June 10, 2022

Happy Friday, Roca Riders. The one downside to our new "Lunch on Roca" promo is that we have to see all our winners' amazing lunches. All of the sudden, my 2 disintegrating Nature Valley bars and days-old Chipotle guac don't look as good. Oh well, anything to spread the Roca wave, dear friends.

In today's edition:

• Meet the Styrofoam worms
• Sriracha gets smoked
• 20 Questions!

 Lunch on Roca

 Key Stories

Plastic-Eating "Superworms"

A new study found that a certain type of beetle larvae can digest styrofoam

• ~400M tons of plastic are produced yearly, most of which takes hundreds of years to degrade. Styrofoam accounts for 7-10% of global plastic production
• According to the Australian researchers who conducted the study, the “superworms” were able to eat solely styrofoam and complete their normal life cycles, although they were less healthy
• The scientists hope to identify the specific enzyme that breaks down the plastic, then use it in waste-processing bioreactors

• “We envision that [styrofoam] waste will be collected, mechanically shredded, and then degraded in bioreactors with an enzyme cocktail,” one of the researchers said. This study may help find that "enzyme cocktail"

Iran Removes Nuclear Cameras

Iran is removing 27 cameras from nuclear sites. The head of the top international nuclear group — IAEA — called it a “fatal blow” to restoring the Iran deal

• In 2015, Iran agreed to dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions. The Trump admin withdrew from that deal in 2018, though, and Iran has resumed its nuclear weapons program
• President Biden pledged to restore the nuclear deal; however, doing so requires the ability to monitor Iranian nuclear progress
• The UN says the cameras are necessary for monitoring that progress

• Iran and the Biden administration had been negotiating a new nuclear deal, however the talks stalled in March. A new deal has looked increasingly unlikely since then, and even less likely now

Thailand's Weed Giveaway

The Thai government announced it is giving away 1M marijuana plants as part of a scheme to jump start the country’s cannabis industry

• On Thursday, Thailand announced it will no longer classify weed as a narcotic, legalize marijuana consumption for medical and health use, and release 4,200 cannabis offenders from jail
• The government said the change will benefit the country’s farmers and reduce inequality, particularly in the countryside
• “Cannabis is like gold,” a Thai minister said. “Something valuable [that] should be promoted”

• While Southeast Asia has some of the world's strictest druglaws – drug dealers in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore are regularly hanged – Thailand draws 40M tourists annually, many for its parties and nightlife

Murder Attempt on Justice Kavanaugh

A man was charged Wednesday with attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

• Nicholas Roske, 26, was arrested near the justice’s house after calling a suicide hotline. He was found with a handgun, knife, zip ties, and hammer
• Roske told police that he was angered by the Uvalde shooting, an upcoming gun control case, and the Roe v. Wade draft decision. He later told a judge that he wasn’t “thinking clearly”
• According to the affidavit, the man planned to break into Kavanaugh's house, kill the judge, then kill himself. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison

• Justices have been under increased security since a draft of the Roe v. Wade decision was leaked last month. The Senate recently unanimously passed a bill to provide security to justices' family members, but the House has not yet voted on it

• LeVegas James: Newly-minted billionaire LeBron James said he wants to own an NBA team in Vegas once he's done playing
• Pass the... Frank's: Popular California-based Sriracha maker Huy Fong is halting production due to a drought-caused pepper shortage
• Oops, I broke in again: Brittney Spears' ex-husband Jason Alexander broke into the pop star's wedding and documented it on Instagram

 What do you think?

See yesterday's results below the Wrap!

 20 Questions

"Death, Taxes, and Roca Friday 20 Questions." - Sir Benjamin Franklin

We are mixing it up with 20 Questions this week, introducing a new version of the series: True or False? We will provide a statement and all you have to do is tell us if you believe it's true or false.

Send your answers to Max@RocaNews.com, and answer as many or few as you want. Last week's answers are included below.

1. Live concerts are better than live sporting events
2. Mustard is better than ketchup
3. Math is the most interesting school subject
4. Mozzarella sticks were the best school lunch
5. Never eat the fish at McDonald's
6. CNN and Fox News want you to be happy 
7. Just "Max" is a better name than Maximilian
8. We should not use shampoo every day
9. We should not use deodorant every day
10. Patrick Star is the best SpongeBob character
11. Patrick Star would be a great desk mate at work
12. Books are generally better than their movie adaptations
13. The Star Wars prequels were great movies
14. Nails on a chalkboard is a worse sound than loud chewing
15. Paper straws should be mandated
16. You prefer chess to checkers
17. Big News is good for the country
18. Honey mustard is the best chicken nugget dipping sauce
19. It will be normal to travel to space in 50 years
20. Keanu Reeves is an underrated actor

 Roca Clubhouse

Yesterday's Poll:

Spread the Wave!

 Final Thoughts