🌊 NYC Building to Collapse?
Plus: McConnell still hospitalized, states want $1.4T from Meta, & a Frank's Red Hot spill
1M subscribers on YouTube.
Roca Nation, swept up in a wave of US soccer fervor (okay fine, European readers, delusion), we neglected to share a rather important milestone that we hit over this weekends: 1M subscribers on YouTube. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who helped us get there, especially for those of you who supported this from the start. It’s incredible to think that our mini-docs now get 15M+ views per month, but that’s simply a testament to the people we interview and places we visit.
Hopefully, when we hit 2M subscribers, my relatives will stop asking me “okay, but what do you actually do?”
States want $1.4T from Meta
Ex-Pfizer HQ in NYC to collapse?
Massive Frank’s Red Hot spill
-Max and Max
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McConnell’s Health in Question
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been hospitalized for three weeks, with little detail from his office, which said on June 14 only that he'd been admitted and was "receiving excellent care," and later saying he "continues to improve"
Speculation intensified after dispatch audio surfaced showing paramedics performing CPR on an unconscious person at his DC address that day. The recordings don't name him, and his office declined to comment
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said McConnell sounded engaged with Senate business, though he hasn't voted since June 11
States Seek $1.4T From Meta
Meta said four states – California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey – are seeking $1.4T in penalties, claiming Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and hid the harms from the public
Over 40 states have sued Meta, mostly alleging violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which lets parents control children's personal data collected online
The $1.4T figure nears Meta's $1.5T market cap. Meta called it unsupported, saying the amount "has no analog in the history of consumer protection enforcement," ahead of an August trial in Oakland, CA
Trump Threatens to Remove Troops
President Trump renewed threats to pull US troops from Europe and revived calls to control Greenland ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey
Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump said the US "could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe" and argued Greenland "should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark." He also accused Italy, Germany, and France of refusing to back the US’ Iran war effort
Trump signaled the US would lift Turkey sanctions over Russian missile purchases and readmit it to the F-35 program. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reviewing the roughly 80,000 troops currently stationed in Europe
Manhattan High-Rise Buckles
A Manhattan high-rise near Grand Central Terminal was at risk of collapse Tuesday after two support columns buckled, causing multiple floors to sag
The 37-story building, once Pfizer's global HQ, was being converted into a 1,600-unit apartment complex when firefighters got a call around 8 AM about bricks falling from the structure. Nearby buildings were evacuated, and streets were closed
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the building was still moving hours later, calling it "an extremely serious situation." Fire Chief John Esposito said the steel construction means any collapse would be localized. Crews are actively working to stabilize the floors
The Business of the Hydration Break
It was a perfect June night for soccer when Australia and Turkey faced off in Vancouver, Canada.
The air was cool, and fans had flown from across the world to see their two teams face off in the sides’ first 2026 World Cup match. Turkey started off strong, dominating the game’s first 25 minutes. The team controlled possession, created opportunities, and largely stifled Australia with an effective first-half game plan.
Then came the “hydration break.”
In the weeks since, these hydration breaks have become an infamous aspect of the tournament. But why is FIFA insisting on extra breaks? Are they making money off of them? And why do most fans hate them so much? These questions are the topic of today’s deep-dive: Read it here.
Iran Strikes Three Ships
Iranian projectiles hit three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night and Tuesday morning. In response, the Trump Administration launched fresh strikes on Iran and revoked a waiver allowing Iran to sell its oil on the open market.
Meta Releases AI Image Model
Meta launched Muse Image, its first image-generation model since CEO Mark Zuckerberg overhauled the company's AI division.
Second Platner Accuser Comes Forward
An ex-girlfriend of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner told The Washington Post he repeatedly removed condoms without her consent during their 2013-2015 relationship. Platner's campaign called the claim "categorically false and politically motivated."
What Does Roca Nation Think?
🇺🇸 Yesterday’s Question: Thoughts on the US loss versus Belgium?
I knew we would lose the game before it even started. I went to the friendly against Belgium earlier this year and saw what I needed to see from both teams. Complete control of the game by Belgium. They’re faster with the ball, their vision of the field is completely different, their positioning is spot on, their set pieces are with a purpose, these guys were born with a futbol at their feet, it’s in their blood. Americans are born with a football, baseball, basketball, and maybe a soccer ball. Belgium was toying with us before the game even started with the players they decided to start. I don’t see the USA winning a world cup in the next century unless some major changes take place among the youth of America
Connor in Georgia
It was a humbling reminder that the USMNT has the heart of lions but still need to develop their overall skills in order to compete at the highest level; that which will allow them to one day bring the World Cup to rest in the U.S.
I also want to echo the sentiments the majority of Americans have shared: Thank you to the USMNT for your valiant efforts and bringing another great season of patriotism to the forefront of our society.
Adam from Arizona
It was a lose-lose situation. The red card was wrong and put a damper on the game and the team. But they would always be looked upon with suspicion if they won. No winners here
Katy from Delaware
🏥 Today’s Question: Does hyperfixating on your health ironically make you less healthy?
Reply to this email with your response!
RedHot American Summer
A semi-truck spilled 40,000 pounds of Frank's RedHot hot sauce across Interstate 71 in Delaware County, Ohio, last week.
Ray Gun Rebellion
Two North Carolina teens face charges after allegedly using a homemade plasma cannon to blast their way into Smith High School in Greensboro.
Paper Trail
A UK charity fundraiser is under scrutiny after handmade paper hedgehogs given to children were found to be crafted from the pages of erotic novel The Fermata (1994).
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Max T is currently en route to Cajun country in Louisiana. There may be no state in the US more unique than Louisiana. Half a dozen disparate cultures collided to create what it is today, gifting us jazz, Coach O, and so many other wonderful things along the way. If you’re in Louisiana and have an interesting story or know of an interesting place for us to visit, let us know.
–Max and Max
Tough time of year temperature wise to head to Louisiana. Stay hydrated Max T!