❌

Reading view

Who Ordered Ukraine's Starshield Restrictions? Reports Offer Conflicting Accounts

Conflicting reports have emerged around the restrictions placed on Starshield use in Ukraine's war against Russia.

For Context: Ukraine accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of throttling Starlink technology last week, which it said impeded both frontline operations and defense capabilities against Russian attacks. Musk refuted these claims, saying, "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government." US officials including President Donald Trump have denied Musk's accusations.

'Mystery and Conflicting Reports': The New York Post (Right bias) highlighted "a series of reports" that "have offered conflicting explanations." According to the article, "Reuters cited sources claiming instructions came from the White House," while "a subsequent Telegraph story said Musk approached Trump with the idea and a prior WSJ report fingered Musk." Trump administration sources reportedly told the Post that "there was continued uncertainty about what happened to cause the initial slowdown, with one theory being that Ukraine may have experienced slowdowns due to using versions of Starlink, a consumer project, instead of Starshield." The Post also noted that there is "no evidence to prove that speculation." Trump also called Musk on Wednesday asking him to "fully reverse any limits to crucial internet services," and according to the coverage Starshield "has improved" but is "not yet at full functionality."

'Came As A Surprise': Some outlets on the left, like CBS News (Lean Left) and CNBC (Lean Left), highlighted a Wall Street Journal (Center) claim that it was Musk who ordered the service changes. CBS opened coverage by citing "people familiar with the matter" who said that a "decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine's use of SpaceX satellite communications network." According to CBS, "the temporary restrictions came as a surprise to some officials inside the administration, who said neither Mr. Trump nor the Pentagon specifically ordered any limits meant to deliberately disrupt drone operations and battlefield communications." CNBC called the service changes "Elon Musk's latest clash with Ukraine."

'I Have A Bridge In Kyiv To Sell You': Author Andrew C. McCarthy (Right) for National Review Opinion (Right) said that "Trump and 'War' Secretary Pete Hegseth figure you've forgotten, or were simply paying no attention, to their attempt to destroy Anthropic" because it risked allowing military decisions to be made by non-government employees. According to McCarthy, "The Starshield controversy presents the same situation," adding that "the implication that the administration would cede decision-making about how technology is deployed on the battlefield to Musk, an unelected tech executive, is ridiculous." McCarthy said, "If you believe Elon Musk unilaterally gave the order to impose speed restrictions in Ukraine," then "I have a bridge in Kyiv to sell you…if Putin hasn't blown it to smithereens already."

RELATED: Witkoff Meets Putin and Zelenskyy: American Prisoner Freed, Zelenskyy Open to Freezing Conflict

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

  •  

Descendants of Native American Chief Renew Push to Restore NFL Team Name, Logo

Descendants of the Blackfeet chief whose likeness inspired the former Washington NFL team's logo have revived their efforts to restore the team's "Redskins" name and logo after it was retired in 2020. The story was covered primarily by outlets on the right and local news.

The Details: Descendants of Chief Two Guns White Calf are requesting a meeting with President Trump and the Washington Commanders leadership to discuss restoring the former name and logo. Estate representatives argued the imagery honored their ancestor and that the family wasn't consulted before the 2020 change. Estate lead Kenneth Conway said, "They tried to erase us, like we didn't exist anymore." The family also proposed naming Washington's planned stadium after the chief, which they say would make it the first NFL stadium named for a Native American.

For Context: Washington retired the "Redskins" name in 2020 after criticism from Native Americans, donors and other activist groups that the term was offensive to Native Americans. It adopted the Washington Commanders name in 2022. Chief Two Guns White Calf was born on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in 1872. The logo was created in 1971 by Walter "Blackie" Wetzel to honor him. The chief's family began their push to restore the name and logo in 2024, saying it represented their pride and heritage. Trump has also previously expressed support for restoring the name.

From the Right: Most of the recent coverage came from outlets on the right, including Newsmax (Right bias), Washington Examiner (Lean Right), OANN (Right), The Daily Caller (Right) and Western Journal (Right). They emphasized the family members' arguments that the logo was a source of pride and representation, and also noted they wanted to work with Trump to reinstate it. The Western Journal and OANN both attributed the name change to "left-wing activists." Sources close to the family told Washington Examiner the change happened while Commander's owner Dan Snyder "was going through a professional crisis, and that moment was used." An opinion writer in the Daily Caller argued that when "the actual Blackfeet Nation members whose family history is tied to the iconic Redskins brand stand up and say the legacy brought them pride, we should listen."

Previous Coverage: AllSides did not find recent coverage from left outlets. Their previous coverage came from 2024 and 2025 and argued Trump was the one pushing for the Commanders to change their name back despite it being offensive to Native Americans. PBS (Lean Left) had said Trump's interest "reflects his broader effort to roll back changes that followed a national debate on cultural sensitivity and racial justice." New York Times (Lean Left) said Trump "threatened to derail" a deal for the team to build a new stadium if it "didn't submit to his demand." It also wrote that Trump "claimed, without evidence, that there was 'a big clamoring'" for the reversal. The Guardian (Left) wrote Trump wanted to "force" the team to revert its name and his "quest to make the intellectual and public-service classes miserable is a cornerstone of his presidency." Reuters (Center) and The Hill (Center) had also said the idea was Trump's.

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

  •  

Ilhan Omar Addresses Federal Raid and Questions About Ex-Husband in Interview

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) appeared for an interview with MS Now (Left bias) host Chris Hayes Wednesday, following the October 12 federal raid on her Washington DC home.

The Interview: During the nearly 30-minute interview, Omar was asked about the raid on her home, which she called "so bizarre." She also claimed that the search was conducted to intimidate and "freak" her out. Hayes asked whether there was any "kernel of truth" about allegations that her ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was her brother. Omar responded saying, "not to my knowledge."

'Everything You Need To Know': Outlets on the right like The Daily Caller (Lean Right) tended to highlight the fact that "Omar did not definitively deny that her ex-husband" was her brother. Opinion writer Matt Vespa for Townhall (Right) echoed this fact, calling her response "jaw-dropping." Vespa asked why Omar is participating in interviews while she "is creeping closer to being engulfed in an immigration-fraud scandal," adding that "then again, when your enemy is marching into a meat grinder, just watch the show." Another opinion writer, Matt Margolis for PJ Media (Right) said Omar's answer "was just painfully bad," considering that it is "the one question she should have been able to handle in her sleep." This is "a bizarre shift from her longstanding defense" according to Margolis, explaining that in 2018 she called the allegations "disgusting lies." Margolis asserted that "People with nothing to hide answer simple questions simply," adding that she had "every incentive to slam the door shut" but "left it open instead, and that tells you everything you need to know."

'Longtime Trump Nemesis': Outlets on the left tended to highlight Omar's responses surrounding the "bizarre" raid and the history between her and President Donald Trump. These outlets also tended not to mention Omar's answer to the question about her ex-husband. Instead, opinion writer Allison Detzel for MS Now said "Trump has frequently repeated unproven rumors about the congresswoman's personal life, including her immigration status and an unproven conspiracy theory that she had married her brother to bypass U.S. laws." Another opinion writer, Ewan Palmer for The Daily Beast (Left) said "the longtime Trump nemesis," Omar "has been the target of baseless MAGA conspiracy theories alleging she was in a sham marriage with her brother."

RELATED: DHS Raids Ilhan Omar's Home Amid Ongoing Investigation

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary. 

  •  
❌