World
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that Washington could end its war with Iran quickly, then questioned whether a fast finish or a slow wind-down is the better path. He said oil is still flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and that the US is getting what it wants. No decision was announced. ABC News reported this week that US and Israeli officials are drawing up plans for possible renewed strikes after next month's midterm elections. Crude markets have already reacted: Brent jumped nearly 4% to about $117 a barrel on Friday, close to its wartime peak, while West Texas Intermediate moved back above $100.
Reuters
Politics
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, the longtime Trump adviser who acted as de facto chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem. Two people familiar with the matter said the inquiry follows a criminal referral from the DHS inspector general, Joseph Cuffari, whose office spent months reviewing how the agency awarded contracts. Investigators are examining whether Lewandowski used his unpaid position for personal financial gain. He has not been charged and denies wrongdoing. His lawyer says the Justice Department has not contacted him. The inquiry is an unusual case of federal prosecutors examining a member of the president's inner circle.
CBS News
Business
US stocks fell on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down about 600 points, as oil climbed toward its highest close in six months and investors weighed the cost of a longer war with Iran. Brent crude rose nearly 4% to about $117 a barrel, near its wartime peak, while West Texas Intermediate moved back above $100. The drop followed the Nasdaq 100's worst session since June, when spending plans from Tesla and Meta shook confidence in the artificial intelligence trade. Semiconductor shares steadied, gaining about 1% after a 6% slide. Big Tech earnings and the Federal Reserve's rate decision both arrive next week.
Business Insider / Yahoo Finance
Technology
Two critical flaws in PHP, the language behind an estimated 70% of websites, triggered a global patching scramble this week. Researchers using OpenAI models, working with security firms Wiz and Calif, showed the bugs could let attackers take over web servers without authentication and read memory that may hold passwords. The companies nicknamed the bug set PHP2Shell. One flaw had been in the language for 14 years. The US National Security Agency and the EU cybersecurity agency urged immediate patching and said unhardenable systems should go offline. Some European government sites did so. Cloudflare reported early attack attempts before the patch was public.
BBC News / The New York Times
Science
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and spin-out GlitterinTech have built an optical spectrometer that costs about $10 and measures a few centimetres across. The device reads how light interacts with a substance and identifies foods, plastics and medicines with 100% accuracy in tests. The team says it can also track blood glucose, alcohol and other markers without a needle. Instead of spreading light with a prism or grating, it applies a convolution directly to incoming light, which the researchers say preserves range and resolution at small size. Industrial quality control and food testing are early uses; field results are not yet published.
University of Cambridge
Sports
The Milwaukee Brewers host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series on Friday night at American Family Field. Both franchises have never won the Fall Classic, so one drought ends this month. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 103 games, swept the Dodgers in the NLCS and had a week to set its rotation. Jacob Misiorowski, who led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, starts Game 1 against Tampa Bay's Nick Martinez. The Rays needed six games to beat Cleveland. Milwaukee is about -160 to win the series. Game 2 is Saturday, then the series moves to St. Petersburg.
MLB.com
Health
A study that followed 294 adults with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease for up to seven years found that those who were more physically active had slower declines in memory, thinking and movement. Participants who reported more than eight hours of activity a week showed almost no average cognitive decline. The research was published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Activity was measured by questionnaire and covered work, housework and hobbies, not gym training. The design shows an association, not proof that exercise slows the disease. Researchers say patients should discuss activity with a neurologist. The authors stress that the finding should not be read as a treatment recommendation.
American Academy of Neurology
Environment
Fewer than half of the national targets countries set to protect plants, animals and ecosystems are on track, the United Nations said in a report launched in Yerevan, Armenia, as the COP17 biodiversity conference convened. The 2022 Kunming-Montreal framework committed nearly 200 countries to halt nature loss by 2030, including protecting 30% of land and sea. Even if current commitments are met, only 26% of land and 12% of the ocean would be protected, the report found. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war on nature has not ended. Finance, data and economic incentives are all lagging. Talks run for two weeks and are meant to agree a way to review progress and fund protection in poorer countries.
UN News