Iran and the United States edge toward another war
Today is Monday, October 26, 2026
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- Good morning, and welcome to Hark News. Here's what the world got up to while you slept. First, the weather in New York. A high of 71 and a low of 41, with clear skies.
- U.S. intelligence says Iran is in advanced stages of planning attacks against American officials abroad, prompting evacuations and raising the risk of a return to full-scale war.
- The Trump Justice Department is seeking to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate results if the Democrat wins, arguing that another candidate with the same name could confuse voters.
- With the midterms days away, Republicans are trying to talk around tariffs, even as gasoline, diesel, groceries and other costs remain politically painful. Trump is celebrating oil-company profits from the Iran war, while Democrats are highlighting affordability.
- Brazil’s presidential runoff has become a test of whether Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s left-wing coalition can hold against Flávio Bolsonaro, the favored right-wing challenger.
- A new Apollo analysis says corporate AI investment has produced no financial payoff outside the Magnificent 7, just as investors prepare for Big Tech earnings.
- Walmart is preparing profiles, purchase histories and spending limits for outside AI shopping agents, while Amazon is steering customers toward its own assistant and has pushed back on third-party tools.
- Trump is spending time in deeply Republican states such as Mississippi, where Democrats think they have a rare Senate opening, while Barack Obama is campaigning in Ohio and Michigan.
- In Iowa’s competitive 2nd District, Medicaid work requirements, rural hospital closures, child care and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies are colliding in one race.
- Trump’s communications director says the next White House press secretary probably won’t be named until after the midterms. Advisers see Trump as his own best messenger, which is one way to describe a communications strategy built around letting the principal generate both the news and the corrections.
- Elon Musk has invested roughly $1 billion in Skydance as the media company looks for capital to raise its stock price, cut costs and build technology operations.
- Rest of World, the international technology publication founded in 2020, is looking for a new backer after traffic declined. People familiar with the plans say the site could wind down in January if no funding arrives.
- In New Mexico, videographer Elias Sisneros has built an audience criticizing Democratic control and government waste, while Republican candidates have invited him to moderate events.
- Semafor reports that Amy Griffin allegedly threatened to make life difficult for the children of New York Times reporter Katherine Rosman after a dispute involving their children.
- A New York Times analysis finds that major middle-class expenses, including housing, education, health care and child care, have risen sharply even though economists say overall goods are more affordable than decades ago.
- For a median-income renter household, saving for a starter-home down payment and closing costs now takes a reported 16 years, twice the time required in 2019.
- Small retirement accounts left behind after a job change can be moved into conservative safe-harbor IRAs without the worker’s permission. Finks reports that fees and low returns can erode these balances, especially when annual charges consume a large share of a small account.
- Half of Americans now oppose a data center being built within 3 miles of their home, according to a POLITICO poll. In Spain’s drought-stricken Aragón, Amazon and Microsoft are promising growth and renewable power, while residents and ecologists worry about water, electricity and the environmental cost of building that renewable capacity.
- China has selected scientists for 15-year research grants, a sharp departure from the usual cycles of 5 years or less. Supporters say the longer horizon could help risky work survive long enough to matter and attract foreign researchers.
- Barcelona has released more than half a million male mosquitoes carrying wolbachia, a parasite that makes reproduction effectively sterile. The trial runs through mid-November and aims to reproduce Singapore’s reported 70% reduction in dengue cases.
- Registered female players in Saudi football leagues nearly tripled between 2021 and 2023 as school programs expanded and overseas professionals arrived. The growth is part of Vision 2030’s social and economic transformation, though regional conflict and financial pressure have already forced the kingdom to suspend plans for a proposed $2.5 billion World Cup venue.
- Warhound, a collaboration between Anduril and Colossal Biosciences, plans to genetically modify and clone military working dogs. The first goal is relatively practical, reducing conditions such as hip dysplasia, rather than producing cybernetic attack animals.
- And that's your world for today. The full stories and the links are waiting in the app. Tap through, bookmark what matters, and share what's worth sharing. And if you want to see what stuck, take today's quiz in the app: five quick questions. And if Hark is making your mornings a little better, share it with a friend. It's the best way to help us grow. I'll see you again tomorrow morning. Until then, have a great day.