🌊 Internet Tali-Banned in Afghanistan

Happy Shutdown Day to all who celebrate.

As President Trump cooks up his next batch of juvenile mariachi edits and Hakeem Jeffries rehearses his theater-kid delivery of “Say it to my face!” to another performative crowd of Democrats, the government remains shut down. Below we tell you what that means and give you the latest on whether a deal to reopen it is imminent. Spoiler: It’s not.

If you would rather watch or listen to today’s news, check out the latest episode of the RocaNews Show on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify!

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

US Federal Government Shuts Down

The US federal government shut down at 12:01 AM on Wednesday after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal to continue funding it.

• The fiscal year (FY) runs from October 1 to September 30. In order for the government to enact its FY budget, Congress must allocate funding. When the new FY started at 12 AM on Wednesday, the government lacked funding and therefore shut down

• A majority of government spending is on permanent programs – including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest payments – that are separate from the annual funding bills. These programs will continue as normal

• “Essential” services, like the military, border patrol, and air traffic control, will continue, although staff may not be paid

• “Non-essential” services – like passport processing, statistics releases, national parks, and research grants – will shut down. Altogether, 750,000-900,000 federal workers will now be furloughed.

Dig Deeper

• The dispute that triggered the shutdown revolves around Democratic demands to reverse cuts to healthcare spending, which the Republicans slashed in this summer’s Big Beautiful Bill

• Democrats are seeking to reverse all of the bill’s health policy changes, ranging from subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) to provisions that cut Medicaid spending and limited federal healthcare funding for immigrants, including asylum-seekers. Altogether, Democrats are seeking $1T+ in healthcare funds over 10 years, and are refusing to fund the government unless they get it

• Ending the shutdown will require at least seven Democratic senators to join the Republicans in passing a funding bill

KEY STORY

Taliban Shuts Down Internet in Afghanistan

The Taliban shut down Afghanistan’s internet on Monday, disrupting flights and cutting off nearly all digital and phone connections with the outside world

• The Taliban government had been severing fiber-optic internet connections across several provinces for weeks. Earlier this month, a Taliban official wrote on X that the ban on fiber-optic internet was meant to curb “evils”

• Afghanistan entered a total internet blackout on Monday when the Taliban disconnected networks throughout the morning. The shutdown affected WiFi connections, mobile internet, and telephone services, leaving the country almost completely cut off from the outside world

• The Taliban gave no official reason for the decision but said it would last until further notice

Dig Deeper

• Kabul’s main airport stood nearly deserted with no evidence of planes arriving or departing. Flight tracking services showed multiple canceled flights between Kabul and Dubai, the main regional airline hub

• The shutdown eliminated one of the last forms of education for Afghan women and girls, who had turned to online education after being banned from schools and universities

• The United Nations mission in Afghanistan called on Taliban authorities to immediately restore internet access, warning that the cut “risks inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people” and could worsen “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises”

KEY STORY

UK’s NHS Pulls Cousin Marriage Report

Following criticism, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) pulled an article from its website that discussed potential benefits of first-cousin marriage

• The NHS' original Sunday article was titled “Should the UK government ban first-cousin marriage” and suggested the practice offered “stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages”

• Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for an apology after learning about the article, telling LBC radio on Tuesday that “the medical science and evidence is clear” and that “first-cousin marriages are high risk and unsafe”

• Conservative MP Richard Holden accused the Labour government of “taking the knee to damaging and oppressive cultural practices”

Dig Deeper

• The guidance noted that while first-cousin marriage increased genetic risks, other factors like alcohol use during pregnancy, smoking, and parental age also raised risks of genetic disorders, though none of those factors are banned in the UK

• Research has shown that children from first-cousin marriages face doubled risk of congenital anomalies – rising from 3% to 6%, are more likely to have speech and language difficulties, and are less likely to reach developmental milestones

• Research from the Born in Bradford birth cohort study found that 37% of UK Pakistani couples were first cousins, compared to less than 1% of British couples, and that the practice accounted for 30% of genetic disorders in their research population

KEY STORY

Hegseth Hypes Up (and Criticizes) US Military

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed hundreds of top commanders, announcing changes to the US military

• The Trump Administration summoned more than 800 generals and admirals from around the world to Marine Corps Base Quantico without initially explaining the meeting’s purpose

• Hegseth spoke first, declaring an end to what he called the “Woke Department” and promising to restore a “warrior ethos” to the armed forces. He announced that all physical fitness standards would be set to male levels, acknowledging this could exclude some women from combat roles

• Trump defended his use of military forces in American cities and suggested they serve as “training grounds” for the military

Dig Deeper 

• Hegseth defended his recent firings of 14 top military officers and warned that more leadership changes were coming. “If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he told the assembled commanders

• He criticized overweight military personnel, stating, “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon”

• Trump described the situation in American cities as "a war from within" and praised his administration's recent deployments of National Guard troops to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, and Portland

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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KEY STORY

Pfizer to Lower Prices?

Pfizer reached a deal with the Trump Administration to lower drug prices in exchange for a three-year exemption from pharmaceutical tariffs

• Americans pay nearly three times more for prescription drugs than people in other developed countries. In July, Trump sent letters to 17 major pharmaceutical companies demanding they lower their prices to match what other nations pay by September 29, threatening 100% tariffs on drug imports if companies didn’t comply

• Pfizer secured a three-year grace period from Trump’s threatened tariffs by agreeing to substantially reduce drug prices. The company committed to selling all drugs in the Medicaid program at reduced “Most Favored Nation” prices and agreed to offer some medications through a new direct-to-consumer website called TrumpRx at discounts ranging from 40% to 85%

Dig Deeper

• Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announced the company would invest $70B in US manufacturing and research and development over the coming years. During the Oval Office announcement, Bourla said the tariff threats “motivated” the company to reach the agreement

• President Trump said his administration was negotiating similar agreements with other major drugmakers. “They're all coming in over the next week. We're making deals with all of them,” Trump said

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

💂 Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) has requested federal assistance to deploy up to 1,000 National Guard troops to combat crime in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport through September 2026.

💰 YouTube agreed to pay $24.5M to settle President Trump’s lawsuit over his account suspension following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

🇮🇷 Iran says 120 of its nationals are being deported from the US as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, with most having entered illegally through Mexico.

🔫 A second immigrant has died following a shooting attack at an ICE field office in Dallas last week.

👨‍💼 Spotify founder Daniel Ek is stepping down as CEO to become executive chairman, effective January 1.

What does Roca Nation think?

🍿 Today’s Question: What was your favorite movie to watch in theaters? Why?

Reply to this email with your response!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

👰‍♀️ Till Divorce Do Us Part: Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage, ending one of Hollywood's most prominent unions.

📱 Image Issues: Image-hosting platform Imgur has blocked all UK users from accessing its content, displaying “content not available in your region” messages starting September 30, 2025.

👶 Babe-ality!: A Florida Mortal Kombat XL player won her local tournament while holding her five-day-old daughter, just days after undergoing a C-section.

🎬 Knight of the Dark Knight: Gary Oldman received a knighthood at Windsor Castle on Tuesday for his services to drama after a 45-year career spanning iconic roles from Winston Churchill to Sid Vicious.

📺 All Night Wrong: Lionel Richie fans revolted at a New York Town Hall event Monday when what appeared to be advertised as a concert turned out to be an hour-long Q&A with ABC’s Robin Roberts about his new memoir “Truly.”

ROCA WRAP
Mad Emperor’s Reign

Caligula

This emperor allegedly tried to make his horse a consul and wore the gods’ costumes to seduce women.

Born in AD 12, the son of beloved general Germanicus earned the nickname Caligula – “Little Boot” – from soldiers charmed by his miniature military outfit as a child. Tragedy struck early when his father died under suspicious circumstances, followed by his mother’s exile and his brothers’ deaths – all orchestrated by the paranoid Emperor Tiberius, who kept the surviving boy under close watch on Capri.

When the 25-year-old became emperor in 37 AD, Rome erupted in celebration. Citizens received cash payments, soldiers got bonuses, and spectacular games filled the streets. The first seven months earned praise as a time of happiness and prosperity. Then he got sick. After a mysterious illness later that year left him hovering near death for a month, the recovered emperor began eliminating rivals, including his former father-in-law and the Praetorian Prefect who had helped him gain power.

He scandalized the aristocracy by behaving like a common fan at races and gladiator contests, shouting encouragement and singing along with performers. In 39 or 40 AD, he ordered a two-mile floating bridge built across the Bay of Baiae using ships as pontoons. For the opening ceremony, he donned what he claimed was Alexander the Great’s breastplate and rode his favorite racehorse Incitatus across. Ancient sources claim he proposed making that same horse a consul, complete with palace accommodations and golden goblets – whether as an elaborate joke mocking the Senate or a genuine plan remains debated.

According to witnesses, he dressed as various gods and heroes, working his way up from demigods like Dionysus to major deities like Jupiter and Apollo. His habit of mocking Praetorian tribune Cassius Chaerea proved fatal. On January 24, 41 AD, Chaerea and co-conspirators stabbed him to death beneath the palace during theatrical games.

The boy who survived a family massacre through careful deception ruled less than four years – long enough to leave behind one of history’s most bizarre legacies.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Happy first day of October! From multiple years of polling we’ve learned that this is the favorite month of Roca Nation. It’s also the birthday of Max T’s dad (you’re welcome, aunts and uncles reading this who forgot). Happy Birthday, Dad!

Hope that counts as my card. Anyways, happy Hump Day, first day of October, and Shutdown Day!

–Max and Max