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- 🌊 We Have a Ceasefire Deal 🇺🇦
🌊 We Have a Ceasefire Deal 🇺🇦
Plus: Maradonna medics on trial, Steph Curry's new college job, & Roca's raw milk investigation
Why Ireland was trending on X last night.
Last night, we saw that Ireland was trending on X. We figured it was a viral pub fight or an epic rugby play, but no — Rosie O’Donnell moved there. O’Donnell’s move comes just months after Ellen’s to rural England (God bless the pub workers there). It’s only a matter of time until Joy Behar is wearing a kilt on The View’s new set in Scotland and the UK adopts the strictest immigration laws on planet Earth.
On a separate note, we investigated raw milk and interviewed the top expert on each side of the debate. We were amazed to see how many of you drank raw milk from a survey last month, so hope you enjoy this one!
🇺🇦 US aid to Ukraine resumes
⚽️ Maradona medics on trial
🏀 Steph Curry gets college job
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
Military Aid Resumes
The US agreed to restore military support to Ukraine after it agreed to a 30-day ceasefire
On March 4, President Trump paused military aid shipments to Ukraine following his combative meeting with President Zelensky. He paused intelligence sharing shortly after, seriously impeding Ukraine’s war effort
Following a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine said it would agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, if Russia would accept one, too. In response, the US restarted military aid shipments and intelligence sharing
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We will take this offer now to the Russians…The ball is now in their court”
Dig Deeper
The agreement came hours after Ukraine launched its largest drone attack into Russia to date and amid an accelerating Russian advance on the frontline
Russia has not commented on the US-Ukraine talks, but its foreign minister has rejected European peace plans that include a peacekeeping force or returning occupied territory
KEY STORY
Maradona Medics on Trial
The negligent homicide trial began for the eight medics who treated Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona
Maradona is widely viewed as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, having led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986 and Napoli to numerous titles in Italy. He died in 2020 at 60 years old, two weeks after undergoing surgery for a blood clot in his brain. His cause of death was determined to be a heart attack
Prosecutors allege that the doctors pushed for Maradona to receive “totally deficient” home care and that they knew he was in imminent danger but failed to take action
Their trial began on Tuesday
Dig Deeper
Maradona’s medical team denies the charges, which could land each defendant between eight and 25 years in prison
Maradona’s autopsy found he died of a heart attack, and legal analysts say it may be difficult for the court to establish guilt
Maradona long struggled with his health, particularly after decades of battling cocaine addiction
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies
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KEY STORY
Duterte Arrested by ICC
Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested after the International Criminal Court charged him with crimes against humanity
Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022 and implemented a brutal "war on drugs" that resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. Rights groups accused him of widespread abuses, while his policies were widely popular among the Filipino public
By the end of his presidency, police estimated 6,200 “drug suspects” were killed, largely in execution-style shootings, though human rights groups say the true death toll may be as high as 30,000
Duterte’s successor rose to power in 2022 after aligning with Duterte’s daughter and promising not to cooperate with the ICC. Now, it emerges, he secretly allowed the ICC to investigate Duterte in the Philippines, paving the way to his arrest on Tuesday
Dig Deeper
Duterte denies the charges and argues the arrest was illegal, as the Philippines withdrew from the ICC during his presidency. The ICC says the crimes took place before the withdrawal
In a video posted after his arrest, Duterte said, “What is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis for my being here”
His daughter, who is vice president of the Philippines, said in a statement, “Today, our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen – even a former president at that – to foreign powers.” She called the arrest a “blatant affront to our sovereignty”
KEY STORY
Ontario’s Trade War
A trade spat resulted in Ontario premier Doug Ford lifting tariffs on electricity exports to the US
Ontario – Canada’s most populous province – supplies electricity to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. On Monday, Ford announced a surcharge on American purchases of that electricity, citing retaliation for Trump’s treatment of Canada
In response, Trump doubled tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50%. The US sources over 28% of its aluminum and 11% of its steel from Canada
On Tuesday, Ford suspended the electricity tariffs after a conversation with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who agreed to renew trade negotiations and meet in DC next week
Dig Deeper
Trump reduced the added 25% tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel but has said he will re-impose tariffs of 25% on all Canadian imports on April 2
The tensions between the countries come with Mark Carney set to take over from Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister in the coming days
On Tuesday, Carney said, “My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade”
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
✈️ Southwest Airlines announced it would end its decades-old free checked bag policy
🧑⚖️ A federal judge blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate student detained by ICE for leading campus protests
🛩️ Ukraine launched its largest drone attack to date on Russia, including Moscow, hours before US and Ukrainian officials met to negotiate a ceasefire deal
🚙 Late payments on car loans in the US hit the highest level in 30 years, an indication of consumer struggles
🥗 Heath and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told executives from major food companies that he will seek to remove artificial dyes from foods
What does Roca Nation think?
🧐 Yesterday’s Question: Which profession deserves higher salaries?
Nurses :)
This is the obvious one that I think the majority of your replies will be about. TEACHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They raise our children and do it through pure goodwill knowing they will be paid extremely little and disrespected by kids/angry parents their whole careers.
I've had several teachers that have quite literally saved my life and they do it all on a budget.
I don’t think any job or profession DESERVES to be paid more. I think that people should be paid what they are worth. A common answer is going to be teachers. Being from a family of educators, I can say that teaching can be a lucrative gig. At the beginning of your teaching career you’re not making much. Some teachers unions have made it so that teachers can make six figures. It’s not a job that’s going to make you a millionaire, but if you want better pay in your profession, then be in a profession that pays better.
Teachers! I don't think they should receive the salary of a Health Insurance CEO (because absolutely no one should), but can we at least give them a wage that allows them to enjoy their summers off?!
I recently filled out a survey from one of my state reps in Missouri, and one of the little nuggets I learned was that the average starting salary for an elementary school or secondary school teacher in 2022-2023 was $34,052.
I don't think that's a fair wage for a college-educated person who is taking care of our community's children for 7-8 hours a day. If we want to raise curious, intelligent people, we need to take their education more seriously, and maybe that could start with how we treat educators.
Some notable professionals that also deserve more compensation for the work they do: POSTAL WORKERS, delivery drivers, grocery store employees, gas station employees, fast food employees, restaurant employees (abolish the $2.13/hour wage, seriously!!!!), home health aids, CNAs, fire fighters, nurses, etc. These are the people that make our world work. Without them, the system falls apart.
🤔 Today’s Question: The US is $36T in debt (annual deficit is $840B!). Should reducing the debt be a bigger priority than it is? The number one priority?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
📱TikTok to the Cell Block: An Indonesian TikToker was sentenced to three years in prison for "blasphemy" after posting a video telling a picture of Jesus to get a haircut
⚽ Man United Leaves Historic Home: Manchester United announced plans to build a brand-new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than renovating Old Trafford, the team’s iconic stadium opened in 1910
🏀 Steph’s Side Hustle: Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was named assistant general manager for Davidson College’s men's basketball team, becoming the first active pro athlete to take a college role
🍪 Cookie Controversy: Girl Scouts and their cookie producers face a class-action lawsuit that claims their cookies contain high levels of heavy metals and pesticides
🫘 Bean Bandits: Thefts of coffee beans are surging across the US as prices hit record highs, with organized crime groups posing as transportation companies. They’ve stolen loads worth roughly $180,000
ROCA WRAP
Stolen Train
Balochistan
Militants claim to have taken 182 people hostage after hijacking a train in this region of Pakistan.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and most impoverished province, covering nearly half of the country's land area while being home to only about 6% of its population. It’s home to the Baloch people, an ethnic group split mainly between Pakistan and Iran. The rugged, resource-rich region shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan and has been plagued by separatist movements for over half a century.
Long neglected and, arguably, exploited by successive Pakistani governments, Balochistan has faced both terrorism and a brutal counter-insurgency by the armed forces, which has left thousands dead or disappeared.
On Tuesday, the ongoing conflict escalated dramatically when the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked a train as it traveled through a tunnel in a remote mountainous area.
The militants blew up the tracks, fired on the train – which was carrying approximately 400 passengers between the cities of Quetta and Peshawar – and claimed to have killed 20 military personnel while taking 182 military and police personnel hostage and freeing civilians. While the Balochistan government denied there were military officers on the train, unofficial sources reported more than 150 security personnel were indeed onboard.
By Tuesday evening, the train and the hostages remained in BLA custody, with the group claiming it was engaged in an "intense confrontation" with the Pakistani air force.
"If military intervention continues, all hostages will be executed," the BLA warned in a statement. Rescue efforts have been hampered by rough terrain and poor network coverage, with railway officials confirming no communication had been established with staff onboard.
The militancy movement has been gathering fresh momentum in recent years, particularly since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan, with the Baloch’s demands ranging from independence to better treatment by Pakistan’s government.
However, Pakistan's interior minister said the attack proves why it won’t negotiate: "The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions."
ROCA VIDEO
Investigating the Raw Milk Phenomenon
Drinking raw milk is one of the hottest and most controversial health trends in the US. On the one hand, raw milk advocates say it's tastier, healthier, and more natural than pasteurized milk. But raw milk detractors say it's not only not healthier, but outright dangerous. We had so many questions: Why is raw milk making a comeback? What even is it? Did John D. Rockefeller lobby to get it banned? Is it really dangerous?
In this video, we interviewed Dr. John Lucey of the University of Wisconsin and Mark McAfee, the CEO of the largest raw milk dairy in the world. We also conducted our own research into the history of raw milk, Big Dairy lobbying, and the decline of the small dairies in the US.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
RocaNews is hiring! We are looking to hire a full-time videographer/editor to help us grow our YouTube network. If you or someone you know might be interested, email us at [email protected]. The writer job got hundreds of applications in the first few days, so email us fast.
There’s so much happening in the world these days. Thank you, as always, for trusting Roca to filter it all for you!
–Max and Max