Federal Disaster Loans: SBA is opening Disaster Loan Outreach Centers again for late-July Northern Illinois storms, with walk-in help in Chicago and Hazel Crest plus business/nonprofit loan options up to $2 million. Local Fundraising: Streator Strong raised at least $7,000 for tornado recovery, with organizers still counting totals. Disaster Relief Expansion: Boyle Heights businesses and nonprofits can now apply for low-interest federal disaster loans after SBA approved California’s request tied to the June warehouse fire. Cybersecurity for SMBs: Alaska’s commercial fishing industry is pushing back on a federal move toward Login.gov multifactor sign-in for fisheries systems, warning it could disrupt remote operations. AI Workforce Policy: New York Gov. Hochul launched FutureWorks listening sessions on how AI will affect workers, with a focus on women in admin and customer-service roles. Procurement & Growth: Vermont’s Navy Week event (Aug. 26) will connect small businesses to Navy/Marine Corps contracting resources, including Mentor-Protégé and SBIR/STTR. Fraud & Credit Damage: A CBS News investigation highlights cases where fraudulent $20,833 COVID PPP loans were sent to collections, hurting victims’ credit scores. M&A Job Risk: A new L.A. County report warns a Paramount-Warner merger could put about 4,500 direct film/TV jobs—and thousands of vendor jobs—at risk. Small Business Tech: Stax research finds most small businesses use AI for work, but many still set boundaries around sensitive information.