|
June 17, 2022
Happy Friday and congratulations to all of you Golden State Warriors fans on your 4th ring in 8 years. We know it's been a grueling 8.1 years of fandom...
After reading up on some McTax Evasion, kick off your 3-day weekend with our weekly Friday 20 Questions! Send your answers to Max@RocaNews.com.
In today's edition:
|
|
 Key Stories
|
|
McDonald's Settles on Tax Lawsuit
McDonald's will pay France $1.3B (€1.25B) to settle a tax evasion lawsuit
- The lawsuit, which began in 2016, accused McDonald’s France of misreporting profits to avoid paying taxes
- McDonald’s lawyers said the company agreed to settle in exchange for all charges being dropped. They said the settlement is not an admission of guilt
- France recently fined other large multinational companies for tax evasion: in 2019, Google paid $1B (€950M), and in 2020, Airbus paid $2.2B (€2.1B) for similar charges
|
|
EU Leaders Back Ukraine Bid
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Romania announced their support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid on Wednesday
- The announcement comes after country leaders met with President Zelensky in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, and a week before an EU meeting to discuss the topic
- All 27 EU member states must support Ukraine’s bid for it to proceed. However, even if approved, it may take years for Ukraine to join the bloc
- The leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine, saying Russia’s advances in the east heighten Ukraine's need for new weaponry
Dig Deeper
- The last country to join the EU was Croatia in 2013. Meanwhile, five countries – Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania – are currently recognized as candidates. Moldova is also joining Ukraine in its membership bid
|
|
Origin of Black Death Found
Researchers tracked the origin of the Black Death (bubonic plague) to Kyrgyzstan (keer-guh-staan)
- The bubonic plague was the deadliest pandemic in human history, killing 40-60% of Europe in the mid-1300s. It was carried by fleas found on rats
- Using DNA of the bacteria found in the teeth of exhumed (dug up) bodies from Kyrgyzstan, researchers determined that the plague was in the region by 1338–1339, 8 years before it hit Europe
- “We found not only the ancestor of the Black Death, but the ancestor of… plague strains that are circulating in the world today,” one scientist said
Dig Deeper
- Researchers were initially tipped off by gravestones that stated that the cause of death for hundreds of people in Kyrgyzstan in the 1300s was an unknown "pestilence." The bodies were originally exhumed in 1886, and later linked back to a small town in the country
|
|
Squid Game: Reality TV?
Netflix has announced the launch of a new reality show based on its hit series Squid Game
- Titled Squid Game: The Challenge, the show will pit 456 contestants against one another for $4.56M (€4.31M). Netflix claims the spoils equate to the largest single prize in TV history
- Unlike in the hit show, where losing contestants were killed, the “worst fate” for reality show contestants “is going home empty-handed,” Netflix stated. Online applications are currently open
- Squid Game is Netflix’s most-watched show ever, with 1.65B viewing hours within 28 days of release
Dig Deeper
- Squid Game features a dystopian game show in which hundreds of heavily indebted South Koreans are forced to fight to the death for a cash prize. The director came up with the plot after his family's experiences in the 2008 financial crisis
|
|
 Popcorn |
|
|
ICYMI
- Certified late boy: Drake dropped his 7th studio album "Honestly, Nevermind" at midnight, just hours after announcing it
- Coming soon.... soccer! FIFA announced the 16 host sites for the 2026 World Cup in North America. 11 of the host cities are in the US
- Not impressing Jodie Foster: A New York venue canceled a sold-out concert by recently-released Reagan shooter John Hinckley Jr.
Wildcard
- Gotta be kitten me: 47 cats were found living in a car with a man who recently became homeless. He didn't want to abandon his pets
- USA no way! USA Today deleted 23 articles from its site after learning that one of its reporters Gabriela Miranda fabricated sources
- Targeting, by Jesus: Indiana Colts starting safety announced retirement after 3 seasons in the NFL to become a Church minister
|
|
 What do you think?
|
|
Today's Poll:
More iconic 70s song: Bohemian Rhapsody or Dancing Queen?
Bohemian Rhapsody
Dancing Queen
|
|
|
Today's Question:
Just 20 Qs!
|
|
|
 20 Questions
|
|
|
Every Friday, we ask the Roca readers 20 questions, then feature our favorite answers the following week.
|
|
|
"Go ahead, make my day... with 20 Questions." - Clint Eastwood
It is the time of week where we shut up and ask you to talk. We absolutely love reading your responses every week, and there's nothing that makes us happier (besides maybe a Taco Bell baja blast) than seeing first-time emails from readers.
So here we go with a new batch of 20 Questions. Send answers to Max@RocaNews.com.
1. If offered a free trip, would you go to space?
2. Most refreshing gas station drink?
3. Best gum brand?
4. Coffee, tea, Red Bull, or none of the above?
5. How many alarms do you set in the morning?
6. Do you make your bed?
7. Your proudest accomplishment of the week?
8. Who is your hero?
9. Who is your favorite reality TV character of all time?
10. City with the worst sports fans?
11. Most cliché Father's Day gift?
12. Have you sent a GIF today?
13. Describe your personality in 3 words.
14. A bada*s movie character?
15. What message would you write in a fortune cookie?
16. Coolest tattoo you've seen?
17. Random embarrassing story from your childhood?
18. Weirdest thing in your closet?
19. Is cereal a soup?
20. If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
|
|
|
Send all answers to Max@RocaNews.com!
|
|
Last Week's Responses
1. Live concerts are better than live sporting events
True: 55%
False: 45%
2. Mustard is better than ketchup
True: 22%
False: 78%
3. Math is the most interesting school subject
True: 14%
False: 86%
4. Mozzarella sticks were the best school lunch
True: 15%
False: 85%
5. Never eat the fish at McDonald's
True: 83%
False: 17%
6. CNN and Fox News want you to be happy
True: 8%
False: 92%
7. Just "Max" is a better name than Maximilian
True: 60%
False: 40%
8. We should not use shampoo every day
True: 63%
False: 37%
9. We should not use deodorant every day
True: 29%
False: 71%
10. Patrick Star is the best SpongeBob character
True: 38%
False: 62%
11. Patrick Star would be a great desk mate at work
True: 80%
False: 20%
12. Books are generally better than their movie adaptations
True: 74%
False: 26%
13. The Star Wars prequels were great movies
True: 53%
False: 47%
14. Nails on a chalkboard is a worse sound than loud chewing
True: 57%
False: 43%
15. Paper straws should be mandated
True: 29%
False: 71%
16. You prefer chess to checkers
True: 48%
False: 52%
17. Big News is good for the country
True: 13%
False: 87%
18. Honey mustard is the best chicken nugget dipping sauce
True: 68%
False: 32%
19. It will be normal to travel to space in 50 years
True: 61%
False: 39%
20. Keanu Reeves is an underrated actor
True: 66%
False: 34%
|
|
 Roca Clubhouse
|
|
Yesterday's Poll:
Have you ever listened to a BTS song?
Yes: 25.0%
No: 75.0%
|
|
|
Today's Clue (Day 4 of 4):
Rollin' down the backwoods, Tennessee by-way, one arm on the Paddington
|
|
|
Day 3: Minerva stands before a sea of mud
Day 2: Need a lot of postage for a secret marriage
Day 1: Even stands tall in enemy garb
Each newsletter this week contains a clue about a landmark in the United States. Thursday's newsletter contained a bonus clue, which was automatically unlocked by referring 2 people to this newsletter. In total there are 5 clues about 1 landmark.
You get one guess, which you submit by replying to a newsletter with a Google street view screenshot. Winner take all, you and a friend: Tickets to NFL Opening Day!
|
|
 Final Thoughts
|
|
First of all, we couldn't believe how much Slurpee love graced our inbox yesterday. It would seriously be our vote for a national drink.
It has been incredible to see so many people join the Roca Wave over the last couple of weeks. Let's crank up the heat on Big News and continue to grow as a community.
We're pumped to read your Treasure Hunt guesses and 20 Questions responses! Have a terrific 3-day weekend. See you on Tuesday.
- Max and Max
|
|
Share The Current with friends, and win free swag! Some are secrets, some are awesome Roca gear. Let's make this wave a tsunami, and share away!
Copy and send your referral link to others: https://join.rocanews.com/5b5757bc
|
|
|
PS - You've brought 60 friends to The Current so far.
|
|
|
|
|
Interested in partnering with us?