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Good morning, it's Wednesday, July 29. Apple is betting you'll want to lease your next iPhone, while a lucky winner became the owner of Colonel Sanders' handwritten recipe notes. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: a moth species that tastes with its wings (Sci. & Tech.), an earthquake in Japan (Pol. & World Affairs), Mexico's crime-fighting mother (In-Depth), a message in a bottle found 53 years later (Etc.), and much more.
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Need To Know
Breaking news: The US thwarted an Iranian missile attack on US forces in the Middle East last night, while US and Saudi forces struck Iranian proxies in Iraq. See the latest updates here.
Apple's Upgrade Push
Apple yesterday announced a new option for customers to lease iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches. The move came as the company briefly hit a $5T valuation after surpassing Nvidia in market value earlier this week.
The program, called Upgrade, involves a partnership with buy-now-pay-later company Klarna. Customers can lease iPhones for up to two years, starting at $17.99 per month (the iPhone 17 Pro will cost up to $45.99 per month). At the one- or two-year mark, customers can purchase their existing device for an additional fee, upgrade it, or return it. Estimates show the average iPhone replacement cycle has grown to nearly four years; if the leasing option is successful, a portion of Apple’s customers are expected to upgrade almost twice as often. The program may also allow Apple to better spread out revenue across quarters.
Did you know the iPhone drove 51% of Apple’s total revenue in FY2024? Here’s what made up the other 49% (w/chart).
$20B FIFA Spinoff
FIFA, soccer's nonprofit global governing body, is planning to create a $20B for-profit spinoff to run commercial and event operations, including the World Cup.
Under the plan, FIFA would retain exclusive control over football governance, the match calendar and competitions, as well as regulatory and sporting decisions. Noncontrolling stakes of up to 20% would be offered to private investors to raise up to $4.2B. One of the lead investors will reportedly be a venture capital fund founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. FIFA says the capital raise would be used to expand development funding for its 211 national member associations. Europe's soccer federation criticized the plan, accusing FIFA of commercializing soccer.
FIFA generated a record-breaking $15B in revenue from the 2026 World Cup, driven by a 48-team format, massive broadcasting deals, and high ticket prices. Tune in to "1440 Explores" to learn how FIFA became a sporting juggernaut.
🫶 Humankind: Animal shelter makes custom wheelchair out of Hot Wheels for a kitten, named Gelato, with a spinal injury.
A Finger Lickin’ Auction
Personal items and property belonging to KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders went up for auction yesterday in Kentucky, marking the first time the personal collection was offered publicly.
The sale featured 68 pieces of memorabilia from Sanders and his wife, Claudia, including his signature black clip-on bow tie, engraved pressure cookers, personal watches, an original cash register, and a bust sculpted by his daughter. Among the most notable items is Sanders' 1964 day planner, containing handwritten notes and a list of 11 herbs and spices that later became the subject of a 2001 lawsuit by KFC seeking to keep the contents private.
The couple's three-acre Shelbyville property—home to the 5,000-square-foot Blackwood Hall mansion and the still-operating Claudia Sanders Dinner House—is being sold via sealed-bid auction, with final bids due Friday. See the property here.
Sanders sold KFC for $2M in 1964. Today, KFC is the world's third most valuable restaurant brand. See all the auction items—and learn why restaurants are embracing "The Great Chickening."
In partnership with Quince
Last One Standing at the Carousel
There's a certain kind of suitcase that feels expensive the second you lift it … the shell has real heft-to-weight balance, its wheels glide across every surface, a handle that has a satisfying *click* into place. Historically, that feel came with a designer price tag.
But Quince has rolled into the picture. They build hard-shell luggage with the same virgin Makrolon polycarbonate, YKK zippers, and TSA-approved locks the premium names use—minus the markup. See how the build stacks up (w/ photos): a carry-on runs under $130 and a bundle starts at under $230, a fraction of what the big names charge.
Upgrade your travel kit without the sticker shock. We combed the reviews for you—scroll to the 4.9-star sets—and every order lands with free shipping and 365-day returns.
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In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Booker Prize Foundation announces 13 semifinalists for the top fiction prize, including two previous winners and three debut authors (More, scroll to see book covers)
> Ariana Grande sues two unidentified hackers, alleging they leaked hundreds of songs and studio footage stolen from her collaborators (More) | Grande's eighth studio album, "Petal," drops Friday (More)
> Apple TV unveils trailer for "Ted Lasso" Season 4 ahead of Aug. 5 release date; the season follows the titular character as he begins coaching a women's soccer team (More, w/trailer)
Science & Technology
> Baidu begins testing autonomous vehicles with human safety operators in London in partnership with Lyft; the Chinese tech giant is vying to compete with Alphabet’s Waymo, which began testing robotaxis in the city earlier this year (More)
> Scientists discover moth species that has 33 taste and scent receptors on its wings that it uses to identify which plants to lay its eggs on (More)
> Smart wound dressing captures and rereleases the body's own healing proteins to accelerate healing of living human skin in laboratory tests (More) | Scroll through the study for photos (More, warning—sensitive)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq -0.2%) (More) | Forty stock market terms everyone should know (More)
> Shein's US operations under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, company reveals ahead of initial public offering; details not disclosed (More) | eBay, former executives to pay $56M to couple who was target of harassment and stalking scheme (More)
> Johnson & Johnson offers $5.5B to settle remaining lawsuits alleging the company's talc-based products caused ovarian cancer (More)
In partnership with Immersed
The Next Device After Smartphones
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Politics & World Affairs
> President Donald Trump eulogizes the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at memorial service in Washington, DC (More, w/photos) | Senate confirms Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence (More)
> Teen receives life sentence without parole for fatally shooting four people in 2024 at Georgia's Apalachee High School (More)
> A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Japan's Kyushu island, injuring at least 100 people and trapping others inside a shopping mall, part of which has collapsed (More) | See aerial footage of the mall (More via YouTube)
In-Depth
> "She Was Almost a Batman Figure"
The Guardian | Sam Edwards. A grieving mother became Mexico's biggest crime-fighting celebrity. But did she go too far? (Read)
> The Patient Zero Myth
Be Smart | Staff. For decades, one man was blamed for bringing AIDS to America. DNA evidence revealed a very different story. (Watch)
In partnership with Quince
Baggage You'll Actually Want
The suitcase gets the glory, but the trip is won in the details. Quince’s Voyage nylon line handles the in-between—a dual-compartment weekender that keeps shoes off shirts, a garment duffle that delivers a suit uncreased. See the Voyage line here (w/ photos).
Same fraction-of-the-price logic as all of Quince’s products, same 365-day returns. Pack for two nights or ten—bundle it with a suitcase and save.
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Etcetera
Study finds more than 90% of parents fight in a baby's first year.
What are the top drivers of inflation?
Introducing the worst aquarium ever.
It’s possible to breastfeed without ever giving birth.
Comparing cheaper food prices at Trader Joes vs. Costco.
A 9-year-old’s message in a bottle washes ashore 53 years later.
Three hypothetical planets show how aliens could take different forms. (w/video)
Are some people tick magnets?
... and a squirrel takes the spotlight at an MLB game. (w/video)
In partnership: Only one day left to invest in Immersed.*
Clickbait: Scientists are turning to OnlyMarms.
Historybook: Vincent van Gogh dies (1890); NASA is established (1958); 750 million people worldwide watch wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (1981); Nobel Prize-winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin dies (1994).
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