🌊 And the Person of the Year Is...

This. Country. Don’t. Lose. 😤

Liechtenstein is one of the nine countries to start with an L, yet it refuses to take one in battle. The last time Liechtenstein sent an army to war was in 1866, when it dispatched a force of 80 men to fight in the Austro-Prussian war. The Liechtenstein troops saw no action, though, and returned home with a force of 81 men, as an Italian soldier decided to come home with them.

Featured Roca community winter pics below, along with today’s 20 Questions.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

UPFs Linked to Cancer

A newly published study linked ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to cancer

• UPFs undergo multiple levels of processing and often contain additives and few natural ingredients. Studies suggest links between them and a range of health conditions

• A study published this week in the journal Gut found that certain types of inflammation-causing lipids (fatty molecules) often contained in UPFs appear at unusually high levels in colorectal tumors, suggesting a link between UPF consumption and the disease

• The study’s lead author said that it was reasonable to assume diet could explain the lipids’ presence

Dig Deeper

• The tumors were also lacking the types of lipids – including those found in fish and walnuts – that could reduce inflammation

• “A human’s immune system can be extremely powerful and drastically impact the tumor micro-environment, which is great if harnessed correctly for health and wellness,” the study’s co-author said. “But not if it’s suppressed by inflammatory lipids from processed foods”

KEY STORY

Diversity Rules Blocked

A federal court struck down rules requiring the boards of publicly listed companies to meet diversity quotas

• The Nasdaq is the world’s second-largest stock exchange and the primary exchange for tech companies. In 2020, it introduced rules requiring its listed companies’ boards to have at least one female and one racial minority or LGBTQ member. The SEC approved the rules, sparking lawsuits from conservative groups

• On Wednesday, a circuit court – the level below the Supreme Court – struck down the rules, writing that by approving them, the SEC “has intruded into territory far outside its ordinary domain”

Dig Deeper

• The majority opinion further said that the SEC should be approving only rules related to the public financial interest. By contrast, “These rules came in response to ‘the social justice movement,’ as an attempt to increase ‘diversity and inclusion’ across ‘public companies’”

• The dissenting judges wrote that Nasdaq was merely complying with the wishes of investors: “A wide range of investors and listed companies told Nasdaq that information about board composition wasn’t standardized or efficient to procure, but that investors were seeking it…Nasdaq responded with a rule (the “Disclosure Rule”) that standardizes access to this information, which the market said was relevant”

• Nasdaq could appeal to the Supreme Court, but analysts have described a successful appeal as unlikely

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KEY STORY

Record Gaming Refund

Fortnite creator Epic Games began paying out $245M in refunds to players the FTC says were “tricked” into buying skins through “dark patterns”

• Per the FTC, players could purchase skins (character outfits) with a single click, and such purchases would often occur when players attempted to preview a skin. Fortnite would then lock players’ accounts for disputing the charges, disincentivizing them from making a challenge

• With more payouts expected, ~630,000 players are now receiving refunds averaging $114. The settlement represents the largest refund in gaming history. Players can file refund claims on the FTC’s website until January 10

Dig Deeper

• Notably, the FTC said that Epic’s tactics allowed children to rack up charges without their parents’ consent

• The agency added that these purchases would also sometimes occur when players were attempting to wake their console up from sleep mode

KEY STORY

Trump is Person of the Year

Time named Donald Trump its Person of the Year

• Trump didn’t “just [win] the MAGA faithful,” Time wrote. “Trump harnessed deep national discontent about the economy, immigration, and cultural issues. His grievances resonated with suburban moms and retirees, Latino and black men, young voters and tech edgelords”

• “While Democrats estimated that most of the country wanted a President who would uphold the norms of liberal democracy, Trump saw a nation ready to smash them, tapping into a growing sense [of a rigged] system,” Time said of its selection

Dig Deeper

• "This is an honor, a tremendous honor," Trump said Thursday. "And I have to say, Time magazine, getting this honor for the second time. I think I like it better this time, actually, but we did a good job”

• The other Person of the Year finalists included Vice President Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Kate Middleton

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🇸🇾 A 30-year-old American man was found wandering around Syria. Subsequently identified as missing Missouri man Travis Timmerman, he claimed to have been imprisoned by the Assad regime for seven months after illegally entering the country from Lebanon

💰 Mark Zuckerberg donated $1M to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund

🇦🇫 The Taliban accused the Islamic State of killing Khalil Haqqani, a Taliban minister and a notorious anti-American terrorist

🇺🇸 Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead Voice of America (VOA). Lake – a staunch Trump supporter and prominent denier of the 2024 election result – lost bids in 2022 and 2024 to be Arizona’s governor and senator, respectively

💲 Per a new Bloomberg analysis, Elon Musk became the first person to have a net worth exceeding $400B

🏦 The White House national security spokesman announced that an investigation has concluded that many of the UAPs reported over New Jersey are actually manned aircraft being flown legally. Many aren’t convinced

COMMUNITY

🧐 Yesterday’s question: What’s your reaction to the social media fanfare for Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of the United Healthcare CEO?

Community
20 Questions!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Weeknd.

We're back, Roca Nation! Back like Enron! We have heeded your requests with the return of 20 Questions. Time for some 20 Questions Roca-lytics: The version of 20 Questions with the highest response rate over the years is the "This or That" edition. So on a Friday the 13th in December, we don't want to roll the dice. We're going with ol' reliable. Excited to see the results!

Here is the link.

Top Photos from Winter Showcase

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

♜ Crown Prince: Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, became the youngest world chess champion ever by defeating China's Ding Liren after a catastrophic blunder in the final game of their championship match in Singapore

🏈 Belichick Unveiled: The University of North Carolina unveiled Bill Belichick as their next football coach

🔫 NBA JailBoy: NBA YoungBoy, a 25-year-old Louisiana rapper, was sentenced to 23 months in prison, five years probation, and a $200,000 fine after admitting to illegally possessing multiple firearms

💤 No Punishment Necessary: Detroit police cleared two parents of wrongdoing after an investigation into two teens sleeping on a porch revealed the children chose to stay outside despite having full access to their home

🪑 Chair Today, Gone Tomorrow: Country singer Morgan Wallen was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center and two years' probation after pleading guilty to throwing a chair from the sixth floor of a Nashville bar in April

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Thank you to all of you who sent in winter pics. As usual, it was difficult to pick our favorites, but we hope you enjoyed the ones we shared. It’s incredible to see the diversity of places you all live in: We got pics from Europe, Canada (Saskatchewan featured!), Hawaii, and elsewhere. As they say, the sun never sets on the Roca empire.

Have a great weekend!

–Max and Max