Fraud & Enforcement: A former St. Louis nonprofit circus board president, George S. Pace, was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison and ordered to repay $130,905 after admitting he diverted organization funds for personal spending. Consumer Costs: U.S. inflation hit a 3-year high as May consumer prices rose 4.2% year over year, driven in part by higher gas prices—squeezing household budgets and complicating small-business planning. Policy Watch: Pennsylvania’s House passed a digital advertising tax that would expand its gross receipts tax to cover digital ads sold by big tech platforms, setting up a Senate fight that could affect marketing costs for small sellers. Workforce & Energy: A report warns the oilpatch will need about 72,000 workers by 2035 (mostly to replace retirees), while energy-price pressure continues to ripple through the economy. Small Business Support: The SBA proposed changes that could let more firms qualify for the 8(a) program by tying eligibility to harm from DEI-related policies. Local Food Access: USDA’s SNAP rule would require retailers to stock more varieties of perishable foods—raising compliance burdens for smaller rural stores that risk losing authorization. Legal Risk for SMBs: A judge signaled FDA nicotine pouch rules may be flawed, and a separate case highlights how patent “second bites” in the USPTO’s IPR system can be rejected. Community & Inclusion: QuickBooks shared practical ways small businesses can support the LGBTQ+ community year-round beyond Pride-month marketing. Cyber/Payments Risk: Command Credit launched CommandInsight to help small businesses check rising payment risk. Grid Reliability: One report warns the Eastern power grid could face emergency peak shortages by June 2027, pushing SMBs to prepare for outages.