Let the Googling of "How to stream TruTV" begin! Tomorrow is the official start of March Madness and a weekend of developing emotional attachments to schools you've never heard of. March Madness costs the economy billions of dollars – estimated at $13B this year – in lost productivity. But what are we supposed to do when Memphis plays FAU? Work?! 😱

In today's edition:

• Meta slashes another 10k jobs

• Washington's great seafood theft

• The biscotti survivor

🔑 Key Stories

Russian Jet and US Drone Collide

A Russian fighter jet collided with a US drone on Tuesday, sending the drone into the Black Sea

• Every country owns the airspace directly above its land and sea territory, but nobody owns the so-called “international airspace” outside of that. The US says it can legally fly military planes there

• On Tuesday, a US military official said a US drone was flying over the Black Sea near Ukraine when 2 Russian jets began harassing it. He said one of the jets then collided with the drone, causing it to crash

• US officials said the US would keep flying drones in that area; Russia denied that its jet hit the drone

Dig Deeper

• A US national security spokesperson called Russia’s actions “unsafe, unprofessional, and reckless." A Russian spokesperson said its fighter jet didn't collide with the drone, but that it crashed on its own accord after a "sharp" maneuver

New Inflation Data

New government data showed the annual inflation rate slowed to 6% last month

• The Federal Reserve (Fed) tries to keep inflation around 2%. It uses interest rates, which determine the cost of borrowing money, to help manage inflation

• The new data show that prices in February were 6% higher than a year earlier, down from 6.4% in January. On a monthly basis, prices were .4% higher in February than in January

• The data suggest inflation remains strong and the Fed will keep raising rates, although the SVB failure likely limits the Fed’s ability to do so

Dig Deeper

• Core inflation – which excludes volatile food and energy prices – was 5.5% last month. On a monthly basis, February's core inflation was .5% higher than a month before, up from .4% in January

San Francisco Considers Reparations

San Francisco’s government discussed a reparations plan that would pay $5M to some black residents

• San Francisco’s city government created a committee to propose a reparations policy. On Tuesday, the city council discussed the committee’s proposals

• Those proposals include $5M lump sum payments, debt forgiveness, and tax breaks for black residents who lived in the city during certain years or were jailed during the “War on Drugs.” They also advised the city to provide low-income black families with $1 housing and a basic income of $97,000 for 250 years

• San Francisco’s city council can accept, reject, or modify those proposals

Dig Deeper

• Other proposals include clearing all debt held by qualified black residents and providing tax breaks to them and their businesses

Meta Cuts More Jobs

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would cut 10k more jobs in the coming months

• In 2021, Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – saw soaring profits. In 2022, though, its profits fell and apps struggled, causing its stock price to drop by 75%+

• In November, Meta laid off 11k workers – 13% of its workforce – to boost profitability. 3 months later, Zuckerberg declared 2023 the “Year of Efficiency”

• On Tuesday, Zuckerberg said he’d cut 10k more jobs. By the time those cuts are done, Meta will have fired 1 in 4 of its employees since November

Dig Deeper

• Zuckerberg blamed high interest rates, global instability, and regulations for what he called a “new economic reality” facing tech companies. He said current volatility will likely “continue for many years”

How do you Pronounce LMNT?

Together with LMNT

The correct answer is "element," and it's the electrolyte we recommend Roca Riders hydrate with for post-holiday season recovery and to start 2023 off right

• Electrolytes are essential minerals that facilitate vital bodily functions, including the conduction of nerve impulses, hormonal regulation, nutrient absorption, and fluid balance

• LMNT electrolytes contain just what you need – the salts – without all the other harmful additives. Just mix it with water and it’s perfect for hydrating, be it after a workout or night out

• Other popular electrolyte drinks contain as much as 36 grams of sugar. 36 GRAMS! LMNT contains none – NONE!

• Everyone from NBA, NFL, and NHL players to Navy Seals, moms, and dads drink it

• You can try it totally risk-free. If you don’t like it, they’ll give you your money back – no questions asked. You have nothing to lose

Dig Deeper

• Right now LMNT is offering Roca Riders a free sample pack with any purchase. That’s 8 single servings FREE with any LMNT order. This is a great way to try all 8 flavors or share LMNT with a salty friend

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• No time to LOL: Traffic fatalities jumped to 46,000 in 2022, up 22% from 2021. Officials place most of the blame on smartphone distractions

• Dear Santa, give me OBJ: Aaron Rodgers reportedly gave the New York Jets a wishlist of free agents to acquire, including Odell Beckham, Jr. Rodgers is mulling a move to NY

• Holy mona lisa: An Italian professor claims to have found an emancipation document that proves Leonardo da Vinci's mom was a slave

Wildcard

• Cop must be crabby: A man has been accused of posing as a grocery store employee to steal $700k worth of seafood from a distributor in Washington

• Dear Diary, I'm for sale: The San Francisco home that appeared in Princess Diaries as Grove High School has hit the market for $8.9M

• Time for Bob III: A lion named "Bob Junior" has died in the Serengeti after younger rivals took out him and his brother. He reportedly ruled the area for 7 years

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

What's the biggest rip off you've encountered recently?

Reply to this email with your answers!

See yesterday's results below the Wrap! 

🌯 Roca Wrap

An 81-year-old man survived being stranded in his car for nearly a week by eating biscottis, croissants, and candy.

On February 24, Jerry Jouret left on what was normally a 3-hour drive from his mountain home in California to his family home in Nevada. He had set off in good weather, and while a snowstorm was in the forecast, Jouret thought he could arrive safely before the winter weather began.

Things would not go to plan.

About 30 minutes into the drive, he lost control of his car as he encountered the strongest snowstorm to hit California in decades.

Jouret’s car got stuck in a snowbank and he ended up trapped as the snow continued to fall. Temperatures in the area dropped from the mid 30s into the teens overnight.

Jouret, a former mathematician and NASA employee, decided to wait out the storm in his car. All he had for warmth was a windbreaker, light quilt, and hotel bath towel.

Jouret’s grandson said Jouret used skills he’d learned from reality TV show Survivor to stay calm. For water, he melted snow; for food, he ate snacks he had in his car, including biscottis, croissants, and candy.

He used the car battery sparingly, allowing him to conserve it for almost 4 days. It died while he was closing his driver’s side window, though, leaving it open several inches for the remainder of the time he was trapped.

Roughly 3 feet of snow fell on Jouret's car over the next week.

Jouret’s family notified authorities of his disappearance 4 days after he got stranded, but the storm delayed search missions. Finally, on March 2, 6 days after his stranding, police identified a signal from his phone, which alerted them to his general location.

Rescue teams sent helicopters to patrol the area, and a pilot spotted something he initially thought was a large rock – before realizing it was a vehicle with an arm waving out of a small opening in its window.

Jouret was rescued.

The helicopter team airlifted him out of his vehicle, which was buried in 3 feet of snow, and rushed him to a hospital. His grandson said “nurses were in awe at how well his vitals were.”

Jouret showed no signs of hypothermia and was discharged the same day he was rescued. His grandson said his grandfather was "shouting with joy" when he first spoke to him over the phone.

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

🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

Are you a homeowner?

Yes: 70%No: 30%

Yesterday's Question:

What is an unspoken rule that more people should follow?

Rebecca from Chicago: "If you are going SLOW move to the RIGHT (street, sidewalk, grocery aisle, it applies to everything)"

Jake from California: "Wait and see if people need to exit the elevator, bus, or any conveyance before you start to enter it. Just makes sense"

Tara from North Carolina: "Don't talk on speakerphone in public (especially on an airplane or in a restaurant)! Unbelievably self-centered and rude towards people around you. Shouldn't even have to be stated."

🧠 Final Thoughts

Happy Hump Day, Riders. The cold, windy, grey weather lingers, but we can feel the ~good vibes~ of spring just around the corner. Hang in there!

-Max and Max