AI Governance Push: New Zealand’s Labour Party unveiled an AI action plan to set up an AI office, an online safety regulator, copyright rules to ensure creators get paid, and data-centre rules—explicitly aiming to help small businesses adopt AI safely and share productivity gains. Energy Capital Boost: The U.S. DOE and SBA launched the SBIC-E initiative, pairing SBA’s investment framework with DOE expertise to channel private capital into small firms working on energy and critical tech, including semiconductors, AI, quantum, and biotech. Trade War Hits Main Street: The U.S. escalated its Canada dispute by directing removal of Canadian-origin products from federal procurement lists and banning some imports; Canadian retaliatory tariffs also took effect, with small retailers and manufacturers reporting sudden cost shocks and planning headaches. Small Business Sentiment Cools: NFIB’s optimism index slipped to 98.7 in August as owners cited weaker sales and ongoing inflation pressure, even as labor-cost concerns eased. Cybersecurity Basics: A practical guide urged small firms to tighten account security (MFA, unique passwords), keep devices updated, watch for phishing, and back up data—because attackers often target the easiest entry points. Local Fire Disruption: A Vancouver cannabis warehouse fire caused major damage, with the owner calling it devastating for the small business. Growth Planning Signal (UK): UK research found more small businesses are building growth plans, with Yorkshire and the Humber showing the biggest jump year over year.