The Daily Valet. - 1/11/21, Monday

✔️ This Week Will Be Interesting

January 11, 2021

Monday, January 11th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Welcome to the second full week of 2021. What a year, huh?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Impeachment Is Imminent

The majority of Americans now support Trump's removal from office

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority force him out, reports the Associated Press.

Pelosi’s leadership team will seek a vote on a resolution calling on officials to invoke the 25th Amendment, with a full House vote expected on Tuesday. Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to resign and “go away as soon as possible.”

As the president's last remaining 10 days in office hang in the balance, he remains essentially holed up and isolated in the White House. Trump hasn't been seen since being permanently shut out of all social media.

Vice President Pence—who was targeted by the pro-Trump mob on Wednesday—has remained silent. The cabinet is all but invisible. The White House lowered their flags to half-staff for the slain Capitol Police office on Sunday after for not doing so immediately.

As the dust settles and more images and videos of what went down at and inside the Capitol, the severity of the event is coming into focus more clearly. As longtime Mitch McConnell adviser Josh Holmes put it: “The more time, images, and stories removed from Wednesday the worse it gets. If you’re not in a white hot rage over what happened by now you’re not paying attention.”

While impeaching Trump a second time is a complex and politically risky act, the majority of Americans want the president removed immediately, according to ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Sunday. More than 56% say Trump should be removed from office—a historically unprecedented number. For comparison, neither Bill Clinton nor Richard Nixon ever got past 40%.

↦ Dig Deeper: The Washington Post has a full reconstruction of Wednesday’s siege: “The Capitol mob: a raging collection of grievances and disillusionment...”

We Can’t Catch a COVID Break

Numbers are rising in nearly every state

It took about over three months for the United States to reach its first 2 million cases of coronavirus last year. But it took just 10 days to hit 2.2 million cases in 2021, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Sadly, at this rate, January will be the deadliest month since the pandemic began, reports CNN.

The U.S. will surpass 375,000 deaths from COVID-19 today, reports the New York Times. And experts have been startled by the pace at which significant new variants have emerged, adding new urgency to the race between the world’s best defenses—vaccinations, lockdowns and social distancing.

What's more, many members of Congress are now at heightened risk for contracting the virus. When many House lawmakers sheltered in place in a committee hearing room during the Capitol attack they may have been exposed to someone infected with the virus, Congress' attending physician, Brian Monahan, said in a letter to lawmakers Sunday.

And while states feared that they'd suffer vaccine shortages, now some hospitals are having to throw away doses. As of this weekend, a little more than 6.6 million people had received their first dose, according to the CDC. The incoming Biden administration announced on Friday it would distribute doses that the government has been holding back for millions of second doses.

↦ On the Bright-side: The NFL considering filling Super Bowl seats with vaccinated health care workers.

The U.S. Just Got a New National Park

New River Gorge was designated National Park status thanks to the COVID-19 stimulus bill

A popular rock climbing and whitewater rafting destination in southeastern West Virginia has officially become a U.S. national park, thanks to the latest COVID-19 stimulus package.

New River Gorge in West Virginia was named the country’s 63rd National Park with the bill’s signing, reports Vice. Previously designated as a National River, the park encompasses 73,000 acres of stoke-heavy canyon landscape. More than 65,000 acres of the area is designated as a nature preserve allowing for fishing, hunting, and backcountry hiking.

Outside describes the New River Gorge area as an "underrated adventure hub," and sees the designation as the park finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Environmental protection for the area comes with its new name as well. While the Trump administration has been pushing back against such protection since 2016, an area designated as a National Park bars the wilderness from private ownership, meaning it can't be purchased by companies.

↦ Meanwhile: Scientists discovered dwarf giraffes (and frankly, I'd like to adopt one).

LG Introduces a New Transparent TV

The future of screens may be see-through

LG Display is continuing its trend of reimagining the future of screens at CES 2021 with a new transparent TV, reports The Verge.

The panel is a 55-inch OLED, but its transparent design lets you see through it even when it’s turned on and displaying an image. The screen achieves 40% transparency, LG Display says, which is an improvement over past transparent LCDs the company claims achieved only 10% transparency.

According to Engadget, this is just one of the many transparent OLED demos at the CES 2021, kicking off today. In-person product demos and networking events are off the table, of course, but the all-virtual show must go on. PC Magazine has what we can expect to see at the reimagined electronics show.

↦ Dig Deeper: Here are CES trends to look for in TV streaming, fitness apps, video chat software.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The most secure messaging app

The Tiger doc

‘Seinfeld’ style

Upgrade Your Ergonomics

Your back (and your productivity) will thank you

Ergonomics has an odd reputation. Somehow it's been filtered into corporate jargon to make employees feel better about sitting in front of their computers for hours on end without complaining.

But our own Ethan Thomas asks, "How are you reading this right now. Hunched over your laptop or phone? Shoulders pinned to your ears? Perhaps in an under-lit room, on a bright screen? An odd pain in your butt, that maybe you're just now noticing because I've mentioned it?"

That's why it's smart to tweak your workspace to suit your bodily needs. Because ignoring it could lead to back, neck and shoulder injuries. Not to mention a lack of focus and productivity.

We chatted up some experts to get to the science of how best to support your head, shoulder, knees and toes ...

↦ Read: The keys to staying productive and healthy on the job.

What We’re Buying

Banana Republic Motion Tech Men's Shirt Jacket

A man can never have too many jackets. Especially when it looks great and brings more functional features in to play. The Motion Tech Shirt Jacket steps it up with a four-way stretch material that is treated with a water repellant coating. It's the type of jacket that is perfect for layering, whether that's over a dress shirt, sweater or tee. You'll be sure to stay warm without ever breaking a sweat.

↦ Get It $149 / $66.99 at Banana Republic