Storming a Burger King in honor of the French today.
Happy Bastille Day to all of you who celebrate. As much as we like to joke about the French, theyβve given us a lot: Impressionism, the baguette, and French fries. After a Google search, we also just learned that they gave us the photograph, the stethoscope, and pasteurization (sorry, RFK Jr.). So in honor of the French, we would like to end the intro with our favorite French saying: βI Surrender, I Surrender.β
π₯ Epstein tape modified?
πΊπ¦ Trump to arm Ukraine
πΊπΈ 31 LA construction workers rescued
βMax and Max
KEY STORY
Epstein Tape Modified?

The βfull rawβ surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epsteinβs cell was likely modified, Wired found
Last week, the Justice Department (DoJ) concluded that Epstein killed himself, did not have clients, and implicated no one in his crimes. To address doubt about those findings, the DoJ released the βrawβ 11-hour video from a camera positioned outside Epsteinβs cell
Yet the timer on the footage jumps from 11:58:58 PM to 12:00:00 AM; the footage appears to show a different cell door than that reported in 2019; and Wired found that, βThe footageβ¦appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJβs website, where it was presented as βrawβ footageβ
Dig Deeper
Wired said the findings did not prove manipulation and that the video βmay have simply been processed for public release using available software, with no modifications beyond stitching together two clips.β Yet the author added: βBut the absence of a clear explanation for the processing of the file using professional editing software complicates the Justice Departmentβs narrativeβ
The situation has prompted widespread accusations that the administration is enabling a cover-up. On Friday, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino β formerly a major proponent of Epstein-related theories β skipped work and reportedly threatened to resign over the situation
Trump has repeatedly downplayed any concerns about Epstein, posting this weekend: β[Letβs] not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares aboutβ
KEY STORY
Trump to Arm Ukraine
President Trump said the US would provide additional Patriot missiles to Ukraine, a significant expansion of his support to the country
After initially pausing arms and intelligence sharing with Ukraine to bring it to the negotiating table, Trump is now saying that Putin is the actual obstacle to peace
Last week, Trump said, βWe get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. Heβs very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaninglessβ
On Friday, Trump confirmed that the US would be sending additional Patriot missiles to Ukraine, his first time expanding support to the country
Dig Deeper
βWe are going to be sending Patriots to Nato and then Nato will distribute that,β Trump said
Patriots β one of the few systems capable of shooting down hypersonic ballistic missiles β are among the USβ most advanced air defense systems and comprise a vital part of Ukraineβs missile defense
The news came after a week during which Russia waged one of its most intense aerial campaigns against Ukraine. Itβs also conducting offensives in eastern and southern Ukraine, and has amassed 50,000+ troops near Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine
Last week, an Economist analysis found that Russia is currently experiencing a higher death toll than at any other point during the war
QUOTE OF THE DAY
If you ignore the past, you jeopardize the future
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KEY STORY
Air India Report
A preliminary investigation into the June Air India/Boeing crash confirmed that fuel-control switches were turned off shortly after takeoff
On June 12, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just after takeoff from Indiaβs Ahmedabad airport. The first crash involving a Boeing 787, its cause hasnβt been established
On Friday, a preliminary Indian investigation mentioned that both fuel-control switches went from "run" to "cutoff" within seconds of each other just after liftoff, cutting fuel supply to both engines
The report noted: βIn the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoffβ¦The other pilot responded that he did not do so.β Both switches were turned back on around 10 seconds later, but the engines couldn't restart and regain thrust quickly enough
Dig DeeperΒ
US pilots familiar with the 787 were quoted as saying that the fuel-control switches have protective guards and mechanical mechanisms that would make them difficult to move accidentally. However, the FAA has noted the "potential disengagement" of such features on Boeing 737s, a different plane with a similar mechanism to the 787
The report didnβt reach any final conclusions about what factors led to the accident
While it established that the fuel switches were turned off, it didnβt make clear whether an accident or intentional act caused the movement
KEY STORY
Palestine Aid Report

A UN report found at least 798 killings near Gaza aid sites, while the Israel/US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said its mission was succeeding
GHF took over aid distribution from the UN in May, establishing IDF-protected hubs where Palestinians can gather for food. On Friday, the UN human rights office released a report that found that 798 Palestinians were killed near GHF sites between May 27 and July 7
GHF called the report "false and misleadingβ and said that it had been far more effective in delivering aid to Palestinians than the UN
The report came days after the UNβs World Food Programme acknowledged that βmostβ of its aid trucks had been intercepted by βhungry civilian communitiesβ
Dig DeeperΒ
The UN report follows a report by Haaretz, one of Israel's leading newspapers, that found βthe army has deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid distribution sites over the past monthβ
Haaretz quoted one Israeli soldier as saying, "It's a killing fieldβ¦Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They're treated like a hostile force β no crowd-control measures, no tear gas β just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the center opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire"
Israelβs prime minister and defense minister called the reportβs claims βblood libelsβ
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
π² Elon Musk's xAI is preparing to raise funds at a valuation between $170-200B, representing a 10-fold increase from its $18B valuation in May 2024
πΎ Jannik Sinner got his revenge against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, defeating the Spaniard in four sets to win his first Wimbledon title
π¨π¦ President Trump announced plans for a 35% tariff on Canadian goods starting August 1, escalating tensions with America's third-largest trading partner mid-negotiations
π Ovidio GuzmΓ‘n LΓ³pez, son of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder "El Chapo," pleaded guilty Friday in a Chicago court to four US drug trafficking charges including distribution and participating in a continuing criminal enterprise
π¦Έ "Superman" opened to $122M domestically this weekend, marking the highest-ever opening for a solo Superman film
π§ββοΈ A federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to stop indiscriminate immigration arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles
What does Roca Nation think?
π€ Todayβs Question: Do you think people are making too big of a deal about the lack of Epstein disclosure?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
π· LA Consequential: 31 construction workers were safely rescued after part of a massive wastewater tunnel collapsed beneath LA
π©Έ Fighting Cancer, Funding Hope: The younger sister of 18-year-old leukemia patient Cedar Connell raised $620K in seven weeks for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of her brother
πΌοΈ Uber for paintings: An MIT student has developed a method using AIβgenerated polymer masks to restore timeβworn paintings in just hours, not months
π Tiny Dose, Big Breakthrough: The worldβs first malaria treatment specifically for babies has been approved, offering protection to the most vulnerable group affected by the disease
π° Seeds of Generosity: An Englishman has opened his garden to the public on Saturdays for the past 22 years, raising $675K for charity
ROCA WRAP
Salary Scandal

Peru
This countryβs president doubled her salary despite having a record low 2% approval rating.
Peru has struggled with political instability for decades, cycling through multiple presidents and frequent constitutional crises. In recent years, rising crime, economic uncertainty, and corruption have contributed to record-low approval ratings for politicians β including President Dina Boluarte, who has the lowest approval rating of any Peruvian president in modern history at just 2%.
Despite her record lack of popularity, earlier this month, Boluarte issued a decree doubling her monthly salary to 35,500 soles ($10,000). The new salary is almost 35 times Peru's monthly minimum wage, which stands at 1,025 soles ($288).
The news has been met with widespread derision, with many Peruvians pointing out the obviously stupid politics of an unpopular president significantly raising their own salary. On social media, citizens shared footage from Boluarte's recent visit to the city of Arequipa, where angry protesters pelted her car with stones and eggs, illustrating the deep antipathy many feel toward her leadership.
The timing of the raise has particularly angered Peruvians who are struggling with rising crime and economic hardship while their president increases her own compensation. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Boluarte was not elected as president but came to power in December 2022 when her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached.
Her presidency has been overshadowed by multiple investigations, including allegations that she failed to declare luxury gifts and abandoned her post during nose surgery without appointing a caretaker. Boluarte has continued to defend her actions, while the nationβs economy minister said that the increase was justified, given that Boluarte's salary had previously been the second lowest among 12 countries in the region (only Bolivia paid its president less).
Maybe $10,000 is a fair monthly salary for a president. But in a country where most people live on a fraction of that, itβs definitely bad politics.
EDITORβS NOTE
Final Thoughts
Max T is en route to SFO after an amazing trip to the Bay Area. Thank you to all of the locals who recommended stories and met up with us in person to help those stories. Stay tuned for our deep dives on East Oakland, the secretive AI community, Americaβs richest town, and San Franciscoβs open-air drug market.
The Roca Wave continues to grow, and weβre excited for the week ahead. Letβs start it off strong!
βMax and Max



