Yesterday, America wolfed down an impressive 150 million hot dogs — enough to stretch from DC to Los Angeles 5 times. Although stats like these are usually annoying, we felt a visual for 150 million hot dogs — in this case, a trans-continental glizzy trail — was necessary. Happy belated birthday, America, and hope you had an amazing day. To our non-US readers, happy hump day.

In today's edition:

• Texas man found after 8 years

• Finnish politician graffitis own town?

• Ding the fireworks king

 🔑 Key Stories

Vision Pro-blems

Apple has made drastic cuts to the number of Vision Pro headsets it expects to produce next year, the Financial Times (FT) reports

• In June, Apple debuted the Vision Pro, a mixed-reality headset. It’s been billed as Apple’s most significant new product since the original iPhone. Apple will release the device early next year with a $3,500 pricetag

• Insiders at Apple and its suppliers told the FT that Apple has cut its projected 2024 sales of the headset from 1M to as few as 150,000

• Apple is reportedly struggling to source the Pro’s displays: It has 3 of them, 2 of which are more advanced than any display currently on the market

Dig Deeper

• People with links to Apple and a supplier for Apple told the FT Apple is preparing to make fewer than 400,000 headsets in 2024. Two other suppliers said Apple has only asked them for enough parts to produce 130,000-150,000 headsets

Israel Invades West Bank

Israel launched its largest military operation in the West Bank in 20+ years

• The West Bank is an Arab territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Back-and-forth Arab militant attacks and Israeli military raids have killed 150+ Palestinians and 30+ Israelis or foreigners this year

• On Monday, Israel sent 1,000+ troops backed by armed drones into Jenin, a West Bank city, and its suburbs. Israel said it seized hundreds of weapons in raids on militant facilities before it began to withdraw its forces on Tuesday. West Bank authorities reported at least 11 deaths and 120 injuries

• On Tuesday, a Palestinian attacker wounded 8 civilians in an attack in Israel. On Wednesday, Palestinian militants in Gaza, another Palestinian territory, fired 5 rockets toward Israel

Dig Deeper

• Israel’s prime minister said Tuesday, “We are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive activity in Jenin is not a one-time operation”

• The Palestinian Authority, which runs the West Bank’s government, described the operation as a “war crime”

More Supreme Court Decisions

Here are 3 other Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions from last week

• SCOTUS voted 7-2 to overturn a stalker’s conviction. It ruled that for a threat to be illegal, the person making it must be aware of its threatening nature

• SCOTUS voted 9-0 to give religious workers more rights. The case revolved around a USPS worker who was fired after refusing to work on Sundays. SCOTUS said employers must prove that accommodating someone’s religion would incur “substantial increased costs” to not do so

• SCOTUS ruled 8-1 that the Biden admin deportation policy can stand. Texas and others had tried to block it

Dig Deeper

• We ran a special edition story for Monday’s newsletter that explained why so many SCOTUS decisions are released around this time. Check that out here if you missed it, or want to read it again!

Missing Texan Found Alive

A Texas man was found alive eight years after he disappeared as a teenager

• In 2017, 17-year-old Rudy Farias took his dogs on a walk near his family home in Houston and never returned home again. The mystery was never solved

• Farias’ family suspected foul play, but missing persons posters said Farias suffered from anxiety, PTSD, and depression, and his disappearance may have been related to that

• On Sunday, Houston authorities found Farias beat up and unconscious on a street in the city. Missing persons advocates called it a “miracle”

🍿 Popcorn

ICYMI

• Greatest to ever chew it: Joey Chestnut wolfed down 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win his 8th consecutive Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which started late due to a rain delay 

• Truly is the White House: The powdery white substance that caused an evacuation of the White House Sunday night tested positive for cocaine

• Anotha one: Following SCOTUS’ ruling against affirmative action, several advocacy groups have filed a civil rights complaint against Harvard over legacy admissions. They say it favors white applicants

Wildcard

• Political career Finnished: A deputy mayor of Helsinki, Finland’s capital, was arrested for graffiti-ing a train tunnel in his city. The politician was a graffiti artist in his youth

• Sacre bleu-d! A passenger on an Air France flight claims to have found his carry-on soaked in blood. A prior passenger had apparently been suffering from “internal bleeding and infection”

• Eton his own words: A former teacher at Eton – one of the UK’s most prestigious and famous prep schools – admitted on a video call to killing his 84-year-old mother 

👇 What do you think?

Today's Question:

Should people be fined for crimes in proportion to their income?

Reply to this email with your answers!

See Monday’s results below the Wrap! 

🌯 Roca Wrap

The US imported $596M of fireworks last year. 70% of them came through Mr. Ding.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) – which represents US companies that use fireworks – the first “firecrackers” occurred in China in the 2nd century BC. People would take bamboo stalks and throw them in the fire to ward off evil spirits. When they heated up, hollow air pockets in the wood would explode.

Around 1,000 years later, a Chinese alchemist mixed several chemicals into an explosive powder and poured it into bamboo sticks. When fire was applied to those, they produced a small explosion.

Between the 1200s and 1500s, Italians became the first Europeans to produce fireworks. They became a common sight for entertainment and religious festivals, and Europeans brought them with them when they came to North America.

Fireworks were even launched on the first Fourth of July, and John Adams said he hoped Americans would celebrate their independence “with pomp, parade….bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”

Today, fireworks’ main ingredient is a chemical mix called “black powder.”

A firework – a “star” – contains pellets of black powder, along with chemicals or metals. These ingredients are arranged in specific positions within a star. When the black powder explodes, the heat causes the other ingredients to produce colors, sounds, and patterns.

There are 2 main kinds of fireworks: Consumer and display. Consumer are sold widely and can be used by normal people. Display have higher levels of explosives and can only be used by licensed pyrotechnicians.

Italian Americans produced most of the US’ fireworks through the 1970s. Making fireworks was complicated and labor-intensive, though, and the US government tightened its regulation of the industry.

Buyers began importing fireworks, and China – with its massive and cheap workforce – came to dominate the industry. Today, 99%+ of consumer and 75% of display fireworks are made in China. At the top of the fireworks business sits one man: Ding Yan Zhong, known as Mr. Ding.

In 2008, Ding was a Chinese entrepreneur who exported fireworks to Europe. That year, though, a mishap at a Chinese storage complex caused 15,000 cartons of fireworks to explode. In response, China’s government began requiring fireworks to be shipped out of a single port, in Shanghai, and firework shipping companies to obtain special permits.

Just 3 permits were given – and one went to Ding.

His properties were also best positioned for exporting fireworks through Shanghai. Chinese and American companies began relying on him to move their products.

Most Chinese fireworks are produced in a single Chinese city. Ding would transport those on trucks to warehouses, then to barges, which would carry them down the Yangtze River to Shanghai. They were then loaded onto cargo ships and brought to the US.

Originally, another company would deliver them from the US ports to their buyers. But in 2011, Ding established a second company to receive fireworks in the US and bring them to their final destinations. In data covering April and May 2018, of 108 shipping containers bringing Chinese fireworks to the US each day, Ding’s companies moved 72 of them.

“Everything going through Shanghai goes through Mr. Ding and [his company]. We have no choice,” one APA executive said in 2018. “You want to get your products, that’s what you do.”

In 2018, a group of US fireworks distributors sued Ding’s US distribution company, alleging he was using his market power to unfairly control prices. The fireworks companies alleged that because of Ding, “American fireworks importers are paying an estimated $3,000 to $10,000 more per container than they might otherwise.”

The judge ended up throwing out the suit because he found insufficient evidence that Ding controlled the shipping market.

Ding stands to make a killing this year.

Ding likely made a killing this year: On July 4, Americans are estimated to have ignited around 290M pounds – $1.1B worth – of fireworks. While Americans enjoyed the show, Mr. Ding was laughing his way to the bank.

If you have thoughts, let us know at [email protected]!

 🌊 Roca Clubhouse

Monday's Poll:

Do you find SCOTUS decisions interesting? 
Yes: 86%
No: 14%

Monday's Question:

How are you celebrating the 4th of July?

Keylla from Boynton Beach, Florida: "Vacationing in Montana and on the 4th will be canoeing down the Missouri River :) and enjoying the amazing views”

Marc: “We are not celebrating the 4^th of July this year, as these are no longer the United States of America that should be celebrating the ideals this country was founded on. We are now literally the Divided States of America, as shown in the last three elections. Pretty close to evenly split for who is on what side of how this country is being run”

Janis: “Enjoying time with family as we all give thanks for this wonderful nation & the freedoms we enjoy. Spending a time of fun, fellowship, & eating good food.”

Susan from Stillwater, Minnesota: “I'll be working! Hospitals don't close for holidays, I'm not complaining, I love my job”

Cynthia from Fort Worth, Texas: "We will be celebrating the 4th of July with Birthday cake for [my son born on the 4th] and his wife, an immigrant, also born on the 4th of July. Its great to celebrate our great country and the two of them.”

🧠 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re American or if yesterday was just a normal Tuesday, we hope you had a great Fourth of July. We will see you all tomorrow!

—Max and Max