Originally posted October 22, 2026, at 7:56 p.m. CDT. Date-specific reporting reflects the original publication time.
DHS voter-probe limits • Oil tops $112 • Tibet quake
THE FIVE NATIONAL STORIES AMERICANS SHOULD KNOW TODAY
TONIGHT’S FIVE
- Judge limits DHS voter probe
- Trump: Iran faking ship hits
- DOJ probes Lewandowski
- Tibet quake kills 16
- Tom Skerritt dies at 93
JUDGE LIMITS DHS HUNT FOR NONCITIZEN VOTERS IN NINE STATES
A federal judge in California is limiting DHS field operations that the agency says aim to find noncitizens who illegally voted in nine states, NPR reported.
In a 19-page order late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín said the government used "flawed" data and likely violated the Voting Rights Act, which bars voter intimidation.
Operations were planned in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.
The order bars DHS officers there from targeting people they know or suspect are citizens.
DHS said it has no plans to question people it believes to be U.S. citizens. The order takes effect Friday, though the government could appeal.
San Francisco
TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS FAKING SHIP HITS AS OIL TOPS $112
President Trump accused Iran on Thursday of lying about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to drive up oil prices, CBS News reported.
"Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else."
Brent crude, the international standard for oil, reached $112 a barrel Thursday morning. It had not been that high since May 18.
Iran announced it had struck four vessels in the area of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, while three others hit sea mines.
U.S. Central Command marked 100 days of its reinstated blockade on Iranian ships using the strait.
Strait of Hormuz
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LOOKING INTO COREY LEWANDOWSKI
The Justice Department is looking into allegations that Corey Lewandowski, a former top adviser to ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, used his DHS position for financial gain, CBS News reported.
It follows a referral to the Justice Department from DHS' Office of Inspector General.
Lewandowski has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing. His attorney said he has not been contacted by the Justice Department.
Asked about it Thursday, Trump said, "I want my people to be honest, and if they're not going to be honest, they have to be prosecuted."
Washington
7.0 EARTHQUAKE IN TIBET KILLS AT LEAST 16
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit China's Tibet region on Thursday evening local time, CBS News reported.
Chinese state media said at least 16 people were killed and 46 were injured. The quake also collapsed at least 339 homes.
Its epicenter was 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet.
It was the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years, China's national broadcaster CCTV said.
Nagqu, Tibet
ACTOR TOM SKERRITT DIES AT 93
Actor Tom Skerritt died of natural causes on Wednesday, according to a statement from a representative, NPR reported. He was 93.
Skerritt played Captain Dallas in Alien and Viper in Top Gun, and won an Emmy in 1993 for the TV series Picket Fences.
Before attending UCLA and turning to theater, he served in the Air Force.
He co-founded The Red Badge Project, a program for veterans to take storytelling courses and share their experiences.
Hollywood
WASHINGTON WATCH
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd, 2026AD
Friday: The judge's limits on DHS voter field operations are set to take effect, NPR reports.
Friday: European diplomats meet counterparts from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in Istanbul, CBS News reports.
That’s America Tonight.
The headlines change every day.
The consequences last for years.
