A new NASA–SBA partnership aims to funnel more small businesses into aerospace and tech supply chains, creating fresh contracting pathways for scrappy suppliers. [P]Intel’s operations show signs of recovery — a hopeful note for the broader Intel turnaround and domestic semiconductor efforts — even as the sector juggles inflation, weakening architecture billings, and uneven ROI on AI projects. Meanwhile, a North Carolina tax preparer pleaded guilty in a $14M COVID credit scheme, a sharp reminder that compliance and trust still drive where clients park their money.

Big firms are deploying AI into core finance functions — see the PwC/OpenAI treasury and contract agents — promising speed but raising governance questions. [P]Microsoft’s Copilot in Excel adds data connectors and audit-friendly trails that could finally make messy books less terrifying for owners. All this comes as market jolts — like Apple’s share drop after product-price moves — keep volatility top of mind for treasurers and advisers.

The U.K.’s rapid prime minister turnover (six leaders since 2016) spotlights how instability reshapes institutions and decision-making cadence. [P]At a team level, Kentucky’s Diallo is being highlighted as a transfer who’s stepping into a clear leadership role (Diallo story), while experts argue that brave communication — the hard conversations about values and policy — is what separates reactive managers from real leaders (Forbes on communication).