Trump makes highly unusual promise of $5,000 for all if Republicans win midterms | First Thing

Donald Trump in Dallas, where he urged voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Donald Trump in Dallas, where he urged voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images First Thing: Trump makes highly unusual promise of $5,000 for all if Republicans win midterms Speaking in Dallas, the president raised ethical concerns with an apparent $1tn offer to the electorate. Plus the US citizens who are finding Scotland to be an irresistible lure Good morning. Donald Trump has pledged to pay every adult citizen in the US $5,000 if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the midterm elections. The outlandish proposal, which would cost over $1tn, immediately raised ethical concerns. Trump made the promise during a marathon speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in which he assailed Democrats as “radical”, defended his unpopular war in Iran, and urged voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot”. Trump claimed, without evidence, that his second term had been “the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the history of the presidency”. In a statement, Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, accused Republicans of holding a “bizarre dog-and-pony show” to placate the president’s “fragile ego”. “Tonight only confirmed that the president is a lame duck failure who is dragging his party toward defeat,” Martin said. Why did the Republicans hold a midterm convention? Republicans are gambling that the GOP’s first midterm convention can salvage their threatened House majority. However, Trump’s dismal approval rating drove many competitive candidates to skip the two-day event entirely. What has Trump said about the former attorney Michael Cohen? The US president has said he would consider pardoning Michael Cohen, the former fixer whom he once branded a “rat” for testifying against him. Cohen was Trump’s personal lawyer, but flipped in 2018, and pleaded guilty to federal crimes including facilitating a hush payment to the pornography star Stormy Daniels and lying under oath to Congress. Rubio says US will work with allies to stop drug-trafficking as three killed in latest boat strike View image in fullscreen Marco Rubio speaks to the press outside the US embassy in Quito. Photograph: Dolores Ochoa/AP The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisted the military would “still blow up ships if need be”. The statement comes a year after Washington began a campaign of unilateral deadly strikes against those it calls “narco-terrorists” operating boats in international waters. “I think it’s an incredible advance for the first time to have countries that are willing to participate in these efforts in their territorial waters,” Rubio told reporters on a trip to the Ecuadorian capital, Quito. “The important point is that these routes are being disrupted. These routes are being ended”. How many people has the US killed in its campaign? Late Wednesday, US Southern Command announced the latest strike in the Caribbean Sea, saying it killed three people. That brought the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 230 in 69 strikes. What has the US announced about Ecuador’s gangs? The US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organisation. Rubio said the gang was linked to narcotics trafficking, as well as attacks on civilians, law enforcement officers and journalists. “We are talking about terrorists who, in many cases, possess weapons and equipment resembling the national armies of certain countries,” he said. Apple unveils folding iPhone Duo … and its new CEO View image in fullscreen Apple CEO John Ternus, alongside vice-president of industrial design Molly Anderson, showing off the new iPhone Duo. Photograph: Karl Mondon/AFP/Getty Images Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone and the most significant change to the iPhone since its 2007 introduction. The nearly $2,000 device takes inspiration from iPads’ wide screens, and when opened, is the company’s largest phone display and thinnest phone. While competitors have been releasing foldable smartphones since the late 2010s, the new model is a first for Apple, and its rollout serves as the first big test for its new CEO, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook last week. The phone will be available on 23 October. What did new CEO Ternus say about his role? Helming the company’s annual showcase for the first time, Ternus said: “I want to take a moment to express what an extraordinary privilege it is to represent the remarkable teams here at Apple. I continue to be inspired every single day by the curiosity, invention and relentless pursuit of excellence that define Apple.” Anthropic researchers say AI could cause human extinction by 2030 View image in fullscreen Anthropic has been accused of ignoring the extent of the threat from artificial intelligence. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters Artificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade, according to three researchers with the industry giant Anthropic, one of whom has quit his job in protest. Jacob Coxon accused Anthropic and his previous employer, OpenAI, of ignoring or, at best, mishandling their response to the threat. He said: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt. No other human activity poses this level of danger.” Lawmakers including Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders have raised concerns following Coxon’s words. In other news … View image in fullscreen The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, inspecting a nuclear materials production factory. Photograph: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images North Korea has built a new uranium facility to expand its nuclear arsenal, a UN agency has said. Hawaii’s western islands saw significant damage as Hurricane Lowell passed by leaving widespread power outages on Kauai. A large-scale ⁠search and rescue operation ​is under way in the Philippines after a passenger ferry caught fire, killing five people and leaving ⁠scores of passengers missing. Instagram’s boss has claimed users will be “overwhelmed” with brand content in an algorithm-free world, after Australia’s government announced plans to give people an opt-out. The ultrarunner Megan Eckert has shattered both the US men’s and women’s records by running 636 miles in six days. Stat of the day: Tens of millions of people fail to get humanitarian aid as global system crumbles View image in fullscreen People queuing for food aid in Kenya. Photograph: Patrick Ngugi/AP With aid contributions cut by 30% between 2022 and 2025, the humanitarian system has suffered one of its biggest contractions since being formed in the post-second world war era, according to the State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report. The Filter recommends: Toys and activities to keep your dog engaged, happy and healthy View image in fullscreen Willow, a miniature dachshund. Photograph: Martin Belam/The Guardian From indoor scent training to the longest-lasting slow feeders, these are experts’ top recommendations for keeping dogs fulfilled. Don’t miss this: Trump’s top six falsehoods about 9/11 View image in fullscreen The twin towers of the World Trade Center burn behind the Empire State Building in New York. Photograph: Marty Lederhandler/AP As the 25th anniversary of that dreadful day approaches, Chris Stein reminds us of the president’s habit of stretching the truth about 9/11. Rather more seriously, our international security correspondent, Jason Burke, writes that experts are sounding the alarm over “complacency” in current US counter-terror efforts. … or this: Meet the Americans moving to Scotland View image in fullscreen American Caledonian convert Corey Kinnan. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian Since Trump’s re-election in 2024, there has been a 63% rise in Americans renting properties in Scotland. Politics is one reason – but there are many other surprising motivations, as Anita Chaudhuri discovers. Climate check: Climate ‘feedback loops’ could worsen global warming by 30%, study finds View image in fullscreen Wildfires in South Sumatra. Photograph: Mast Irham/EPA Rising global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels are transforming the world’s forests, wetlands and tundra to the point they are releasing emissions that could further worsen global heating by as much as 30%, a new study has found. Last Thing: Baby orangutans found in forest in India spark trafficking investigation View image in fullscreen Orangutans after their rescue. Photograph: Odisha Forest Department/AFP/Getty Images Five baby orangutans have been found, thousands of miles away from their natural habitat, in a forest in India, prompting authorities to investigate if they were trafficked into the country. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com Explore more on these topics US news First Thing newsletter news Share Reuse this content