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🌊 No Alcohol at the World Cup
Plus: Bolsonaro charged, China sells US debt, & KFC leaves Kentucky
RFK vs. HHS Predecessors: Split decision.
Yesterday’s question elicited some of the strongest responses we’ve received in a long time. We asked if you trust RFK Jr. more or less than the health bureaucrats that preceded him (several of you, by the way, rebuked us for using “bureaucrats” instead of “experts” — we should’ve used “officials”).
The takes you all sent in were more charged than Jair Bolsonaro (read below). Virtually nobody had a lukewarm position. We couldn’t get through them without drinking a warm glass of raw milk with some drops of Red 40 — they cancel out, right?
Our takeaway is this: Smart people operating in good faith can disagree. It’s a disgrace that some outlets vilify an entire side without even listening to them. We are grateful for our curious, politically diverse community.
🇧🇷 Bolsonaro charged for attempting a coup
🇨🇳 China sells US debt
🍗 KFC leaves Kentucky
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Bolsonaro Charged
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was charged on Tuesday for attempting a coup in 2022
Brazil experienced a January 6-esque event in January 2023, when supporters of Bolsonaro stormed government buildings before his successor took office
This week, Bolsonaro was charged with attempting to nullify the 2022 election, dissolve courts, empower the military, and assassinate the president-elect and chief justice of Brazil’s supreme court
Bolsonaro – who has already been disqualified from running for office until 2030 – said the charges were a “weaponization of the justice system,” adding that it “is the same failed strategy that was used against President Trump”
Dig Deeper
After the coup charges were announced, President Trump’s media company, which operates Truth Social, filed a lawsuit in a US federal court accusing the Brazilian justice in Bolsonaro’s case of censoring right-wing voices in violation of the Constitution. Rumble, another US right-wing media platform, joined the lawsuit
Last year, the same justice blocked X in Brazil until Musk complied with an order to suspend Bolsonaro’s allies
KEY STORY
Trump v. Zelensky
President Trump blasted President Zelensky, calling him a “dictator”
On Monday, US-Russia peace talks began with Zelensky and European leaders excluded. On Tuesday, Trump responded to reports that the Ukrainians were angry about the talks by saying, “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal"
Zelensky replied by saying that Trump is “living in this disinformation space”
On Wednesday, Trump replied with a long post on Truth Social. He wrote, “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left…Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died”
Dmitry Medvedev, a top Kremlin official, said, "If you'd told me just three months ago that these were the words of the US president, I would have laughed out loud. [Trump] is 200% right. Bankrupt clown"
Dig Deeper
The comments prompted celebration among some of the MAGA wing and shock among supporters of Ukraine in both parties
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D- NY) said Trump’s comments “sounded straight from a Russian propaganda playbook,” adding that it is “disgusting to see an American president…openly side with a thug like Vladimir Putin”
"I don't agree [with Trump]," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME); “To the extent that the White House said that Ukraine started the war, I disagree. I think Vladimir Putin started the war,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)
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KEY STORY
EU: Companies Must Cut Waste
The EU imposed new rules on food and textile waste that put the costs of clean-up on companies
Many environmentalists argue that the costs for cleaning up products should be paid by companies – not citizens or governments, who typically bear it
This week, the EU introduced rules requiring its states to cut food waste by 10% in food production and 30% in stores, restaurants, and households by 2030. The move will likely make companies pay fees depending on the sustainability of their products
The fees will likely harm foreign fast-fashion retailers, like Shein
Dig Deeper
While not explicitly stated in the agreement, the costs are expected to fall mostly on foreign companies that flood the EU market with low-cost and disposable clothing products, with major online retailers like Shein likely to be more affected
Large retailers have a deadline of 30 months to adapt their sustainability practices, while smaller – mostly European – businesses have 42
KEY STORY
China Sells US Debt
China’s holdings of US sovereign debt dropped to the lowest level since 2009
The US government finances spending by selling bonds (“sovereign debt” or “Treasuries”) to investors, including foreign countries. The three largest holders of US government debt are Japan, China, and the UK, in that order
On Wednesday it emerged that China’s holdings of US Treasuries have declined to their lowest level since 2009
China has reportedly sought to diversify its investments into assets like gold and worried about the geopolitical implications of holding too much US debt
Dig Deeper
China is not alone: Japan and the UK also reduced their holdings of US debt in December 2024, though the UK’s holdings increased throughout the year
Large-scale selling by major holders can lower bond prices and force the US to offer higher interest rates to attract new buyers, making it more expensive for the US to borrow. Still, the current decline is not expected to have major effects: Gradual sales are typically absorbed, while sudden selloffs can cause shocks
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇺🇸 The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick, former CEO of Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, as commerce secretary in a 51-45 vote
💰 Defense Secretary Hegseth ordered Pentagon leaders to develop plans to cut 8% from each of the next five defense budgets, per the Washington Post
🏥 Days after he was admitted to the hospital with bronchitis, Vatican officials revealed that Pope Francis, 88, was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs
🗽 On Wednesday, the Trump Administration revoked federal approval of New York City’s congestion pricing policy
🇺🇸 President Trump revealed he is planning to impose tariffs “in the neighborhood of 25%" on cars, pharmaceutical goods, and semiconductors
🧑💼 Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former chief technology officer and briefly its CEO, announced the launch of her own AI company, Thinking Machines Lab
COMMUNITY
What does Roca Nation think?
🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Do you trust RFK Jr. more or less than the health bureaucrats before him?
When 40% of American adults are obese, the old guard will get none of my trust or respect. Especially considering that health bureaucrats have made it so that just six commodities — corn, soy, wheat, cotton, peanuts, and rice — account for 94% of the Federal Crop Insurance Program's support with the strong majority of these commodities not being used to provide affordable nutrition. Rather, they're heavily processed into the hyper-palatable foods that cause heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and certain cancers. The medical costs associated with these problems are $150 billion annually and you can't find a loaf of bread in a grocery store without like 28 ingredients.
RFK Jr has taken on this big money corruption and this is why there has been so much of a smear campaign against him. Is he kind of a strange guy with some baggage? Sure. But how can we not be supportive of someone who wants to at least try to end or diminish the obesity epidemic? Democrats and Republicans need to come together on this, or that obesity number will keep rising with our medical debt until it's too late.
Was I thrilled with the promise of cracking down on “Big Pharma” and really taking a look at the hidden side of these health organizations/drug companies that were manipulating us for years? Absolutely. Do I believe everything he says and think we should throw all doctors with medical degrees out the window. Absolutely not.
I would be remiss to not mention that I am scared about the SSRI regulation; specifically about HOW regulated they will be. As someone who has had to use them for almost two decades for depression/anxiety and suffers greatly if I don’t have them, I truly hope he does not view all prescriptions as faulty/unnecessary when some are necessary to survive.
However, I currently view him the same way, if not a little higher than some of the past health bureaucrats because he doesn’t seem to be bought out/corrupted by money. Disagree with him if you must, but you have to wonder if he’s the canary in the coal mine that’ll lead the US out of a crisis we don’t always acknowledge we’re really in.
Far less. Your question is itself leading. You identify heads of HHS as bureaucrats. They are political appointees, and many of them have not had careers in government (so i'll restate it: they were not bureaucrats). Nevertheless, many had medical or scientific degrees. Most importantly, they did not view the department as the enemy.
Honestly, I don't think RFK Jr. is any better or worse than those who came before him. He’s just the next contestant on Who Wants to Reform Healthcare? I do think he’ll make changes—some will cheer, some will groan, and the pharmaceutical reps will probably need stress meds themselves.
I know he’s looking at SSRIs, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs, and I worry he might make them even harder to get. News flash: They’re already hard to get, thanks to sky-high costs and our beloved, totally-functional (sarcasm detected) insurance system.
If someone really wants to fix things, they should be investigating the insurance companies. Get RFK and DOGE on that. 🚀💸
🧐 Today’s Question: Do you trust Elon Musk to cut waste in the government? Will he do more good than harm?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
⚖️ Get Home ASAP A$AP: Rapper A$AP Rocky celebrated his not guilty verdict on two felony assault weapon charges by diving into the courtroom audience and the arms of his girlfriend, Rihanna
🗺️ KFC Leaves Kentucky: KFC announced plans to move its headquarters from Kentucky to Texas, prompting the state's governor to say the "Colonel would be disappointed"
🏈 Netflix Eyes NFL Deal: Netflix is reportedly planning to bid for the streaming rights to the NFL’s Sunday football games, which are currently split between CBS and Fox
🌋 Volcanic Views Go Viral: Mount Etna's volcanic eruptions are drawing thousands of tourists, with many blocking rescue vehicles and getting dangerously close to lava flows
🪦 Digital Afterlife: Over 1,000 mysterious QR code stickers have appeared on graves across three cemeteries in Munich, Germany, leading police to launch an investigate into their origin
ROCA WRAP
The Dry Games
Saudi Arabia
This country announced there would be no alcohol at its World Cup.
Saudi Arabia was recently awarded the 2034 World Cup – the latest effort by the country to rebrand itself into a modern tourist destination. That strategy has involved curbing the power of Islamic authorities and allowing women to drive, movie theaters to open, and increased socialization between the sexes. Yet last week, it became clear that one conservative policy isn’t going anywhere.
The Saudi ambassador to the UK announced that alcohol would not be allowed at the World Cup, even in hotels. "Plenty of fun can be had without alcohol," adding, “Rather like our weather, it's a dry country.”
The move signifies that rules will be even tighter in Saudi Arabia than they were in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup: While Qatar is a conservative Muslim country like Saudi Arabia, it allowed drinking in designated hotel areas.
While human rights groups remain concerned about 'sportswashing,' some fans might be more worried about facing a penalty shootout without liquid courage.
ROCA VIDEO
Who Really Is RFK Jr.? (ICYMI)
When his uncle was assassinated, RFK Jr. was just 9 years old. Then at 14, he received a call: His father – then a US senator running for president – had been shot while campaigning in California. RFK Jr. flew to Los Angeles and was at the hospital when his father died.
His turbulent childhood gave way to a rebellious adolescence. He then got his life together and became a prominent environmental lawyer. He was a liberal hero but then... that changed. What happened? Why did he veer in a different direction? This video tells his story.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
On our “This Day in History” scan we learned that 31 years ago in Manchester, England, chefs tried to flip a 49-foot, 3-ton pancake. Tragically, the flapjack fell apart when flipped. If there’s one thing future alien archaeologists learn about our civilization, we hope it’s that.
Have a great Thursday. We imagine the responses to today’s question won’t be much milder…
–Max and Max