The consumer price index fell to an annualized rate of 4% in May, the lowest rate since March 2021, according to Labor Department data. Consumer prices rose 0.1% from the previous month, while core inflation was up 0.4% from the previous month and 5.3% from a year earlier.

The National Federation of Independent Business' small-business sentiment index improved slightly in May to 89.4, up from 89 the previous month, as outlook on the economy, credit conditions and sales remained sluggish. Measures for sales expectations, future business conditions and expected credit conditions also fell.

United Natural Foods Inc. is supporting Black farmers through efforts that include raising more than $12,000 for the National Black Farmers Association in February and its multifaceted work as a founding member of a program called ACRES -- Cultivating Equity in Black Agriculture. The company's UNFI Foundation is also earmarking $1 million in grant funding to promote improved food systems and food equity across the country.

Supply chains are recovering after disruptions caused by the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a new report from the White House, and industry experts say there is still more work to be done to strengthen supply chains. The food industry's Doug Baker says supply chains are "normalizing across several categories ... [but] it is too soon to say they have achieved consistency or the desired resiliency to successfully maneuver through another major national or global crisis."

With profits under pressure amid slow economic growth, companies are investing to build stronger supply chains and boost technology. But as borrowing costs rise, companies may look to slash capital expenditures and trim payouts to investors to ease financial pressure.

Reports from Verizon and the FBI are warning against the evolving nature of business email compromise attacks, noting increased losses. Targets extend beyond sensitive information and money to physical targets, such as hardware, agricultural supplies and construction materials.

Volvo Autonomous Solutions is setting up operations in Fort Worth, Texas, in preparation for two freight corridors in the state. Plans call for one corridor extending from Dallas-Fort Worth to El Paso and a second from Dallas to Houston, with autonomous systems handling highway travel and human drivers taking over locally.

Over two-thirds of business-to-business ads scored one star in likeability, where three stars is the minimum for effectiveness, according to research by LinkedIn's B2B Institute and System 1. The B2B Institute's Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo explain why ads from Adobe, Intuit and Simply Business work and outline a new "ABLE" formula for B2B marketers, describing how to put it into practice.

A company's website and social media presence can be important factors as financial institutions, investors and potential business partners conduct due diligence, writes Alexander Storozhuk, founder of an ad-tech and PR platform. While a positive online presence can help a company, "negative information about a business or individual online can significantly impact due diligence, leading to distrust and potential investment or partnership withdrawal," Storozhuk writes.

ILWU Canada union workers voted in favor of a strike that could begin as early as June 24 that ITS Logistics calls a "significant blow" to US trade as US West Coast ports grapple with slowdowns amid separate contract negotiations. Julie Su, acting Labor secretary, is working to help broker a deal between the ILWU union and PMA port management officials as tensions rise and ships face increasing wait times.

Whether employees are in-office or remote, the engagement and connection between them and their managers has become more tenuous, which can lead to less engagement or interest in the customer -- and real business problems, according to the Gallup Organization's Jim Clifton and Jim Harter in their book, "Culture Shock." Leadership coach John Baldoni spoke to Harter about ways managers and employees can reconnect and get re-energized.

Companies often turn to cost cuts amid economic uncertainty to mitigate financial risks, but a focus on short-term savings can be a narrow-minded approach, argue PwC growth and strategy experts, who say executives should instead view expenses as investments in the business and carefully consider the future impacts of increasing, decreasing or maintaining costs. The PwC authors outline five critical steps for creating a growth-oriented and cost-effective organization, including connecting costs to outcomes and identifying areas to reduce complexity.