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January 27, 2022
If we can name stars after loved ones, do you think ETs on a far-away planet have named our sun? And what are the odds that the name is "Elon Musk"? We don't need an answer now, but it would be great if you took off a couple hours of work or school to ponder this and get back to us. We need to know.
If you think our Wraps often take you to the land of the bizarre, just wait until you read today's. The subject? Terrorist monkeys in Thailand...
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Tinder for Politicians
Overview
- A viral French app billed as "Tinder for Politicians" is under investigation for privacy violations
- The app, Elyze, has 1.3M+ downloads. It has users swipe to indicate their opinion toward various political stances, then matches users to candidates aligned with their preferences
- France's data-tracking body is investigating Elyze over reports of personal data tracking and that "matches" favor France's president, Emmanuel Macron
- The app's 19- and 22-yo creators say the preference for Macron was a bug that they have eliminated, and that neutrality is their guiding principle
DIG DEEPER
The app, designed by 2 college students, experienced viral growth before the government received reports that it was collecting personal information in breach of data laws. The issue is particularly sensitive because manipulation of the data could have major political ramifications.
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Justice Breyer to Resign
Overview
- US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced that he will retire
- The 83-yo Breyer was appointed by President Clinton in 1994. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life
- Breyer is 1 of the 3 liberals (v. 6 conservatives) on the court and the court's oldest member. Court appointments have become extremely politically significant in recent years
- Many Democrats had been calling on Breyer to resign while President Biden is president and his party controls the Senate. The resignation will allow President Biden to appoint a liberal to the court, maintaining the 6-3 split
DIG DEEPER
Breyer has vocally called for a politically independent court. He has also opposed some Democrats' proposals to expand ("pack") the court to reduce the conservative majority. The White House reiterated Biden's promise to appoint a black woman to the court.
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Frog Regeneration Success
Overview
- Research published Wednesday suggests medicine is getting closer to achieving human limb regeneration
- In the study, researchers sewed caps containing a cocktail of 5 growth-promoting drugs to frogs' amputated limbs. They left those caps on the stubs for 24 hours
- Over the next 18 months, the frogs experienced bone, muscle, and nerve regeneration. Their limbs didn't fully regrow, but did enough such that they could swim again
- The researchers' long-term goal is to apply the technique to humans, so that damaged limbs and organs regenerate rather than turn into scar tissue
DIG DEEPER
One biologist familiar with the research told the Wall Street Journal, “I don’t know if we’ll be able to regenerate complete human limbs within my lifetime, but I think that we’ll definitely be much closer.”
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Tesla's Record Profit
Overview
- Tesla reported a record $5.5B profit in 2021
- The electric-car maker earned a profit of $720M in 2020, its first yearly profit ever. The company was loss-making all years before that, which led many to doubt its viability
- “There should no longer be doubt about the viability and profitability of electric vehicles," the company said in a statement
- While Tesla currently dominates electric-vehicle sales, the market is getting more crowded. Analysts expect 24+ new electric vehicle models to hit the road in 2022
DIG DEEPER
The record profit comes despite supply chain difficulties that have limited Tesla's ability to mass produce vehicles. To expand, Tesla is expected to release both a pick-up truck and $25,000 vehicle in the coming years.
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 What do you think?
Today's Poll:
Do you believe that Barry Bonds should be in the Hall of Fame?
Yes
No
Today's Question:
What's an underappreciated profession? Why?
Reply to this email with your answers!
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See yesterday's results below the Wrap!
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 Popcorn
Culture & Sports
- Heart of (no longer) Gold: Spotify is pulling Neil Young's music after the artist gave an ultimatum to pick between him and Joe Rogan
- Remembering Kobe: A statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed on the site of their helicopter crash in Calabasas, California
- Amy Schneider's Jeopardy! win streak closed at 40 games, placing her #2 on the all-time consecutive wins list, behind Ken Jennings
Business
- Netflix and surge? Netflix's stock jumped on the news that billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman bought 3.1M shares of the streamer
- The "anxiety tech" space is growing as companies bet their glowing orbs and audio-playing rocks will improve buyers' mental health
- The US trade deficit in goods topped $1T in 2021 for the first time ever! US consumers are gobbling up foreign goods at a record pace
Wildcard
- Justice at last: Spain's Catalonia region will pardon up to 1,000 people condemned for the crime of witchcraft ~400 years ago
- Ozzie, the world's oldest gorilla, died at 61. He arrived at Zoo Atlanta in 1988 and became the first gorilla to get a blood pressure reading in 2009
- Pray for Florida: Floridians living in Miami will face the coldest temperatures in 11 years with a forecasted low of 38 degrees
- A Twitter back-and-forth between Elon Musk and McDonald's sparked the creation of more than 10 McDonald's meme coins. Only in 2021...
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― Roca Wrap
A Newsletter Exclusive
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In the Thai town of Lopburi, 90 miles (145 km) north of Bangkok, people used to love monkeys.
Monkeys lived throughout the city and inhabited a 13th-century temple. Their presence drew many tourists, who would visit to see them up close, feed them, and take selfies. Some locals appreciated them for stimulating the economy; others fed them as a form of Buddhist charity, and still others worshipped them as descendants of a Hindu monkey god. And each year, the town celebrated the monkeys with an annual feast, for which people spent up to $3,000 on fruits and vegetables to feed them.
Yet that gratitude is quickly giving way to terror.
The monkeys had a complex relationship with the tourists: People fed them sugar snacks that heightened their sex drive and aggression, which caused their numbers to grow. The tourists’ presence kept them at bay, though, and limited their ability to claim certain parts of the city.
When the pandemic arrived, the tourists disappeared and the monkeys seized the town. Without the food from the tourists, they became more aggressive. By summer 2020, an estimated 8,400 monkeys lived within a few square blocks, fighting viciously for their territory. Their numbers have risen since.
Emboldened by fewer visitors, they moved into abandoned buildings and ransacked homes, shops, and restaurants. They’re known to attack people who get too close, and will fight for anything shiny or resembling food. Everything from fruit stands to jewelry, sunglasses, and windshield wipers are now fair game.
Locals say the monkeys have formed into 4 rival factions, competing over territory in violent clashes. Businesses have hired employees and police to fend them off property, but often to no avail.
Locals are divided over what to do. Some rely on air guns and catapults to scare off rather than kill what many consider a sacred animal. Others don’t care and just want them gone. “The trouble is that some people think these monkeys are untouchable because they’re sacred,” a resident told The Times. “But now they’re everywhere. It’s impossible to live a normal life here any longer.”
Many of the locals are Buddhists who oppose the idea of culling the monkeys on spiritual grounds. At least 500 have been neutered, but that had little effect. One attempted solution was to use stuffed animals of tigers and crocodiles to scare them away, but the monkeys realized they were fakes within months. Another was to lure them into camouflage cages, but they quickly caught onto that as well.
The town recently held a “monkey forum” to discuss solutions. As of now, though, the monkeys reign supreme. Will the locals learn how to take their city back?
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If you have thoughts, let us know at Max@RocaNews.com!
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 Games
One name in each of the below groups doesn't fit. Can you find them?
- Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Ben Franklin, James Madison
- Canucks, Reindeer, Penguins, Red Wings
- Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Thailand, Afghanistan
- Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, Victoria Justice, Cady Heron
Find out the answer at the bottom of Roca Clubhouse.
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 Roca Clubhouse
Yesterday's Poll:
Should a ransom be paid to free the kidnapped pangolin?
Yes: 33.7%
No: 66.3%
Yesterday's Question:
How do you feel about universities dropping standardized testing requirements?
Tali from Austin: "As a soon-to-be college student, I don't see an issue with the removal. Many kids don't have the same resources to be on an equal-level playing field in the standardized tests, so it only seems fair to place more of the college admission weight in more non-monetary means."
Max from Washington, DC: "Without a standardized method of measuring someone's preparedness for college or university level courses, what is to stop people from starting and creating schools that will provide high grades in exchange for high tuition or monetary incentives or students being admitted who are not ready then struggling with massive debt and poor grades. Standardized testing should be reformed as should the money allocated based on them, not done away with because of perceived inequity."
Thomas from Edmonton: "It's like the late great George Carlin said. 'Pretty soon, all you'll need to get into college is a f*cking pencil!'"
General Feedback:
Marni from Connecticut: "I’m very passionate about African conservation and the plight of the pangolin is not a good one (small, shy creature poached for its keratin scales in 2022 - really??) but I feel that if ransom is paid it’s only going to encourage such behavior. Every pangolin matters as they’re critically endangered but I worry that a dangerous precedent could be set for all kinds of wildlife."
Madison from Massachusetts: "I just wanted to say I appreciated the neutral and factual language used to describe the climate around the Rogan / Young story. I'm not the world's biggest JRE fan but he spends hours digging into complex topics with experts and too often, a soundbite or two is used to discredit entire, in-depth discussions. Thanks for reporting the facts."
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20 Questions: 16-20
Every Friday, we ask the Roca Riders 20 questions and feature a few of our favorite answers. Last Friday, however, we asked you to rate the below on a scale of 1 - 10. Here are the average ratings....
16. Joe Burrow
5.4
17. Roger Goodell
3.6
18. Eagles fans
2.9
19. Tony Romo commentary
7.3
20. The Bills Mafia breaking tables
7.0
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Games Answer(s):
1. Ben Franklin (not a US president) 2. Reindeer (not an NHL team) 3. Zimbabwe (not an Asian country) 4. Victoria Justice (not a Mean Girls character)
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― Final Thoughts
Happy Thursday, all. That monkey Wrap brought back some traumatic memories for Max F, who had a few scary run-ins with monkeys in India. One time, a 1-armed monkey stole a bag of his banana chips. Another time, they threw trash at him from a telephone wire. To make up for it, we're letting him bring his emotional support animal to the office – so long as it isn't a primate.
Have a great day, and see you tomorrow!
-Max and Max
Today's Instagram Wrap is on Antwerp, Europe's cocaine capital.
Thanks for reading! See you again tomorrow!
As always, send thoughts and feedback to Max@Rocanews.com |
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