H-1B Cost Shock for Employers: DHS is proposing a new $103,265 fee on H-1B cap-subject petitions, including advanced-degree cases, paid at filing and aimed at covering federal admin costs—raising hiring costs for many SMEs that rely on visa talent. SMB AI Build Boom (Philippines): Filipino manpower and beauty e-commerce firms are using AI coding and automation to build HR and marketing systems faster than traditional software procurement, signaling a new playbook for smaller operators. Government Contracting Rules: SBA’s size-standards overhaul would consolidate standards, raise many thresholds, shift some from receipts to employee counts, and eliminate exceptions—potentially changing which firms qualify for set-asides. Funding for Outcome-Based Gov Tech: FSH Technologies raised $25M to replace hourly-billing consulting with “bill-by-results” software for cities and school districts. Digital Banking Momentum: PicPay reported Q2 strength, topping 70M accounts and pushing efficiency as it expands AI plugin integrations. Workforce Finance Access: Bangladesh’s BIBM seminar focused on how banks can better finance start-ups, calling for new mechanisms to close the funding gap. Local Business Pressure Points: LULAC urged California AG to block a Paramount-Skydance/WBD merger, warning of job and small-business impacts on Latino communities. Tech for Small Teams: Stracka Golf says AI tools let solo developers spin up golf apps in days—if they can get reliable course data.