🌊 Chat, Is This War Plan Real?

Plus: 23andMe goes bankrupt, officials visit Greenland, & record-breaking basketball game

March 25, 2025

“You up?” “Plz go to bed, Secretary Hegseth.”

Our lead story today is one of the best news stories in recent memory and a cautionary tale for all you kids reading this at home: When you’re planning a drone strike, never add a journalist to the chat (unless his name is Max and he works at Roca). The story ushers in the dawn of a new era in government: The Millennial era where you plan wars in group chats and drop a few đŸ”„ emojis when they work. And if they’re true Millennial males you know that they did the biggest “Phew!” when they heard it was just the war chat that got leaked and not one with the boys back home.

😳 War plans leaked in groupchat

đŸȘŠ 23andMe goes bankrupt

🏀 Record-breaking basketball game in Atlanta

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Military Plans Leaked

The Trump Administration inadvertently added The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a confidential group chat in which top-secret military plans were discussed

  • Last weekend, the US bombed Houthi targets in Yemen to prevent their attacks on Red Sea shipping

  • This Monday, Goldberg, The Atlantic’s top editor, documented how days before the Yemen strikes, he was added to a Signal group where accounts of the US’ highest-ranking national security officials were discussing the details of potential strikes on Yemen

  • Goldberg had no reason to be in the chat and was given no context. He initially thought it was fake. In the following days, though, a top-secret conversation ensued between the chat’s members, including VP Vance and Secretary of Defense Hegseth. In the chat, they confirmed the strikes’ exact details, including the weapons to be used, timing, and targets

  • At that scheduled time, US strikes hit Yemen. Officials have since acknowledged that the chat was real and that they’re investigating how Goldberg was accidentally added to it

Dig Deeper

  • Particularly noteworthy was a conversation in the chat, where VP Vance’s account questioned whether the US should strike Yemen, arguing that most of the shipping that flows through the Red Sea is European, not American

  • The Vance account wrote, “3 percent of US trade runs through the suez. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message”

  • He continued: “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now”

  • The Defense Secretary Hegseth account acknowledged Vance’s concerns but argued for the strikes. The Vance account replied, “I just hate bailing Europe out again”

  • The Hegseth account replied, “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close”

  • The apparent account for Stephen Miller – Trump’s deputy chief of staff – said that Trump wanted to proceed with the strikes. He characterized them as a favor for Europe and Egypt, writing, “We soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return
If the US successfully restores freedom of navigation at great cost there needs to be some further economic gain extracted in return”

KEY STORY

23andMe Goes Bankrupt

DNA testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy following declining demand and a major data breach

  • In 2021, 23andMe went public at a $3.5B valuation. Its market cap peaked at nearly $6B later that year amid booming interest in DNA testing kits

  • Demand has since plummeted, while the company has struggled to retain customers and faced a major data breach. On Monday, after its valuation fell to just $50M, the company declared bankruptcy and its CEO resigned

  • The situation has raised concerns about what will happen to customers’ genetic data

Dig Deeper

  • California’s attorney general issued a privacy “consumer alert” about 23andMe’s bankruptcy, saying, “I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company”

  • 23andMe said there would be “no changes” to consumer data protection while in bankruptcy court, but California’s attorney general warned that the genetic information of millions could end up in another company’s possession if the company is sold

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Your look reflects what's happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you.

Nas

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KEY STORY

Chinese AI Breakthrough?

Chinese-made semiconductors were used to make an AI breakthrough, potentially heralding major progress for China’s chip and AI sectors

  • Ant Group is a finance and tech company founded by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba and China’s fifth-richest person. Ant owns Alipay, China’s largest mobile payment platform. The US has limited companies like Ant in the AI race by restricting chip and technology exports

  • Despite that, Ant announced this month that it was able to train a leading model at 20% less cost using chips designed by Alibaba and Huawei. If true, it means the company is becoming less reliant on Nvidia and US technology overall

Dig Deeper

  • Ant trained its models using the “Mixture of Experts” (MOE) machine learning technique, which divides tasks into smaller data sets

  • That models typically relies on Nvidia chips, however, Ant said that it eliminated that constraint

  • Ant said that it while it still used Nvidia chips – the industry standard – it is now more reliant on domestic ones designed by Alibaba and Huawei. While Nvidia has argued that its advanced GPU chips – a core part of its business – are needed to reach the necessary computing power at scale, Ant’s breakthrough challenges that

KEY STORY

Americans visit Greenland

A delegation of American officials will travel to Greenland later this week

  • President Trump has repeatedly said that America should acquire the autonomous Danish territory “one way or the other” – comments leaders in Greenland and Denmark have intensely opposed

  • The White House’s delegation traveling to Greenland will reportedly include National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Second Lady Usha Vance, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright

  • The White House insisted that the group was traveling to learn about Greenland’s “history” and to attend a dog-sledding race. The National Security Council said the visit “should not be a surprise,” given US arctic security interests

Dig Deeper 

  • Greenland’s leaders strongly criticized the visit, which comes before local elections on April 1

  • Greenland’s prime minister said, “We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife. What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us”

  • The territory’s incoming prime minister added that the trip showed “a lack of respect”

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

đŸ‡©đŸ‡Ș German software company SAP overtook Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk as Europe's most valuable company

đŸ‡čđŸ‡· Turkish authorities arrested 1,100+ people, including dozens of journalists, amid the country’s largest anti-government protests in over a decade

đŸ‡ș🇾 President Trump is likely to exclude specific industries from reciprocal tariffs set to take effect on April 2, although a White House official called the situation fluid

đŸ›ąïž Trump also announced 25% tariffs on any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela

đŸȘ– Israel has killed at least six senior Hamas leaders in the past week, including the group’s de facto prime minister and his successor

What does Roca Nation think?

🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Should people have big dogs in big cities?

First it’s Big Pharma and now Big Dog?! Just kidding—but yes, as long as they have responsible owners that can get them exercise. Most large breeds are just Big Couch Potatoes. I do think limiting a large breed to a first floor is something to consider, although it’s not much different than a 30 pound toddler running all over the place above your head in an apartment.

Jackie from Dallas

Truthfully, I’m a firm believer that at least 75% of people who own dogs shouldn’t have dogs. Most people get them for show or for their own selfish entertainment and don’t consider the breed and its needs when purchasing. When I see dogs like a Great Pyrenees or Australian Shepherd being walked where I live in Charlotte, I get pissed. Esp if those dogs live in an apartment. It is the complete opposite of what those dogs need and they deserve to be working dogs like they were bred to be, not holed up in someone’s house in the city. So my answer to your question is definitely not.

Savannah from North Carolina

Owning a big dog is perfectly fine for people who walk their dogs regularly each day and take their dogs to the park to play. There are plenty of people in smaller, rural areas who have big yards who don’t walk their dogs or play with them, so it’s more about commitment to the dog’s health and wellbeing than it is location. That being said, it’s a whole other body in the living space, so owners need to be prepared to share their end of the couch.

Andrea from Youngstown, OH

I don't know about should or shouldn't, because I suppose anyone can do what they want...

But what I would worry most about is the dog's well-being. Dogs are all differently bred over the centuries to do different things, and different jobs. And none of those is to sit inside a tiny apartment for 8-10 hours a day while you're gone. In whatever capacity best meets their personality and breed, they need to be out and about doing something, usually.

I've got a pair of small (12 lb and 20 lb) terrier mixes who even I feel bad about leaving cooped up for too long. Dogs need to get out and release their wiggles...let them to their job - even if that job is just taking care of you or going on a walk.

Shawn from Provo, UT

🧐 Today’s Question: With the Snow White remake getting blasted by critics and audiences alike, what’s your favorite Disney movie of all time?

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

đŸ‘» Parliament After Dark: New Zealand's parliament launched after-hours ghost tours featuring costumed guides leading visitors through tales of mysterious deaths and unexplained noises

đŸšœ Airplane Bathroom Standoff: A passenger sued United Airlines and the Department of Homeland Security after a pilot allegedly forcibly removed him from a bathroom during a constipation episode

đŸ„š Spherical Egg Cracks Auction Records: A perfectly round chicken egg sold for $550 at a UK charity auction this week, with proceeds benefiting an organization supporting survivors of sexual violence

â›č March Insanity: A group of 23 men from Atlanta, Georgia broke the Guinness World Record by playing a continuous basketball game for 121 hours

đŸ–Œïž Stolen Art Standoff: A 16th-century "Madonna and Child" painting, stolen from an Italian museum in 1973, has resurfaced in England, although the owner refuses to return it, despite saying she “never really liked it”

ROCA WRAP
Green Streets

Paris

This city’s residents voted to approve making 500 streets car-free.

Paris, the historic French capital known for its iconic landmarks and bustling boulevards, has long grappled with traffic congestion and air pollution. The city’s current mayor – Anne Hidalgo, who has served since 2014 – has sought to address this by making significant changes to Parisian transportation infrastructure, including building over 340 miles of bicycle lanes and removing thousands of parking spots. These efforts have contributed to a more than 40% decrease in car traffic since 2011, according to city data.

The next big plan was approved on Sunday, when nearly 66% of Parisians voted in favor of blocking 500 streets to road traffic. The nonbinding proposal aims to replace miles of asphalt with plants and trees, creating five to eight new green and pedestrianized streets in each of the city's 20 districts. The city will now begin identifying eligible streets and conducting feasibility studies, a process that could take up to three years.

The initiative aligns with Hidalgo's vision for a "15-minute city," where residents can reach essential resources by foot, bicycle, or public transport within a quarter of an hour.

It also marks the third transportation referendum organized by Hidalgo, following votes to ban e-scooters for hire in 2023 and to impose fees on SUVs and other polluting vehicles last year.

If the mayor gets her way, perhaps the “City of Lights” will soon take on a more environmentally friendly nickname.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Trump's Craziest Claim Was... True

ICYMI

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

We really should’ve made the quote of the day the text that the Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff sent after the drone strike: 🙏🙏đŸ’ȘđŸ’ȘđŸ‡ș🇾. Couldn’t have said it better ourselves. There’s something so deeply unserious about emojis in the context of war; a GIF would’ve been much better. Maybe one of Rodney Dangerfield saying, “So let’s dance!” from Caddyshack?

Have a great day, Roca Nation.

–Max and Max