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- 🌊 Apocalypse Newark
🌊 Apocalypse Newark
Plus: Drug overdose deaths drop, David Hogg getting bounced, & chimps use toilet paper
Drop the HBO, just Max. It’s cleaner. Ehhh… maybe not.
Time really is a flat circle, HBO. In a span of three years, HBO Max went from Max to Max to Max (different colors) and finally back to HBO Max again. Their rebrand to Max — which most Americans, according to numerous surveys, most closely associate with the authors of Roca’s daily newsletter — never caught on. And now they’re going right back to where they started from. Siri, cue Maxine Nightingale.
📉 Drug overdose deaths drop
👋 David Hogg on the hot seat
🐒 Chimps use toilet paper?
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Crisis at Newark Airport
Newark (EWR), one of the US’ busiest airports, is in chaos amid radar outages and a staffing shortage
Last month, a radar outage left air traffic controllers (ATCs) unable to communicate with pilots for ~30 seconds. The situation reportedly terrified the ATCs, a number of whom have since gone on trauma leave, worsening a pre-existing ATC shortage
Between that and persistent technology issues, concerns have emerged about safety at the airport, leading thousands of flights to be canceled
Last Friday, there was another radar outage; on Monday, there were just three ATCs working, versus the normally required 14
Dig Deeper
The blackouts appear to be related to faulty technology
Last year, EWR’s air traffic control center was relocated to Philadelphia and outdated copper wire carries the radar signal between the two locations. That wire has reportedly been failing, but it will likely be a lengthy process to replace it
On top of thousands of already-canceled flights, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced plans to reduce the the number of flights coming in and out of EWR
KEY STORY
Overdoses Drop
New CDC data show US overdose deaths plunged by 26.9% last year, the sharpest drop on record
Increased access to over-the-counter naloxone (Narcan), fentanyl test strips, and addiction treatments appear to have driven the drop
While 80,391 people still died, that compares to 110,037 in 2023 and is the lowest level since 2019. Opioids still cause two-thirds of drug-related deaths and overdoses remain the top killer of adults 18-44
Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and D.C. posted the steepest (35%+) declines. Slight increases were recorded in South Dakota and Nevada
Dig Deeper
Narcan, a naloxone spray that neutralizes opioid overdoses, was approved as an over-the-counter medication by the FDA in March 2023 to increase access.
Addiction treatments treat opioid use disorder (OUD) with medications such as buprenorphine and methadone. These drugs are opioid agonists that work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, making withdrawal symptoms more tolerable. Medication-assisted treatments typically work better than abstinence-based treatments.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
You can only fight the way you practice.
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KEY STORY
South African Refugees
Amid a freeze on refugee admissions, 59 white South Africans arrived as refugees in the US
Trump alleges that the South African government is waging a discriminatory campaign against white South Africans
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by branding the refugees as “cowards” looking to avoid post-apartheid reforms. The Episcopal Church, which normally helps with refugee settlement, has declined to resettle the South Africans
The resettlement comes as high-profile South Africans, including Elon Musk, lobby Trump to isolate the country over its alleged persecution of its white population
Dig Deeper
While it’s widely agreed that the condition in South Africa does not meet the definition of genocide, whether white South Africans are disproportionately likely to be killed remains a matter of debate
Another contentious issue is whether the white South Africans are victims of state-sponsored discrimination: Many have been making this argument since January, when South Africa’s government passed a bill that allows for the seizure of land without compensation
South Africa’s government says the law has been mischaracterized and said that something needs to be done to address inequality in a nation where a white minority (7% of the population) controls 75% of the land
KEY STORY
David Hogg Coup?
A Democratic Party committee voted to void the election that made David Hogg a party vice chair
Hogg – a 25-year-old Parkland shooting survivor – is one of the US’ most influential young Democrats. In March, he was elected vice-chair of the party
Hogg has since accused the DNC of being out of touch and pledged $20M to fund primaries against Democrats he dislikes, primarily older ones, stoking a generational rift
This week, a DNC panel voted to remove Hogg, while the DNC chair said Hogg must be neutral or step down. The DNC still needs to approve the election nullification, but it’s indicative of the clashes within the party
Dig Deeper
Among various opponents, James Carville – the influential Democratic strategist who coined the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid!” – said of Hogg, “Does he really think the problem that we‘re facing in the United States today is because we got 65-year-old Democrats in office? Why don’t you take on a Republican? That‘s your job.” He later called Hogg a “contemptible little twerp”
This week, a DNC committee nullified the election that made Hogg a vice chair, citing a complaint by a rival candidate who said the election had violated party gender rules and put female candidates at a disadvantage
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇸🇾 President Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the first US-Syria leader meeting in over 25 years
🏫 The Trump administration cut another $450M in federal grants to Harvard University amid a clash over alleged campus antisemitism and bias
🏛️ A federal grand jury indicted Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, alleging she helped an undocumented Mexican national slip past ICE agents in her courthouse
✈️ The Democratic National Committee flew a plane around President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate with a “Qatar-a-Lago” sky banner on Wednesday, mocking Trump’s plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar as a temporary Air Force One replacement
🪦 José “Pepe” Mujica, a former guerilla who later became Uruguay’s president, passed away earlier this week at the age of 89
What does Roca Nation think?
🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Is it okay for kids to call adults by their first names?
It depends on the adult and what they prefer. In my opinion, the default needs to be Ms/Mrs/Mr Last Name, and if the adult wants to be called something else, let the adult have their preference. It’s good to establish appropriate boundaries between children and adults and I think honorifics help with this.
I grew up always using Mr, Mrs, Miss. and the last name. but my sister's kids learned to call them Mr. Mrs. Miss and their first name. Since the parents call the person Jane they would call her Mrs. Jane. Or Mr. Mike.
That is the ONLY time to use a first name.
I was also taught to call my Aunts and Uncles using their title before their name. Uncle Roger, Aunt Carol
My wife and I don't really care what our neighbor kids or our kids' friends call us, whatever is more comfortable or easier to say (we don't have the easiest last name to pronounce either). It feels so old-fashioned and overly formal to expect to be referred to as "Mr. or Mrs. (insert Surname here)". Maybe it's just a grasp to hold onto some sort of youth (that seems all too fleeting), but hearing my first name as opposed to a title is more familiar and preferable. I do have to say, we have implemented a middle ground with our kids; we refer to our adult friends as Mr. or Miss (insert First name here) to add a little respect but also familiarity and ease for our kids to understand that "hey, this is a friendly person, but also an adult that we should respect and listen to". And for our really close friends that they see on a regular basis, Aunt and Uncle gets thrown into the mix as well.
🧐 Today’s Question: Have you lost friendships over politics? Have you tried to get them back?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🥚 Drop an Egg; Crack the Code: Scientists found that an egg dropped on its side is less likely to crack than one dropped vertically
🚙 Wrap it Up: A 56-year-old Texas man is in jail after allegedly ramming the car of a man who hurled a burrito at his SUV outside a Dollar Tree in Houston
📱 AI Interviews go Berzerk: Job seekers have been posting viral videos of AI interviewers malfunctioning during interviews
🍂 Leaf it to the Chimps: An Oxford study revealed that Ugandan chimpanzees use leaves as toilet paper and to clean up after sex
🦈 Mass-a-Jaws-setts: Massachusetts’ first great white encounter of 2025 was confirmed after a shark chased and bit a seal near Madaket, Massachusetts
ROCA WRAP
Young Ruler
Burkina Faso
This country’s controversial young leader is going viral this week.
Burkina Faso, a landlocked West African nation of 24M people, has experienced significant political turbulence in recent years. The country is plagued by terrorism, with jihadi groups expanding their control in recent years. The government now controls less than 60% of Burkina Faso’s territory.
Following two coups in 2022, the country is now led by 37-year-old Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has dramatically shifted the nation's alliances and governing philosophy.
Despite the security setbacks, Traore, the world’s youngest national leader, has gained significant popularity among young Africans for his anti-Western rhetoric and calls for self-reliance and independence from France, Burkina Faso’s former colonizer. Traore has broken ties with France and other Western institutions, and yanked the country closer to Russia.
While in Moscow last week for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat, images of Traore speaking about pan-Africanism were widely circulated on social media and Russian state media. It came shortly after he led a “solidarity” march in the capital, Ouagadougou, following an alleged coup attempt and a US general’s accusations that Traore was misusing the country's gold reserves.
The headlines have translated to millions of views on social media, where videos of and about Troare have been going viral. This comes despite worsening violence that has left some 2.1M Burkinabé people displaced and 6.5M dependent humanitarian aid.
For now, Traore's revolutionary message is appealing to a generation of Africans seeking a break from their colonial powers. But for how long?
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Our ad partner LMNT is offering a limited number of FREE lemonade stands as they launch their new lemonade flavor drink. If you (aka your kids) would like to be considered for a free stand — they’re giving our community early access — let us know by sending an email to [email protected]!
Also, we look forward to reading your responses to today’s question.
–Max and Max