Tight Iowa Senate Race, Trump's Women's Health Initiative, Elon's Billions Giveaway: AM Update 10/20

(upbeat music) - Good morning everyone, I'm Megan Kelly. It's Tuesday, October 20th, 2026, and this is your AM update. - Republicans have a voter registration advantage in the state of Iowa, but that doesn't mean that Republicans are going into this thinking that they are going to 100% win. - The U.S. Senate race in Iowa, currently a crucial toss up in the midterms as Democrats threatened to flip a seat in a state President Trump won by double digits. - The White House Women's Health Task Force, which will mobilize the entire federal government to coordinate action focused on improving women's health. - President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump launching a major new Women's Health Initiative, the Supreme Court refusing to intervene in the legal battle over a plea deal for the accused 9/11 mastermind leaving the death penalty on the table. An Elon Musk announcing plans to hand out billions of dollars in SpaceX stock to American children. 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Best of all, you can try Cozy Earth completely risk-free with their 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. Go to CozyEarth.com, use the code Megan AM for up to 20% off home and sleep wear. CozyEarth.com, code Megan AM, and when they ask where you heard about them at checkout, tell 'em you heard about them on AM Update. (upbeat music) Early voting underway in Iowa, where Republicans are fighting to hold on to a US Senate seat now rated a toss-up. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson running against Democrat State Representative Josh Turek for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst. Republican Hinson, a former television news anchor, first elected to Congress in 2020. Turek is a former professional wheelchair basketball player and two-time Paralympic gold medalist now serving in the Iowa State House. President Trump carrying Iowa by more than 13 points in 2024, but the latest polls show a dramatically closer contest. According to RealClearPoling, the Democrat Turek holds a narrow lead of just 0.6 points, 46.4 to Hinson's 45.8%. Prediction market CalShi gives Hinson a 56% chance of winning compared to the Democrats 44%. The race is tightening, though, with traders driving Turek's chances higher in recent weeks. Last month, he had just a 36% chance to win. Our sponsor CalShi reflects what traders actually believe. It's real-time odds on the midterm elections. Give it a try by using code Megan Kelly or click the link in the description. New users get 25 bucks free when they trade 25 bucks. A Democrat has not won a US Senate election in Iowa since 2008. Republicans also maintain a significant voter registration advantage. WHO-13 News, Iowa Capitol Bureau reporter, Tia Dora Mitoff, explains. We know from the latest Emerson College next our media poll that 7% of Iowa's pulled in that poll said that they were undecided. Those voters and independents again, those are going to be the critical ones here. We know that Republicans have a voter registration advantage in the state of Iowa over Democrats, nearly 170,000 more Republicans than there are Democrats. Independents also have an advantage over Democrats. But that doesn't mean that Republicans are going into this thinking that they are going to 100% when I spoke with the chair of the Iowa GOP, Jeff Kaufman about this. And he said that they are still acting like they're behind. They've been doing that even before when these candidates started to join the race. They are trying to campaign. He called this the largest Republican get out to vote campaign in Iowa history. However, early voting shows stronger participation amongst registered Democrats. According to NBC News, Democrats account for 54% of the more than 33,000 ballots cast so far compared to 30% from registered Republicans. Republicans traditionally vote more on election day, however. Democrat Turk raising nearly $14 million during the third quarter, more than four times Henson's $3.3 million haul. However, Turk spent most of that money, leaving Henson with almost twice as much cash on hand, heading into the final stretch, according to Iowa Public Radio. The war in Iran and soaring fuel prices becoming major issues in this race. Democrat Turk attacking Henson for opposing congressional efforts to restrict President Trump's military operations, even as Henson calls for an end to the war. Henson also breaking with the president over his decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel sales, intended to lower fuel prices amid the conflict. The Congresswoman opposing the agreement, arguing the US should focus on domestic energy production instead. Turk also opposing the deal while blaming the Iran war itself for rising costs. During their final televised debate last Tuesday, Turk accusing Henson of using her position in Congress to grow her family's wealth. The reality is is that in her public disclosing her filing, it says private stock, from $1 million to $5 million. She also took $50,000, even though she's a multi-millionaire and taxpayer dollars, to give herself a luxury DC apartment, and has had her husband operating as a shadow lobbyist. This is what is wrong with DC. Henson denying any wrongdoing and highlighting her support for a congressional stock trading ban. Henson also blasting Turk's lack of attendance in the Iowa legislature. There is a per-dem program in Washington, D.C., for members of Congress to use. You only can use it on days that you're actually in session. You can use it toward an apartment or toward a hotel. I use that program much like lawmakers here in Iowa do. Josh Turk used that program here in Iowa, even though he was only showing up to work two out of every five days. So that's criminal. If it isn't already, it should be. You should refund that money to the Iowa taxpayers and don't worry, I did the math. It's $11,600 that you should write a check back. A Politifact review finding Turk missing 58% of Iowa House floor votes during this year's legislative session. Turk defending his absences as necessary to campaign across the state. The Democrats securing a high-profile endorsement from former President Barack Obama, the former president winning Iowa in both of his presidential runs, joining Turk for a game of basketball in a campaign video released in July. I want to tell you what, people all across Iowa are saying that they're feeling that hope, that optimism for the first time in a long time. That's my sense. That's why I think it's going to happen. I've seen enough, not only did I get whooped, but you've got here a man, a character. Somebody who knows how to win. Now the ball's in your court, Iowa. Let's make sure that we send Josh Turk to the United States Senate. President Trump set to campaign in Iowa for Hinson on Thursday and again on November 1st as Republicans fight to hold this seat. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump announcing a new federal initiative aimed at improving women's health care, establishing a new division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force. The First Lady spearheading the effort, speaking yesterday during a Rose Garden ceremony to call for a fundamental shift and how the medical community studies and treats women. The advancing women's health to improve outcomes in all phases of life, exactly order, establishes a new standard for women's health in America. We now possess extraordinary scientific capabilities such as super intelligence, advanced by technology and groundbreaking therapies. At the same time, social norms, a changing, and topics that were once the goal of becoming open, well informed and necessary. Together, these developments present a unique chance to reinvent women's health care. The executive order aims to close long-standing gaps in women's medical research and treatment with a particular focus on conditions like endometriosis, osteoporosis and heart disease. Mrs. Trump outlining five priorities for the initiative, including directing more research funding toward women's health, using artificial intelligence to accelerate medical discoveries and getting new treatments to patients more quickly. President Trump then outlining how his admin plans to carry out those goals. These are mother's daughter, sister's wives, and under the Trump administration, we're going to get them the care and support that they need and deserve the executive order I'll sign in just a moment. We'll direct the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a new women's health division within the National Institute of Health. That's a big deal. This historic and interesting. initiative will promote new research and really go after the understudy diseases affecting women and promote innovative technologies to diagnose conditions sooner and improve treatment using the best available science and we've got that. So today's order also establishes the White House Women's Health Task Force which will mobilize the entire federal government to coordinate action focused on improving women's health. The new Women's Health Division will work alongside the NIH's existing Office of Research on Women's Health which was established in 1990. The White House Women's Health Task Force will be co-chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Wiles announcing last month that she was cancer-free six months after she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The executive order gives the admin 90 days to establish the new NIH division although it does not specify how much additional funding will be devoted to women's health research or treatments. The new Task Force holding its first meeting in the White House's Roosevelt Room shortly after Monday's ceremony. Coming up, the Supreme Court declining to take up an appeal from the accused 9/11 mastermind dealing another blow to his efforts to avoid the death penalty. And Elon Musk pledging to give every child in America a share of SpaceX stock. Veterans days coming up and Birch Gold Group is commemorating it with something I think you're gonna really appreciate. From now through October 30th for every $10,000 you purchase from Birch Gold, you get a free patriotic silver round. And there's no limit on how many you can earn. 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The three men accused of orchestrating the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. They have been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2006. They were formally charged in 2008 but have yet to stand trial. In 2024, military prosecutors reached plea agreements that would have allowed the men to avoid execution in exchange for pleading guilty and spending the rest of their lives in prison. Those deals dividing families of September 11th victims, some demanding a trial, others supporting the agreements as a way to finally bring this case to a close. Just days after the agreements were announced, then Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin intervened to cancel them, arguing that a decision of such significance should rest with him. A military judge initially blocked Austin's decision a ruling later upheld by a military appeals court. However, a federal appeals court overturning those rulings last year, finding Secretary Austin had the legal authority to cancel the plea deals. The defendants then appealing to the US Supreme Court, arguing that the case was too important for the justices to ignore. The Trump administration urging the High Court to reject this request, maintaining the appeals court had correctly upheld Austin's authority. Yesterday's decision leaves the ruling favoring Austin's authority in place, allowing prosecutors to continue seeking the death penalty. The justices offering no explanation for their decision. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in it, although the court did not explain his absence. Justice Kavanaugh previously working on legal and policy matters related to 9/11 while serving in the George W. Bush White House. He also served as a judge on cases involving Gitmo detainees when he was a member of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The military court is now preparing for a trial scheduled to begin June 5, 2028. Elon Musk pledging to give every child in America a single share of his SpaceX company, a massive stock giveaway potentially worth nearly $11 billion. The world's richest man announcing the plan on X Monday, writing that he intends to distribute the shares next year, adding it will be the first of many such gifts. The announcement follows a separate pledge Sunday by Artificial Intelligence Company and Thropic, which committed 5% of its shares to a new fund intended to benefit the public. Musk responding to that announcement by urging the company to distribute shares directly to ordinary Americans before revealing his own plans to do just that. There are roughly 72 million children under the age of 18 in the US, according to the US Census Bureau. At approximately $150 per SpaceX share, Musk's proposed giveaway would be worth nearly $11 billion. Musk later confirming on X, the shares will be distributed through President Trump's new investment accounts for children known as Trump accounts. The tax-advantaged accounts are available to American children under 18 with a valid social security number, allowing families and private donors to invest on their behalf. Musk joins some of America's wealthiest families in making multi-billion dollar commitments to the program. Last December, Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell and his wife Susan pledging $6.25 billion, providing $250 a piece to 25 million eligible American children through the Trump accounts program. SpaceX president Gwen Shotwell and her husband also pledging to contribute one share of SpaceX stock to the Trump accounts of more than 2 million children, focusing on lower income communities. Last month, the Treasury Department expanding the program to allow qualifying donations of individual company shares, generally requiring those stocks to be held for up to five years. President Trump posting to Truth Social yesterday, quote, "a big thank you to our legendary friend Elon Musk for his incredible generosity in giving SpaceX stock to millions of American children through Trump accounts." This is exactly what was envisioned when we created Trump accounts, bringing together the great private sector, Elon, and so many more to invest in our children by far our greatest and most important asset and give every American child a piece of the American dream. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK show. Live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel 111 at Muneast on youtube.com/megankelly and on all podcast platforms.