Long before the Qatari jet there was…
You will soon read about the $400M jet that Qatar wants to gave President Trump. That story prompted us to look into the history of foreign gifts to US presidents, and we thought we’d share some of the stranger ones with you: The Marquis de Lafayette gave John Quincy Adams an alligator; the King of Siam gave James Buchanan an elephant; the mayor of Johannesburg gave Calvin Coolidge two lion cubs; and the Dutch Prime Minister gave George W Bush roller skates. But our favorite gift wasn’t a foreign one, but domestic: A New York farmer gave Andrew Jackson a 1,400 lb. wheel of cheese that he kept in the foyer of the White House for the next two years before letting the public eat it, which they did in a matter of two hours. If that doesn’t make you patriotic, we don’t know what will.
🇺🇸 US-China trade deal?
🛩 Qatar Force One
♟ The Taliban bans chess
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
US-China Deal
The US and China announced a 90-day trade deal that will dramatically lower tariffs
The US and China have had 145% and 125% tariffs on each other’s goods, respectively. This weekend, the sides met in Switzerland for initial negotiations, although no deal was expected
On Monday, President Trump announced that US tariffs on Chinese goods would fall to 30% and China’s on US good to 10% for 90 days while the sides continue to negotiate
Trump called the surprise deal a “total reset” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called it a step toward “a long-lasting and durable trade deal”
Markets soared on the news
Dig Deeper
The tentative deal came just three days after Trump said that an 80% tariff on China “seems right”
Beyond substantially lowering tariffs, the US said that China would give US firms more access to its market and look to buy more American goods in order to lower the trade deficit
China will also rescind its restrictions on minerals, magnets, and other products
KEY STORY
Pharma Order
Trump signed an order intended to dramatically reduce the prices of pharmaceuticals
Pharma companies usually sell products at higher rates in the US than elsewhere, in part because other countries’ governments set drug prices while the US’ does not. This started to change under the Biden Administration, when the US government began negotiating (setting) prices for certain Medicare drugs
Trump’s new order seeks to link US drug prices to those paid by other countries. Trump said, “Basically what we’re doing is equalizing… American patients were effectively subsidizing socialist health-care systems”
Dig Deeper
Courts blocked a similar policy that Trump attempted in his first term
Trump provided few specifics on how this would work and pharma stocks, after suffering an initial drop, actually ticked up, apparently buoyed by a belief that the White House will not be able to actually execute the order
In announcing the order, Trump said he sought to reduce drug prices by “30% to 80%”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past
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KEY STORY
Qatar Force One?
Trump said he is preparing to accept a 747 as a gift from Qatar and replacement for Air Force One
Boeing’s Air Force One replacement has been delayed since 2022, prompting Trump to call for a faster one. Qatar replied by offering Trump a $400M “Flying Palace,” a luxury Boeing 747
If accepted, the jet may be the most valuable gift ever given to the US by a foreign government. After Trump’s term, it would go to Trump’s presidential library
Trump responded to allegations of corruption by calling Democrats “losers” who would rather pay "TOP DOLLAR" for a jet than take one for free
Dig Deeper
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom,” while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called the situation “farcically corrupt.” Right-wing Trump ally Laura Loomer said accepting the jet would be a “stain” on Trump’s presidency
Trump, meanwhile, responded on Truth Social: “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA”
KEY STORY
Diddy Trial Begins
Opening statements began in Diddy’s trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been charged with sex trafficking; transportation to engage in prostitution; and racketeering conspiracy. The alleged crimes took place between 2004 and 2024
In opening statements, Diddy’s defense said he may be a “jerk,” swinger, and domestic abuser, but denied that he is a sex trafficker, alleging his sexual escapades were all between consenting adults
The prosecution, meanwhile, said Diddy used his power “to threat and coerce [his victims] into have sex with male escorts”
Dig Deeper
The prosecution said, “To the public he was Puff Daddy or Diddy. A cultural icon. A businessman. Larger than life…But there was another side to him. A side that ran a criminal enterprise…During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant’s crimes. But he didn’t do it alone. He had an inner circle of bodyguards and high-ranking employees who helped him commit crimes and cover them up”
Diddy has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison
The judge has said the trial could last up to eight weeks
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇹🇷 The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced it would end a 40-year struggle against Turkey for Kurdish independence
🪖 Pope Leo XIV spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky and expressed sympathy for Ukraine, explicitly taking the country’s side in its war with Russia
🇿🇦 49 white South Africans arrived in the US, the first to be granted refugee status under a shift by President Trump
🇵🇸 Hamas released New Jersey-born Edan Alexander, 21, the last living American hostage in Gaza
🇺🇸 Tariff policies led the US government to collect a record $16.3B in customs duties in April
What does Roca Nation think?
🧠 Yesterday’s Question: What’s been the best thing that Trump has done so far? We want to hear from both those who like and dislike him.
I'm a moderate and a never-Trump voter. The Biden administration messed up on immigration. I'm glad the Trump administration slowed down the flow of illegal immigrants over our southern border.
I'm pro-Trump. I think the best thing he's done so far has been DOGE. If you paid attention to any of it you would see just how much money is basically thrown in the garbage every single year by our government officials. Why should I be footing the bill for gender studies classes in Africa? Or a transgender play in Ireland? Why has the average US citizen been taken to the cleaners for so long to fund bullshit that has nothing to do with us? I'm hoping people will pay better attention to who they fill out bubbles for at the ballot box.
President Trump stands out because he actually follows through on what he says he'll do, which is a sharp contrast to the typical political norm of making promises without delivering timely results. In today’s political climate, where inaction has become expected, his high level of follow-through catches people off guard. Many Americans are uncomfortable with rapid change in daily life - especially when the long-term plan isn’t clear, which makes his approach feel overwhelming to some. Personally, I believe that if he were a stronger communicator, he could be the most effective president of this century. Even those who disagree with his policies should recognize how effective he is at implementing them.
🧐 Today’s Question: What’s been the worst thing that Trump has done so far? We want to hear from both those who like and dislike him.
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🏊♀️ Immunity Boost, No Shot Needed: RFK Jr. celebrated Mother’s Day by swimming in a Washington, DC creek, despite National Park Service (NPS) warnings that “swimming and wading are not allowed due to high bacteria levels”
🇫🇷 Blowing Up His Spot: France denied viral Russian claims that President Emmanuel Macron took cocaine with the British and German leaders while en route to talks in Ukraine
♟ 3D Chess?: The Taliban added chess to its list of banned activities, alleging that the game is incompatible with Islamic law
🦘 Roo-dunnit: Police are investigating the death of a South Carolina man in a kangaroo and wallaby enclosure
🗽 “Bring Me Your Hostile, Free Loading A**holes”: A series of right-wing social media posts by Pope Leo XIV’s brother have gone viral, including one that shows the Statue of Liberty and says, “Where does it say bring me hostile, free loading assholes waving their own flags?”
ROCA WRAP
HAI School
The United Arab Emirates
The country will introduce AI classes for children as young as four years old.
The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven “emirates” along the Arabian Gulf, has transformed from a desert region to one of the world's wealthiest nations in just a few decades. Known for its ambitious projects and futuristic vision, the UAE has been aggressively trying to position itself as an AI industry leader.
Despite its prosperity, though, the country faces educational challenges, with one 2022 study showing UAE students perform below rich-country averages in math, reading, science, and critical thinking.
Soon, though, the country may be on the cutting edge of education: The nation is launching a comprehensive artificial intelligence curriculum in state schools, starting with children as young as four.
Initially planned only for high school students, the program was expanded to younger ages after officials said that children are exposed to AI at a young age through devices like Alexa. The nation’s education minister said, "We realized that in everyone's daily life, including children as young as four years old, they are exposed to it in one way or another.”
The curriculum, capped at 20 hours per academic year, will focus on several areas, including teaching children to think critically about AI chatbot outputs and recognize potential biases; training students in prompt writing; and educating students on the ethical use of AI and how to utilize it for research without plagiarizing.
The initiative comes after UAE capital Abu Dhabi announced major investments in AI infrastructure and just two weeks after the country announced it would begin using AI to draft and write laws.
While UAE isn’t the first country to integrate AI into its education system – China, Finland, and Singapore are among those that have done so already – the country wants to ensure it will no longer place close to last.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Qatar, if you’re reading this… just know that we’re big fans of your work. We loved what you did at the World Cup (human rights are overrated!), and we hate flying middle seat on Spirit. Just an FYI — also navy blue, not gray.
Hope you all have a wonderful day. Thank you as always for reading Roca!
–Max and Max
