The written briefing — October 23, 2026
Good morning. President Trump’s warning in Sioux City that the war with Iran could resume after the midterms leads today’s briefing, followed by his executive order aimed at cutting mortgage and homeownership costs, a Justice Department health care fraud takedown in Los Angeles involving $1.8 billion in claims, the IMF’s forecast of a 1.3% contraction for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region in 2026, PTI lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa backing talks to restore their provincial government, and the FBI adding a missing Bradenton teenager’s case to its national database nearly two years after she vanished. Here are the six stories in full, with links to our reporting.
In Sioux City, Trump Hints Iran War Could Resume After Midterms and Tells Iowans to Pretend He Is on the Ballot
President Donald Trump told supporters in Sioux City on Thursday night that the war with Iran could be finished “very soon” and could resume after the midterm elections, while urging Republican voters to turn out as if his own name were on the ballot, according to CNN and the Des Moines Register. He also announced that his administration would use the Defense Production Act to release $150 million to expand domestic diesel and gasoline refining capacity. Behind the remarks, U.S. officials told CNN that advisers have drawn up plans for renewed strikes in coordination with Israel — details Zark News has not independently verified.
Trump Signs Order Aimed at Cutting Mortgage and Homeownership Costs
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at reducing the cost of owning a single-family home, directing the Federal Housing Finance Agency to launch a pilot that would proactively cancel borrowers’ mortgage insurance premiums once they meet equity requirements, according to Reuters. The order also makes permanent a pilot waiving title insurance requirements for refinancings, creates a task force on manufactured housing, and directs the agriculture and veterans affairs departments to cut rates on their single-family loans. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate eased to 7.32% this week after reaching 7.40%, the highest in about three years.
Justice Department Charges 15 in Los Angeles Health Care Fraud Takedown Involving $1.8 Billion in Claims
The Justice Department on Thursday charged 15 people, including six medical professionals, in a Los Angeles-area health care fraud takedown involving more than $1.8 billion in fraudulent claims, the department said. The largest part of the case allegedly billed more than $1.6 billion by luring vulnerable people to California for sham substance abuse treatment — the largest case of its type the department has prosecuted — while another scheme allegedly billed Medicare $134 million for unnecessary procedures and hospice schemes billed more than $138 million. Eight defendants were arrested on Thursday; every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
IMF Sees Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan Region Contracting 1.3% in 2026 Before Rebounding in 2027
The International Monetary Fund on Thursday forecast that output in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region will contract by 1.3% in 2026 as a result of the war’s impact on energy production, shipping, tourism, trade and confidence, before rebounding to growth of 6.6% in 2027, according to Reuters. The regional figure is an aggregate and carries no Pakistan-specific growth figure. IMF director Jihad Azour said pre-war buffers had bought time but are finite, with inventories lower and spare capacity tighter, and the Fund’s baseline assumes the conflict abates in early 2027.
PTI Lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Back Talks to Restore Provincial Government and Demand a Seat at the Table
The PTI parliamentary party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has endorsed negotiations with the federal government and the establishment to restore the provincial government, and has demanded that its own representatives be included in any talks, according to The Express Tribune. The lawmakers proposed former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur as the province’s representative and sought the release of detained Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and others. The province has been under emergency and governor’s rule since October 11, a move the PTI has challenged in the Peshawar High Court.
Nearly Two Years After Bradenton Teen Vanished, FBI Adds Her Case to National Database as Family Pleads for Answers
Nearly two years after Caitlyn “Katie” Sandt disappeared from Bradenton at age 18, the FBI has added her case to its national ViCAP missing persons database, and her family and local police are renewing their plea for information, according to the Bradenton Police Department and the FBI. Sandt was last seen in Bradenton in early November 2024, and detectives say numerous leads have not led to her or her belongings. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brian Gates at 941-932-9300; the investigation remains active under case number 2024-009710.
That is today’s briefing. Full coverage of every story is at zarknews.com.
