No. 1089: Autumn begins, bagels rise and Nintendo stacks the deck, as ‘unfair’ NY tort laws take a beating

 

Playing favorites: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, and not just any Wednesday but the first Wednesday of Autumn 2026.

Yes, Summer, unofficially over since Labor Day, officially went belly-up at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday, meaning we can no longer complain about pool closures, pumpkin-spice everything or Christmas music (which is not far off). Besides, statistically speaking, Fall is America’s favorite season, so we’re embracing cooler nights, colorful leaves and all things autumnal – and diving headlong into the innovation economy’s busiest eight weeks of the year, starting with this midweek socioeconomic review.

Signs of the times: Today is Sept. 23, and we’re giving a thumbs-up first to the UN’s International Day of Sign Languages, signaling support for deaf people’s human rights and applauding the evolution of fully fledged nonverbal lingos (there are hundreds in play around the world, for the record).

We’re also offering a warm hug to Celebrate Bisexuality Day, a compassionate review of the tumultuous history and ongoing struggles of our bi, pansexual and otherwise queer friends and family members.

Mixed bag: We’re also spicing things up with a dash of National Za’atar Day, celebrating a traditional Middle Eastern herb blend (oregano, thyme, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt) used primarily to season meats, but also finding its way into many diverse dishes.

It may even grace your table via National Great American Pot Pie Day (flaking out over trusty, crusty comfort foods packed with chicken, beef, pork or seafood, plus and a cornucopia of veggies), though za’atar is not likely to factor into National Snack Stick Day (inviting us to snap into a Slim Jim or a similarly salted protein pole every Sept. 23).

Deafness disguise: Speaking of efforts to improve the lives of deaf persons, Illinois-based inventor Richard Rhodes earned a U.S. patent for the audiphone – remembered as the first concealed hearing aid – on this date in 1879.

Played their cards right: There was no audio – or video, for that matter – when future videogame titan Nintendo was founded in Japan on Sept. 23, 1889, as the Nintendo Playing Card Co. (With a market value hovering around $100 billion, Nintendo is now one of Japan’s largest companies.)

Greasing the skids: Not quite as large – but much more useful, in certain situations – is the WD-40 Company, which bowed in San Diego on this date in 1953 as the Rocket Chemical Co., but soon rebranded in honor of its flagship solvent.

Meet George Jetson: Also embracing innovation was futuristic TV family “The Jetsons,” who debuted on the ABC Television Network 64 years ago tonight – ABC’s first-ever color program, for those keeping score).

Remote chance: And it was Sept. 23, 1974, when the British Broadcasting Corp. introduced CEEFAX, the world’s first telefax system.

CEEFAX – which capitalized on traditional 625-line analog television signals to transmit text information that could be displayed instead of a television picture (or overlaying television pictures) and accessed via special remote controllers – ushered in the interactive-television era.

Brother Ray: American singer, songwriter and pianist Ray Charles (born Ray Charles Robinson, 1930-2004) – who lost his eyesight around age 5 and never looked back, integrating the Country, Gospel and Pop genres to become the legendary “Father of Soul” – would be 96 years old today.

Also born on Sept. 23 were Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius, 63 BC-14 AD), who wasn’t as famous as his great uncle but is credited with founding the Roman Empire; French physicist Armand-Hippolyte-Louis Fizeau (1819-1896), who accurately estimated the speed of light; American suffragist Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927), an entrepreneur and social crusader who was the first woman to run for U.S. President; German engineer and industrialist Robert Bosch (1861-1942), who invented the spark plug and the magneto and otherwise advanced precision machining and automotive engineering; and American singer, songwriter and musician Bruce Springsteen (born 1949), the born-in-the-USA rocker and champion of “critical patriotism.”

The sea was angry that day, my friends: And take a bow, Jay Scott Greenspan! The American actor and comedian – known best as Emmy and Tony award-winning “Seinfeld” alum Jason Alexander – turns 67 today.

According to Jerry Seinfeld himself, Alexander memorized and mastered his most famous “marine biologist” monologue (a last-minute addition to the script) in just half-an-hour – and nailed it during a single take in front of a live studio audience. Feel free to take a little longer with your birthday wishes, then send them to editor@innovateli.com along with story tips and calendar events. (If you don’t, well, don’t blame us if this happens.)

 

About our sponsor: St. Joseph’s University-New York, has provided a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. The independent and coeducational university provides a strong academic and values-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual rigor, social responsibility, spiritual depth and service. Through its Long Island, Brooklyn and online campuses, the university offers degrees in 100 majors, special course offerings and certificates and affiliated and pre-professional programs. Learn more here.

 

BUT FIRST, THIS

Tort retort: New Yorkers from across the political spectrum remain deeply dissatisfied with the state’s civil-justice system.

That’s the takeaway from a recent tort-reform poll conducted by Virginia-based data miner Cygnal on behalf of the Empire Center for Public Policy, an independent, fiscally conservative, Albany-based think tank. The statewide survey of likely 2026 general-election voters found broad support for changes aimed at increasing personal responsibility, combating fraud and reducing legal-system abuse, with 77 percent of respondents calling for stronger laws discouraging frivolous lawsuits and only 11 percent saying they believe the state’s current civil-justice system is fair to both sides in tort disputes.

Other key findings include overwhelming support (95 percent) for stronger prosecution of perpetrators who intentionally cause automobile accidents to collect damages, while 67 percent of respondents called for changes to the controversial Scaffold Law, the only-in-New York worksite-liability statute that places strict, absolute responsibility for construction-site accidents on property owners and contractors. “Voters are ready for Albany to take a serious look at New York’s liability laws,” noted Empire Center for Public Policy CEO Zilvina Silenas. “[The laws are] drastically out of step with the rest of the country and drive up costs throughout the economy.”

Hole-ee rollers: There won’t be any baseball at Citi Field this October – but another fall classic is returning soon to the Mets’ home stadium.

Combining acclaimed culinary personalities, live art, thousands of hungry fans and dozens of champion-level bagel-makers (including bakers from Canada, Ireland, Spain and India), New York BagelFest is scheduled to rise again Nov. 15 at the world-class Flushing stadium. Presented by the Vermont-based King Arthur Baking. Co., the seventh-annual BagelFest (and second straight at Citi Field) is a fierce-but-friendly competition in multiple categories – Best Bagel, Best Bialy, Best Sandwich, “Schmear of the Year” and more – between a highly curated selection of bagel bosses, with event organizers selecting less than 10 percent of applicants to participate in the top-dough throwdown.

Featuring expert-panel roundtable discussions on Jewish cuisine, crafting the perfect bagel and the state of the bagel industry – plus unlimited tastings, live music and spellbinding magic acts – the 2026 edition promises to be a foodie delight and a major boost for participating producers, according to BagelFest founder Sam Silverman. “Winning a top BagelFest award has elevated neighborhood shops into the national culinary spotlight,” the founder noted. “It’s permanently altered the trajectories of countless businesses.”

 

TOP OF THE SITE

Ad on: Hundreds of billions of dollars in digital-advertising revenues still flow straight to Google – but AI-based advertising streams are catching up fast, according to Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director Jaci Clement, who senses a seismic shift.

Never-ending: You love reading Innovate Long Island’s Wednesday and Friday newsletters on our jam-packed website – but you’re still missing out on the never-archived, subscriber-only Monday Calendar Newsletters?!? Subscriptions are always easy, always free and always a click away … so never miss another!

 

VOICES

Family & Children’s Association President and CEO Jeffrey Reynolds applauds nonprofits (from Hicksville-based Book Faries to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library) dedicated to childhood reading – according to the Voices social services anchor, an undeniable educational and socioeconomic imperative.

 

STUFF WE’RE READING

Ain’t seen nothing yet: For U.S. industry to thrive for another 250 years, innovation must be front and center. Fast Company looks ahead.

Spiritual leadership: The only true counterbalance for unholy AI proliferation is human responsibility. Patheos looks within.

The Force is strong: The opening of George Lucas’ Museum of Narrative Arts was the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, the ESPYs and a political convention, all rolled into one. Deadline looks to the stars.

 

RECENT FUNDINGS

+ Fluxnium, a California-based platform for tracking domestic, seawater-based uranium supplies, raised $7 million in Seed funding led by Congruent Ventures, with participation from Constellation Technology Ventures and Active Impact Investments.

+ Corridor, a New York City-based health-benefits brokerage and insurance-technology startup, raised $16 million in Seed funding led by Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from BoxGroup, Definition Capital and Constellation.

+ Footprint, a NYC-based financial crime compliance and risk-operations platform, raised $25 million in Series B funding led by QED Investors, with participation from MUFG, Commerce Ventures, Lightbank, Alumni Ventures, Index Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup, Operator Partners and Animal Capital.

+ Rainmaker Technology, a California-based cloud-seeding technology platform, raised $100 million in Series B funding led by NOA VC, Upfront Ventures, DCVC, Lowercarbon Capital and Dream Ventures.

+ Split Pay, a Florida-based consumer fintech and billing-orchestration platform, raised $125 million in combined Series A and Series B funding led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Thrive Capital, New York Life Ventures, MetaProp, Alpaca VC, Moderne Ventures, Intuit Ventures and SciFi VC.

+ Angle Health, a California-based, AI-native healthcare benefits platform, raised $600 million in an Equity financing round (combining $200 million in Series C financing and a $400 million tender offer) led by Vitruvian Partners, with participation from Town Hall Ventures, Blumberg Capital, Portage Ventures, PruVen Capital and Y Combinator.

 

Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know – on Long Island, and soon, across New York State (just ask St. Joe’s). Gregory Zeller can tell you more.

 

BELOW THE FOLD (Brooke’s Kinda All Over The Place Edition)

Thursday: Trump’s agriculture secretary promised action to bring down beef prices…

Monday: …then said Americans should eat more chicken and pork to save money…

Later Monday: … then insisted Americans are “good” with surging beef prices.

24/7: Please continue supporting the innovative institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including St. Joseph’s University, which consistently promotes progressive thought – every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Check them out.