We hope all of you moms reading this had a wonderful Mother’s Day and that all the non-moms reading this made theirs feel special. We saw one friend leave a “Happy Mother’s Day” message on his mom’s Facebook wall, so it’s good to see some people still going above and beyond.

In today's edition:

• Meet Twitter’s new CEO

• LOTR-inspired butterfly genus

• The Lethal Frog

 🔑 Key Stories

Linda Yaccarino Named Twitter CEO

Elon Musk revealed that NBCUniversal’s former head of advertising will replace him as Twitter’s CEO

• Yaccarino has been advising Musk since he bought the platform last fall. Twitter’s main income source is advertising, but companies have stopped buying ads over content moderation concerns

• Musk tweeted that Yaccarino “will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology”

• He subsequently tweeted, “I am adamant about defending free speech, even if it means losing money”

Dig Deeper

• Advertisers have expressed concern about the content moderation policies enacted by Musk since his takeover of the platform. Twitter’s revenue – 90% of which came from advertising as of 2021 – fell 40% in the year to December 2022

Peanut Allergy Skin Patch

A study found that a skin patch was effective at reducing the severity of toddlers’ peanut allergies

• Up to 2.5% of children develop peanut allergies, ~20% of whom naturally outgrow them. The US approved a drug in 2020 that can treat the allergy in children between ages 4 and 17, but not younger

• On Thursday, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that a skin patch that contains the equivalent of ~1/1,000th of a peanut was effective at reducing allergic reactions in ⅔ of toddlers aged 1-3. The toddlers wore the patch 22 hours a day for a year

• Mild side effects, including rashes and redness, were observed in 100% of toddlers in the experimental group. Serious side effects related to the patches were observed in .4% of toddlers

Dig Deeper

• The study’s lead author, a researcher at Children’s Hospital Colorado, called the results a “meaningful advancement” toward a peanut allergy therapy. The patch “give[s] new hope to toddlers and their families who currently have no approved treatment options”

Illegal Eel Ring Busted

European authorities seized 1.5 tons of a critically endangered eel and arrested 27 people during raids against an illegal eel export ring

• The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a snake-like fish that can grow up to 4 feet in length. It is considered critically endangered, and authorities strictly regulate how many can be caught and sold

• On Friday, authorities announced that they’d busted a ring that illegally exported those eels. Police arrested 27 people and seized 1.5 tons of the fish

• Most of those exports went to Asia, where the eel is a delicacy and can sell for up to $2,300/ pound

Dig Deeper

• Spanish authorities said the scheme was made up of “fishers, as well as business managers and wholesalers” across the EU who sold the eels to “citizens of Chinese origin”

NYC Subway Charge

Prosecutors charged the man who put a homeless man in a lethal headlock on an NYC subway

• On May 1, 24-yo Daniel Penny put a homeless man, Jordan Neely, into a headlock on a train. Onlookers claim Neely was acting erratically but hadn’t attacked anybody. Neely died from the headlock

• Police questioned Penny about the incident but released him without charges. Protests have been ongoing since, demanding Penny’s arrest

• On Friday, Penny was charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter – a charge that carries up to 15 years in jail and is given for accidentally killing someone

Dig Deeper

• Penny’s lawyers told the media that Penny is an upstanding citizen who feared for his safety and couldn’t have foreseen Neely’s death

• Prosecutors allege Penny acted “recklessly” and without regard for Neely’s well-being

Do You Put Chemicals on Your Face?

Together with Jackfir

If your skin has ever reacted poorly to lotion or shaving gel, it could be due to the harmful chemicals many contain. But why would a skin care company use harsh chemical ingredients when they’re not necessary?

• The short answer is that these chemicals can help extend a skin care product’s shelf-life and are often more affordable

• This is good for a company’s profitability, but bad for your skin and general health

• Enter Jackfir, whose skin care products are effective and free of harmful chemicals

• Choosing the right skin care products from the many options that exist today can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, Jackfir makes it simple!

Dig Deeper

• So many brands say they are effective and clean, but how do you know? Jackfir is certified by third parties to remove any doubt. Invest in your skin today!

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• 2nd Ja-mendment: 2 months after a similar incident, the Memphis Grizzlies have suspended their star player Ja Morant for holding a gun during a livestream

• Farewell to AM: More automakers are removing AM radios from their cars. Ford is removing them from all new vehicles, while other carmakers are removing them from all new EVs

• Putin’ it all on the floor: Brittney Griner played in her first WNBA game since her Russian detainment. She said the National Anthem “hit different”

Wildcard

• Lord of the insects: A new butterfly group is being named after the Eye of Sauron in Lord of the Rings due to the ring patterns on its wings

• Florida girl W: A 13-year-old Florida girl fought off a bull shark in waist-deep water by punching it. She received 19 stitches after the attack

• Tale of 2 lifespans: There’s a 23-year difference in life expectancy between Boston neighborhoods that are just 2 miles apart, per a new city report 

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

Do you have a special family recipe? Is there a story behind it?

Reply to this email with your answers!

See yesterday's results below the Wrap! 

🌯 Roca Wrap

An investigation is underway in Australia. It involves 2 deaths and a unique substance: Poisonous frog mucus.

On March 8, 2019, Natasha Lechner set up a detoxification ceremony at her home in southern Australia. Lechner, 39, was obese and hoped alternative medicine could help alleviate her chronic back pain. Months prior, Lechner had conducted the ceremony alongside another kambo practitioner, who performed CPR.

Kambo is a poisonous waxy substance taken from the giant monkey frog. The frog, which is native to the Amazon, secretes the mucus to ward off threats.

Kambo is poisonous to consume, but indigenous people in the Amazon have long used it as medicine. They catch the frogs, tie them up, and have the frog secrete the substance, which they collect and dry.

They then burn the skin and rub kambo on the burns, allowing it to enter the body. They leave the kambo on the skin for up to 20 minutes, during which the recipient often experiences nausea, diarrhea, swelling, and headaches. Indigenous people claim kambo cleanses the body, boosts fertility, increases strength, and more.

Indigenous people have warned outsiders not to perform the ceremony, however some practitioners of alternative medicine do. They claim it treats addiction, depression, pain, and more. In one instance, a man claimed it caused complete remission of his leukemia.

On March 8, 2019, Lechner burned her skin 5 times and applied the kambo. Minutes later, she was foaming at the mouth. Soon after, she was dead.

Lechner had performed the ceremony alongside another kambo practitioner, who performed CPR. That person failed to call an ambulance, though, and she wasn’t taken to the hospital until her roommate arrived 10 minutes later.

An hour’s drive away, on October 16, 2021, Jarrad Antonovich – who was suffering from speech and movement difficulties following a car accident – underwent both kambo and ayahuasca ceremonies.

Ayahuasca is a drink made from an Amazonian vine that contains the psychedelic compound DMT. It’s taken for spiritual “cleansing” rituals.

Antonovich was at a retreat, and after taking the substances he passed out. An ambulance arrived, but no one at the ceremony told them he had taken either kambo or ayahuasca. One person there told the paramedics to leave, saying they were interrupting his “aura.” Antonovich soon died from injuries related to excessive vomiting.

A week before Antonovich’s death, Australia had outlawed kambo.

“There were reports of deaths arising from use of Kambo in ceremonies, and therefore it was declared not safe for human use,” a spokesperson said at the time.

An Australian state coroner is now investigating Antonovich’s and Lechner’s deaths to determine if anything could have been done to save them. Depending on the coroner’s finding, charges could follow.

Should the deaths be blamed on kambo itself, or those who gave it out?

Let us know what you think by replying to this email!

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

 🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

Better season?

Spring: 60%

Summer: 40%

Yesterday's Question:

Just 20 Qs!

🧠 Final Thoughts

To all the Roca moms out there, we hope you had the most incredible Mother’s Days. Thank you for all you do – it’s a shame there’s only one day a year dedicated to celebrating you!

To everyone else: We hope your weekends were as fun and/or relaxing as you hoped. Let’s have a great week!

–Max and Max