Wednesday, September 9, 2026

View in browser

Look at that, you’re already halfway through the week. Let’s catch up, shall we? Apple is preparing for a major product launch, and the midterm elections are coming into sharper focus. Plus, football fans, it’s time to reclaim your spot on the couch — the NFL season officially kicks off tonight.

- Alexandra Banner, lead writer

Let’s Begin Apple to unveil first foldable iPhone today

Apple will hold its annual iPhone event today, with the company expected to introduce its latest product lineup. Among the anticipated additions is what could be the iPhone’s biggest design change in years: a foldable model.

The highly anticipated launch will also put new CEO John Ternus in the spotlight, giving the longtime hardware executive his first major opportunity to lay out his vision for Apple since taking over from Tim Cook last week. Ternus inherits a company at a high point financially but under pressure to deliver its next big innovation and close the gap with rivals in artificial intelligence.

Foldable phones are also nothing new, but convincing people they need one in 2026 may be the hard part. After years of swiping and opening the same apps, many of us know our iPhones almost by muscle memory. If anyone can change those habits, though, it may be Apple, with more than 1 billion iPhone users who could help push foldables further into the mainstream.

+ Coming up: Watch Apple’s product event live at 1 p.m. ET

+ Read more: The world is about to meet Apple’s new CEO. Here are his biggest challenges

Election Watch The first GOP midterm convention begins

The Republican Party’s first midterm convention gets underway today in Dallas. The unusual two-day gathering comes with just 55 days before elections that will determine control of Congress. President Donald Trump, who helped conceive the event, is expected to headline alongside Vice President JD Vance and a slate of Republican leaders and candidates as the party seeks to energize Trump’s supporters — even though he is not on the ballot. The stakes are particularly high for the GOP, with Trump’s approval rating at 35% and Republicans fighting to preserve their congressional majorities this fall.

+ Read more: A look at this week’s GOP midterm convention, including which Republicans are staying away

+ Plus: Trump gets one more starring role at midterm convention

+ CNN Poll of Polls: 35% approve of Trump, 63% disapprove

✉️ Sign up for 20/26 Vision, CNN’s pop-up midterms newsletter. Each week, senior reporter Aaron Blake will break down the races, candidates and trends shaping the fight for control of Congress. Get the first edition this Thursday.

A Difficult History What NYC’s newly released 9/11 documents reveal

New York City released over 170,000 pages of documents revealing that officials misled residents about the toxic air quality levels after the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, just days before the city marks its 25th anniversary. Those living near Ground Zero were repeatedly reassured by officials that the air was safe, despite internal data and residents’ experiences that contradicted their claims, according to the documents. The records also detail failures to protect first responders, including withheld asbestos data and other test results, as well as conflicting public statements about the health risks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, but thousands more — including first responders who spent months working at the site — have since died from 9/11-related cancers and other illnesses, according to the 9/11 Memorial.

+ Read more: What we know about NYC’s newly released 9/11 records revealing officials misled public about air safety

+ Video: ‘It’s very clear that the city knew’: Jon Stewart speaks out on 9/11 air quality disclosure

Energy Update Global oil prices hit $100 per barrel

Oil prices are climbing again as the war with Iran continues to disrupt global energy supplies. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose more than 2% early today to briefly trade at $100 per barrel for the first time since July, before falling back slightly. The increase is being driven in part by reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and renewed attacks on oil infrastructure in the Middle East. The rise in crude has also pushed gasoline and diesel prices higher, putting more pressure on consumers. The US national average for diesel hit a record $5.90 a gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA data.

+ Read more: Global oil prices hit $100 per barrel as Middle East conflict roils markets

+ US-Iran tensions: US hits five Iranian oil tankers + Pentagon considers ways to destroy suspected Iranian nuclear sites

Before You Go An NFL season opener. And a math mystery cracked.

The NFL season officially kicks off tonight

It’s once again socially acceptable to spend hours glued to the TV. Here are 5 things to watch in the first week of games.

Or rather curl up with a book?

Social reading with hundreds of strangers is happening across the world.

OpenAI says it has solved one of math’s ‘Millennium Problems’

OpenAI announced its AI technology has cracked one of the “Millennium Problems” — seven famously difficult mathematical questions that have stumped even the world’s brightest minds.

Witchcraft in America

Do you live near anyone with a purple front door? If so, there may be a witch in your neighborhood, according to folklore.

Video: Prince George starts at elite $80,000-a-year Eton College

Britain’s Prince George has arrived at Eton, the elite school that taught his father and 20 UK prime ministers. Watch the video.

Thanks for reading

5 Things AM is edited by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.