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Ascend Partners with Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina As The Preferred Payments & Financing Platform For Their Independent Agency Channel

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NEW YORK, July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Ascend, a modern insurance payments platform, announced a partnership with Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC), which has named Ascend as its preferred premium payments company for its members.

Ascend is the first modern insurance payments platform that provides automated all-in-one financing, collections, and payables. They are modernizing agency workflow by creating a streamlined process for operational and payment procedures. IIANC is a statewide trade association that empowers independent agents to rise above the competition by offering them the tools and resources to succeed in today’s insurance industry.

The two have come together to provide value specific to payments for IIANC’s independent agency channel. Through this partnership, IIANC members will have affiliate referrals to Ascend’s finance solutions. They are providing the best solutions for the best startup agencies that continue to improve and develop their own internal processes, now streamlined with Ascend’s technology and automated funds flow.

“The IIANC is an incredible advocate for the independent agency channel, providing extensive resources and tools for their members to be successful, and we’re excited to partner in support of this effort,” says Chris Peabody, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Ascend. “At Ascend, we believe in empowering the IA channel with a modern payments solution while creating a modern checkout process for their clients and by doing so, enabling agencies to do what they do best, be a trusted advisor. Through this partnership, we are able to empower agents across the state of North Carolina.”

This partnership will reduce the workload for IIANC agents and provide them with a modern white-labeled checkout experience that is tailored specifically for the agencies. Additionally, this partnership will unlock a series of webinars and resources for agents to utilize in the growth and development of their business.

“We believe in advocating on behalf of independent agents everywhere, and this includes offering them the best possible tools and resources for success,” says Rebecca Shigley, COO at IIANC. “Aligning ourselves with companies like Ascend opens our community up to a whole new world of streamlined and modern workflow and payments solutions – the necessary tools for our independent agents to compete and differentiate themselves from major players in insurance. To be the best possible version of themselves, they need the best possible tools, and Ascend is offering them just that.”

This is one of many partnerships and alignments Ascend has been a part of this year, as they deepen their relationships with other insurtechs, MGAs, AMS, and carriers to complement the innovations being made by companies in the insurance market. To learn more, please visit https://useascend.com/.

About Ascend

Ascend is the modern insurance payments platform that provides automated all-in-one financing, collections, and payables. Founded by two-time insurtech entrepreneurs Andrew Wynn and Praveen Chekuri, Ascend helps distributors sell more by eliminating labor-intensive, expensive processes while providing customers with the great online checkout and financing experience they’ve come to expect. To learn more, please visit https://useascend.com/.

About IIANC

The Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (“IIANC”) is a statewide trade association representing nearly 900 independent insurance agencies in North Carolina, with more than 7,000 employees, who work to protect the insurance and financial needs of the state’s citizens. IIANC members are Trusted Choice independent insurance agencies that can represent more than one insurance company. As a result, independent agents can offer clients a wider choice of auto, home, business, life, and health coverages. Trusted Choice independent agents not only advise clients about insurance, they recommend loss-prevention ideas, and if a loss occurs, the independent agent will work with the client until the claim is settled.

Contact:
Kathy Osborne
press@useascend.com

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SOURCE Ascend

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Monster Energy and Call of Duty® Take Over Cosm Los Angeles for Immersive Modern Warfare® 4 Launch Celebration

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Celebrities, athletes and creators came together for an action-packed night of gaming, immersive entertainment and exclusive experiences on Cosm’s massive Shared Reality Display. 

INGLEWOOD, Calif., Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Monster Energy transformed Cosm Los Angeles into the ultimate gamer’s destination on Friday night as fans came together to celebrate the highly anticipated launch of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 at an immersive event fueled by Monster Energy.

Set against Cosm’s spectacular 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED dome, the Monster Energy x Call of Duty celebration brought the action of one of gaming’s most anticipated franchises into the real world. Guests experienced live gameplay, special celebrity appearances, interactive activations, and real-life displays inspired by the game, including the Monster Energy Operator Skin, alongside a lineup of Polaris vehicles including the DAGOR, which is playable in Modern Warfare 4 – all in an electrifying atmosphere that blurred the lines between gaming and reality.

The event drew a guest list spanning entertainment, sports and gaming, including actors O’Shea Jackson Jr., Trevor Jackson and Khleo Thomas, who arrived by Slingshot, rapper Symba, social media star Lin Lamar (Pinkchyu), and Monster Energy UFC fighters Johnny Walker and Jalin Turner.

Guests lined up around the block for a jam-packed program, featuring a live edition of The Flank, hosted by ZooMaa and Ben Nissim, including an interview with Infinity Ward developer Jacky Reynolds and the reveal of the CDL Launch Invitational groups. Fans also got a closer look at Modern Warfare 4’s DMZ mode during a gameplay showcase led by Infinity Ward game designer Roman Spazafumo.

The gaming action continued with artists, athletes and gaming creators, including Jericho, Jaybroski, Tyler Rizzi, Johnny Walker and LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, facing off in two-versus-two matchups, while fans tested their own skills in king-of-the-hill rounds. Monster Energy’s skate team also took to the virtual battlefield, swapping their boards for controllers, with Ishod Wair, Filipe Mota and Elliot Sloan going head-to-head in a Modern Warfare 4 showdown.

“With Call of Duty, we’re always looking for ways to push the experience beyond the screen,” said Jordi Gayola, CMO of the Americas at Monster Energy. “Bringing this launch to Cosm gave us an incredible opportunity to put fans, athletes and creators right in the middle of the action. It’s about bringing our worlds together and creating the kind of unforgettable experience that only Monster Energy can deliver.”

Beyond the main gameplay, fans enjoyed exclusive merchandise giveaways and immersive experiences, while the Modern Warfare 4-themed experience extended to the menu, which featured Korean-inspired dishes including kimchi mandu, Korean corn cheese nachos, and gochujang-glazed wings, alongside complimentary Monster Energy throughout the venue.

The launch also spotlighted Monster Energy’s ongoing Call of Duty promotional partnership, running through March 31, 2027. Fans can earn 15 minutes of Double XP per qualifying Monster Energy Original Green, Zero Sugar or Zero Ultra can, alongside exclusive in-game rewards, including a Large Decal, two weapon blueprints and two Operator Skins unlocked across the first five cans. The collaboration also extends beyond the game through four Monster Energy x Polaris vehicle sweepstakes at participating 7-Eleven, Hy-Vee, QuikTrip and RTG stores, with entry via retailer-specific QR codes in-store.

For more information on the Monster Energy x Call of Duty partnership, promotion and rewards, visit callofduty.monsterenergy.com.

Images from the Monster Energy Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 Launch Day are available HERE. 

Photo Credit: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Monster Energy.

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is a leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Known for its connection to action sports, motorsports, music, gaming and athletes around the world, Monster Energy fuels the passions of its fans through products, partnerships and experiences that bring communities together. For more information, visit MonsterEnergy.com.

Media Contact:
press@monsterenergy.com 

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Come Back to Firefox: Mozilla launches its most ambitious campaign yet to bring people back to the independent alternative to big tech browsers

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As tracking and unwanted AI reshape the web, Firefox reunites the internet’s original viral icons to make the case for a browser that puts people back in control.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In its new campaign, Come Back to Firefox, the independent browser by Mozilla reunites personalities behind some of the early internet’s biggest viral videos and memes for one simple message: The internet you loved is still here, and Firefox is the easiest way back.

This multi-market campaign is aimed at people who once used Firefox and left. While it nods to the past, Firefox continues to evolve, giving people more reasons to love and rediscover it today. It arrives after a transformative year for the browser:

Business growth and partnerships: A dedicated Enterprise browser giving organizations expert support and control over their data. Technical partnerships with NVIDIA and Mistral, extending what Firefox can do from gaming to AI.

Increased protection and control: New products and features shipped including a free built-in VPN to help keep browsing private, with no extra download or cost. AI Controls, to let people decide when and whether to use AI, and an Ad Blocker for Firefox on iOS for fewer ads and trackers.

Brand and culture: A new modern design, a first sports partnership with Wrexham AFC and World Cup presence connecting Firefox to one of the year’s biggest cultural moments.

“Firefox was there then, we’re here now, and what we stand for matters more than ever,” said John Solomon, Chief Marketing Officer at Mozilla. “People who left Firefox years ago will find a browser that’s more private and gives them more control, including over AI.”

The Campaign

Come Back to Firefox brings together some of the world’s most memorable internet icons: Numa Numa Guy, Bad Luck Brian, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Kelly of “Shoes” fame, Where the Hell Is Matt?, Annoying Orange, Apparently Kid, Tay Zonday, Chuck Testa, Success Kid, and Evolution of Dance. Each takes on a modern frustration with humor:

Overly Attached Girlfriend may have wanted to know everything about you, but your browser shouldn’t.Dancing Matt boogied all over the world, without any corporations tracking him or selling his personal data.And while Annoying Orange is still incredibly annoying, he’s not as annoying as forced AI features.

The campaign launches in the United States Sunday, October 25th, with two distinct 30-second commercials airing on NBC. Next, it rolls out in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

“Being on set was a reminder of why those moments mattered,” said Solomon. “Ordinary people making things on the internet that made it feel so surprising and fun, and that’s the feeling we wanted to bring back.”

The campaign was created by award-winning independent agency We Believers, and brought to life by directing collective Sunny Sixteen and production company nobodys. Together, they meticulously recreated each performance, look, and even the sets from the original videos, taking each internet personality back to where their story began.

“We wanted an idea that truly belongs to Firefox, a challenger browser that helped shape the internet’s golden years and stayed independent as Big Tech took over,” said Gustavo Lauria, Founder and CCO at We Believers.

The campaign is one of Firefox’s most ambitious yet but is rooted in what has always set the browser apart from Big Tech: its commitment to putting people before profits and giving them more control over their online experience. Now, Firefox says it’s never been a better time for people who once used the browser to take another look.

About Firefox

Firefox is a web browser developed by Mozilla, built to give people more choice and control over their online experience. With built-in tracking protection, customization options, and a commitment to an open internet, Firefox offers an alternative to browsers developed by the world’s largest technology companies. Learn more at firefox.com/welcomeback.

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SOURCE Mozilla

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Coin Market

Netanyahu floats use of blockchain as solution to potential financial sanctions

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Ahead of elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel could turn to blockchain and crypto to skirt potential international sanctions, to the dismay of opponents and the country’s central banker.

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