The Daily Valet. - 11/3/21, Wednesday
✔️ A Few Key Takeaways
Wednesday, November 3rd Edition
Did you hear the birds singing this morning?
Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
Takeaways From Election Day
Some expected wins and a few bad omens for Democrats
The off-year elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey tend to receive outsize attention. And according to the Associated Press, the results are often mined for deeper meaning about what they mean for the midterm elections the following year which determine which party controls Congress.
Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday’s elections. And the first is a good one: A majority of Americans trust that elections are fair, are confident in their state and local governments’ ability to administer elections, and will trust the results in 2022 and in 2024 regardless of whether their preferred candidate wins, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour poll finds.
Virginia voters chose Republican Glenn Youngkin as their next governor, according to several projections—a dramatic reversal for a state that had appeared solidly Democratic in recent years and a significant loss for President Biden and the party’s establishment.
The other big governor’s race Tuesday was in New Jersey. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was favored in his race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, but the race was too early to call Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis voters rejected a proposal to replace the city’s police department with a Department of Public Safety, reports NBC News. The result, they said, “is a blow to the nationwide movement to overhaul policing spurred by the police killing of George Floyd a year and a half ago.”
In terms of mayors, Eric Adams, a Democrat and former police captain, will be the second Black mayor in New York City’s history. And in Boston, Michelle Wu, a Democrat and the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, became the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor.
↦ Safe & Sound: Election officials said demonstrating secure, consistent and fair practices would help reassure those who still have doubts about last year’s presidential election as preparations begin for the midterms.
Cities Are Getting Quieter
Deteriorating and shifting bird populations could threaten our connection to nature
You might've heard that bird populations are declining in North America—by the billions. Even more concerning is that the loss of birds also means a loss of their songs. The soundtrack of our natural world is becoming more muted.
A study published in Nature on Tuesday led by researchers at the University of East Anglia found the dawn choruses of birds in North America and Europe are losing volume and variety.
Natural soundscapes are an important way to connect people with nature, and doing so has been shown to benefit both our physical and mental well-being. And the familiar trills, whistles and caws of birds are a major component of these soundscapes.
The easiest conclusion to be drawn from the study is that, if we want to prevent further deterioration of the soundscapes we're exposed to, we need to start conservation efforts for the birds that inhabit our surroundings. With half of the world now living in cities, it'd be in our best interest to heed such warnings.
↦ FYI: Curious about the birds around you? Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and the Merlin app will give you a list of possible matches.
Partner
Having trouble finding a good gift? What about upgrading their basics?
Zillow Needs to Sell 7,000 Houses
Did you know the site actually sells houses?
Perhaps, like me, you took to Zillow during the throes of the pandemic lockdowns to look for bigger houses you can't afford. Scrolling through real estate listings in far-flung destinations offered a way to visualize an alternate life—it didn't matter that I wasn't moving.
Well, now Zillow is trying to conger up a new reality. The company is trying to offload around $2.8 billion worth of houses after it bought them with the intent of selling them to hopeful homeowners and landlords, according to a report by Bloomberg.
On Tuesday, Zillow announced that it's winding down the home-buying business entirely, after estimating that it'll lose over half a billion dollars in value on the houses it already owns. You might be surprised that Zillow actually buys and sells houses, rather than just organize listings (I was too when I first heard about it), but the company has been doing this for years.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like individual house hunters will be able to benefit from Zillow's troubles—Bloomberg reports that the company is trying to sell the homes to “institutional investors” (read: Wall Street-like firms). Of course, for millions of owners who watched their home values surge during the pandemic, the company's quick exit raises an uneasy question: Is the boom over?
↦ Dig Deeper: According to Vice, there's an “arms race” among tech companies trying to buy up as much real estate as possible across the country.
The Little Car That Saved Porsche
The lightweight 718 Spyder wins over critics
As Porsche's flagship car, the 911 sets the standard by which all other vehicles in the lineup are judged. As the mid-engine younge sibling to the 911, the 718 Boxster convertible coupe could easily get lost in the shadow of such a legacy, but its stellar ride and refined fundamentals are delighting both customers and critics.
And there's a lot to like. After all, this is the car credited with saving the automaker. In 1987, Porsche fell off a cliff. The public’s excitement with the bellowing 911 Turbos of the 1970s and ‘80s had cooled to “meh.” Porsche knew that if the company was going to survive, it would need to develop a car that was exciting, cheap to make, and aimed at the company’s biggest potential market: North America.
Et, voila! The Boxster concept debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 1993 and it instantly became the company's best-seller. The latest model is a celebration of the car's life—and sounds really fun to drive.
Car and Driver says “the Spyder has been doing more yoga than we have, it turns and twists like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat.” And Forbes found that sitting right in front of the mid-mounted engine further connects the driver with the momentum of the car, as being that connected to the center of gravity means the car literally revolves around them. Sounds like fun, right?
↦ Get It: The Porsche 718 Spyder starts at around $98,300.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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The Basics to Give This Season
Los Angeles Apparel has something for everyone on your list
Here's a pro tip when it comes to giving gifts: Smart basics make for the perfect gift. Why? Because they're practically foolproof. You take an item that someone already wears—their favorite hoodie or the T-shirt you see them wearing all the time—and then give them an upgrade of said item. You know they'll wear it (because they already do) and this version is even better.
Case in point: Los Angeles Apparel. The company is known for quality through and through. They cut and sew everything here in the United States and source much of their textile and yarn from American manufacturers. The garments are expertly sewn and many are garment-dyed for a unique wash of color. The fits are adaptable and the feel of the pieces are as luxe as they are comfortable. What's more, the majority of items are offered in over a dozen different colors. Which is to say, it's hard not to find something here for everyone on your list.
Polar fleece sweatpant, $66
Heavy jersey casual pants, $40
Biketard, $35
↦ Want more? Browse all gift options from Los Angeles Apparel
Smart Menswear Deals to Shop
Made from Japanese cotton herringbone and inspired by surplus wares from the '50s. Style these cargoes ($395 / $194) with a denim shirt or your favorite vintage finds.
↦ Want more? 6 smart menswear deals
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Train Smarter, Recover Faster
I like pushing myself when it comes to fitness. After a long, sweaty bike ride or particularly grueling workout, I feel good. It's the smug satisfaction of accomplishment mixed with general fatigue and the slight sting of sore muscles. If the balance is right, it's tolerable. But if you don't recover properly, that slight sting turns into serious pain and can be counter-productive to your goals.
Most coaches and trainers will tell you that you don't get stronger when you're training. You get stronger after your workout. You see, recovery must occur before progress can be made. Which is the mission of Mojave Rx—to maximize performance through quicker recovery. They do this by infusing their products with high levels of pure cannabidiol (CBD), the anti-inflammatory and pain fighting active, to accelerate your body's relief and rehabilitation. Working with California farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Rx cultivates premium quality, organically grown industrial hemp crops. Once harvested, the CBD molecule is isolated into a pure crystal form, meticulously formulated in an ISO clean room and then third-party tested to meet strict quality control standards.
Relief salveand Relief roll-on,starting at $99
That is to say, this stuff is serious and it works hard to soothe soreness and beat back inflammation and knotted muscles on contact. One standout product is the Relief Salve, which contains an industry high 10,000mg of activated CBD and is formulated with jojoba oil, a natural anti-inflammatory and collagen synthesizer—perfect for rub downs, massages and sports therapy. The other is the Relief Roll-On, which delivers the same 10,000mg of activated CBD but adds in cooling tea tree oil for a targeted, fast-acting and mess-free application.
↦ Learn More: Mojave Rx workout recovery solutions
Morning Motto
Progress doesn’t always feel like progress in the moment.
↦ Follow: @wetheurban
That’s all for today...
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