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- 🌊 Say Hello to My Little Fed
🌊 Say Hello to My Little Fed
Plus: AOC rakes it in, US birth rate drops, & Savannah Banana faceplants
Oh no, not in full costume…
A Chuck E. Cheese mascot in Tallahassee, FL, got arrested for credit card in full costume. Of all the amazing things about the picture below — which better win a Pulitzer — our favorite part is the mortified kids in the background underneath the “where a kid can be a kid” sign. They learned a valuable lesson yesterday: Nobody, not even Mr. Cheese, is above the law.
🤝 Trump's viral visit to the Fed
💸 AOC's record fundraising haul
🐢 Three-legged turtle's LEGO wheelchair
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Trump Visits Fed
President Trump toured the Fed HQ, the first presidential visit to the building in almost 20 years
Trump has threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates. It’s unclear if he has the authority to do that, though, as no president has ever fired a Fed chair
In recent weeks, Republicans have suggested that a botched renovation of the Fed’s HQ could merit Powell’s firing: The renovation project is behind schedule and $600M over budget, constituting what Republicans have called a “fireable offense”
Trump’s Thursday visit to the headquarters – ostensibly to inspect the renovation – came amid this situation
Dig Deeper
Trump’s visit marks the first presidential visit to the Fed in nearly twenty years
The White House has accused Powell of violating oversight regulations by making changes to renovation plans without proper consultation, though Powell denied these allegations and noted that the Fed operates independently from federal oversight requirements
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated the administration would not rush to nominate a replacement and praised Powell as "a good public servant"
KEY STORY
Columbia Settles
Columbia University agreed to pay a $200M fine to resolve a months-long dispute with the Trump Administration and restore federal funding
Columbia was the site of the most-publicized pro-Palestinian encampment on a college campus, which sparked similar demonstrations at universities nationwide
On Wednesday, Columbia agreed to pay $221M total – $200M to settle civil rights investigations and $21M for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission probes – in exchange for restoration of most federal research funding
The settlement restored the majority of $400M in grants that were frozen by the government in March and established independent monitoring of Columbia's compliance for three years under a former federal prosecutor
The university also committed to following laws banning admissions and hiring based on race, agreed to provide admissions data broken down by race and test scores, and pledged to reduce dependence on international student enrollment
Dig Deeper
University officials insisted the settlement preserved Columbia’s autonomy over faculty hiring, admissions decisions, and curriculum content
The university president said the agreement “safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence”
Some faculty members still expressed concerns that the oversight of admissions data and Middle Eastern studies programs could lead to government interference
QUOTE OF THE DAY
An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine but because people fail to see it
KEY STORY
US Birth Rate Drops
On Thursday, the CDC released new data showing that the US fertility rate dropped to an all-time low of 1.6 children per woman in 2024
The report noted that women are increasingly waiting to have children or electing not to have children at all
Some figures of the Trump Administration have described the falling birth rate as a national crisis, and the administration has implemented some measures – including a larger child tax credit, “Trump Accounts” that give children money at the time of their birth, and orders to expand access to cheaper in-vitro fertilization – to reverse the trend
Yet many countries have attempted to reverse declining birth rates and few have succeeded
Dig Deeper
A “replacement level” fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is needed to maintain population stability without immigration
The US birth rate of 1.6 children per woman compares to 1.56 in the UK, 1.46 in Germany, and 1.33 in Canada. South Korea’s rate is .78, the lowest in the world
Among developed countries, the US trails only France (1.79) and Israel (2.89)
KEY STORY
AOC Dominates Fundraising
A Wall Street Journal analysis found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has fundraised more than any other representative in the House
Once considered fringe because of her left-wing politics, AOC has emerged as a potential 2028 presidential candidate as the Democrats search for a way to rebound from November’s defeats. Prediction platform Polymarket has her as the second-most likely Democratic nominee (16% chance) behind Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) at 21%
On Thursday, the WSJ reported that AOC has brought in $15.4M so far this year – more than any other member of the House and nearly twice the body’s most powerful member, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Dig Deeper
AOC can use that money to fund campaigns, travel, get-out-the-vote efforts, and other initiatives. She can also donate a chunk to other Democratic campaigns and is required to contribute a sum to the Democratic Party
Other progressives are also excelling at fundraising: The WSJ analysis found that of the 10 incumbent Democrats who received the most from individual donors so far this year, six – and three of the top four – are progressives
99% of AOC’s donations have come from individuals, as opposed to political-action committees (PACs) – the highest share of any House incumbent running in 2026
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
📖 President Biden signed a $10M book deal from Hachette Book Group for his upcoming presidential memoir
🇺🇦 Ukraine's President Zelensky reversed course Thursday on controversial anti-corruption legislation, announcing a new draft bill to preserve agency independence after facing the largest protests since Russia's invasion
💾 At least $1B worth of Nvidia's advanced B200 AI processors reached China over the last three months following tightened US export controls, according to Financial Times analysis
🇫🇷 France's first couple filed a defamation lawsuit in Delaware court against conservative commentator Candace Owens for claims that Brigitte Macron is transgender
🪖 Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets Thursday as a century-old border dispute escalated into deadly violence
What does Roca Nation think?
📝 Yesterday’s Question: What’s the most valuable thing/skill you learned in high school? Why?
The most valuable thing I learned in high school was to never give up. I moved to a small town in 7th grade and was a complete outsider. I found a haven in the wrestling and track teams. My track coach tried me in a bunch of different races and if I didn’t do well he’d try me in another race till he found a niche for me. He didn’t get frustrated or give up on me. I ran the 800 meter race and even if I was dead last he’d be at the final turn yelling for me to “run, run, run! Don’t give up!” I was the last person running and he cheered me on.
He made high school bearable. I’d be in Algebra 2 as my last class of the day and knowing I’d not understand it no matter how hard I tried but if I could hang on I’d get to go run for Coach. I loved that man and I think all of us on his teams would charge hell with a snowball if he was leading us.
I was fortunate enough to be a foreign exchange student for nine months. I got to live abroad with a host family, study in a foreign secondary school and become fluent in Spanish, all by the time I turned 18. I couldn’t recommend it enough for high school students, especially for those who want to expand their horizons.
The value of mental health. I was fortunate to have an English teacher named Mr. Caruso who would take an occasional sick day, but rather than simply saying he was “sick” he would sometimes label it as a “mental health day.”
There’s so much pressure on all of us, but high school kids especially, to be the best, most productive & efficient version of ourselves at all times, but what I learned from Mr. Caruso was that we are more than our output. We are human beings with complicated emotions and it’s okay to not be okay all the time. Further, rather than trying to come up with a lie for an absence or a missed work day, it’s okay to label it as a “mental health day.
Now, this was 25 years ago. And while many strides have been made in this regard, it’s unfortunate that in 2025 many still view a mental health day as a sign of laziness, or weakness, or in a generally negative light.
Zooming out to 30,000 feet, life is an amazing, awe-inspiring thing we’re all currently a part of, but of course we won’t be forever. To quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Mr. Caruso taught me to look around once in awhile. And I’ll always be grateful for that.
20 Questions!
Billie Eilish or Barry Bonds? Clint Eastwood or Zendaya? Those were two of the "Who's More Famous?" matchups we gave you earlier this week, and we were so intrigued by the responses that we decided to make it the theme of this week's 20 Questions. We will give you 20 matchups like those and your job is not to tell us who you like more but who you think is more famous in the US. Remember, the average age in the US is 38! A Millennial! Can't wait to see the results.
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🍌 Banana slips: A Savannah Bananas baseball player faceplanted while attempting a front flip on CNN and had to get stitches
🐢 Shell of a Ride: A three-legged turtle at a Halifax museum is rolling again thanks to a custom LEGO wheelchair
🇦🇺 Bandi Baby Boom: Australia’s Pilliga State Conservation Area saw a surge of baby bandicoots appear for the first time in 150 years
🚣 River Cowboy: Russ Miller has spent decades pulling discarded tires from his local Kentucky waterways
🥒 Cucumber Guards: In coastal communities of the Philippines, local fisherwomen are patrolling marine ranches to protect sea cucumbers from poachers and rebuilding their populations
ROCA WRAP
Record Approval
San Francisco
This city's new mayor achieved a 73% approval rating just six months into office – a historic high for the position.
San Francisco has cycled through multiple mayors over recent decades, with residents growing increasingly frustrated by persistent issues like homelessness, crime, and a bad business environment, particularly since the pandemic. The tech hub's political landscape shifted dramatically when Daniel Lurie, a political newcomer and Levi Strauss heir, defeated incumbent London Breed in the mayoral race earlier this year.
Per a new San Francisco Chronicle poll, whatever Lurie is doing is working: The paper found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of San Franciscans approve of Lurie's performance – the highest documented approval rating for any San Francisco mayor since systematic polling began. The results represent a stunning reversal from July 2024, when only 28% of voters approved of then-Mayor Breed's job performance.
The poll revealed broader improvements in how residents view their city's trajectory.
A majority now rate San Francisco's quality of life as good or excellent, and half believe conditions will continue improving, while 23% predict it will worsen. This marks a significant shift from last year's more pessimistic outlook.
Progressive voters proved most resistant to Lurie's appeal, with only 52% expressing approval. Recent movers to San Francisco showed stronger support than longtime residents, while Asian voters emerged as Lurie's most enthusiastic backers. Despite his overall popularity, Lurie scored lower on specific policy areas: Residents credited him with keeping the city clean and safe but remained skeptical of his work on homelessness, the overdose crisis, and housing costs.
In a city famous for political cynicism, Lurie has managed to make optimism fashionable again.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
We sure hope that Mr. Cheese finds a good attorney — we really hope he doesn’t end up in a place where a convict can be a convict. All in all, not a great look for Max T’s hometown of Tallahassee!
Hope you all have a great weekend. Max F is spending his on the beautiful Lake George before he heads off for his next road trip to Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, and Canada.
–Max and Max