BOI/Corporate Compliance: FinCEN issued a final rule exempting U.S. companies and U.S. persons from Corporate Transparency Act beneficial-ownership reporting, effectively shelving the controversial requirement for domestic firms. State Budget Power Shift: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed budget changes that shift more authority toward Republicans and adjust funding, including support for small-business infrastructure and community revitalization. SMB Tech Training: Omaha small businesses can apply for “Breakthrough 402,” a pilot that teaches practical AI for marketing, customer follow-up, and building an AI assistant trained on the business. AI Skills for SMEs (Pakistan): Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and Meta launched a Small Business Growth Academy for 1,000+ SMEs across nine cities, with a focus on women-led firms and training to improve online presence and automation. Local Contracting: Kansas City moved to repeal-and-replace its long-running Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program with a new small-business-centered contracting program. Cost Pressure on SMEs (UK): A UK debt advisory specialist warns Iran-related borrowing-cost increases could squeeze SME margins and stall investment. SMB Growth via Retail Channels (Korea): GS Shop will run free sales broadcasts for 20 selected small and mid-sized companies through its “On&Up” market-access program. Small Business Hiring Mood (U.S.): NFIB reports small-business optimism and hiring plans improved in July, with the employment index picking back up.