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CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER REACHES A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE FOR THE FUTURE SAMUEL OSCHIN AIR AND SPACE CENTER WITH TOPPING OUT CEREMONY

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Event commemorates some of the final steel beams being placed in the iconic diagrid roof structure

HERE are pictures of this historic milestone.
Click HERE to learn more about the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
Click HERE for the complete press kit.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The California Science Center reached a major milestone in construction of the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center today with a ceremonial topping out celebration. Some of the final steel beams were hoisted into position in the complex diagrid atop the 200,000-square-foot Science Center expansion. Made up of a framework of diagonally intersecting beams, the Air and Space Center’s diagrid is self-supporting, eliminating the need for columns and allowing for a dramatic, unobstructed future view of space shuttle Endeavour in the building’s 20-story Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery.

A tradition in major construction projects and infrastructure works, the topping out ceremony commemorates the tremendous efforts of construction professionals and the entire team at the California Science Center. Construction work on the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center building is scheduled to be completed in mid-2025. Following artifact and exhibit installation, the Air and Space Center will be ready to open in a few years.

“The California Science Center is fortunate to have a remarkable team that has helped us achieve this historic milestone. We thank and commend our dedicated staff and our incredible partners: MATT Construction; ZGF, our architects; Arup, our building engineers; and Plas-Tal Manufacturing, our steel fabricator; whose years of careful planning and expertise have made every stage of this complex and unprecedented operation a possibility,” shared Jeffrey Rudolph, the President and CEO of the California Science Center. “Together, we’ve worked to create an iconic new landmark in Los Angeles that will inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers.” 

Prior to the ceremony, California Science Center Trustees and staff, and project partners including Steve Matt, Chairman and CEO of MATT Construction; Sean Brunton, President of Plas-Tal; and Amie Nulman, Structural Engineer and Principal with Arup; joined lead donor Mrs. Lynda Oschin and California Science Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rudolph, to sign a beam before it was lifted into place by crane. The milestone event began with opening remarks from Jeffrey Rudolph. Commemorative remarks were also made by Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr. (District 9), and Mrs. Lynda Oschin, who concluded the program by signaling the crane to lift the beam into place. The beam was adorned with an American flag and an evergreen tree, symbolizing good luck and continued safe construction and operations. It also bears the signatures of hundreds of partners, donors, employees, volunteers, and stakeholders contributing to developing the new expansion.

“This is another major step toward making the vision for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center a reality,” noted Lynda Oschin, of the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation. “Space shuttle Endeavour exemplifies so many of the passions of my husband, Samuel Oschin – especially astronomy, exploration, and helping children to achieve their dreams. This major expansion of the Science Center will honor his legacy by inspiring generations of children to pursue lives of adventure, innovation, and discovery; and to explore careers in science, math, and engineering.”

The generosity of numerous foundations, individuals and corporate donors has enabled the California Science Center Foundation to reach this significant milestone. The Science Center is grateful for the unparalleled support of our lead donors, the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation and the State of California, joined by principal donors Korean Air and the Kresa Family Foundation, for their substantial investments in this incredible educational and civic project. 

Earlier this year the entire authentic Space Shuttle stack was lifted into its “ready-to-launch” vertical configuration at 180 feet fall, consisting of the flown orbiter, Endeavour, mated to real solid rocket boosters and ET-94, the last remaining flight-qualified external tank, and placed inside the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. The Air and Space Center will nearly double the California Science Center’s educational exhibition space, adding an impressive collection of 100 authentic artifacts integrated with 100 new hands-on exhibits. It will allow guests of all ages to investigate scientific and engineering principles of atmospheric flight and the exploration of the universe in three major galleries—Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and Kent Kresa Space Gallery. The new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will be open to the public general admission-free.

For more information, visit californiasciencecenter.org/future

About the EndeavourLA Campaign

A project of this scope and scale requires the visionary leadership of the philanthropic community, and the support of the broader public. EndeavourLA is the California Science Center Foundation’s fundraising campaign that enabled the acquisition and previous temporary display of space shuttle Endeavour and supports our plans to build the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center and sustain ongoing exhibits, programs, and operations. The project’s lead donors are the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation and the State of California; joined by principal donors Korean Air and the Kresa Family Foundation; as well as The Ahmanson Foundation, Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation, Melanie and Richard Lundquist, The Otis Booth Foundation, Ibrahim El-Hefni Technical Training Foundation, and Weingart Foundation; along with numerous individuals, foundations, and corporate supporters. 
The California Science Center Foundation is actively fundraising to complete this ambitious project with nearly $370 million raised toward the $425 million total project budget. Everyone can help realize this exciting vision for the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, and donations at any level are welcomed. To contribute or learn more, go to EndeavourLA.org.

About the California Science Center 

The California Science Center is a dynamic destination where families, adults, and children can explore the wonders of science through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, innovative programs, and large-format movies. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences, because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility and inclusiveness, and enriching people’s lives.

The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive. The Science Center is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. General admission is free. Please check the Science Center website for updates at CaliforniaScienceCenter.org

Media Contacts:
Kristina Kurasz Cutting│California Science Center
kkurasz@californiasciencecenter.org │ (213) 744 7446
Sophie Jefferies│California Science Center
sjefferies@californiasciencecenter.org │ (213) 744 7491
Gwendolyn Young│Young Communications
gyoung@youngcomms.com │ (213) 948 5662
Kevin Smothers │Young Communications
ksmothers@youngcomms.com │ (512) 466 4041

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SOURCE California Science Center Foundation

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KuCoin Marks Ninth Anniversary at Tomorrowland Belgium, Honoring Nine Years of Industry Progress Beyond the Signal

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On the day of its ninth anniversary, KuCoin welcomed global partners, institutional clients, ecosystem builders and media representatives to the “On Cloud 9 Skybox Experience,” an exclusive celebration at the Tomorrowland Belgium Skybox. Overlooking Tomorrowland’s iconic Mainstage, guests gathered throughout an unforgettable evening as world-renowned artists including Nicky Romero, Alok, Steve Angello and Hardwell delivered performances that brought together people from around the world. Against this backdrop of music, culture and global connection, KuCoin celebrated not only its own nine-year journey, but also the remarkable progress the digital asset industry has achieved together.

The experience formed part of KuCoin’s broader ninth-anniversary campaign, “Beyond the Signal,” reflecting the company’s belief that the industry’s future will be shaped not by short-term market movements alone, but by the trust, innovation and infrastructure that enable lasting progress. Bringing this vision to life in an elevated festival setting, the evening offered guests an opportunity to reflect on nine years of shared growth, collaboration and resilience, while looking ahead together to the next chapter of digital assets.

Against the backdrop of Tomorrowland’s iconic Mainstage, the exclusive Skybox experience with signature champagne rituals brought KuCoin and its guests together to reflect on and celebrate the milestones that have shaped its nine-year journey. From expanding access to digital assets and navigating multiple market cycles to strengthening security and compliance, supporting institutional participation, and advancing innovation across payments, AI and Web3, these milestones also reflected the broader evolution of the digital asset industry toward greater maturity.

The moment celebrated not only how far KuCoin has come, but also the progress the industry has made together. Over the past nine years, markets have risen and fallen, and technologies have continued to evolve. Yet lasting progress has always been driven by the builders, developers, partners and communities working together to create enduring value. That is the idea behind Beyond the Signal.

“Ninth anniversaries are often measured in years. We prefer to measure ours in trust,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin. “The greatest achievement of the past nine years has not been our growth alone, but the confidence our users, partners and community have continued to place in us. Trust is the infrastructure that enables innovation, adoption and long-term progress. As we enter our next decade, we remain committed to building secure, compliant and trusted digital asset infrastructure together with our partners worldwide.”

The celebration also highlighted KuCoin’s expanding partnership with Tomorrowland as the festival’s Exclusive Crypto Exchange and Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium 2026–2028. Bringing together one of the world’s most influential cultural events with trusted digital infrastructure, the partnership reflects a shared vision of connecting people across borders and creating meaningful real-world experiences through technology, payments and community. For KuCoin, Tomorrowland is more than a global music festival—it represents the openness, diversity and global community that have always been at the heart of crypto.

Nine years ago, KuCoin set out to make digital assets accessible to more people around the world. Today, its mission has evolved beyond access to helping build the trusted infrastructure that will support the future of digital finance. Beyond music, beyond the celebration and beyond the signal, KuCoin’s ninth anniversary was not only a milestone for the company, but a celebration of how far the industry has come together—and a commitment to building what comes next.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

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SOURCE KuCoin

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2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum Opens in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

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XI’AN, China, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from CRI Online:

On July 22, the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Silk Road Development Forum officially opened in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Hosted by the WIC and organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Government, the forum was held under the theme “Pooling Intelligence on the Silk Road, Embarking on a Digital Future — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”. Approximately 800 participants from more than 50 countries and regions, as well as seven international organizations, attended the event.

Mayra Arevich Marín, Minister of Communications of Cuba; Faqir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Posts, Telecommunication & Information Technology and Minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh; Samba Diouf, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Affairs of Senegal; Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); John Higgins, President of the International AI Governance Association (IAGA); and Wang Xingxing, Founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Following the opening ceremony, a ministerial meeting was held. Thematic forums were convened focusing on Silk Road e-commerce cooperation and development, collaborative innovation and development of AI agents, digital and intelligent health, and the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage in the digital intelligence era. These discussions aimed to help Belt and Road partner countries strengthen consensus, deepen cooperation, and seize new opportunities brought by digital and intelligent development. During the forum, the World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitalization Case Collection (2026) was released. A series of capacity-building activities under the WIC Digital & AI Academy were also held, including a capacity building program on AI-driven digital trade, a salon on “Copyright Empowerment in Cultural Heritage Digitalization”, and a field study at a digital port.

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SOURCE CRI Online

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Tesla Owns Nearly 1 in 5 AI Answers About EVs. New 5W Index Ranks the Top 25 EV Brands by AI Citation Share.

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EV charging networks — Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint — are nearly invisible inside AI answers despite operating the infrastructure the entire category depends on.

MIAMI, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm, today released the 5W AI Visibility Index — EV, ranking the top 25 EV brands by modeled AI citation share across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. Tesla anchors the category at 18.4% — more than the next three brands combined. Rivian is second at 8.2%. Ford is third at 6.4%.

The Index is Volume 07 in 5W’s 2026 Consumer AI Visibility Index series. The full report is available at https://www.5wpr.com/research/ev-ai-visibility-index/.

More than a third of U.S. consumers now begin product research with an AI engine — not Google. For the EV category — where purchase consideration windows stretch six to twelve months and buyers cross-reference range, charging, ownership cost, and long-term reliability across dozens of sources — the answers the engines return are shaping the shortlist before a buyer walks into a dealership.

The Findings

Tesla dominates at 18.4% citation share — cited on virtually every consumer EV query across all five engines. Brand, product, and CEO overlap produce a citation profile no peer can match.Rivian (8.2%) is the dominant adventure-EV authority. The R1T and R1S anchor truck and SUV electric citation.Ford (6.4%) leads legacy automakers. The F-150 Lightning owns EV-truck queries; the Mach-E anchors EV-SUV comparisons.Lucid (4.8%) and Hyundai Ioniq (4.4%) complete the Tier 1 leaders. The Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 over-index against U.S. brand recognition.GM sits at #6 with 3.8% — despite scale — because Bolt, Lyriq, and Hummer EV are cited separately rather than as one GM-EV narrative. Ford consolidated its story. GM did not.Toyota (#17) and Honda (#18) are the two largest legacy automakers furthest behind in EV citation. The bZ4X, Solterra, and Prologue cite at rates far below what brand recognition would predict.EV charging networks are absent from the top 25. Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint operate the infrastructure the entire category depends on — and have not built consumer-facing brand citation to match. The category is open.

“Every EV buyer starts inside a chatbox now. Tesla owns nearly one in five answers. The next three brands combined don’t match it. That’s a citation moat measured in AI — not TV budgets, not showroom count,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman, 5W AI Communications. “GM is bigger than Rivian by every commercial metric and half its size in the answer. That gap costs sales. The charging networks are the biggest miss in the category — whoever builds the dominant ‘where should I charge’ answer anchors a multi-decade growth curve. Right now, none of them own it.”

The Five Engines Do Not Return Identical Answers

ChatGPT: Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Ford, Hyundai dominate. Conservative and brand-anchored.Claude: Recurrent and CleanTechnica over-index. Data-source preference. Lighter on enthusiast brands.Perplexity: Reddit EV subreddits dominant. Out of Spec YouTube data heavily cited. Freshness-favored.Google AI Overviews: Tesla, InsideEVs, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book dominate. Closest to a SERP-mirror.Gemini: YouTube EV creators dominate — Out of Spec, Munro Live, MKBHD at the highest rates.

Engine-aware strategy matters. A brand absent from one engine but present in another needs a different program than a brand absent across the board.

Methodology
Modeled directional estimates derived from publicly available data, observed retrieval patterns, structural signals, and the corresponding Everything-PR Citation Share Study — EV (Issue No. 07). Twenty-five brands, five engines, sixty-plus consumer-prompt query patterns. Not the output of logged query runs across millions of prompts. Intended as a strategic framework — not a definitive search-engine measurement.

The dominant outlets shaping EV citation are InsideEVs, Electrek, Recurrent, Edmunds EV, Car and Driver EV, CleanTechnica, and the Reddit-and-YouTube creator layer. Brand citation share is built primarily through presence inside that specific outlet set — and through Recurrent battery-data partnership for used-EV citation.

About 5W AI Communications
5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research to help clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research. Founded in 2003, 5W is recognized as a Top U.S. PR Agency by O’Dwyer’s, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, honored as a 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan, and named to Digiday’s WorkLife Employer of the Year list. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors — Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit — and B2B specialties including Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing across Social, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. Learn more at 5wpr.com.

Media Contact
press@5wpr.com

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations

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