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PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week empowers Veterans to drive healing and community through golf. October 19, 2026 20 Veterans receive specialized golf and wellness training, event culminates with golf outing at Congressional Country Club. BETHESDA, Md. - Twenty military Veterans from across the nation completed five days of intensive golf, wellness and advocacy training at the annual PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week, presented by ConocoPhillips and T-Mobile. Held at the historic Congressional Country Club, the week-long series of events prepares Veterans to serve as National Ambassadors for PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. Each Ambassador returns to their home PGA Section equipped to mentor fellow Veterans, foster community engagement and expand access to golf as a form of physical and mental rehabilitation. BETHESDA, MD - OCTOBER 18: PGA HOPE National Trainer J.P. Lunn, PGA, with PGA HOPE Ambassador of the Tri State David 'Dave' Kraft on the putting green during the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week Golf Training Session at Congressional Country Club on Sunday, October 18, 2026 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America) Throughout the week, participants received advanced instruction from PGA of America Golf Professionals, in partnership with the Cohen Veterans Network, on specialized mental wellness stress management and public speaking training. "PGA HOPE is more than an introduction to golf, the program provides a life-changing support system for the men and women who have sacrificed for our country," said Scott Kmiec, Executive Director of the PGA of America REACH Foundation. "These 20 Veterans represent the strength, resilience and camaraderie at the heart of our military community. As Ambassadors, they will lead the charge in introducing thousands of their peers to the physical and emotional benefits of the game." PGA HOPE operates at more than 700 locations nationwide, led by over 5,500 PGA of America Golf Professionals trained in adaptive golf techniques and military cultural competency. To date, the program has served more than 70,000 Veterans at zero cost to participants. A highlight of this year's National Golf & Wellness Week included a Sunday evening keynote address by former Navy SEAL and NASA astronaut, Chris Cassidy. Cassidy, now the CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum, shared stories about his 10 years with the Navy SEALs, as well as his time in space on Endeavor, Expedition 35 and Expedition 62. On Monday, Veterans were joined by Bernie Smoot, a 100-year-old Army Veteran who still plays golf five days a week. After three years of service, including tours in France, Japan and Korea, Smoot was discharged in 1947. Smoot spent Monday on the 10th tee on Congressional, hitting ceremonial tee shots as the groups played through. PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week culminated on Monday, Oct. 19, with a golf event at Congressional Country Club, where Veterans played alongside corporate sponsors, PGA of America Golf Professionals and dignitaries. The historic venue, a frequent host of Major Championships throughout its storied past, is set to host five upcoming PGA of America championships through 2037, including the 2027 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, 2029 PGA Professional Championship, 2030 PGA Championship, 2033 Senior PGA Championship and the 2037 Ryder Cup. BETHESDA, MD - OCTOBER 18: PGA HOPE Ambassador of the Mid-Atlantic Gretchen Lezcano reacts to making her putt with her fellow PGA HOPE Ambassadors during the PGA HOPE National Golf & Wellness Week Golf at Congressional Country Club on Sunday, October 18, 2026 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America) Participating PGA HOPE Veterans * Alex Badgley; Marine Corps; PGA HOPE Michigan; Portage, Mich. * David Curry; Army; PGA HOPE Midwest; Overland Park, Kans. * Jordon Daniel; Army; PGA HOPE Colorado; Thornton, Colo. * Kelly Dempsey; Coast Guard; PGA HOPE Northeastern New York; Queensbury, N.Y. * Matt Foster; Army; PGA HOPE Northern Texas; Allen, Texas * Liam Gale; Air Force; PGA HOPE New England; Wells, Maine * Matt Gniotczynski; Air Force; PGA HOPE Gateway; Scott Air Force Base, Ill. * Dave Kraft; Air Force; PGA HOPE Tri-State; Moon Township, Penn. * Jeff Keenan; Army; PGA HOPE Georgia; Evans, Ga. * Jimmy Lewis; Navy; PGA HOPE Carolinas; Littleton, N.C. * Gretchen Lezcano; Air Force; PGA HOPE Middle Atlantic; Boyce, Va. * Mark Mathis; Navy; PGA HOPE Nebraska; Omaha, Neb. * Jim Meade; Army; PGA HOPE Southern Texas; San Antonio, Texas * Bobby Olds; Navy; PGA HOPE Northern California; Mount Shasta, Calif. * Anthony Pedro; Army; Central New York PGA Section; Binghamton, N.Y. * Bolivar "Bogie" Perez; Navy; PGA HOPE South Florida; Pembroke Pines, Fla. * David Rugg; Air Force; PGA HOPE Philadelphia; Clayton, Del. * Jeremiah Runser; Army; PGA HOPE Indiana; Westfield, Ind. * Jose Sagal; Army; PGA HOPE New Jersey; Piscataway, N.J. * Truman Small, Jr.; Army; PGA HOPE Connecticut; Bridgeport, Conn. Squad Leaders * Dusty Hull; Army/National Guard; PGA HOPE Michigan; Lansing, Mich. * Jason Strejcek; Navy; PGA HOPE Northern Ohio; Strongsville, Ohio About PGA HOPE. PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAHOPE on Instagram, X and find us on Facebook. About PGA of America REACH Foundation. The PGA of America REACH Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of the Foundation is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. For more information on the PGA of America REACH Foundation, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Instagram, X and find us on Facebook. Media Contacts: Nicole Mayberry, PGA of America - [email protected] Ari Edelman, Mastro Communications - [email protected]

Laplace Intelligence develops automated red-teaming for robotics and physical AI systems. Ann Arbor-based Laplace Intelligence develops automated red-teaming technology aimed at ensuring robotics and physical artificial intelligence are safe before deployment. The startup uses high-fidelity simulations combined with AI agents to identify system weaknesses prior to release. Yesterday, 12:48 p.m. Monday, Oct 19 By E. A. Hill Laplace Intelligence, an Ann Arbor-based startup, is developing automated red-teaming technology to test the safety of robotics and physical artificial intelligence before deployment, according to an Oct. 19 article. The company aims to identify and address potential failures in AI agents operating in real-world environments. Howie Sun, CEO and co-founder of Laplace Intelligence, said, "AI agents are moving from computers into the real world, and we don't really want physical AI to fail in the real world." Sun added that their goal is "to help companies discover and fix problems before deployment - and, over time, build a shared foundation of evidence that customers, insurers, and regulators can trust." Founded by Sun and chief scientist Henry Liu out of the University of Michigan a year ago, Laplace uses high-fidelity simulations reconstructed from real-world data paired with AI agents designed to probe for weaknesses. The simulation environment is based on Nvidia's Cosmos platform. It combines various sources such as Google Street View images and map data to recreate accurate environments where developers can adjust settings using language prompts. Real-time traffic information is integrated through navigation providers like TomTom. Sun said that Laplace's simulations allow not only for environmental changes but also simulate interactive behavior among different actors: "It's truly an interactive simulation environment... Everyone is reacting to everything... This is more like a world model with interactive participants." The unique aspect of Laplace's product lies in its use of AI agents that automatically design challenging edge cases using diverse information sources such as news reports or police records. The company has generated revenue primarily from autonomous driving projects with clients including Bot Auto in Texas and a major Japanese automotive manufacturer. Laplace also collaborates with Nvidia and T-Mobile on a smart city pilot project for San Jose focused on traffic operations. Looking ahead, Laplace plans to shift toward recurring revenue models while raising funds following participation at TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield 200 competition. Sun said he believes their approach represents "a new paradigm that changes the testing of physical AI entirely," describing it as a "dynamic interactive testing process."

T-Mobile exec Deeanne King on cutting CO2 and costs - GeekWire. When Deeanne King came to the Pacific Northwest in 2020 - relocating from Kansas after Sprint merged with Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile - she fell in love with the region's natural beauty. In her role as executive vice president and chief people officer, she also helps lead sustainability efforts for the telecom giant. "The outdoors is my happy place," King said. The region's lakes, inland sea and trails, she added, are "a good reminder of what we're all working to protect." T-Mobile has been ranked among the greenest companies in the U.S and globally. It's making notable progress toward climate goals at a time when numerous corporations are scaling back or abandoning their carbon targets. Keep reading to learn more about King's sustainability journey. Her quotes have been edited for clarity and length. What gives you the most hope for the planet? People. Hands down. I get to work with some incredibly smart, curious, and committed people, and one thing I've learned is that when you put a hard problem in front of people who care, they find a way. They challenge the status quo, they try something new, they learn, and they keep going. I've never seen our teams walk away from a problem because it was hard. I'm also encouraged by the growing recognition that sustainability and good business can, and should, go together. Building more efficiently, using resources more thoughtfully, and reducing waste can make a business more resilient while also being better for the planet. Those things don't have to compete. And I see that mindset in our employees. People want their work to matter. They want to contribute to something bigger than themselves. When you combine that sense of purpose with ingenuity and a willingness to work together, I think there's tremendous reason for hope. What's one habit you've changed personally because of environmental concerns? I've gotten much more intentional about cutting down on single-use things, and my reusable water bottle is probably the simplest example. It goes everywhere with me now. It sounds small, but I think that's actually the point. Once you make one change part of your routine, you start noticing other opportunities: what you throw away, what you reuse, what you buy, and what you probably didn't need in the first place. Those small choices add up. Coffee with any sustainability leader, past or present - who do you pick? I'd choose Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst at Amazon. T-Mobile joined Amazon and hundreds of other companies in signing the Climate Pledge, committing to reach net-zero carbon by 2040. And there's something Kara has said about that work that really resonates with me: "We cannot go at this alone." I couldn't agree more. The biggest challenges we face aren't going to be solved by one company, one industry, or one really smart person. We have to find common ground, share what we're learning, and be willing to work together toward something bigger than any one of us. I'd love to sit down with Kara and compare notes on what's working, where we're getting stuck, and where companies like ours can work together to move faster. And knowing me, we'd probably end up talking about people and leadership too, because ultimately, ambitious goals only become real when you have people who are willing to question how things have always been done and figure out how to get there. What's an underrated solution that deserves more attention? Making sustainability practical. Sometimes we gravitate toward the giant, breakthrough idea, and we absolutely need those. But there is also enormous opportunity in doing the basics really, really well and using data to figure out where small changes can add up to a very big impact. Take buildings. They aren't necessarily the first thing people think about when they think about climate innovation, but managing HVAC systems more intelligently produced nearly $5 million in estimated energy savings for T-Mobile in 2025. As of 2025, we have 132 community solar projects in our portfolio, providing an estimated lifetime total savings of $60 million in energy costs. You can reduce energy use, lower costs, and do something positive for the planet. What's one metric you watch obsessively as a sustainability leader? I don't know that I would use the word obsessively, but I absolutely believe in measuring whether the work is actually making a difference. One number I'm particularly proud of is that in 2025, T-Mobile's total emissions were 50% lower than our 2020 baseline. That's meaningful progress, especially because our business hasn't been standing still. The scope of the climate challenge is daunting - how do you approach this work? You can't let the size of the problem become the reason you don't start. That's true of climate change, but honestly, it's true of almost every really hard problem I've encountered in my career. When something feels enormous, I focus first on what we can control. What's the next decision? What's the next action? What can we make better today? Then you keep going. I'm also a big believer in being willing to learn along the way. Take smart risks, look at the data, listen to people, adjust and keep moving. What impact do you hope your work has in 20 years? As a mom, I think about the world we're handing to the next generation. Of course I want my children, and someday, their children, to inherit a healthy planet. But I also want them to inherit the belief that when something matters, you don't wait for somebody else to fix it. You figure out what you can do, you bring people together and you get to work.