Governments across multiple countries are telling citizens to stockpile food, water, and emergency supplies right before the US midterm elections, and tensions with Iran are rising again.

• Australia, Japan, Canada, the US, parts of Europe, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and India are among countries whose governments are urging people to stock up on canned food, water, radios, and flashlights for 72-hour emergencies.
• At the same time, Trump dodged questions about whether the US and Israel will resume strikes on Iran, and Iran's government warned it would respond with a "decisive" and harsh retaliation if attacked.
• Evidence of US and Israeli strikes on maritime infrastructure has reportedly been sent to the UN, adding to fears of renewed conflict.
• Separately, Elon Musk is pushing to use AI to manage Social Security and has become a part-owner of CNN through a Sky Dance investment, raising concerns about concentrated power over both government services and media.
• Musk's Tesla Full Self-Driving software is also facing customer complaints about dangerous malfunctions, even as Musk promotes AI and robots as the answer to the US national debt.

Outlook: Markets and global stability remain on edge heading into the midterms, with watchers closely tracking whether Iran tensions escalate into renewed military action and how election results affect Trump administration policy.