The Daily Valet. - 11/7/19, Thursday

✔️ Insurance, Espionage and Icons Back From the Dead

November 07, 2019

Thursday, November 7th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m currently wearing travel pants. (That will make more sense at the end of this newsletter.)

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Let’s Talk About Health Insurance

It’s a drag, I know ... but open enrollment only comes once a year

Today on Valet., we tackle how to get the most from your insurance plan along with how to choose the best one for you. Why? In case you hadn't heard, open enrollment season, which covers both employer-based and federal health insurance, has just kicked off.

To say that healthcare is a topic that generally frightens most Americans is an understatement. And yet, nearly three-quarters of working adults spend only 45 minutes or less evaluating their employee benefits during open enrollment, according to research from the employee benefits firm Unum.

Take the necessary time to go over all available plans and weigh your options. Because insurance isn't cheap. In fact, the average annual deductible is now $1,655, which is double the average just a decade ago, according to the 2019 benchmark KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey. Monthly premiums rose 5% while workers' wages rose 3.4% and inflation rose 2% over the same period.

Which is why it's important to be well-versed on the vocabulary in order to choose the kind of plan that suits your lifestyle, along with both your financial and health needs.

↦ FYI: Five things to know in order to keep your costs low and get the most from your insurance plan.

James Dean Lands a New Movie Role

The actor, who died in 1955, will return to the screen via CGI using actual footage and photos

We've seen some impressive results from de-aging movie stars using CGI lately—there was Robert De Niro in The Irishman and Will Smith's uncanny younger self in Gemini Man. And if you thought Hollywood would stop just short of bad taste, you were mistaken. The next obvious, slightly ghoulish step is to use the technology to bring dead actors back to life. Which is exactly what's happening.

On Wednesday, news broke that James Dean had been cast in an upcoming Vietnam film called Finding Jack. The actor, who famously died in 1955 at the age of 24 in a car crash, last appeared in Giant. Strangely enough, that film was released a year after his death. But now, the Hollywood Reporter reports that "a realistic version of James Dean" will appear on-screen for the first time in 63 years.

"We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role ... and after months of research, we decided on James Dean," said the movie's director. Is it interesting? Sure. Does it raise a lot of ethical questions and fears of a Pandora's box being opened? Definitely. When the "only person" who can play the part you've written has been dead for over sixty years, I'd ask if you looked hard enough.

↦ Options: Esquire provides a list of 35 living actors that the filmmakers could've considered for the roles.

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Two Twitter Employees Charged With Spying

Saudis recruited the workers to spy on critics

According to prosecutors, the Saudi government recruited two Twitter employees to get personal account information of their critics, reports the New York Times.

Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi national, and Ahmad Abouammo, a US citizen, have been accused of using their access at the social media platform to gather sensitive and nonpublic information on dissidents of the Saudi regime.

According to the Justice Department, the employees—whose jobs did not require access to Twitter users' private information—were rewarded with a designer watch and tens of thousands of dollars funneled into secret bank accounts. They were charged with acting as agents of a foreign power inside the United States.

This is definitely a story that will be getting unpacked in the days and weeks ahead, as the case highlights the issue of foreign governments exploiting American social media platforms to identify critics and suppress their voices. It also raises concerns about the ability of Silicon Valley to protect the private information of dissidents and other users from repressive governments.

Millennials Earn 20% Less Than Previous Generations

Ok, Boomer, let’s talk numbers

Young people are facing a serious shortfall compared to other generations when it comes to their paychecks. Despite being better educated than baby boomers, millenials make less.

Specifically, millennials earn 20% less than previous generations did at the same stage of life, according to “The Emerging Millennial Wealth Gap,” a recent report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank New America. Specifically, median earnings for those 18 to 34 are lower than they were in the 1980s—a disparity that was first noted in a 2017 report from the non-profit Young Invincibles.

What's more, the flow of today’s paychecks is less predictable than ever. More and more people are also working as independent contractors rather than full employees, whether they want to or not. On top of that, since 1979 wages across all age groups haven't risen as fast as inflation. Millennials are making less while the cost of absolute necessities—rent, insurance, health care, food, college—have skyrocketed.

So all of those trend stories about young people not marrying, or buying houses or taking long, boozy lunches ... maybe that's not because they don't value those things. Maybe they just can't afford it?

↦ A new rallying cry: The New York Times' Farhad Manjoo says instead of a generational culture war, let’s fight the rich.

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The need for “emergency spinach”

The 5 things we want to buy now

Chris Brown’s yard sale in LA

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A Good Retinol Is the Secret to Good Skin

You want one that works hard but isn’t hard on your skin

If you're not using a retinol at night, you're missing out. Because this is a proven ingredient that refines and smooths skin while fighting fine lines. While some can be harsh on the skin, this new one, from Onekind—a new natural unisex line of products from the makers behind The Motley—is effective yet gentle. That's because it mixes the potent retinol and peptides with soothing birch bark extract and Vitamin E, which combat redness, irritation and dryness. What’s more, everything is plant based and free of synthetic fragrance, colors or parabens. I got a sneak peek before it launched and have been using it nightly for a little over two weeks now and am loving how well it works (better than products that cost three times as much).

↦ Shop Midnight Magic PM serum, $42 by Onekind

How Stretchy Are Your Pants Right Now?

The new brotherhood of the traveling pants

The Wall Street Journal's Jacob Gallagher, ever the astute chronicler of men's style, has picked up on an interesting trend: Men are wearing travel pants. A lot. And more and more companies are popping up to supply this new demand.

So what exactly transforms a pair of trousers into travel pants, you ask? "In short, stretchiness, plus the ability to withstand moisture and wrinkles," he writes. "By incorporating stretch and elastic-waists a la pajamas, they aim to make cramming yourself into a puny coach seat less repulsive."

It's not exactly a bad idea. And I can see why guys would start to incorporate these comfortable, versatile and stain-resistant pants into their everyday rotation. So long as they realize that some occasions call for pants that don't necessitate such performance specs as the ability to be rolled into a ball or wick away spilled ginger ale.

↦ Want a pair? Gallagher offers up six options to consider for your next trip.