The Daily Valet. - 12/5/19, Thursday
✔️ Witnesses and Walking Across America
Thursday, December 5th Edition
How many shoes do you go through when walking across the country?
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
War of the Witnesses
Should Trump be impeached? These scholars disagree.
Republicans and Democrats sparred as a panel of experts kicked off a partisan debate over whether to recommend President Trump’s impeachment during the first impeachment hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
Three constitutional scholars invited by Democrats said that President Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine for political gain clearly met the historical definition of impeachable offenses, reports the New York Times.
Law professor Jonathan Turley, invited by Republicans, called the case against Trump "slipshod." He testified that if a quid pro quo by the president is proven, it would be impeachable but may be "the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president."
The witnesses also disagreed down partisan lines as to whether Trump's withholding of congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine until they announced an investigation into his Democratic rivals could constitute bribery.
Meanwhile, the White House signaled Wednesday that it will aggressively defend President Trump in a near-certain Senate impeachment trial in the coming weeks, reports the Washington Post. News also broke during the hearing that Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani traveled to Ukraine this week to meet with former Ukrainian prosecutors for a documentary series intended to debunk the impeachment case.
↦ What's Next? CNN breaks down what happens next, from a staff counsel hearing next week to potential votes on articles of impeachment before Christmas.
Why We Should Listen to Climate Forecasters
Study finds simulations have been largely accurate
Talk about a good news/bad news situation. The first systematic review of climate change predictions has found that climate models have been remarkably accurate since the 1970s, reports the Associated Press.
I mean, it's good that the science works. But the bad news is that these models keep pointing toward a very scary future. And not enough people are heeding such dire warnings.
According to Vox, it was after years of hearing critics blast the models’ accuracy, that climate scientist Zeke Hausfather decided to put them to the test. As the authors of the study put it: “We find that climate models published over the past five decades were generally quite accurate in predicting global warming in the years after publication.” They also noted that most of these early models would be considered crude by today's standards and have been supersede by more sophisticated modeling.
↦ Meanwhile: Officials from almost 200 countries meet in Madrid for climate talks.
Google’s Founders Are Stepping Down
They started together and are leaving together
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announced on Tuesday that they will step down as executives from the parent company, Alphabet. They will leave their respective roles as Alphabet's chief executive officer and president, but remain on the board.
In a letter announcing the change, the two co-founders compared their 21 years at Google to raising a child, saying now was the “time to assume the role of proud parents.” Google's current CEO, Sundar Pichai, will replace Page as Alphabet’s chief executive.
But while the pair are apparently relinquishing management duties, it won't mean giving up ultimate power. Between them, they control 51% of the voting rights on Alphabet's board. So it sounds like the proud parents will still have the ability to helicopter parent.
↦ A Closer Look: The Verge examines the rise, disappearance and retirement of the Google co-founders.
Mike Posner Walked Across America
Here’s what a 2,851-mile journey teaches you
Mike Posner, the writer and singer of the hit “I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” decided he needed a break from chasing fame and money and went looking for ... something.
"I just realized my responsibilities to promote the album are based on complete bullshit—they're based on maximizing my income and my record label's income, and maximizing my fame, and hoping that turns into more income," Posner recalls thinking around the end of last year.
"I couldn't bring myself to do any of that stuff. I felt stuck. I was explaining it to one of my best friends, and he said, 'What do you want to do?' and I said, 'I want to walk across America.'"
Outside shares the story of what a man learns during a nearly 3,000 mile 114 day journey from Asbury Park, New Jersey to the beaches of Venice, California. It's a crazy story that delves into grief, motivation, struggle and authenticity.
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
+
Hedge Fund Billionaire Buys the Mets
Suddenly, my Cyber Monday purchases don’t seem so frivolous
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen is negotiating a deal to buy as much as 80% of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, reports Forbes.
The deal will apparently take five years and during that time, the current owner, Fred Wilpon, 83, will continue to serve as the team's chairman. He bought half the team along with Nelson Doubleday in 1980, and the other half in 2002. Wilpon's son, Jeff, who's the team's chief operating officer, will remain in that job during the transition.
The deal comes at a time when hedge fund and private equity billionaires are paying top dollar for sports franchises. Cohen’s deal for the Mets could value the team at $2.6 billion.
Weekend Shopping Plans
From workout gear to home furnishings, our picks from three can’t-miss sales going on this weekend.
Up to 30% off
Trackhouse sweatshirt $130 / $75
Up to 50% off clearance
Brass planter on stand $59.95 / $49.99
Get an additional 20% off clearance
Flint and Tinder Expedition shirt $118 / $89.58
Morning Motto
Don’t let the good stuff go.
↦ Follow: @thegoodquote
That’s all for today...
...but we could use your help.
The more people who know about The Daily Valet., the stronger it can become. So grab your unique referral code below and start sharing with your friends, family and coworkers to earn some exclusive discounts to our favorite brands and cool stuff you'll actually want (not just throw-away “swag”).
Your Unique Referral Code:
↦ Want to Learn More? Check out your personal Valet. Ambassor page for program details and get a closer look at the available rewards (and how many referrals are needed to score them).
Valet Media LLC350 Lincoln Road, 2nd FloorMiami Beach, FL 33139[email protected]