The Daily Valet. - 10/29/20, Thursday

✔️ Let's Talk Halloween

Thursday, October 29th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Like it or not ... today is National Candy Corn Day.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Let’s Talk Halloween

As if 2020 wasn’t scary enough, right?

Halloween should’ve been perfect this year. It’s on a Saturday, there's a full moon and you get an extra hour of sleep the next day. But 2020 had other plans.

With the threat of Covid-19, trick-or-treating may not be safe this year and kids should be kept home, three professors from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine told CNN.

Of course, despite the lack of expected kids, sales of Halloween candy are actually up. I know that I’ve personally polished off at three bags since the start of the month.

And just because we can’t get together for costume parties, doesn’t mean that Halloween is canceled. In fact, it might be why certain decorations are going even further. A Dallas artist’s macabre crime scene-themed lawn is so realistic, police have responded to it multiple times.

Then there’s the 12-foot giant skeleton that's been showing up more on social media ... Esquire looks into the phenomenon and just how this big bag of bones became the savior of Halloween ’20.

If you’re really jonesing for some scares, skip the horror movies and book yourself into an overnight stay at a haunted house or ghost-infested inn. That's what my friend and travel writer Natalie Compton did. Read about her experience, if you dare.

↦ DIg Deeper: National Geographic delves into the history of American jack-o’-lanterns.

COVID Waves Keep Crashing Down

Europe and U.S. facing new round of shutdowns

France announced a second nationwide lockdown and Germany moved to the very edge of one on Wednesday, testing their pandemic-weary populations as they tried to stop a mounting new wave of coronavirus infections from swamping hospitals and undoing hopes of economic recovery, reports the New York Times.

Meanwhile, the White House's COVID-19 testing czar warned that local governments may be forced to impose “draconian measures” if Americans don’t start taking safety precautions seriously and the coronavirus crisis worsens.

According to NBC News, the warning came as the coronavirus was spreading across the United States at the fastest rate since the start of the pandemic, also contradicted President Donald Trump’s repeatedly false claims that increased testing is the reason for the uptick in reported coronavirus cases.

The resurgence and the resulting clampdown sent a shudder through Wall Street. The S&P 500 fell 3.5%, its biggest drop since June, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 943 points, or 3.4%.

↦ FYI: In the U.S., more than 71,000 people a day are testing positive for COVID-19, up from 51,000 two weeks ago.

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Feeling a little ragged lately? Maybe it’s time to optimize your sleep so you wake up refreshed.

Supreme Court Allows Longer Deadlines for Absentee Ballots

Battleground states get time to catch up

Democrats won two significant Supreme Court victories involving voting deadlines in key battleground states Wednesday, as the justices allowed extended periods for receiving mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, reports the Washington Post.

They declined to disturb decisions that will allow Pennsylvania officials to receive ballots cast by Election Day but delivered within three days after November 3rd, and a ruling by North Carolina’s elections board that set a grace period of nine days.

“The extension simply makes it easier for more people to vote absentee in the middle of a global pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans,” the appeals court ruled. Republicans in both states opposed the extensions. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court on Tuesday, took no part in the decision because she had not had time to fully review the briefs, the court said.

Democrats have consistently pushed for more lenient rules when it comes to mail-in ballots, especially at a time when mail is slowing—particularly in swing states. In Philadelphia, 42% of all first-class mail is taking longer than five days to be delivered, reports Patriot-News. For comparison, that figure was 33% two weeks ago and just 13% in January, before a series of changes handed down by the Trump administration led to a demonstratable national slowdown.

↦ Meanwhile: Millions of mail-in ballots have not been returned as the window closes for USPS delivery.

Harley-Davidson Introduces Electric Bike

But you’ll have to wait until spring to get one

Heritage American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson has unveiled its first foray into the world of eBikes. This week, they introduced the Serial 1, a bicycle inspired by the brand's original motorbike from 1903.

According to Acquire, the separate secondary-brand is led by a number of Harley Davidson alumni, who aim to channel the spirit of the company's storied history into powerful e-bikes that will launch next spring.

And while there haven't been many specs shared just yet, it's definitely got style. A thin black frame acts as the base for a brown tan leather seat and complementing handlebars, while retro-styled white tires wrap around two multi-spoke rims.

The Verge reports that electric bike sales in America have been exploding since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, though most e-bikes are imported from overseas. Last year, the U.S. imported about 270,000 e-bikes. This year, the total is expected to end up somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000.

↦ Check Out: Get more information and sign-up for updates from Serial 1 Cycles.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Gentlemanly time

The new Oreo doomsday vault

Aimé Leon Dore for Woolrich

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Rethinking My Nighttime Routine

A better night’s rest leads to a more productive day

It’s not uncommon to feel a bit run down these days. Working from home means a lot of us are working more at all hours of the day. In between work, I’m fitting in workouts, time for loved ones and volunteering with an organization to get out the vote—all while maintaining best practices when it comes to living through a pandemic. So when I finally lay my head down at the end of a long day, my mind would swirl with thoughts and ideas. I’d wrestle the covers and eventually wake feeling tired and unprepared for the new day.

Adding to this chaos is the looming time change this weekend, so I figured it’s time to rethink my pre-bed routine. The first change I made was that I started reading again before bed. This wasn’t really motivated by the warnings of blue light or detoxing from digital. It was simply the only time I could commit to picking up a book. The good news is that reading is an ideal way to slow your mind and pull your focus away from the churn of social media.

Secondly, I leaned into getting ready for bed. No longer just a flurry of teeth brushing and face scrubbing, I really slowed down and embraced taking care of myself. I washed my face for a full 30 second, working the lather into the skin and giving my face a soft massage. The same goes for a good body lotion. Apotheke’s Hinoki Lavender lotion ($22) has a soothing scent that reminds me of a favorite Tokyo hotel. Working it into my skin methodically is a muscle-relaxing ritual that I now look forward to each night.

And finally, I started popping the all-natural Elite Sleep ($65) supplement from clean sports nutrition company Momentous. The research-backed formula was created to help athletes fall asleep easier and achieve higher quality sleep, thus improving recovery and performance. Now I don’t know exactly how this combination of natural nutrients works to quiet the brain and relax the body, I just know I wake up refreshed without any grogginess.

↦ Learn More: Elite Sleep from Momentous