Stocks are getting hit hard across tech and crypto while political and military turmoil deepens in Washington, a bad combination for markets and stability alike.

• Big tech had a rough stretch: Intel shares dropped over 20% on weak PC demand, Alphabet fell sharply (around $500 billion in value wiped out), and Amazon posted a huge negative cash flow number, all signs that the AI-fueled market rally may be cracking.
• Crypto markets took a hit too — Binance says it may have suffered one of the largest crypto heists ever (over a billion dollars), and exchanges froze user funds in response, which is bad news for anyone holding money on those platforms.
• A top general overseeing war planning was fired after reportedly pushing back on plans for renewed strikes on Iran and on Ukraine policy, raising concerns the Pentagon is purging officers who resist riskier military action.
• Trump canceled weekend campaign rallies ahead of the midterms, officially to do more remote events, while reports highlight administration spending controversies (big-dollar tree removal at a DC golf course, a lawyer's lucrative pardon-related deal) and a record wave of federal workers leaving their jobs.

Outlook: With market jitters, a possible Iran escalation, and internal military/political friction all building at once, volatility is likely to keep rising into and after the midterms.