in Support to IPLCs
The 71st GEF Council meeting will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from May 31 to June 3, 2026. The meeting will take place in advance of the Eighth GEF Assembly, when individual country pledges will be publicly announced.
About the GEF
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the world’s largest multilateral fund for the environment. Its family of funds works together to address the planet’s most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $27 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $155 billion for country-driven priority projects. For more information, visit: www.thegef.org
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/countries-pledge-3-9-billion-to-global-environment-facility-towards-ambitious-ninth-replenishment-302738818.html
SOURCE Global Environment Facility
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Cville Great Mother Fest arrives on Tuesday, April 14, from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM EST, inviting the community into a powerful afternoon of creativity, connection, and celebration. This gathering coincides with the global Great Mother March, as participants pause for one day during their Walk for Love from Asheville to Washington, D.C., bringing their message of unity and compassion to Charlottesville.
Hosted in collaboration with EcoDome at IX Art Park, this immersive festival offers a vibrant space to reconnect with the sacred feminine through intuitive art, music, play, and shared intention. The event is part of a growing movement calling individuals to embody feminine wisdom, creativity, care for Mother Earth, and resilience in a rapidly evolving world.
Throughout the day, attendees will experience a curated blend of live music, wellness offerings, local food and beverage vendors, spoken word performances, and ceremonial experiences designed to awaken creativity and deepen self-awareness. Musical performances will feature Downbeat Project, Tomato Moon, Ysa, and more. Guests can explore hands-on creative activities at the Creation Station, including crafting magic wands with The Scrappy Elephant, bracelet making, and learning to knit.
A variety of food trucks will be available on-site, along with nearby dining options such as Bad Luck Ramen and Brazos Tacos. A full bar featuring local wine, beer, and spirits will also be available.
“The Great Mother Fest is a space to remember who we are at our core,” say event organizers. “Through creativity and ceremony, we reconnect with our intuition, reclaim our voice, and rise into greater purpose together.”
More than an art event, the Cville Great Mother Fest is a community-centered experience that brings together artists, entrepreneurs, healers, and individuals seeking inspiration, connection, and alignment. Attendees are encouraged to engage authentically, explore freely, and connect meaningfully with others on a shared path of creativity and conscious living.
In a time when many are seeking grounding and inspiration, this gathering offers a meaningful space to pause, create, and reconnect from within, contributing to a larger global intention of healing, empowerment, and unity through creative expression and feminine leadership.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Learn More & Register: https://www.greatmothermarch.com/home-1
Hosted by: https://www.cocolatastudio.com
Media Contact: Dawn Sinkule at dawn@digitaldawnagency.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cville-great-mother-fest-brings-sacred-creativity-feminine-power-and-community-connection-to-charlottesville-on-april-14-302738702.html
SOURCE Great Mother March
A dedication to diligence and hard work goes a long way toward a successful career. For Jeff Towns, that dedication has led to nearly four decades at Covia’s Blue Mountain plant in Ontario, Canada.
As production supervisor, Jeff Towns serves as the go-to person within the mill due to his extensive experience and the generations of team members he’s trained for the site. His career has been driven by Jeff’s impressive work ethic, and that commitment to hard work is part of what helped him discover Covia back in 1987.
A Family Connection
Back in the ‘80s, Jeff didn’t plan to have a lengthy career in mining. In fact, he didn’t even know the possibility existed until he met his wife, Suzanne.
At the time, Jeff was juggling two jobs. He would work at his construction job from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. before racing to a second job to pump gas and change tires for a few hours most evenings. Those lengthy days caught the attention of Bill Whitney, Suzanne’s father and former plant manager at Blue Mountain. He recognized Jeff’s work ethic and asked a simple question.
“How would you like to have one job?”
Jeff took that opportunity and started in the mill as a laborer. That decision turned into a career that’s now approaching 39 years, including 19 years as a production supervisor.
A Career Built on Hard Work
Jeff’s story is a steady, hands-on progression that started with learning how to run the mill one task at a time. Over time, Jeff came to know the operation so well that he can often see what’s coming before it happens.
According to Jeff, he’s done just about every job tied to the mill, including crushing, screening, and every other aspect of day-to-day production. That depth of experience has given him extensive knowledge that he can use to train others the same way he learned: by doing, observing, and understanding how the plant behaves in real conditions, not just on paper.
“There’s always a learning process with the introduction of new equipment,” Jeff explained. “Something will be put in place, and it looks good on paper, but it doesn’t work as expected in the field. We have to be able to make major changes quickly to achieve our production.”
Operational Pride at a Unique Deposit
To call Blue Mountain a large operation is an understatement. Jeff describes the mine site as “big like a football field,” except that this field is more than five levels and 400 feet deep. The plant moves roughly 10,000 tons of material per week in its busiest seasons, with a product lineup that spans nearly 20 products ranging from coarse sandblast materials to paint and coatings, industrial coatings, and functional fillers.
The sheer size of the 3,500-acre deposit isn’t the only notable aspect of Blue Mountain’s operation. The site is home to an extremely rare 99% pure nepheline syenite deposit, one of only two such deposits in the world. Jeff oversees the production of this versatile mineral all the way up to the moment when products are shipped, ensuring precision and consistency for Covia’s customers.
The site’s uniqueness extends beyond the plant walls. The Blue Mountain plant is in a remote part of Ontario, surrounded by lakes and forests. It’s an idyllic location that would have remained a secret to Jeff if not for his work.
“To be honest, I had no idea that this place existed until I met Suzanne,” Jeff admitted. “We’re in the middle of nowhere right near cottage country and it’s absolutely gorgeous.”
Dedication to Improvement
Covia has a long legacy of innovation, and Jeff is an excellent example of how our team’s dedication to modernization has been prevalent for decades.
Back in the 1980s, Jeff was already paying attention to how waste and recycled inputs could impact the final product. He was working in the lab at the time,conducting weight checks and sieve testing, and he kept thinking about how the plant could improve its recycling circuit.
“I always did extra samples, and I had this thought about the waste stream always in the back of my head,” Jeff shared. “It was 10 tons an hour going right out to the waste tank, so I did a sample to see if we could clean it up in the lab.”
His testing found that roughly 40% of the stream was usable material, meaning that four tons could potentially be recycled each hour. Jeff worked with the team on creating a process to use a magnetic separator to clean up the waste stream and collect the recyclable materials.
Jeff also played a role in the plant’s more recent expansion, a multi-year effort that began in 2018 and was completed in 2024. Part of that process included overhauling the sandblast circuit that had been in place since the ‘70s to recycle larger particles. Now in 2026, Jeff’s expertise has helped with equipment decisions, leading to a consolidated area and a simpler process.
Guiding a New Generation of Team Members
Jeff’s leadership style is practical, open-minded, and grounded in experience. That depth of knowledge is a welcome resource for anyone new to the Blue Mountain plant. Although Jeff admits that there is a generational gap between him and people coming into the workforce now, maintaining a people-first mindset is key in providing the support new team members need.
Communication across shifts is critical, in Jeff’s view. Morning meetings cover safety, production, and what’s happened since the last shift, and Jeff keeps conversations open and encourages people to share what they’re seeing.
Jeff also provides a steady presence for new employees during their early days while they become familiar with the plant. That process is part of a leadership philosophy that prioritizes safety.
“You have to remind them that safety is part of their job. It can be a challenging environment here with the dust, noise, cold, and heat, and we’re here to look after each other and have each other’s back.”
Life Outside the Blue Mountain Plant
While Jeff has a family connection to the Blue Mountain plant, he’s also a big proponent of leaving work at work. Jeff and Suzanne live on a 10-acre farm and take full advantage of the untouched natural environment that surrounds their home. Winter calls for long snowshoeing treks straight out the back door while summer invites kayaking trips and adventures in their camper.
The duo also enjoys a few notable hobbies that require equal parts care, curiosity, and a steady hand. Suzanne is an accomplished weaver who sells her work at various shows around the area. Jeff also shared that they maintain two beehives on their property.
“They’re our babies,” Jeffs said. “In the winter, I use bales of straw and hay to keep them well insulated, and you can walk by and listen to them humming along to keep themselves warm.”
A Legacy of Reliability
After nearly four decades, Jeff’s perspective on success is less about recognition and more about reliability. He strives to be dedicated and knowledgeable, which includes helping the people around him be as successful as possible.
Jeff Towns has helped shape Blue Mountain’s progress over generations of change, but his definition of a good day is still refreshingly simple: do the work well, take care of each other, and remember that being a good human is part of the job.
Originally published by GoDaddy
To discover agents verified through GoDaddy ANS or to register an agent, visit GoDaddy.com/ANS.
TEMPE, Ariz., April 9, 2026 /3BL/ — LegalZoom.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: LZ), America’s #1 online legal services company, and GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), global leader in domains and tech for small businesses, have entered into a partnership to protect the rapidly expanding agentic open web for small and medium-sized businesses.
AI agents now act as more than simple fact-finding companions. They communicate with one another and complete tasks independently—and occasionally go rogue. As enterprises roll out AI agents across different platforms, users lack a consistent way to verify where an agent came from, who published it, and most importantly, whether it can be trusted.
Agent Name Service (ANS) is an open standard built to help solve this high-stakes challenge. ANS employs the same core infrastructure that powers today’s internet: domain name system (DNS) and public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates. It requires each registered AI agent to be assigned a unique, human-readable name and a cryptographically verifiable identity. This lets agents be discovered, verified and governed across the open web.
LegalZoom and GoDaddy support the ANS open standard
As a driving force behind enhancing the ANS open standard, GoDaddy turned the blueprint into reality with GoDaddy ANS, the first public implementation of the open standard where anyone can publish and verify agents in minutes.
In support of that blueprint, LegalZoom registered its first AI agent, leveraging GoDaddy ANS. The LegalZoom agent is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates LegalZoom’s legal services directly into AI assistants such as Anthropic’s Claude and enables users to connect with real attorneys, scan and share legal documents, and manage legal consultations.
GoDaddy ANS provides cryptographic verification that confirms the agent is legitimately owned and operated by LegalZoom using DNS as the root of trust, so other AI systems can find and verify the LegalZoom MCP agent. By registering the agent on GoDaddy ANS, it can be discovered not just by humans, but other agents as well at internet scale.
“AI agents will transform how legal services are delivered, but their value depends on verifiable identity and human accountability,” said Aaron Stibel, chief customer & business officer at LegalZoom. “Partnering with GoDaddy to publish our MCP Agent on ANS lets LegalZoom deliver trusted legal experiences at scale across the open web. Customers and their AI assistants can confidently discover the real LegalZoom and our attorney-backed solutions that raise the bar on accountability and trust.”
The ANS standard makes the open web safer
Here’s what ANS delivers in practice:
- Publishes each AI agent as a DNS record, discoverable worldwide in seconds
- Enables any person or system to confirm an agent’s origin with a simple DNS query
- Provides cryptographic proof that the agent is bound to a verified domain, so other systems can confirm who operates it
- Works with any ANS-compatible registry, including GoDaddy ANS
“Trust is the currency of online business,” said Travis Muhlestein, chief technology officer of product AI at GoDaddy. “LegalZoom’s partnership and publishing its AI agent through ANS shows how powerful open identity can be. Each organization that registers an agent strengthens the standard and makes the whole AI ecosystem a safer, more open place to do business.”
To discover agents verified through GoDaddy ANS or to register an agent, visit GoDaddy.com/ANS.
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
About LegalZoom
LegalZoom is a leading online platform for legal services, transforming how individuals and small businesses navigate the legal system. By combining intuitive technology with access to experienced attorneys—whether through our vast independent attorney network or our own law firm—we offer the tools and guidance people need to confidently manage everything from business formation and compliance to intellectual property protection and ongoing business management and legal support.
As AI reshapes how legal work gets done, LegalZoom is at the forefront of the human-in-the-loop approach, ensuring that the speed and efficiency of AI is always backed by the judgment and accountability of qualified professionals. With over two decades of experience and millions of customers served, LegalZoom helps individuals and small businesses navigate legal needs with confidence. For more information, please visit www.legalzoom.com.
SOURCE GoDaddy Inc.
Originally published by GoDaddy
To discover agents verified through GoDaddy ANS or to register an agent, visit GoDaddy.com/ANS.
TEMPE, Ariz., April 9, 2026 /3BL/ — LegalZoom.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: LZ), America’s #1 online legal services company, and GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), global leader in domains and tech for small businesses, have entered into a partnership to protect the rapidly expanding agentic open web for small and medium-sized businesses.
AI agents now act as more than simple fact-finding companions. They communicate with one another and complete tasks independently—and occasionally go rogue. As enterprises roll out AI agents across different platforms, users lack a consistent way to verify where an agent came from, who published it, and most importantly, whether it can be trusted.
Agent Name Service (ANS) is an open standard built to help solve this high-stakes challenge. ANS employs the same core infrastructure that powers today’s internet: domain name system (DNS) and public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates. It requires each registered AI agent to be assigned a unique, human-readable name and a cryptographically verifiable identity. This lets agents be discovered, verified and governed across the open web.
LegalZoom and GoDaddy support the ANS open standard
As a driving force behind enhancing the ANS open standard, GoDaddy turned the blueprint into reality with GoDaddy ANS, the first public implementation of the open standard where anyone can publish and verify agents in minutes.
In support of that blueprint, LegalZoom registered its first AI agent, leveraging GoDaddy ANS. The LegalZoom agent is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates LegalZoom’s legal services directly into AI assistants such as Anthropic’s Claude and enables users to connect with real attorneys, scan and share legal documents, and manage legal consultations.
GoDaddy ANS provides cryptographic verification that confirms the agent is legitimately owned and operated by LegalZoom using DNS as the root of trust, so other AI systems can find and verify the LegalZoom MCP agent. By registering the agent on GoDaddy ANS, it can be discovered not just by humans, but other agents as well at internet scale.
“AI agents will transform how legal services are delivered, but their value depends on verifiable identity and human accountability,” said Aaron Stibel, chief customer & business officer at LegalZoom. “Partnering with GoDaddy to publish our MCP Agent on ANS lets LegalZoom deliver trusted legal experiences at scale across the open web. Customers and their AI assistants can confidently discover the real LegalZoom and our attorney-backed solutions that raise the bar on accountability and trust.”
The ANS standard makes the open web safer
Here’s what ANS delivers in practice:
- Publishes each AI agent as a DNS record, discoverable worldwide in seconds
- Enables any person or system to confirm an agent’s origin with a simple DNS query
- Provides cryptographic proof that the agent is bound to a verified domain, so other systems can confirm who operates it
- Works with any ANS-compatible registry, including GoDaddy ANS
“Trust is the currency of online business,” said Travis Muhlestein, chief technology officer of product AI at GoDaddy. “LegalZoom’s partnership and publishing its AI agent through ANS shows how powerful open identity can be. Each organization that registers an agent strengthens the standard and makes the whole AI ecosystem a safer, more open place to do business.”
To discover agents verified through GoDaddy ANS or to register an agent, visit GoDaddy.com/ANS.
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
About LegalZoom
LegalZoom is a leading online platform for legal services, transforming how individuals and small businesses navigate the legal system. By combining intuitive technology with access to experienced attorneys—whether through our vast independent attorney network or our own law firm—we offer the tools and guidance people need to confidently manage everything from business formation and compliance to intellectual property protection and ongoing business management and legal support.
As AI reshapes how legal work gets done, LegalZoom is at the forefront of the human-in-the-loop approach, ensuring that the speed and efficiency of AI is always backed by the judgment and accountability of qualified professionals. With over two decades of experience and millions of customers served, LegalZoom helps individuals and small businesses navigate legal needs with confidence. For more information, please visit www.legalzoom.com.
SOURCE GoDaddy Inc.
SLB’s culture and inclusion efforts have been recognized in two categories at the 2026 World 50 Impact Awards, a program that highlights organizations advancing workplace inclusion.
The company was shortlisted in the Culture Catalyst Team category for its global culture transformation and evolution of its cultural framework and also in the Designed for Opportunity category for an initiative aimed at supporting neurodivergent talent and integrating inclusive practices across the employee experience.
SLB’s commitment to hiring local talent has shaped its cultural diversity. Now in its centennial year, the company continues to cultivate a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment, nurturing a diversity of thought that fuels its technology and digital innovations.
“We’re delighted that our approach to culture and inclusion has been recognized,” says Carlos Sarmiento, director of Culture, Diversity and Inclusion at SLB. “This reflects our ongoing focus on developing global best practices, which are driven by the empowerment of our local teams to build a workplace where diversity is celebrated, and where everyone feels valued and respected.”
Learn more about SLB’s culture here and in the company’s Sustainability Report.
View original content here.
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the U.S. electrical grid reaches a breaking point under the weight of AI and hyperscale computing, LandGate, the leading data platform for energy and real estate intelligence, has released a comprehensive new white paper: “The Paradigm Shift: Navigating Alternative Pathways to Power.”
The report details a fundamental transformation in data center site selection. With interconnection wait times now exceeding six years in key markets, developers are abandoning the “grid-first” model in favor of Behind-the-Meter (BTM) power, autonomous energy ecosystems that allow projects to bypass traditional utility constraints and accelerate speed-to-market.
“Site selection in this congested market is fundamentally about securing energy sovereignty,” stated Yoann Hispa, CEO at LandGate. “Our research indicates a key industry transition: data centers are evolving from being merely passive consumers to becoming self-sufficient energy producers.”
Key Insights for Media Coverage
The white paper provides critical data points on the infrastructure “bottleneck” and the emerging technologies solving it:
- The 6-Year Standoff: In major ISOs like PJM, the average lead time for a high-voltage substation connection now surpasses 6 years, leaving newly built data center campuses at risk of sitting vacant.
- The Multi-Million Dollar Entry Fee: Developers are paying non-refundable “readiness deposits” as high as $4,000/MW for large-scale campuses across different ISOs. To put this simply, a 250 MW campus could average at a $1 million entry fee depending on its location.
- The BTM Explosion: On-site power solutions (Solar, Natural Gas, SMRs, and Hydrogen) now account for over 25% of all new data center capacity, as developers seek to insulate themselves from grid volatility and a $10,000-per-minute cost of downtime.
- The Nuclear “Gold Mine”: The report identifies Nuclear power as the only carbon-free source matching the 24/7 load profile of AI, with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) offering an 80% reduction in build time compared to traditional plants.
- “Energy Sovereign” Hotspots: LandGate’s data identifies Texas and Pennsylvania as the top growth markets, driven by “power-forward” regulatory environments that encourage developers to “bring their own power.”
Mapping the Path to Power
The white paper highlights how LandGate’s proprietary intelligence is now the primary tool for developers identifying “Behind-the-Meter” opportunities. By layering resource data with environmental constraints, LandGate allows operators to find credible paths to power before a single shovel hits the ground.
Download the full white paper here.
About LandGate
LandGate is the leading provider of data solutions for site selection, origination, development, financing, and market analysis of renewable energy and infrastructure projects: data centers, energy storage, solar, EVs, wind, and natural gas.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/landgate-unveils-definitive-white-paper-on-the-data-center-power-crisis-and-the-rise-of-behind-the-meter-solutions-302738624.html
SOURCE LandGate
