October 23, 2026
Good Morning. The next James Bond could be screen-testing today, and Denis Villeneuve is waiting behind the camera. Plus, a rough day for AI stocks, the $16,566 homeowners don’t see coming, and Van Gogh’s real sky (first time here? Join 523,000 Betterists ).
Yesterday’s most clicked link : Dallas mom’s six-figure porch pumpkin displays
TOP STORY TODAY
The AI Selloff
Stocks fell hard Thursday as investors questioned whether the huge sums going into artificial intelligence will pay off. The Nasdaq dropped 2.6%, its worst day since June, and the S&P 500 lost 1.2%.
Meta set the tone. It now expects to spend $135 billion to $145 billion this year, mostly on AI, and its stock sank 7%. One estimate puts the AI buildout through 2032 above $10 trillion, bigger than the railroads.
Oil added pressure. Brent crude hit about $113, its highest since May , on reports of renewed strikes on Iran after the midterms. Investors fled to bonds, pushing the 10-year Treasury yield, which mortgage rates follow, below 5%.
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The $16,566 House
Owning a home now costs the typical owner $16,566 a year before the mortgage, a new Zillow and Thumbtack analysis found. That’s about $1,380 a month, up 32% in five years.
Maintenance is the biggest piece at $11,171, followed by property taxes ($3,129) and insurance ($2,266). Insurance is climbing fastest, up 54% in five years , with 75% in Dallas and 71% in Tampa.
Totals swing by city, from $25,111 in New York to $14,187 in Phoenix ( see every metro ). Premiums are up at least 50% in 19 of 30 metros, and insurance is the one line owners can shop at renewal.
The Next Bond
The search for the next James Bond is entering its final round . Screen tests could begin as early as today and run through next week, with at least four actors offered a chance to test for 007.
Insiders say three are Jack Lowden of Slow Horses, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. Lowden’s buzz grew after co-star Gary Oldman hinted he’d made the shortlist . Denis Villeneuve, of Dune, will direct.
Amazon MGM Studios hasn’t given a timeline, but most expect a pick before the end of the year. Jacob Elordi reportedly isn’t testing ( see the actors once in the running ).
TOGETHER WITH LMNT
You’re Drinking Enough Water. Here’s What You’re Missing.
Drinking more water is good advice, but it’s only half the answer.
- Long or sweaty workouts. Sweat takes salt with it, not just water.
- Cutting carbs. Low-carb and keto eating makes your body flush out more sodium.
- Hot days and saunas. More sweat means more salt lost.
The fix: LMNT is a drink mix with 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium and zero sugar per stick.
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GET 1% BETTER
10 Minutes a Day for Deeper Sleep
Weekend warriors, take note. A University of Texas team tracked students’ Fitbits for months. Those who exercised on more days got more deep sleep, the stage your body uses to recover.
The bar is low: as little as 10 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity, about a 6 out of 10 effort where you’re breathing harder but can still talk. Spreading it out beat saving it all for Saturday.
See what 10 daily minutes did for sleep and mood
The $27.40-a-Day Wealth Plan
David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire, says most people don’t need a bigger paycheck to build wealth. On The Ed Mylett Show, he laid out his system:
- Pay yourself an hour a day. Save 12.5% to 15% of gross pay, about one hour of each workday, before any bill gets paid.
- Make it automatic. Set transfers from every paycheck so the money moves without willpower.
- Audit your auto-pays. Check your phone’s subscriptions. Bach says many people find 20 or more, costing $400 to $500 a month.
- Don’t wait for the raise. He earned $50,000, then $150,000, and saved little until he automated.
His math: $27.40 a day, invested, could top $4.4 million in 40 years.
See Bach’s full automatic wealth system
THE MARKET
Business & Markets
▲ Family health coverage now costs $28,303 a year, and workers pay $7,471 of it, up 9% | Why employers are near a breaking point
▲ Big banks are restricting AI agents after finding some acting inside customer accounts without being asked | What the banks found inside accounts
▲ Moderna shares fell as much as 25% after its cancer vaccine data leaked early, despite strong results | The 42% melanoma result, explained
TOGETHER WITH COCOJUNE
The Lunch a Reader Switched Yogurts For
"Great call on the Cocojune product." That's how reader Soren J. opened his email after Wednesday's issue.
He'd been trying to build an easy post-workout lunch that actually felt filling, and he'd already picked a yogurt for the base. Then he tried Cocojune , the creamy, plant-based yogurt made from organic coconuts and probiotic cultures:
"Cocojune mixes exceptionally well, tastes great and you can drop a scoop of granola, and protein whey right in."
His build:
- The base: a cup of Cocojune.
- The mix-ins: a scoop of granola and a scoop of protein powder.
- The commute: pack it in an insulated cup and eat it on the go.
Try Soren's lunch with Cocojune
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THE OTHER 99%
5 Stories
▲ Ebola has now reached Nigeria, and Africa’s top health agency called an emergency meeting for Oct. 28 | Where the outbreak stands, country by country
▲ Russian satellite Kosmos 2612 tailed a US-run radar satellite within 500 meters, and the US objected | How trackers watched it close in
▲ New York City will end Central Park’s horse carriages by 2028 after a 40-7 council vote | Why the drivers’ union plans to sue
▲ Quest Diagnostics paused a system doctors use for lab results after hackers reached some patient records | The company’s filing with regulators
▲ Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” matches the real pre-dawn sky of July 22, 1889, a new study argues | How astronomers matched the stars
Fun Links
Google’s top Halloween costumes of 2026 [ List ]
Coffee calories up 40%, creamer to blame [ Study ]
Two-year trial: fish oil didn’t help brains [ Study ]
Zero-sugar salt drink mix, free sampler [ Shop* ]
Best pancakes in America, city by city [ List ]
Scrooge answers Venmo requests with one cent [ Post ]
Why Alice Cooper owns a Hollywood sign letter [ Video ]
Steph Curry’s one tip for new shooters [ Video ]
Why 1% Better? Most self-improvement swings between burning out and rusting out. 1% Better is the antidote. In five minutes each morning, we help you get smarter about the news, your health and your money, with small tips you can use to get a little better every day.