🌊 Got Whole Milk?

Plus: Insurrection Act, Trump meets Machado, & 20 Questions

Two things we’re proud of today.

1. The deep-dive on Iran’s current situation with a leading Iranian historian and researcher (part two is today with the Washington Post Tehran bureau chief who was imprisoned for 544 days);

2. Our new mini-doc on the Arkansas Delta that has over 280,000 views on YouTube in its first day.

Two years ago, we were just making meme covers and bad puns in the intro. Hard to believe how far we’ve come thanks to your support.

🥛 Whole milk is so back

🇮🇷 Iran protests slow

😡 Verizon’s $20 offer!

–Max and Max

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KEY STORY

Whole Milk Returns to School

President Trump signed legislation allowing whole milk back in school cafeterias

• The Obama Administration banned whole milk and 2% milk from the National School Lunch Program in 2011 based on the belief that whole milk contributed to childhood obesity

• On Wednesday, Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which passed Congress unanimously last year and brings whole milk back to schools for the first time in over a decade, based on research that shows no cardiovascular health differences between low-fat and full-fat dairy

• The law also lets schools serve nondairy alternatives that are nutritionally equivalent to regular milk

Dig Deeper

• New federal dietary guidelines issued this month recommend whole milk and cheese, reversing earlier advice to choose low-fat dairy products

• However, the American Heart Association expressed concerns about the new guidelines’ emphasis on whole-fat dairy, saying it will continue to recommend low-fat and fat-free dairy products for heart health

• Roca Members can read the full story here

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KEY STORY

Trump Threatens Insurrection Act

President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to address protests in Minnesota

• Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the Insurrection Act, which dates to 1807 and allows the use of military personnel for law enforcement

• The threat came after an ICE officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg on Wednesday during an attempted arrest. The DHS said the man fled a traffic stop and that two bystanders assaulted the officer with a shovel and broom

• On Thursday, Trump said that if Minnesota officials did not stop protesters from confronting ICE agents, he would "quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State"

Dig Deeper

• Protests gathered near the scene of Wednesday's shooting, with clashes continuing through the night as demonstrators launched fireworks toward officers who responded with tear gas and stun grenades

• Roca Members can read the full story here

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KEY STORY

Iran Protests Slow

Protests in Iran appeared to slow as tensions with the US eased

• Tensions in Iran came to a head earlier this week as the Iranian government reportedly planned to execute a protester – a move Trump had previously said would warrant intervention

• A human rights group reported it had confirmed zero new protests on Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time since the unrest began, and Trump said he was told killings were stopping

• By Thursday, Iran reopened its airspace, and resumed commercial flights. The US has imposed sanctions on Iranians accused of orchestrating the crackdown

Dig Deeper

• Regional US allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, urged restraint throughout the week and warned against military intervention, saying instability in Iran would destabilize the region

• Rights groups reported death tolls ranging from around 2,400 to over 3,400, with more than 18,000 people detained

• Roca Members can read the full story here

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WE THE 66

Iran Part 1: What Is Next, Why Does It Matter, and Will Trump Intervene?

Lost over what’s going on in Iran? You don’t want to miss today’s WeThe66.

• We got an exclusive interview with Iran historian and researcher Michael Rubin to help break down the history and conditions that pushed Iranians to protest, as well as what he expects next for the country

• Rubin explains what he thinks President Trump should do, as well as the possibility of this toppling the Islamic Republic. This is Part 1 of our 2-part series interviewing experts about Iran’s fate

• Read it here

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KEY STORY

Trump Meets Machado

President Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday

• Trump has expressed doubts that Machado has the backing needed to return to and govern Venezuela and has on several occasions praised Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president and Maduro’s former vice president

• After the meeting, Machado told reporters the encounter was “great,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I don’t think he [Trump] needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado,” adding that Trump is pleased with how Rodríguez is running Venezuela

Dig Deeper

• The White House said Venezuela’s interim government has been “extremely cooperative” and has complied with all US demands. Venezuela released five Americans from detention this week and completed a $500M energy deal with the US

• Machado met with a bipartisan group of senators on Capitol Hill on Thursday afternoon following her White House meeting. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) said Machado will “clearly” eventually become president of Venezuela

• Roca Members can read the full story here

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.

-Mark Twain

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RUNDOWN

Some Quick Stories for the Office

🧑🏻‍🚀 Four astronauts returned to Earth a month early after a crew member developed a serious medical issue aboard the International Space Station.

📱 X announced it will limit Grok’s AI image generation ability in some locations following global backlash over reports that the tool was creating nonconsensual sexualized images of real people.

🧑🏻‍⚖️ A federal appeals court reversed earlier court rulings that had freed Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil from detention, ruling in a 2-1 decision that he must complete his immigration court case before he can continue challenging his detention and deportation in federal court. He won't be immediately rearrested while his lawyers consider their options.

✈️ The National Transportation Safety Board said a UPS cargo plane that crashed in Louisville last year, killing 15 people, had a structural flaw that Boeing had previously deemed safe.

⚓ US forces seized a sixth oil tanker in the Caribbean on Thursday in a raid launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.

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What does Roca Nation think?

🇩🇰 Yesterday’s Question: Should we try to buy Greenland?

The short answer is yes. But the process is long and nuanced which makes the saber rattling counterproductive. No one is enjoying being treated as though they are a child, or ignorant or being threatened. Not NATO, Greenland, Denmark or the EU- nobody. Relationships will now need to be mended before the real work begins.

Jamie in MS

Absolutely Not! They have not asked for our help and we are not Russia.

Firstly, whatever resources Trump is trying to steal are not worth the bad press and animosity that this would cause. Also, why would we want to take on the economy of another country when ours is doing so poorly. Or are we just going to treat them like Puerto Rico, Guam, etc and underfund them so they live in barest poverty.

Highly disappointed in this endeavor.

Cory from Honolulu

Yes, and at a fair price. But if they don’t want sell it, we need a negotiated agreement that will protect American security interests.

It is far too important and close to us to allow Russian or Chinese take overs, which both countries do with alarming efficiency and consistency.

It is time the US takes a proactive stand instead of our usual (democratic) process of ignoring threats and making empty, virtuous speeches that go nowhere and never set strong boundaries… always to the detriment of our country.

Tish from California

20 Questions!

Amid this Stranger Things’ final season fiasco, let’s wind the clocks back to the days TV shows were good with a “this or that” TV show edition of 20 Questions. We cover everything from Mad Men and Succession to Judge Judy and Spongebob. Can’t wait to see the results.

Link to 20 Questions!

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Last week’s responses:

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction – 60.5%
Smells Like Teen Spirit – 39.5%

American Pie – 56.1%
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – 43.9%

Billie Jean – 80.1%
Gold Digger – 19.9%

Johnny Cash – 83.3%
Beyoncé – 16.7%

Adele – 77.8%
Mariah Carey – 22.2%

Fast Car – 69.1%
Sweet Child O’ Mine – 30.9%

Bridge Over Troubled Water – 64.8%
Since U Been Gone – 35.2%

The Beatles – 85.2%
Elvis – 14.8%

Rocket Man – 60.5%
I Want You Back – 39.5%

Fleetwood Mac – 79.0%
Credence Clearwater Revival – 21.0%

Lose Yourself – 72.8%
Son Of A Preacher Man – 27.2%

ABBA – 74.7%
Garth Brooks – 25.3%

Mr. Brightside – 68.5%
Unchained Melody – 31.5%

Like a Rolling Stone – 57.4%
Livin’ On A Prayer – 42.6%

Sweet Home Alabama – 66.7%
Dancing On My Own – 33.3%

Bohemian Rhapsody – 79.0%
Killing Me Softly With His Song – 21.0%

Stayin’ Alive – 55.4%
You’re So Vain – 44.6%

Whitney Houston – 69.5%
Taylor Swift – 30.5%

Africa – 83.9%
All Too Well – 16.1%

Lion King – 66.6%
A Star Is Born – 33.4%

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POPCORN

Some Quick Stories for Happy Hour

🐈‍⬛ Purr-fectly Preserved: Scientists discovered seven naturally mummified cheetahs in caves near Arar in northern Saudi Arabia, marking the first time big cats have been found preserved this way.

⚓ The Cog Father: Maritime archaeologists in Denmark discovered the world’s largest medieval cog – a 98-foot cargo ship that sank around 1410 in the Oresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark.

🦀 Claws for Concern: A truck carrying 15,000 crabs worth approximately $70,000 crashed into a ditch in County Donegal, Ireland, spilling its crustacean cargo that was destined for restaurants.

🎶 Harry Up and Release It: Harry Styles announced his fourth studio album – Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. – set for release on March 6 after a 1,336-day hiatus from music.

📱 Cell-Out: Verizon announced it will credit customers $20 after a software issue caused a nationwide outage lasting over six hours on Wednesday, affecting the country’s largest mobile carrier with 146.1M subscribers. You have to redeem the $20 on the Verizon app, which has angered many customers (including Max T).

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ROCA WRAP

The Little Sparrow

Édith Piaf

This 4-foot-8-inch singer became France’s greatest voice despite being abandoned at birth and raised in a brothel.

Born Édith Giovanna Gassion in a Paris hospital in 1915, Piaf was named after British nurse Edith Cavell, who had been executed months earlier for helping French soldiers escape German captivity. Her mother, a circus singer, abandoned her at birth. Her father, an acrobatic street performer, enlisted to fight in World War I in 1916, leaving young Édith in the care of his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. The prostitutes there pooled their money to care for her.

At 14, Piaf’s father returned and took her on the road to join him performing acrobatics on street corners across France, where she began singing publicly. She eventually struck out on her own, performing in the streets of Paris and its suburbs. In 1935, nightclub owner Louis Leplée discovered her singing in the street. Struck by her talent and tiny stature, he nicknamed her “La Môme Piaf,” Parisian slang for “The Sparrow Kid.” Leplée dressed her in a simple black dress that became her signature look and launched her career with an elaborate publicity campaign featuring celebrities and Django Reinhardt’s band.

Piaf’s fame exploded during the German occupation of France. She performed in nightclubs and brothels frequented by German officers, even touring Berlin at their invitation. After liberation in 1944, she faced accusations of collaboration and was called before a legal tribunal. Her secretary, a French Resistance member, testified that Piaf had performed at prisoner-of-war camps specifically to help prisoners escape and had financially supported Jewish musicians fleeing persecution. She was cleared and quickly returned to performing.

In 1945, Piaf wrote and performed “La Vie en Rose,” which became her signature song and entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. She toured internationally, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show eight times and performing at Carnegie Hall twice. Her personal life was tumultuous – marked by morphine addiction following a car accident, two marriages, and a passionate affair with boxing champion Marcel Cerdan, who died in a 1949 plane crash while flying to meet her.

Piaf performed at the Paris Olympia until months before her death from liver cancer in October 1963 at age 47. Her funeral drew over 100,000 mourners and stopped Paris traffic completely – the only time since World War II that happened.

For someone raised in a brothel, the little sparrow soared remarkably high.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Final Thoughts

Go Bills, go Steelers (coaching search 😭), and go do 20 Questions.

Max F wishes you a great weekend from Los Angeles — he spent yesterday in its Iranian neighborhood — and Max T wishes you a great weekend from his couch. I mean desk. See you Monday!

–Max and Max