Key takeaways from the GOP midterm convention and a first look at the iPhone Duo: Morning Rundown

Trump tries to energize his base with a $5,000 promise. Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer said she rejects the conspiracy theories about her ex-husband. And a hands-on look at the new foldable iPhone.

Trump makes the midterms about him in GOP convention speech: ‘I’m on the ballot’

President Donald Trump sought to energize Republican voters in a keynote speech during the party’s first-ever midterm convention, imploring supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” His name is not on the ballot in November, but he said his supporters need to vote like it is as the GOP fights to keep control of the House and Senate.

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Trump’s approval ratings, however, are at an all-time low, and the party is worried about MAGA voters not turning out in large numbers.

Trump said roughly 35 seats in both the House and the Senate are considered tossups, and he pledged to hold events in all of those races.

Is Trump’s $5k ‘dividend’ plan possible?

He also promised that his administration would hand out $5,000 dividend checks to Americans if Republicans hold on to Congress, though he said the money would have to be spent in the U.S. He didn’t specify where the roughly $1.35 trillion needed would come from or how spending would be enforced.

He told supporters that the Iran war, now in its seventh month, would be over “very shortly after the election.”

The event in Dallas is designed to put the president front and center in the closing stages of the midterm election cycle. Indeed, Trump has so far been the star of the show. Speakers yesterday mentioned his name 155 times, and Trump invoked his own name 16 times. The only other word mentioned more was variations of “America.”

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Lindsay Clancy rejects conspiracy theories about her ex-husband, lawyer says

In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News, Lindsay Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington rejected the conspiracy theories accusing Clancy’s ex-husband of killing their three children and said Clancy talks about her children, often repeating the phrase, “I want my babies.”

Reddington said Clancy is aware of how her case has taken off on social media. “She knows, and it’s readily apparent that Patrick has been set upon and his life has been turned upside down into a nightmare that he doesn’t deserve. Period. Full stop,” Reddington said.

Both the prosecution and defense in Clancy’s trial admitted she killed her children: Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months old. But “that was not the Lindsay that is now living among us,” Reddington said. Since last week’s mistrial, Clancy is “not very good” and remains “suicidal,” Reddington said, adding that she’s on “24/7, one-on-one suicide watch. I worry about her every day.”

Hands-on with Apple’s iPhone Duo

Apple unveiled its first foldable phone , the iPhone Duo, the biggest change to the company’s smartphone since it was first introduced nearly 20 years ago. There’s the external screen, as any normal smartphone has — but open it up, and users will see a 7.6-inch display that allows for two apps to run side-by-side or for a bigger streaming video experience.

NBC News chief tech analyst Joanna Stern played with the Duo for an hour after Apple’s event. “My first impression? This feels like a turning point in iPhone history,” she wrote. In comparison to other foldable phones that came before it, the iPhone Duo is thin, and the internal screen lacks a crease, Stern noted. But one of the biggest advantages of the $1,999 device is the software, not its shape, she said.

Stern shares more of her first impressions.

‘Once-in-a-millennium moment’: Medieval masterpiece Bayeux Tapestry finally goes on show in London

The 230-foot Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of William the Conqueror’s 1066 invasion of England, finally went on show to the public in London’s British Museum today. It reflects a “really seismic moment in British history,” the project’s curator said. Tickets sold out long in advance of its public opening.

NBC News was given exclusive access to the work , which was transported earlier this year to London from France in a secretive, high-tech operation.

Staff Pick : Why jet lag could decide the NFL’s first game in Australia

The NFL is a copycat league, where one successful strategy is quickly adopted by other teams. (See the “ Tush Push .”) And you can be sure the other 30 teams will be watching today to see whether the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams look fresher when they play in Melbourne, Australia.

The NFL will play a record nine international games this season as it tries to expand its reach globally. For teams, that means increasingly long-haul travel. In the case of the 49ers and Rams, each sought to battle the jet lag from their 17-hour flight to Australia in wildly different ways.

I talked to sleep experts to hear the pros and cons for both teams’ strategies — and maybe it will even help your preparation for your next long flight, too. — Andrew Greif , sports reporter

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NBC Selected: Online Shopping, Simplified

Le Creuset just dropped a limited-edition Star Trek collection , including a Dutch oven with a Starfleet Delta knob, a Klingon-inspired braiser and more. Plus, now’s a good time to make sure you’re cleaning your reusable water bottle properly. Here’s how to keep yours free of grime , mold and other harmful bacteria, according to microbiology experts.

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