🌊 All Hail Our New Master of Coin

RFK Jr. has taken the stand, glass of raw milk in hand.

The Senators are asking questions. As one Democratic committee member rambles, RFK Jr. makes a gesture to his aides. Now the aides are wheeling in a bench press, which they quickly raise to a 45-degree incline. RFK Jr. takes off his shirt and throws up 12 reps of 185, not breaking eye contact with said committee member. A Republican committee member fawningly offers him a spot, but RFK shoots red lasers out of his eyes and incapacitates him. The gallery erupts in applause. America is healthy again.

Okay, we’re having fun, but this hearing is must-watch C-SPAN. Read more about it tomorrow and don’t be surprised if we just have to copy and paste the above.

–Max and Max

KEY STORY

Federal Aid Pause

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered a sweeping freeze in federal financial assistance on Monday

• The order targets programs that “advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies,” though the OMB citing $3T in frozen funds implies a far broader freeze

• While it is still unclear what programs are directly affected, the order excludes cuts to funding “provided directly to individuals,” such as Medicare and Social Security

• The freeze was scheduled to start at 5 PM on Tuesday, but was temporarily blocked by a federal judge

Dig Deeper 

• According to the US constitution, Congress holds the “power of the purse” and is therefore responsible for the appropriation and direction of federal funds. Trump’s order therefore kicked off a legal battle about whether or not his administration has the authority to take such an action

KEY STORY

Treasury Secretary Confirmed

The Senate confirmed Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent

• Bessent, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, is reportedly pushing for universal tariffs starting at 2.5% and rising 2.5% each month, along with further tax and spending cuts

• In his position – one of the cabinet’s most important – Bessent will immediately be tasked with navigating the debt limit and rising budget deficit while implementing Trump’s vision for wide-ranging tax cuts

• Bessent told the Senate that Trump’s second term is a “generational opportunity to unleash a new economic golden age that will create more jobs, wealth and prosperity for all Americans”

Dig Deeper

• A major challenge for Bessent will be navigating the government’s debt limit, which was reached on January 21 and has put the government at risk of defaulting in the coming months

• Bessent – who has stated that spending is “out of control” – has said that the US needs to “grow” its way out of a deficit, something he’s said it can do by cutting taxes and increasing energy production, thereby stimulating growth

ROCA’S SPONSOR

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KEY STORY

Supersonic Jet Breaks Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic became the first civil aircraft company to break the sound barrier on Tuesday

• Supersonic jets travel faster than 750 MPH but slower than 1,500 MPH. Boom’s X-1B reached Mach 1.1. – 845 MPH – in the first four minutes of its test flight

• British Airways’ Concorde – the first commercial supersonic aircraft – was built by the British and French governments, making Boom the first private company to break the sound barrier

• Boom hopes to build on the X-1B to complete “Overture,” its 64-seat commercial jet, in the near future, with orders already placed by American and Japanese airlines

• Before its retirement in 2003, the Concorde could carry 128 passengers between New York and London in about three hours, reaching a top speed of 1,341 MPH

Dig Deeper

• The company’s CEO said that Tuesday was “supersonic flight’s ‘Falcon 1’ moment,” a reference to SpaceX’s rocket reaching orbit in 2008

• The development marks a step toward the return of supersonic commercial air travel

KEY STORY

FAA Clears Up Drone Controversy

The White House clarified on Tuesday that the FAA authorized the drone flights over New Jersey

• The White House press secretary stated that “this was not the enemy,” and that the FAA authorized drones “for research and various other reasons,” while many were flown by hobbyists

• In December, the FBI and FAA said they had “not identified anything anomalous,” but many remained unconvinced after Trump implied the government was concealing information

• Many believed that the drones were aliens, including 8.3% of New Jersey residents, according to a recent poll

Dig Deeper

• Prior to his inauguration, President Trump said that “our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense”

• In December, the FAA and FBI said they had “not identified anything anomalous,” though many remained unconvinced given Trump’s implication that the government was hiding information

• In a recent meeting with Republican governors, Trump promised to “give you a report on it. We’ll tell you exactly what it is”

RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office

⚖️ The Department of Justice fired more than a dozen officials involved in investigations into President Trump

📈 Stock of aerospace giant Boeing rose as much as 8% on Tuesday despite it announcing a $12B loss in 2024

💰 President Trump told reporters that Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok, adding that he would like to see a “bidding war” over the app’s sale

🇩🇰 Amid growing US interest in Greenland, Denmark announced a $2B Arctic security plan with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both Danish territories

🇺🇸 President Trump signed several executive orders focused on the military, including one laying the foundation for a ban on transgender service members

🪖 US Border Patrol agents in Texas reportedly exchanged gunfire with suspected Mexican drug cartel gunmen

COMMUNITY
What does Roca Nation think?

🧐 Yesterday’s Question: How do you use AI in your daily lives?

🧠 Today’s Question: Have you followed this Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively drama at all? If so, whose side are you on?

Reply to this email with your thoughts!

POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🏈 Good for Goodell: The Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday drew 58M viewers, making it the second most-watched NFL game since records began in 1988

🙈 No More Monkey Business: The last four of 43 escaped monkeys have finally been captured in South Carolina after a two-month adventure

🗺️ America First, Geography Second: Google announced it would comply with Trump's executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" and change Denali back to Mount McKinley on Google Maps

🏃 Run Against the Machine: A half-marathon in Beijing will look a little different this year: 12,000 human runners will be competing against humanoid robots built by 20 different companies

👵 The Great British Fake Off: A 61-year-old woman was arrested in England for allegedly turning citizenship tests into an acting business, using an "array of wigs" and disguises to pose as at least 14 different people

🍣 Sushi, not Sugar, Daddy: A 71-year-old Japanese man was arrested for stealing nearly $2,000 from elderly victims and spending the stolen funds by treating entire restaurants to fancy sushi dinners

ROCA WRAP
Carnival Emergency

Trinidad and Tobago

This nation extended its state of emergency, putting its world-famous carnival at risk.

A twin-island republic of 1.5M people in the southern Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago has traditionally been known for its carnival celebrations and energy wealth. However, the country has lately become known for something else: Gang violence.

In 2023, the country recorded 624 homicides, ranking it among the most violent countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the world’s most murderous region. Gang violence accounted for around 40% of those, per government data. This December, the government said it learned of an imminent gang war and declared a state of emergency.

Last week, parliament unanimously approved a three-month extension of the emergency measures. The order suspends some constitutional rights and grants police expanded search and seizure powers, though stops short of more drastic steps, like implementing a curfew.

The emergency measures will now remain in effect during carnival season, the country's largest cultural event.

While tourism officials say they’ve seen no immediate impact on visitor numbers, there’s no doubt that some people would decide not to party in an emergency.

ROCA VIDEO
Inside Flint’s Polluted Hoods

11 years ago, Flint, Michigan, was thrust into the national spotlight due to its water crisis. In late August, we visited Flint to learn about its recovery, challenges, and the people who live there. We weren’t prepared for what we would encounter. Here’s our video from the trip.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Final Thoughts

It was great for Max F to finally find himself in a familiar work environment yesterday as he spent his morning with a militia group near the border. In fact, he said it was a breath of fresh air and sanity compared to what he’s used to…

Max T is so insulted that he’s sheathing the claymore he keeps at his desk. In all seriousness, happy Hump Day. Let’s finish the week strong!

–Max and Max