The Daily Valet. - 11/11/20, Wednesday

✔️ Where Do We Go From Here?

Wednesday, November 11th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

To all of those who have served, and those who continue to serve ... thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Biden Seems to Be Moving Forward

States are pressing on with vote counts, while fraud lawsuits are dismissed

It appears with each passing day, President Trump's unprecedented claims of wide spread voter fraud are taken less seriously. According to the Washington Post, six states where Trump has threatened to challenge his defeat continued their march toward declaring certified election results, and his advisers are acknowledging that President-elect Joe Biden’s official victory is less a question of “if” than “when.”

Yesterday, Trump’s campaign said it would file a federal lawsuit in Michigan to stop the state from certifying Biden’s win. The campaign filed a similar suit in Pennsylvania on Monday, but Secretary of State Kathryn Boockvar moved to dismiss it Tuesday, arguing Trump’s lawyers failed to present a case.

Other defenses are drying up as well. The New York Times called election officials representing both parties in every state and were told that there was no evidence of fraud or other irregularities. And a Pennsylvania postal worker, whose claims have been used as evidence by top Republicans as potential proof of widespread voter fraud, admitted to U.S. Postal Service investigators that he lied.

But Trump, facing the prospect of leaving the White House in defeat in just 70 days, isn't giving up despite being unable to produce any evidence of fraud. Which is likely why his argument isn't gaining much traction among the public. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday found that 80% of Americans believe Biden won the election, (including nearly 6 in 10 Republicans). Just 3% say Trump won, according to the poll, while 13% say the election hasn’t been decided.

However, Trump still has the support of most Republican lawmakers in Congress. And even his Secretary of State fueled concerns by insisting the State Department would ensure “a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.” And while several of the Defense Department's most senior officials are fired and replaced with perceived loyalists to the President, Biden is holding press conferences as the President-elect.

Biden called Trump’s unwillingness to concede the presidential election an “embarrassment” but said it wouldn’t impede his White House transition. On Tuesday, he spoke with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Ireland. Most major world leaders have congratulated him on his victory, including close Trump allies like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. So I guess we're all still just waiting to see what happens.

↦ Moving forward: The Wall Street Journal examines the relationship between president-elect Biden and Senate leader Mitch McConnell ... and how these old sparring partners could hold the key to future cooperation.

COVID Is Officially Out of Control

Our hospitalizations are now at an all-time high

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented surge of hospitalizations across the country. On Tuesday, 61,964 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus—more than at any other time in the pandemic, reports The Atlantic. For context, there are now 40% more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than there were two weeks ago.

With all the information (and misinformation) swirling, it can be hard to keep up. And when you don't see the virus affecting those around you personally, it's easy for fatigue to set in. As more communities and economies experiment with reopening, it's hard to know what you should or shouldn't do.

But Bloomberg reports that researchers at Stanford University and Northwestern University found that the reopening of restaurants, gyms and hotels carries the highest danger, according to a study that used mobile phone data from 98 million people to model the risks of infection at different locations.

Just when I was getting ready to go back to the barbershop, too. But experts such as Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, are warning about gathering inside during winter. And hospitals are already running out of intensive care unit beds.

↦ Meanwhile: The Supreme Court appears ready to uphold Affordable Care Act over latest challenge from Republican lawmakers.

Special Promotion

Technically speaking, it only takes about 48 hours to distill a barrel of whisky. It’s what happens next that matters.

Today Is a Lot of Days

Why have one when you can have them all?

I'm not sure what it is about today, November 11th, but it's somehow emerged as multiple holidays.

First, it's Veteran's Day. This holiday started as a day to reflect upon the heroism of those who died in our country's service and was originally called Armistice Day. It fell on Nov. 11 because that's the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. But in 1954, President Eisenhower officially changed it to "Veterans Day" to account for all veterans in all wars. And each year, the official ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. (Of course, this year's ceremony is closed to the public.)

It's also Singles Day—the world’s biggest shopping day of the year. It first started in China as a celebration of being single but has slowly been growing globally as well. Just how big is it? Alibaba, Asia's largest tech platform, said total purchases for 2020's extended Singles Day had passed the $56 billion mark early Tuesday. That dwarfs the record $10.4 billion spent during Amazon's two-day Prime Day event last month.

And finally, it's Corduroy Appreciation Day. Why? Because the date, 11/11 looks like the fuzzy vertical ribs on corduroy fabric (officially known as wales). When the world isn't closed for a pandemic, you often see groups of dapper men celebrating, but now, enthusiasts are likely saving the wales for next year.

↦ FYI: Veterans and Gold Star Families will now be granted free access to national parks starting this Veterans Day.

Beards Are Back

UPS joins others easing their rules on facial hair

UPS is loosening its guidelines on employee appearance, including lifting a longstanding ban on facial hair and allowing natural Black hairstyles like Afros and braids, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The delivery giant—which currently employs more than 500,000 people—said the new policy allows facial hair, saying beards and mustaches “are definitely acceptable as long as they are worn in a businesslike manner and don't create a safety concern,” according to the company.

And they're not alone. The American workplace has become a facial hair free-for-all lately. Even the Navy has announced that they're reviewing their current facial hair policy after getting plenty of feedback from sailors who are sick of shaving.

And it seems to be the right time, since more and more men have experimented with beards during the early days of the pandemic lockdown and now many will be growing facial hair for No Shave November and Movember.

↦ Warning: Growing a beard doesn't mean you don't care for it. Don't be like Jack. Use these tips and products to take care of your facial hair.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The PC guy’s return

Hand creams that really work

Trader Joe’s frozen food

Special Promotion

The Secrets of Aging Whisky

The art and science of a good bottle (or barrel) of Scotch

Technically speaking, it only takes about 48 hours to distill a barrel of whisky. But it takes time—over a decade really—to develop that liquid into a tasty golden spirit. Within those dark casks, the liquor undergoes continual chemical changes. The charred oak of the barrel itself actually absorbs some the harshness of alcohol that can give young whiskeys such a rough edge. Take it out too quickly and you'll miss out on the depth of flavors which make good bottles in such demand. And worth so much.

When first distilled, the whisky being sealed up in its barrel is much more like a biting moonshine than the smooth spirit we've all come to appreciate. Instead of a rich caramel hue, the infant whisky is clear and smells a lot like the malted barley from which it's made. But once the barrel is corked, that's when the alchemy begins.

Of course, when it comes to that decade-plus rest, the wooden barrel it's aged in plays a big role. For the legendary distillers and malt masters at Glenfiddich, this is how they craft the flavors and develop the nuances that separate one bottle from the next.

↦ Learn More: How Glenfiddich ages four standout bottles.