Republicans held their midterm election convention this week, where President Donald Trump made a strong presence, encouraging attendees to act as if he were on the ballot this fall. He urged them to vote for candidates aligned with his policies and warned that failure to do so could lead to "going to hell," a dramatic way of emphasizing the importance of the election. Democrats have interpreted this as a strategy to make the midterms a direct test of Trump's influence, especially given his historically low approval ratings. While some Republican strategists advocate for a more measured use of Trump’s popularity, the president has chosen a broad approach to rally voters. Polls show Republicans are struggling with voter enthusiasm, and Trump’s involvement is seen as critical to holding onto Senate seats in key states like Alaska, Ohio, Texas, and Iowa. Meanwhile, concerns about the risks posed by artificial intelligence have grown, particularly regarding its potential to pose existential threats to humanity. Jacob Coxon, a former employee of Anthropic, a company working on advanced AI systems, resigned and criticized both Anthropic and OpenAI, another major AI firm, for not handling the technology responsibly. He warned that AI could lead to human extinction by the end of the decade. Evan Hubinger, another Anthropic employee, echoed these concerns, estimating a greater than 10% chance of AI causing human extinction in the next ten years. These warnings have sparked discussions in Congress, with Democrats pushing for the creation of specialized committees to oversee AI development. Senator Ted Cruz, who leads the Senate Commerce Committee, acknowledged the rapid progress in AI and its potential dangers, saying the committee is working on legislation to address catastrophic risks, including those involving biological or nuclear threats. At the Republican convention, Trump also announced a bold proposal: if Republicans retained control of both the House and Senate, he would support sending $5,000 in "divided" checks to every American adult. The term "divided" suggests the money might be distributed through various government programs rather than direct payments. This pledge has raised concerns about fiscal responsibility, especially with the current budget deficit and worries about how such a policy might affect inflation and interest rates. While the proposal may face resistance from lawmakers and economists, it could still play a role in shaping the political landscape as the midterms approach.