Trump makes big promises on the campaign trail – but with conditions. Special envoy Steve Witkoff praises President Vladimir Putin after Russia releases a retired American teacher. And actress Christina Applegate reveals misdiagnosis of MS.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Trump continues to promise ‘gifts’ on the campaign trail – only if Republicans win
It’s not just about $5,000 checks that President Donald Trump is promising Americans if Republicans win the midterm elections. He teases “more goodies” that won’t reach states if Democrats take over Congress.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Register here to receive it in your inbox.
Just this week, in Kansas, while rallying with Republican Senator Roger Marshall, Trump promised that the sale of fuel containing 15% ethanol would no longer be restricted this summer. In Kentucky, he promised a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing facilities. In Ohio, Trump said he would “very strongly” consider the state’s creation of the Space Force Academy.
But only if his preferred Republican candidates win and the Republican Party retains control of Congress.
It’s part of a trend by Trump, who uses the power of his office as a carrot — or a stick — to advance his political ambitions.
Democrats criticized the president’s statements that support would be conditional. And more generally, his assertions arouse a certain skepticism.
A recent NBC News Decision Desk poll found that only 14% of American adults expect the $5,000 check promised by Trump. Even 47% of self-identified Republicans say they don’t expect to receive one.
Read the full story here.
Dive deeper into the 2026 elections:
- See the latest survey and the battlefield states in play.
- Track Early Vote Counts by age, gender and more.
- How is it going in Texas? Find out who’s running and how Republicans and Democrats fared in past elections. Then scroll to the end of the page to explore the data in other states.
More political news:
- For subscribers: Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign for governor of Ohio claimed responsibility for a video attacking her Democratic rival Amy Acton, featuring her estranged mother calling her a “liar.”
- For subscribers: Department of Defense review of 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could be published in the coming days and is expected to question senior officers involved in the widely criticized operation.
Russia releases retired US teacher as Trump envoy meets Putin
Russia has released retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard, 74, in the latest sign of deepening ties between the two countries as Washington pressures kyiv to accept a deal ending Moscow’s war.
News of Hubbard’s release came as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with Putin early in the day in St. Petersburg. In remarks carried by Russian state news agencies, Putin said Hubbard was at the airport and Witkoff congratulated the Russian leader on his release. “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, that he’s a humanitarian. You’re a humanitarian, too, sir,” Witkoff said.
The United States has been courting the Kremlin for weeks, and the release of Hubbard — a retired Michigan professor held in Ukraine in 2022 — will give Trump a victory to tout after backlash at home and abroad for his distancing from kyiv in the conflict.
Witkoff’s meeting with Putin came a day after he and other U.S. envoys met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has distanced himself from Kyiv in recent weeks, criticize Zelensky, waive sanctions against Russia and agree to a diesel deal with the Kremlin.
Learn more about the US-Russia negotiations.
U.S. fertility rate hits new record high
The fertility rate in the United States reached a new record in 2025, according to a new report from the CDC. For every 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, about 53 gave birth in 2025, up from almost 54 the previous year. The results show that birth rates increased last year among women aged 30 to 44, while births among women under 30 decreased.
The country’s declining birth rate has sparked concern among some conservative politicians who fear the effects a shrinking population could have on the economy and national security. On the other hand, many population researchers say the declining fertility rate largely reflects fewer teen pregnancies and more women waiting to have children until they have achieved their career and education goals.
Other countries where fertility rates have fallen.
Christina Applegate is back to square one after misdiagnosed with MS
Emmy-winning actress Christina Applegate revealed on her podcast yesterday that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than five years ago, a development she says she’s “not happy about at all.”
Applegate, best known for her roles in “Married… With Children” and “Dead to Me,” said she feels “back to square one” as she continues to suffer from debilitating medical issues.
“It’s weird, because I feel like I’m letting everyone down,” she told her “MeSsy” podcast co-host, actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who was diagnosed with MS about 25 years ago.
MS is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the way information flows between the brain and body, causing symptoms such as pain and paralysis. Symptoms can be shared in several conditions, which makes diagnosis difficult.
What else did Applegate say about his misdiagnosis.
Staff choice: California residents woke up to their homes sliding into the ocean
We’re still months away from the peak of El Niño and already homes once protected by wide beaches and boardwalks have collapsed into the ocean. In Long Beach, residents told me they watched in horror as high waves flooded homes and sprayed roofs with seawater.
“I knew it was toast,” one resident said of his two-story apartment building, which collapsed into the Pacific in the early hours of October 9.
Southern California’s fragile coastline is transformed storm after storm by record king tides and storm surges. In speaking with experts who study weather and tides, one thing became abundantly clear: the destruction we have witnessed over the past two months. is just a glimpse of what is yet to come. — Alicia Victoria Lozanojournalist based in California
Read all about it
- Kyle Francis Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, died at 42 after a severe spinal cord injury that led to years of medical problems.
- For subscribers: How the French far right took advantage of a weekend of riotslooting and chaos.
- A 19 year old woman filed a complaint alleging she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago. In an interview with NBC News, the woman said the incident was “the first thing I think about every time I wake up…and the last thing I think about every time I go to sleep.”
- Netflix reported 12% revenue growth in the third quarter, a week after laying off about 1,000 employees and ousting several top executives.
- Australian MP Helen Haines had both legs amputated after she was hit by a car outside her election office, her husband said, as the man accused of the attack appeared in court.
NBC Selected: online shopping made easy
Don’t light that breakfast griddle yet – your bacon could be in danger. Here’s what you need to know approximately the 1.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat products that were just recalled. Plus, we spoke with experts from how to keep perishable foods fresh during a power outage.
Subscribe to La Sélection newsletter for practical product reviews, expert buying advice, and insight into the best deals and sales every week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson, Josh Feldman and Josephine Murphy. If you are a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can register here.
Gn usa
