đ Claude, You're Penta-gone
Plus: Stealth fighters to Israel, Netflix moves on from HBO, & Dunkin's new drink bucket
Watermark all AI videos.
Thanks to AI, it may soon be impossible to tell whatâs real. The consequences â some of which we already see â will be severe, ranging from an increase in financial scams and deepfake porn of real people to the proliferation of misinformation and mass delusion. It presents a bleak future, unless we demand change from the companies making billions off of these tools whose massive, societal risks they fully understand.
We just launched a petition to force AI companies to watermark all AI vids and provide metadata that make AI videos easily detectable. If youâd like to sign this petition on Change.org, you can do so here. It already has over 3,000 signatures. We really hope it takes off because this is so obvious and needs to happen now.
Now time for some AI-generated news.
đł Anthropic rejects Pentagonâs demand
đ Netflix moves on from HBO
𪣠Dunkinâs new drink buckets
â Max and Max
News Trivia
These questions are related to the dayâs news; the answers are at the end of the newsletter!
What country produces the most military aircraft?
Switzerland doesnât have an official capital, but what is considered its âde factoâ capital?
KEY STORY
Anthropic Rejects DoD Demand
AI company Anthropic rejected the Pentagonâs demand to accept new terms in order to continue working with the US military
Anthropic signed a $200M contract with the Pentagon last year and is the only AI lab whose models have been cleared for classified military work. The company has insisted on specific guardrails for military use of its technology, including prohibitions on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons
On Thursday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei rejected the demands, saying the new terms failed to preserve the companyâs key safeguards
Dig Deeper
Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X that the military has no interest in mass surveillance of Americans or autonomous weapons without human involvement. However, Parnell also wrote, âWe will not let ANY company dictate the terms regarding how we make operational decisionsâ
The Pentagon also threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act, which would allow the military to use Anthropicâs software without a contractual agreement
KEY STORY
US Deploys Stealth Fighters to Israel
The US sent F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Israel this week, the first time the jets were deployed there
The US has been building up its military presence in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. The buildup already includes two aircraft carriers and over 60 fighter jets based out of Jordan
On Tuesday, roughly a dozen F-22 fighters â stealth fighters that can strike targets both in the air and on the ground â departed from the UK and arrived in Israel
A retired Air Force lieutenant general told the NYT the deployment indicates "preparation for a more aggressive stance toward Iran and potential cooperation with Israel in an attack"
Dig Deeper
The deployment came as President Trump is weighing options on whether to order strikes on Iran, a decision that could pull Israel into its second war with Iran in less than a year
KEY STORY
Netflix Backs out of WB Deal
Netflix withdrew from its agreement to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery after Paramount Skydance raised its offer to $31 per share â $111B for the entire company
Netflix secured a deal in December to buy Warner's streaming and studio assets, valued at nearly $83B. Paramount Skydance then submitted a series of counteroffers, including one on Tuesday for the entire company, including HBO and cable channels like CNN
On Thursday, Netflix declined to match Paramount Skydance's revised offer, after Warner Bros. Discovery's board declared Paramount's bid was better than Netflix's. Netflix executives said, "This transaction was always a 'nice to have' at the right price, not a 'must have' at any price"
Dig Deeper
Paramount Skydance's revised offer included several provisions to make the deal more attractive. The company raised the termination fee it would pay if the deal failed to gain regulatory approval from $5.8B to $7B
Paramount also agreed to pay a quarterly fee of $0.25 per share for every quarter after September if the deal didn't close, and offered to cover the $2.8B termination fee that WB owed to Netflix
KEY STORY
Mortgage Rates Lowest in Years
Mortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time since late 2022
Mortgage rates peaked near 7.8% in October 2023, making homeownership increasingly unaffordable. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage reached 5.98% this week, down from 6.76% a year ago
The decline resulted from economic uncertainty, cooling inflation, and three consecutive Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in the second half of 2025
Despite the falling rates, the housing market has remained stuck, with sales of existing homes dropping 8.4% in January, and pending home sales also falling in January to the lowest level since records began in 2001
Dig Deeper
Economists and real estate agents said the drop below 6% represents an important psychological milestone that could encourage buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines
Home prices remain close to record highs after climbing more than 50% since 2019, while rising insurance costs and property taxes have further increased homeownership expenses
KEY STORY
US-Iran Talks End With Progress
US and Iranian representatives made "significant progress" during a third round of talks in Geneva
President Trump previously threatened military action against Iran unless it agrees to a nuclear deal by early March, deploying the largest US military buildup in the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, discussing Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of US sanctions. Iran proposed ideas about handling its roughly 400kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium but rejected the US demand for "zero enrichment"
Dig Deeper
The two sides also disagreed over whether negotiations should address Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups like Hezbollah
Oman's foreign minister, who mediated the discussions, announced that the talks will continue next week in Vienna, Austria
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you.
-Anthony Bourdain
WE THE 66
The Middle Eastâs Next War?
Iranâs regime is still in power, but the Middle East isnât waiting
Since 1979, a Sunni-Shia split has largely divided the Middle East. Now, though, with Iran weakened, the region is reorienting around a new divide
Already, these new axes are clashing in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Gaza
Whoâs on which side and where does the US stand?
RUNDOWN
Some Quick Stories for the Office
âď¸ The US charged retired Air Force pilot Gerald Brown with illegally training Chinese pilots without the required government approval.
âď¸ The Trump Administration announced it would withhold $259M in Medicaid funds from Minnesota, citing allegations of welfare fraud in the state.
đą On Thursday, Instagram announced that it will begin alerting parents when their teens repeatedly search for suicide or self-harm content on the platform.
đ World Economic Forum (WEF) President Børge Brende resigned following revelations about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
âď¸ At least 1,800 companies have filed lawsuits seeking refunds after the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs last week.
What does Roca Nation think?
đ¤ Yesterdayâs Question: Whatâs a job that youâre not worried about AI replacing?
My husbandâs job! Heâs a horse trainer. AI will never be able to get on a horse and teach it to willingly accept a rider⌠or ride the horse, period. So his job is safe, lol.
Elisha from Texas
I work at an Eagle Aviary. No matter how advanced AI gets, it canât feed live animals, clean cages, or do wellness exams.
Madisen from Oklahoma
Live production will be safe for however long people keep paying to hold/see shows with real musicians. I work in that world (albeit at a house of worship, so itâs not super complicated), and I just saw 21 Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined in theatres. There is virtually no aspect of setting up and running a live concert in a stadium/arena that can possibly be worth replacing with any sort of AI, AGI or otherwise.
Custom building, custom rigging, custom pyrotechnics, the human aspect of design, and the actual work of running everything during the event... Sound, lighting, video, special FX, itâs all a very dynamic and visceral art that no AI could ever replicate. And half the job is just troubleshooting things that could go wrong or do go wrong live and running around moving, carrying, and fixing equipment!
I definitely think AI concerts will be a thing, but theyâll also flop when people realize how much they miss by removing the human aspect of live music. And the people with the skill to plan, assemble, and execute those things will (hopefully) never be out of work.
Nicolas from Undisclosed
20 Questions!
Folks, we are going back to an OG topic of 20 Questions today: âThis or Thatâ household items edition. For all of you whoâve been begging for us to do the controversial spatula vs whisk matchup, this is the survey for you. Hope you enjoy.
Last weekâs average results for a nostalgia-themed ratings edition of 20 Questions (1 being worst, 10 the best).
Landline phones - 6.6
Rainforest cafes - 4.8
GI Joeâs - 5.7
NSync - 4.6
Steroid baseball - 3.6
MTV Live Performances - 6.0
Lava Lamps - 6.6
My Little Pony - 4.4
The computer room in the house - 6.6
Pet Rocks - 3.9
VHS Tapes - 6.2
Afros - 5.6
Mullets - 4.0
Disco Balls - 5.9
Disco dancing - 5.3
Bell Bottom Jeans - 5.6
Leviâs 501 Jeans - 7.2
Walkman - 6.9
A less politically divided country - 9.4
AI Not Being a Thing - 8.6
POPCORN
Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour
đŚ Toucan Play at That Game: A toucan that spent months flying wild around Las Vegas has finally been rescued after landing in a residentâs garage.
𧟠Clean Break: The Mr. Clean mascot announced his retirement after 67 years as the face of the Procter & Gamble cleaning brand in a social media post featuring the bald character at a podium.
𪣠Dunkinâ by the Gallon: Dunkinâ announced it is testing 48-ounce âbucketâ drinks with carrying handles at fewer than 10 locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with several stores already selling out of their initial inventories.
đŽđťââď¸ Holy Holdup: An Albuquerque man who barricaded himself inside a credit union told police his name was âJesus Christâ when officers asked him to identify himself after his arrest.
đ Fire Tiger: A rare Asian golden cat known in Thai folklore as the âfire tigerâ was captured on camera trap footage in Thailandâs Khao Luang National Park, delighting conservationists.
ROCA WRAP
Norm Macdonald
This comedian was fired from Saturday Night Live, allegedly for relentlessly mocking OJ Simpson, whose friend ran the network.
Born in Quebec City in 1959, Norman Gene Macdonald became known as a comedian for his deadpan delivery. His parents were teachers at a military base north of Quebec City, and his father refused to let him learn French, insisting the family speak only English. After dropping out of Carleton University, where he studied math and philosophy, Macdonald worked manual labor jobs, including working for a logging company, before trying comedy.
Macdonaldâs first performance at Ottawaâs Yuk Yukâs comedy club in 1985 went well, but he didnât realize it. Norm bolted out after his performance, saying heâd never do it again, before the club owner persuaded him to return. Six months later, he performed at Montrealâs Just For Laughs Festival and was heralded as âone of this countryâs hottest comics.â By 1990, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, and Letterman became an immediate fan, later calling him âthe bestâ stand-up comedian.
In 1993, Macdonald joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member and writer. The next year, he began anchoring the âWeekend Updateâ segment. His most controversial material involved repeatedly calling OJ Simpson a murderer during the trial and after OJ was acquitted. In early 1998, NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer removed Macdonald from âWeekend Update,â citing declining ratings. Macdonald believed the real reason was his Simpson jokes â Ohlmeyer was Simpsonâs close friend and had thrown a party for the jurors who acquitted him.
Macdonald had a severe gambling addiction that started with a six-figure win at a craps table in Atlantic City. He lost all his money gambling three times, including $400,000 at once, and went bankrupt twice. Before online poker was banned in the US, he would play up to 20 games simultaneously, grinding relentlessly. âSince they went offline, it kind of saved my life,â he said in 2018. âBecause I was just grinding out and couldnât even sleep.â
In 2013, Macdonald was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He told only his family, agent, and ex-wife, fearing public knowledge would affect how he was perceived. He received multiple stem cell transplants under aliases and continued working throughout his illness. It was no use. Norm died from acute leukemia in September 2021. His final stand-up special, taped without an audience during the pandemic, was released posthumously in 2022 to critical acclaim.
For a man who built his career on brutal honesty, Macdonald kept his greatest struggle completely private until the end.
NEWS TRIVIA ANSWERS
US
Bern
EDITORâS NOTE
Final Thoughts
A Roca reader named Ben rightfully flagged an error in Wednesdayâs newsletter. We wrote the following:
Trump also asked Democrats to stand if they agreed that American citizensâ lives should be put before those of illegal immigrants; no Democrats stood
As Ben pointed out, it wouldâve been more accurate to highlight that Trump said, âThe first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.â The inclusion of âfirst dutyâ is key there.
Apologies for the error and have an amazing weekend.
âMax and Max