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Plus: Details on Colorado attacker, South Korea moves left, & Indian crow plays soccer
The Michigan scandals are really getting out of handā¦
The FBI has accused two Chinese nationals of smuggling a biological pathogen into a University of Michigan lab. Their āpotential agroterrorism weaponā destroys wheat, barley, and maize crops, and can cause vomiting and reproductive defects in humans and livestock. This is the second scandal involving Chinese nationals with ties to the University of Michigan in recent days: Last week, a Chinese national studying at Michigan was charged with illegally voting in the 2024 election.
Guess Connor Stallions wasnāt the only spy in Ann Arbor, huh? Coming up next: Does Jim Harbaugh have CCP ties?
Note: Max T being a Notre Dame grad has nothing to do with the tone of this intro.
š³ Musk blasts "One Big Beautiful Bill"
šŖš¬ Details on Colorado attacker
ā½ļø Crow in India shows soccer skills
āMax and Max
KEY STORY
Musk Blasts Trumpās āOne Big Beautiful Billā

Elon Musk denounced President Trumpās tax bill, which some have projected will increase the deficit by $2.7T, as a ādisgusting abominationā
The House narrowly passed the āOne Big Beautiful Billā last month after intense internal negotiations. The bill is now in the Senate, where it faces additional scrutiny
Musk ā who has previously spoken out against the bill ā posted, āThis massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know itā
Several Republican lawmakers expressed support for Muskās stance in replies to his initial post
Dig Deeper
Several Republican senators agreed with Musk, including Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) who wrote, āFederal spending has become excessive. The resulting inflation harms Americans and weaponizes government. The Senate can make this bill better. It must now do soā
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) wrote, āI agree with Elon. We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake. We can and must do betterā
KEY STORY
Colorado Attacker Details

The man accused of plotting Sundayās attack in Boulder, CO told police he spent over a year developing his plot
The attacker threw Molotov cocktails and used a homemade flamethrower to burn Jewish protesters marching for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, leaving 12 people injured, including a Holocaust survivor
On Monday, authorities disclosed that the accused attacker was an Egyptian man who had been living in the US illegally
Per police, āHe had to do it, he should do it, and he would not forgive himself if he did not do itā
Dig Deeper
The man was charged with crimes including attempted murder and assault, along with a federal hate crime stemming. The FBI also labeled the attack āterrorismā
Coloradoās acting US attorney said, āHe said he had no regrets and he would go back and do it again,ā adding that Soliman had also tried to buy a gun but couldnāt because he was in the US illegally
The man also said he carried out the attack ābecause he hated [Zionists] and needed to stop them from taking over āour landā [Palestine],ā while another video shows him pacing and holding the molotov cocktails, saying, āHow many children killedā and āEnd Zionistā
QUOTE OF THE DAY
AI will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there'll be great companies
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Dig Deeper
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KEY STORY
Private Credit Poses Public Risk?
A new report found that the rapid expansion of private credit may āamplifyā the next financial crisis
Post-2008 regulations made banks tighten their lending standards. That triggered a 10-fold rise in āprivate credit,ā a now $2T industry that involves non-banks issuing loans
This week, three prominent financial analysts ā from Moodyās Analytics, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and formerly the US Treasury Department ā released one of the most thorough analyses of the risks posed by this system and found that it could āamplifyā the next financial crisis
Dig Deeper
Where banks issue loans using short-term loans from customers, private credit firms do so by raising capital from investors. This is comparable to how venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) work, although rather than lend it out to startups or make acquisitions, as VC or PE firms would, the capital is lent to businesses who may be otherwise unable to borrow from a bank
Private credit firms and many others have said they are actually safer than banks, because they deal with long-term investors and are therefore not subject to runs, as banks are
Yet their role in the economy is largely unregulated and has not been thoroughly examined, while the new report noted that they create new ālinkages,ā making financial markets more interconnected and increasing the risk of a crisis spreading through it
KEY STORY
Liberals Win in South Korea
The left-wing candidate won a contentious presidential election in South Korea
South Korea has been in a state of political uncertainty since December, when the countryās conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, overruling South Koreaās democracy. The move was thwarted and Yoon was ousted, leading to Tuesdayās election
In the vote, the left-wing candidate easily beat the right-wing, reversing the result from 2022
In his victory speech, the winner pledged to ensure āthe military never again uses weapons entrusted to it by the people to stage a coupā
Dig Deeper
Recently a left-wing firebrand who called for implementing universal basic income in South Korea, the victor, Lee Jae-myung, spent the campaign tacking toward the middle to win moderate and conservative voters who were disaffected with the conservatives after Yoonās martial law declaration
The result proved one-sided, with the left-wing Lee defeating the candidate of the ousted president's party, 49.3%-41.3%. A third-party candidate won 8.3%
Officials estimated the election turnout at 79.5%, the highest since the introduction of absentee voting in South Korea in 2012
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
šŖ An Israeli military spokesperson said Israeli forces fired at suspects approaching troops at an aid distribution site in Gaza
šŖļø The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) scrapped its nearly-completed 2025 hurricane response plan, reverting to last yearās guidance amid criticism that it is unprepared for the start of hurricane season
š Data shared with Reuters from a health data firm showed that prescriptions for Wegovy ā a drug used for diabetes and weight management ā have risen dramatically among teens
š² Former DOGE head Elon Musk denounced President Trumpās tax bill, which some have projected will increase the deficit by $2.7T, as a ādisgusting abominationā
šµš Russian-American YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy faces up to 24 years in prison in the Philippines after livestreaming a series of disruptive acts in its capital, Manila
What does Roca Nation think?
š§ Yesterdayās Question: Have you participated in a boycott of a company/brand? If so, which boycott and why?
I believe we should vote with our dollars. We are a capitalist society, so we have a voice by not increasing the bottom line for corporations whose values do not align to the direction we want to see in the world. I avoid supporting companies who discriminate (Chick-Fil-A), who kill small business (Walmart), or who have awful impacts on our planet (as one example, I have never interacted with Chat GPTā¦it takes vast amounts of energy and water to power the data centers!) I support companies with strong practices for ethical sourcing, positive environmental impacts, and who take care of their employees, such as Natural Grocers, or local Refill stores. If I pay more to support companies who are doing good things, I consider that a good investment. If each person took responsibility for their own actions as an individual and where they can have an impact, we would live in a vastly different world.
"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." - Lily Tomlin
I boycotted Anheuser-Busch before it was cool!
In the late 2000's Anheuser-Busch filed repeated frivolous lawsuits against young microbreweries, like Dogfish Head, in an attempt to strangle out the competition.
Personally, I found the tactic to be extremely Un-American.
Yes, because my purchase is my voice and influence. I want to reward those that provide quality products, but I donāt want to support opposing ideologies. All things being equal, I will ignore politics and buy the best value product. If they choose to push politics (as part of how they spend my money), then I factor that into my decision. But itās not always an easy choice or option. There are plenty of beer choices, but few alternatives in movies š.
In 2023, when Target ran a huge Pride-month campaign directed at kids, I stopped shopping there. I hadnāt even heard about a boycott at the time, but I remember walking into our local Target and the first thing I saw was a large display at the very front of the store, featuring several childrenās mannequins wearing Pride-themed merch. It was a deliberate punch in the gut to parents who unknowingly walked into that store with their kids. It was a values ambush. Right then I decided to take my money elsewhere.
š§ Todayās Question: Should we allow Chinese nationals to attend US universities? Or is the risk too high?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
š¦ Crow-naldinho: A crow in India went viral for its impressive soccer skills after a video captured it using its beak to pass a ball back and forth with a young boy
š¼ļø Old Prophylactic Art: The Netherlandsā national museum put a 200-year-old condom adorned with erotic art on display
š Loyal Doodle Waits as Best Friend is Rescued: Firefighters in Australia rescued a Labrador dog from a 26-foot-deep mine shaft while his Labradoodle companion stood watch
š Blimp Turns 100 Years Old: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first flight, Goodyear's iconic "Pilgrim" blimp took to the skies in Akron, Ohio
š¢ Bubba the Sea Turtle Makes a Triumphant Return: A 322-pound loggerhead sea turtle named Bubba was released back into the Atlantic Ocean after a three-month rehabilitation at a āturtle hospitalā
ROCA WRAP
Trading Time

Syria
After decades under the Assad dynasty's authoritarian rule and a 14-year civil war, Syria is now attempting to chart a new course after Bashar al-Assad's December ouster.
A new government has taken power, Western countries are lifting sanctions, and Middle Eastern countries are making significant investments in Syria. The latest sign of what Syrians hope is a comeback came on Monday, when trading resumed on the Damascus Securities Exchange after a six-month closure that began during the chaotic days leading up to Assad's fall in a lightning rebel offensive.
Syriaās finance minister said the reopening signals that the country's economy is beginning to recover, and said that the exchange "will operate as a private company and serve as a genuine hub for Syria's economic development, with a strong focus on digital." The ministerās use of the word āprivateā stands in contrast to the ousted Assad regime, whose Baāath party had an Arab socialist ideology.
The move comes as international restrictions on Syria's financial systems begin to ease, with both the United States and EU lifting wide-ranging sanctions. While the sanctions relief is described as "conditional" and could be resumed if new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander, doesn't maintain peace, itās led to rising optimism.
Syria also recently signed a $7B power deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish, and US companies for a 5,000-megawatt energy project to revitalize the war-battered electricity grid. The consortium will develop four gas power plans and a solar power plant, which the sides hope will power not just homes and businesses, but Syriaās turnaround.
EDITORāS NOTE
Final Thoughts
How about we end the newsletter with some good news?
A newly-minted high school graduate who rushed to Burger King to work an emergency shift still wearing his ceremonial ensemble got a $10,000 bonus. It was all thanks to a local mom who noticed the teenās unusual work attire and took a video that she later posted online.
Now put the fries in the bag, buddy.
āMax and Max