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Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Evening edition
AI
NSA advises organizations using PHP to prepare for an emergency updateThe NSA said in a post on X on Oct. 21: "Effective Immediately, all organizations using PHP for their systems are advised to be prepared for an update," The National reported. OpenAI said, "To our knowledge, frontier AI was able to find this vulnerability ahead of attackers," according to The National. CyberScoop reported the two flaws are tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, each rated 9.2 on the CVSS v4.0 scale.
Google Cloud adds OpenAI models in private previewGoogle Cloud announced on Oct. 21 that OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna models are available as a private preview for select enterprise customers, The Decoder reported.
OpenAI expands ChatGPT Ads to 26 more countriesOpenAI announced on Oct. 21 that it is expanding ChatGPT Ads to 26 new countries, including 14 additional Latin American countries and markets such as Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, PYMNTS reported.
Meta reports third-quarter revenue of $64.60 billionMeta reported third-quarter revenue of $64.60 billion, up 26% year over year, and diluted earnings per share of $3.83, in an Oct. 21 release. The company said third-quarter costs include "a $9.89 billion charge" related to its agreement with 52 attorneys general, and it expects fourth-quarter revenue of $73 billion to $76 billion.
Tesla reports third-quarter net income of $787 millionTesla reported third-quarter net income of $787 million, or 22 cents per share, down 44% from a year earlier, on revenue of $28 billion, the AP reported on Oct. 21.
IBM reports third-quarter revenue of $17.1 billionIBM reported third-quarter revenue of $17.1 billion, up 5%, and software revenue of $7.8 billion, up 8%, in an Oct. 21 release. The company said it "continues to expect full-year constant currency revenue growth in the range of four-to-five percent."
New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $25 billionJudge Francis Mathew ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion in the state's data privacy case on Oct. 21, CBS News and Common Dreams reported. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called it "a historic day for New Mexico and for consumers across the country," and Meta chief legal officer CJ Mahoney said the company is "confident" it will "prevail on appeal," according to Common Dreams.
Mortgage applications fall 5.3% in MBA weekly surveyMortgage applications decreased 5.3% for the week ending Oct. 16, and the average 30-year fixed contract rate for conforming loans fell to 7.41% from 7.5%, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Oct. 21. The purchase index fell 7% and the refinance index fell 2%, according to the MBA. "Mortgage rates decreased for the first time in over two months," said Joel Kan, MBA vice president and deputy chief economist.
Metro breaks ground on 12.4-mile Vermont Avenue bus rapid transit lineMetro broke ground on Oct. 21 on the Vermont Transit Corridor, a 12.4-mile bus rapid transit project along Vermont Avenue between Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and 120th Street in South Los Angeles, Patch reported. The project includes 26 enhanced stations and is projected to serve 66,200 daily riders, MyNewsLA reported. Mayor Karen Bass, Metro Board chair, said, "This is more than a bus route."
Grand Ave. Arts: All Access set for Saturday downtownGrand Ave. Arts: All Access runs Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles and is free, LAist reported.
Public Spirits performance art festival in Chinatown FridayPublic Spirits: Festival of Performance Art takes place Friday, Oct. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at various locations in Chinatown and is free, LAist reported.
Floating Pumpkin Patch at the Aquatic Center SaturdayThe City of Santa Clarita hosts a free Floating Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center, 20850 Centre Pointe Parkway, KHTS reported.
Hart district says its systems were not breached in state testing data incidentThe California Department of Education notified districts including the William S. Hart Union High School District of a security breach at the Educational Testing Service, in which an unauthorized party accessed and copied student information from May 22 to Sept. 18, The Signal reported on Oct. 20. A district message said: "Please note that the Hart district's internal networks and data systems were NOT breached."
Pullman City Council approves stormwater rate increase 3-2The Pullman City Council voted 3-2 on Oct. 20 to raise stormwater rates in phases over seven years, with the monthly fee for a single-family home rising from about $8 to just over $19 by 2032, Pullman Radio reported. A separate stormwater general facilities charge on new construction did not pass; City Attorney Thad O'Sullivan said a majority of the full city council must approve an ordinance, according to Pullman Radio. The council also received Mayor Francis Benjamin's proposed two-year budget, which Pullman Radio reported is not balanced.
Moscow City Attorney Mia Bautista to leave at end of yearMoscow City Attorney Mia Bautista will remain in her position through the end of 2026 and then leave the position, Pullman Radio reported on Oct. 21.
Pullman Urgent Care plans to open on Stadium Way this fallPullman Urgent Care, a locally owned, physician-owned clinic on Stadium Way, plans to open this fall with proposed hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, Pullman Radio reported on Oct. 21. An exact opening date has not been announced.
WSU Homecoming pep rally to end with drone show FridayThe WSU Alumni Association's Homecoming Pep Rally begins at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the Lewis Alumni Centre in Pullman and closes with a WSU-themed drone show, WSU Insider reported. WSU hosts No. 23 Boise State on Saturday with a 3 p.m. kickoff.
Supreme Court denies Trump administration's request in transgender inmate care caseThe Supreme Court on Oct. 21 denied the Trump administration's application for a stay in Trump v. Kingdom, No. 26A416; Justices Thomas and Alito would have granted it, according to the order list. The denial maintains a lower court's injunction barring the Bureau of Prisons from carrying out a policy that would end hormone therapy and other treatments for transgender inmates, NPR reported.
AP: more than 13 million early votes cast nationallyMore than 13 million mail-in and early in-person votes had been cast nationally through Tuesday, compared with 9 million at the same point in 2022, according to an AP analysis published Oct. 21. Early voting in Texas is up 74%, and in Iowa it is down about 6%, the AP reported.
Schumer, Jeffries and Democratic campaign committees sue over voter roll demandsSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the DSCC and the DCCC filed a lawsuit on Oct. 20 in federal court in the District of Columbia against President Trump, the Justice Department and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, The Epoch Times reported (single source). The suit alleges violations of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act and asks the court to block officials from threatening states that do not remove registered voters, according to the report. "None of this is lawful," the Democrats said.
NFWF and Fish and Wildlife Service award $35.5 million for endangered species recoveryThe National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced $35.5 million in 109 grants on Oct. 21 through the National Species Recovery Grants program it established with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with $8.6 million in matching contributions and a total conservation impact of $44.1 million, according to NFWF. "Focusing on species recovery is essential to preserving our conservation heritage," said NFWF executive director and CEO Jeff Trandahl.