🌊 T-Swift Now Has Bad Blood with ISIS?

Introducing a new section…

“As” "promised" at the start of the year, we are spending more time traveling the country, reporting on stories and places that Big News ignores, and interviewing people with diverse viewpoints. Accordingly, we launched our podcast We the 66 (some huge interviews coming up) and also a channel for our on-the-ground reporting (some terrific stuff on the way). Due to popular demand, we are introducing a new section today at the bottom of the newsletter that will highlight new videos. Today’s is the story of Kamala; tomorrow’s is that of Vance. Also due to popular demand, we try to limit the amount of time you have to look at us on screen…

–Max, Max, and Owen

KEY STORY

ISIS’ T-Swift Plot

An ISIS terror plot forced the cancelation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna, Austria

• Swift had three “Eras Tour” concerts scheduled at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Police expected 65,000 concertgoers daily, with an additional 10,000 to 15,000 fans gathering outside the stadium during each show

• On Wednesday, though, police arrested two people they said were “taking action to prepare” for an attack on the concerts, forcing their cancelation

• Further details weren’t immediately known

Dig Deeper

• Few details were immediately available, but authorities said one suspect was a 19-year-old Austrian citizen who had pledged allegiance to ISIS in July. A bomb squad raided his home and seized chemicals and other explosive materials

• The plot comes as the UK faces widespread protests and riots after an attacker killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England. That prompted “European Lives Matter” signs to be plastered around cities elsewhere in Europe

KEY STORY

Ukraine Enters Russia

Ukraine launched a surprise attack on Russia

• Ukraine launched an incursion on Russian towns bordering eastern Ukraine on Tues., with fighting continuing Wednesday. Russian authorities report that Ukraine has seized villages, shot down aircraft, and destroyed infrastructure. They also claim that Ukraine “indiscriminately” attacked civilians

• Ukraine has launched incursions into Russia before; however, those have used Russians working for Ukraine’s military intelligence. This attack featured Ukraine’s conventional troops and was one of the largest since the war began in March 2022

Dig Deeper

• Russian troops have for months been gradually seizing territory from Ukraine, whose troops face fatigue after 30 months of heavy casualties. Ukraine also faces the prospect of a Trump Administration cutting off or reducing aid

• This assault will divert some Russian troops from their offensive, potentially temporarily easing the burden on Ukraine’s defenders

ROCA’S PARTNERS

Get Total Digital Privacy

Together with Surfshark One

• Between cookies, IP tracking, and spy- and malware, it’s difficult to feel comfortable browsing online

• Surfshark One enables you to do that: It’s an all-in-one security suite featuring an award-winning VPN, antivirus, private search engine, real-time alerts, and Alternative ID feature

• Forget multiple subscriptions: This is one package that secures your online activities, data, and identity with industry-leading protection and 24/7 customer support

• Surfshark One – your total protection package. Check it out today!

KEY STORY

Stranded Astronaut Problem

NASA may appoint SpaceX to bring Boeing’s stranded astronauts back to earth

• The pair have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 6

• They arrived via the Boeing Starliner and were supposed to return a week later, but Starliner malfunctions have left them trapped

• While Boeing insists the Starliner is safe to fly, some NASA leaders aren’t convinced. The organization reportedly is considering having SpaceX rescue the astronauts, who have enough supplies to last around six months

Dig Deeper

• NASA wants both Boeing and SpaceX to have the capacity to carry astronauts to and from the ISS, which officials say will allow for continuous access to the Station

• Losing the opportunity to bring the astronauts home would be a major blow for Boeing, whose ties to NASA date back to the Apollo moon landings

KEY STORY

Another “Squad” Loss

Cori Bush (D., MO) became the second member of “The Squad” to lose a primary this summer

• The Squad – a group of progressive Democrats that includes AOC, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman – has been among the most anti-Israel voices in Congress since October 7

• In response, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC, the “pro-Israel” lobby) has spent millions to unseat Squad members

• In June, they succeeded in defeating Bowman (NY); this week, they defeated Bush (MO). Bush, in her concession speech, said she’d “tear down” AIPAC

Dig Deeper

• The primary winner was Wesley Bell, a St. Louis County prosecutor, who’s positioned himself as a pro-Israel centrist. He defeated Bush by a 5.3 percentage-point margin

• In a statement, AIPAC said, “The outcome in this race — as in so many others — shows that the pro-Israel position is both good policy and good politics for both parties”

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

🇬🇧 Right-wing rallies in the UK failed to materialize after rumors of “100 rallies” prompted parliamentarians to work from home on Wednesday night. Riots and protests have been ongoing since a 17-year-old born in the UK to Rwandan immigrants killed three young girls at a dance studio last week

🚫 Amid the UK unrest, Conservative Party politician Robert Jenrick – who is seeking party leadership – said Muslims should not be allowed to say “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great” in Arabic). Jenrick called the chant “intimidatory and threatening,” alleging it was at recent pro-Palestine protests

💊 Eli Lilly is seeking to procure radioactive materials, according to the Financial Times. These materials, though hard to source, can be combined with other chemicals to deliver powerful and targeted cancer treatments

📺 Disney’s streaming division reported its first-ever profit. Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu made a $47M profit in the second quarter of 2024 after losing $512M in the same period the previous year

🎸 Jack Black said Tenacious D will “be back” after canceling their tour last month. During a concert the day after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Black’s bandmate Kyle Gass joked, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” Days later, Black canceled the tour and paused “all future creative plans.” However, on Tuesday, Black said a return will occur “when it feels right,” adding that he and Gass remain friends

COMMUNITY

🧠 Yesterday’s question: Why do you think people become happier as they get older?

🧠 Today’s question: What’s something from the 2000s that you miss? Could be anything from Rainforest Cafe to grocery prices…

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

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

😩 Killed that tour softly: Lauryn Hill and the Fugees canceled their US tour three days before its start. They gave no reason for the cancelation of their 18 US shows

✈️ Future of flying is female: IndiGo, an India-based low-cost airline, has been trialing a booking feature that allows women to avoid booking seats next to men

🦷 Find me that dentist: A 28-year-old British man claimed he unknowingly used cocaine for pain relief on his gums. The man has 11 prior criminal convictions, including three drug-related matters

🔫 Garbage day sucks: A Texas man died after accidentally shooting himself while taking out the trash. He reportedly slipped in a wet area, causing his gun to go off and wound him in the chest

⚽️ A Messi situation: Climate activists vandalized Lionel Messi’s Ibiza mansion, covering it in red and black paint. They posted a picture at his home with the caption, “Help the planet. Eat the rich. Abolish the police”

ROCA WRAP

The Electric Fleet

This US just got its first all-electric police fleet.

Pasadena is a city in eastern Los Angeles County. It hosts the Rose Bowl – an annual New Year’s Day football game – and its accompanying parade. It’s also home to the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, one of the US’ top engineering universities.

Last month, South Pasadena – an independent town split off the southern part of Pasadena – unveiled the US’ first all-electric police fleet. It’s the result of a $1.85M, decade-long project that involved acquiring 20 Teslas and installing 34 electric vehicle chargers at South Pasadena City Hall.

The fleet consists of 10 Tesla Model Ys and 10 Tesla Model 3s. The former will be for patrol vehicles and the latter for detective and administrative duties. The city council said, “We will have a 21st-century police force that is safe, clean, and saves taxpayer dollars.”

While South Pasadena is unique, that won’t last: California regulations require all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Are these sensible policies? Will electric vehicles dominate the 21st century, or will combustion continue to do so? Reply to this email to let us know. As always, we want to hear your thoughts!

ROCA VIDEO

The Real Story of Kamala Harris

Much has been said about Kamala Harris and her past in recent weeks. So we did a deep dive: What is her story? Did she really go to high school in Canada? What's the truth about her relationship with Willie Brown? We address these questions and more in this overview of her life.

Make sure to subscribe to the channel!

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

Thank you for checking out our new channels. We appreciate your support and the positive feedback from all of you who have checked them out. This is phase one, and we hope to get better and better.

Have a great day — or at least a better one than that of Boeing’s PR team.

–Max and Max