Internal Trade (Canada): A new CFIB report card says Canada’s internal trade progress is real on paper—federal government jumps to an A-plus—but many small businesses still aren’t feeling day-to-day relief from cross-province barriers. Local Politics & Business Impact (Florida): Palm Beach County District 6 Democrats are campaigning amid controversy over an AI data center proposal, with a small business owner warning residents shouldn’t have policy pushed over community concerns. AI for SMBs (Funding + Tools): Emergent Labs just raised $130M and hit unicorn status, aiming to let nontechnical users build production-ready software—while other AI platforms keep expanding multimodal tools for enterprise workflows. SMB Finance & Lending: Embedded lending is forecast to surge through 2031 as open banking and APIs push credit closer to where businesses already operate. Workforce & Compliance Pressure: A San Diego lawsuit alleges sushi chefs are being treated as independent contractors to dodge employee protections—another reminder that labor rules and enforcement are still a live risk for operators. Cybersecurity: Sophos reports ransomware often starts with compromised identities, and new research warns AI systems used by small businesses can be tricked with altered images. Operations & Growth: One Bullion says it’s moving from geophysics into funded drilling in Botswana, while a heating-and-cooling firm expands local service capacity in Gaston County. Childcare Access (Illinois): Illinois’ new early childhood department is framed as a chance to reduce childcare deserts—if it also supports childcare providers as small businesses.