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- 🌊 Good News: Overdose Deaths Declining
🌊 Good News: Overdose Deaths Declining
Plus: USAID returns, March Madness betting record, & 20 Questions!
Happy Birthday, Twitter.
Today is Twitter's 19th birthday (or is that deadnaming?), and here are a few fun facts to celebrate: 1) The Twitter bird is named Larry — yep, Larry Bird. 2) At one point, the founding team called the site "Jitter." Would this make a post a.... Jeet? 3) It took exactly 3 years, 2 months, and 1 day for the platform to hit its billionth tweet.
📉 Overdoses declining in the US
💰 Return of USAID?
🏀 March Madness gambling record
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Overdoses Declining
US drug overdose deaths declined 25% in 2024, per new CDC data
The rate of US drug overdose deaths tripled between 2003 and 2019 to become the country’s leading cause of accidental deaths. At the peak of the crisis in 2022, 108,000 people died of an overdose
Since then, though, drug overdoses have steadily declined: Per new data, they fell 25% in 2024
The leading cause of this decline is a drop in the number of fentanyl-related deaths, which are down 30% since 2023
The trend has been attributed to a range of policies, including making Narcan more available, greater law enforcement efforts, and the end of pandemic life
Dig Deeper
Many jurisdictions have increased access to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone (Narcan), as well as fentanyl-testing kits and treatments for fentanyl addiction
Law enforcement measures may also be playing a role: Fentanyl seizures, a common indicator of drug-supply size, declined last year after rising in 2023
Another theory is that overdose deaths have declined as the remaining facets of pandemic-era life have expired
KEY STORY
Greenpeace Ruling
In a court case that’s been framed as a major battle over the right to protest, Greenpeace was ordered to pay oil company Energy Transfer $660M
Greenpeace had sought to block a pipeline running through a sacred part of a Sioux reservation. The protests led to vandalism, violence, and months-long delays to pipeline constructions
The company sued Greenpeace, alleging it exploited a local issue to promote its agenda, causing $330M in direct damages. Greenpeace said it played a minor role and that the lawsuit was a case of companies burying activist organizations in legal fees to suppress dissent
Dig Deeper
Greenpeace argued the case was a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), a lawsuit designed to bury activist groups in legal fees to suppress dissent. It claimed that its organizers had little or no presence or involvement in the protests, adding that their members arrived at the reservation only after thousands were already there
The North Dakota jury disagreed, convicting Greenpeace of trespassing, defamation, and conspiracy and holding the group liable for $660M in damages
The oil company said the ruling was a “win for all law-abiding Americans,” while Greenpeace stated, “This case should alarm everyone, no matter their political inclinations”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I think, therefore I am
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KEY STORY
USAID’s Return?
The Trump Administration has drafted plans to restructure foreign aid to focus on achieving US strategies
On his first day in office, Trump froze all foreign aid disbursed through USAID, leading to the firing of nearly all agency staff and the termination of over 80% of its grants
A new draft plan argues that USAID was ineffective and costly and proposes reorganizing foreign aid structure to both provide “measurable returns to America” and project “soft power”
Its mandate would be limited to humanitarian assistance, disaster response, global health, and food security
Dig Deeper
The memo calls for “a re-imagined US international assistance structure…that promises measurable returns to America while also projecting American soft power, enhancing our national security; and countering global competitors including China"
The memo suggests that the new body would be placed within the State Department. State would also directly oversee "politically-oriented programs," like democracy promotion and religious freedom
KEY STORY
Turkey’s Crackdown
Turkish authorities arrested the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan on corruption charges amid a crackdown on opposition figures
Erdogan’s rival, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was expected to be named his party’s presidential candidate. While Erdogan has led Turkey for 20 years, Imamoglu now leads in some polls
On Wednesday, authorities arrested Imamoglu and roughly 100 others, alleging corruption and leading a criminal organization. Opposition politicians called the arrest a “coup”
In a video posted as police raided his house, Imamoglu said, “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people”
Dig Deeper
In a video posted as police raided his house, Imamoglu said, “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people,” telling supporters, “I will not be discouraged.” Another opposition leader said, “We are faced with a coup attempt against our next president”
On Thursday, despite Turkey’s government imposing a four-day demonstration ban in Istanbul, tens of thousands gathered near Istanbul's city hall to protest Imamoglu’s arrest
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇺🇸 Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance pushed to bridge growing tensions within the MAGA movement between the populist and tech-right
🚘 Tesla recalled over 46,000 Cybertrucks due to faulty exterior steel panels
🇦🇫 The Taliban released US citizen George Glezmann after two years of detainment
🏀 Private equity executive William Chisholm bought the Boston Celtics for $6.1B, making it the most expensive US sports team sale in history
💰 Semiconductor company Nvidia announced plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in US chip and electronic manufacturing over the next four years
What does Roca Nation think?
🧠 Yesterday’s Question: If you took over the Republican Party, what’s one thing you would change to make it more popular?
There is no saving the Republican Party from Trump. I used to be a swing voter, but ever since it went full MAGA, a whole lot of spineless people are coming out of the woodwork. Gone is the party of limited government intervention and lowering taxes, the party of the average man. Now it is just a party of social warriors that want to ban books, ban gays, and give tax cuts to the wealthy. It died with McCain.
Democrat or Republican parties need to get rid of the loud, minority, extremist groups, or we need a 3rd party called "Moderate" where I think 80% of the country falls. Republicans calling anything new, "woke", and democrats calling anything old, "racist", is so transparent and cringy. I think this country just wants a party that is less divisive and extreme, and more middle ground centered.
My biggest beef with the republican party right now is the hate on remote work. I’m a conservative who has been working remotely for years, before it was cool. I think they need to take a breath and realize this is not a black and white issue. Many remote workers are far more productive in their remote setting than a brick and mortar corporate office, and I think if you have an employee that you can’t trust to work remotely, that sounds more like a hiring problem than a remote work problem. There’s definitely shades of gray here and they need to wake up to that. Honestly, beyond that, keep up the great work!
20 Questions!
Sorry for no trigger warning, but this is what we look like.
Okay last week was the serious quotes, this week we get unserious. We're going to give you 20 of the funniest quotes from cinematic/TV history and you rate them on a scale of 1-10. Sure, some of them may be slightly less funny if you haven't seen the movie, but we know you're used to not laughing when reading our newsletter.
Can't wait to see the results! Also, shoutout to Jesus for getting the highest-rated quote last week!
Link to iconic quotes edition of 20 Questions. Hope you enjoy.
Last Week’s Responses
Average ratings from last week’s song ratings edition, on a scale of 1-10.
“I think, therefore I am.” – René Descartes 7.2
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt 8.1
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” – Mahatma Gandhi 7.6
“Give me liberty, or give me death!” – Patrick Henry 8.1
“We ain't come here to play school.” – Ohio State QB Cardale Jones 4.3
“I have a dream.” – Martin Luther King Jr. 8.4
“Time is money.” – Benjamin Franklin 7.2
“No.” – Rosa Parks 8.0
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien 8.4
“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” – William Ernest Henley 6.8
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky 8.2
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu 8.3
"I can resist everything except temptation." – Oscar Wilde 6.4
"Four score and seven years ago" – Abraham Lincoln 6.4
"Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." – Dylan Thomas 6.6
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." – Lord Acton 8.1
"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." – Neil Armstrong 8.0
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." – The Golden Rule (Biblical, found in the Gospel of Matthew) 9.0
"One if by land, two if by sea." – Paul Revere 6.0
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." – James A. Garfield 7.2
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🍵 Hot Coffee, Cold Hard Cash: A jury awarded a delivery driver $50M after he suffered third-degree burns when a Starbucks employee handed him a coffee with an unsecured lid
🤖 Black Market Bureaucracy: Officials in Miami-Dade County discovered a network of scalpers using bots and fake accounts to hoard free DMV appointments and resell them for up to $250
🐎 New Doping Method?: An Australian parliamentary inquiry on horse racing focused on allegations that horses were given cocaine before races
🐠 Inner Beauty: The blobfish, famously described as the world's ugliest animal, has been crowned "fish of the year" in New Zealand
🏈 March Money Madness: Gambling industry analysts project March Madness betting will reach a record $3.1B this year – 14.8% higher than 2024 and more than double the Super Bowl's $1.39B
ROCA WRAP
A Threatening Mayor
Istanbul
This city's popular mayor was detained in a dawn raid.
Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and cultural heart, straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. The metropolis of 16M has historically been a political launching pad, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself rising to national prominence after serving as its mayor in the 1990s.
In 2019, the opposition gained control of this crucial city for the first time in Erdogan's era, marking a significant political shift.
Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul's popular opposition mayor, was detained early Wednesday morning when police raided his residence. The arrest comes just days before Imamoglu was expected to be chosen as his party's 2028 presidential candidate.
He faces accusations of terrorism, money laundering, and other financial crimes. Many say the allegations are politically motivated.
Imamoglu won re-election last year and has built a reputation as the most effective opposition leader in the country. The night before his arrest, though, Istanbul University revoked his diploma, citing irregularities – a move that would prevent him from running for president.
The mayor condemned the actions as a "coup against the will of the people" and called on supporters to resist. On Wednesday, anti-government protests broke out, prompting authorities to quickly declare a ban on public demonstrations and close roads and some metro lines.
Analysts view the arrest as a potential turning point, potentially undermining what remains of competitive electoral politics in Turkey.
For a city that is no stranger to power struggles, this latest battle for Istanbul may prove one of its most consequential yet.
EDITOR’S NOTE
How Evangelicals Lost the Republican Party (ICYMI)
For the last half century, there’s been no force more influential in the Republican Party than Evangelical Christians. But in this Trump term, they are nowhere to be found. This is the fascinating story of Evangelical Christians on the right, featuring an interview with Reverend Matthew Kaemingk of the Fuller Seminary.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Shoutout to “Greg from New Jersey” whose response in the newsletter yesterday inspired several, “Tell Greg he has my vote” emails. Thank you for another week of filling our inbox with thoughtful and insightful emails. Back in the day we used to ask questions like, “Are you a spender or a saver?” And those were nice, but we enjoy this big boy questions/answers much more. Hope you all have a great weekend.
–Max and Max