President Donald Trump defends easing restrictions on Russian diesel as lawmakers from both parties warn the move could help fund Putin’s war.
Plus, Rep. Ilhan Omar accuses Trump of political intimidation after federal agents search her home just weeks before the midterms.
And newly released 911 recordings reveal a half-hour delay in getting help to Christa Pike after her failed execution, as responders question whether the emergency is real.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026.
Trump defends Russian diesel deal
Trump has pushed back against Democrats and Republicans who want him to scrap his diesel deal with Russia. The president said it’ll help bring down fuel prices, but lawmakers warn it could also help fund President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Trump stands by his decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel imports despite growing opposition in Congress.
Six senators, including four Republicans, have urged him to reverse course, warning the U.S. should not give Putin a financial lifeline while Russia continues its war in Ukraine.
But Trump won’t back down.
In a post Monday, he defended the deal, saying he made the right choice for the American people.
When asked about Republican criticism, he said:
“Well, I think these are Republicans that can’t really be serious. We have, you know, we make a lot of oil. We could do a restriction on oil, but the rest of the world would be greatly, greatly affected if we do that. And we could do a restriction, you know, a cap on diesel, keep it all for ourselves. That would have a very big impact. And it’s not really a deal with me. It’s a deal for the rest of the world. So, anything that could help our farmers, our ranchers, I like. And I do think this: Zelenskyy has to focus on making the deal, not talking about that.”
Trump said the Russian diesel will help lower prices, though energy analysts question how much difference it’ll make.
Oil prices rose Monday after a ceasefire Trump announced between Russia and Ukraine on energy targets failed to hold. Brent crude climbed to nearly $108 a barrel before falling back to around $104 early Tuesday morning. U.S. crude also eased overnight, while diesel futures gave back their small drop from last week.
Omar accuses Trump of political intimidation after agents search home
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has accused Trump of using federal law enforcement to target his political enemies. The comment comes after federal agents searched her home Monday, just three weeks before the midterm elections.
Agents were seen carrying boxes out of her D.C. home Monday morning. The Justice Department said Homeland Security investigators executed a search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
A source familiar with the case told Reuters the investigation involves alleged immigration fraud, including paperwork Omar’s late father filled out when she was a child. The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed those details.
In a post on X, Omar called the search an attempt to weaponize federal law enforcement.
“This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” Omar said. “I will not be silenced.”
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance made an accusation against Omar on a podcast earlier this year:
“We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America. We’re trying to look at what the remedies are. That’s the thing that we’re trying to figure out. What are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud? How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you build a case?”
Vance offered no evidence to support that claim.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar, including at a rally last December, when he said she should be kicked out of the country.
On X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wrote that Trump is “abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election.”
Omar is running for a fifth term in Congress.
The Justice Department has not announced any charges against her or said what agents seized during Monday’s search.
911 calls reveal delays after Christa Pike’s failed execution
Newly released 911 recordings reveal a half-hour delay in getting emergency help to Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike after her failed execution.
At one point, dispatchers were told the call was a hoax.
The recordings, obtained by The Associated Press, show the first call came in at 8:40 p.m. on Sept. 30, more than an hour after Pike’s execution began. The caller couldn’t provide a code to verify the emergency, and at one point, dispatchers were told no help was needed.
It took prison officials about 30 minutes to confirm the call was real and allow first responders through the gates.
“So we have a medical call for service at the Riverbend Prison, saying that they carried out the execution, the subject didn’t pass away and they need an ambulance because she’s not breathing normally,” dispatchers say in the recording. “We are trying to find out if that is an actual thing that is happening, and we need to send an ambulance and/or if you need police assistance, or if this is someone that is just basically prank calling or, like, swatting us.”
Later, you can hear dispatchers call the prison to verify whether what they were told was true and whether an ambulance was needed.
Pike survived two doses of the execution drug and spent several days on a ventilator. Her lawyers said she’s now talking and walking with help. She was released from the hospital over the weekend and returned to prison.
Tennessee has paused further executions while it reviews what went wrong.
It’s still unclear whether the state will try to execute Pike again.
Six Flags closes 9 roller coasters across parks after reported fall in Georgia
Six Flags has temporarily shut down nine roller coasters across six of its parks after a man reportedly fell to his death from a ride at Six Flags Over Georgia.
The company says it’s a precaution while police investigate.
The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. Monday at the park outside Atlanta.
Video shows passengers being evacuated from the “Goliath” roller coaster after it stopped on the tracks.
Witnesses say they saw a man fall from the ride, striking parts of the coaster on his way down.
Four other people were injured, though police haven’t said how.
Police are still investigating the cause of the fall.
Goliath has been open since 2006; it reaches speeds of 70 mph and stands about 200 feet tall.
Six Flags says it’s temporarily closed similar rides at other parks out of an abundance of caution.
The company is also facing lawsuits over alleged brain injuries on its X2 roller coaster in Southern California, a ride it recently announced it was retiring.
Selma Blair arrested after violent Delta flight incident
Actress Selma Blair faces federal assault charges following an incident aboard a flight to New York. Her representatives said a medical emergency caused the incident.
Police arrested the 54-year-old actress, known for films such as “Cruel Intentions” and “Legally Blonde,” on Sunday night after her Delta flight landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Authorities said Blair physically assaulted crew members during the flight, leaving two flight attendants injured. First responders took one flight attendant to a hospital for evaluation. Blair is also accused of kicking a police officer who accompanied her to a hospital and a nurse who treated her there.
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Selma Blair (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) -
AP Photo/Ryan Murphy -
AP Photo/Ryan Murphy -
AP Photo/Ryan Murphy
Blair pleaded not guilty Monday night to two assault charges involving the officer and nurse. A judge set bail at $20,000 cash or a $60,000 bond.
Separately, the FBI issued Blair a summons over the alleged assault aboard the plane.
Details of what happened during the flight remain unclear. In a statement, Delta said it has “zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior.”
The federal case will be heard in Brooklyn, though no court date has been announced yet.
Blair’s representative told TMZ she experienced a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct and that she’s now in stable condition.
Blair recently shared travel videos on Instagram. She’s also been open about her battle with multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 2018.
This isn’t the first time she’s had an incident on a flight. In 2016, she apologized for an outburst on a plane, saying she had mixed alcohol with medication and blacked out.
Judge halts tree cutting at DC golf course after hundreds removed
A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to tree cutting at a historic golf course in Washington, D.C., where Trump wants to make major changes.
The judge is unhappy with the Trump administration’s handling of the matter. More than 400 trees were cut down at East Potomac Golf Links over the holiday weekend.
During Monday’s hearing, federal Judge Ana Reyes said she was “furious.” She had previously ordered government lawyers to provide advance notice before making major changes. But the Justice Department waited until 4:55 pm Friday, just five minutes before the long holiday weekend, to file that notice.
Reyes said she had trusted the government not to do exactly what it did, adding, “There is no excuse for this.”
The government said it was removing dead or dangerous trees under a plan dating back to 2019. But the judge wants to know why it had to happen so quickly.
She’s blocked further tree cutting until at least 2 pm Tuesday and wants answers from a senior Interior Department official. The group challenging Trump’s plans wants the halt extended to 14 days.
‘Rocky’ rolls to giant pumpkin victory, weighing more than a VW Beetle
Charlie Brown and the gang are still waiting for the Great Pumpkin.
But in California, they’ve already found a pretty big one: Meet Rocky, weighing in at 2,389 lbs. That was enough to win the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay on Monday.
His grower, Travis Gienger of Minnesota, drove 35 hours to get him there and is heading home with more than $21,000 in prize money. Not bad for a pumpkin.
But here’s the thing: Rocky didn’t even come close to the world record. That title belongs to Bagheera, a British pumpkin that weighed more than 2,800 lbs earlier this month.
And even that record may already be history.
A Rhode Island grower just unveiled a pumpkin weighing a whopping 3,156 lbs. He’s now waiting for Guinness to make it official.
More from Straight Arrow:
We heard about soldiers at a ballot drop box, so we checked it out
WASHINGTON — In the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of the nation’s capital, outside the gates of George Washington University Medical Center, college students walked by the familiar site of a bronze bust of the school’s namesake and a new, large, white box that last week briefly touched off concerns that the nation’s democratic norms may be eroding. Monday’s foot traffic in this leafy part of the city was modest for a holiday afternoon.
At 12:39 p.m., a Metropolitan Police car drove by, sans lights or any signs of being in a hurry. One man holding a Bible, a phone tucked in his shirt pocket, briefly stood near the box. He left after about a minute.
“I haven’t even noticed the ballot box,” said longtime resident David Beatty, 68, who was picking up litter nearby as a volunteer.
But that very ballot box had garnered plenty of attention just a few days earlier.
