Elon Musk Personally Ordered Starlink Slowdown In Ukraine: Report – Jalopnik

Happy Wednesday! It’s October 21, 2026, and that is The Morning Shift — your every day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from all over the world, in a single place. This is the place you will discover a very powerful tales which might be shaping the best way Americans drive and get round.

In this morning’s version we’re wanting on the Starlink slowdown in Ukraine, and the EU’s bid to hamper its personal emissions laws. We’ll additionally take a look at U.S. emissions regs that encourage offshoring manufacturing, and Toyota’s newest recall. 

If you would like a recap of the most recent auto information despatched to your inbox every weekday, you may join Jalopnik’s free Morning Shift publication right here.

Last week, Starlink imposed a pace restrict on Ukrainian army utilization, making it unattainable for the nation to speak with its drones. Starlink boss Elon Musk blamed the White House for the slowdown, however the White House blamed Musk. Now, apparently, we’ve a solution to who’s actually in charge: Both of them. From the Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON—Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade model of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, a call that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion contained in the Trump administration, U.S. officers and folks conversant in the matter mentioned.

…

Some U.S. officers say that Musk acted unilaterally and that Trump did not particularly order any retribution in opposition to Ukraine. But an individual conversant in the state of affairs mentioned Musk talked to a number of senior administration officers, together with with Trump, earlier than imposing the brand new pace cap, which Ukrainian officers mentioned had allowed Russian missiles to evade their defenses.

…

On Oct. 10, simply days earlier than Starlink speeds slowed, Trump mentioned he instructed Zelensky, “‘You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem.’ And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. He better damn well stop.”

Musk responded to a White House video of these remarks on X: “Zelensky has gone too far.”

The Wall Street Journal definitely appears to suggest that Musk bought the thought for the slowdown from Trump or his inside circle, however it leaves open the likelihood that Musk acted alone — maybe he heard Trump complain in that personal assembly about Ukrainian drones, and went out on his personal to supply an answer. We could also be within the “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” period of U.S. authorities. 

The EU has had a number of the most forward-looking emissions laws anyplace on this planet, with a objective of getting inside combustion utterly out of latest automotive dealerships beginning in 2035. Now it appears that evidently objective is off the desk, as automakers might be allowed to proceed burning gasoline. From Automotive News: 

Europe’s automakers are shifting nearer to successful respite from an efficient ban on combustion engines from 2035 after key teams within the European Parliament struck a deal to ease emissions guidelines for the sector.

Lawmakers from the center-right European People’s Party, the center-left Socialists and the liberal Renew group reached an accord below which automakers together with BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen Group would solely have to chop emissions by 87.5 p.c by 2035, with an extra 7.5 p.c offset by means of using inexperienced metal, in line with a doc seen by Bloomberg.

“The agreement in the European Parliament is a success for the European automotive industry,” mentioned Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP group. “The ban on the internal combustion engine is off the table. This is good news for hundreds of thousands of workers in the European automotive industry.”

Like all the pieces else that occurs on emissions, that is placing company earnings over the continued habitability of our planet. Simply, and with out hyperbole, gasoline automobiles are hurting our ecosystem — regulators might ban them, however automaker complaints about misplaced earnings are extra essential. 

CAFE has already been all however defanged, however NHTSA is sill discovering methods to mess with it. A brand new rule change for 2030 will reclassify some less-regulated gentle vehicles as more-regulated passenger automobiles, however just for home fashions — imports will stay much less stringently managed. That’s not an excellent search for an administration supposedly laser-focused on onshoring manufacturing. From Automotive News: 

A brand new rule from NHTSA might inadvertently immediate producers to make use of extra international elements and assemble extra autos abroad, or power them to hunt a particular exemption.

The new manner of divvying up autos into teams beginning with the 2030 mannequin yr will categorize many autos beforehand thought of gentle vehicles as passenger automobiles, and there are requirements for home passenger automobiles that don’t exist for home gentle vehicles.

To make a home automobile adjust to the gas financial system normal, “you could add technology and cost to the vehicle, or you could potentially … offshore part of the part supply or labor for that vehicle, and reclassify that vehicle as an import vehicle,” a regular that gives extra cushion, mentioned Tom Stricker, senior coverage adviser at Van Ness Feldman LLP.

Of course, none of this issues all that a lot. There are now not any fines for flying within the face of CAFE, so it could as effectively be a kind of blue-book legal guidelines that forbids carrying ice cream cones in your pockets. It’s largely there for adornment, not likely for enforcement. 

Yesterday, Ford recalled six figures’ price of automobiles. Today it is Toyota’s flip, specializing in the brand new Land Cruiser’s hybrid drivetrain. The concern: A connector on the gas tank can come free and leak gasoline. From Reuters: 

Oct 21 (Reuters) – Toyota is recalling 105,794 autos within the US ​over a possible gas ‌leak that might elevate the danger of fireplace if ​it reaches an ignition ​supply, the National Highway Traffic ⁠Safety Administration (NHTSA) mentioned on ​Wednesday.

Here are some particulars:

The recall ​entails sure 2024-2027 Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid autos, the auto ​security regulator mentioned

Leaking fuel into your automotive is not incredible, even when it does not catch on hearth. Gas eats away at many supplies, and does not scent nice within the enclosed inside of a automotive regardless. Get thee to a dealership, and get your additional hose clamps. 

The form of espresso maker you discover in your grandmother’s basement. Maybe it solely does espresso. 

Things are good, and all the time might be! Forever!

I wanna confess it in a whisper that is simply loud sufficient to make out.