The Daily Valet. - 2/2/22, Wednesday

✔️ We Gotta Move

Wednesday, February 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Boy, am I glad I worked out this morning …

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

We Gotta Move

One in four Americans don’t get enough activity

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified over 25% of the American adult population as “physically inactive.” That means they are not doing enough physical activity outside of work—anything from running and walking for exercise to simply gardening—to protect and enhance their health.

It’s not exactly surprising, right? But still this is not great news. Across the board, the CDC survey had some interesting results. For instance, outdoor sport havens Colorado, Utah, Washington and Vermont all ranked as the “fittest” states.

By contrast, the South is the least active region of the country—West Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi all had a physical inactivity prevalence above 30%.

There were also variations in race and ethnicity, with Asian adults having a 20% prevalence of physical inactivity, while non-Hispanic Whites had a 23% rate, Blacks a 30% rate and Hispanic adults a 32% inactivity rate. The CDC also noted that racial and ethnic disparities underscore the barriers to physical activity—a lack of safe spaces such as parks, unsafe streets with lots of traffic and no sidewalks.

According to the Washington Post, not getting enough physical activity can contribute to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer, along with higher health-care costs. But better sleep, lower blood pressure, reduced anxiety, and less risk for dementia and several chronic diseases are among the benefits of physical activity.

Renowned evolutionary biologist Dr. Daniel Lieberman told the Post, “The most important message is that something is better than nothing ... just move more.” So who’s up for an afternoon walk?

↦ FYI: New research estimates that about 110,000 deaths a year could be prevented if middle-aged and older adults increased their physical activity by just 10 minutes a day.

Rent Is Now at an All-Time High

The cost of living has skyrocketed in 2022

Did you rent increase this year? Are you looking for a new place? Because rents have risen dramatically across the U.S., as escalating housing costs continue to drive up rental prices.

A recent study of national rent growth by rental listings site Zumper found that the median rent for one- and two-bedroom apartments has risen 12% and 14.1% respectively since January 2021 — a new all-time high. That’s a big jump compared to a year-over-year rate of 0.6% as of January 2021 and 0.3% as of January 2020.

And it's even more brutal in in cities like New York, Boston and Austin that are currently experiencing mind boggling 35-40% hikes. At the same time, many local rent freezes and eviction moratoriums have already expired.

That means that inflation is taking a bigger bite out of people's paychecks these days not only in food and gasoline, but also in housing costs. On the (very slim) bright side, CNBC says that renters can expect to see an increased supply of rental units. The question is ... can we afford them?

↦ Flip Side: These major American cities are seeing surprising declines in rent prices.

Partner

Psychedelic aren't a counterculture phenomenon anymore. In fact, a lot of people are now seeing them as a real win-win situation.

What’s Happening With Russia?

Things are getting tense, but Moscow remains open to more talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the U.S. and its allies have ignored Russia's key security demands as the standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine shows no signs of easing.

According to the Associated Press, the comments were his first on the standoff in more than a month and suggested a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine may not be imminent and that at least one more round of diplomacy is likely.

Putin's demands, issued by the Kremlin in December, were rejected by Washington and NATO as nonstarters, but they gave written responses to Moscow last week. Russia has yet to respond formally.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration says they will cut Russia off from its vital supply of semiconductors if it invades Ukraine—a broad sanction without precedent, reports Axios. “Semiconductors are the new weapon,” said one policy analyst. “If you can link arms and deny a country access to semiconductors, their ability to function as a modern economy is eliminated.”

↦ Dig Deeper: What is NATO, and what is its role in the Russia-Ukraine crisis? The Washington Post explains.

It’s Groundhog Day

Why is this still a thing?

Here we go again, it's Groundhog Day. Did you know the holiday grew out of traditions tied to the Christian holiday of Candlemas in Europe—which itself has roots in pagan observances? Yeah, neither did I!

Tradition was, that if Feb. 2 was a clear and sunny day, winter would stick around for a few more weeks. But if Candlemas was overcast or rainy, winter would end early. German immigrants brought the practice over from Europe and by 1886, the editor of The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper dubbed the day “Groundhog Day.” Over a century later, here we are—still checking in with the burrowing rodent in their town.

According to Punxsutawney's local news, the famous Phil has seen his shadow 105 times in the celebration's history, predicting an early spring just 20 times, with 10 years of no prediction on record. The last time Phil did not see the shadow was in 2020.

But Phil isn't the only furry oracle in the game. Other season-predicting animals include New York's Dunkirk Dave, Staten Island Chuck and Buckeye Chuck in Marion, Ohio. Unfortunately, another popular groundhog, Milltown Mel, passed away just before the big day.

↦ Watch It: Phil will make his call by 7:20 a.m. at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania.

In Other News

↦ Trump Attacks Spur Congress to Bolster Electoral Count Law

↦ FBI Advises Athletes to Leave Their Personal Phones at Home for the Beijing Olympics

↦ Why the Internet Is Still Powered by a Great Big Fiber Optic Network Under the Sea

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Dumb cars

Drug dropping drones

Major Taylor

Partner

Investing in Nature’s Cure

Bank on the potential of plant-based treatments

According to Quartz, psychedelic drugs are entering a second golden age in the U.S. and Europe, after a decades-long dark age. Why? Because interest is surging, and a major paradigm shift is underway. Plant-based treatments are exciting for a myriad of reasons.

Nearly a billion people worldwide struggle with mental illness. Of these, more than 284 million suffer from an anxiety disorder. Rather than relying on traditional (and often expensive) pharmaceuticals to solve the problem, nature may already have an answer for us with plant based treatments.

That's why savvy investors see the potential in this estimated $35 billion industry. Ei.Ventures' flagship product is a whole-plant and fungi botanical formulation, currently in the pre-clinical phase. It's made from psilocybin, the active compound in what the hippies called magic mushrooms. And the natural properties have the potential to help millions of people who struggle with mental illness, from anxiety and depression, to PTSD or alcohol and nicotine addiction.

Ei.Ventures is the first Psychedelic Medicine company in the world to qualify for a Reg A+ Tier 2 offering from the SEC. The opportunity gives both non-accredited and accredited investors a chance to join the movement. Imagine if you could've invested in medical marijuana before it hit the mainstream? That's what this feels like.

↦ Invest Now: In Ei.Ventures and their plant-based treatment for mental illness through March 22nd

Winter Style Sale

I'm a sucker for a chunky knit cardigan, and this is no exception. This 100% wool version ($425 / $275) can be layered with anything for a cool and effortless look.

↦ Want more? 5 winter style items on sale

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