The Daily Valet. - 2/24/21, Wednesday

✔️ Missed Intelligence

Wednesday, February 24th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m wearing a cardigan today. You probably should be too.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Congress’ First Hearing on Riot

Capitol defenders cite missed intelligence for deadly breach

Security officials testifying at Congress’ first hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol cast blame and pointed fingers but also acknowledged they were woefully unprepared for the violence on January 6th.

The hearing, aimed at examining the security failures that led to hundreds of Trump supporters breaching the U.S. Capitol, included the testimony of former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger—all of whom resigned their posts, following requests from leaders of both parties.

Their testimony illustrated the chaos of the day, saying that the F.B.I. and the intelligence community failed to provide adequate warnings and that the Pentagon was too slow to authorize Guard troops to help overwhelmed police. According to the New York Times, they also gave their own conflicting accounts of communicating with each other as they sought to quell the riot in its early minutes.

But all three, to varying degrees, detailed how they were caught off-guard by the scale and ferocity of the pro-Trump crowd, which escalated from a relatively peaceful protest to a violent mob. “None of the intelligence we received predicted what actually occurred,” Sund told senators. “These criminals came with their own radio system to coordinate the attack, in climbing gear and other equipment to defeat the Capitol's security features.”

The dominating theme that emerged in the hearing was lack of adequate intelligence. An FBI intelligence report describing plans for violence at the Capitol was sent via email to lower-level officials the night before the riot, but was never read by Capitol Police. “You can't just push send…and hope it gets to the right person,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Committee on Rules and Administration.

The testimony was the first high-profile public hearing in what is expected to be a lengthy series of investigations into the attack. Klobuchar said there will be a hearing next week to hear from leaders of the FBI and the Defense Department as well as Homeland Security. “We need to get this information immediately,” she said. “We're going to have to make changes to security now.”

↦ FYI: Trump was hardly mentioned during the hearing. Instead, senators largely set aside their partisan ways to focus on the facts of that day—and on how to prevent it from happening again.

Tiger Woods Is Recovering After Crash

But he now faces his toughest comeback yet

Tiger Woods is “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room,” after having a rod put into his leg during surgery following a rollover car crash just outside Los Angeles, his team said in a statement Tuesday night.

According to the Associated Press, he was driving through a sweeping, downhill stretch of road in the coastal suburbs of Los Angeles when his SUV struck a sign, crossed over a raised median and two oncoming lanes before it toppled down an embankment, coming to a violent halt on its side, trapping Woods inside behind the airbags, still buckled into his seatbelt.

The golf legend “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity” that were treated in emergency surgery, Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center told NBC News.

Woods, of course, is no stranger to injuries. After four back surgeries (that kept him out of golf for the better part of two years), he won the Masters in April 2019 for the fifth time—a victory that ranks among the greatest comebacks in the sport. Now it's no longer a matter of when he plays again—the Masters is seven weeks away—but if he plays again.

↦ Meanwhile: As news of Woods' condition continues to develop, current and former athletes have turned to Twitter to express their support for the golf legend.

Spotify Is Aiming to Be the Streaming King

The company is making big bets in every direction

Streaming isn't just a big part of the record business: It is the record business, reports Rolling Stone. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube contributed 85% of all record industry revenue in the United States in the first six months of last year, according to RIAA data—up from 80% in 2019, and they're on track to be an even bigger presence in the future.

Which is why Spotify is trying to differentiate themselves in order to pull ahead in this war of streaming services. On Tuesday, the service announced it will double its geographic footprint and launch into 85 more countries, adding 36 languages to its platform in the process.

They're also launching a new subscription offering called HiFi later this year in select markets, a new tier streaming music with CD-quality sound in a lossless compression standard.

Meanwhile, it's been just two years since Spotify cannonballed into podcasting, announcing its acquisitions of Gimlet Media and Anchor as a splashy first step in the company's expansion. They've since signed such big names as Joe Rogan, Barack Obama and Prince Harry for original programming. And according to Vulture, that's just the beginning.

↦ FYI: Spotify currently offers 70 million tracks and 2.2 million podcast titles. Here's how to get the most out of your next streaming session.

Your Mail Carrier’s New Ride

The USPS is moving into the future with the Wisconsin-based military vehicle-maker

The United States Postal Service has revealed its new mail truck after a years-long competition. The new truck will be built by Wisconsin-based defense contractor Oshkosh. But it won't officially hit the road until 2023, reports The Verge.

The USPS has been looking to replace its existing mail trucks for years now, and it started taking solicitations for new designs back in 2015. Apparently, the ones currently on the road are not only woefully out of date—they don't even have air conditioning—but they're a major fire risk.

The USPS awarded the company a 10-year, $482 million contract to make the new mail trucks, which can be fitted with both gasoline and electric drivetrains. They've got more cargo space, better ergonomics, and, yes, air conditioning. There are also cameras that give a 360-degree view, helping power a front- and rear-collision avoidance system.

And while the design isn't finalized yet, the concept for the proposed truck is predictably turning heads on social media. Perhaps Popular Mechanics put it best: The Postal Service just decided it's time to get weird.

↦ Dig Deeper: Learn the history of America's postal vehicles, including those sweet right-hand drive Jeeps.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Chili crisp oil is everywhere

Vanity Fair’s Hollywood issue

Virgil Abloh’s take on a classic clock

Cardigans Are Cool Again

Add a layer of cool whether you're staying in or going out

It's not that cardigans ever really went away or were deemed uncool, of course. They simply blended into the background. But now, they're seemingly everywhere. Maybe it’s all the ‘90s nostalgia as of late. Perhaps it's the fact that we're spending so much time lounging around the house and working from home.

Which, in my opinion, is a great thing. These button-up (or occasionally zip-up) sweaters have the ability to upgrade anything you're wearing. Pull on a slim, solid style to look a whole lot more polished and put-together. Or throw on a relaxed, freaky patterned one for stylish of-the-moment vibes.

Go ahead and mix colors and prints. There's an easygoing elegance to wearing a cardigan—even if said sweater is loud and made to stand out. We rounded up a few of the best ones to buy right now, in a range of prices and styles. The one here, for example, will only set you back about forty bucks.

↦ Buy: The best cardigans to get your through the winter and spring.

Industry of All Nations Cabrales House Shoes

What We’re Buying

The absolute perfect pair of house shoes can be hard to find. But these fit the bill for me. The Cabrales slipper is sustainably made from natural materials by a family-owned manufacturer in Mexico City. The soft but sturdy wool regulates temperature, wicks moisture and resists odors while being comfortable enough for all-day wear. And the style strays away from the traditional moccasin and more towards a pair of loafers. That's a whole lot for this price.

↦ Get It $50 by Industry of All Nations