🌊 Everyday American Heroes

The everyday heroes who power America.

Yesterday we visited East Liverpool, Ohio, the ex-pottery capital of the US. From 1880 to 1950, it accounted for roughly two-thirds of the US’ pottery output. The town today has roughly one-third of its peak population, but women like Robin here are bringing it back to life.

Walking through the town center, we saw Robin decorating bushes with Christmas lights and red ribbons. Behind her you’ll see a man painting a patina-covered light-pole. Around the corner, two young guys, Michael and Yamni, were power washing the town square at the center of which stood a 22-foot-tall Christmas tree that 93-year-old town resident Gini Jackson had picked out. All of this — the lights, ribbons, paint, and Christmas tree — came from community fundraisers for the town’s beautification project. East Liverpool is not a rich town, but its people have such pride and a contagious can-do spirit This country is full of amazing people. And, yes, Robin said she’d sign up for the Roca newsletter.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Hegseth: Confirmable?

Defense secretary appointment Pete Hegseth faces a difficult path to Senate confirmation

• Hegseth is a dual Princeton-Harvard grad who worked on Wall Street and then served in the National Guard and became a Fox News host. He’s been a critic of progressive ideas in the military and called for firing “any general that was involved…in any of the DEI woke shit”

• Hegseth needs to be confirmed by a majority of the Senate, where the Republicans have a 53-47 majority. But he may face a difficult path: He faces questions over his managerial experience; a Jerusalem cross tattoo (which critics says indicates white nationalism and he calls a sign of religious devotion); and a 2020 settlement he made with a sexual assault accuser (whom he accuses of blackmailing him)

Dig Deeper

• Hegseth has said that wokeness consumed the military following the murder of George Floyd and has described the military’s prevailing progressive ideology as, “We will not stop until trans-lesbian black females run everything”

• “Troops are walking on eggshells,” he said on one podcast. “They’re afraid of one misstep on…one gender thing or one racial thing or one trans thing”

• He's also criticized the military’s use of women in combat roles, acceptance of transgender soldiers, and efforts to cater to progressives. He has said, “There aren’t enough lesbians in San Francisco to man the 82nd Airborne and in trying to cater to that they lost the boys from Tennessee and Kentucky and Oklahoma, the traditional dudes who did it because they loved their country”

KEY STORY

Trading Noodles

Wall Street powerhouse Jane Street invested in a startup that lets investors bet on Chinese noodle shop sales and other small business revenues

• Jane Street is one of Wall Street’s most profitable and secretive trading firms. Last week, it emerged that the company quietly invested up to $20M in Micro Connect, a Hong Kong startup that pioneered a way to invest in small businesses

• The company gives Chinese noodle shops, karaoke bars, hair salons, and other small businesses cash upfront in exchange for a cut of their daily revenue. It then turns those revenue streams into securities that can be traded

• Data from that income is also expected to help investors better understand the Chinese economy

Dig Deeper

• By collecting daily sales data from thousands of small businesses, Micro Connect gains unique insights into China's economy that the country’s government often won’t release. Investors don’t trust much of the data that China’s government does release

• Since most Chinese payments are digital, Micro Connect can automatically collect its share of each business's daily sales. Investors can then buy securities backed by these revenue streams, essentially betting on the success of local Chinese businesses

ROCA’S SPONSOR

A Green Concrete-Based Tech Company

Together With AquiPor

One of the coolest startups we’ve come across at Roca is AquiPor, a company that is solving the problem of urban flooding

• Traditional concrete doesn’t absorb water – that’s why raining often causes cities to flood

• AquiPor has solved that by creating porous concrete that captures stormwater where it falls. It then filters that water and allows it to naturally return to the ground

• Based in the Pacific NW, AquiPor’s patented distributed water system is game-changing in scope and potential – especially given the US’ massive $380B investment in making cities more resilient to climate change

• AquiPor is currently fundraising. You can learn more and invest at the link here 

KEY STORY

Trans Bathroom Controversy

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House buildings would be available only to those of that biological sex

• The move comes just two weeks after Sarah McBride (D-DE) became the first openly transgender person to be elected to Congress. McBride was born a biological male named Tim in 1990

• Led by Nancy Mace (R-SC), Republican members of Congress expressed outrage over the possibility of McBride using women’s facilities in the Capitol

• Speaker Johnson issued a statement siding with them, and McBride says she will obey the rules

Dig Deeper

• McBride came out as a transgender woman while student body president at American University in 2012, garnering international press attention

• The Bidens praised McBride for her courage and helped her get an internship at the White House that summer

• In a statement, Johnson announced, “All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex”

• He also encouraged respect for McBride, adding, “We treat all persons with dignity and respect”

KEY STORY

Rich Man’s Store?

Walmart announced big gains largely fueled by a rise in popularity among top earners

• In a Tuesday earnings call, the nation’s largest retailer announced that its third-quarter profit grew 8.2%, beating expectations. Notably, 75% of that jump came from shoppers who earn over $100,000

• Walmart took advantage of consumers’ reluctance to spend amidst recent inflation and made a series of strategic moves, including bringing in premium food brands to compete with Whole Foods

• Some analysts say Walmart’s success bodes well for other retailers ahead of the holiday shopping rush

Dig Deeper

• Walmart has also been making gains on Amazon’s e-commerce dominance

• The company’s online sales grew 22% over the past quarter as it offered faster and cheaper delivery options

• Walmart’s CFO said the company’s e-commerce business is “getting very close to profitability because we’re able to use some of the cost of delivery with these incremental fees that customers are willing to pay for convenience”

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🇺🇸 ​​President-elect Donald Trump nominated Linda McMahon, co-founder of WWE and former Small Business Administration head, to lead the Education Department

🇭🇰 Jimmy Lai – Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media mogul – testified for the first time in his trial. Chinese authorities have cast the 77-year-old as the leader of the territory’s democratic movement and charged him with crimes that carry potential life sentences

🎾 Rafael Nadal's 23-year professional career ended on Tuesday after the 38-year-old tennis legend lost in his final singles match

🇺🇸 The Venezuelan migrant who murdered Georgia student Laken Riley was sentenced to life in prison

📺 Comcast announced plans to spin off its cable TV division, including CNBC and MSNBC

COMMUNITY

🧐 Yesterday’s question: Is Ohio the most quintessentially American state?

🧠 Today’s question: Who’s someone who improves your town/neighborhood? This question is inspired by the intro!

Reply to this email to let us know what you think!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🐕 Doggy Sitter Style: A Nova Scotia woman discovered that her dog sitter had been filming explicit OnlyFans content in her home without permission, including videos in her bathroom and pool

🚢 My Cruise Won’t Go On: Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas played Céline Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic as intense winds caused the ship to tilt dramatically

📽️ Mass Confusion: A New York City priest was stripped of his duties after allowing Sabrina Carpenter to film a provocative music video in his church

🐔 Fowl Play: An 80-year-old Englishman was fined £200 ($253) after his chicken’s crowing, which started as early as 3 AM, led to complaints from neighbors

📨 Golden Ticket to Trouble: Billy Coull, creator of the infamous failed Glasgow Wonka experience, was put on the sex offenders register for sending explicit messages and photos to a woman who didn’t want them

ROCA WRAP

TikTok Trial

Uganda

This country has jailed a TikToker for mocking its long-serving president.

A landlocked East African nation of 45 million people, Uganda has been under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni since 1986, making him one of Africa's longest-serving rulers. While the country has experienced economic growth, critics say it has come at the cost of democratic freedoms, particularly freedom of expression.

That cost was highlighted this week when Emmanuel Nabugodi, a 21-year-old TikTok creator with 20,000 followers, was sentenced to 32 months in prison for posting a satirical video showing a mock trial and public flogging of President Museveni. 

The conviction came under Uganda's 2022 Computer Misuse Act, which criminalizes online content that may "ridicule, degrade, or demean" others.

The case represents a broader trend of social media censorship in Uganda. Another TikToker received a six-year sentence in July for similar charges, while three others await trial. The US State Department has criticized the law as a tool for suppressing government criticism.

As Uganda grapples with the digital age, the case highlights the growing tension between free expression and government control. The country’s top judge said the sentence should deter others from targeting high-profile individuals online – a message that rights groups say is already having its intended effect on the country's online discourse.

ROCA VIDEO
Stunning Rise in Holocaust Denial

There's been a stunning rise in Holocaust denial among young people. The far-left and far-right have both pushed Holocaust denial and minimization more brazenly n the last year, and new polling suggest it's having an effect. In this video, we investigate the root causes, how it manifests, the history of the Holocaust, and the larger problem it highlights (which is one we can relate to).

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

The intro is one of the many vignettes we could share from our travels about the incredible spirit of communities across the Rust Belt. In another town, Wellsville, we visited a community-funded church in a nondescript building where volunteers served food to town residents. The atmosphere was warm and fun. Music was playing in the background, and town residents — of all ages — were laughing and smiling together. Many of them lived alone, several, it seemed were homeless. The woman in charge, Brenda, had such a loving spirit that it moved us deeply. We are lucky to travel the country and meet these people.

–Max and Max