The Week in Press Releases: 12 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from PR Newswire this week, including J.M. Smucker’s acquisition of Hostess Brands and TIME’s list of 100 Rising Stars.

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week’s most newsworthy and popular releases, here’s a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn’t be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. The J. M. Smucker Co. to Acquire Hostess Brands to Accelerate Focus on Convenient Consumer Occasions
   “With this acquisition, we are adding an iconic sweet snacking platform; enhancing our ability to deliver brands consumers love and convenient solutions they desire; and leveraging the attributes Hostess Brands offers, including its strong convenience store distribution and leading innovation pipeline,” said Mark Smucker, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer.
2. BMW, Ford and Honda Agree to Create ChargeScape, a New Company Focused on Optimizing Electric Vehicle Grid Services
   BMW Group, Ford and Honda will leverage years of cross-industry research around the Open Vehicle-Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP) to create a single platform that will seamlessly connect electric utilities, automakers and their interested EV customers to manage energy usage for a broad pool of EVs.
3. The Walt Disney Company and Charter Communications Announce Transformative Agreement for Distribution of Disney’s Linear Networks and Direct-to-Consumer Services
   Disney+ Basic ad-supported offering will be included in Spectrum TV Select video packages, as part of the wholesale arrangement between the two companies.
4. TIME Reveals the 2023 TIME100 Next List of the World’s Rising Stars
   “The honorees on this year’s TIME100 Next are rising stars whose work and determination is creating a better future,” said TIME Chief Executive Officer Jessica Sibley. “We’re looking forward to celebrating these extraordinary individuals at our upcoming TIME100 Next event in October.”
5. Xbox to Launch the Xbox Mastercard, Its First-Ever Credit Card in the US, Issued by Barclays
   The Xbox Mastercard has no annual fee and rewards Xbox players 5X card points on qualifying purchases within the Microsoft Store, 3X across eligible dining delivery and streaming services, and 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate after the first purchase (for new Game Pass members).
6. FDA Takes Action on Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants
   “The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
7. PR Newswire Rolls Out First Ever Press Release Social Sharing Product Designed to Increase User-Generated Content
   This innovative offering, powered by SoSha, allows organizations to craft social media posts for end users to easily share on their social media channels – boosting organic social engagement ten- to one hundredfold.
8. USPS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With Piñatas! Stamps
   These Forever stamps come in four designs — two donkeys and two seven-pointed stars — celebrating the traditional Mexican fiesta favorite. This is the third consecutive year the Postal Service has issued a Hispanic-themed stamp.
9. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2024 Edition Released
   “As ever, we’ve covered the widest possible spectrum of record-breaking, from the hairiest humans to the most talented guinea pigs, to the fastest rollercoasters, and the best-selling manga to the most celebrated athletes. I say it every year, but it’s the best edition yet!” Craig Glenday, editor in chief said.
10. Red Cross announces national blood shortage
    The American Red Cross national blood supply has fallen to critically low levels—dropping nearly 25%– since early August, and potentially threatening the medical care of patients with an emergency need for blood, or those living with critical conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease and who depend on lifesaving blood transfusions.
11. IBM Brings watsonx to ESPN Fantasy Football with New Waiver Grades and Trade Grades
    New this year, Waiver Grades will give available players in your league’s waiver wire a personalized grade for the value they can add to your team. Similarly, the Trade Grades feature will evaluate the personalized potential benefits of trades.
12. Consumer Demand Sparks Royal Caribbean to Open New Icon of the Seas Vacations Early
    “Families and friends are looking for vacations where everyone can make memories their way without compromise, and that’s what we set out to create in its best form with Icon more than five years ago,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

Read more of the latest releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNalert on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

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• Related Resources: Our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, features regular media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

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SOURCE PR Newswire