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- 🌊 World's Oldest Leader Re-Elected
🌊 World's Oldest Leader Re-Elected
Plus: Milei's party wins, states redraw maps, & Chernobyl dogs turn blue
Get this guy in Congress!
You all have been begging us to incorporate more of the quirky world stories we used to cover and cut back on our Trump coverage, so get ready for more stories like the first one today. It’s about the world’s oldest leader — Cameroon’s 92-year-old president — getting re-elected despite his country’s median age of 18.9 years.
In other words, we can’t wait to see him at a primary debate for the 2028 election.
👴🏾 World's oldest leader re-elected
🇯🇵 Milei's party wins midterms
🐕 Chernobyl dogs turn blue
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
World’s Oldest Leader Reelected
The world's oldest leader won another seven-year term, putting him on pace for 50 years in office
Aged 92, Paul Biya has governed the central African nation of Cameroon since 1982, making him the world's oldest serving head of state. The country currently has a median age of 18.9 years, meaning most Cameroonians were born well after Biya took power
The Constitutional Council announced Monday that Biya received 53.7% of the vote in the October 12 election. His challenger – ally Issa Tchiroma Bakary – formerly served under Biya as Transportation Minister and Communication Minister. According to official results, Tchiroma received 35.2% of votes, marking the closest election result for Biya since 1992
If he completes this eighth term, Biya will be nearly 100 years old when it ends
Dig Deeper
At least four protesters were killed by security forces in Douala, the country's largest city, on Sunday ahead of the announcement. Authorities arrested more than 100 people during demonstrations, and over 20 opposition leaders were detained in recent days
Tchiroma, 79, had declared himself the winner days after the election, citing unofficial tallies from his party that showed a landslide victory. The former government spokesperson broke with Biya in June, saying he was responding to demands for change from the country's young population
The Constitutional Council rejected petitions filed last week that alleged voter intimidation, ballot-stuffing, tampering, and other forms of electoral malpractice
KEY STORY
Milei’s Party Wins Argentinian Midterms
President Javier Milei's party secured a decisive win in Argentina's legislative elections, easing investor fears and triggering sharp rallies across the country's financial markets
Argentina's markets had experienced turmoil as investors worried a poor Milei performance could derail his reforms. The Trump Administration stepped in with a $20B currency swap, with Trump stating that continued US support depended on Milei's success
Milei's Freedom Advances party won approximately 41% of the national vote, exceeding forecasts of 30%. The party secured 64 of 127 contested lower house seats and 13 of 24 open Senate positions, more than doubling its congressional representation
The victory gives Milei momentum after months of unrest over spending cuts and recession
Dig Deeper
Since taking office in 2023, Milei has slashed federal spending by roughly 30%, fired tens of thousands of public-sector workers, and sharply devalued the peso. While these measures reduced inflation from 200% to approximately 32% and produced Argentina's first balanced budget in over a decade, they also left about one in three Argentines living in poverty
Argentina's financial markets responded enthusiastically to the results on Monday. The peso strengthened by approximately 10% after markets opened, while some stocks soared up to 19%. These gains reversed weeks of selling that had pushed Argentina's currency and markets to troubling lows
KEY STORY
States Rush to Redraw Congressional Maps
States across the country are moving to redraw their congressional districts outside the traditional once-per-decade cycle, intensifying a fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterms
The redistricting effort began in Texas over the summer at President Trump's urging. Following a showdown that saw Democrats flee the state, Texas lawmakers approved a map that could give Republicans up to five additional House seats
California Democrats quickly responded by pushing their own plan that could flip as many as five Republican-held seats to favor Democrats, which requires approval from California voters this November
On Monday, Indiana and Virginia became the latest states to call special sessions to consider redistricting
Dig Deeper
Multiple Republican-controlled states had already passed new congressional boundaries. Missouri approved districts that split Kansas City's Democratic core across multiple rural Republican areas, while North Carolina's legislature passed a map likely to deliver Republicans an extra seat
Additional states are considering joining the redistricting wave, with Republicans in Florida, Louisiana, and Kansas weighing new maps, while Democrats in Maryland and Illinois explore their own plans
In Indiana, Vice President JD Vance flew to the state twice to personally lobby the governor and legislative leaders, while Trump telephoned state senators to urge support for redistricting
ROCA’S SPONSOR
Tesla’s Smart Home Vision. Apple’s Big Move. One Startup Owns a Crucial Piece.
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At just $2.25/share, investors can still get in early – before their next wave of growth. It could be the next Nest or Ring
KEY STORY
Gold Prices Drop Below $4,000
Gold prices dropped below $4,000 per troy ounce on Monday amid growing optimism about progress in US-China trade negotiations
Gold surged to a record high of $4,381 per troy ounce on October 20, climbing more than 50% in 2025. The rally was driven by investors seeking protection against geopolitical uncertainty, concerns about government debt levels, and expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts
Gold futures fell 3.39% on Monday to a low of $3,990, extending losses from last week when gold experienced its steepest daily decline in over a decade. The precious metal has now fallen more than 5.1% from its recent peak
Dig Deeper
Gold traders and analysts at an annual conference in Japan this week described the decline as a healthy correction to an unsustainable rally. Industry executives blamed recent price gains on investors buying gold simply to bet on further price increases rather than as a long-term investment
Analysts suggested prices could fall as low as $3,500 to $3,700 per ounce before the market stabilizes, though most remained optimistic about gold's long-term prospects
Despite the recent pullback, several major banks have maintained price targets of $5,000 per ounce for 2026, suggesting confidence in gold's longer-term trajectory remains intact
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart.
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🛠️ The nation's largest federal workers' union called for Congress to end the government shutdown, now in its fourth week, by passing a clean continuing resolution – a temporary spending bill without additional conditions – echoing Republican demands.
🛩️ Two US Navy aircraft crashed in the South China Sea during routine operations from the USS Nimitz on Sunday.
🌪️ Jamaica braced for Hurricane Melissa, which was upgraded to category five strength as authorities feared it could become the strongest hurricane ever to hit the island.
🇰🇵 President Donald Trump said he would be willing to extend his Asia trip to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting he could easily travel from South Korea if Kim agrees.
✂️ Outlets reported that Amazon plans to cut corporate jobs across several key departments including logistics, payments, video games, and cloud computing, with terminations expected as soon as Tuesday.
What does Roca Nation think?
⛪️ Yesterday’s Question: We’re writing a story on how young people are returning to church. If you have a personal story to share — about you or a young person you know who’s returning — we’d love to hear it. Or if you have a theory as to why please share it!
Hey Roca, I would love to share my thoughts regarding young people returning to Church. I was raised Catholic but took to it on my own late in high school nearly a decade ago, so I'm not sure I truly qualify as "returning." However, I went to a Catholic college as well, where I witnessed many friends grow in their faith lives. I think a big part of it is the community and the stability. A very storied and consistent faith can be attractive to young people who may be struggling to find peace in our modern world. With so much uncertainty, I think people like finding a way to relax in a tradition that generally tells them all will eventually be well, even if life is hard in the present.
However, I think many young people also join / rejoin because it aligns with their political views. I had a friend once tell me that if someone announces themself to be a "conservative Catholic" or a "liberal Catholic" then they're doing it wrong. I know the same argument can be made for Christianity at large. There are no accurate labels to be placed on faith. Doing so attempts to categorize faith into worldly limits, which should not be possible. So-called "conservative Catholics" often prance around Catholic arguments regarding the dignity of migrants, while so-called "liberal Catholics" tend to do the same regarding pro-life arguments. For some, a faith life seems to be an addition to (or perhaps an excuse for) their political beliefs. For those who believe, faith should guide politics, not the other way around.
I grew up in a household that didn't discuss religion. My dad was raised catholic, my mom protestant, and now both are either non-practicing or agnostic. My brother and I were raised without being told ANYTHING about religion and have ended up at two very different points: my brother is anti-theist (specifically anti-christianity) and I'm planning on getting baptized this year - my college campus' ministry has a cardinal coming at some point to perform baptisms, and I can't think of a better time.
I came to college not knowing anything about religion. I attended a few Jewish services with a friend (they wanted someone to walk them there to feel safe) but I never felt like I belonged. I met a catholic friend a bit later, whom I've had many talks about religion, life, politics, morals, and other topics with. When we would talk about religion, we'd mostly discuss Christianity and Catholicism, and he pointed out that my concept of God is very, very in line with Catholicism's beliefs (which, after looking it up later, he was right). Also, of the times I've been invited to join him for Church/Mass, it felt like I actually belonged: no one was judging me, no one asked why I was there. I was welcomed with open arms and a sense of belonging.
Thats how I ended up here. I cant speak for others, but I think many others my age feel similarly. God accepts us and loves us, even when the world does not. I've met many others my afe who have told me that theyre tired of being hated for just being who they are, finding solace in God, Church, and the community surrounding the both. I don't want to jump the gun and say we're having a religious revival, but it's certainly possible and something I'd welcome.
As a youth pastor in SoCal, I definitely see more young people returning to church. Our high school ministry at our church has seen exponential growth in the past year - increasing from an average of 30 students per service to an average of 45+! I do think a lot of the reasoning behind this surge has to do with Charlie Kirk’s assassination (although this increase was happening before his untimely death). I don’t think I’d say Kirk was a martyr (I knew him more for his politics than religion), but his impact upon the younger generation is unmatched. Generally, I think students have lots of questions & want some answers - & a safe place where they can ask these questions & not receive judgement. It seems like they’re hoping the church can provide these answers. I hope we can meet this amazing need well!
🌎 Today’s Question: If you could take one thing from another country for the US (e.g., food from Italy, respect of elders from Japan, etc.) what would you take?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🛶 Drift Happens: A custom surfboard has been found off New Zealand's west coast after it fell off a boat in Tasmania in May 2024 and drifted roughly 1,490 miles across the sea.
🚬 Balloon Busters: Lithuania announced that it will begin shooting down balloons used to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus after repeated airspace violations forced Vilnius Airport to close multiple times in the past week, affecting over 16,500 passengers.
🐿️ Chunkosaurus Rex Reigns Supreme: A portly squirrel named Chunkosaurus Rex won Texas Parks and Wildlife's inaugural Fat Squirrel Week competition, beating out hefty contenders from across the state in a bracket-style social media voting contest.
🎈 Big Time Rush: Serial record-breaker David Rush earned his approximately 300th Guinness World Record by hitting a person with 125 water balloons in three minutes, surpassing the previous mark of 114.
🐕 Blues Clues: Several stray dogs near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have turned bright blue, baffling workers from Dogs of Chernobyl who care for descendants of pets abandoned after the 1986 disaster.
ROCA WRAP
The Sky Hunter
Manfred von Richthofen
This aristocratic fighter pilot became the deadliest aerial combatant of WWI, credited with downing 80 enemy aircraft.
Born into a Prussian noble family in 1892, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen grew up riding horses and hunting across the German countryside. His title, Freiherr, roughly translates to "baron" in English. He attended military school at age 11 and joined a cavalry regiment after graduation, serving as a reconnaissance officer when World War I broke out in 1914.
Trench warfare rendered traditional cavalry obsolete, and Richthofen's mounted unit was dismounted, reduced to running dispatches and operating field telephones. Facing transfer orders to the army's supply branch, he requested reassignment to the Air Service. His application was approved in 1915, and despite crashing on his first solo flight, he quickly mastered flying and scored his first confirmed kill in September 1916.
When Richthofen assumed command of a fighter squadron in early 1917, he painted his Albatros fighter bright red so everyone would notice his aircraft, including his opponents. His squadron mates also began adding red to their planes. German propaganda dubbed him "Der Rote Kampfflieger" – The Red Battle Flyer. Combined with his aristocratic title, English speakers called him the Red Baron. By mid-1917, Richthofen commanded a mobile fighter wing that earned the nickname "The Flying Circus" from its brightly painted aircraft and practice of relocating rapidly across the front. During "Bloody April" 1917, he shot down 22 British aircraft in a single month, including four in one day.
In July 1917, Richthofen sustained a severe head wound during combat, requiring multiple surgeries. He returned to flying within weeks, against medical advice, though he suffered persistent headaches afterward. On April 21, 1918, while pursuing a Canadian pilot at extremely low altitude, Richthofen was struck by a single bullet that tore through his chest. His red triplane crashed near the Somme River in Australian-held territory. Debate erupted over who fired the killing shot – the Royal Air Force credited Canadian pilot Roy Brown, but medical evidence suggested the fatal bullet came from an Australian machine gunner on the ground. Richthofen was 25 years old. Despite being their adversary, Allied forces organized a full military funeral with honors. One memorial wreath read, "To Our Gallant and Worthy Foe."
For a pilot who began the war collecting eggs for the army supply branch, the Red Baron ended it as the most lethal fighter ace in WWI and the only enemy combatant whose funeral brought Allied pilots to attention.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
In case you missed it, Max F wrote about the views of Zohran Mamdani’s dad in today’s We The 66. Mahmood Mamdani is a professor at Columbia and has recently gone viral for making claims like Hitler got his ideas for Jewish persecution from Abe Lincoln and America’s treatment of Native Americans (something for which we could find no solid evidence, by the way). So who is he and what does he believe? Click that link to find out.
Have a great Tuesday.
–Max and Max