One of the first Roca Wraps we ever did was on the origin of 4/20. So, you might ask, how did a random day in April become the blaze-it holiday? Well, it all started with a group of friends at a California high school who would meet at 4:20 after school to enjoy some ~groovy~ plants they had stumbled upon. The term "420" soon became synonymous with partaking in this ritual. Then, due to a set of unusual circumstances, the term seeped into Grateful Dead fan culture.

And that's how a 3-digit integer became a verb, noun, date, lifestyle, and key detail in an Elon Musk lawsuit.

In today's edition:

• Medical malpractice in death of Maradona?

• Starship splashes in Gulf of Mexico

• The O.G. Leaker

 🔑 Key Stories

Maradona: Wrongfully Dead?

An Argentinian court ruled that 8 healthcare workers will stand trial over Diego Maradona’s death

• Maradona is considered one of the greatest-ever soccer players. He was captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team

• Maradona died of a heart attack in November 2020, 2 weeks after undergoing brain surgery. A medical board later claimed his medical team acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner”

• Prosecutors charged 8 doctors and nurses with homicide. They appealed, but on Wednesday, an appeals court ruled the trial must proceed

Dig Deeper

• Those charged included Maradona’s neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, and nurses. They denied the allegations, with the neurosurgeon saying, “There is nothing to suggest I was negligent”

World's New #1?

India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country by mid-year, the UN announced

• China has had the world’s largest population since the UN started tracking the demographic in 1950. That year, China had 544M people; India, 357M

• China’s population surpassed 1B in the early 1980s; India’s did so ~15 years later. Since then, though, China’s population growth rate has slowed

• The UN has long projected that India will surpass China’s population by the mid-2020s; On Wednesday, it announced that will likely occur in the coming months. Others think India has already done so

Dig Deeper

• Per the report, India's population will reach 1.4286 billion, compared to China's 1.4257 billion, by mid-year. The world's population is ~8B, meaning 1 in 3 people is from India or China

• Under current population projections, no country will ever surpass India as the world’s most populous country

Operation Trigger IX

A 3-week police operation across 15 Central and South American countries resulted in ~14,000 arrests and the seizure of $5.7B worth of drugs

• Interpol, an international police organization, organized the recent operation, called Trigger IX. It was designed to disrupt illegal firearm trafficking

• Interpol claimed the operation “led to 20 organized crime groups disrupted,” as well as 14,260 arrests, 8,263 seized firearms, and the release of human trafficking victims

• Police seized 223 tons of drugs worth $5.7B, as well as 413 tons of drug production materials

Dig Deeper

• In a statement, Interpol said disrupting firearm trafficking is essential to fighting organized crime: “The fact that an operation targeting illicit firearms resulted in such massive drugs seizures is further proof, if needed, that these crimes are intertwined” 

Trump Vs. DeSantis Heats Up

Former President Trump criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his attempted Disney crackdown. Trump and DeSantis are 2024 election rivals

• Last year, DeSantis signed a law banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity until fourth grade  

• Disney criticized that law; Florida then passed a low to strip Disney of its control over the land on which Disney World is built

• Disney then passed rules to render that meaningless and announced it will host the world’s largest LGBTQ+ conference in Orlando

• Trump said on Truth Social that DeSantis “got outplayed, outsmarted, and embarrassed by Mickey Mouse”

Dig Deeper

• DeSantis met with Republican representatives in Washington, DC on Tuesday. He has not responded to the attacks

• On Wednesday, Florida’s government approved an expansion of the law that started the feud with Disney. The state will now ban gender identity education through twelfth grade; before it was through the third grade

You Have to Try These Pants

Together with birddogs

Great pants are simple: They fit, feel, and look good

• birddogs’ pants check all 3 boxes – and make you wonder why you ever settled for less

• birddogs' pants are crafted from a soft, stretchy fabric and include breathable built-in liners, ensuring you stay cool and comfortable even on warm spring days and hot summer nights

• According to one happy customer, they’re the “most comfortable, best looking, and most versatile pants I’ve worn”

• They also look great for all occasions, be it work, the golf course, or a party

Dig Deeper

• If you want new pants or just need to upgrade your old, boxy khakis, Roca recommends birddogs

• For a limited time, our readers get a free Yeti-style tumbler with every order by using the code ‘ROCA’

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• Houston, we have a splash: SpaceX's new giant rocket exploded shortly after launching this morning. The Starship rocket was supposed to make a round-the-world trip but ended up in the Gulf of Mexico

• The No-book: Rachel McAdams revealed that she turned down lead roles in Iron Man, The Devil Wears Prada, and Casino Royale after moving back to Canada

• Green with envy: The NBA suspended Golden State Warriors' star Draymond Green for 1 game after he stomped on Kings player Domantas Sabonis

Wildcard 

• Average Ohio day: An Ohio mom is accused of spraying a school principal with mace as she tried to enter the school building. She was arrested for assault and trespassing

• When cars fly....: A car crashed into the second story of a California home on Sunday. It sped so fast that it flew in the air and landed on the garage

• Music injury: Frank Ocean says he suffered a leg injury and will not return for a second weekend at Coachella. His last performance received mixed reviews

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

What is something you have never tried but would like to?

Reply to this email with your answers!

See yesterday's results below the Wrap! 

🌯 Roca Wrap

"Guys, it’s been good — I love you all.”

So said alleged leaker Jack Teixeira last Thursday.

In late 2022, classified information began appearing on gamer-focused social media platform Discord. The reports detailed the strength of Ukraine’s military, various countries’ internal politics, and US spy efforts.

The first leaked information may have appeared as early as October, however no one appears to have taken note of them until early April, when they went viral on Telegram and Twitter. The US government subsequently announced an investigation, and it now appears to be the worst national security leak in at least 10 years.

Last Thursday, the alleged culprit was identified as 21-year-old Jack Teixeira.

That afternoon, heavily armed FBI agents parked in the driveway of his mom’s suburban Massachusetts house. Teixeira presented himself in red shorts with his hands above his head.

The files leaked in an invite-only Discord channel called Thug Shaker Central. Its members have said they became close through sharing memes and talking, often about video games, during the pandemic. They’ve said Teixeira, who was known as “O.G.,” was their unofficial leader.

In 2019, Teixeira joined the Massachusetts National Guard, whose job is to protect Massachusetts. He graduated from high school the following year.

Within the National Guard, Teixeira was part of an intelligence wing in the air division. He worked in IT, making sure his division’s computer systems worked properly.

War games were especially popular in the Discord group.

Its members have told various outlets that Teixeira wanted to teach the group about real war, so he began describing, then uploading, classified information.

Somewhere between October and December, Teixeira began describing confidential military information. According to the FBI, he began posting photos of documents around January 2023. By March, he had uploaded ~350 files.

For months, the documents appear to have circulated only within the private group.

But on March 2, a 17-year-old group member published dozens of the documents to another public Discord channel while he was discussing the Ukraine war. From there, they spread to other channels. In early April, they began appearing in pro-Russia Telegram channels.

As the documents drew attention, Teixeira began closing his accounts. “He was very freaked out,” a friend of Teixeira’s told the NYT.

Ahead of Teixeira’s arrest, that friend recounted him saying, ​“Guys, it’s been good — I love you all.” “I never wanted it to get like this. I prayed to God that this would never happen. And I prayed and prayed and prayed. Only God can decide what happens from now on.”

Teixeira has had a Top Secret clearance since 2021, which lets people see the US intelligence community’s detailed assessment of situations around the world. 1.2M Americans have Top Secret clearance.

Teixeira’s arrest has raised questions about intelligence access. The files he leaked had nothing to do with his job. Last Thursday, the defense secretary said he is ordering a review of intelligence access.

Last Friday morning, Teixeira appeared in a federal court in Boston, where he was charged with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials. His trial will begin in 2 weeks.

As the hearing ended, a man in the courtroom shouted, “Love you, Jack.” 

Teixeira responded, “You too, Dad.”

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

 🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

I consider myself to be:

Easygoing: 67%Stubborn: 23%

Yesterday's Question:

What are you grateful for today?

Jack from New Mexico: "My eyesight. I awoke the first Sunday Jan. 2023 unable to see in one eye. That progressed to the other eye. A rare surgery restored sight in one eye. Next week we hope for restoration of sight in the other."

Frances from San Diego: "Today is my daughter's 18th birthday. Yes, it may make me feel older, she's the youngest, but I am so grateful for all my children. They have grown into the most amazing people I could have wished for. We are so proud and so grateful for them."

Claire from Seattle: "We had our first baby on Monday! I am grateful that we are all healthy and that our baby boy is sleeping on me right now while I catch up on Roca from the past few days."

🧠 Final Thoughts

Happy 4/20 to all of the stoners in the Roca audience. While we don't endorse any potentially illicit behavior, we will mark the day by setting some legacy news alight.

That's what we get high on!

–Max and Max