July 6, 2022

In case you haven't gotten the memo, the dress code for the new Minions movie is suit and tie. You might typically reserve such formal attire for weddings, court dates, or job interviews, but the #Gentleminions TikTok trend suggests the origin story of Gru rises to this level. And it's 100% right.

In today's edition:

• Boris on the brink
• World's top EV producer
• Cuba's biggest band

 Key Stories

Griner's Letter Reaches Biden

Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, sent President Biden a letter on Tuesday. “Please don’t forget about me,” she wrote

• Griner was detained at an airport in Russia in February, where she plays in her US offseason, days after Russia invaded Ukraine. She faces up to 10 years in prison for cannabis oil possession
• It’s unclear if the allegations are true. US authorities have classified Griner as “wrongfully detained”
• In her letter, Griner told Biden that she is terrified that she “might be here forever.” The Biden administration is allegedly considering a prisoner swap to free her

• Griner, a 6'9", former 1st-overall pick playing for the Phoenix Mercury, is widely considered one of the best centers in the WNBA. She won a championship with the Mercury in 2014 and 2 gold medals for Team USA

UK Government Faces Political Crisis

2 senior ministers in UK PM Boris Johnson's government resigned on Tuesday, putting the government at risk of collapse

• The resignations came amid allegations that Johnson failed to act on information about sexual misconduct by a lawmaker in his Conservative Party
• Scandals have led to discontent with Johnson within his party. Last month, he survived a Conservative Party vote that sought to remove him from power
• There is speculation that lawmakers may change party rules to raise another vote to remove Johnson before the 1-year wait period

• The resignations came a week after the Conservative Party lost 2 seats in Parliament due to sudden elections. Both losses came in areas that previously supported the Conservative Party by large margins

NioNTech — Vax Theft?

CureVac, a German pharma company, is suing rival BioNTech over alleged C-19 vaccine patent violations

• CureVac claims that its pioneering research on mRNA was “essential to the... development” of BioNTech's vaccine, which has sold 1B+ doses worldwide
• BioNTech has denied CureVac’s accusation, claiming, “BioNTech’s work is original, and we will vigorously defend it against all allegations”
• The lawsuit, which is the first one over Covid-19 vaccines, will seek “fair compensation.” CureVac is considering similar lawsuits against other vax producers

1B Chinese Citizens' Data Stolen? 

An anonymous hacker claims to have stolen information from police about 1B Chinese citizens

• The hacker, known in forums as “ChinaDan,” is offering to sell the 23 terabytes of data for 10 bitcoin, currently worth about ~$200K (~€195K)
• The hacker claims to have the “name, address, birthplace, national ID number, mobile number, and all crimes/cases” of 1B people. The information was allegedly taken from a Shanghai government database
• If true, it may be the largest privacy breach in history. Chinese officials have not confirmed the breach, and discussion of it was banned on Chinese social media

• Vote mor chikin: Chick-fil-A topped all fast-food restaurants for the 8th straight year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index
• Musk catch up: Chinese company BYD surpassed Tesla as the biggest producer of electric cars, having delivered 638k so far this year
• 23 & Goat: Michael Jordan will grace the cover of NBA 2K23, the best-selling NBA video game franchise. Jordan was also on the 2012 cover

 What do you think?

See yesterday's results below the Wrap!

 Roca Wrap

Cuba is famous for its music – yet the best-selling band in the country’s history almost never was.

That band, the Buena Vista Social Club (BVSC), was formed out of 20 Cuban artists in 1996. The Club revived the “golden era” musical styles of 1940s Cuba, reintroducing traditional Cuban styles to a generation raised on pop. The group’s debut production became the best-selling album in Cuban history, with 9M+ sales.

The “Buena Vista Social Club” name is a flashback to the early 1900s, when Cuban society was segregated. In that era Black Cubans hung out at “cabildos,” a fraternity-like organization descended from Cuban slaves where people sang, drank, and danced. Among all the cabildos in Havana, Cuba’s capital, the BVSC’s music stood above the rest.

When British producer Nick Gold traveled to Cuba in 1996, he had different expectations for the group. He initially planned to record a collaboration between Cuban and African musicians, but when the African musicians couldn’t join due to passport-related issues, Gold had to improvise. He instead decided to gather Cuba’s oldest musicians, some of whom hadn’t played in decades. 

One of the most famous members of the band was Ibrahim Ferrer. Born in 1927, Ferrer was one of the only people in the world who still sang the old-fashioned “bolero” style. When Gold found him, he was living in an old apartment in Havana and working as a shoe shiner.

The group’s pianist, Rubén González, had over 5 decades of experience as a musician, but he didn’t even own a piano anymore; his last one had been destroyed by bugs. “Everybody said he was dead,” one producer remarked. “He hadn’t been heard from in 20 years.”

Everybody involved in the Buena Vista Social Club knew something special was happening. “They knew they had nothing to prove,” Gold stated in 2017. “It was the right time and place." The group took the world by storm, introducing Cuban music to global audiences for the first time since the 1959 Cuban Revolution blocked most of the island’s music scene from the world. Their first album went on to win the 1998 Grammy for “Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.” 

Their music still plays in the streets of Cuba today, and although many of the group’s musicians have died, their music will live on forever through the millions of fans still listening to Chan Chan, El Cuarto de Tula, and Candela every year. 

 Roca Clubhouse

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 Final Thoughts

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