The Daily Valet. - 11/14/22, Monday
✔️ Notice Anything Different?
Monday, November 14th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
We’ve refreshed the newsletter so there’s now more energy, visuals and information to start your day. Let me know what you think (or if you find any bugs we need to address).
Today’s Big Story
The Growing Trend of Car-Free Streets
The pandemic pointed us to ways we can better use our public spaces and streets
As someone who is on his bike most weekends, this is a very exciting development. More and more cities around the world are proposing car-free streets—opting to replace the space typically taken up by vehicles with safe, usable areas for people.It might sound like a crunchy, eco-fantasy, but when you drill down into the data, it really does make some sense. Personal cars sit parked about 95% of the time, according to a study by the RAC Foundation, a transport policy and research organization. And they take up valuable real estate in urban areas. Roads and parking occupy nearly a quarter of Manhattan, for example, while only 22% of households in the borough owns a car, according to recent census data.Remember when cars were banned on a stretch of Broadway by Times Square in 2009? While initially controversial, the change quickly decreased traffic accidents (especially those involving pedestrians) and increased foot traffic in the neighborhood, reports CNBC. Creating pedestrian plazas like the one in Times Square is more common in many European and Asian cities like Amsterdam and Tokyo. They prioritize public transportation and cycling infrastructure while U.S. cities, of course, favor cars.But that's changing lately. And it, like so much of life today, is because of the pandemic. Since the early days of lockdowns, there was a national movement to give city-dwellers more space to breathe. Experiments were launched to close and slow streets, repurpose parking spaces and remove cars in cities from coast to coast. And now may of them want to keep it that way.One of the most divisive culture-war issues on the ballot for San Francisco residents on election day was whether the city ought to permit cars to drive through Golden Gate Park. Voters opted to keep it car-free (by a landslide). Similarly, New York City is looking to make one of Brooklyn's most popular (and dangerous) areas its next car-free space. And in Chicago, Austin and Miami, advocates and cyclists are demanding city officials take notice and create more pedestrian-friendly spaces and streets.According to U.S. News & World Report, an estimated 46,000 motor vehicle deaths occurred nationally in 2021. And while other countries have seen such numbers decline during the pandemic, numbers in the U.S. actually went up. Sadly, the pedestrians injured or killed on America's city streets are often low-income, people of color, older adults and people with disabilities—most of whom rely exclusively on walking and public transit.
Dig Deeper:
U.S. traffic safety is actually getting worse, while other countries improve. Bloomberg reports on what traffic planners in other nations could teach their American counterparts.
Democrats Keep the Senate, House Still in Play
One of the clearest trends that emerged from the election is that extremes don't pay
Over the weekend, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada defeated her challenger, Adam Laxalt. Her victory gives Democrats 50 seats in the 118th Congress. Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote, should it be needed, gives them the majority—regardless of the outcome of the Georgia runoff election on Dec. 6th between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.As we all know, Democrats faced an uphill battle: President Biden's weak job approval ratings, high inflation and the historical advantages of the opposition during midterm elections. But one of the clearest trends that emerged from this election is that most extreme Republican nominees badly underperformed, costing the GOP very winnable races and control of the Senate.In the 36 House races that the Cook Political Report rated as toss-ups, former President Trump endorsed just five Republicans. Each one lost. According to Axios, “this time around, extremism didn't pay. Most voters are tired of radical, intemperate rhetoric on all sides. But the Trumpified GOP base promoted flawed candidates in a number of battleground races — and voters rejected them en masse.”And now, as we wait for the final votes to be counted for the House and just a day before Trump is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid, Republicans are grappling with an almost existential quandary: Who can lead the party to a post-Trump future?
Meanwhile:
Every election denier who sought to become the top election official in a critical battleground state lost at the polls this year.
Thanks to TikTok, lingering early-pandemic baking trends, and the keto dietification of American culture, there’s never been a better time to be butter.”
The Hunt for the FTX Thieves
Problems Keep mounting for the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange
This just keeps getting weirder and weirder, right? The imploding, embattled (and otherwise screwed) cryptocurrency trading firm FTX is now short billions of dollars after experiencing the crypto equivalent of a bank run. Or was it more of a heist?Formerly one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, FTX sought bankruptcy protection last week, and its CEO and founder resigned. Hours later, the trading firm said there had been “unauthorized access” and that funds had disappeared. Officials say hundreds of millions of dollars may have vanished.So what happened? Well, first, customers fled the exchange over fears about whether FTX had sufficient capital, and it agreed to sell itself to rival crypto exchange Binance. But the deal fell through while Binance's due diligence on FTX's balance sheet was still pending. Then they say they were hacked. Of course, blockchains that almost every cryptocurrency is built on make it possible to follow that money's every movement.According to WIRED, the crypto-tracing and blockchain analysis firm Elliptic revealed that the $663 million outflow seemed to be a combination of FTX's movement of coins into its own storage wallets and a mysterious theft. According to Elliptic, fully $477 million of the funds appear to have been stolen (another crypto-tracing firm, TRM Labs, puts the number at $338 million). Twenty-four hours after the theft, most of that money had moved into just a handful of cryptocurrency addresses—where the entire crypto-tracing industry, a vast community of amateur crypto sleuths, and no doubt law enforcement agencies around the globe are now all watching it with an unblinking gaze. And since FTX moved its headquarters to the Bahamas last year, the Royal Bahamas Police Force have confirmed they are investigating potential criminal misconduct surrounding the stunning implosion of crypto exchange as well.
FYI:
Sam Bankman-Fried was a proponent and donor of the “effective altruism” movement, so FTX's collapse dealt a significant blow on that particular corner of philanthropy.
Banksy Pops Up In Ukraine
The famed street Artist unveils a new mural on a building shelled by Russia
Anonymous street artist Banksy, who is known for sending political messages through art, has revealed a new mural on a building destroyed by shelling in Ukraine. The work, which he posted on Instagram, put an end to weeks of speculation about whether he had traveled to the country.According to the Art Newspaper, the mural can be found in Borodyanka, a town that NPR described as “devastated” after the Russian invasion. The juxtaposition of the figure on the wall of a heavily damaged building makes for a powerful contrast, and feels very much in keeping with some of Banksy's other recent work.Other murals, similar to Banksy's signature style, have also appeared in the region, although the artist has not yet confirmed whether they belonged to him. One depicts another female gymnast—this one wearing a neck brace—performing with a ribbon on top of a gaping hole in the side of a building in Irpin. While another shows a child throwing a man resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin to the floor during a judo match. Putin holds a black belt in the sport and has even starred in an instructional video titled “Let's Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin.”
Dig Deeper:
What is the phenomenon of Banksy? Diggit examines the great combination of art, intellectual thought, pop culture and activism.
In Other News
Drake’s 12th LP to top the Billboard 200.
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Your November Reading List
This month’s new releases range from dystopian thriller to a celebration of a style icon’s work
If you're looking for something satisfying to read this month, we've got some solid recommendations for you. November's new releases will transport you to far flung locations and the not-so-distant past. From a dystopian thriller and a reimagining of a Hollywood icon to insights into one of streetwear's most creative minds, we've got you covered.
By: Cho Nam-JooOut: Now available
For fans patiently waiting for Squid Games to return, this book will definitely hold you over. The haunting account takes place in a neglected housing complex in the shadows of Town: a former fishing village bought out by a massive conglomerate. Town is prosperous and safe—but only if you’re a citizen with “valuable skills and assets,” which the residents of Saha Estates are not. Residents of Saha must squat in squalor and can only find work doing hard labor for the upper class, but this exciting page-turner examines when we finally unmask our oppressors.
By: Edward J. DelaneyOut: Now available
Do you like alternate histories? How about swinging mid-century stories about old Hollywood? Then you need to read The Acrobat. While it’s true that the legendary actor Cary Grant experimented with LSD, the book cracks open Grant’s inner world and like an acid trip, transports readers through his fractured upbringing in England, his life on the Hollywood sets, and his relationships with fellow travelers prominent in his life: Howard Hughes, Randolph Scott, Tony Curtis, along with two of the five women he married, and more.
By: Jeff StapleOut: November 15th
It’s safe to say that Jeff Staple knows a thing or two about streetwear. In 1997, he walked into a boutique in New York City wearing a shirt he printed in his silk-screen class at Parsons School of Design. That handmade T-shirt line grew into a serious following around the world and he’s been a go-to presence when it comes to everything from clothing and sneakers to art ever since. If you’re looking for a detailed account of what he’s been up to over the last quarter century— or get insight into his inspirations and influences — this monograph is comprehensive and looks great on a coffee table.
By: Tony TetroOut: November 22nd
Who knows how and why paintings sell for what they do? But we all know there’s some serious money in it. And the “art world is a much dirtier, nastier business than you might expect,” says Tony Tetro, one of the world’s most notorious art forgers. The highs and lows of life as a celebrity forger are front and center in his engrossing memoir. The artist—who made headlines when some of his counterfeits were discovered in King Charles III’s personal collection—recounts the pricey sports cars and big money (but subsequent hard living) that came from knocking off some of the world’s most famous painters.
Shopping
What We’re Buying
D.S. & Durga “Portable Xmas Tree” candle
Who doesn’t want their home to smell like a Tyrolean ski chalet? D.S. & Durga is one of our favorite fragrance houses and for the holiday season, they’ve produced a new “Portable Xmas Tree” candle ($65). Slightly sweet, with a hint of smoke and a tidal wave of freshly-cut evergreen, this candle will fill your room once you light this baby. Once burning, you pick up deeper notes of clove and rich amber. It’s nostalgic, warm and even a little sexy. Like a steaming hot tub out in the snow.
Want More?
Partner
Protect Yourself
Supercharge your immune response
As we head into the season of shivering and sniffling, we all know we need to boost our immunity. Want to protect yourself from illnesses while also supercharging your post-fitness recovery and overall energy? Then you’re going to want to give these a try. ASYSTEM collaborated with DC Comics and Warner Bros. on a line of supplements inspired by Bruce Wayne. They’re as stylish as they are effective. The IMMUNITY+ formula is anchored by the clinically-backed ingredient, ElderMune™. It’s been shown to help activate your immune response, and increase your ability to fight off infections, while reducing the duration and severity of respiratory illnesses. This is combined with prebiotic fiber that supports the healthy flora in the gut where 70% of your immune system can be found. Consider it your secret weapon to staying healthy—one worthy of Bruce Wayne himself.
Get It:
30 individual servings, from $45 by ASYSTEM
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Morning Motto
Compliments are free. Don’t be stingy with them.
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