The SBA quietly reversed a rule and now allows small business owners holding merchant cash advances at triple-digit effective rates to refinance into 7(a) loans — Senate Democrats call it a green light for predatory lending. Bluevine's February 2026 survey shows nearly 3 in 10 owners delayed paying themselves because customers paid late, and 1 in 6 missed or nearly missed payroll. And small business groups are asking a federal judge to throw out the $200B Visa-Mastercard swipe fee settlement. Three stories, five minutes, done.

The first wave of tariff refunds is finally hitting business bank accounts — $35.46 billion finalized as of May 11 — but small importers are still locked out of the CAPE portal while Costco and FedEx file freely. April CPI came in at 3.8%, the hottest annual reading since May 2023, with services jumping the most in three years as tariff costs flow through to prices. And NFIB's May 13 reading held below the 52-year average for a second straight month. Three stories, five minutes, done.

Small group health insurance premiums for 2026 are landing 11% higher at the median, with one in ten policies climbing 20% or more — GLP-1 drug costs are a cited driver. Restaurant traffic is still soft as 40% of consumers cut frequency, and food costs are projected up across the year. But March retail sales delivered a clean acceleration to $752.1 billion, up 4% year over year. Three stories, five minutes, done.

NFIB's new technology and AI report shows 24% of small employers now use AI tools daily, with 63% expecting AI to matter to their industry within five years. The adoption gap by size is sharp — 21% at sub-10-employee firms versus 48% at 50-plus-employee firms. And the real barrier isn't budget, it's the first 10 hours of focused setup time. Three stories, five minutes, done.

Public Private Strategies Institute research released during National Small Business Week pegs the small-business fraud, scam, and ransomware bill at $131 billion, with 72% of small firms hit in the last 12 months. AI is making attacks faster — 76% of targeted businesses say AI tools were used in the attack. And the three most effective defenses, starting with multi-factor authentication, are also the three least adopted. Three stories, five minutes, done.

The NFIB Small Business Employment Index fell for a second straight month and slipped below the 2025 average, with 87% of hiring owners saying few or no qualified applicants are showing up. Wage hike plans dropped to the lowest reading since July, with a net 18% planning to raise pay. And capital outlay plans hit 16% — the lowest reading since November 2009. Three stories, five minutes, done.

The CAPE tariff refund portal is live with $166 billion on the table, but small importers may not see the money — your customs broker is your fastest path. The SBA stacked a new $50 million Made in America grant pool on top of a 90% loan guarantee for manufacturers. And the smallest businesses are quietly shedding jobs, with 108,000 positions gone from sub-10-employee firms in tariff-exposed sectors. Three stories, five minutes, done.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index drops Tuesday at 8 a.m. Eastern, and Alex tells you which two sub-indices — price plans and earnings trends — actually predict your next quarter. Plus: Illinois quietly removed its 200-transaction sales tax threshold on January 1, pulling small online sellers into nexus they didn't have last year. And there's finally a clean answer on the BOI filing question, plus a warning about the scam letter wave hitting owners' mailboxes right now.

Small business AI adoption hit 58% and the average SMB now spends $18,000 a year on AI tools — most of it invisible on the P&L. Alex walks owners through the audit that catches duplicated subscriptions before they bleed another quarter. Plus: 88% of ransomware attacks now hit small and mid-size firms, with three specific defenses that take under an hour and cut breach probability roughly in half. And tipped minimum wage shifts in 19 states are now landing on May payroll — including Seattle eliminating the tip credit entirely.

The April ADP National Employment Report releases at 8:15 a.m. Eastern, and Alex tells you which line in the report actually moves your hiring plan — it's not the headline. Plus: ADP Research data shows turnover at small firms hit a nine-year low of 3.9%, but that low rate masks an under-promotion flight risk you should address this week. And the appeals court ruling on the $100,000 H-1B fee is expected this quarter, with three-quarters of H-1B users being small businesses.