Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) President Trump offered voters a quid pro quo, saying elect Republicans and get a $5,000 payout, which he called the Trump dividend. The proposal is unlikely to become law, as fellow Republicans have already rejected similar ideas and Congress would need to approve a cash payment program with a price tag well over $1 trillion. Trump's announcement was met with skepticism, with some seeing it as a desperate attempt to motivate voters and others predicting it will backfire, particularly given the US debt at record levels.
2) Iran is ready for a more intense war and will escalate counterstrikes if the US continues attacking its territory and infrastructure, according to a senior official. The US and Iran have been engaged in a war for seven months, with recent tit-for-tat attacks pushing up energy prices and adding pressure on President Trump to end the conflict. Iran's leaders believe they have little choice but to keep fighting until they're confident Washington will be too wary to attack again in future, despite the worsening economic situation in the country.
3) Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable smartphone, which will improve on rivals' foldable models. The iPhone Duo has a 7.6-inch screen, an outer 5.4-inch screen, and will be able to work with the iPad's Apple Pencil stylus, with a cost starting at $1,999. The device will be available for preorder on Oct. 16 in more than 70 countries and regions, ahead of its release on Oct. 23, and will sit at the top of Apple's iPhone lineup.