A Bangladeshi journalist was arrested for criticizing high food prices in his country. Police removed him from his home at 4 AM on Wednesday for spreading a "false story." We hope he had time to grab all the valuables in his house like the butter, milk, eggs, and... okay, we don't want to be arrested either. We don't take freedom of the press for granted.

In today's edition:

• Over-the-counter Narcan

• Average Ivy League tuition

• Apple's Big Move

🔑 Key Stories

AI Ceasefire?

1,300+ leaders in AI, tech, and policy signed a letter calling for a pause on developing new AI systems

• Last November, OpenAI released ChatGPT; since then, it’s released several new versions, Elon Musk has reportedly begun gathering a new AI team, and Google has released its answer to ChatGPT, Bard

• On Wednesday, a nonprofit released an open letter calling AI a “profound [risk] to society and humanity” and calling the current AI environment “out of control.” It called on AI leaders to agree to a 6-month pause in AI development to allow for regulation and oversight

• It said AI needs oversight and regulation, and that “unelected tech leaders” should not be the ones spearheading that. It also recommended that the government step in to provide clear and enforceable guidelines

Dig Deeper

• Signatories include Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and many top AI professors. As of this morning, OpenAI hadn’t commented on the letter

Over-the-Counter Narcan

The FDA approved Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, for over-the-counter sales

• A record 108k Americans died of overdoses in 2021, of which opioids caused 75%+. Opioids are a class of drugs that include fentanyl, heroin, and codeine

• Narcan, a nasal spray, is a brand-name version of the drug naloxone. When given to somebody who is overdosing, it can reverse the overdose in minutes

• In 2015, the FDA approved Narcan as a prescription drug. On Thursday, the FDA announced it would allow Narcan to be sold over the counter, or without a prescription, meaning it can be sold in more stores

Dig Deeper

• The head of the FDA said the change will “help improve access to naloxone [and] increase the number of locations where it’s available” and that a “priority” is to ensure it’s “available as soon as possible” at an “affordable price"

• The FDA also warned it could be months before OTC Narcan is widely available

Chinese Border Surge

4,366 Chinese citizens have been detained at the US-Mexico border since October, more than double the number from the prior 12 months

• Over the year ending in September 2022, the US detained ~2.4M people at the US-Mexico border, a majority of whom came from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, or Venezuela. 0.1% – 2,176 people – were Chinese

• Since October, 4,366 people – 0.4% of all people detained at the border – were Chinese citizens. While that’s only .4% of migrant arrivals, it’s more than double the amount in the prior 12 months and quadruple the share from the prior year

• Analysts suggest economic hardship, political repression, and a backlog in applications to enter the US legally are causing the trend

Dig Deeper

• Many of the Chinese migrants that cross the border seek asylum, or protection from persecution, which lets them remain in the US indefinitely. Once they apply, they are eligible to stay in the US until they receive a hearing – which can take years. On average, 58% of Chinese asylum-seekers are granted asylum

Renewables Surpass Coal

New data show that in 2022, the US produced more energy from renewables than coal for the first time

• Renewable energy is derived from natural sources that replenish faster than the rate at which they’re consumed. Examples include wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and tidal

• In 2010, coal power plants produced ~48% of the US’ energy, while renewables produced ~10%

• New government data show that last year was the first time that renewables (21%) produced more energy than coal (20%). Natural gas produced the most (37%), while nuclear fell to the lowest of all 4 (19%)

Dig Deeper

• Last year, wind produced the most energy of all renewables, followed by hydropower and solar energy. Texas produced the most wind energy, followed by Iowa and Oklahoma; California produced the most solar energy, followed by Texas and North Carolina

How do you start speaking a language in 3 Weeks?

Together with Babbel

The answer is with Babbel, the language learning platform designed by 150+ linguists and used by 10M+ people

• Choose from 14 different languages, and with just 10 minutes a day, you can start having actual conversations in as little as 3 weeks

• The Roca team is constantly traveling to new countries where foreign language skills are essential. Even speaking a few phrases of a language can go a long way to having a safe and authentic experience

• There are a variety of ways to learn with Babbel: App-based lessons, podcasts, games, videos, content articles, and live online classes (Babbel Live) with some of the best teachers in the industry

Dig Deeper

• Spring is a time to re-focus, clear out the cobwebs, and make moves to become your best self. If learning a new language has always been a goal, now is the perfect time to make it into reality. For a limited time, Roca readers can get 55% off their subscription

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• Back to the future ☎: "Dumb phones" appear to be on the rise for Gen Z. Nokia flip phone sales rose in the US but dropped globally in 2022

• Infringement is nothing: Adidas withdrew its opposition to Black Lives Matter's 3-striped-line logo trademark's application. The company didn't want to be seen as opposing BLM

• Full of bologna: Italy's government has backed a bill that would ban lab-grown meat and other synthetic foods. It's a win for farmers but a blow to animal rights groups

Wildcard

• Stag partied-out: Amsterdam is running geo-targeted ads to discourage young British men from visiting. The ads appear when young Brits click on party-related links, including for "pub crawls" and "cheap hotels"

• Back to $chool: The average cost of attending an Ivy League college is over $80k for the upcoming academic year. Princeton is the cheapest at $76,040/yr

• Not what it seems: A Florida school principal resigned after cutting a $100,000 check from the school to a scammer posing as Elon Musk’s right-hand man

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

Do you think everyone (with the means) should go to therapy?

Reply to this email with your answers!

See yesterday's results below the Wrap! 

🌯 Roca Wrap

An estimated 98% of iPhones are currently made in China. If Apple gets its way, that will soon change.

Apple’s and China’s growths have paralleled each other since 1990.

Apple has grown from a $4B company to the world’s most valuable, worth $2.5T. China has gone from having a $397B economy to an $18T one, second only to the US.

During that period, Apple moved nearly all of its production to China, helping it grow and become one of the largest buyers of Apple products. Today, China produces 90-95% of all Apple products and accounts for 20% of Apple’s sales.

But Apple’s China relationship now looks riskier:

Tensions between China and the US threaten to interrupt Apple’s business. Labor costs are getting higher in China. And China’s Covid policies – which included lockdowns until December – have upset Apple’s manufacturing.

Those trends have pushed Apple to shift manufacturing to other countries – but the options are slim.

The scale of Apple’s production requires a country with stability, good infrastructure, and a massive labor force. Only one country in the world can potentially meet those needs: India.

India and China both have 1.4B people – more than the 4th- through 10th-most populous countries combined. In the US – the third-most populous country – labor costs are too high.

If Apple is to move out of China, no country besides India can provide as many workers.

India is not an easy place to do business, though.

The country’s roads, ports, and other infrastructure are far worse than China’s; its population is much poorer and less educated; its politics are unpredictable; each state has different policies; and its laws are much more worker-friendly.

Its politics are unpredictable. And its laws are much more worker-friendly.

From independence in 1947 until the 1990s, India shut itself off from most foreign investment and sought to prevent companies from becoming too large or powerful. India has relaxed some of those laws since the 1990s, but not enough to meet Apple’s need for factories that employ hundreds of thousands of workers whom it can easily hire and fire.

But this fall, Apple began telling suppliers to prepare for more assembly in India and started looking for non-Chinese assemblers. Apple also entered talks to build women’s dormitories near factories, which would navigate the risks and taboos around women living and traveling alone.

Last week it emerged that Apple has spent 6 months negotiating new labor laws with Indian authorities. Sources said Apple asked that workers be allowed to work more overtime and that factories be permitted to operate two 12-hour daily shifts, rather than three 8-hour ones. 

Apple reportedly plans to move up to 40-45% of iPhone production to India.

Analysts differ over how long that could take: Those at Bloomberg say Apple would need 8 years to move 10% of its manufacturing out of China; those at JPMorgan say Apple could move 25% by 2025.

What seems certain, though, is that Apple wants to come to India soon.

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

🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

I'm more of a...

Talker: 35%Listener: 65%

Yesterday's Question:

What is something on your bucket list you have yet to check off?

Josie from DC: "I want to visit all 7 continents! I have 2 down, 2 more planned, and then 3 to go! I have been to all 50 states - that was on my 25 before 25 list! Next up - all the continents!"

Alex from Philadelphia: "I must see the Northern Lights preferably in Iceland. Someday I will get there."

Tim from Mississippi: "I have yet to attend all four major tennis tournaments (Australian, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open). I need to stop talking about it & do it."

🧠 Final Thoughts

Happy Thursday, riders. We can't guarantee your next iPhone will be made in China, but we can guarantee we will try to deliver the most unbiased news we can.

Hope you have a wonderful day. Finish the week STRONG!

–Max and Max