🌊 Hey Vlad, It's Don Again...

Roca Nation… sponsored by FanDuel?

Your responses to the gambling ban question were far more anti-gambling ban than we expected. The majority of you essentially said that it’s too late for a ban; some said we should not ban it but regulate it like tobacco. We predicted that you all would’ve been much more pro-gambling ban. In fact, we set the over/under at 101.5 pro-ban emails and… let’s just say we won’t be eating out the next few weeks.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Failed Peace Calls?

President Trump said that Russia-Ukraine peace talks will commence although calls with the countries’ presidents didn’t immediately bear fruit

• On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump had “grown weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict”

• Later that day, he spoke with Putin and Zelensky over the phone to discuss a ceasefire

• While there were no immediate agreements, Trump then posted, “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War”

Dig Deeper 

• The sides have both publicly indicated a willingness to negotiate, however, mediators have expressed growing frustration about the lack of progress. Just before the calls, VP Vance said that the US is “open” to stepping back from attempting to end the conflict if Putin isn’t serious about negotiating

• After Trump’s call with Putin, a reporter asked Trump if he still trusted the Russian president. Trump replied, “I do”

• Of Zelensky, Trump said, “[He] is a strong guy, and he's not the easiest person to deal with," but added, "I think that he wants to stop, and it's a very bad thing that's happening over there. I think he wants to stop”

• He added, “Big egos involved. But I think something’s going to happen and, if it doesn’t I’d just back away”

KEY STORY

Biden Diagnosis Questions

President Biden’s cancer diagnosis has prompted questions about the transparency of Biden's medical evaluations while in office

• Biden was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer despite men 70 and older being routinely screened for the disease, raising questions about his medical care

• In February 2024, when Biden was 82, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor declared Biden “fit for duty.” O’Connor has been Biden’s longtime physician, working with him since he assumed the vice presidency in 2009, and politicians are questioning how he could have overlooked the disease

• Late Tuesday, a Biden spokesperson said he had not been screened for the disease since 2014

Dig Deeper 

• President Trump and other political figures have begun to criticize the handling of Biden's health, suggesting that vital information may have been withheld from the public. Trump told reporters “somebody is not telling the facts” and that “I think that if you take a look, it’s the same doctor that said that Joe was cognitively fine”

• Biden’s diagnosis came days before the release of the highly-publicized book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, written by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson

• Among various allegations, the book reports that during Biden’s presidency, “Biden's physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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KEY STORY

DoJ Charges NJ Congresswoman

The Justice Department (DoJ) brought criminal charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ)

• Earlier this month, the federal government began contracting Delaney Hall, a private facility in Newark, NJ used by ICE to detain migrants. Democrats alleged safety concerns at the facility, and a group of them, including Newark Mayor Baraka and Rep. McIver, went to visit

• That turned contentious and a skirmish ensued between ICE agents and the politicians, leading to Baraka’s arrest

• This week, the DoJ charged McIver with assaulting and impeding federal officers

Dig Deeper

• On Monday night, US Attorney Alina Habba, announced charges of assaulting and impeding federal officers against McIver, declaring that "no one is above the law"

• Habba added, “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges…[but McIver] has unfortunately declined”

• In the same statement, Habba said that she had agreed to dismiss the charges against Mayor Baraka “for the sake of moving forward”

• McIver responded on X, “The charges against me are purely political – they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight”

• She also argued that ICE agents “created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation” during the tour, and said that “this administration will never stop me from working for the people”

KEY STORY

Medicaid Battle

Medicaid has emerged as one of the most contentious issues in Republican negotiations

• Trump is trying to get Republicans to align around “one big beautiful” budget bill that will set his term’s tax-and-spending priorities. He wants the bill to cut some social spending, boost border spending, extend his 2017 tax cuts, and add new ones

• Analyses suggest that the plan will cause America’s fiscal deficit to increase, fueling fiscal conservatives’ concerns about the national debt. Many are calling for cuts to Medicaid, low- or no-cost health insurance for lower-income Americans

• Populists have rejected calls to cut Medicaid. On Tuesday, Trump reportedly told House Republicans, “Don’t f*** around with Medicaid”

Dig Deeper

• Early this morning, it was reported that Republicans have reached a deal regarding both Medicaid and SALT, a tax-deduction that primarily benefits high-earners in blue states. Republican congress members in New York, California, and New Jersey had demanded an increase

• With those issues settled, the House could vote on the bill as soon as tonight

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🦠 The FDA will no longer recommend Covid boosters for healthy Americans under the age of 64

📺 Wendy McMahon resigned as CEO of CBS News, citing disagreements with the company as it pursues a settlement with President Trump

🗲 Elon Musk announced he will “do a lot less” political spending in the future

⚖️ The Justice Department (DoJ) launched an investigation into Chicago's mayor for racial discrimination in hiring

🪙 A bipartisan group in the Senate advanced a bill aimed at regulating cryptocurrencies

💰 The US government agreed to pay $5M to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot during the January 6 Capitol riot

What does Roca Nation think?

🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Should we ban sports betting? Why/why not?

🧐 Today’s Question: What’s your favorite restaurant? What’s your order there?

Reply to this email with your thoughts!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🐤 Cluck-Up at the Post Office: The USPS found over 12,000 baby chicks in one of their delivery trucks in Delaware

🛫 Bugging out at Barajas: A homeless encampment led to a bug infestation at Madrid’s main airport

🐒 Serious Monkey Business: A group of researchers in Panama observed male capuchin monkeys kidnapping baby howler monkeys, something they described as “shocking”

🕳️ Jailbreak Collusion?: A prison worker was arrested in relation to last week’s New Orleans prison escape, during which 10 inmates escaped through a hole

👮 Bust Busted After 37 Years: French police found a bust that had been stolen from the grave of The Doors lead singer Jim Morrison 37 years ago

ROCA WRAP
Shock Shooting

Mexico City

Two senior officials were assassinated in a rare daylight attack in this city.

Mexico City, the sprawling capital of Mexico with over 20M people in its metropolitan area, has generally been considered safer than much of the rest of the country. The city serves as the nation's political, cultural, and economic center, with its historic district and culture drawing tourists from around the world. Despite nationwide violence related to drug cartels, the capital has been somewhat isolated from the political assassinations that frequently occur in other Mexican states.

This changed on Tuesday, though, when the personal secretary and a close adviser to Mexico City’s mayor were gunned down in broad daylight. The assassination occurred on a central road when assailants traveling on a motorbike opened fire on the officials. The mayor, whose position is considered the country's most important elected role after the president, expressed shock at the attack on her close collaborators.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, who governed Mexico City until 2023, received the news during her live morning news conference.

"We will get to the bottom of this situation and there will be justice," Sheinbaum stated, noting that the victims had been "working in our movement for a long time." Mexico’s security minister, who was himself the target of an assassination attempt in the capital in 2020, left the conference to handle the situation.

Authorities have long tried to downplay the idea of major international drug cartels operating in the capital, emphasizing the city's 80,000 security cameras and high police presence. However, a recent report by the US Drug Enforcement Administration indicated that major groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have a "significant" presence in the city.

Under pressure from President Trump, Sheinbaum has taken a more aggressive approach to security, increasing detentions, extraditions, and drug seizures. While that may be working, the bold assassination of officials in the heart of the capital signals a difficult road ahead.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

According to our calendar, May 21 is “Talk Like Yoda Day.” So this is a friendly reminder to break out your Yoda voice throughout the day, even if it’s in a tense meeting with your boss: “For the last time, you can’t take Janet’s leftovers from the fridge anymore!” “Hungry I am. Grape uncrustable she needs not.” “Okay you’re fired.” “Lost an employee you have. How embarrassing.”

So a happy holiday we wish to those who celebrate!

–Max and Max