Fintech Hiring Crunch: Singapore’s fintech sector says it can’t find enough “hybrid” talent that blends finance, regulation, and software skills as AI adoption accelerates in regulated banking. Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure: North Little Rock’s Forge Summit (Oct. 13-14) will spotlight practical defenses for power grids and other essential services as foreign threats increasingly target the economy. Connected Retail Security: Info-Tech Research Group warns that retail tech stacks are more interconnected than ever, but security ownership is still fragmented—pushing a three-phase resilience framework. Ag-Tech on the Ground: Pennsylvania’s Farm Bill Ag and Youth Grants put $30M+ into student and farm tech, while California and Queensland ink a partnership to scale agricultural innovation, biotech, and climate resilience. Whole Foods Goes Smaller with Amazon Tech: The grocery chain plans more compact stores paired with Amazon-backed automation to cut costs and boost personalization. Ad-Tech Antitrust Win: A US judge spares Google from breaking up its ad tech business after an illegal monopoly ruling, reshaping the next phase of remedies. Tech Talent Pipeline Beyond Internships: Observers say internships help, but companies still need experienced hires to close the skills gap. Fraud Case: A Malibu tech founder tied to a $20M+ investor scam lands on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after wire fraud conviction and flight.