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February 4, 2022
Happy Friday. After yesterday's stock market pummeling of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg's net worth plunged by $30B+. He still has quite a bit of money, but maybe one or two of his fellow billionaires can loan him some dough until he's fully back on his 12-figure feet. Maybe... Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss?
Last week we received a record number of email responses to our first-ever "this or that" version of 20 Questions. So we're running it back — let's ride.
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Meta Stock Tanks
Overview
- Meta (formerly Facebook) stock fell 27% in what may be the largest single-day value wipeout for a company ever
- The drop translates to a $230B drop in Meta's market value
- Meta said that Facebook's monthly user growth did not increase in the Q4 of 2021 – the first quarter in which the company lost users. The company named TikTok as a reason for its slowing growth
- 37-yo CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal net worth fell by $30B+, pushing him outside the world’s top 10 wealthiest people for the first time since 2015
DIG DEEPER
The question that looms is whether Meta (Facebook) has passed its peak. Bears say that is obvious; bulls say the company is just focused on its next stage: The Metaverse.
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Denmark's "Netflix Tax"
Overview
- Denmark is planning to enact a "Netflix tax"
- The tax would cost foreign streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max, up to 5% of their local sales, with the funds going to support domestic film and television
- The companies will also have to disclose their content-recommendation algorithms. The country’s culture minister said streaming platforms inhibit Denmark's ability to come "together as a society”
- Denmark joins Poland, France, and Portugal in seeking to protect local culture by taxing foreign streaming companies
DIG DEEPER
France requires foreign streaming companies to invest up to 25% of local revenue into French culture; Poland taxes foreign streaming companies 1.5% of their local sales revenue and uses the proceeds to support Polish cinema. Portugal has a similar tax.
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UPenn Swimming Debate
Overview
- 16 UPenn female swimmers asked the school and Ivy League to disqualify transgender teammate Lia Thomas from competition
- Thomas competed on Penn's men's team before transitioning via 2 years of hormone replacement therapy. She now competes on the women's team. She has put up top times in several events
- Her teammates wrote that while they "fully support" Thomas' transition, she "holds an unfair advantage...as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female"
- The case has become a political hot button in the US
DIG DEEPER
The backdrop for the letter was a change in the NCAA's transgender policy that could disqualify certain athletes, including Lia Thomas, from competing. Trans and some rights activists say she deserves to compete in the way she identifies; others say her participation infringes on the rights of other athletes.
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IS Head Killed
Overview
- The leader of Islamic State (IS) died in a US-led raid in Syria
- Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi reportedly blew himself up as US troops approached his hideout. 6 children and 4 women also died in the raid
- While the leader of IS during its 2015-2016 peak died during a 2019 raid and the group controls much less territory than it did, it continues to launch terror attacks and threatens a return in Syria and Iraq
- President Biden said he ordered the raid to send a "strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you"
DIG DEEPER
Analysts say the death is a blow to IS, but unlikely to knock the group off the battlefield. Last month, 200 IS soldiers launched one of the group's boldest attacks in years, trying to free their fellow militants from a Syrian jail.
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 What do you think?
Today's Poll:
Are you a fan of emoji use in emails?
YES
NO
Today's Question:
Just 20 Qs!
Reply to this email with your answers!
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See yesterday's answers below 20Q!
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 Popcorn
Culture & Sports
- 30 seconds of (pricey) fame: Super Bowl ad spots sold for record rates this year, with multiple 30-second spots going for $7M+
- Chris Cuomo's Zucker punch: CNN host Jake Tapper alleged that Chris Cuomo was behind Jeff Zucker's exposé and "blew it all up"
- LA mayor Eric Garcetti took a maskless photo with Magic Johnson, in violation of LA rules. His defense? He was "holding his breath"
Business
- Meta who?! Snap shares soared as much as 62% after notching its first-ever profitable quarter. Meta's dismal earnings initially dragged it down
- Domino's is offering *customers* $3 tips for picking up their pizzas amid a national labor shortage that has cut down its available drivers
- Not so prime: Amazon is bumping the price of Prime memberships in the US. The annual fee will jump from $119 to $139
Wildcard
- The top destinations for Americans during the expected spring break boom are Cancún, Las Vegas, Miami, and Phoenix
- A mysterious golden cube, worth an estimated $11.7M, appeared in Central Park. The cube had its own security detail
- What the pleat! Wordle players vented on social media after being stumped on yesterday's winning 5-letter word, "pleat"
- A Catholic cardinal in Germany recently said, "It would be better for everyone to create the possibility of celibate and married priests"
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You ALREADY KNOW! what time of week it is. If our inbox isn't blowing up over the next few hours (with 20 Questions responses and not hate mail), we will be disappointed.
We absolutely love hearing from you and are so curious to hear where you come down on each comparison. As mentioned in the intro, we received a record number of responses last week for the first-ever "this or that" version and intend to try it again today.
Send your answers to Max@RocaNews.com! Have a great weekend and thank you for riding the wave.
1. Middle school or high school?
2. Squidward or Patrick?
3. Advil or Tylenol?
4. Coffee black or with cream/sugar?
5. Busy weekend or chill one?
6. Cheesecake or regular cake?
7. iPhone or Android?
8. South Park or Family Guy?
9. Burger with bacon or not?
10. Drake or Ed Sheeran?
11. EDM or country music?
12. Starbucks or Dunkin?
13. Basketball or soccer?
14. Aisle or window seat?
15. Scottish accent or Russian accent?
16. Pet hamster or iguana?
17. Shooting a gun or throwing an axe?
18. US national anthem or Party in the USA?
19. $50 in Amazon gift cards or $40 cash?
20. Chuck Norris or Keanu Reeves?
Can't wait to read your answers! Send them to Max@RocaNews.com.
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 Games
Finish the famous movie quote! Each answer is in the AFI's top 100 movie quotes of all time.
- "I'm as ___ __ ____, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
- "__, Adrian!"
- "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a _______ _______."
- "Keep your friends close, but your ______ ______."
Find out the answer(s) at the bottom of Roca Clubhouse.
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 Roca Clubhouse
Yesterday's Poll:
Would you prefer to be (if you're not already) vegan or gluten-free?
Vegan: 28.7%
Gluten-Free: 71.3%
Yesterday's Question:
What's the dumbest autocorrect mistake your phone makes?
Maggie from California: "Food to good (and vice versa..) like I don’t know if I’m saying the food is good or the good is good or maybe I’m saying the good is food."
Frank from San Antonio: "There is nothing more ducking infuriating than writing a well written duck you response only to have it turn into a quack"
Vinnie from New York: "When I first got my iPhone it always autocorrected my first name to “Thong”. Now if I could just get it to stop autocorrecting half my vocabulary to 'duck'"
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General Feedback:
Jonathon from Australia: "I'm already gluten free (medically), and have a nut allergy. I also need to keep a low FODMAP diet or my stomach complains - so that's no legumes or pulses either! I don't see how I could go vegan and still get enough protein, with all the things I can't have :)"
Sam from Austin: "Vegan or gluten free? I've been vegan AND gluten free for 9 years now, starting as journey to figure out what was causing my IBS and intestinal and pelvic floor muscle spasms, and I've never looked back. With over 40,000 edible plants on the Earth, and hundreds readily available at the local grocery store, I see no reason to go back to something that hurts me and the planet. I have enough health problems already, including anxiety about how humans are destroying the Earth! I won't be a part of it anymore."
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Games Answer(s):
1. "mad as hell" (Network) 2. "Yo" (Rocky) 3. "beautiful friendship" (Casablanca) 4. "enemies closer" (Godfather 2)
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― Final Thoughts
Happy Friday, riders. We hope you all enjoy the weekend, have some fun, and rejuvenate your souls. We'll be waiting for you here on Monday, interesting & unbiased news in hand.
-Max and Max
Thanks for reading! Enjoy the weekend!
As always, send thoughts and feedback to Max@Rocanews.com |
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