US holds up Ukraine Patriot missile transfers, report says; Alberta votes against independence

President Trump says it may be time for someone else to negotiate for Ukraine. Now, a new report says critical missiles are being held up as Russian attacks intensify. Plus, a Canadian province considers breaking away. Voters deliver a pretty decisive answer. And did OJ Simpson have help covering up two murders? Newly unsealed records reveal a lead that never made it to the witness stand. The stories that matter. The facts you can trust. From across the country to around the world, this is Unbiased Updates from Straight Arrow. Hey everybody, I'm Christian Bryant. It's Tuesday, October 20th, and we're glad you're hanging out with us this morning. Let's get you caught up and ready for the day ahead. This morning, the Trump administration is reportedly holding up critical air defense missiles for Ukraine, as President Trump suggests someone else should negotiate on the country's behalf. The Washington Post reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has yet to approve the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles that Ukraine needs to defend against Russian attacks. Some of the missiles would come from U.S. allies, but Washington must sign off before those countries can transfer American-made weapons. Hegseth hasn't rejected the transfers, but he hasn't approved them either. And Ukrainian officials say they're running dangerously low on the interceptors. The report comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heads to Norway today for talks with U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner is expected to join remotely. The meeting follows two weeks of growing tensions between Trump and Zelensky, including Trump's decisions to ease restrictions on Russian diesel and waive new sanctions on Moscow. And Monday, Trump suggested Ukraine needs someone else at the negotiating table. Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about. Zelensky is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago. If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and it'd have a million people living from his side. And to be honest, I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. Trump is also floating a possible meeting next month with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He says the main focus would be nuclear disarmament, though Ukraine could also be discussed. No meeting has been finalized. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to Israel Monday, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just days before Israel's election. Hegseth posted these photos from U.S. Central Command Monday, but didn't mention his stop in Israel. Axios and CBS News report he met with Netanyahu and Israel's defense minister. The visit follows Trump's recent threats of more U.S. strikes against Iran. Netanyahu also released video Monday of a phone call with Trump, thanking the president for endorsing his re-election bid. In his endorsement, Trump praised Netanyahu's role in the war against Iran and warned that if Israel elects the wrong leader, quote, America will have to do this work ourselves. But Vice President J.D. Vance isn't joining that endorsement. Asked Monday by journalist Mark Halperin whether he supports Netanyahu's re-election, Vance said he's focused on American candidates and the midterms. Quote, I'm not anti-endorsing him. I'm not pro-endorsing him. I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections. That's despite Vance traveling to Hungary earlier this year to campaign for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Voters in Canada's Alberta province have overwhelmingly rejected a move toward independence. About 76 percent voted against a proposal that could have led to another vote on separation, with ballots still being counted this morning. Some supporters of Alberta's independence movement have even met with Trump administration officials. But the vote comes as Trump's tariffs and threats to annex Canada have helped fuel a wave of Canadian patriotism. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been urging Canadians to stick together. There couldn't be a worse time for this referendum. It's a dangerous and divided world, and it's time for us to come together and stand up for ourselves and to take care of each other. In a statement early Tuesday, Carney said, quote, Albertans made a clear choice. They chose unity, to build together, and to take care of each other. France is imposing curfews in several cities after a weekend of violent riots and the government says a national state of emergency is still on the table. Police were out enforcing the new restrictions Monday night in Lille. Parts of Paris are also under curfew, with restrictions on gatherings near government buildings and train stations. The government says at least 3,000 businesses were looted over the weekend. More than half a million people took part in Saturday's protests over school conditions and the cost of living. Riders set fires, looted stores and clashed with police. President Emmanuel Macron visiting Abu Dhabi has promised to hold those responsible accountable. His government is considering a national state of emergency if the violence continues. President Trump weighed in Monday, writing, The migrants have taken over France. They must close the borders fast. French officials have not linked the riots to immigration. Protest organizers are calling for more demonstrations this weekend. And French police say they'll be bringing in reinforcements. More than 30 years after O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, newly unsealed court records suggest he may have had help covering up the killings. Remember that infamous white bronco chase in 1994? The man behind the wheel was Simpson's friend Al Cowlings. Now, the New York Times reports another friend of Cowlings, convicted drug trafficker Joey Ippolito, who died in 2006, provided federal prosecutors with information about Simpson's possible disposal of the murder weapon. That weapon was never found. The information reached Los Angeles prosecutors during Simpson's 1995 murder trial, but Ippolito never testified. Now, Ippolito's brother claims Joey returned home the night Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were killed with what looked like blood on his hands and a heavy object in a bag. He says Joey asked him to throw the bag away, and he did. But there's a major catch. After asking the Times for money, the brother tried to take back his account. The story also bears some similarities to Simpson's book If I Did It, which describes a hypothetical accomplice who disposes of the weapon. Former prosecutor Marcia Clark questions whether Ippolito ever had credible evidence. And investigators have found no new forensic evidence linking him to the killings. The LAPD says the murder investigation remains open. Finally this morning, a federal judge is considering further restrictions on President Trump's plan to overhaul a historic golf course in Washington, D.C., after the government cut down hundreds of trees there. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes questioned the administration's account of why more than 400 trees were removed from East Potomac golf links. She's already blocked further tree cutting through October 26th. Trump wants to close the century-old public course next month and turn it into a championship-level facility. Here's how he described the plan to reporters Monday. You have a golf course there now. It's old, it's tired, it's beaten up, it's useless, it doesn't do much business. We want to do something great for Washington. We're going to basically build a better golf course. You could call it a renovation. It should be very simple and it's something that the Department of Interior should be doing. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. We're going to get it done. be very simple and it's something that the Department of Interior is allowed to do, absolutely. All they want to do is fix up their property. It's been allowed to get run down, bad, dangerous, dirty, lousy, and it's going to be one of the great courses. But opponents say the project violates federal law and could make the public course less accessible. And the judge is questioning why Trump says work is starting immediately, while government lawyers insist there's no final plan. Final plans have also been submitted for for his proposed 250-foot-tall triumphal arch. The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to review the project early next month. Okay, busy day in politics. Here's what we're tracking today. At 1:30, President Trump and Vice President Vance are scheduled to make a joint announcement. No details yet on what it'll cover. At 6:30, former President Bill Clinton joins Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly for an interfaith event in Hollywood, Florida. It's Clinton's first public campaign event of this election cycle. And at seven, Trump heads to Greenville, North Carolina for a midterm Get Out the Vote rally. And before we go, if you're raising kids while also caring for aging parents, you're not alone. This week, Straight Arrow is taking on the challenges of modern parenting with The Parenting Paradox. Check out the stories all week at sand.com slash parenting. And folks, we're the fastest, fairest few minutes in news. Watch us anytime at sand.com or our app, or join our growing audience on Spotify or your favorite podcast app. We're glad to be a part of your morning routine. That's Unbiased Updates for this Tuesday. For the Unbiased Updates team and all of us at Straight Arrow, I'm Christian Bryant. Thank you so much for watching. Have a good one and we'll see you again tomorrow.