Trump pledges $5,000 checks and other incentives tied to Republican victories, while U.S. envoy meets Putin after American teacher’s release
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President Trump promised $5,000 checks and additional benefits for voters if Republicans retain Congress, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff praised Putin following the release of a detained American teacher.
President Donald Trump told crowds in Kansas that Americans could receive $5,000 checks if Republican candidates win the upcoming midterm elections, adding that additional incentives would be offered only if the GOP maintains control of Congress. He also promised to lift summer restrictions on a fuel blend containing 15% ethanol, announced a $100 million investment in a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Kentucky, and said he would "very strongly" consider Ohio for a Space Force Academy, contingent on Republican victories.
A recent NBC News Decision Desk poll indicated that only 14% of U.S. adults expect to receive the promised checks, and 47% of self-identified Republicans said they do not anticipate receiving one.
In a separate development, Russia released 74-year-old retired teacher Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in Ukraine since 2022. The release coincided with a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. > "You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir," Witkoff said, praising Putin for the release.
The U.S. has been engaging the Kremlin in talks for weeks, and the release is being presented by the White House as a diplomatic success amid ongoing criticism of the administration’s approach to the conflict in Ukraine.
The CDC reported that the U.S. fertility rate fell to a new low in 2025, with 53 births per 1,000 women aged 15-44, continuing a downward trend that some conservative lawmakers attribute to demographic and security concerns.
Actress Christina Applegate disclosed on her podcast that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than five years ago, describing her situation as "back at square one" and expressing disappointment over the error.