Friday, October 23rd, 2026 - AI Finds a Bug Putting 70% of Websites at Risk, Stocks Tank, and Trump Plans New Iran Strikes

Today's Headlines: AI reportedly found a bug in PHP, which runs up to 70% of the world’s websites, that could let hackers steal data or attack visitors, and while governments and businesses have been scrambling since Wednesday (some even taking sites offline preemptively), attempted attacks have ramped up since the public disclosure. Unsurprisingly, markets panicked, with the Nasdaq falling 2.5% and the S&P 500 falling 1.4% in the worst day in months, while SpaceX dropped 9% and Meta fell 7% after reporting it’s low on cash and creating a new stock class in case Zuckerberg owes a billionaire tax. Meanwhile, the DOJ charged Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, 82, a powerful Democrat and Trump critic, and six others with racketeering and money laundering conspiracy tied to a cannabis business she co-owns, and it also opened a criminal probe into Corey Lewandowski over allegedly profiting as a DHS adviser while his girlfriend Kristi Noem ran the department, with Trump saying “if people are not honest, they’re stealing from me” and that it’s “my DOJ” handling it. On the Israel front, AIPAC announced it will stop endorsing candidates and making direct PAC contributions after the midterms, though its super PAC, which has spent $80 million this cycle, is unaffected, and separately, Israeli forces detained dozens of volunteer monitors in the West Bank, including NYC congressional candidate Brad Lander, who were protecting Palestinian olive harvesters from settler attacks. Speaking of the region, Netanyahu has reportedly nudged Trump into planning new strikes on Iran after the midterms, with specific plans for a short, intense operation, while Iran is threatening to hit American bases and warships plus Gulf airports, pipelines, and civilian targets, and Peter Thiel was caught on tape at an October 12th Nashville lecture saying the US shouldn’t have gotten into the Iran war. On the Ukraine front, Trump reportedly called Musk and asked him to restore Starlink there, and it’s working better now, while Elon spent another $76 million on Republicans in the first two weeks of October, bringing his total to nearly $400 million. Finally, WaPo reports that Pete Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s WWII floor globe for his office, and his staff skipped the trained curators, fetched it themselves, and dropped it, impaling it on its own display axis. Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: AI Just Found a Bug That Puts up to 70% of the World’s Websites at Risk NYT: PHP Security Flaw Sets Off Global Rush to Patch, Leaving Websites Offline NYT: Stocks See Steepest Decline in Months Amid A.I. Worries NBC News: High-ranking Virginia Democrat charged in public corruption case NYT: Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry Into Corey Lewandowski WSJ: Aipac Says It Is Ending Candidate Endorsements, PAC Contributions WaPo: Israel detains Brad Lander, activists amid West Bank olive harvest NYT: U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans for Renewed Strikes on Iran After Midterm Elections WSJ: Iran Threatens Wider Strikes on Economic and Civilian Targets if U.S. Attacks The Daily Beast: MAGA Billionaire Peter Thiel Caught Turning on Trump in Leaked Audio WSJ: Trump Called Musk and Asked Him to Lift Ukraine Starlink Restrictions Politico: Elon Musk pours another $76 million into boosting Republicans - Live Updates WaPo: Hegseth wanted Eisenhower’s globe for his office. His staff broke it. Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices