🌊 India Strikes Back

Maybe the guy on the painting once was smiling…

31 years ago today, Norway’s most famous painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch was recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo. You might think this would be the last time it was stolen but no: In 2004, masked gunmen stole it from another museum, and it was recovered two years later. Evidently “easily stolen” is a good thing in the art world because the painting sold for $120M in 2012. Now we know why that dementor on the front of it was screaming…

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

India Strikes Pakistan

India said it struck nine “terrorist sites” in Pakistan

• Two weeks ago, terrorists killed 26 primarily Hindu tourists in India-controlled Kashmir, a region that both India and Pakistan claim. India said Pakistan-backed militants were responsible

• On Tuesday, after weeks of tensions, India said it conducted “focused, measured and non-escalatory” strikes on Pakistani terror sites

• Pakistan’s military subsequently said that it had shot down five Indian jets, and that India’s strikes had killed 26 people. Those claims haven’t yet been independently verified

Dig Deeper 

• The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought four wars, but have generally been at peace since 1999

• We just got back from Pakistan two weeks ago. If you want to know more about the situation, you can read our free deep-dive

KEY STORY

Secession from Canada?

The premier of Alberta, an oil-rich Canadian province, said a vote could be held next year for it to separate from Canada

• Canada faces several secession efforts, primarily in Quebec and Alberta. While Quebec’s is rooted in cultural and linguistic differences, Alberta’s is driven by frustration with regulations on the oil industry

• Alberta’s premier said she would call for a referendum on separating from Canada next year. Polling shows that 29% of Albertans and over half of 18- to 34-year-old Albertans support secession

• The calls for separation are bolstered by the Liberal Party entering its fourth term in power after Mark Carney’s win over conservative Pierre Poilievre, who had promised to deregulate the oil industry

Dig Deeper

• While Poilievre lost his seat in Ontario, an Alberta member of parliament announced he would give up his seat to let Poilievre run in a by-election to return to parliament

• The move signals the importance of Alberta to the Conservative movement. The Alberta member of parliament said, “Although it will be hard to temporarily step away from this role,...the mandate given to me is one that clearly states that change is needed. Offering this seat to our Party Leader is an important step in that process”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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KEY STORY

Houthi Strikes End

President Trump claimed that the Yemen’s Houthi militants had surrendered and that the US would end airstrikes against them

• Since March, the US has carried out over 1,000 strikes against the Houthis, an Iran-linked militant group that controls much of Yemen, in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea

• On Tuesday, Trump claimed that the Houthis had “capitulated,” saying, “We will stop the bombings...we will take their word that they will not be blowing up ships anymore”

• While the Houthis denied Trump’s claims, with one leader accusing him of “lying,” a spokesperson for Oman, an intermediary between the US and Houthis, said that a ceasefire had been reached

Dig Deeper 

• While the US may now stop bombing the Houthis, Israel is intensifying its own campaign against them

• On Sunday, a Houthi missile struck near Israel’s main airport, delaying flights and causing injuries

• On Tuesday, Israeli bombed Yemen’s main airport, in the capital, Sana’a, reportedly disabling it

• The Houthis are closely aligned with and financed by Iran, Israel’s primary regional enemy, and are one of the key militant groups in Iran’s proxy network that includes Hezbollah and Hamas

KEY STORY

Research Funding Halted

President Trump signed an order restricting funding for gain-of-function (GoF) research, citing risks of disease leaks

• GoF research involves altering a pathogen’s transmissibility or host range to study its behavior, evolution, and potential impact

• On Monday, the White House ordered a $17B cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), alleging the agency failed to properly monitor GoF research, and halted research funding in countries with inadequate oversight

• Many in the Trump Administration – and some Democrats – have suggested that an NIH-funded NGO may have played a role in causing the pandemic

Dig Deeper

• Since 2020, questions have emerged about whether EcoHealth Alliance, an American NGO with NIH funding, engaged in GoF research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab that could have triggered the pandemic

• While EcoHealth Alliance has denied those claims and maintained that it followed all NIH protocols, the Biden Administration last year suspended all federal funding to it over alleged citing failures in oversight and reporting

• Supporters of GoF research argue that it helps discover how infectious diseases become more transmissible or make people sicker. It has had success in developing vaccines for polio, HIV, bird flu, and other diseases

• However, many people – including influential voices in the Trump Administration – believe it may have triggered the Covid pandemic and could trigger others in the future

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🪪 After years of delays, the law requiring a Real ID-compliant ID to fly will take effect on Wednesday

🏫 The Trump Administration announced that Harvard will not be allowed to receive federal grants, escalating the government’s battle with the university

🇩🇪 Friedrich Merz was confirmed as Germany’s new leader

🇨🇦 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with President Trump at the White House for the first meeting since his party’s victory last week

⚧️ The Supreme Court reinstated the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender servicemembers in the military, with all three liberal justices dissenting

What does Roca Nation think?

🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Do you feel bad for the jocks who were on top of the world in high school and then fell off?

🧐 Today’s Question: Which president from the last 50 years would you most want to get a beer with? Why?

Replay to this email with your thoughts!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

⚾ First Steps Forward: A 20-year-old man who fell from the stands at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game took his first steps since the accident

🏈 Field to Court: A fan of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders sued the NFL for $100M over the “emotional distress” caused by Sanders’ slide from a projected first-round pick to the fifth

🐍 Snake-Bite Superhero: A man in Wisconsin who has let venomous snakes bite him hundreds of times is being credited for catalyzing the discovery of a universal antivenom

🦅 Middle-Earth Eviction: A giant sculpture of the Lord of the Rings character Gandalf riding an eagle has been removed from a New Zealand airport after ten years, ending the commemoration of the country’s relationship with the franchise

🫏 Donkey Derby: Backcountry runners in New Mexico took part in a tradition of “Burro Racing,” or donkey racing, a competition in which runners lead donkeys by rope along miles-long backcountry courses

ROCA WRAP
The Rock Returns

San Francisco, California

President Trump proposed reopening Alcatraz, an iconic island prison-turned-tourist destination, in this city.

Before it was closed in 1963, Alcatraz, known as “The Rock,” housed some of the most infamous 20th-century gangsters, including Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly. The prison, located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, was among the most secure penitentiaries, as its island location, frigid waters, and strong currents made escape difficult. No escapes were ever officially recorded.

In 1963, the prison was shuttered when it became too costly to operate, since all prison supplies had to be brought to the island by boat. According to the US Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was roughly three times more expensive to run than any other federal prison. 

In 1972, it was converted into a tourist site. It is now operated by the National Parks Service as a museum and one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, with 1.2M+ visitors each year. 

On Monday, President Trump announced his intent to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” He wrote on Truth Social, “When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away.” 

He added, “Today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ.”

Speaking to reporters after making his announcement, Trump said that he had the idea to reopen Alcatraz because “it's a symbol of law and order.” 

It’s unclear if the plan is realistic, given the cost of modernizing it and its role in San Francisco’s tourist economy. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.), who represents San Francisco, said, “[Alcatraz] is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one.”

However, the new director of the Bureau of Prisons took a different tone: “I have ordered an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps. USP Alcatraz has a rich history. We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law, order, and justice.”

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

A special shoutout to Roca reader John O’Neill, a resident of the great city of Norwalk, CT, who generously showed us around Connecticut’s famously wealthy Fairfield County. It turns out, however, that there’s much more to the story there, and he helped arrange a meeting with Norwalk’s mayor and more. Donovan’s in Norwalk also now holds the title for best clam chowder we’ve had on a Roca roadtrip. We have the best community of readers out there. Thank you, John!

–Max and Max