The Daily Valet. - 11/15/23, Wednesday
✔️ This Is Bad, and Yet Still Hopeful
Wednesday, November 15th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Before you drop a half-frozen turkey into a vat of sizzling oil, read this entire newsletter, will you?
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Today’s Big Story
The Toll of Climate Disasters
Climate change altering U.S. in profound ways, major report finds, but there are cost-effective fixes
Wake up babe, a new climate warning just dropped. They're so consistent that disturbing new studies and reports are hardly shocking or even upsetting any more, right? But a sweeping new federal report finds the effects of climate change are increasingly evident across the entire U.S.—from the Florida Keys to Alaska—and argues for transformational adaptation policies and steep emissions cuts.The fifth National Climate Assessment, released Tuesday, shows how global warming caused by human activities—mostly the burning of oil, gas and coal—is raising average temperatures in the United States more quickly than it is across the rest of the planet. The report found that the effects are rippling across all regions and economic sectors—meaning nowhere in America is safe from the climate crisis.Some of the report's sweeping conclusions remain painfully familiar, but there are some important new additions: Scientists can now say with more confidence when the climate crisis has made rainstorms, hurricanes and wildfires stronger or more frequent, long-term drought more severe and heat more deadly. So far this year, the nation has experienced a record $25 billion dollars worth of weather disasters, many of them exacerbated by the hotter climate.In stark contrast to the Trump administration's quiet rollout of the fourth National Climate Assessment on the day after Thanksgiving in 2018, the Biden administration is inviting the world to see just how far the country's come, and the very long road it has ahead. President Biden on Tuesday called climate change the ultimate threat to humanity, saying “we're sharing this report in detail with the American people so they know exactly what you're facing.” He said that along with the report, his administration created an online tool to enable people to see the impacts of climate change in their city and state.The congressionally-mandated report is the most complete and authoritative look yet at U.S. climate change impacts and responses. It's the product of hundreds of authors from 13 federal agencies and academic experts. However, it wasn't all doom and gloom. According to the New York Times, the report points out that cost-effective tools and technologies to significantly reduce America's contribution to global warming already exist. U.S. emissions of heat-trapping gases fell by 12% between 2005 and 2019 as the country has shifted from coal toward natural gas and renewable sources. And options are increasing for electrifying energy use, reducing energy demand and protecting natural carbon sinks like forests and wetlands, the report says.
FYI:
The Visual Capitalist has ranked the foods with the largest environmental impact. (Bad news for candy lovers.)
Israel-Hamas War Rages On in Gaza
U.S. intelligence backs Israeli claims about Hamas operations under Gaza hospitals
The Israeli military said early this morning that it is carrying out an operation against Hamas in a certain area of Al-Shifa hospital—a complex of buildings in Gaza City where thousands of people have taken shelter and conditions for patients have grown increasingly horrific in recent days as fuel and medical supplies have run out.On Tuesday, Israel and Hamas were moving closer to a deal to secure the release of hostages in exchange for a sustained, days-long pause in fighting, a senior United States official told CNN. The continuing fuel blockade has resulted in a deepening humanitarian crisis as hospitals, water systems, bakeries and other services reliant on electricity shut down.Also on Tuesday, the White House confirmed that the United States has its own intelligence that Hamas has, in fact, used hospitals in Gaza, along with tunnels buried underneath, to plan operations and store weapons. The intelligence appears to back Israeli claims about militant group activities underneath civilian buildings—including Al-Shifa Hospital.
Meanwhile:
Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at the National Mall on Tuesday for a rally against the antisemitism.
Partner
Uncrate Supply is stocked with stylish, luxurious and well-built items for any man on your list.
House Averts a Government Shutdown
A new stopgap bill heads to the Senate, which is expected to pass it ahead of Friday’s deadline
House lawmakers on Tuesday passed Speaker Mike Johnson's stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown, likely punting the GOP's spending fight until after the holidays. The bill was brought under a process known as “suspension of the rules,” which requires it to pass with a two-thirds majority. The House voted 336-95 to pass the bill, with 209 Democrats and 127 Republicans voting for the measure.The Washington Post called it a “major victory for the new Speaker, who faced competing demands from different factions in his party.” The bill would fund some government departments until mid-January and the rest through early February. It does not include spending cuts or policy changes that Republican hard-liners sought. A shutdown would've left huge groups of federal employees without pay just before the Thanksgiving holiday.Keeping the government's lights on into the New Year would buy more time for House Republicans to pass all 12 appropriations bills and for House and Senate negotiators to hammer out a broader deal. The so-called laddered continuing resolution also will give agitated lawmakers, who NBC News notes have been in session for 10 straight weeks, a chance to take a break from one another. The bill now heads to the Senate, which is expected to send it to President Joe Biden's desk by Friday night to avert a shutdown.
Why You May Not Want to Fry a Turkey
The mistakes are common and far too dangerous
Every fall, the siren call of a crispy, juicy and gold brown deep-fried turkey starts ringing in men's ears this time of year. Apparently, it's more popular than ever. Searches for “Deep fry turkey time and temp” increased 450% in the past few months alone. But is it worth the risk? Deep-frying turkeys has become increasingly popular, but the new tradition is a recipe for holiday tragedy. Did you know that there are more cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day of the year? Makes sense. But according to The Atlantic, more than a third of the fires start in a garage or patio. Each year, fire departments respond to more than 1,000 fires related to deep fryers. The National Fire Protection Association says that deep fryer fires cause an average of five deaths, 60 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage.The NFPA is clear in its stance on the use of at-home turkey fryers. “Turkey fryers that use cooking oil are not safe,” reads the organization's website. Working with a vat of hot oil can be dangerous at the best of times, but home turkey fryers present their own laundry list of additional risks, reports the Takeout. These include everything from the vertical fryer tipping over or overflowing to unchecked oil reaching the point of combustion. In other words, do your homework and be careful. The last thing you want to be thankful for this year is a quick response from the EMTs.
Dig Deeper:
Why do frozen turkeys explode when deep-fried? PBS News breaks down why those birds turn into such disasters.
In Other News
Science says that getting them together provides stronger protection.
Prosecutors in Georgia Ask for Emergency Seal of Evidence After Video Leak in Trump’s Election Subversion Case
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Partner
Impressive Gifts for the Discerning Man
Uncrate Supply is stocked with stylish, luxurious and well-built items for any man on your list
Some guys are notoriously hard to shop for. When in doubt, reach for a gift that's useful, stylish and luxurious enough to feel like something they might not splurge on for themselves. These are exactly the kind of items that Uncrate Supply specializes in. Like the shop's motto, these are “objects of desire and tools of the trade”—handsome, well-built and durable. Yes, some might have an air of mystery or danger, but nearly everything has a luxurious polish to it. From durable Japanese toolboxes and a leather-trimmed Dopp kit, to some heirloom quality watches and cult-favorite coffee kettles, there's something for any and everyone here.
MKII transparent turntable, $545 by Gearbox
Whiskey glasses, $70 (for set of four) by Nude Glass
Beacon 1020 sunglasses, $319 by Entourage of 7
Magnifying Apple Watch dock and alarm clock, $45 by Nightwatch
Stagg pour-over kettle, $80 by Fellow
Rechargeable hand warmer and flashlight, $55 by Zippo
Q GMT chronograph, $239 by Timex
Want More?:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A corduroy bucket hat
J.Crew's corduroy bucket is as stylish as it is functional. It features snaps on the brim to adjust the coverage and keeps your head toasty whenever the temperature drops below freezing.
Get It:
Garment-dyed corduroy bucket hat, $39.99 / $19.99 (w/code SHOPEARLY) by J.Crew
Morning Motto
Don’t confuse movement with progress.
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