🌊 Xi Said, He Said

Plus: Record Roca weekend, Israel kills Hamas' leader, & Texas' Muslim city

A historic weekend for RocaNews.

This weekend was the biggest weekend ever for RocaNews on YouTube. After just three days, our latest West Virginia mini-doc has over 3M views. On Saturday alone, our channel got over 1.6M views and brought in 18,000 new subscribers. It also brought in 62,000 new followers on Facebook, and hundreds of new readers to this newsletter. What an incredible success. The night after shooting this video, Max F predicted this one would be one of the biggest ever. Appalachia is a goldmine and has perhaps the best storytellers of any region in the US (Deep South, you’re right there, too). Welcome to all the new readers, and it brings us such joy to have a blockbuster weekend from a video about a place that never — literally never — gets a spotlight.

• Trump/Xi summit concludes

• Israel kills Hamas’ leader

• Texas’ Muslim towns

-Max and Max

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China Meeting Wraps

President Trump wrapped up a warm two-day visit to Beijing last week, but left lingering questions about Taiwan, Iran, and other pressing issues.

Outlets reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping asked Trump directly about the US’ commitments to defend Taiwan during their closed-door meeting. Trump refused to answer, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “I made no commitment either way… the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.”

Xi warned that mishandling tensions over Taiwan could create an “extremely dangerous situation,” the clearest signal from Beijing that Taiwan remains a top priority. Trump also left open whether he would approve a multibillion-dollar arms package for Taipei.

The two also discussed the ongoing war with Iran. Trump has said that China could use its relationship with Iran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But China’s assurances were vague at best – Trump told Fox News, “[Xi would] like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said ‘If I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.’” China’s foreign ministry offered little clarification, calling for a ceasefire and saying shipping lanes should be reopened without committing to anything specific. Beijing also released a mid-summit statement saying the war should never have started in the first place.

On trade, Trump declared the talks a success but offered few specifics. China agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets but the announcement landed poorly on Wall Street, where investors had anticipated closer to 500.

The White House announced on Sunday that China agreed to buy at least $17B in US agricultural goods annually through 2028 – on top of a prior commitment to purchase 25M metric tons of US soybeans – and resume purchases of US beef and poultry. The White House also said China would address rare earth shortages, though China made no mention of rare earths in its summary of the talks.

Notably, Trump said that he and Xi did not discuss tariffs at all. But both sides agreed to create a “Board of Trade” to manage future disputes without reopening tariff negotiations. The two sides are expected to meet again in September, with Xi planning to visit the White House.

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The Rise of Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt – former star on The Hills – has quickly become a frontrunner in Los Angeles’ mayoral race.

After losing his house in the January 2025 Palisades Fire, Pratt built a brand as arguably the leading citizen journalist investigating the fires.

Now, he aims to take down incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, calling her out for her handling of the fires.

But who is Spencer Pratt and how did he get here? Get our deep-dive here.

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Lebanon, Israel Extend Ceasefire
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day ceasefire extension after two days of US-brokered talks in Washington.

The truce has been marked by near-daily exchanges of fire. Israel has intensified airstrikes in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched rockets and drones into northern Israel. Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed 22 people on Wednesday, including eight children. The State Department said military delegations from both countries will meet at the Pentagon on May 29 to begin a security track of negotiations.

Top ISIS Leader Killed
US and Nigerian forces killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, one of ISIS’ top global leaders, in a Friday raid on the Lake Chad islands.

The State Department had designated al-Minuki a terrorist in 2023, and officials say he oversaw ISIS’ global media, recruitment, finances, and weapons development.

About two dozen American and Nigerian special operations commandos – including Navy SEAL Team 6 members – attacked al-Minuki and roughly 35 fighters in a nearly three-hour battle. Al-Minuki was killed by an airstrike after refusing to surrender; no casualties were reported on the allied side.

Weinstein Mistrial
A New York judge declared a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s third trial after a jury deadlocked on whether he raped aspiring actress Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.

It was the second consecutive jury to deadlock on the Mann count. Prosecutors have 30 days to decide whether to try the case again.

Weinstein, 74, still faces sentencing on a prior criminal sexual act conviction carrying up to 25 years, and is separately appealing a 16-year California sentence on unrelated sex crime charges.

Return of the Mac
Conor McGregor will return to the UFC for the first time in four years, facing Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas.

McGregor, 37, last fought in July 2021, suffering a broken leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. He was previously scheduled to return at UFC 303 last June but withdrew with a toe injury. In November 2024, an Irish jury found him liable in a civil sexual assault case stemming from a 2018 incident. The fight is a rematch of a 2013 bout that McGregor won by decision.

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CIA Chief Visits Cuba

While President Trump was wrapping up talks in China, CIA Director John Ratcliffe was holding his own with one of the US’ neighbors down south.

Ratcliffe traveled to Havana on Thursday for high-level meetings with Cuban security and intelligence officials, including the head of Cuban intelligence, the interior minister, and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro – the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro.

The visit, which the US requested, comes as the island faces a deepening energy crisis. Cuba’s energy minister said the country has run out of diesel and fuel oil, with blackouts reportedly exceeding 20 hours per day. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Havana on Wednesday night, burning garbage and blocking roads.

A CIA official said Ratcliffe went “to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.’’

The visit comes as CBS recently reported that the Justice Department is preparing to indict Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft that killed four people.

DC Parents on the Hook

DC’s top federal prosecutor said on Friday that she plans to charge parents whose teenagers violate curfews, framing the move as a response to a surge in “teen takeovers” – large, flash-mob type gatherings of young people in popular neighborhoods like Navy Yard and NoMa.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office will enforce a DC law that makes it illegal to enable a minor to commit a crime. Violations can carry fines, mandatory parenting classes, or even jail time. Pirro warned, “Parents, do your jobs, or we will do ours.”

The announcement came alongside a broader federal law enforcement push ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Officials said they are requesting roughly 1,500 additional National Guard troops in DC, plus added resources from the FBI and US marshals.

The DC Council recently passed a longer-term curfew bill, but it won’t take effect for months. An emergency version failed to clear the required supermajority, and some council members had privately warned colleagues that inaction would prompt a harder federal response.

Israel Kills Hamas’ Military Chief

Israel killed Ezzedin al-Haddad – the military chief of Hamas and the most senior figure eliminated since the ceasefire – in an airstrike on Gaza City over the weekend.

Haddad, 56, had led Hamas’ military wing since Israel killed Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025, making Haddad the group’s third Gaza military commander in less than a year.

Known as “the Ghost” for surviving multiple assassination attempts, Haddad was one of the architects of the October 7 attacks. Israel claimed he was actively working to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities at the time of his assassination. Hamas confirmed the killing and said Haddad died alongside his wife and 19-year-old daughter in a strike on an apartment building.

Israel has carried out strikes throughout the ceasefire period, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the most recent strike was consistent with Israel’s policy of acting pre-emptively against threats. Both Israeli and Hamas negotiators remain deadlocked over a broader peace deal.

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What does Roca Nation think?

🤔 Today’s Question: Are you following the controversy about The Odyssey’s casting decisions? Thoughts?

Reply to this email with your response!

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Drizzy Does Three
Drake dropped three albums simultaneously – Iceman, Habibti, and Maid of Honour – totaling 43 tracks and crashing streaming services upon release.

The genres span rap, R&B, and dance music, and feature collaborators like Central Cee, 21 Savage, and PARTYNEXTDOOR in Drake’s first releases since his high-profile feud with Kendrick Lamar. Drake takes aim at Lamar across the records and also appears to call out LeBron James and DJ Khaled.

Lunch Money
An anonymous bidder paid $9M for a private lunch with Warren Buffett and Stephen Curry, with Buffett pledging to match the winning amount so both of their charitable foundations benefit.

The eBay auction revived a Buffett tradition that ran for over two decades and raised $53M for San Francisco’s GLIDE Foundation but was discontinued in 2022 after a single bid hit $19M.

The winner will dine with Buffett and the Currys in Omaha next month.

Ursine and Disorderly
A black bear was spotted wandering Vancouver’s Commercial Drive neighborhood last week, prompting police to track and tranquilize the animal around 1 AM.

The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service was called in after the bear came close to pedestrians, with the Emergency Response Team assisting on the ground. Police announced the bear “slept it off, and was released without charges” before being relocated to North Vancouver, where black bears are a far more common sight.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Final Thoughts

This one isn’t quite tracking at 3M views in 3 days, but this was a highly requested video topic. Hope you all enjoy it!

–Max and Max