The Daily Valet. - 2/2/21, Tuesday

✔️ Signs of Progress

February 02, 2021

Tuesday, February 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I'm already using eye cream. Must I really start considering Botox?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Signs of Progress

U.S. hits a pandemic milestone with more vaccinated than COVID-19 cases

The deadliest month yet of the coronavirus outbreak in America drew to a close with certain signs of progress: COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are decreasing, while vaccinations are picking up speed.

On Monday, the number of Americans in the hospital with COVID-19 fell below 100,000 for the first time in two months. And 26.5 million Americans had received one or both doses of the current vaccines, according to data compiled by the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. Since the first U.S. patient tested positive outside of Seattle a year ago, 26.3 million people in the country have tested positive for the disease, and 443,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

What’s more, new cases of infection are averaging about 148,000 day, falling from almost a quarter-million in mid-January. And cases are trending downward in all 50 states, reports the Associated Press. It makes for an early but hopeful milestone in the race to end the pandemic.

President Biden said last week that his administration is already working on ordering more COVID-19 vaccine doses to increase the U.S. supply through the summer. But before that can happen, Pfizer and Moderna have to fulfill their commitments under their original federal supply contracts. (Each company is responsible for supplying the U.S. government with 100 million doses of the vaccine by March 31.)

According to the New York Times, U.S. regulators could decide within a few weeks whether to allow Moderna the ability to increase the number of doses in its vials, currently set at 10. The company is looking to raise the dosage to 15, a potential 50% increase—which would accelerate the nation’s vaccination rate even further.

The goal, of course, is to eventually reach herd immunity, when so many Americans have protection thanks to a vaccine or natural infection that the virus struggles to spread and eventually dies out. Reuters has a simulation tool that illustrates how quickly we can reach herd immunity if we continue on this pace. However, the snowstorm Monday has forced the closing of many vaccination sites throughout the Northeast, causing a slight delay in our progress.

↦ Meanwhile: The Biden administration announced a $230 million deal to ramp up production of the country's first over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 test.

Congressional Clean Up

McConnell blasts ‘loony lies’ by Georgia Rep., as Democrats push to drop her from committees

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—the controversial, QAnon-supporting freshman congresswoman—found herself facing blowback from her own party's leadership on Monday for espousing dangerous and unfounded conspiracies.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell denounced the newly elected Representative, calling her embrace of conspiracy theories and “loony lies” a “cancer for the Republican Party.” Greene has remained defiant on social media, refusing to apologize or acknowledge that she previously published what are clear falsehoods.

What falsehoods exactly? Before she was elected to Congress, Greene appeared to support the unfounded conspiracy theories that the school shootings in Parkland, Fla. and Sandy Hook were staged. She also claimed that the California wildfires were started by Jewish space lasers.

McConnell's condemnation comes as Democrats in the House have called for Greene to be removed from her two committee assignments, reports NBC News. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer reportedly told Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that he will bring the issue to the floor of the House if Republicans do not themselves push to remove Greene from the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Budget Committee.

Special Promotion

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s to not waste time telling your loved ones how much they mean to you. Send flowers.

Lexus Is Hitting Reset

The Japanese luxury brand will introduce a concept car to show off the brand's new direction

Lexus sales—especially its sedans—were down big last year. Sure, a lot of that can be chalked up to the pandemic, but the automaker is taking the opportunity to change up its brand. Yes, it's probably going full electric.

According to Automotive News, Lexus will unveil an overhauled "brand vision" this spring, underpinning a new model that arrives later in the year and kicks off the premium brand's "next generation" of product.

The new concept's reveal will mark the arrival of a new generation of Lexus design, with the first production model shaped under the new design principles to also debut in 2021. And Gear Patrol speculates that it'll likely be an electric crossover.

According to Jalopnik, Lexus’s lineup is a bit retrograde, lots of V8s and V6s up in there, along with some hybrids. Lexus has been as late to battery-electric cars as its parent Toyota, in other words. This also probably foretells a new Lexus electric SUV.

↦ FYI: Lexus sold its first car in Japan in 2005, 16 years after the brand was available in United States.

More Men Are Getting Botox

How smooth do I really want to be?

While you might think of Botox as the provenance of Real Housewives and celebrities combating the natural aging process, it turns out that such wrinkle-smoothing injections have seen a dramatic rise among everyday men, reports InsideHook.

Since 2010, there’s been a 20% increase in male cosmetic procedures, with the number of men getting Botox jumping nearly 30% during that time. In 2019, alone, more than 473,000 American men got injections.

Where are they getting it? Most men like their smile lines, so they usually target their forehead lines to reduce creasing and occasionally in the corners of the eyes to prevent crow’s feet. Men typically require larger doses, though.

Dr. Anthony Rossi, a New York-based dermatologist, told CNBC that many men now view it as a way to stay competitive in business. I guess it would provide a certain youthful vigor. "Men don’t find it as taboo as it might have been. It’s like going to the gym or eating healthy."

↦ Curious? Healthline has a primer on what you need to know before getting injections.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Ralph Lauren’s vintage archive

Nike’s hands-free sneakers

A cozy winter home upgrade

Special Promotion

This Year, Flowers for Everyone

A gentleman always sends flowers

If this past year has taught us anything, it's to not waste any time telling your loved ones how much they mean to you. We've all been through a lot. And Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show someone how much you care. Because, really, who doesn't like flowers? They don't have to have to be romantic. They can be a token of your affection, a reminder that you're thinking of someone or simply a stylish bouquet that you know will make someone's day a bit better. The idea is that you can send some love in the form of a bouquet. And UrbanStems has made a name for themselves with their tasteful arrangements that suit a variety of styles. Which means they're as good for your significant other as they are for your best friend or even your mom. After all, who doesn't like being known as a gentleman who sends flowers?

Double The Mulberry, $88

The Celine, $85

The Duchess, $120

The Valentine, $85

The Aspen, $100

The Zahra, $80

The Goldfinch, $135

↦ Shop: The UrbanStems Valentine's Day collection

What We’re Buying

I'll be honest, I remember hearing about Woot! (Amazon's deal site) a while back, but rarely check it. Then a fellow editor showed me the current AirPods Pro flash sale and I knew I had to show you. As someone who recently upgraded to the Pro, I can attest that they're worth every penny. They have excellent active noise cancellation with a handy “transparency mode” for optimal awareness, an IPIX 4 water/sweat resistance rating, a wireless charging case and even quicker pairing and Siri functionality. We've never seen the price this low and shipping is free for Prime members.

↦ Get It $249 / $189.99 at Woot!