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- 🌊 Alcohol Consumption Hits Record Low
🌊 Alcohol Consumption Hits Record Low
Plus: Bowl chains struggling, Gen Z vs. Boomer beef, & 20 Questions!
And I Would Walk Scroll 500 Miles.
The distance the average American scrolls on their phone per year is nothing short of alarming. A report from researchers at Toll Free Forwarding found that we scroll an average of 86 miles per year. The state that scrolls the most is Arizona, where residents scroll over 110 miles per year, followed by Washington and Kentucky.
We can’t blame the Arizonans though — we would spend 8 hours a day on our phones mumbling “dry heat is fine! At least it’s not humid!” if we lived there, too.
Now scroll your way through this newsletter, and have a great weekend.
📉 Alcohol consumption hits record low
🇮🇱 Israel expands settlements
🥙 Food bowl companies struggling!
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Alcohol Consumption at Record Low
A new Gallup poll found that US adults reported the lowest rates of alcohol consumption since Gallup began tracking Americans' drinking habits in 1939
The data released Wednesday showed that only 54% of US adults reported consuming alcohol, breaking the previous record low of 55% from 1958
The record-low drinking rate coincided with a dramatic shift in health perceptions, as 53% of Americans now believed moderate drinking harmed health – up from just 28% in 2018. Young adults led this change, with about two-thirds of those aged 18 to 34 viewing moderate alcohol consumption as unhealthy, compared to roughly half of adults aged 55 and older
While marijuana use increased over the past decade, Gallup found it did not appear to be driving the decline in alcohol consumption
Dig Deeper
The medical community has changed its stance on moderate drinking after discovering flaws in earlier studies. Medical opinions have reversed over the last 10 to 20 years, with previous conceptions, like a single glass of red wine improving one's lifespan, now being dismissed
Even Americans who continue to drink reported consuming less alcohol, with only 24% of drinkers saying they had consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours – another record low
The average number of drinks consumed over seven days dropped to 2.8, down from 3.8 last year and the lowest figure Gallup has recorded since 1996
KEY STORY
Israel Expands Settlements
Israel's finance minister announced that Israel would proceed with building new homes in the West Bank
The West Bank’s E1 area comprises approximately 3,000 acres that connect Jerusalem to Ma'ale Adumim, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Construction had been frozen for 20 years following international pressure
On Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced construction plans for 3,401 housing units that would create a continuous built-up area linking Jerusalem to Ma'ale Adumim
Smotrich said, "This reality [will] finally bury the idea of a Palestinian state...and ensure that by September, the hypocritical leaders in Europe will have nothing to recognise"
Dig Deeper
The announcement occurred as France, the UK, and Canada prepare to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September
While many moderate Israelis oppose settlement construction, many also fiercely oppose ongoing attempts to recognize Palestine, considering it a reward for terrorism
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Truth is like poetry, and most people fucking hate poetry
KEY STORY
IPO Market Returns
A series of successful tech IPOs are promising for tech startups and the venture capital market
US initial public offerings (IPOs) hit a record high in 2021 before plummeting. That deprived startups of an exit path, and therefore led to less venture capital investment
This week, though, Bullish, a crypto company, became the latest company to have a successful IPO, following Figma, a design company, and Circle, a stablecoin issuer
The successful IPOs bode well for venture capitalists and tech startups, as the recent IPO drought disincentivized VCs from investing in startups
Dig Deeper
VCs make money when the companies they invest in get acquired or IPO. The drop in IPOs over the last few years has limited a crucial profit source for VCs, though, disincentivizing investments. That, in turn, has starved startups of capital, forcing many to shutter
Many once high-flying startups have also been unable to IPO because the down market meant their valuations were lower. Recent IPOs suggest that valuations are now heading upward, potentially leading to more investment and IPOs
KEY STORY
US Deploys Navy to Caribbean
The US ordered the deployment of air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea to counter threats from Latin American drug cartels
The Trump Administration designated several criminal organizations as global terrorist groups in February, including Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. These designations gave the US military new legal justification for potential combat operations against drug cartels
On Thursday, the Defense Department began ordering air and naval assets to the Southern Caribbean. The sources confirmed the deployment aimed to address national security threats from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region
Dig Deeper
The administration also added Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles to the list, alleging Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro led the organization alongside senior government officials
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Maduro earlier in the week as "the head of a drug-trafficking logistics organization, the Cartel of the Suns, which is basically run by the military." The Venezuelan president responded with warnings against US intervention, and said he was "a man of peace"
Past US counternarcotics operations in Latin America typically involved support for law enforcement rather than unilateral combat missions
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇰🇵 North Korea's Kim Yo Jong – deputy director of North Korea's propaganda department and sister to Kim Jong Un – denied South Korean claims that the North had dismantled propaganda loudspeakers along their shared border, calling the assertion a “red herring”
⚖️ First Lady Melania Trump threatened to sue Hunter Biden for over $1B after he claimed Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump
👪 The TSA launched family lanes at select airports for travelers with children 12 and under, aiming to reduce stress during security screening
📉 Klarna reported a widened net loss of $53M in Q2, up from $18M last year, as it prepares for its anticipated New York IPO this autumn after pausing plans in April
🇺🇸 President Trump established key negotiating principles with European allies before his upcoming Alaska meeting with President Putin, ostensibly setting boundaries for the peace talks
What does Roca Nation think?
💰 Yesterday’s Question: Do Gen Zers and Millennials deserve to be resentful of Baby Boomers for the economic reality they’ve inherited?
I think they have some valid reasons for resentment, mainly that the retirement options (pensions, rising house equity, stable 401K, social security) that served and is serving Boomers very well are not going to available to future generations largely due to decisions the boomer generation have made. As well as feeling resentful of the environmental impacts that legislation and decisions made by Boomers has caused.
However, I think all generations have their own struggles and it is pointless to get angry and resentful at a whole generation. Because while Boomers may have helped create the current environmental crises, there are also Boomers helping us try to get out of it. And there are Boomers fighting to help stabilize our financial futures. Gen Z and millennials have grown up and lived in hard times. And hard times breed good men. We’re gonna be fine.
Whether we deserve to be resentful or not is the wrong frame of mind, when we should focus on how to respond to the circumstances that now exist.
“Frodo: I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us” -J.R.R. Tolkien
YES! 100% yes. They walked into the greatest economy the world has ever seen and slammed the door shut. They ruined every aspect of the American dream. No more affordable houses because boomers buy them as investments or second and third homes. No more pensions because that generation decided they should switch investment risk onto the employee. They have subsidized health care but claim free health care for all is unattainable and socialist. And they have been in power for the past 20-30 years in congress and White House so they've been making all these decisions and refuse to give up power so younger generations can fix this mess.
Aah, the gimmie generations! Give me this, give me that, but whoah, you’re saying I have to actually work for something to get anything out of it?!
First, to blame others for your own laziness or let’s say circumstance is and has been a growing problem. Take ownership of the shit storm you created and live in. Boomers worked their asses off and actually crimped and saved for the wealth they earned. And they did so frugally if they had to for years to save for the things they needed and wanted. These generations think they should be paid $100k+ coming out of college. To do what? What experience do you have? What do you actually know yet? Pay your dues youngin’s!
Maybe, just maybe if these genearations would stop spending all their loot on bullshit trying to keep up with the proverbial joneses, they’d have some nickels to rub together to make a living on their own instead of living with mommy and daddy until they are 30. You don’t need an $800k home at 25-30 years old, an $80k truck, maxed out credit cards…you do that to yourself. Get a few roommates and split rent and groceries, stop spending $100 bucks a round on golf, stop bitching you can’t work remotely from home you sorry POS, get the fuck off social media and video games and invest in yourself instead of spending time on others. It’s called a budget! Figure out how much you’re making every month and don’t spend more than you bring in. And yea, you may have to eat cheap and not go out all the time and do all the other BS you say you “need”, when it’s really a “want”. Face it, you probably fall somewhere on the spectrum in the 90% of earners and not the 10% of the wealthiest people in the world and you can’t afford to buy whatever the fuck you want despite your million dollar spending habit! Thank you social media!
So tired of young generations bitching about how bad they have it in this world. Go live in a different country. Wouldn’t last a f***** month
[ANSWER CONTINUED BUT HAVE TO CUT FOR BREVITY]
20 Questions!
After last week's "Favorite Things" edition of 20 Questions, we are going to do a "Least Favorite Things" edition of 20 Questions where we give you a category and you name your least favorite thing. So, for example, if we ask your least favorite news source, the only incorrect answer would be "RocaNews." We can't wait to read your responses!
Last Week’s Responses
Some of our favorite responses from last week’s “Favorite Things” edition of 20 Questions.
Punctuation mark - !, ., Oxford comma
1980s song - Take on Me, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Bomb Iran (1980) by vince Vance & the Valiants
Deodorant brand - Dove, Old Spice, Every man jack
Dog breed - Golden retriever, Lab, Scottish Deerhouns
US City - NYC, Chicago, Crested Butte CO
2000s TV show - The Office, Friends, Ed, Edd n Eddy
Historical period - WWII, Renaissance, 2008 recession. Nothing beats playing Guitar Hero blissfully unaware while your parents lost their jobs and declare bankruptcy
Mall food court food - Chinese, Chick-fil-A, Free samples
Emoji - 🥺, 😱, The stone hedge guy
All-time athlete - Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Patches O Houlihan
Dinosaur - T-Rex, Triceratops, Penissuaurus (not googling this one)
Podcast host - Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Wen Gifford of "Determinate" fame
Rapper - Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Yung gravy
Late-night snack - Ice cream, Popcorn, Fist full of shredded cheese
Cuisine - Italian, Mexican, Holist
Thing about Roca - Unbiased, 20 questions, bad puns
College football team - Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Pittsburg State, Go 'Rillas
Reality show - Big Brother, Survivor, The Greatest Misnomer (reality shows are not reality)
Fruit - Mango, Banana, Ground Cherries
Foreign film - Parasite, Amelie, Birdemic
Comments/Thoughts? - This was fun, Have a great weekend!, Blickity Bonkity Biggity
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
📈 Bowl Movement: Fast-casual chains Chipotle, Cava, and Sweetgreen reported declining same-store sales and plummeting stocks as customers revolt against shrinking portions and rising prices
🕺🏼 Pole Position: Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis broke his own world record for the 13th time, clearing 6.29m at the Hungarian Grand Prix to continue his dominance of the sport
🍔 Beef Streak: George Webb restaurants will honor their 80-year-old promise of free burgers after the Milwaukee Brewers won 12 straight games, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-5 on Wednesday
🦅 Genes and Tonic: Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle "Great Jeans" campaign sparked social media outrage but only offended 12% of Americans, according to a new poll by The Economist and YouGov. 39% called it clever, and the rest felt indifferent
🛩️ Frozen Assets: Teen pilot Ethan Guo – who landed illegally in Antarctica during a charity flight – avoided trial in Chile by agreeing to donate $30,000 to all seven continents for children's cancer research
ROCA WRAP
Historic Kickoff
Arkansas
This state will host a Pacific island nation's first-ever international football match on a high school field.
Arkansas' northwestern corner has become an unlikely hub for Pacific Islander communities, particularly from the Marshall Islands. The connection stems from migration patterns that began after World War II, when Marshallese citizens gained special access to the US under treaties related to American nuclear testing in the Pacific – a relationship that now makes this small Arkansas town the natural choice for a historic sporting moment.
On Thursday evening, the Marshall Islands made sporting history by playing its first international football match at a 3,000-seat high school stadium in Springdale. The remote Pacific nation, with fewer than 40,000 people spread across 29 coral atolls and no full-sized football pitches, faced the US Virgin Islands in the Outrigger Challenge Cup.
The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation cast a wide net to assemble their 20-man squad, recruiting players from Marshallese communities across the US and from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Several players had never played eleven-a-side football before. Some only knew the game by having played futsal, which only has five players on each side, while others played at US high schools and colleges.
The Marshall Islands has applied to join the Oceania Football Confederation and reached out to Asian and North American federations, hoping that this week's matches will prove they deserve membership. FIFA membership would unlock $2M in annual funding and the chance to compete in World Cup qualifiers – transforming a nation threatened by rising sea levels into an international football competitor. Decades after conducting nuclear tests in the country, the US is now hosting the Pacific island’s debut on the sporting stage.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Thank you, Chip!
Yesterday we were doing street interviews in Toronto and asked a man on the street, named Chip, what he thought about the US and Trump. Hours later, we had a message in the Roca inbox from “Chip” saying he met us on the street, looked up Roca, liked what we were doing, and wanted to take us out to dinner. It was a nice change of pace from the typical “f*** off” we get when doing the same in our beloved New York City.
Make sure to do those 20 questions, and have a phenomenal weekend.
–Max and Max