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đ Tok-ageddon Is Upon Us
Plus: Gaza ceasefire, confirmation hearings, & YMCA at inauguration
What was Uncle Gary doing in Europe?
European airline Ryanair is calling for two-drink limits at airports after it had to reroute a flight from Dublin to a Caribbean island due to a drunk passengerâs antics. We are neither aviation nor alcohol experts, but did the Ryanair flight staff really think Irish vacationers would pregame their flight to the Caribbean with Shirley Temples? Plus, what do airlines expect us to do during our three-hour flight delays? Spend time alone with our thoughts? Three Miller Lites and an open tab pleaseâŠ
đ Gaza ceasefire near?
đš Tok-ageddon is upon us
đ€ YMCA live performance at Trump's inauguration?
âMax and Max
KEY STORY
Greenlandâs Power Play
Greenlandâs prime minister is trying to placate the US while using Trumpâs threats to push for independence
Greenland became a full Danish territory in 1953 and has had âhome ruleâ since 1979. Last week, Trump called US control of the island an âabsolute necessityâ
Prime Minister MĂște Egede has since been seeking to appease both the US and his own people, at once saying, âWe donât want to be American,â but also claiming to want closer economic and defense cooperation with the US
Egde has also used the attention to push for independence for Greenland
Dig Deeper
Some defense analysts say the sparsely-populated island represents a vulnerable point that Russia could exploit in a conflict with the US. To address this, Egde has sworn off any desire of doing business with Russia and said the territory should be âmore preparedâ to handle its security
He has also said the situation highlights the island's need for independence
"The history and current conditions have shown that our cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark has not succeeded in creating full equality," he said last week. "It is now time for our country to take the next step. Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the obstacles to cooperation â which we can describe as the shackles of colonialism â and move forward"
KEY STORY
Gaza Ceasefire Near?
Reports emerged of an imminent ceasefire in Gaza
Israel-Hamas ceasefires have repeatedly fallen apart, often over disagreements about whether Israel could maintain troops in the strip once the deal took effect
On Monday, though, talks between Qatar, a Trump envoy, and Israeli officials reportedly achieved a âbreakthrough.â Sources were quoted as saying that Trumpâs election brought the sides back to the table: Trump threatened to rain âhellâ upon Hamas, while Netanyahu sought to curry favor by ending the war
The final deal is with the sides, who are deciding whether or not to approve it
Dig Deeper
Various sources told papers that Donald Trumpâs election helped bring the sides back to the table
Trump has called for an end to the war while warning Hamas that it would have âall hell to payâ if it didnât free all hostages by his inauguration, scheduled for next Monday (January 20). A source who spoke to the Financial Times said, âThe only difference is Trump. Netanyahu does want to align with Trumpâ
The deal would reportedly take place in three stages: During an initial six-to-eight week truce, Hamas would return around 34 hostages while Israel releases several hundred Palestinian prisoners and allows significantly increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. In subsequent phases, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw while Hamas releases more hostages. It appears that the detail would entail the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, but this is not fully confirmed
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Dig Deeper
As always, Roca readers get a no-questions-asked refund policy on all orders
KEY STORY
Last Week of TikTok?
The Supreme Court is now deliberating a law that would ban TikTok in the US
On Friday, ByteDance argued that the ban is a violation of its First Amendment right to free speech, and that the US government is unfairly singling it out. The company also refuted that it has shared â or will share â any US user data with the Chinese government
Most justices were critical of ByteDance and seemed to agree with Congressâ argument that TikTok is a national security threat due to its data access and ability to potentially manipulate US public opinion
The court could allow, overturn, or delay the ban, which is currently scheduled to take effect this Sunday â a day before Trump takes office
Dig Deeper
While Trump has expressed his support for the app, he would face an uphill battle to restore it post-ban
Though the ban would cause TikTok to fade over time, ByteDance has said it will move to shut down US operations immediately if the Court rules against it
Despite ByteDanceâs apparent reluctance to sell, a group of investors and advocates offered to buy TikTokâs US arm for $20B. While TikTok US doesnât have a public valuation, ByteDance as a whole was recently valued at $300B
KEY STORY
Confirmation Hearing Szn
Confirmation hearings for Trumpâs Cabinet picks will begin this week. Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Kristi Noem will be among the first to be questioned
The Republicans will hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate once JD Vanceâs replacement is appointed, and each Cabinet nominee needs a simple Senate majority to be confirmed
Pete Hegseth, up for secretary of defense, faces one of the most difficult paths. Senators are expected to drill the ex-Fox & Friends host and decorated military combat veteran on his qualifications and the allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017
Dig Deeper
Kristi Noem, up for secretary of homeland security, and Pam Bondi, up for attorney general, are also on the docket for confirmation hearings this week
As DHS secretary, Noem would be tasked with overseeing Trumpâs deportation agenda. Bondi, who replaced Matt Gaetz as Trumpâs pick to be AG, will face questions over her impartiality
Hearing dates are not yet set for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
đ° The US government is reportedly preparing to sue Greystar, the countryâs largest landlord, for allegedly charging tenants hidden fees
đșđž Cleveland-Cliffs and Nucor, two of the USâ largest steel companies, are considering lodging a joint offer to buy US Steel
đ„ The Los Angeles fire death toll rose to at least 24, as strong winds caused fires to continue spreading
âïž For several days beginning on Monday night, a bright comet will be visible across the globe for the first time in 160,000 years
đ±đ§ Lebanonâs parliament selected Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice, to be the countryâs new prime minister, a potential step toward resolving a years-long political crisis
COMMUNITY
What does Roca Nation think?
đ§ Yesterdayâs question: Who was your hero when you were a 12-year-old kid?
Dolly Parton - then and ever since.
Name any other celebrity that is as free with her own money, giving of her own time, personally involved in community and charity work.
Many decisions in her career were framed about having a legacy for her family (research "I Will Always Love You" and Elvis)
Plus, my mom was one of her high school English teachers. :)
My hero was James Conner, currently the running back for the Arizona Cardinals. When I was 12 he played for the Pitt Panthers and around that time it was announced he had cancer. He fought and beat cancer in the offseason and returned to play in the fall. He was drafted by the Steelers in 2017. As a lifelong Pitt and Steelers fan he was my hero. Still wear his Steelerâs jersey to this day.
My grandfather, Dr. Harry Clayton Denham! He grew up in one of the poorest counties in the Appalachian region of KY, was awarded scholarships to play football and basketball for the University of Kentucky and continued his education at the University of Louisville Medical School. Served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during WWII, returned home and started a private practice with his brother, where they served our community for decades. My grandfather was the epitome of service over self!
When I was a kid my family would have weekly dinners out at your typical small town establishments and I do not think there was a time when someone didn't come up to our table and thank my grandfather for whatever pain, ailment, pregnancy, surgery, etc. he helped get them through. That's the kind of fame/celebrity/status we should all strive for, to be remembered for our service!
đ§ Todayâs question: On the Meta story, should social media platforms allow users to claim the Earth is flat on their platforms? How about âvaccines cause autismâ? What about âall cops are bastardsâ?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
đ· No-Drink List: Ryanair is demanding that airports limit passengers to two alcoholic drinks before boarding flights after disruptive passenger incidents doubled per quarter in 2024
đ„ Fury Road Ends: UK boxing star Tyson Fury announced his retirement following his December loss to Oleksandr Usyk, ending his career with a record of 34 wins, two defeats, and one draw
đ€ YMCA Comes to DC: âYMCAâ singers The Village People accepted an offer to perform at Donald Trumpâs January 20 inauguration. Trumpâs use of the track as a campaign anthem helped return it to the top of the charts
đ§ââïž Love at First Byte: Robotics company Realbotix is offering AI companion robots ranging from $12,000 to $175,000. The company says its flagship model, Aria, is designed to serve as a romantic partner to address "the staggering loneliness epidemic"
đŁ Explosive Inventory: A high-ranking Polish general was dismissed after anti-tank mines from a military shipment were discovered in an IKEA warehouse, with the mishap only coming to light when IKEA called to ask when the military would collect them
ROCA WRAP
Protection Racket
Peru
Extortion via WhatsApp is draining money from businesses and workers across this country.
A South American nation of 34M people, Peru has cycled through six presidents in as many years, creating what analysts say is a power vacuum that criminal groups have exploited. That, combined with growing regional crime, has led to a surge in organized extortion networks.
According to Peruvian government data, reports of extortion reached 17,630 in the first ten months of 2024, far above the 4,500 cases documented in 2021. The country also recorded 2,126 homicides, triple the number in 2017. Many cases of both crimes go unreported due to fear of retaliation.
Data suggest that just in the capital, Lima, 2,600 corner shops closed due to extortion in 2023. The transport sector is also particularly hard hit, with bus drivers regularly threatened with violence over WhatsApp if they donât pay gangs. Industry estimates suggest extortion costs Lima's transport sector at least $800,000 monthly.
Analysts attribute the crime wave to multiple factors, including the demobilization of Colombia's FARC guerrillas, the spread of Venezuelan gangs, and a weak government response.
Yet even if the government were working properly, itâs unclear if it would have the resources to fight back: Peru's illegal economy is worth an estimated $9.8B annually â almost double interior and defense ministriesâ combined $5.3B budget.
EDITORâS NOTE
Final Thoughts
More on the TikTok ban: 1) Bloomberg reports that China is weighing a TikTok sale to Elon Musk as a potential option; 2) Another Chinese app called RedNote is now the #1 social media app on the App Store. Should we start dancing on the RocaNews app? That seems to be what weâre missing. And maybe we should start stealing data, too?
âMax and Max