TECHNOLOGY

Duo’s Debut

A new era of the iPhone is unfolding. 

Wednesday, Apple announced three freshly picked iPhones coming soon: the 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo, Apple’s first empanada foldable phone.

The Duo is the biggest (7.6 inches unfolded), thinnest (5.2 millimeters unfolded), and priciest iPhone yet (starting at $1,999 folded and unfolded). Ripe-for-release in October, the multifaceted mobile was “designed for durability” and allows users to FaceTime in two directions and multitask by opening two windows at once (see it open like a book).

The 18 Pro and Pro Max will drop next week, featuring “the most advanced pro camera system in an iPhone,” juiced-up battery life, the all-new A20 Pro chip, and four colors (see what $1,199 buys you). Absent from the announcement: a standard iPhone 18. Analysts expect the amateur version will be announced next spring. 

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God—the Creator of the universe, Great Innovator, and Inventor of everything. However you engage with your own phone, remember to use technology to point others to eternal hope in Him. 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through him and for him.”
Colossians 1:15-16 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Rising AI-nxiety

A former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher resigned… then sounded the AI alarm bells.

In a viral post Tuesday, Jacob Coxon said the premier AI labs are “gambling with our lives” as they race toward ever-smarter systems. Coxon wants a “temporary ban” on making models smarter, saying Anthropic understands the dangers but is racing “to get there first,” because rivals wouldn’t “act responsibly” (see all seven posts). Anthropic’s alignment science lead echoed Coxon’s concerns, putting his personal odds above 10% that AI “could kill all humans” within the next decade. 

It’s the threat of “recursive self-improvement” (RSI) that has industry leaders sweating. With RSI, AI could improve itself faster than humans can track, making sci-fi scenarios like hacking critical infrastructure or building deadly bioweapons more plausible.

Others questioned if the motive behind the post was more of a “well-funded PR operation.”

PRAY WITH US
All-Powerful God, from Your mind comes all that we can see and know. From the abundance You’ve given us, we have created a mind of silicon: all-knowing, always available, hyper-speedy, and never needy.

Turn our creation into redemption. For engineers writing code, may they desire peace over profits. For executives setting vision and direction, may they work for shalom over market shares. For lawmakers setting policies, may they champion long-term dignity over short-term domination. And for all of us tempted to bow to and trust and deify what we’ve built, turn our eyes to Christ, in whom all things hold together. Amen.

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POLITICS

Big Ideas

President Trump promised to cut all adult American citizens a $5,000 check… if Republicans hold both chambers in the midterms.

In his nearly two-hour remarks at the Dallas RNC Convention Wednesday night, #47 suggested the money would have to be spent on American soil and could be paid for by tariffs. VP Vance said the payments were “fundamentally a dividend for American workers.” However, critics liken it to a “vote-buying scheme” and question if tariff revenue is enough to cover ~$1.3T in payouts.

Earlier Wednesday, the Trump Administration also floated only counting citizens and permanent residents in the 2030 census and dropping race and ethnicity questions. Officials say the framers intended to count “inhabitants” with lasting residence; critics say it violates the 14th Amendment and miscounting could yield insufficient funding and representation.

Curious about censuses (censes? cenci?)? Keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow for TPO Explains, where we’ll break it down.

Verse to consider whether politicians let you down or deliver big…
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future… But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NLT) (read full passage)

Yesterday marked one year since Charlie Kirk’s assassination by a rooftop sniper at Utah Valley University. The conservative activist’s organization Turning Point USA held a “deliberate act of remembrance” in his honor at UVU, and Republicans commemorated him at their midterm convention in Dallas. The anniversary also revived debates about Kirk’s legacy, with some students protesting the memorial.


Iran-backed Houthis seized a strategic port on Yemen’s Red Sea coast yesterday after days of fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The capture of Mokha (the chocolatey latte’s namesake) complicates Saudi Arabia’s oil exports, as Iran squeezes Hormuz shipments to the northeast (see a map we made you). U.S. crude oil passed $100/barrel yesterday, its highest since May, as U.S.-Iran fighting also escalated this week.


SCOTUS blocked Missouri from using its new congressional map in the midterms. The Republican-proposed map, which could’ve added another GOP House seat, was already used in Show-Me-State primary voting. Over 300,000 Missourians petitioned against redistricting, calling it a “power grab”; the RNC said the ruling “pulls the rug out from under” the voters who cast primary ballots last month.


LIV Golf, the rival league that poached PGA golfers using massive paydays, filed for bankruptcy Tuesday. Despite Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund driving $5B into LIV since 2022, the league puttered out without fan or TV traction, and participating golfers may never get their full bag. LIV says it’s restructuring toward player ownership and will return to the links in 2027.


Move over Thin Mints… There’s new cookies in town. Girl Scouts of the USA will expand its menu next year, debuting blueberry muffin-flavored Patch Pals for man’s best friend and crunchy oatmeal Sparkables for families avoiding the nine major food allergens. Allowing more “families and beloved pets to participate,” the new cookies will be available exclusively online starting in January (see the new boxes).

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

POV: You're an eagle...

What I’m Collecting (and You Should, Too)
Spiral-Bound Notetaking Bibles*

I have one (1) CSB Spiral-Bound Notetaking Bible (the Historical Books), and after trying it out, I knew I had a new goal: collect them all.

Everything about this Bible changed my quiet time experience. From a practical standpoint, it lays flat, which means it stays open and in place while I’m taking notes. Then, the five separate volumes split my Bible reading plan into more manageable chunks. Plus, it has wide margins for me to put my own thoughts, creating a record of how the Lord was working in my heart as I read His Word.

10/10 would recommend starting your own collection.

Katherine Anne Thierfelder | Writer

Who I’m Praying For
My kids, with this guide*

I am quick to obsess over all the ways I need to buy/say/try/do the right thing to be a good mom. But more than anything, what I really need to do is pray. That’s why I’m thankful for The Power of a Praying Mom—a free guide with seven honest prayers for seven real moments in motherhood.

The prayers are so relatable and raw. I’ve printed them out and posted them around my house—by the sink, in the laundry room, by the rocking chair in the nursery.

Your kids don’t need a perfect mom; they need a praying one. Check out this free resource today!

Courtney Davis | Finance Coordinator

*From our partners

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