Thursday, October 15, 2026 — evening edition. Here’s what happened today.
🌍 INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine strikes Russian refineries again — Trump’s “energy ceasefire” collapses
Ukrainian drones hit Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery Thursday morning, about 300 km southeast of Moscow. The refinery handles around 5% of Russia’s total refining output. Regional governor Pavel Malkov confirmed a fire at the site after what he called a massive drone attack. Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted four cruise missiles and 69 drones; no casualties were reported.
The strike ended a three-day pause. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that Ukraine had stopped hitting Russian energy sites after Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” on Sunday, but Moscow kept bombing Ukrainian energy facilities anyway — more than 500 Russian drones were launched overnight into Thursday, and Ukraine’s state gas company said a production facility in the Poltava region was damaged. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelenskyy said. He also accused Washington of restricting Ukraine’s access to US intelligence and Starlink satellite services to pressure Kyiv. Trump had pushed Ukraine to stop the strikes because US diesel prices are running high — AAA put the national average at $6.32 a gallon Thursday, about 21 cents below the record set September 22.
School roof collapse in Pakistan kills 34 children and a teacher
No fitting photo was available for this story.
The roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday morning, killing at least 34 children and one teacher and injuring more than 50 people. The dead and injured were students aged 6 to 14 at the Al-Khair school; the roofs of two classrooms caved in while second- and third-grade classes were in session. Rescue officials said nearly 100 responders joined the operation and at least 40 children were pulled out alive. Police arrested the school owner, and provincial officials formed a committee to investigate. Building collapses are common in Pakistan, where construction standards are often poorly enforced.
Pope Leo XIV recovering after lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV is recovering as expected after surgery Tuesday at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Thursday’s update from his doctors said post-operative tests came back normal and the operated lung is healing well. The 71-year-old pope has met with a top aide, resumed working from the hospital, and celebrated Mass in a chapel set up near his room. Doctors are still running tests to determine whether the cancer spread beyond the lobe.
Two cargo ships sunk near the Strait of Hormuz as Iran escalates attacks
No fitting photo was available for this story.
Two cargo ships sank near the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours as Iran steps up attacks on shipping ahead of the US midterms. The Singapore-registered container ship GFS Pride was hit Tuesday, caught fire, and later sank; all 21 crew members were safely evacuated. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed the ship struck a sea mine on what it called an unauthorized route — outside experts suggested a drone attack was more likely. The merchant vessel Cape Dao, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, also sank after being hit by a projectile on September 23; one Indian crew member was killed. These are only the second and third sinkings in the region since the Iran war began in February, according to International Maritime Organization data. Singapore’s maritime authority condemned the attacks as “unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law.”
🏛️ POLITICS
Justice Department sues California over alleged non-citizens on voter rolls
The Justice Department sued California on Thursday, claiming more than 20,000 likely non-citizens are registered to vote in the state, mostly in Los Angeles County. The suit asks a federal judge to stop California from counting mail ballots from those voters until their citizenship can be verified. The DOJ gave the state 48 hours’ notice on Tuesday to review the list. Attorney General Todd Blanche said state-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States. Governor Newsom’s office called the lawsuit “unfounded,” and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the federal list lacks the detail needed for any real investigation. The case landed in the US District Court in Los Angeles, less than three weeks before the November 3 midterms.
Fox News poll: Trump’s approval hits a new low of 36%
A new Fox News national poll puts President Trump’s overall approval at 36%, his lowest ever in the network’s polling. On inflation, only 22% approve — also a new low. Disapproval runs 70% on the economy, 69% on tariffs, 64% on foreign policy, and 56% on immigration; border security is the only area near even, at 50-50. Democrats lead Republicans by 9 points on the generic congressional ballot, their largest lead of the year in Fox News polling, including a 26-point edge among independents. Seven in 10 voters say their November vote is meant to send a message to Trump, and 47% of those say the message is opposition. Broader polling averages tell the same story: RealClearPolitics had Trump at 38.8% approval and 59.2% disapproval as of Thursday.
FBI probes suspicious white powder letters sent to Democratic senators
The FBI is investigating suspicious letters mailed to the offices of Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), part of a nationwide probe of letters containing suspicious substances sent to multiple congressional offices and other addresses. The Senate and House sergeants at arms alerted staff Thursday. Padilla’s office said the letter it received was intercepted by the US Postal Inspection Service. No injuries were reported. (Reported by a single source so far.)
🧳 IMMIGRATION
Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit against NYC sanctuary laws
No fitting photo was available for this story.
A federal judge in Brooklyn threw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against New York City’s sanctuary laws on Thursday. Judge Ramon Reyes ruled the administration had no valid basis to challenge city laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement — including rules barring police from detaining immigrants at the request of federal authorities and restricting local officials from sharing release dates and custody information. The judge found the federal government cannot force local governments to assist with immigration enforcement. (Reported by a single source so far.)
Appeals court blocks California law forcing ICE agents to wear visible ID
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals blocked California on Wednesday from enforcing a law requiring federal immigration officers to identify themselves on duty. The three-judge panel granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that the state’s “No Vigilantes Act” directly regulates the federal government in violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. The ruling reverses a lower court that had refused to block the law. Governor Newsom signed the law in September 2025, arguing federal agents had arrested US citizens and hidden their identities during enforcement operations. The case continues, but California cannot enforce the ID requirement against federal officers in the meantime.
Administrative error briefly frees two detainees at Florida’s “Deportation Depot”
No fitting photo was available for this story.
Two immigration detainees at Florida’s Deportation Depot in Baker County were mistakenly released over the weekend because of an administrative error, then quickly tracked down and returned to custody. State emergency management officials confirmed the error and said there is no ongoing threat to the public. The facility houses about 1,000 people awaiting transfer to ICE. Florida has a $101 million contract with private operator GEO|CDR BAKER, and state records show about $32 million paid through September 22. State tracking also shows Florida has assisted in 27,898 immigration-related arrests as of October 14. (Reported by a single source so far.)
🏢 CORPORATE WATCH
Bank of America hit with $1.2 billion fine for money-laundering and sanctions violations
The Treasury Department announced more than $1.2 billion in penalties against Bank of America for violations of Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering laws — the third-largest penalty in Treasury history, after Binance ($3.4 billion, 2023) and TD Bank ($1.3 billion, 2024). Regulators called the bank’s compliance program deficient. The fine cut third-quarter profit by 17 cents a share: the bank posted $6.9 billion in profit, down about 17% from a year ago, missing analyst estimates. Shares fell nearly 5% after the announcement. No Justice Department charges accompanied the fine.
Wells Fargo and Merrill Lynch pay $4.4 million over commission overcharges
Wells Fargo and Merrill Lynch agreed to pay $4.4 million to state regulators to settle allegations they charged clients excessive commissions on more than 256,000 small-dollar stock trades between September 2020 and October 2025. Eight states, led by Massachusetts, ran the investigation; most of the alleged overcharges came from Wells Fargo. Neither firm admitted wrongdoing. (Reported by a single source so far.)
Texas sues Gerber over alleged toxic metals in baby food
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Gerber Products and its owner Nestlé USA on Wednesday, alleging the company knowingly sold baby food with dangerous levels of arsenic and lead while marketing the products as safe and tested. The suit seeks more than $10 million in civil penalties under the state’s deceptive trade practices law. Gerber said its products meet FDA limits and that it tests for more than 500 toxins. (Reported by a single source so far.)
Florida sues Discord, calling it a “hotbed” for child predators
Florida’s attorney general sued Discord on Thursday, accusing the messaging platform of failing to protect children from predators. The state says more than 2,100 child predators have been arrested in Florida since the attorney general took office, and investigators kept tracing their activity back to Discord. The suit says default settings let strangers contact children and that the company doesn’t scan all private chats for rule-breaking. Discord, with more than 200 million monthly users, says it has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material. The company added age verification in September, which the state called too little, too late. (Reported by a single source so far.)
📈 MARKETS
Dow jumps 550 points as investors rotate out of tech
Wall Street closed higher Thursday as investors rotated out of tech stocks over worries about the debt companies are taking on to fund the AI buildout. The Dow gained 1.1% (556 points), the S&P 500 rose 0.3%, and the Nasdaq erased steep early losses to finish up 0.1%. Nike led the Dow with a 5.2% jump; Home Depot and Salesforce each gained more than 4%. On the losing side, Dell tumbled more than 8%, Vicor dropped nearly 12%, and Semtech fell 9%. September wholesale prices came in hot — up 1.3% on the month and 6.3% over the year, both above expectations — but retail sales doubled estimates with a 0.8% rise, and weekly jobless claims came in at 199,000, just under expectations. The 10-year Treasury yield fell 10 basis points to 5.09%. Gold climbed to $4,154 an ounce, West Texas crude traded near $97.70 a barrel, and bitcoin sat around $82,300. Traders now see a 29% chance the Fed raises rates at its meeting in two weeks and an 88% chance of at least a quarter-point hike in December.
🚨 BREAKING
Feds building case to strip and deport Rep. Ilhan Omar
The Trump administration is building a case that could end with Rep. Ilhan Omar being denaturalized and deported, according to people familiar with the investigation. The Justice Department has issued roughly a dozen subpoenas, including to the congresswoman’s sister and another family member. Federal agents raided Omar’s Washington, D.C., home on Monday, seizing her cellphone, notebooks, computers, and passport. Investigators are looking into whether Omar’s late father lied or omitted information on immigration paperwork before becoming a US citizen in 2000 — Omar says she became a citizen at 17 through his naturalization. Omar has called the probe political targeting. The DOJ has filed nearly 200 civil denaturalization cases since January 2025.
Six killed in Wisconsin plane crash
No fitting photo was available for this story.
Six people — five adults and a child — died Tuesday night when a Piper PA-46 crashed in a wooded area near Dellona in Sauk County, Wisconsin. The plane was flying from Kenosha to Menomonie when the pilot requested a descent from 24,000 feet because of icing; air traffic control approved, but the aircraft then entered a rapid descending turn and all contact was lost. The NTSB and FAA are investigating, and a preliminary report is expected within 30 days. (Reported by a single source so far.)
🇺🇸 OTHER STATES
Texas: cold front brings flooding and a tornado to West Texas
A powerful cold front triggered widespread flooding across West Texas on Thursday, with the state transportation department warning drivers to stay off water-covered highways from the South Plains to the Rolling Plains. Dozens of high-water advisories covered at least 11 counties. Flash flood warnings were in effect for several counties, with rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour. The storms also produced reported tornadoes a day earlier. (Reported by a single source so far.)
Texas sued over nearly 600,000 delayed voter registrations
Two voting rights groups sued Texas election officials last week, alleging the state failed to transmit nearly 600,000 voter registrations submitted through the driver’s license portal. The League of Women Voters of Texas and MOVE Texas say the backlog violates a 2021 settlement requiring the state to process online registrations. County officials are scrambling to clear the backlog before early voting starts October 19. (Reported by a single source so far.)
Sources / Fuentes
CNN; The Associated Press (via WVLT, TMJ4); Reuters; OilPrice.com; The Washington Examiner; USA Today; Fox News; The New York Post; The Wall Street Journal; U.S. Department of Justice; U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Investopedia; Investor’s Business Daily; Fox13 News (Tampa); Barron’s; Bloomberg Law; Tallahassee Democrat; The Daily Caller; Fox6 Milwaukee; Fox4 Dallas-Fort Worth; Newsmax; Pakistan TV; AAA; RealClearPolitics.
Note: stories marked “(Reported by a single source so far)” were covered by only one reputable outlet at publication time. Facts may update as more reporting comes in.
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