The Daily Valet. - 10/6/23, Friday
✔️ A New Morning After Pill
Friday, October 6th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Interestingly, I'm planning to go on a 32-mile bike ride today.
Today’s Big Story
A New “Morning After Pill”
CDC to recommend some people take an antibiotic after sex to prevent sexually transmitted infections
Sex positivity is a good thing. The whole movement is about removing the shame and judgment from sex, sexuality, and sensuality—something that's still all too common. Blame our puritanical roots. Of course, if there's a downside to such sexual freedom, it's the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. It's all fun and games until something starts itching.And you might've heard about a rising STI epidemic in America. Cases are increasing throughout the U.S., with a record 2.5 million total cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in 2021, according to Centers for Disease Control data. Last year, cases remained at near historic high levels—syphilis infections alone shot up 26%, bringing total reported cases to levels that have not been seen since the 1950s.Of course, these statistics do not even include those who have an STI but may not know it and/or don't regularly get tested, etc. (Reminder, get tested every three months.) It's also worth noting that HIV data is collected in a separate CDC Surveillance Report. There were 36,136 cases reported in the United States in 2021.So in an effort to stem the resurgence of these sexually transmitted infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to recommend doxycycline—a widely used antibiotic—for use after an unprotected sexual encounter. Dubbed a “morning after pill for STIs,” it would first be taken only by gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have already had an infection within the previous year or who may be at risk for one—much like the early monkeypox vaccines.The scientific evidence is too limited to recommend the strategy, called doxy-PEP, to all people who might be exposed to infection-causing bacteria during sex. However, this may change as more studies are done, Dr. Jonathan Mermin, who oversees the CDC's STI prevention efforts, told the Associated Press. The recommendations, which provide clinical guidance for the usage of DoxyPEP, are open for public comment for 45 days, and a final version is expected to be published early next year, per CBS News. If it proves effective, then it will be recommended to any and everyone who's had risky, unprotected sex. Be safe out there, kids.
U.S. Will Build Stretch of New Border Wall
Biden administration says it's using executive power to add sections to a border wall to stave off record crossings
The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it would expand former President Donald Trump's wall on the Mexican border—waiving 26 federal laws, including environmental restrictions, to build a new section of the border wall in South Texas. They will also begin deporting thousands of Venezuelans in an effort to cut down on the migrant surge that shows no signs of stopping.The wall announcement was a surprise and a reversal of what Biden promised on the campaign trail. Even after the announcement, Biden told reporters that he still thinks border walls don't work, but construction of the wall will be paid for using already appropriated funds earmarked specifically for physical border barriers. The administration was under a deadline to use them or lose them.Even Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that there was “no new Administration policy with respect to border walls. From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer.” However, since the funds need to spent, they'll focus on a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded in this region during the current fiscal year, so there's “an immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries.”
Dig Deeper:
New restrictions on asylum will lead many migrants to be deported, but others will still get in. Here's a guide to America's chaotic border rules.
Biking to Work Isn’t Gaining Any Ground
From cars parked in the bike lane to a lack of secure parking, It's still Not very easy to ride to work these days
After increased investments in bicycle infrastructure, plenty of experiments with urban bike sharing, an explosion in electric-bike sales and an overall pandemic bike-buying boom, the latest news on bike commuting in the U.S. from the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey isn't all that impressive. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the number of people cycling to work in the U.S. is on the decline.An estimated 731,272 Americans used bicycles as their chief means of transportation to work in 2022, up from 2021 but down almost 75,000 from before the pandemic and 175,000 from the peak year of 2014. But when you look at the state of our roads, Jalopnik asks, “Is there any wonder people are giving up on their cycle to work? It sucks out there.”But the Washington Post points out that the decline might be mainly about where Americans have been moving over the past decade—to outer suburbs, mostly in the Sun Belt, where it's neither pleasant nor safe to bike. Of course, safety on the road is just the first (and arguably most important) aspect that needs tackling. Secondly, we also need to find more space for cyclists to lock up the shiny new e-bikes they bought as part of rebate programs underway across the country.
FYI:
A recent study found that those who regularly bike to work have less stress, more energy and a boost in overall job satisfaction.
Fall Is Canceled!
Ok, Not really ... but orchards across the U.S. have Lost a lot of apples this year, imperiling the pick-your-own business
It's the quintessential fall date or friend hang: Visiting the local apple orchard to pick a bunch of apples, crunch on as many as you can out on a crisp autumn afternoon, ending with some mulled apple cider or spicy cider donuts. I just did this very thing last weekend at Chicago's Apple Fest and am currently looking at a heaping bowl of apples I'll never be able to eat. But not everyone's so lucky.It seems that a late spring freeze and other unpredictable weather during the growing season is affecting orchards from New England to the Midwest. One Vermont farm told The Takeout this week that the orchard lost 90% of its crop in that freeze. As of early October, the orchard had just crossed the threshold of its 3,000th bushel picked. Typically, a season comprises of 50,000 bushels.A Wisconsin orchard is dealing with the same problem, due to a local drought that diminished this year's apple crop. But, there are still more than 20,000 growers (from small farms to oversized orchards) producing a wide range of apple varieties across all 50 states, according to the U.S. Apple Association. Who knew? So start Googling to find one near you and get out there before all those apples are gone.
Dig Deeper:
Thrillist dives into why we love cider donuts so much, plus they found a recipe to make at home.
In Other News
New reports say he shared sensitive information with a member of Mar-a-Lago.
Have you heard about ...
A Weekend Pairing
‘Hit Man’ + a Magic Apple Cocktail
Richard Linklater's Hit Man on Netflix works the way you think it might. We meet the unassuming Gary Johnson, who happens to have a particular set of skills. He talks to strangers about killing their loved ones: family members, business partners, anyone, really, that they want dead. In imaginative detail, he tells them how he'll murder them. There's a contract, money is exchanged, an agreement is made. But the thing about Gary is that he isn't actually a killer; he's working with the cops.In this very loose adaptation of a 2001 Texas Monthly feature (“based on a somewhat true story,” the opening reads), no one is exempt from fantasizing about permanently removing a person from their life. The job grants Gary a glimpse into a fascinating cross-section of people—and he enjoys it. The film is funny, “engrossing and thoughtful,” according to ScreenRant. With its stranger-than-fiction origins, other reviewers think the wild, comedic story will scratch the same itch that Tiger King did—remember that?
Pair It With
The faux hitman storyline got me thinking … not every cocktail has to have booze in it? This autumnal fake-out is made with Ritual whiskey alternative, a tasty and award-winning spirit. It makes for a great sipper without any of the downsides of downing two or three in a row. Binge away.
Also Worth a Watch:
‘The Boogeyman’ on Hulu; ‘One Shot: Overtime Elite’ on Prime Video
Shopping
What We’re Buying
Something affordable
You may have the retail itch in your wallet, and we’re here to help scratch that. I’ve been told I’m a bad influence whenever it comes to retail therapy, but we all need a treat sometimes, right? But who said that to find something nice you have to spend a lot? We’ve rounded up a few items that are budget approved and all under 20 bucks. These cost-conscious picks will have you smelling good and feeling good while keeping plenty of money in your pocket.
Start saving:
Morning Motto
Get out and have some fun.
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