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VNET Earns Industry-Leading ESG Ratings from MSCI and S&P Global for Three Consecutive Years

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BEIJING, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — VNET Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) (“VNET” or the “Company”), a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China, today announced that its outstanding 2024 ESG performance received high marks from leading ESG rating institutions MSCI and S&P Global. This global recognition highlights the Company’s industry-wide ESG leadership and unwavering commitment to sustainable development, carbon neutrality, and green transformation.

VNET received an ESG rating of A from MSCI for the third consecutive year, with enhanced performance across opportunities in clean tech, human capital development, and privacy & data security. The Company’s ESG rating holds the leading position in China’s Internet Services & Infrastructure industry.

In addition, VNET’s score in the 2024 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) rose 17 points over the last year to 70, with full marks across energy management programs, data center efficiency, the share of renewable energy in data centers, climate risk management, occupational safety and health (OHS) programs, customer relations, and IT security/cybersecurity measures. To date, VNET’s S&P Global CSA score ranks in the top 5% of the IT services industry globally and maintains the highest position within China’s IT services sector for the third consecutive year.

“At VNET, ESG plays a pivotal role in our vision for sustainable growth,” commented Josh Sheng Chen, Founder, Executive Chairperson, and interim Chief Executive Officer of VNET. “We are delighted to see our progress across our key ESG segments, Society, Human, Innovation, Environment, Leadership, and Development, once again win recognition from leading global ESG rating institutions. Going forward, we will deepen our commitment to building a low-carbon digital future, advancing the development of the green economy while creating long-term and sustainable value for all of our stakeholders.”

MSCI Inc. is the world’s leading provider of ESG indices, measuring enterprises’ resilience to long-term, financially relevant ESG risks. The S&P Global CSA is a world-renowned annual evaluation of enterprises’ sustainability practices, covering over 13,000 companies globally. Both serve as important tools in helping investors assess and benchmark companies’ ESG investment performance, enabling them to make informed investment decisions.

About VNET

VNET Group, Inc. is a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China. VNET provides hosting and related services, including IDC services, cloud services, and business VPN services to improve the reliability, security, and speed of its customers’ internet infrastructure. Customers may locate their servers and equipment in VNET’s data centers and connect to China’s internet backbone. VNET operates in more than 30 cities throughout China, servicing a diversified and loyal base of over 7,000 hosting and related enterprise customers that span numerous industries ranging from internet companies to government entities and blue-chip enterprises to small- to mid-sized enterprises.

Safe Harbor Statement 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “target,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement as well as VNET’s strategic and operational plans, including the plan to operate the Assets under the pre-REITs project, contain forward-looking statements. VNET may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about VNET’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: VNET’s goals and strategies; VNET’s liquidity conditions; VNET’s expansion plans; the expected growth of the data center services market; expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, VNET’s services; VNET’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with customers; VNET’s plans to invest in research and development to enhance its solution and service offerings; and general economic and business conditions in the regions where VNET provides solutions and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in VNET’s reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and VNET undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Xinyuan Liu
Tel: +86 10 8456 2121
Email: ir@vnet.com

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SOURCE VNET Group, Inc.

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“Where We Once Stood,” a Vietnam War Documentary from Veterans United and Gary Sinise, Available to Stream on Prime Video Starting on Veterans Day

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Veterans United Home Loans’ first feature-length documentary follows a group of Vietnam Veterans returning to the country 50 years after the war’s end

COLUMBIA, Mo., Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Veterans United Home Loans’ first documentary, “Where We Once Stood,” will be available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S. starting on Veterans Day. Executive produced and narrated by Golden Globe winner and longtime Veteran advocate Gary Sinise, the film follows a group of Vietnam Veterans returning to the country for the first time since the war.

Filmed in 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end, “Where We Once Stood” follows the Veterans as they revisit the pivotal places that defined their military service. Veterans United brought together Veterans from different branches of the military, many of whom had rarely spoken about their experiences, to face the memories they carried home and find healing alongside one another.

The documentary features Veterans from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Among them are  Lt. Col. Robert “Bob” Jeffrey, who spent more than seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, including at the Hanoi Hilton, and Maj. James “Jim” Taylor, a Medal of Honor recipient who saved more than a dozen wounded soldiers during a nine-hour firefight in November 1967. Also featured is Capt. Buddie Joe “BJ” Penn, a naval aviator who became the first Black battalion officer at the U.S. Naval Academy and later the acting secretary of the Navy.

“I came home from Vietnam carrying a lot of anger and for years there were things I just didn’t talk about,” Penn said. “Going back with other Vietnam Veterans gave me the chance to share things I’d never told anyone before. Those conversations helped heal some of the wounds I have carried for more than 50 years. I don’t think that healing would have happened if we hadn’t made that trip together.”

“None of the Veterans on this trip had returned to Vietnam since the war’s end, and we wanted them to do it on their own terms,” said Pam Swan, vice president of military relations at Veterans United Home Loans. “The men in this film represent just a handful of the millions who served, and their experiences are part of our nation’s history. We owe it to that generation to make sure those stories are recorded, remembered and told in their own words.”

The film screened in Washington, D.C., Nashville and aboard the USS Midway in San Diego.

More than 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War, the documentary offers viewers an opportunity to hear directly from those who served and better understand their experiences.

“These men returned to places where they fought and lost friends more than 50 years ago,” said Gary Sinise. “Many Vietnam Veterans didn’t receive the welcome home they deserved, and this film is another opportunity to recognize them and make sure their experiences aren’t forgotten.”

To watch the trailer and learn more about “Where We Once Stood” and the Veterans featured, visit WhereWeOnceStoodFilm.com.

About Veterans United Home Loans

Veterans United Home Loans, a full-service national direct lender based in Columbia, Missouri, closed more than $26 billion in loans in fiscal 2025 and was the nation’s No. 1 VA purchase lender, according to Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Statistics. The company’s mission is to help Veterans and service members take advantage of the home loan benefits earned by their service.

VeteransUnited.com | 1-800-884-5560 | 550 Veterans United Drive, Columbia, MO 65201 | Veterans United Home Loans NMLS #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Private lender. Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Licensed in all 50 states. Military advisors are paid employees of Veterans United. For State Licensing information, please visit www.veteransunited.com/licenses. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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SOURCE Veterans United Home Loans

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New “Bible Loop” App Gives Teens a Reason to Slow Down With God’s Word

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Created by YouVersion in partnership with OneHope, the free app makes daily time in Scripture fun and personal

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bible Loop, the newest app in the YouVersion Family of Apps, gives teens a reason to slow down and spend more time in God’s Word. Created in partnership with OneHope, the free app was built for teens at a stage of life when independence is growing and habits are forming. Bible Loop is now available on Android and iOS in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Teens can start with a verse memorization game that turns daily Scripture into a habit, complete with an anonymous leaderboard for a little friendly competition. Learning Loops will add interactive lessons from partners teens love and trust, while Daily Check-Ins match devotional content to how a teen is feeling that day. A Verse of the Day and Daily Prayers round out the experience, with Bible text available in more than 50 versions across 10 languages.

“When we say we want to reach everyone, everywhere with God’s Word, teens are an important part of that vision, which is why we created Bible Loop specifically for them,” said Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion. “We’re grateful to OneHope for sharing their expertise in reaching young people with the Gospel. Together, our hope is that Bible Loop helps teens develop daily rhythms of Scripture engagement that make a real difference in their lives today and serve them well into the future.”

Since 1987, OneHope has shared God’s Word with more than 2 billion children and youth, partnering with local churches around the world. Grounded in a commitment to understanding the next generation, OneHope conducts original research to identify emerging trends, understand young people’s evolving realities, and inform innovative approaches to engaging them with Scripture.

In a recent U.S. study, OneHope found that Gen Alpha, whose oldest are now teens, spends an average of 4 hours and 6 minutes online daily. A 2021 OneHope study in partnership with Barna found that while 88% of engaged Christian parents of children ages 6-9 reported their children engaging with the Bible weekly, engagement dropped to 73% for children ages 10-12. That dip suggests Scripture habits begin to slip before the teen years start. Insights like these helped shape Bible Loop, meeting teens where they already spend their time and inviting them to go deeper in God’s Word.

“OneHope’s research shows that the preteen years are critical for spiritual development, yet this is often when intentional discipleship at home begins to decline. That’s why Bible Loop is so essential today. We’re meeting the next generation where they are, helping preteens engage meaningfully with God’s Word and build habits that lay a foundation for a lifelong relationship with Jesus,” said Rob Hoskins, co-founder and president of OneHope.

Teens can download Bible Loop now at www.youversion.com/bible-loop and start learning it, living it, and looping it.

About YouVersion
Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs free, biblically centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. The YouVersion Family of Apps—including the Bible App, Bible App Lite, Bible App for Kids and Bible Loop—has been installed on more than one billion devices worldwide. The Bible App offers a Bible experience in more than 2,400 languages and helps people deepen their relationship with God. Bible App Lite is optimized for offline use and helps people access God’s Word in markets with device and data limitations. Both developed in partnership with OneHope, the Bible App for Kids helps children engage with the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities, and Bible Loop gives teens a fun way to explore, remember and apply Scripture. For more information about YouVersion, visit youversion.com.

About OneHope
OneHope is a global ministry dedicated to engaging every child and youth with the life-transforming message of Jesus through His Word. Since 1987, OneHope has impacted over 2 billion young lives with the Gospel, and by 2033, their goal is to engage another 2 billion children and youth worldwide. To learn more about OneHope, visit http://onehope.net.

press@youversion.com 

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SOURCE YouVersion

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Equable Analysis: State and Local Pension Funds Have at Least $578 Billion Invested in AI Companies

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AI-related companies make up 35.1% of reported public pension equity holdings as of June 30, 2026; a new interactive breaks out exposure by pension fund

NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — State and local pension funds have between $578.1 billion and $706.6 billion invested in AI-related companies, according to an analysis released today by Equable Institute. This accounts for 9% to 11% of the total $6.42 trillion in state and local pension assets, as of June 30, 2026. Equable considers this range a conservative, lower-bound estimate.

As of June 30, 2026, the 51 largest publicly traded AI-related companies made up 35.1% of all reported public equity investments by state and local pension funds. The Magnificent 7 account for 63.3% of all public AI-related holdings. NVIDIA ($47.3 billion), Apple ($42.5 billion) and Microsoft ($28.2 billion) are the largest AI-related holdings across the pension funds measured. 

Alongside the media brief, Equable has published an interactive that breaks down the $396 billion in AI-related stock holdings directly reported by the largest funds from the portions of the estimate that are not reported by name. The interactive also details AI-linked public equity fund exposure for these pension funds, where public data is available. 

“Given the growing concentration of public pension assets in AI-related investments, it is important to know the full scope of exposure that state and local retirement systems have to future changes in the value of AI-companies. However, the lack of complete transparency on public and private pension fund investments means we can only estimate the potential upsides or downsides of what comes next in the AI-trade,” said Anthony Randazzo, executive director of Equable Institute. “Every public pension fund should be doing an internal audit of their own AI-exposure and making public the findings. A positive economic outcome from the emergence of AI could meaningfully stabilize public pension plans; but a negative event like an AI-bubble bursting could cause very meaningful losses that stakeholders should be aware of.”

Explore the data

The interactive splits the $706.6 billion estimate into three parts: $396 billion in AI-related stock that 24 of the 25 largest funds report directly, about $180 billion in public stock not reported in detail, and about $130 billion in private equity and corporate debt. Users can pick any of the 24 funds to see each AI-related company it holds, in dollars and as a share of assets. A separate view shows AI-linked private equity funds that the 25 largest pension funds have invested in, as confirmed in each pension fund’s own documents. 

Read the media brief here.Explore the interactive here.

About Equable Institute
Equable Institute is a bipartisan nonprofit dedicated to making public retirement systems work. We sit at the intersection of retirement policy and broader public policy, equipping policymakers, public employees, and retirement plan managers with independent, data-driven research, analysis, and education.

Equable.org | Twitter: @EquableInst | Facebook: @EquableInstitute | Instagram: @EquableInst

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SOURCE Equable Institute

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