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- 🌊 Mass Shootings Drop to Record Low
🌊 Mass Shootings Drop to Record Low
Plus: Netflix buys HBO Max, Jan 6 pipe bomb suspect arrested, & 20 Questions!
*SportsCenter alert sound* Game of Thrones to Netflix?
In a breaking new deal, Netflix confirms it will acquire Warner Bros., including its streaming platform HBO Max, for about $82.7B. Reports suggest that HBO Max will continue to live as a standalone platform (*Bane voice* for now), but Netflix will be able to use Warner Bros. and HBO content — everything from The Sopranos to Looney Tunes. While your doomer uncle might take this news a bit far and comment, “It’s only a matter of time until they’re showing your social credit score on Netflix,” this does seem a bit monopolistic. Is it time to bring back Quibi?
📉 Mass shootings drop to lowest point on record
đźš” Jan 6 pipe bomb suspect arrested
🙋‍♂️ 20 Questions!
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Child Deaths Up, US Shootings Down
Global child deaths under age 5 are expected to increase for the first time this century, while mass killings in the US have dropped to their lowest level since 2006
The Gates Foundation projected that 4.8M children under 5 will die in 2025, representing an increase of around 200,000 deaths compared to 2024. The foundation attributed the rise to a 27% decline this year in global health aid from wealthy countries, including the US, UK, France, and Germany
Meanwhile, the AP’s database of mass killings in the US recorded 17 so far this year, the lowest number since data collection began in 2006 and a 24% decline from 2024
Dig Deeper
The Gates Foundation said that investing in primary healthcare and routine immunizations could prevent up to 90% of child deaths for less than $100 per person per year
Meanwhile, the US hasn’t recorded a mass shooting with 10+ deaths since 2023, when there was one in Lewiston, ME
KEY STORY
Altman Explored SpaceX Rival Deal
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explored investing in or partnering with a rocket company that would rival Elon Musk's SpaceX, per The Wall Street Journal
Altman and Musk co-founded OpenAI together in 2015, but their relationship soured when Musk left the board in 2018 over disputes about organization leadership
Musk now runs xAI, which competes with OpenAI, while Altman recently launched Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup that competes with Musk's Neuralink
The WSJ reported that Altman had reached out to Stoke Space – a rocket company founded by former Blue Origin employees – over the summer. One proposal involved OpenAI investing in Stoke to eventually gain a controlling stake, with total investments reaching billions of dollars over time
While a deal didn’t materialize, it's being seen as indicative of Altman’s desire to compete with Musk in space
Dig Deeper
Altman's goal was to use Stoke Space's rockets to deploy AI data centers in space, where they could use solar energy to power operations and reduce environmental impact on the Earth
Stoke Space is currently developing Nova, a fully reusable rocket similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 boosters, which re-land themselves autonomously
KEY STORY
Jan 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Arrested
Authorities arrested a Virginia man in connection with bombs found outside the Democratic and Republican national headquarters on January 6, 2021
On the night of January 5, 2021, someone planted two pipe bombs outside the DNC and RNC headquarters. The devices were discovered the following afternoon but no one was ever arrested
Federal officials arrested Brian Cole, 30, early on Thursday morning. He faces charges of transporting explosives across state lines to damage the headquarters and harm or intimidate people
According to the affidavit, investigators linked Cole to the bombs through surveillance footage, cell-site data, and purchase records showing he bought components used to build the devices
Dig Deeper
The FBI’s investigation into the bombs included reviewing more than 39,000 video files, conducting over 1,000 interviews, and offering a $500,000 reward for information on the suspect
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the arrest resulted from investigators re-examining evidence they already had rather than from any new tips or witnesses
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.
KEY STORY
NYT Sues Pentagon Over Press Policies
The New York Times filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, claiming new press policies violated journalists' constitutional rights
In October, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth implemented a new 21-page policy requiring journalists to sign agreements restricting their newsgathering activities. The rules restrict journalists' physical access in the Pentagon building and make journalists pledge not to publish information not explicitly authorized by the Pentagon
On Thursday, the Times filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing in federal court that the policy infringed on the First and Fifth Amendment protections by limiting reporters' ability to ask questions of government employees and gather information beyond official statements
Dig Deeper
The new rules gave Pentagon officials authority to revoke press credentials from journalists who solicited information not explicitly authorized for release by the government, including unclassified material. The policy stated that reporters could be deemed security risks for requesting story tips or making inquiries to Pentagon sources
More than 30 news organizations refused to sign the new policy and surrendered their Pentagon press credentials in October rather than comply. Organizations, including The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, Reuters, and the Associated Press all left the building
WE THE 66
Breaking Down the Somali Fraud
Claims of fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community are spreading like wildfire
One side is calling it a fraud of historic proportions; the other is saying it’s made up or overblown
What’s the truth? In our newest We the 66 deep-dive, we provide all the facts, including convictions and charges; how the fraud was perpetrated; who was behind it; and what governments and officials have done about it
You can read it here
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🏛️ The Trump Administration renamed the US Institute of Peace headquarters the "Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace," installing silver letters on the building's exterior.
🛥️ The US Special Operations commander – Admiral Frank Bradley – who oversaw the September 2 attack on a Venezuelan boat, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in a closed-door meeting on Thursday.
đź’° Global billionaires reached a record 2,900 individuals controlling $15.8T in 2025, up from 2,700 billionaires with $14T last year, according to the Swiss bank UBS.
📵 Meta began removing Australian children under 16 from Instagram, Facebook, and Threads ahead of Australia's social media ban taking effect on December 10.
🕊️ The leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal in Washington, DC, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo.
What does Roca Nation think?
🎸 Yesterday’s Question: Which artists did you listen to the most last year? What was/would be your listening age?
Somehow, the Red Hot Chili Peppers… I guess it’s one of those bands that, for me at least, can just continue playing without me noticing it’s been hours. Most of their older songs also bring me vivid feelings of ease and un-stressed teenager activities, back when life seemed simpler. I suppose I’m fortunate for the environment I grew up in, as many simply didn’t have it that easy. Today things are harder, everything matters more, everything has deeper consequences, adulting is a real thing.
It is said that smell is the sense that triggers the most memories; for me though, it has to be music and I cherish those feelings from whomever defined my musical tastes back in the 90’s and early 2000’s. 2025 must’ve been a nostalgic year as every month, my most played artist was from that era!
I will say however, that my most played album this year was I Get It from the Seattle band Whiskey Class; and that’s after discovering them in mid-April at the Juneau, AK 50th Folk Festival. They absolutely blew my mind with their live performance in this tiny crowded Alaskan bar, where it felt like most of the crowd were locals coming back to town, and half of them knew grew up with the band. Their music was transcendent, immersive and hypnotic. It felt like they could control the audience’s mood with the stroke of a guitar string, or holding a high pitch note. I might’ve left a review saying that I felt “emotionally manipulated” yet meant it in a good way.
Heck, I’m gonna queue it up right!
Peace.
As a 69 year old classically trained pianist and lover of all music genres, I am 16 in Spotify years. My top 5 artists are Olivia Dean, Ink, Ella Fitzgerald, grentperez and Laufey. Of the thousands of hours of music listening and the hundreds of various artists I’ve heard, I’m thrilled to be considered 16 again!!
My top artist was Dillon Francis and my listening age was 25. For context I listened to a lot of electronic which tends to be for young adults, and I myself am a 32 year old.
My husband however had a more interesting breakdown since we usually listen through his account. His top artist was MF Doom and his listening age is 66 🤣. He is also 32 but does listen to a lot more jazz at times so it makes sense to “age” him up. We usually joke anyways that he is an old man so this is just one more example why.
20 Questions!
Today we are doing a Christmas music-themed 20 Questions today. For this edition, you will rate all of the below on a scale of 1 to 10 — 1 being the worst, 10 being the best.
For all the Scrooges out there who hate Christmas music, we ask you to use your 1’s sparingly. Let’s make it fun…
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!
Last Week’s Responses
Selected responses to last week’s Thanksgiving edition of 20 Questions
The funniest Christmas movie? - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Elf, Die Hard
The funniest woman comedian? - Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Me of course
The funniest animated movie? - Shrek, Sausage Party, Team America
Knock-knock jokes or "walked into a bar" jokes? - Walked into a bar, Knock knock, Both
Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, or Adam Sandler? - 1) Steve Carell, 2) Adam Sandler, 3) Will Ferrell
Funniest animated movie? - Shrek, Aladdin, See above
Favorite old-school comedy? - Airplane, Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Favorite animated comedy TV show? - The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy
Favorite non-animated comedy TV show? - Seinfeld, The Office, Friends
A dramatic movie that also has some very funny moments? - Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, Die Hard
A comedy that also has some very dramatic moments? - Mrs. Doubtfire, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Love Actually
Who's your favorite standup comedian? - Nate Bargatze, Robin Williams, Chris Rock
Who's your favorite talk-show host? - Johnny Carson, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien
Who's the funniest person you know? - My husband, Me, My brother
Name a funny TV character - Kramer, Chandler Bing, Michael Scott
Do comedians deserve bonus points for being clean? - Yes, No, Absolutely
Would you want to be roasted at a live stand-up show? - No, Sure, Yes
The brand with the funniest commercials? - Geico, Progressive, Doritos
A book that you find hilarious? - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Catch-22, Calvin and Hobbes
Most overrated comedy TV show of all time? - Friends, Seinfeld, The Office
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
đź’‘ Till Reddit Do Us Part: A Norwich, England couple traveled 261 miles to Cardiff, Wales to attend the wedding of two Reddit strangers as their only marriage witnesses.
🦠A Seal Walks Into a Bar…: A baby fur seal waddled into a craft beer bar in Richmond, New Zealand, hiding under the dishwasher after evading attempts to shoo it out.
🕸️ Arachno-polis: Researchers discovered the largest spider web ever recorded inside a sulfur-rich cave on the Greece-Albania border, spanning 1,140 square feet – roughly the size of a small apartment.
đź’® Once in a Lifetime: Towering talipot palms planted in Rio de Janeiro's Flamengo Park in the 1960s are flowering for the first and only time before they die.
🇷🇺 Do Svidaniya, Roblox: Russia has banned Roblox over concerns about child safety, extremism, and LGBT-related content deemed illegal under the country's laws.
ROCA WRAP
The Vanishing Aviatrix
Amelia Earhart
This aviation pioneer disappeared over the Pacific while attempting to circle the globe.
Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison in 1897. The Kansas town watched her grow from an adventurous child who built homemade roller coasters to an international celebrity who would redefine what women could achieve in aviation. Her childhood unconventionality – climbing trees, hunting rats with rifles, and wearing bloomers instead of dresses – foreshadowed the barriers she would later break in the skies.
Earhart's path to fame began unexpectedly in 1928 when publisher George Putnam needed "the right sort of girl" for a transatlantic flight. Though she served merely as a passenger while the pilot handled the controls, the journey made her the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air. Upon landing in Wales after nearly 21 hours, Earhart dismissed her role bluntly: "Bill did all the flying – had to. I was just baggage, like a sack of potatoes." The public disagreed, showering her with ticker-tape parades and White House receptions.
Four years later, Earhart proved her capabilities by flying alone across the Atlantic. Departing Newfoundland in May 1932, she battled northerly winds, ice, and mechanical failures for nearly 15 hours before landing in a Northern Ireland pasture. The achievement earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross and transformed her from passenger to pioneer.
By 1937, Earhart attempted to circumnavigate the globe at the equator – a 29,000-mile journey that would be the longest ever. After an initial crash in Hawaii, she reversed her route to fly west-to-east. Accompanied by navigator Fred Noonan, she completed 22,000 miles over two months, reaching New Guinea by late June. On July 2, while searching for tiny Howland Island to refuel, radio transmissions from Earhart grew increasingly desperate. Her last message indicated she was flying along a navigational line but couldn't locate the island. Then silence.
The Navy and Coast Guard launched the most expensive search in American history to that point, scouring 250,000 square miles of ocean without finding a trace. Earhart was declared legally dead in 1939, though her Electra has never been found. Modern expeditions using deep-sea sonar have searched potential crash sites without success, suggesting that the plane rests at the bottom of around 17,000 feet of water.
For someone who once said flying gave her a "sensation of exhilaration," Earhart's final flight became aviation's most enduring enigma.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
We’ve done quite a bit of reflection on Roca’s five years as a news outlet, and it’s mind-boggling to consider how far we’ve come. Our mission is more important than ever, given the devolution of alternative media — from X to podcasts — into conspiracy and culture-war slop machines.
We’re playing the long game by calmly and curiously pursuing the truth. Without you in our community, none of what we do would matter. But you give us so much purpose and power. Thank you and have a great weekend (plus 20 Questions!).
–Max and Max