🌊 Trump's Nominees Await Their Fate

Number 65 was a real one.

Ham, the legendary chimp that ventured into space 64 years ago today, was actually known as "Number 65" prior to the trip. NASA didn't want to give the first chimp to go to space a name until the mission was a success, fearing it would be bad publicity if a named chimp burned up in the atmosphere. In fairness to NASA, a headline like "Ham Roasts " doesn't scream more space funding...

20 Questions link: Last round of trivia!

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Plane Collision Update

Rescue efforts following the collision between an American Airlines flight and a US Army helicopter have recovered 28+ bodies but no survivors among the 67 passengers

• While the cause of the crash is unclear, it is the US’ worst aviation disaster in 25 years

• Officials have not yet identified the victims of the crash, but the Pentagon has confirmed that three soldiers were onboard the helicopter and were “a “fairly experienced crew”

• US Figure Skating stated that many of the victims onboard were athletes returning from a development camp in Wichita

Dig Deeper 

• While the collision’s cause is uncertain, Washington DC’s airspace restrictions and the increasing volume of flights into Reagan Airport have long concerned aviation watchdogs: The airport was originally built to handle 15M passengers annually, but now handles 25M

• The main runway is also the busiest in the country, processing 90% of the airport's flights due to DC’s airspace rules, which require planes to travel above the Potomac instead of over the city

• This has led to a congested airspace shared by commercial flights and military helicopters, raising the level of risk during takeoff and landing

KEY STORY

Confirmation Hearings

The confirmations of RFK Jr. for Health and Human Services, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel for FBI director grew closer after hearings ended on Thursday, with most Republicans appearing to back them all

• Democratic senators challenged Kennedy on his positions on Covid, abortion, and vaccines, while Republicans asked some hostile questions – including about Kennedy’s past pro-choice positions and skepticism toward vaccines

• Gabbard, meanwhile, faced questions on her criticism of US intelligence programs, her views on Russia and Syria, and her support for intelligence leaker Edward Snowden – an issue of contention with several Republicans

• And Patel’s past promises of retribution on Trump’s behalf and criticism of the FBI were scrutinized, however, most Republicans voiced support, with one saying, “Don’t…burn that place down; go over there and make it better”

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KEY STORY

GITMO Migrant Facility

President Trump authorized the detainment of up to 30,000 migrants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, though the exact plans are still unclear

• Guantanamo Bay has held a total of 780 – and currently 15 – terror suspects since 2002

• While the base has a small facility that has temporarily held migrants trying to reach the US by boat (a total of 37 between 2020 and 2023), the planned detention center would be a significant expansion

• Border Czar Tom Homan said that ICE is going to build “upon that existing migrant center,” which officials said would hold “the worst of the worst”

• Cuba’s Foreign Minister said detaining migrants at “an enclave where [the US] created torture and indefinite detention centers shows contempt for the human condition and international law”

Dig Deeper 

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that this would not be “the detention facilities…for Al Qaeda” and migrants would be held “on other parts of the naval station,” while the Center for Constitutional Rights – an organization that vowed to challenge the plan, said, “Asylum seekers are being cast as the new terrorist threat… removed from legal and social services”

KEY STORY

Asteroid in 2032?

Astronomers in Chile have detected an asteroid they said could hit earth in seven years, estimating a 1.2% chance of a collision

• The European Space Agency (ESA) believes it to be the highest risk of an asteroid collision it has ever recorded, placing it atop the “asteroid risk list”

• The asteroid is roughly the width of a football field and is moving away from Earth, but could be drawn back into orbit by 2032

• However, Nasa’s recent Dart mission found that flying a rocket into an asteroid can change its trajectory, with one analyst saying this is the “ideal deflection technique” to avert a collision

Dig Deeper 

• Telescopes across the world will now work to calculate the asteroid’s trajectory more closely before it disappears

• International asteroid and space advisory groups are modeling impact odds and considering response options, including how to move it off course

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

📈 The US GDP grew 2.5% in 2024 and 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to new Department of Commerce data

🏦 SoftBank, a major Japanese investment firm, is reportedly in talks to invest up to $25B in OpenAI, a move that would make it the company’s largest shareholder

🛡️ President Trump signed an order to create a next-generation missile defense shield, which he called an “Iron Dome for America,” a nod to Israel’s missile defense system

⚖️ The Department of Justice is reportedly in talks with Manhattan prosecutors to drop their investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams

🇵🇸 An American security contractor has hired nearly 100 US special forces veterans to help run a checkpoint in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas truce, according to a company spokesperson

COMMUNITY
What does Roca Nation think?

🧐 Yesterday’s Question: Is it possible that America could unite behind a president in the next decade or so? Maybe not 100% support but 70%?

Community
20 Questions!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Weeknd.

We got a nice chuckle reading your answers to last week's trivia question: "Finish the title of this 2Pac song: Ambitionz as a ____." The correct answer was "Ridah," which is slightly different than some of your guesses: Upstanding citizen, bloke, plumber, I hate rap, and kittenz. Yes, there's nothing like hitting the club on a Friday night and hearing the DJ bump, "Ambitionz as a Kittenz."

Trivia is fun so... we're running it back ONE LAST TIME. Last week you all barely beat 50%. Good luck.

Here is the link.

Last Week’s Answer Key

Answer key to last week’s trivia edition of 20 Questions.

Who heard a "who" in Dr. Seuss world? - Horton
On what day do Star Wars fans celebrate "National Star Wars Day?" (Think puns...) - May the Fourth
What animal is Indiana Jones famously afraid of? - Snakes
Michael Jordan went to which college? - UNC
Mt. Everest is located in which Asian country? - Nepal
Usain Bolt is from which country? - Jamaica
What is America's smallest state by population? - Wyoming
How about by land area? (Let's get 100%!) - Rhode Island
What is the largest city in New Jersey? - Newark
Which billionaire owns the Washington Post? - Jeff Bezos
In what century was Mark Twain born? - 19th
Who played Elizabeth Bennett in the 2005 Hollywood movie "Pride & Prejudice"? - Keira Knightley
Finish the title of this Les Miserables song: I Dreamed a ____. - Dream
Finish the title of this Led Zeppelin song: _____ to Heaven. - Stairway
Finish the title of this James Taylor song: Fire and _____. - Rain
Finish the title of this 2Pac song: Ambitionz as a ____. - Ridah
Finish the title of this Madonna song: ____ a Virgin. - Like
Who is the QB of the Philadelphia Eagles? - Jalen Hurts
What Florida city did Ponce de Leon discover in Florida long before Jamestown? - St. Augustine

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

⛹️ Point Guards to Point Spreads: Federal prosecutors are investigating whether NBA player Terry Rozier was involved in a sports betting scheme after suspicious wagers were placed on him to underperform in a 2023 game

🧑‍🏫 Teachers vs. Tablets: Teachers across the UK are raising alarms about kids starting school unable to handle basic tasks like climbing stairs or using the toilet, with some blaming excessive screen time

🇩🇰 Prehistoric Puke: A Danish fossil hunter stumbled upon what scientists are calling a remarkable discovery: 66-million-year-old vomit from a prehistoric fish

🍩 Cops & Donuts: After a Houston resident’s video of police officers doing donuts in their patrol cars went viral, the Houston police union posted a statement calling him a "snitch"

🚽 Toilet Terror: A Pittsburgh city employee got an unexpected Monday morning wake-up call when a government building toilet exploded, sending him to the hospital with a leg injury

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Fascinating answers to yesterday’s question of the day. Nearly every one of you said it would be impossible for the country to unite behind a leader so long as our media landscape remains so polarized and dishonest. We agree.

Max F spent yesterday exploring the hoods of Albuquerque — including a ride-along with a police officer (unfortunately not Hank Schrader) — and Max T is scrolling through your 20 Questions trivia responses while snacking on some leftover pad thai at the office in New York. You can decide who’s adding more value to Roca. Have a great weekend!

–Max and Max