🌊 EA Sports, It's in the Gulf

Guess the US government will need to launch a GoFundMe…

Roca Nation, the pending government shutdown should be the least of DC’s financial worries right now. Instead they should panic over a new lawsuit from the QAnon Shaman… who is suing the government for… checks notes… $40 trillion.

That’s right the viking helmet-wearing Capitol stormer claims the government owes him $40T because he is the rightful leader of the United States. He made his case in a 26-page complaint that consists of one single paragraph. Wow.

Well, if your church starts handing out a third collection basket, now you know why. By the way, we absolutely loved reading about the highlights of your weekend — such an amazing diversity of answers. Cheered us up. Thank you for that.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Saudis, Kushner Buy EA Sports

Electronic Arts agreed to be taken private in a $55B deal in the largest buyout of a publicly traded company in history

• EA has published some of the most popular video games since the early 1980s, including The Sims, Madden NFL, and the FIFA soccer franchise, now known as EA Sports FC

• The deal was assembled by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and Silver Lake, with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund providing the majority of funding. Investors agreed to pay stockholders $210 per share in cash, a 25% premium to the stock price before news of the deal leaked

• The transaction would be financed through $36B in equity contributions from the investor group and a $20B loan from JPMorgan Chase

Dig Deeper 

• Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which already owned 9.9% of EA, led the acquisition as part of its broader strategy to diversify investments away from oil. The Kingdom has committed $38B to gaming investments and hosted the Esports World Cup with $70M in prize money

• The investors believe artificial intelligence could significantly reduce EA's operating costs and boost profits in the coming years. They expect AI to accelerate game development by automating tasks like creating backdrops, replacing voice actors, and testing for bugs

• The deal requires approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US and is expected to close in 2026

KEY STORY

Trump Meets With Dems on Shutdown

Congressional leaders were unable to reach a deal with President Trump on Monday in a last-ditch effort to prevent a federal government shutdown

• The government is set to partially shut down on Wednesday at 12:01 AM if Congress fails to pass a short-term spending bill. Republicans proposed extending current funding through November 21, while Democrats insisted any spending legislation must include additional funding for healthcare programs

• The Monday meeting brought together the top congressional leaders from both parties. After the closed-door meeting in the Oval Office, all sides acknowledged that "significant and meaningful differences remain" and no agreement had been reached

• With just a day remaining before the deadline, a shutdown appears increasingly certain

Dig Deeper

• Democrats refused to support the Republican funding bill without provisions extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year's end and reversing $1T in Medicaid cuts from a Republican law passed over the summer

• Both parties blamed each other for the impending shutdown. Vice President JD Vance told reporters after the meeting, “I think we're headed to a shutdown, because the Democrats won't do the right thing.” Schumer countered that “it’s up to the Republicans whether they want to shut down or not”

• If funding expires at midnight Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees would be furloughed starting early Wednesday morning, while essential workers like air traffic controllers and military service members would be required to work without pay

KEY STORY

New Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met Monday at the White House to discuss a peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The meeting came after both attended the UN General Assembly, where Netanyahu vowed to “finish the job” in Gaza while Trump met with Arab leaders to discuss peace proposals

• Trump and Netanyahu discussed a US-proposed 21-point plan that would immediately end military operations in Gaza. The plan calls for Hamas to release all remaining hostages within 72 hours and disarm completely

• The proposal would deploy an international security force to maintain order, with Gaza governed by an “apolitical Palestinian committee” under international oversight

Dig Deeper

• During his White House visit, Netanyahu apologized to Qatar's Prime Minister for the recent Israeli strike in Doha that targeted Hamas’ leadership. Qatar has served as a neutral negotiating ground for leaders of Israel, Hamas, and the US

• Arab leaders, including those from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, expressed support for the American initiative, though Hamas has not yet received or responded to the formal proposal, and has previously rejected disarmament

• Netanyahu faces pressure from coalition partners who oppose any Palestinian Authority involvement or mention of a Palestinian state

QUOTE OF THE DAY

ROCA’S SPONSOR

Dating vs. Therapy

Sponsored by BetterHelp

Finding a date that calls back? Not easy. Finding a group chat that actually replies? Harder. Finding a therapist on BetterHelp? Surprisingly simple.

• BetterHelp does the hard work for you, matching you with a therapist who fits your needs, schedule, and goals 

• With a 93% match success rate and thousands of therapists averaging 8+ years of experience, you’ll spend less time searching and more time healing

• Start today and get 25% off your first month of therapy. PS: They’re eligible with FSA/HSA, too

• Because the right match shouldn’t be this hard to find

• Your therapist is waiting

KEY STORY

Walmart CEO Warns About AI

Walmart’s CEO announced plans to keep its global workforce flat at around 2.1M employees over the next three years while warning about AI reshaping jobs

• During a workforce conference last week, CEO Doug McMillon made one of the most direct statements yet from a major corporate leader about AI's impact on employment, telling attendees that AI would reshape every position at the company

• Walmart has already integrated AI into various operations, including automated warehouse systems that have led to some job eliminations, and built AI chatbots to assist customers, suppliers, and workers

• While some positions will disappear, Walmart has created new roles focused on AI development and plans to expand hiring in areas like home delivery, bakery departments, maintenance, and truck driving

Dig Deeper

• A 2025 survey by the Thomson Reuters Institute found that 62% of business executives view AI as central to their business strategy, with 85% believing it will transform their companies over the next five years

• Walmart’s chief people officer confirmed that while total headcount would remain steady at 2.1M people, the mix of jobs would change significantly, though she acknowledged that Walmart has not yet determined what the future workforce composition will look like

• McMillon told the conference that Walmart’s goal was “to create the opportunity for everybody to make it to the other side,” emphasizing that Walmart plans to help workers adapt through training programs as job requirements change

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🔫 Authorities identified the gunman in Michigan’s church shooting as Thomas Jacob Sanford, a 40-year-old from Burton who killed at least four people after ramming a truck into a church on Sunday.

🎥 MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTuber, is defending his latest stunt video showing a professional stuntman escape a blazing building while collecting bags of cash.

🏫 Several educators fired for social media comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death are suing, claiming their free speech rights were violated.

🎞️ ESPN personality Paul Finebaum said he is considering leaving the network to run for a US Senate seat in Alabama as a Republican.

🇦🇫 Taliban authorities released American detainee Amir Amiri on Sunday, marking the fifth US citizen freed from Afghanistan this year.

What does Roca Nation think?

🎞️ Yesterday’s Question: What was the highlight of your weekend?

💼 Today’s Question: We’ve heard lots of stories about how hard it is to get a job right now. Are you or is anyone you know struggling to find work despite being qualified?

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🧑‍🎤 Record-Breaking Concert: Zach Bryan and John Mayer performed at the largest ticketed concert in US history, drawing over 112,000 fans to Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

⛲ The Fountain of Youth Has a Name: Scientists studied 117-year-old Maria Branyas and discovered her cells behaved decades younger than her chronological age, suggesting genetic factors behind extreme longevity.

🌲 A Tree Grows in Glasgow: A Glasgow ash tree on busy Argyle Street has been crowned the UK’s Tree of the Year for 2025 after winning a public vote through the Woodland Trust competition.

🛀 Tub-ular Journey: A YouTuber sailed from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly in a bathtub to fulfill his childhood dream and “because no one has ever done it before”.

🐇 Big Game Bunny: Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

ROCA WRAP
Chain Smoker King

King Zog I

This self-proclaimed monarch smoked 200 cigarettes daily and survived over 55 assassination attempts during his two-decade reign.

Ahmet Zogu transformed himself from a feudal lord’s son into Albania's absolute ruler, first as prime minister, then president, and finally as King Zog I in 1928. Born into a powerful beylik family, he adopted Western habits during his youth in Vienna – including a cigarette addiction that would define his later life. By 1929, Zog reportedly consumed 200 cigarettes per day, earning him a possible claim as the world’s heaviest smoker. 

Zog’s reign was marked by constant danger from blood feuds – traditional Albanian vendettas that could span generations. Approximately 600 blood feuds reportedly existed against him, stemming from political conflicts, broken engagements, and family disputes.

The king survived more than 55 assassination attempts, including a dramatic 1931 incident at the Vienna Opera House. While watching a performance, attackers struck as he entered his car. His bodyguard was mistaken for Zog and shot three times in the head, while Zog escaped unharmed. Earlier, in 1924, he was shot twice inside Albania’s Parliament building by Beqir Valteri, who then barricaded himself in a bathroom and sang patriotic songs before surrendering.

Despite proclaiming a constitutional monarchy, Zog retained dictatorial powers. He surrounded himself with armed guards, rarely appeared in public, and had his mother supervise the royal kitchen due to fears of poisoning. The chain-smoking monarch hoarded gold and precious stones to back Albania’s currency while his country fell increasingly under Italian influence. When Mussolini invaded in April 1939, Zog fled with his family and a considerable portion of Albania’s gold reserves.

Zog spent his remaining 22 years in exile, moving between Greece, Turkey, England, Egypt, and finally France. He never returned to Albania, dying at a French hospital while still consuming cigarettes at his legendary pace. His remains were finally repatriated to Albania in 2012, ending a half-century exile for the king who chain-smoked his way through constant assassination attempts.

For Zog, ruling Albania meant living dangerously – one cigarette and one death threat at a time.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

A few of our LDS readers wrote in to express their grief at the tragic shooting in Michigan. We want to send our condolences to the entire LDS community. Many of our most loyal readers are LDS, and we hardly encounter nicer people on the road than LDS missionaries (in addition to LDS members we know personally).

Thank you all for reading Roca. Have a wonderful day!

–Max and Max