🌊 From the Hudson River to the Sea

Saw this on our way to work this morning…

Just kidding — Times Square looked way scarier than that. Spiderman was doing drugs, Mickey Mouse was downing cognac, and Woody had a shiv in his boot. Where’s Eric Adams when we need him? And don’t say Istanbul!

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Democrats Sweep Elections

Democrats swept all major races on Tuesday

• In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) easily defeated Jack Ciattarelli (R), while Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) beat Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) in Virginia

• In another Democratic victory, Virginia AG candidate Jay Jones won his race despite a leaked text scandal

• And in New York City, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani easily defeated Andrew Cuomo (I) and Curtis Sliwa (R) to become mayor. Mamdani, 34, will be the city’s youngest mayor in over a century, as well as its first Muslim and South Asian leader

Dig Deeper 

• In New York City, more people voted than in any year since 1969, after Mamdani launched a grassroots campaign focused almost solely on affordability. In this morning’s We The 66 deep-dive, we broke down the policies that have made New York City such an expensive place to live.

KEY STORY

Dick Cheney Dies at 84

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and controversial figures in American political history, died at age 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease

• Cheney served as vice president under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and was widely regarded as the most influential vice president in American history, wielding unprecedented power over foreign policy and national security

• After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he became the chief strategist behind the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, insisting that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction – claims later discredited

• Despite decades as a conservative Republican icon, Cheney became a fierce critic of Donald Trump and in 2024 announced he would vote for Democrat Kamala Harris for president

Dig Deeper 

• Cheney had battled heart problems for most of his adult life, suffering his first heart attack at age 37 and experiencing five heart attacks total between 1978 and 2010. In 2012, he received a heart transplant that extended his life by more than a decade

• His tenure left a complex legacy: Praised by supporters for keeping America safe after 9/11, but criticized for leading the country into a costly and controversial war in Iraq that killed almost 5,000 Americans and lasted nearly a decade

KEY STORY

Nvidia, Palantir Shares Fall After Burry Shorts

Palantir and Nvidia stocks fell on Tuesday after Michael Burry – of "Big Short" fame – disclosed a $912M bet against the companies

• Burry gained prominence by betting against the housing market ahead of its 2008 collapse. Since then, both Palantir and Nvidia benefited from a historic investment boom around artificial intelligence, with their stock prices surging about 150% and 45%, respectively, since the start of the year

• A Securities and Exchange Commission filing showed that Burry's firm held "puts" on Nvidia and Palantir – a way to bet that stock prices will fall in the future. By the end of the trading day on Tuesday, Palantir shed nearly 8% and Nvidia dropped nearly 4%

Dig Deeper 

• The disclosure prompted a strong response from Palantir CEO Alex Karp, who criticized Burry and other short-sellers in a Tuesday CNBC interview. "It just is super triggering because these people … they can pick on any company in the world; they have to pick on the one that actually helps people, that actually has made money for the average person, that is actually helping our warfighters," Karp said

• Some leading investors warned that the market could be primed for a correction given its heavy dependence on a few Big Tech names. However, other analysts remained bullish, with one analyst predicting the AI rally could continue another two or three years

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

KEY STORY

Shein Bans Sex Dolls

Online retailer Shein imposed a worldwide ban on sex doll sales after French authorities discovered dolls resembling children for sale on its platform

• France's consumer watchdog reported Shein and three other e-commerce platforms to authorities over the weekend after discovering sex dolls with childlike appearances being sold by multiple third-party sellers on Shein’s marketplace

• Shein removed all listings and images related to the dolls, temporarily suspended its entire "adult products" category, and permanently banned all seller accounts connected to the illegal products

• The threat came just days before Shein planned to open its first permanent outlet at a department store in central Paris, with France’s finance minister warning that he would request Shein be banned from the French market if the company repeated such behavior

Dig Deeper 

• Shein operates as a fast-fashion retailer while also running a marketplace where third-party sellers can list products. The Singapore-based company, founded in China, launched its broader marketplace for outside sellers in 2023

• Shein has faced ongoing scrutiny over environmental concerns related to fast fashion, copyright allegations, and working conditions in its supply chain. The company confirmed in 2024 that it found examples of child labor among its suppliers

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

💰 Starbucks is selling majority control of its China operations to investment firm Boyu Capital in a deal valuing the business at $4B.

🇵🇪 Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico after Mexico granted asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez, who faces charges related to a 2022 coup attempt.

✂️ Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook indicated a December interest rate cut is uncertain, stating, "Policy is not on a pre-determined path" in her first public remarks since President Trump attempted to fire her.

💊 The Trump Administration is negotiating deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to sell low-dose weight-loss drugs through TrumpRx, with Wegovy priced at $149 monthly and Zepbound at $299.

🇺🇸 The US government shutdown became the longest in American history on Wednesday at 36 days, surpassing the previous 35-day record from Trump's first term.

Fall Photo Showcase - Day 2

The second batch of our favorite fall photos you submitted

Send in your best fall photos to [email protected]!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🪦 Rest in Prestige: Paris is offering a lottery for burial spots in three historic cemeteries home to legends like Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Edith Piaf.

⚽ From Pitch to Palace: Former England captain David Beckham was formally knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle on Tuesday for his services to football and British society.

🐕‍🦺 Ruff Draft: Tom Brady's new dog Junie is a clone of his late pit bull mix Lua, who died in December 2023, the retired quarterback revealed on Tuesday.

🏃‍♀️ Running on Broadway Time: Broadway actor Jordan Litz ran the entire New York City Marathon on Sunday morning, then performed as Fiyero in two Wicked shows the same day, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 3:40:53.

📚 Better Late Than Never: A former Maine resident returned a library book to Camden Public Library 46 years after its August 1979 due date, discovering it while packing for a move from Massachusetts to New Hampshire.

ROCA WRAP
Remember, Remember

Guy Fawkes

This Catholic militant spent months stockpiling gunpowder beneath Parliament to assassinate a Protestant king.

Born in York in 1570, Fawkes grew up Protestant until his father died when he was eight. His mother remarried a Catholic, and Fawkes converted to the faith that would define his life. At nineteen, he sold his inherited estate and traveled to Europe to fight for Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch forces in the Eighty Years' War, earning a promotion to junior officer. In 1603, he traveled to Spain seeking military support for a Catholic uprising in England, but the Spanish court declined.

Returning to England in 1604, Fawkes joined a conspiracy led by Robert Catesby to assassinate King James and replace him with his young daughter, Princess Elizabeth. One of the conspirators secured a house near Parliament and installed Fawkes as caretaker under the false name John Johnson. The group discovered an unused storage room directly beneath the House of Lords and filled it with thirty-six barrels of gunpowder concealed under firewood and coal. When plague delayed Parliament's opening, Fawkes regularly checked the explosives to ensure nothing had been disturbed, waiting months for the right moment.

On October 26, an anonymous letter warned Lord Monteagle to avoid Parliament because a terrible blow was planned. The conspirators learned of the warning but dismissed it as a hoax and pressed forward. King James ordered a search of the cellars in the early hours of November 5, and guards found Fawkes leaving the storage room shortly after midnight, carrying slow-burning matches and a watch.

When questioned about the gunpowder, Fawkes declared he intended to blow the Scottish nobles back to their native mountains. James, impressed by what he called Fawkes' defiance, ordered him tortured to reveal his accomplices. Transferred to the Tower of London, Fawkes initially remained silent. On November 7, he broke, revealing his true identity and naming five conspirators. 

On January 31, 1606, Fawkes and three others were dragged on wooden platforms to the Old Palace Yard, directly opposite the building they had tried to destroy. Weakened by torture, Fawkes climbed the scaffold last. He either jumped or fell from the ladder, breaking his neck before the executioner could carry out the full sentence of hanging, drawing, and quartering.

His body was quartered and its parts distributed across the kingdom as a warning to future traitors. Parliament designated November 5 as a day of thanksgiving, and Londoners lit bonfires celebrating the king's survival. The tradition evolved over centuries with fireworks added and effigies burned. Children began creating figurines of "guys" from old clothes and newspapers, and the word itself transformed from meaning an oddly dressed person into common slang for any person.

The plotter who never saw his plan ignite now lights up British skies every November.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

This from Josh in Iowa made us laugh yesterday (after a brief spike in blood pressure):

While I have been a long time supporter of Roca News with no issues or concerns, I feel compelled to reach out regarding your lack of coverage of the mayoral race of my hometown of Lamoni, Iowa.

While you covered New York and New Jersey elections, I cannot fathom why you would ignore our town of less than 2,000 people and our highly important, uncontested mayoral race.

Josh, please allow us to congratulate Doug Foster. We’ve been behind him since day one.

–Max and Max