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.
asserted
Republicans → pledge → elections
The outlandish proposal, which would cost over $1tn, immediately raised ethical concerns.
asserted
which → cost → 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”.
asserted
I → make → 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”.
asserted
term → claim → 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”.
asserted
Martin → accuse → ego
“Tonight only confirmed that the president is a lame duck failure who is dragging his party toward defeat,” Martin said.
asserted
Martin → confirm → defeat
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Why did the Republicans hold a midterm convention?
asserted
Republicans → hold → convention
Republicans are gambling that the GOP’s first midterm convention can salvage their threatened House majority.
asserted
convention → gamble → majority
However, Trump’s dismal approval rating drove many competitive candidates to skip the two-day event entirely.
asserted
rating → drive → event
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What has Trump said about the former attorney Michael Cohen?
asserted
Trump → say → attorney
The US president has said he would consider pardoning Michael Cohen, the former fixer whom he once branded a “rat” for testifying against him.
asserted
he → say → 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.
asserted
Cohen → flip → Congress
Rubio says US will work with allies to stop drug-trafficking as three killed in latest boat strike
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three → say → strike
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”.
asserted
need → say → ships
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.
asserted
it → come → 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.
asserted
Rubio → think → capital
“The important point is that these routes are being disrupted.
asserted
routes → disrupt → ?
These routes are being ended”.
asserted
routes → end → ?
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How many people has the US killed in its campaign?
asserted
US → kill → campaign
Late Wednesday, US Southern Command announced the latest strike in the Caribbean Sea, saying it killed three people.
asserted
it → announce → 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.
asserted
who → bring → strikes
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What has the US announced about Ecuador’s gangs?
asserted
US → announce → gangs
The US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang as a terrorist organisation.
asserted
US → designate → organisation
Rubio said the gang was linked to narcotics trafficking, as well as attacks on civilians, law enforcement officers and journalists.
asserted
gang → say → civilians
“We are talking about terrorists who, in many cases, possess weapons and equipment resembling the national armies of certain countries,” he said.
asserted
he → talk → countries
Apple unveils folding iPhone Duo … and its new CEO
asserted
Apple → unveil → Duo
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone and the most significant change to the iPhone since its 2007 introduction.
asserted
Apple → unveil → 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.
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device → take → screens
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.
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who → release → Cook
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What did new CEO Ternus say about his role?
asserted
Ternus → say → 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.
asserted
it → helm → Apple
I continue to be inspired every single day by the curiosity, invention and relentless pursuit of excellence that define Apple.”
asserted
that → continue → Apple
Anthropic researchers say AI could cause human extinction by 2030
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.
uncertain
one → say → protest
Jacob Coxon accused Anthropic and his previous employer, OpenAI, of ignoring or, at best, mishandling their response to the threat.
asserted
Coxon → accuse → threat
He said: “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.
uncertain
it → say → decade
No other human activity poses this level of danger.”
asserted
activity → pose → danger
Lawmakers including Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders have raised concerns following Coxon’s words.
asserted
Lawmakers → include → words
In other news …
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North Korea has built a new uranium facility to expand its nuclear arsenal, a UN agency has said.
asserted
agency → build → arsenal
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Hawaii’s western islands saw significant damage as Hurricane Lowell passed by leaving widespread power outages on Kauai.
asserted
Lowell → see → Kauai
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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.
asserted
ferry → catch → passengers
…and 10 more, not listed.
