Forest & Wood Innovation: The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund picked eight startups for its 2026 Forest Business Accelerator, aiming to speed new products and services that strengthen the forest and wood-products economy. Local Agriculture Branding: Alabama marked July 25 as “Sweet Grown Alabama Day,” with a state proclamation pushing residents to buy local farm and fishing products to support rural jobs. Fire Safety & Housing Costs: Lowell’s total fires rose in 2025, with most residential blazes starting in kitchens and driven largely by unattended cooking. Leadership & Investment: Nepal appointed Yangki Ukyaw CEO of the Investment Board, selecting her from a shortlist after a cabinet decision. Monetary Policy: Brazil cut its Selic rate by 25 bps to 14.00% for a fourth straight meeting, keeping September cuts on the table. SOE Governance: The IMF urged Ghana to make state-owned enterprise board appointments merit-based and tighten oversight to curb fiscal risks. Corporate Restructuring: Procter & Gamble said it has cut 4,300 jobs globally since last year as part of a restructuring plan, raising local economic questions in Cincinnati. Labor Rights: In B.C., Amazon was ordered into binding arbitration for a first union collective agreement at YVR2. Trade & Tourism: WTTC estimates Central Asia tourism contributed $20.1B to GDP in 2025, supporting 1.7M jobs. Business Climate: Nigeria’s chambers group announced a Guangzhou forum to attract Chinese FDI toward the $1T economy goal. Markets Watch: U.S. manufacturing signals improved activity in July even as factory orders softened, pointing to a mixed but not collapsing industrial picture.