🌊 DC: Now Open for Business!

Mike Johnson calls on House members to return to DC.

After eight Democratic Senators defected and agreed to a deal that would reopen the government on Sunday evening, House speaker Mike Johnson told all members to return to DC immediately. Poor Representatives! After 40 days of not doing anything, they must now go back to DC to continue not doing anything. We can only imagine how Johnson’s email must’ve sent members scrambling — Lauren Boebert’s date is now stranded in a movie theater and the E-Trade tab on Nancy Pelosi’s computer is now open with 200 Palantir call options still pending. Back to work, folks!

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Lawmakers Reach Deal to End Shutdown

Lawmakers reached a deal on Sunday to end the longest government shutdown in US history, though it still requires a sign-off from Congress and the President

• The toll of the shutdown increased last week, as unpaid air traffic controllers began skipping work, leading to flight cancellations. Amid that, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) kept the Senate in session through the weekend in an effort to reach a deal

• Late Sunday, after a weekend of negotiations, the Senate voted 60-40 to advance a package to reopen the government. Eight mostly centrist Democrats voted with the Republicans to pass the deal

• The deal will extend all government funding through the end of January, with funding through 2026 for certain government functions. It now heads to the House, which is expected to pass it

Dig Deeper 

• The deal extends all funding through the end of January, plus funding through September 2026 for veterans, military construction, and the Department of Agriculture, among others. As part of the deal, Congress will vote in December on a Democratic proposal to extend Obamacare subsidies, as the Democrats had demanded.

• Sen. Angus King (I-ME) said the length of the shutdown changed the calculus for some Democrats, pushing them to support a deal with Republicans that would reopen the government without the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies they had originally demanded.

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared he was a "no" on the deal, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said House Democrats would not back it

KEY STORY

Consumer Sentiment Drops to Near-Record Low

US consumer confidence fell to its second-lowest level ever over concerns about the government shutdown and economic pressures

• Since 1978, the University of Michigan has tracked consumer sentiment through monthly surveys. High sentiment typically suggests consumers will spend more, while low sentiment signals economic worry

• Consumer sentiment dropped to 50.3 in early November, down from 53.6 in October, marking the lowest level since June 2022, when historic inflation peaked. The decline was widespread across Democrats, Republicans, and independents, affecting all age groups and income levels

• The only group that didn't see declining confidence was households with large stock holdings, who benefited from continued strength in financial markets

Dig Deeper 

• Respondents showed increasing anxiety about employment prospects. The share of households expecting unemployment to rise over the next year jumped to 62%, the highest level since 1980

• The survey highlighted what economists call a "K-shaped economy," where higher-income households are thriving while lower-income consumers struggle. Spending remains driven primarily by wealthy households, who account for 40% of total consumer spending despite representing just 20% of the population

KEY STORY

Nasdaq Faces Worst Week Since April

The Nasdaq fell roughly 3% last week, marking its worst performance since early April when tariff announcements shook markets

• The tech-heavy index had surged over 50% since April, driven largely by optimism around artificial intelligence. However, concerns mounted last week about whether expensive AI valuations could be sustained and whether massive investments in the technology would pay off

• Last week, concerns intensified after Nvidia's CEO reportedly warned that China could surpass the US in the AI race. Major AI-focused stocks took significant hits, with Nvidia shares falling approximately 7% for the week and Palantir dropping about 11%

Dig Deeper 

• Oracle stock, which had soared 36% in a single day last September following an OpenAI partnership announcement, declined nearly 9% last week and erased most of its gains from that surge

• The prolonged government shutdown, which also became the longest in US history last week, contributed to market uncertainty. The shutdown has prevented the release of key economic data, including the monthly jobs report

• The Nasdaq did open 1.5% higher on Monday morning as analysts suggested market optimism towards a government reopening helped boost slumping tech stocks

KEY STORY

Trump Orders SNAP Reversal

The Trump Administration instructed states on Saturday to undo some of the food stamp payments they had already issued

• The government shutdown, which began in early October, left the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) without funding for November. SNAP serves roughly 42M Americans who rely on monthly benefits to buy groceries

• Several states had already restored benefits last Friday following a ruling from a Rhode Island federal judge that ordered the government to provide full SNAP benefits. However, the Trump Administration then appealed the Rhode Island Judge’s ruling, and on Saturday night, the Agriculture Department (USDA) sent states a memo stating they must "immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025," calling such payments "unauthorized"

Dig Deeper 

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused the lower court's order late on Friday night while an appeals court reviewed the case, preventing additional states from issuing full payments

• The USDA threatened to cancel federal funding for state administrative costs and hold states liable for overpayments if they did not comply with the order to undo SNAP benefits

• Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) publicly refused to comply, saying his state would continue fighting against efforts to "yank food assistance away from Wisconsin's kids, families, and seniors"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

WE THE 66
Is There a Genocide in Nigeria?

Last weekend, President Trump posted on Truth Social:

• The tweet joined a growing choir of conservatives claiming that there is a genocide of Christians in Nigeria. But is that true? What’s actually happening? In our new We the 66 premium deep dive, we lay out the facts so you can make up your own mind

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🛩️ Britain announced the deployment of military personnel and equipment to Belgium following suspected Russian drone incursions that forced Brussels Airport to close temporarily on Thursday night.

🌀 Super Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday with sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts reaching 230 kph (143 mph), leaving two people dead and forcing the evacuation of 1M residents.

⚗️ The US Department of the Interior added copper, silver, and metallurgical coal to its "critical minerals" list, increasing their likelihood of inclusion in future tariff policies.

🏈 Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue died on Sunday at age 84 at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, from heart failure complicated by Parkinson's disease.

What does Roca Nation think?

🇺🇸 Today’s Question: What’s your reaction to this “MAGA civil war” between the Tucker/Candace/Fuentes camp and the more moderate and pro-Israel camp?

Reply to this email with your response!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🧢 Royal Cap-itulation: Prince Harry has apologized to Canada for wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers cap at a World Series game against the Toronto Blue Jays, joking he was "under duress" and took the hat offered by the Dodgers' owner.

🏆 From Twitch to Trophy Case: Popular streamer Plaqueboymax earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for "Victory Lap," his collaboration with Fred again – a producer – and Skepta – a rapper.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 For Better or Forever: A Miami couple has been verified as the world's longest-married pair after 83 years together, with a combined age exceeding 216 years.

🪞 Clean Slate Catastrophe: A museum volunteer in Taiwan mistook a contemporary artwork for a dirty mirror and wiped away 40 years of intentional dust accumulation with toilet paper.

🧑‍🚀 Star-becue: Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have successfully grilled chicken wings and steaks in orbit using the world's first smokeless oven designed for microgravity cooking.

ROCA WRAP
The Final Voyage

Ernest M. McSorley

This captain's final radio message was "We are holding our own" before his ship vanished into Lake Superior.

Born in 1912, Ernest McSorley spent decades navigating the Great Lakes before taking command of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest freighter on the inland seas. On November 9, 1975, he departed Superior, Wisconsin, with a full cargo of iron ore, beginning what would become the most infamous voyage in Great Lakes history. McSorley had earned a reputation as a "heavy weather captain" who rarely sought shelter from storms, pushing his vessel through conditions that would make other captains drop anchor.

The weather forecast seemed routine for November when McSorley set out, but conditions deteriorated rapidly. By the morning of November 10, the Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a severe storm with near-hurricane winds and waves reaching 35 feet. McSorley reported significant damage to his ship, telling a nearby Swedish vessel: "I have a bad list, lost both radars, and am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in." Despite the dire situation, he continued pushing toward Whitefish Bay, relying on radar guidance from the trailing freighter Arthur M. Anderson.

At 7:10 p.m. on November 10, when asked how his ship was faring, McSorley transmitted his final words: "We are holding our own." Ten minutes later, the Edmund Fitzgerald vanished from radar. No distress signal was ever sent. The entire crew of 29 perished, and no bodies were recovered. The ship was later found in two pieces on the lake floor, 530 feet deep, just 17 miles from safety. The exact cause remains disputed, with theories ranging from rogue waves to structural failure to striking an underwater shoal.

The disaster led to sweeping changes in Great Lakes shipping. Survival suits became mandatory, depth finders were required on all large vessels, and inspection protocols were strengthened. The tragedy also sparked debate about whether captains faced too much pressure to deliver cargo regardless of weather conditions. Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the sinking in his 1976 ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," ensuring the crew would not be forgotten. Each year on November 10, the Split Rock Lighthouse emits a beam in their memory.

For a captain who spent his career mastering the inland seas, McSorley's final voyage proved that even the Great Lakes could be as deadly as any ocean.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Max F is currently on his way to Arkansas for the start of his Arkansas/Mississippi trip. In the meantime, get ready for some great videos this week from Wayzata, MN, and elsewhere across the country (including Everglades City, FL, perhaps!). We’re also planning our reporting trip for America’s 250th birthday. As stated last week, our goal is to cover America more accurately and comprehensively than any other outlet in the world.

–Max and Max