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đ Make America Diverse Again?
Plus: Iran strike updates, Jerome Powell on the ropes, & Anna Wintour hangs it up
Welcome to the Roca Wave, Mr. Reynolds.
Ryan Reynolds followed RocaNews on Instagram last night, and come to think of it⊠we never liked that Justin guy. I mean Justin Baldoni? More like Justin Balogney! Also forget everything we said about the epidemic of Hollywood superhero sequels that are rotting our brains and dooming our civilization. Deadpool & Wolverine is a breath of fresh air, and we pray every night for a Deadpool x Despicable Me crossover.
In all seriousness, itâs cool to see the Roca Wave grow and reach people like Ryan Reynolds. Hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy todayâs 20 Questions!
đ MAGA's growing diversity
đ§ Jerome Powell on the outs?
đ Anna Wintour hangs it up!
âMax and Max
KEY STORY
MAGA Diversity
A new Pew Research Center study found that Trumpâs 2024 voter base was far more diverse than in his past campaigns
Trump gained support among black, latino, and asian voters, narrowing Democratic advantages across all three groups. He also strengthened his margins among rural voters, religious voters, and those without college degrees
The analysis attributes the growing diversity to higher turnout among voters, especially those who did not vote in 2020
The report signals a shifting electoral landscape where traditionally Democratic groups broke for Trump
Dig Deeper
Trump captured 48% of the latino vote in 2024 â just three points behind Harrisâs 51% â a shift from 2020 when Biden won 61% of the latino vote and Trump secured only 36%
He also nearly doubled his support among black voters, rising from 8% in 2020 to 15% in 2024, his strongest showing with that group to date
Trump made gains among asian voters as well. While Harris still carried the group 57% to 40%, the margin narrowed from 2020, when Biden won the group 70â30
Beyond race and ethnicity, the report found that Trump expanded his support among other key demographic groups:
Trump improved his margins among voters without a four-year college degree
He dominated among rural voters and those who attend religious services at least monthly
These shifts suggest a realignment of political identity around education, geography, and religiosity â not just race
KEY STORY
Strikes on Iran Remain Unclear
The extent of the damage at Iranâs nuclear facilities remains unclear, with mixed reports from international officials and intelligence agencies
A leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report suggested that the USâ attacks only delayed Iranâs nuclear program by six months â a claim the administration has rejected
Some reports indicated that centrifuges used to enrich uranium at Iranâs Fordow facility are no longer operational, but another suggested that Iran had already relocated its near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile
US defense officials insisted the operation was a historic success and pushed back on suggestions that key targets were missed
Dig Deeper
The UN watchdog agencyâs chief, Rafael Grossi, told a French radio station that satellite images of the destruction suggest the centrifuges canât be operational due to their sensitivity to vibrations but conceded that assessing the full underground damage is difficult
âThere was no escaping significant physical damage,â he said, âSo we can come to a fairly accurate technical conclusion.â
A preliminary intelligence assessment shared with European governments indicated that Iranâs stockpile of 408âŻkg of near-weapons-grade uranium remains largely intact
The report suggested that much of it may have been relocated elsewhere before the strike
Trump refuted those claims on Truth Social, saying, âNothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!â
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life
KEY STORY
Planned Parenthood Ruling
The Supreme Court ruled that patients canât sue states for disqualifying Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider
States control their lists of Medicaid-eligible providers, and in 2018 South Carolinaâs governor issued an order that removed Planned Parenthood as an eligible healthcare provider under Medicaid
Medicaid funds canât be used for abortions, but they remain a large source of revenue for Planned Parenthood for its other services
The ruling, split 6-3 on partisan lines, deals a significant blow to Planned Parenthood
Dig Deeper
Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said that the Medicaid Actâs âfree-choice-of-providerâ clause does not grant a private right of action under federal civil rights law, meaning, patients can no longer challenge provider bans in court â only through administrative channels
The ruling limits judicial oversight and gives states broader leeway to bar organizations they politically
âPlanned Parenthood and its allies tried to turn Medicaid into a weapon to force their agenda on our State. The Court just told them: No,â said South Carolinaâs attorney general
âTodayâs decision is a grave injustice that strikes at the very bedrock of American freedom and promises to send South Carolina deeper into a health care crisis,â said one Planned Parenthood official
KEY STORY
Trump to Replace Powell?
The Wall Street Journal reported President Trump may announce his Fed chair pick as early as this summer, months ahead of Powellâs May 2026 term end
Some view the move as an attempt to influence monetary policy, as Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell for being too cautious on rate cuts
Critics argue the decision could undermine the Fedâs independence. The US dollar fell to a three-year low and Treasury yields declined amid market concerns over political interference
Announcing a successor nearly a year in advance would break precedent, as Fed chairs are typically named just three to four months before their term ends
Dig Deeper
Trumpâs shortlist includes former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and former National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a billionaire hedge fund manager, is also reportedly being discussed among close allies
Other names floated include former World Bank President David Malpass and Fed governor Christopher Waller
The US dollar hit its lowest level in three years and Treasury yields dropped after news of the announcement broke
Market experts estimate a 27% chance of a rate cut in July, up from 12.5% before the announcement, according to futures markets
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
đșđž The Treasury has asked Congress to remove a tax clause from Trumpâs budget bill that targeted foreign investments from certain countries
đ« A New York school district agreed to revise its speech policies after a First Amendment lawsuit over a studentâs rap lyrics
đź Police have recaptured Adolfo âFitoâ MacĂas Villamar, Ecuadorâs most notorious drug lord, after a months-long manhunt
đ©ș The Senate parliamentarian ruled that a key Medicaid overhaul in Trumpâs tax-and-spending bill cannot pass under reconciliation
đ± Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has recruited three prominent researchers from OpenAI to bolster Metaâs AI efforts
What does Roca Nation think?
đŻ Yesterdayâs Question: Why are young people more inclined to support socialism?
Young people are fans of socialism for multiple reasons...1) they aren't old enough (or care enough) to look at what Socialism has done in other countries 2) they aren't smart enough to realize that many people immigrate to the US from a country that is Socialist 3) they haven't started to make decent money, so the idea of getting handouts should great 4) if they're college educated, their brains have been filled by academia that aren't in the real world and they live in a fantasy land where they believe that things that "look good on paper" rarely work out when people are involved 5) they listen to their friends, who are more clueless than they are, and think it's cool to be a "rebel" and be a Socialist...which is ironic since they're drinking the same Kool-Aid as everyone else their age.
Because Boomers have been bombarded with the "socialism is communism and communism is evil" lie for 50 or 60 years. Somehow after WWII it became wrong to want the country to provide for everyone, not just the privileged and fortunate sons, and it all gets tied up nicely with a Puritan work ethic and Christian national ribbon, and too few older people ever really pay attention, as long as their lives are good(-ish).
Young people are idealistic. They haven't experienced enough life yet to be able to weed through the history of socialism and communism. They believe the claimed benefits of these political ideologies and on paper, they seem to make sense. Who doesn't want to end hunger and homelessness? They don't understand that receiving "free" anything isn't really free and comes with pitfalls they cannot anticipate such as a lack of personal freedom. They assume all the benefits of capitalism they take for granted, will stay in place and that socialism will only enhance people's lives not understanding that someone has to pay and someone (your government) then gets to control your life to an extent as they are providing you with your basic needs.
Everyone will have food to eat.....but...it won't be sushi, Starbucks or pizza but maybe cheap frozen meals, but everyone will have something.
Everyone will have insurance......but...you'll wait months for the service you believe you need.
Everyone will have transportation...but...it won't be a Mercedes; it'll likely be mass transit.
Everyone will have housing...but...it may not be a place you'd want to call home and you will not own it.
Young people are a bit jaded. They've lived with cell phones, video games, constant entertainment all due to capitalism. They are taught by their professors that capitalism is bad though it is the only political/socio-economic system that has a history of success lifting people, economically.
You don't get to have your cake and eat it too, well you do but when the cake has to be spread out evenly to everyone so you all have the same and your extra effort doesnât matter anymore, your piece of cake will no longer satisfy your hunger which in turn gives you no motivation to be better and try harder.
A lot of young people are drawn to socialism because theyâre feeling the weight of economic pressure â things like student debt, low wages, and the insane cost of housing. They see a system where a few people at the top keep getting richer while everyone else struggles to get by, and it just doesnât feel fair. Thereâs also a big push among younger generations for fairness, sustainability, and making sure basic needs like healthcare and education are accessible to everyone. Most arenât talking about old-school, authoritarian socialism â theyâre more interested in democratic, reform-focused ideas that create stronger safety nets and give people a real shot at a decent life.
Iâm a 56-year-old retired veteran, and honestly, I can understand where theyâre coming from. When you look at what theyâre up against, itâs not hard to see why theyâre pushing for change.
20 Questions!
Mascots are all around us: Cereal boxes, commercials, board games, cleaning supplies, college football sidelines, and "I Want You!" military recruitment posters. We list some of the most iconic mascots below and leave it to you to tell us which one is better. We can't wait to see the results. Have a great Friday, and kick it off with the Roca mascot bracket. Let's ride!
Last Weekâs Responses
Average ratings from last weekâs âRate this Rodney Dangerfield one linerâ edition of 20 Questions.
"I come from a stupid family. During the Civil War my great uncle fought for the West." - 6.5
"I come from a stupid family. My father worked in a bank. They caught him stealing pens." - 5.7
"I'm so ugly - my father carries around a picture of the kid who came with his wallet." - 7.2
"I was so depressed that I decided to jump from the tenth floor. They sent up a priest. He said, 'On your mark...'" - 6.7
"I came from a real tough neighborhood. I bought a waterbed and found a guy at the bottom of it." - 6.5
"I was so ugly my mother used to feed me with a sling shot." - 6.5
"I had plenty of pimples as a kid. One day I fell asleep in the library. When I woke up, a blind man was reading my face." - 6.5
"My cousin is gay; in school while other kids were dissecting frogs, he was opening flies." - 6.8
"I met the surgeon general - he offered me a cigarette." - 6.5
"Last week I told my psychiatrist, 'I keep thinking about suicide.' He told me from now on I have to pay in advance." - 7.4
"A girl phoned me the other day and said, 'Come on over, there's nobody home.' I went over. Nobody was home." - 7.2
"I'm a bad lover. I once caught a peeping tom booing me." - 6.9
"One year they asked me to be poster boy - for birth control." - 7.1
"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said, 'okay, you're ugly too.'" - 7.7
"I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it had an olive in it." - 6.3
"My wife made me join a bridge club. I jump off next Tuesday." - 6.7
"My wife had her driver's test the other day. She got 8 out of 10. The other 2 guys jumped clear." - 7.4
"With my wife, I don't get no respect. I made a toast on her birthday to 'the best woman a man ever had.' The waiter joined me." - 7.2
"I told my wife the truth. I told her I was seeing a psychiatrist. Then she told me the truth: that she was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers, and a bartender." - 7.0
"I went to a bar for a few drinks. The bartender asked what I wanted. 'Surprise me,' I said. So he showed me a naked picture of my wife." - 7.1
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
đŠ Tiny Dino, Big Reveal: Scientists have identified a new dog-sized dinosaur species, Enigmacursor, that roamed the Earth 150M years ago
đł Tide of Hope: 60 whales were discovered stranded on a remote Icelandic beach last Sunday
đ§ââïž Death & TaxesâŠand Yoga?: A new South African ad campaign is turning heads by comparing avoiding writing wills to getting stuck in an awkward yoga pose
𧫠Cell Shock: Scientists at the University of Virginiaâs School of Medicine have discovered a previously unknown organelle hiding inside human cells
đ” Vogue Change of Guard: Dame Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue after an iconic 37-year run
ROCA WRAP
Show it to Prove It
Armenia
This Caucasus nation's prime minister made an unusual anatomical offer to settle a religious dispute with the Orthodox Church leadership.
Armenia is a mountainous landlocked nation in the Caucasus region, historically significant as the world's first country to embrace Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD. The Armenian Apostolic Church still holds deep cultural and spiritual influence over the population, prompting periodic tensions with the secular government. The latest example came this week, prompting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to make an unusual offer.
Patriarch Karekin II has recently challenged PM Pashinyanâs Christian faith, with his spokesman saying, "I believe that our Apostolic Holy Church must immediately cleanse itself of those false 'believers' who are traitors to the nation, have dishonoured the memory of their ancestors, broken the vow of baptism and replaced the seal of the Holy Cross with the sign of circumcision." Pashinyan responded on Facebook, offering to show physical proof of his circumcision â i.e., to show the patriarch his penis.
Pashinyan also deflected by reviving allegations that Patriarch Karekin II violated celibacy vows and fathered offspring, demanding answers about the church leader's supposed child. The religious institution dismissed these claims as attacks on Armenia's "spiritual unity" without directly addressing the paternity accusations. The ecclesiastical feud escalated Wednesday when authorities detained an archbishop and 13 associates on terrorism and sedition charges.
Investigators claim the group stockpiled weapons and planned governmental overthrow, conducting ninety searches that allegedly uncovered firearms and ammunition. While the accused dismissed the accusations as fabricated, unlike Pashinyan, they canât show their privates to prove it.
EDITORâS NOTE
Final Thoughts
A few of you wrote in to say that we were premature in sharing the alleged leaked intelligence report about Fordowâs minimal destruction. Thank you for this feedback, first of all. We share an update today and recognize that we couldâve caveated yesterdayâs story more. We usually wait on such reports until the smoke clears, but this one was circulating so widely that we chose to highlight it.
Have a great weekend and donât forget to stay classy, Roca Nation!
âMax and Max