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- 🌊 Some Out-Of-This-World Good News
🌊 Some Out-Of-This-World Good News
Plus: Chinese Tesla booms, mass grave in Mexico, and British cocaine pilot reinstated
And finally… some good news!
The pair of astronauts stranded aboard the International Space System for nine months have finally come home. A SpaceX crew rescued them and successfully made a splash landing off the coast of Tallahassee, FL, at 5:57 PM EST. Welcome home to Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Now someone will have to explain to them who the Rizzler is.
📈 Chinese Tesla booms
🪦 Mass grave discovered in Mexico
✈️ British cocaine pilot reinstated
–Max and Max
KEY STORY
BYD Boom
Shares of Chinese electric vehicle company BYD surged after it claimed a breakthrough that let it charge its batteries in just five minutes
BYD is the world’s largest EV maker, although it’s subject to heavy tariffs in the US, EU, and Canada and therefore not sold widely in those markets
On Monday, BYD’s CEO said tests show that its new battery charging system can add 400 km (249 miles) of range in five minutes, placing it well ahead of Tesla and other rivals
BYD’s stock has grown 85% in the past year as investors see it as a competitor to Tesla, particularly after it introduced a self-driving feature earlier this year
Dig Deeper
While BYD has difficulty selling in the US due to the high tariffs, its sales are expected to double in the EU in 2025 as it makes further inroads. Its third European factory is now planned to open in Germany
Tesla’s sales in Europe, meanwhile, have dropped over 50% in the past year, in part due to boycotts against Elon Musk and due to BYD’s competitive pricing and growing appeal to European customers
KEY STORY
Gaza War Restarts
Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip overnight, killing hundreds and potentially restarting full-scale war
The tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had officially expired at the beginning of March, but negotiations were reportedly underway on the truce’s second phase
The bombing marked one of the deadliest days of the conflict. Gaza health authorities reported a 400+ death toll. It’s unknown the civilian versus combatant share of that
Netanyahu’s office said he ordered the attacks after Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages or accept a US proposal to extend the ceasefire
Dig Deeper
While the first phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1, the conflict was relatively calm as negotiations on the second stage were underway. Those talks increasingly seem unlikely to bear fruit
Of the approximately 250 hostages seized on October 7, Israel believes Hamas still holds 59, including 24 living and 35 bodies of the deceased
Announcing the military operation, Netanyahu said, “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
People do not lack strength; they lack will
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KEY STORY
Mass Grave in Mexico
Volunteers searching for missing relatives discovered a mass grave in western Mexico, which they described as an “extermination camp”
The mass grave was located on a ranch outside of Guadalajara, which was raided last September by Mexican authorities who did not find the human remains
Authorities found three underground cremation ovens, human remains, personal items believed to belong to victims, and figurines of Santa Muerte, or the “Holy Death”
The ranch is believed to have been used by the New Generation Jalisco Cartel to train members and torture victims. The cartel has a strong presence in the area and is one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal groups
Dig Deeper
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has launched a crackdown on cartels in recent weeks, ordered an investigation into the mass grave
Mexican authorities found 96 shell casings, but did not reveal how many victims were found at the site. Photographs of the ranch released by Mexican law enforcement showed more than 200 shoes piled together and over 700 personal items, suggesting a large death toll
KEY STORY
Trump - Putin Talks
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for 2.5 hours on Tuesday to discuss the parameters of a peace deal in Ukraine
Putin agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure. The two countries also said they would begin negotiations "immediately" on a ceasefire in the Black Sea and a longer-term peace agreement
The White House said, “Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace” and “stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the US and Russia”
Russia, meanwhile, demanded the “complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” calling it a “key condition”
Dig Deeper
It is not yet clear what Ukraine’s position is on the ceasefire plan discussed by Trump and Putin, but Ukraine is likely to oppose the “complete cessation” of foreign military aid and intelligence. President Zelensky is scheduled to talk to Trump today
Zelensky said after the call, “Europe must be at the negotiating table, and everything related to Europe's security should be decided together with Europe”
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
🇩🇪 Germany’s parliament approved a massive spending plan that could lead to up to $1T worth of investment in defense and infrastructure
🧑⚖️ Conservative Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts criticized President Trump’s calls for a federal judge to be impeached
🧑🚀 Two NASA astronauts stranded at the International Space Station for nine months returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule
💣 Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – all NATO members who border Russia – announced they will withdraw from an international treaty prohibiting the use of anti-personnel landmines
🇺🇸 President Trump released approximately 80,000 pages of documents related to JFK’s assassination. People are rushing to read through them and see if they include anything noteworthy
What does Roca Nation think?
🧠 Yesterday’s Question: Is it rude to compliment someone’s weight loss when you see them for the first time in a while?
As someone who has fluctuated, I've never found it rude. However, I can appreciate how comments are delivered. Instead of "Wow, you've lost so much weight." (which focuses on being thinner as the only positive), to a "Wow, you look great. You're glowing. What have you been doing?" (acknowledges the change without focusing on body size).
It opens the door for the person receiving the comment to elaborate on the weight loss/physical change, if they choose to.
Unless they bring up first that it was a goal, hell yeah it's rude. As someone who lost 30 lbs in 3 months incidentally as a side effect of a health condition where I could barely eat for months, I was constantly told "congratulations" and how "amazing" I looked during one of the worst, hardest times in my life, even by people who knew what I was going through. If its someone who has the goal or intention of weight loss and has brought that up themselves as something they're proud of, go for it. Otherwise, keep compliments to things people can control.
Not at all. I lost 75 pounds (6’3, 265 to 190) in just under a year while in college and compliments & encouragement from others was the main thing that kept me going. I struggled with body dysmorphia bad… and hearing from others that they were actually noticing my progress significantly helped me overcome that.
🧐 Today’s Question: If you took over the Democratic Party, what’s one thing you would change to make it more popular?
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
🚽 Literary Brain Rot: Scholastic is bringing the viral "Skibidi Toilet" YouTube meme to young readers through novels, graphic novels, and audiobooks, with the first eBook releasing this summer
🏃 Taiwan's Trophy Misfire: Marathon organizers in Taiwan apologized after awarding top finishers with gold trophies shaped like machine guns in a race that ran through military facilities
✈️ Sky High Pilot Flies Again: A British Airways pilot was reinstated after being fired for admitting to using cocaine at a South African nightclub before attempting to pilot a Johannesburg-to-London flight
⚽ Soccer Team Mourns Living Legend: A soccer team in Bulgaria’s top league held a minute's silence for 78-year-old club legend before a match last Sunday, only to discover he was still alive and just running errands in town
🧠 Wood You Believe It?: South Korean researchers found that chewing wooden tongue depressors for five minutes increased glutathione (GSH) levels in the brain, enhancing cognitive performance
ROCA WRAP
Theatre Showdown
Paris
Police in this city evacuated hundreds of migrants from a historic theatre after a months-long occupation.
Among many things, Paris is known worldwide as a center for arts and culture, with numerous theaters, opera houses, and performance venues scattered throughout its districts. Recently, one of these cultural institutions became the focal point of France's ongoing debates around immigration and migrant rights.
The historic Gaîté Lyrique, a 19th-century venue famous for performances of opera, operetta, and ballet, had been occupied by hundreds of young migrants since December 10, 2024. Most of the occupiers, numbering up to 450, were from sub-Saharan Africa, with many claiming to be underage and demanding better treatment during their immigration process.
The occupation forced the theater to cancel all planned performances, putting its financial viability in doubt, prompting the theater to condemn both the occupation and authorities’ tolerance of it.
Early this Tuesday, though, riot police accompanied by immigration service providers forced their way through cordons formed by activists and disbursed the migrants, who were offered emergency shelter.
The clearance – which came at the orders of a Parisian police official – sparked both further protests by migrants and activists and celebrations by those who viewed the entire situation as ridiculous.
For the theater, it was a fitting bout of drama to bring the months-long battle to an end.
EDITOR’S NOTE
MAGA Is Coming Apart Over This Issue
In case you missed it!
EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts
Between St. Patty’s Day, March Madness, the longer days, and some early spring weather, there’s a lot to be excited about this week. We look forward to reading your responses on what the Democratic Party can do to better position itself for 2028 and beyond. Have a wonderful day!
–Max and Max