The Daily Valet. - 10/31/22, Monday

✔️ A Rebuke of Bolsonaro

Monday, October 31st Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Halloween fun fact: I dressed up as Batman three years in a row as a kid.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Brazil Elects Lula, in a Rebuke of Bolsonaro

It’s an impressive comeback for the former Brazilian president. And joins other left-wing politicians replacing conservative leaders.

Twenty years after first winning the Brazilian presidency, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in the country’s closest presidential race in history Sunday. It also marks an about-face for the nation after four years of far-right politics.

The victory completes a stunning political revival for da Silva—from the presidency to prison and back—that had once seemed unthinkable. But his victory will likely see an aggressive challenge by Bolsonaro, who has for months claimed without any evidence that Brazil’s electronic voting system can be manipulated.

Misinformation soared during the campaign, which also saw politically motivated violence. Although the balloting was largely peaceful, there were several violent incidents during the campaign with authorities reporting the killings of at least four da Silva supporters at the hands of pro-Bolsonaro fanatics.

But the results on Sunday showed that tens of millions of Brazilians had grown tired of his polarizing style and the frequent turmoil of his administration. It was the first time an incumbent president failed to win re-election in the 34 years of Brazil’s modern democracy. Da Silva has promised to “rebuild and transform” the country. He wants to bring in centrists and even some leaning to the right who voted for him for the first time, and to restore the country’s more prosperous past.

Many analysts said the world’s fourth-largest democracy was on the line on Sunday, with voters choosing whether to cement Brazil’s far-right path under Bolsonaro or return the country to the leftist policies it saw under da Silva in the early aughts.

His victory also means that every major country in Latin America, from Argentina to Mexico, will be led by a leftist government when he takes office on January 1. Colombia elected its first leftist president earlier this year, and Chile and Honduras last year voted for left-wing politicians to replace conservative leaders.

↦ Dig Deeper: Here’s how Jair Bolsonaro built the myth of “stolen elections” in Brazil.

A Halloween Disaster in Seoul

The crowd surge leaves South Korea reeling, as death toll rises to 154

South Korean authorities are investigating the crowd surge that killed at least 154 partygoers (and injured more than 133) in Seoul, as the rattled nation attempts to come to terms with one of its worst-ever disasters, CNN reports.

The incident occurred on Saturday night, as young Halloween revelers packed into an alleyway barely 11 feet wide. There were few police officers around, and from within the bottleneck of human traffic came calls to “push, push” and a big shove, according to witnesses.

Toppled revelers were trapped for as long as 40 minutes, stacked on one another “like dominoes” in a chaotic crush so intense that clothes were ripped off. At least 1,700 emergency workers and 140 vehicles from across South Korea were deployed to the streets to help injured people.

In this ultra-wired, high-tech country, the terror and grief—as well as many of the details of what happened—are playing out most vividly on social media. Videos show that even hours before the crush began, large numbers of people were congregating in the area and that it was beginning to show signs of trouble. And witnesses say there was very little, if any, crowd control before the mass of people turned deadly.

↦ FYI: The U.S. Embassy in Seoul confirmed that two U.S. citizens, students who were studying abroad, were among the casualties.

Partner

What is “American style”? This retailer has teamed up with a cast of all-American style innovators and fashion labels to find out.

A Campaign Against Cyberflashing

Bumble’s got a new ‘Private Detector’ and it’s now open to the wider tech community

First, a vocabulary lesson (because I hadn't heard this term until now): Cyberflashing is the act of sending non-consensual nude photos via your phone. As you know, it's an all too common occurrence that's often not taken very seriously.

Maybe they're just referred to as “unsolicited dick pics”, but the dating app Bumble is trying to combat the violation on its app, while also campaigning for the act to be made illegal in the United States and U.K. In 2019, the app launched its artificial intelligence tool Private Detector, which alerts users when they've been sent an explicit photo and automatically blurs the image. The user then has the choice of viewing, deleting or reporting the image.

And now the dating app is making a version of the tool available to the wider tech community. The move will allow other companies to modify the code for their own sites or apps—which will hopefully protect the nearly 50% of Americans who have been sent an unsolicited sext the next time they're sent something without giving consent.

Meanwhile, more and more states are making it illegal. Which means in California, Texas and Virginia, you can actually sue if you receive unwanted, explicit images or videos. And the same laws are being established in England and Ireland.

↦ FYI: A Southwest pilot recently threatened to turn the plane around and go home if passengers didn’t stop AirDropping nudes to each other.

Dude, Where Is My Bag?

Airline passenger complaints up 320% compared with pre-pandemic figures

Checking your baggage can be among the most stressful parts of the air travel journey for anyone who has either heard other people's lost luggage horror stories or experienced missing baggage fiascos firsthand. Personally, I was carry-on only until I leaned into the conveinence of curbside check-in.

But more than half of people recently surveyed said an airline has lost their luggage in the past, and just 34% of them have received their missing bags. And the Department of Transportation just announced it received more than 7,000 complaints from flyers in August alone—a 6% increase compared with the month prior and a 320% increase compared with pre-pandemic levels.

According to Travel + Leisure, American Airlines, out of all national airlines, lost the most bags in 2022—misplacing 850 bags per 100,000. That was followed by JetBlue, United and Alaska Airlines. When it came to airports losing luggage, Chicago's O'Hare International had the most issues, followed by Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, and San Diego International.

Luggage issues came to a head over the summer as airlines and airports struggled to keep up with demand amid a combination of staffing shortages and air traffic control problems. But lost luggage is unfortunately nothing new: Last year, for example, the number of delayed, damaged, lost or stolen bags increased by 24%. And even though the amount of bags getting lost is still less than 1% of all bags, it's a reminder that if you're going to check it, be sure that you can replace it.

↦ FYI: Travel writer Christopher Elliott outlines how to prevent lost luggage—or get compensation if you do end up without your bags.

In Other News

↦ Men Exonerated in Malcolm X Killing to Receive $36 million

↦ Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Was Attacked With a Hammer by an Intruder Who Broke Into Their Home

↦ Why Paganism and Witchcraft Are Making a Comeback

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The benefits of scaring yourself

Celebrity Halloween costumes

‘David Pumpkins’ returns

Partner

MR PORTER Salutes American Style

Showcasing the very best brands from across the country

The quintessential British retailer MR PORTER has just dropped their largest capsule collection to date and it's a celebration of American style and culture. The exclusive range features over 40 brands with more than 600 pieces—from clothing and footwear, to accessories and fine jewelry.

The retailer is calling it “a love letter to the U.S.A. as told from the perspective of the people and cultures within it.” Created to champion American craft and creativity, the 360° campaign will span a three-week takeover featuring an impressive cast of innovators, from downtown culture-makers to pioneers on the plains.

Look for unique items and exclusive pieces from Bode, Tom Ford, The Elder Statesman, Rhude and Ralph Lauren RRL, among others. This love letter to all-American style will also introduce a dozen new U.S. brands to the online shop, including Cherry LA, Greg Yuna, Jeff Hamilton and Collina Strada. We've pulled together a few of our favorite pieces below.

Hemp-cotton T-shirt, $150 by Polite Worldwide

Camo camp collar shirt, $420 by Les Tien

GENERAL ADMISSION Cotton-Canvas Trousers

Cotton-canvas trousers, $265 by GENERAL ADMISSION

Wine Club camp collar shirt, $620 by Rhude

Distressed flannel shirt, $360 by John Elliott

Pigment-dyed T-shirt, $75 by Camp High

↦ Check It Out: The full collection is available now, but items are limited and going fast.

What We’re Eyeing

These shoes ($637) were made to last a lifetime. Known for both its beauty and durability, Shell Cordovan is a material noted since ancient times for its resistance to creasing and wear. Slowear has partnered with Sebago on a pair of slip-ons cut from the legendary leather in a classic beefroll penny loafer style. Finished with Sebago's ultra-comfortable and breathable leather sock lining and insole, they're designed for all-day comfort.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week

Partner

Push Yourself, Bruce Wayne Style

ASYSTEM has partnered with Warner Bros. and DC Comics to create a limited edition line-up of supplements inspired by the secret identity of Gotham City's hero himself, Bruce Wayne. The new PRE-WORKOUT+ formula will keep you focused and boost your energy thanks to the potent combination of InnovaTea® (a caffeine source extracted from fermented tea leaves), and Tibetan Cordyceps (known as “Himalayan gold”) that naturally speeds up recovery. Bruce Wayne is the embodiment of sophistication and innovation, so ASYSTEM combined cutting-edge science with technical style for this daily supplement that enhances your endurance and reaction time while reducing any fatigue for superhero-level performance. All in a handsome jar that looks great on your bathroom counter (or hidden behind a secret door).

↦ Try It: $45 by ASYSTEM