🌊 That'll Be $100k for the H-1B, Sir

Happy National Ice Cream Cone Day to all who celebrate.

Although many foods are erroneously traced to the St. Louis World Fair of 1904, the ice cream cone is one that almost certainly can be. Prior to the fair, nobody had ever thought to make an edible cone-shaped ice cream holding device. But American ingenuity paired with pre-Diabetes is evidently a lethal combo in the field of structural dessert engineering.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

That’ll Be the $100K for the H-1B, Sir

President Trump signed a proclamation on Friday introducing a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, triggering widespread confusion among companies and foreign workers

• Major corporations immediately issued emergency warnings to employees after Trump’s announcement, urging H-1B holders not to leave the country until the new rules were clarified. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and JPMorgan advised workers currently overseas to return to the US before the measures took effect Sunday at 12:01 AM Eastern Time

• The White House clarified Saturday that the fee would apply only to new applicants, not current H-1B holders or those renewing visas

Dig Deeper 

• Tech industry leaders criticized the move, with some calling it a mistake that would harm American competitiveness

• Indian officials expressed concern about humanitarian consequences for families, noting that Indian nationals make up the majority of H-1B recipients

• Despite the Saturday clarification, immigration lawyers and companies advised caution, with many workers canceling international travel plans and companies maintaining their warnings about leaving the country

KEY STORY

Childhood Vax Changes

CDC vaccine advisers voted last week to change childhood vaccine recommendations

• In June, Health Secretary RFK Jr. fired all existing members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed replacements, many of whom have previously criticized Covid vaccine policies

• The committee voted 8-3 to recommend against using the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for children under age 4, instead recommending two separate shots. A majority of children already receive the vaccinations in separate shots instead of the combined vaccine

• ACIP also voted unanimously to change Covid vaccine access, requiring everyone over 6 months of age – including those 65+ – to consult healthcare providers before receiving vaccines

• The two-day meeting was marked by chaos and confusion, with members repeatedly uncertain about what they were voting on

Dig Deeper

• Former CDC Director Susan Monarez said she was fired after refusing to rubber-stamp recommendations from the reformulated committee, and several top vaccine leaders resigned in protest

• On Thursday, committee members misunderstood the wording and voted to keep the combined MMRV vaccine available for low-income children, but then reversed that vote on Friday once the information was made clear

• Four Democratic-led states formed an alliance to issue their own vaccine recommendations, while some insurance companies announced they would continue covering vaccines recommended before September 1

KEY STORY

Judge Tosses Trump’s NYT Lawsuit

A federal judge threw out President Trump's $15B defamation lawsuit against The New York Times but gave him 28 days to refile

• Trump had sued over articles alleging fraud and interviews with former chief of staff John Kelly, who called Trump a fascist

• The judge argued the 85-page complaint lacked “any legitimate legal claims” and also criticized it as “decidedly improper and impermissible,” saying, “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally”

• Any refiled complaint must be limited to 40 pages, down from the original 85

Dig Deeper

• The judge criticized the complaint’s flowery language, which included allegations about “a new journalistic low for the hopelessly compromised and tarnished ‘Gray Lady’” and "the desperate need to defame with a partisan spear”

• The New York Times responded that the lawsuit was “an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting” and vowed it would "not be deterred by intimidation tactics”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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KEY STORY

Countries Recognize Palestine

The UK, Canada, and Australia formally recognized Palestinian statehood on Sunday in a coordinated diplomatic move

• The three countries had previously withheld recognition, maintaining it should only come through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations

• Britain first signaled this intention in July when PM Starmer said the country would take this step unless Israel met certain conditions, including agreeing to a Gaza ceasefire

• The move puts these traditional Israeli allies at odds with the US, which opposes Palestinian recognition without a negotiated settlement

• Over 140 UN member states already recognized Palestine before Sunday’s announcement

Dig Deeper

• The announcements came on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting, where France, Belgium, and other countries are expected to vote in favor of Palestinian recognition this week

• Israeli PM Netanyahu criticized the moves, saying they reward “Hamas’ monstrous terrorism & punish its victims”

• Palestinian officials welcomed the recognition as conferring added legitimacy on their claims to statehood, though it has limited immediate practical effects on the ground

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

😷 California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation Saturday banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks while operating in the state, marking the first such law in the nation.

💰 The Senate defeated a GOP-backed government funding measure 48-44, hours after it passed the House, raising shutdown prospects with just over a week remaining to reach an agreement.

🛩️ Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes last Friday, prompting NATO to deploy Italian F-35s in response.

📰 The Pentagon issued new guidelines requiring reporters to obtain official approval before publishing any information, even if unclassified, threatening to revoke press credentials for violations.

📱 The White House announced that US companies will control TikTok’s algorithm and Americans will hold six of seven board seats for the app’s US operations under a new deal with China.

What does Roca Nation think?

🍂 Today’s Question: Fall weather is slowly descending upon us. What are you most excited for?

Reply to this email with your response!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🎖️ Cow Cosplay: This year’s Ig Nobel Prizes recognized scientists who discovered that painting cows with zebra stripes reduces fly bites by half and others who found that adding Teflon to food could create zero-calorie meals

👩‍💼 Black Shirt Blues: Starbucks workers in three states are suing the coffee chain for refusing to reimburse employees who bought clothing to comply with a new dress code requiring solid black shirts

💈 Close Shave: A Turkish barber potentially saved a teenager’s life by spotting a suspicious lump on his neck during a routine haircut, which turned out to be rare Hodgkin lymphoma

🌾 Seeds of Romance: Australian farmer Will Henderson spent months secretly planting canola crops spelling “Will you marry me?” to surprise his girlfriend with an aerial proposal

🌽 A-maize-ing Streak: A Maine family farm has won the title of America's best corn maze for the fourth consecutive year, beating out competitors nationwide in USA Today's reader poll

ROCA WRAP
Tower Sale Scam

Victor Lustig

A con artist convinced businessmen to buy a famous landmark for scrap metal – twice.

Victor Lustig was born in 1890 in Bohemia and quickly proved himself a gifted student with an unfortunate talent for trouble. After leaving school, Lustig applied his quick wit and fluency in multiple languages to a criminal career, initially running cons on Atlantic ocean liners where he posed as a Broadway producer seeking investors. When World War I suspended transatlantic travel, he moved his operations to the US, where his growing reputation among law enforcement matched his skill at deception.

Reading newspaper reports about the Eiffel Tower's deteriorating condition and mounting repair costs, Lustig sensed opportunity in the city’s frustration with the monument. He hired a forger to create fake government letterhead and arranged a confidential meeting with scrap metal dealers at an expensive Parisian hotel. Posing as Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, Lustig informed the dealers that the government wanted to sell the tower for scrap but needed discretion to avoid public outcry.

Among the dealers, Lustig identified André Poisson, an insecure businessman desperate to break into elite Parisian circles. During a private meeting, Lustig played his masterstroke: He confessed to being corrupt, claiming his government salary couldn’t support his desired lifestyle. This apparent honesty convinced Poisson that the deal was legitimate. Believing ownership of the Eiffel Tower would secure his place among top businessmen, Poisson agreed to pay both the purchase price and a substantial bribe – roughly 70,000 francs total.

After fleeing to Austria with his windfall, Lustig monitored French newspapers and discovered his suspicion was correct: Poisson was too embarrassed to report the fraud to the police. Emboldened by this silence, Lustig returned to Paris later that year to repeat the scheme with different dealers. This time, however, his second mark contacted authorities, forcing Lustig to flee to America before arrest.

Lustig's career ultimately ended when his jealous mistress betrayed him to federal authorities after discovering his affair with a younger woman. He died in prison on Alcatraz Island in 1947, his death certificate listing his occupation as “apprentice salesman and counterfeiter.”

Some monuments can't be bought, but apparently, they can be sold.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Hope you had a nice weekend. Max F took the red eye on Friday to the UK where he’s currently reporting on the migrant situation. And while Max T didn’t take a red eyem his eyes nevertheless turned red on Saturday, too, after watching Notre Dame’s defense for four quarters.

We ran a We The 66 deep-dive this morning on the bots who are calling for a civil war on X. It’s a trippy piece, but we found it fascinating.

–Max and Max