From Wordle to "goblin mode," Queen Elizabeth's death to Johnny Depp's mega-pints of wine, 2022 was quite a year for the news. We made it to the finish line... no cap.When we started the year, we sent this email to 40,000 readers each day; now it goes out to over 5 times as many. You are the best news community in the world, and we thank you for trusting us to be your daily news brief. Happy New Year 🌊🌊

In today's edition:

• RIP to "The Greatest"

• Wait, that's not the toy Tasmanian devil...

• 20 Questions!

 🔑 Key Stories

Pelé Dies at 82

Pelé, widely considered one of the greatest-ever soccer players, died at 82

• Real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé grew up in Brazil in poverty. Unable to afford a football as a kid, he practiced with a newspaper-stuffed sock

• Pelé made his professional debut in 1956 for Brazilian club Santos, where he went on to win 10 league titles. He won Brazil 3 World Cups, becoming a national hero and the sport’s most famous player. He also briefly played for the New York Cosmos

• Pelé died of multiple organ failure due to complications from colon cancer

Dig Deeper

• Pelé was so famous that in 1967, factions of Nigeria's civil war agreed to a cease-fire so that he could play in the country. When he met US President Ronald Reagan, the president said, "My name is Ronald Reagan, I'm the president of the United States of America. But you don't need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is"

• Pelé's play popularized the term "the beautiful game" for soccer/football

Russia: We’ll Freeze Soldiers’ Sperm

Russian soldiers in Ukraine will be able to freeze and store their sperm for free, Russian state media said

• Freezing sperm enables men to produce a biological offspring even if they are injured or die

• In September, Russia called up 300k reservists to fight in Ukraine. Since then, Russian sperm banks have reportedly experienced a surge in usage

• On Wednesday, Russia’s health ministry said it “determined the possibility of financial support… for free conservation and storage of [sperm]… for citizens” called up to fight in Ukraine

• The US claims 100k+ Russians have died in the war

Dig Deeper

• On Thursday, Russia launched its "most massive" missile attack against Ukraine's cities yet, Ukraine's defense ministry said. It also said Ukraine shot down 54 missiles and 11 Iranian-made drones, but that many others got through

Taiwan Mandates More Military Service

Taiwan’s president mandated 1 year of mandatory military service for men

• Taiwan is a self-governed democratic island near China. China claims ownership of it and says it will use force if necessary to seize it; Taiwan says it’ll defend itself, and the US hints it will defend Taiwan

• Prior to this, Taiwanese men were required to serve for 4 months after turning 18. But the likelihood of a China-Taiwan war appears to have been growing

• Taiwan’s president said, “Only when we are prepared can we avoid a war, and only when we are capable of fighting a war can we stop a war”

Dig Deeper

• China frequently flies planes into Taiwan's airspace. On Monday, China flew 71 warplanes and drones towards Taiwan, its largest such incursion yet

Cosby Plans to Tour in 2023

Bill Cosby said he plans to tour again in 2023

• Cosby, 85, is a comedian and actor who starred in The Cosby Show, a highly acclaimed sitcom that aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992, and other shows. He was formerly known as “America's Dad”

• In recent years, 60+ women have accused Cosby of drugging, coercing, or raping them, dating back to the 1960s. In 2018, a Pennsylvania court sentenced him to 3-10 yrs in jail for assaulting a woman in 2004, but he was released in 2021 on a technicality

• He still faces a lawsuit from 5 women who accuse him of rape and assault, but says he will tour again

Dig Deeper

• “When I come out of this, I feel that I will be able to perform and be the Bill Cosby that my audience knows me to be,” Cosby said. One of Cosby's representatives said the comedian is “looking at spring/summer to start touring"

Andrew Tate Arrested

Andrew Tate was reportedly arrested in Romania

• Tate is a British-American social media personality and former professional kickboxer who rose to online prominence in early 2022

• The major social media platforms collectively banned Tate in August for statements that violated their content policies

• On Thursday, Romanian outlet Libertatea reported that Tate and his brother Tristan had been arrested on accusations of detaining 2 girls, forcing them to have sex, and recording the footage

Dig Deeper

• Earlier this week, Tate got in a Twitter fight with 19-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Tate mocked Thunberg's concerns about carbon emissions, and in response, Thunberg tweeted, "yes, please do enlighten me. email me at [email protected]". Tate was arrested days later

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• The way of moolah: Avatar: The Way of Water has raked in over $1B at the global box office in just 14 days. It needs $2B to break even

• Desperate housewives of Chicago: Michelle Obama said that she "couldn't stand" Barack in their first 10 years of marriage due to their "uneven" parenting loads

• Bats to life: Houston wildlife workers nursed 1,600 bats back to health after the cold sent the winged creatures into hypothermic shock

Wildcard 

• Calling all Karens: Thai police are offering cash prizes for videos of traffic violations. Thailand is trying new approaches to curb traffic deaths

• Crikey, it's moving! An Australian woman grabbed a Tasmanian devil in her home thinking that it was her golden retriever's Tasmanian devil toy

• Restoration high school: A group of friends bought an abandoned high school in Pennsylvania for $100,000 and converted it into a 31-unit apartment complex

• Best-z: Sleep better and stress less with Apollo. *Sponsored Content

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

Just 20 Questions!

See yesterday's results below the Wrap! 

🗣 20 Questions

Every Friday, we ask the Roca readers 20 questions, then feature our favorite answers the following week. 

For 2 years in a row now, we have delivered 20 questions every single Friday. And we are STOKED to do it again today.

To end what was a year of many ups and downs, we are doing a "2022 Year in Review" 20 Questions. 

There are 20 2022-related prompts, and you choose whether to "leave" each in 2022 or "keep" it in 2023.

Here's the link. Let's ride!

If you have thoughts, let us know at [email protected]!

 🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

Does toilet paper ply matter?

Yes: 93%

No: 7%

Yesterday's Question:

What was the most memorable story in the news for you in 2022?

Eileen from Maryland: “Queen Elizabeth’s death”

Lisa from Florida: “Russia invading Ukraine”

Steven from California:  “For me it was The JWST. The data I pulled off of Jupiter's Atmosphere, as well as the picture of the oldest star ever seen almost brought me to tears. It was undoubtedly the peak of my year news wise.”

Last Week's 20 Qs Responses:

1. Elf 67.2%, The Polar Express 32.8%

2. Dasher 63.9%, Dancer 36.1%

3. Prancer 43.5%, Vixen 56.5%

4. Milk 12.6%, Cookies 87.4%

5. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 64.1%, Frosty The Snowman 35.9%

6. Gift wrapping 35.4%, Gift opening 64.6%

7. Christmas pajamas 51.2%, Slippers 48.8%

8. Hot Chocolate 73.1%, Eggnog 26.9%

9. Chimney 67%, Back door 33%

10.  Joy 33.5%, Peace 66.5%

11.  Wreath 75.5%, Mistletoe 24.5%

12.  Gingerbread cookies 38.3%, Sugar cookies 61.7%

13.  Snowball 29.4%, Snowman 70.6%

14.  Jingle 58.1%, Cheer 41.9%

15.  HoHoHo 85.4%, Bah Humbug 14.6%

16.  Sleigh 66.5%, Sled 33.5%

17.  Star on the tree 36.8%, Ornaments 63.2%

18.  No snow 23%, Snow 77%

19.  Peppermint Bark 54.1%, Candy Cane 45.9%

20. Home for the Holidays 88.1%, Out of town 11.9%

🧠 Final Thoughts

And with that, 2022 is a....WRAP!

This has been an unbelievable year for us: We've developed an app, begun to produce original news content, and vastly expanded our audience. A year ago, we were 4 friends working out of apartments; today we're a team of 12 people committed to making sure the news never sucks again.

Thank you all for making this Roca's best year yet. We can't wait for 2023!

Max and Max