Trump promises more money ahead of midterms; Reports say Musk ordered Starlink slowdown

President Trump promising more cash to Americans ahead of the midterms, from $5,000 checks to new rewards for reporting fraud. Plus, we now know who reportedly ordered the Starlink slowdown that disrupted Ukraine's military operations. New reporting points to Elon Musk. And investigators question Ilhan Omar's sister in a growing immigration probe. Now Trump is weighing in. Now she could go to jail, and I think she's a sick, very dishonest person. and a new attack ad in Ohio's governor's race features the Democratic candidate's own mother. Now, her brother is firing back. 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 Wednesday, October 21st. Hope your morning's off to a good start. Let's get you caught up and ready for the day ahead. We begin this morning with President Trump promising more money to Americans. And with the midterms less than two weeks away, those promises are piling up. Cash payments, farm relief, refunds, and now rewards for people who report fraud against the federal government. On Tuesday, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance announced a new whistleblower incentive program. Trump says people who report government fraud could receive 1% of the amount they uncover. He even suggested someone reporting $100 billion in fraud could get a billion dollar reward. But the government's own website puts the maximum payment at $30,000 and says a report must lead to criminal charges. Trump disagrees with those limits and he says he'll personally decide who gets paid. I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions. In other words, I'll determine whether or not the person is deserving and I'll And I will be very generous, believe me, we're not looking to save on that. And I'm not doing it for any other reasons other than to expedite, because I think it's very important. But it'll be a binding arbitration, you'll get your money immediately. The announcement follows an $8 billion relief package Trump promised farmers Monday night as they struggle with soaring diesel prices. And he made that promise at a campaign rally in Kansas, telling supporters that if Republicans win the midterms, they'll pass even more farm aid. Trump has also promised $5,000 checks to American adults if Republicans keep control of Congress. He's announced $90 payments to Medicare recipients and $500 refunds for nearly a million people over excessive Affordable Care Act fees. Some of that money has already gone out. Other payments are still promises, including the $5,000 checks that would require congressional approval. And with voters already casting ballots, Trump is adding to a growing list of financial promises just ahead of the midterms. New reporting points to Elon Musk as the person who ordered a slowdown of Ukraine's military satellite internet service, disrupting its ability to defend against Russian attacks. The Wall Street Journal and CBS News report Musk ordered the restrictions on Starshield, military version of SpaceX's Starlink network. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the slower service was preventing his forces from using interceptor drones to shoot down Russian attack drones. And for days, there was confusion over who was responsible. Musk posted that the U.S. government, not SpaceX, controls access to Starshield and decides on any speed restrictions. President Trump said Monday he didn't know who ordered the slowdown, but wanted to find out. Now, sources tell the Journal that Musk spoke with senior administration officials, including Trump, before imposing the speed limits. But other officials say the decision caught them by surprise, and that neither Trump nor the Pentagon specifically ordered the restrictions. Both Trump and Musk have criticized Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries, which Trump blames for higher energy prices. The dispute adds to growing tensions between Trump and Zelensky, even as the U.S. tries to negotiate an end to the war. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is now in Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin following yesterday's meeting with Zelenskyy. We're learning more about the federal investigation into Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Investigators have now interviewed her sister, Sara Noor, according to CNN and Fox News. Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C. home earlier this month, carrying out boxes of material and seizing her cell phone. According to Reuters, investigators are looking into whether Omar or members of her family provided false information when they came to the U.S. as refugees or later applied for citizenship. CNN reports investigators are specifically looking into whether Omar or her late father misrepresented her age when she became an American citizen in 2000. And according to Reuters, one possible goal of the investigation could be to strip Omar of her U.S. citizenship and deport her. President Trump was asked about that possibility in the Oval Office Tuesday. Could she be deported? Well, she could be. She could also go to jail. She could also go to jail. You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail. This is just my opinion. I think she's a sick, a very dishonest person, but who hates our country. And she comes from a country that is essentially not even a country, Somalia. It's a real shithouse, okay? Omar has not been charged with a crime and no court has found that she committed immigration fraud. She denies any wrongdoing and calls the raid an act of political intimidation. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is confirming his campaign is behind a controversial new attack ad in Ohio's governor's race featuring his Democratic opponent's estranged mother. In the ad, Amy Acton's mother accuses her daughter of lying about her past and says she can't be trusted to lead Ohio. Take a listen. It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. My daughter needs help, and she can't help you if she needs help herself. The ad is drawing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, but Ramaswamy is standing by it, and his campaign says it plans to spend $4 million promoting it. Acton has spoken publicly about being sexually abused as a child by her stepfather, who was later charged with rape, She and her brother were removed from their mother's custody. Now, Acton's campaign is firing back with an ad featuring that brother, who defends her account of the abuse and condemns Ramaswamy. I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it. Shame on Vivek. It's the contempt he has for Amy, it's the contempt he has for Ohio. He's not fit to lead. Acton also responded on social media saying she has long known her mother was was, quote, deeply sick and unwell and accusing Ramaswamy of exploiting her for political gain. Actress Christina Applegate is sharing a stunning update about her health. Five years after revealing she had multiple sclerosis, she says doctors have now told her she never had the disease. The 54-year-old actress announced the news on her podcast, Messy, which she co-hosts with fellow actress Jamie Lynn Sigler. Applegate says her doctors began reexamining her diagnosis after she stopped receiving an infusion treatment and her immune cell counts didn't change eventually her doctor told her she didn't have MS after all she came into my room and she said um congratulations you don't have MS congratulations what does that moment feel like so loaded i cannot imagine well i was like not happy at all yeah you know not everybody else was so happy i know when you told me i feel like my literal first words to you like you can dance again because that's just like where my head goes right because you don't get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden i'm better right i haven't gotten better jamie yeah if anything i've gotten worse in some ways applegate says she still struggles to walk and often needs a wheelchair she's been open about her health problems since her original diagnosis in 2021 and earlier this year she told People magazine she was spending most of her time in bed. And MS diagnoses are more common than you might think. A study of patients referred to two specialty centers found nearly one in five had been misdiagnosed. There's no single test that can definitively diagnose MS and other conditions can cause similar symptoms. Applegate says her doctors will begin a new investigation next week to find out what's been causing her symptoms all these years. Finally this morning, LeBron James is off a winning start with his new team. James made his Philadelphia 76ers debut Tuesday night, helping beat the defending NBA champion New York Knicks 106-100, and it was supposed to be a big night for New York. The Knicks were raising their championship banner and receiving their rings at Madison Square Garden, but Philadelphia had other plans. James finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, kicking off his record 24th NBA season. Fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown, who came over from Boston, added 19 points, and Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 28. Not a bad first night for Philadelphia's new-look lineup. We give you the headlines here. Unbiased Updates Offscript gives you everything that comes next. It's a podcast where I talk with the journalists behind our reporting. Watch Offscript tomorrow only on SAN.com or the Straight Arrow app. 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 S.A.N.dot com slash parents. That's unbiased updates for this Wednesday 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 back here tomorrow.