The Daily Valet. - 10/2/20, Friday

✔️ The President Tests Positive

Friday, October 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Keep those masks on ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

The President Has COVID-19

The announcement came after it was reported that White House adviser Hope Hicks contracted the virus

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 early Friday, and are set to quarantine and recover at the White House.

The news came just hours after reports surfaced that senior White House adviser Hope Hicks—who had traveled with Trump several times this week on Air Force One without a mask—tested positive. She began feeling mild symptoms during the plane ride home from a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday evening.

Trump announced the diagnosis via Twitter—just a month before Election Day and after having spent much of the last year largely downplaying the threat of the virus.

Shortly after Trump’s tweet, Sean Conley, the president’s physician, released a memo confirming the test results, noting that Trump and the first lady are “both well at this time,” and “I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption.”

Trump is 74 years old and overweight, which puts him at higher risk of hospitalization and serious complications, reports the Associated Press. Even if he remains asymptomatic, he’ll have to withdraw from the campaign trail and stay isolated for an unknown period of time.

Politically, it’s a major blow for a president who’s been trying to convince the American public that the worst is behind us by holding large rallies where airborne exposure was all but inevitable. This also has to be the most serious public health scare encountered by any sitting American president in recent history.

↦ FYI: On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci pushed back against Trump for misrepresenting his stance on masks during the debates.

This Recession Is the Most Unequal in American History

Decline in household income poses a real hurdle for U.S. rebound

Job losses from the pandemic have overwhelmingly affected low-wage, minority workers most, reports the Washington Post.

Despite a huge spike in job losses between February and April, employment gradually recovered to the same levels as November 2011, in the wake of the Great Recession. White Americans have recovered more than half of their lost jobs. Meanwhile, Black Americans have recovered about a third of employment lost in the pandemic.

According to Time, the pain shows little sign of abating for this unlucky group; in many ways, it’s just getting worse. Congress is still struggling to agree on the next coronavirus relief deal, even as several economic lifeline have expired.

The economy up until now has rebounded more quickly than many economists thought, reports the Wall Street Journal. But as nearly 12 million workers are receiving unemployment compensation, household income continues to drop, threatening to slow the recovery even more as the pandemic creeps along.

↦ Meanwhile: The housing market has staged a furious comeback this summer, even as the economy struggles to regain its footing.

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2019 U.S. Traffic Deaths Lowest in Years

But this year's numbers aren't looking so good.

There's good news and really bad news in a batch of reports released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration focusing on motor-vehicle traffic fatalities.

According to Car and Driver, the good news is that, overall, roads were safer in 2019 than 2018, continuing a three-year trend that started in 2017.

The really bad news is that, if the agency's early estimates bear out, American roads were more dangerous in the second quarter of 2020 than they have been in years—even with fewer cars on the road.

It seems there's less cars, but more drugs. A study of people injured or killed in crashes who were treated at five large trauma centers found that from mid-March to mid-July, almost two-thirds of drivers tested positive for at least one drug, including marijuana, alcohol or opioids. NHTSA said the number of drivers testing positive for opioids nearly doubled after mid-March, compared with the previous six months. Marijuana use was up 50%. Drive safe out there guys.

Subway’s Bread Is Not Bread

So says Ireland’s Supreme Court

No offense to any sandwich artists out there, but I'm not a Subway fan. As a kid, I loved it but these days? I think the meat and pre-cut vegetables lack any real flavor. But I know the company makes a big deal about their fresh-baked bread.

But now that sweet American bread is getting them in trouble oversees. Ireland's Supreme Court has ruled that bread sold by the fast food chain contains so much sugar that it cannot legally be defined as bread in the country, reports CBS News.

That's because Ireland's Value-Added Tax Act of 1972 says tax-exempt bread can't have sugar or fat exceeding 2% of the weight of flour. In Subway's recipe, sugar makes up 10%—five times what the law deems acceptable.

Irish comedians took to Twitter to sum it up this way: We will not be lied to. From now on they will have to be described as "Cakes with Ham in Them".

↦ FYI: In 2014, Subway removed azodicarbonamide, a chemical found in yoga mats, from its breads after an online petition went viral calling for its removal.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Borat’s timely return

What readers bought in September

Lenny Kravtiz’s immortality

Special Promotion

Unlock Your Full Potential

The new Brain Drive from Momentous promises to make work fly by

Remember that Bradley Cooper movie Limitless? Where the guy discovers a pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain abilities? That was the first thing I thought of when I got a chance to try out the new Brain Drive supplement by Momentous. I’m a big fan of their protein powders and the brand’s new offering seemed very alluring.

Without boring you with all the science behind it, the once-a-day capsules were developed to optimize brain function and long-term brain health. How? By supporting the body’s natural dopamine and acetylcholine production, this formula promotes focus and positive mood while boosting motivation, memory and processing speed. This isn’t like pounding some over-caffeinated quick fix—there’s no caffeine at all, so there’s no jitters or crash later on. I’d just pop them first thing in the morning and then get started on my work.

I think what’s most interesting isn’t what I felt but what I didn’t feel. And that’s stressed or agitated (despite an onslaught of Zoom calls and deadlines) and I didn’t feel sluggish come the afternoon. I’ve noticed over the past few weeks of testing that I’m able to concentrate and tackle the day without feeling worn down. When you write about products for a living, you’re always up to try the latest thing. But that also means, I’ve tested a lot of disappointing products and this is one that definitely lived up to its promise.

↦ Get It: Save 15% on one-time purchases or 20% off subscriptions of Brain Drive, by Momentous

Your Weekend Pairing

Ted Lasso + a Pimm’s Cup Cocktail

I’m a little late to the Ted Lasso party, but it seems I discovered the show at just the right time. Because today, the season finale airs on Apple TV+.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, a gum-chewing, soft-drawling American football coach that knows next to nothing about European football—or soccer as we Yanks call it. Sudeikis, who wrote and produced the series told the Los Angeles Times that “Lasso is more than a lovable goof. He’s egoless … He’s Mr. Rogers meets John Wooden.” And truthfully, the feel-good, wise-cracking show makes for a welcome respite from American politics, which feels all but unescapable. For that, I’m grateful and I’ll happily raise a glass to send off this show.

↦ Your Pairing:When it comes to British drinking, if you’re not throwing back a proper pint, a Pimm’s Cup is as English as they come. And frankly, if you haven’t had one in a while, let me tell you the sweetly spiced ginger-laced elixir is easy to make at home. This version from Epicurious was created by Eben Freeman, the bartender at New York’s Tailor restaurant.

What We’re Buying

Carhartt is well-known for their durable and versatile pants, shirts and jackets. But, their best item may just be the simplest and the smallest. With its warm and stretchable rib-knit acrylic fabric, the classic Carhartt beanie is going to keep you warm all winter long. Plus, it's made in the U.S. and comes in over two dozen colors. Any other beanie just isn't worth it.

↦ Get It $14.98 at Amazon