The Daily Valet. - 10/29/19, Tuesday

✔️ LA Evacuates, an AirPod Update and Sartorial Advice

October 29, 2019

Tuesday, October 29th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Now I hate my old AirPods ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

California Continues to Burn

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles residents flee the blaze

Up and down the state, wildfires are driving California residents from their homes. On Monday, tens of thousands of Los Angeles residents were forced to flee as a fast-moving blaze swept through the area. LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger were among those looking for a place to stay after evacuating.

Known as the Getty fire, it required officials to seal off main interchanges of the 405, the nation's busiest highway, as the wind-driven brush fire chewed through hillside communities throughout the canyons. According to LA's mayor, there are over 500 firefighters battling the blaze alone. Unfortunately, high winds are expected to return to much of the state today, fanning the flames and prompting more blackouts.

And while helicopters doused the hills to protect the priceless artworks at the nearby Getty Center and homes went up in flames, other crews cleared the ground around the Kincade fire 400 miles north in Sonoma County.

That fire has doubled in size in the last 24 hours and was only five percent contained on Monday. The blaze has burned more than 66,000 acres, an area nearly twice the size of the city of San Francisco, which covers 47 square miles—and the fire is still growing.

↦ Want to Help? Consider donating to The California Fire Foundation, a non-profit that provides emotional and financial assistance to first responders, families of fallen firefighters and the communities they protect.

The First Formal Vote on Impeachment

After resisting a floor vote for weeks, Democrats are ready to move forward with one

The House plans to vote on a resolution laying out Democrats’ next steps in the impeachment inquiry on Thursday, forcing lawmakers to go on record in support or opposition of the investigation and dictating the rules for its next phase. News of the vote came as the investigation hit a new roadblock, when former deputy national security adviser Charles Kupperman defied a House subpoena for testimony that was scheduled for Monday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the vote would “affirm” the existing probe (now in its sixth week) and establish which hearings would be open and how the transcripts from witnesses who have already testified in closed sessions would be released.

According to the Washington Post, Pelosi said the vote would also grant due process to the president and his attorney, countering a repeated criticism by Trump and his allies that he's been treated unfairly. This is definitely a sign that Pelosi is confident; she rarely embarks on a roll call without knowing the outcome.

Today will also bring the first testimony from someone who listened in on the infamous Ukraine call firsthand—an Army officer who was the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council. He twice reported concerns about President Trump’s pressure tactics on Ukraine, acting out of a “sense of duty.”

↦ Where Lawmakers Stand: The New York Times is keeping an updated list of who supports the impeachment inquiry.

The Update We’ve Been Waiting For?

Apple launches higher-end AirPods Pro with noise-cancellation

Apple announced the much-rumored noise-canceling AirPods Pro—not with a splashy product event, but via a humble press release. The premium earbuds will be officially released tomorrow, but you can pre-order them today for $249.

Like the second-gen AirPods, the Pros support wireless charging and hands-free Siri commands. They still only come in white, but the shape has been refined and the stems shrunk down. The new meme-inspiring buds include interchangeable flexible tips to improve their fit and, I assume, help enable the noise cancellation feature.

According to The Verge, the technology used here sounds very similar to the noise cancellation in the new Beats Solo Pro headphones, just miniaturized to a much smaller form factor. Apple says noise cancellation is adjusted up to 200 times per second.

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely interested. I love my first-gen AirPods and was waiting on noise-cancelation to upgrade. And they're sweat- and water-resistant? Once again, Apple gets my hard-earned money.

↦ In Other Tech News: Google's owner Alphabet has made an offer to acquire Fitbit, in a bid to go head to head (or wrist to wrist) with Apple Watch.

Missouri’s Only Abortion Clinic Is in Jeopardy

If they close, it would make Missouri the first state in decades without a medical abortion clinic

Hearings have begun to determine whether the Planned Parenthood branch in St. Louis will be able to keep its license after state health officials declined to renew it, as the Associated Press reported on Monday. If this legal battle ends with its license getting revoked, Missouri will become the first state without a licensed abortion clinic since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling in 1973.

This obviously raises some serious questions. The first of which is obviously what people in Missouri (or anyone who lives in any of the six states that only have one licensed abortion clinic left) will do when they want access to an abortion should the last remaining clinic in their state shut down. How will they find a place, how do they get there, and how much will all of these additional obstacles cost? Also notwithstanding is the legal ramifications resulting from Roe v. Wade and the constitutional requirement that protects the procedure “without excessive government restriction.”

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The suede jackets we really want to wear

Making an Eames Lounge Chair from old skateboards

Inside the “sexy Halloween costume industrial complex”

A Sartorial Education

What to know about choosing a tailor

Our friend David Coggins, a consummate gentleman and a best-selling author of Men and Manners, recently tackled the subject of choosing a tailor. I definitely believe that a man should have a few good men behind him—a barber, a personal trainer, a cobbler and, of course, a tailor. Experts you can put your trust in.

"It’s an investment of time and money for a suit that’s going to make an impression and last for years afterward," he writes. "And it’s even trickier since there are so many possibilities and not always a lot of clear answers."

His guide offers some smart, practical advice along with helpful suggestions, but be warned: you're likely going to want to buy a bespoke suit after reading this.

↦ How To: Choose the right tailor for your style and needs.

Sales We’re Eyeing

Tech button-down shirt$98 / $78

Bonobos is currently hosting a big Final Sale, with a range of product moved to 50% off. So we figure it's the ideal time to score some new, quality clothes for the office—nearly all of which rings in under $100. Whether your workplace is buttoned-up or more casual and comfortable, there are plenty of options here, all on steep discount.