July 1, 2022

"You get an independence day! You get an independence day!" - Oprah looking at this weekend on a calendar

This weekend, we have 2 national birthdays to celebrate: Canada Day and the Fourth of July. To all of our Canadian readers, happy Canada Day! To our fellow 'Mericans, celebrate the Fourth with some hot dogs, light beer, and fireworks. Also, no pressure to eat Aunt Cheryl's potato salad at the cookout. 

In today's edition:

• Cryptoqueen: FBI's Most Wanted
• California schools head east
• 20 Questions!

 Key Stories

Ukraine Retakes Snake Island

Ukraine has retaken Snake Island, an outpost in the Black Sea, potentially opening up grain exports

• The island, which was taken by Russian forces in February, is vital to controlling Black Sea shipping lanes. The island has become a symbol of resistance after a defender told a Russian ship “go f*** yourself”
• A Ukrainian official called the reconquest a “huge victory” while others stated that exports of grain, essential to world food supplies, could now resume. It is unclear if Ukraine will send more troops to Snake Island
• Russian officials said the retreat was a “goodwill gesture” to “organize humanitarian grain corridors”

• The possible resumption of grain exports comes as a relief to the international aid community, which has repeatedly warned about the human costs of rising food prices. According to one UN estimate, the number of “severely food-insecure” people has doubled in the past 2 years alone, a figure exacerbated by the war in Ukraine

Europe, Asia Hit by Record Heat Waves

Large portions of the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing record-breaking temperatures for June

• Across Europe, temperatures are exceeding 86°F (30°C). In Italy, cities such as Rome tied previous record-highs of 105.4°F (40.8°C). In Norway, areas above the Arctic Circle were 87.4°F (30.8°C), breaking the previous high of 77°F (25°C) for June. Japan is also seeing its hottest heat wave in recorded history
• Across affected areas, officials are canceling school, conserving water, and issuing advisories
• Last year, a June heat wave affected large portions of the western US

"Cryptoqueen" Added to FBI's Top 10

The FBI has added the “Cryptoqueen,” a woman accused of stealing billions, to its most-wanted list

• The woman, Ruja Ignatova, faces 5 charges in US court for allegedly defrauding investors in “OneCoin,” a Bulgaria-based cryptocurrency, out of ~$4B (€3.8B)
• Prosecutors claim that OneCoin was a fake crypto that targeted investors with misleading claims and outright lies about how it functioned. The Times described it as “one of the biggest scams in history”
• The FBI stated that Ignatova was last seen in Greece on Oct. 15, 2017. They also said she travels with armed guards and may have undergone plastic surgery

Supreme Court Limits EPA Regulations

The US Supreme Court voted 6-3 to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate emissions of gasses from power plants

• The majority opinion argued that such regulations should come from “Congress itself,” not from “unelected bureaucrats” at the EPA. The decision undermines the Clean Air Act, a 1970 law that allowed the EPA to regulate harmful emissions
• The case ruled on the Clean Power Act, an Obama-era emissions plan
• The dissenting opinion called climate change “the most pressing environmental issue of our time”

• The decision is a blow to President Biden’s ambitious emissions targets for the US. Last year, he pledged that US power plants will be carbon-neutral by 2035, putting the nation on pace to reach an economy-wide “net zero emissions” goal by “no later than 2050”

• Conference crazies: In a surprise blow to the Pac-12, USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten starting in 2024
• Top Gun: Nappers: Air New Zealand is introducing sleep pods for Economy class passengers, which can be booked for 4-hour slots
• KD out: Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world by requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets right after Kyrie Irving decided to stay

 What do you think?

 20 Questions

"Houston, we have a set of 20 Questions to answer." - Tom Hanks in a lunar capsule seeing today's email

It is that time of week again, folks. For the uninitiated, every week we ask you 20 Questions for you to answer. 

This week, we are back with another Ratings Edition! We will give you a thing/person/place and you can rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. For people, the scale is not based on looks, although if it's Nicolas Cage feel free to pencil in a 10.

Please reply to Max@RocaNews.com.

1. Red, white, and blue popsicles 
2. Water hose on jet mode
3. Water hose on mist mode
4. O'Reilly Auto Parts jingle
5. Home Depot smell
6. Gasoline smell 
7. PB&J's
8. Gusher's
9. Fruit rollups
10. Dua Lipa
11. ABBA
12. Nirvana
13. Glass coffee tables
14. Wooden coffee tables
15. Clorox wipes
16. Wordle
17. Sudoku
18. Guests who don't use coasters for a cold drink
19. JUULs
20. Freedom 

 Roca Clubhouse

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 Final Thoughts

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