The Daily Valet. - 3/11/20, Wednesday
✔️ Surprises All Around
Wednesday, March 11th Edition
They had “Contagion” playing on my plane. And I watched it because I just couldn’t resist.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
Biden Widens Lead
They don’t call it “Super Tuesday 2” for nothing
In a big blow to Senator Bernie Sander's presidential bid, former Vice President Joe Biden won the Michigan primary, along with Mississippi and Missouri.
According to the New York Times, the results set Biden up as the clear favorite for the Democratic nomination. “While Sanders cannot be mathematically eliminated in the delegate race on Tuesday night, his path to success has narrowed to a sliver.”
Biden said it was “premature to celebrate,” but made a pointed pitch to Sanders and his allies, speaking of them as if their movement had come to an end. Addressing a small group of supporters at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he struck a note of unity and made a direct appeal to Sanders supporters, reports the Washington Post.
“I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and their passion,” Biden said. “We share a common goal, and together, we’ll defeat Donald Trump.”
The victory in Michigan was powered by landslide margins in the Detroit suburbs, places where turnout had been low in the 2016 primary. And Vote Save America reports that more than 7,000 people took advantage of same-day registration, thanks to a voter-approved ballot petition in 2018.
↦ FYI: Both Sanders and Biden canceled their election night rallies in Ohio at the last minute Tuesday over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Vladimir Putin Wants to Be President for Life
The former Soviet KGB officer has already been in power for two decades
One way or another, Russian president Vladimir Putin is working to stay in power as long as possible—possibly for life. According to the New York Times, he has been gearing up to push through constitutional changes as a surreptitious way to remain Russia’s leader after presidential term limits forced him to step down in 2024. But on Tuesday, he endorsed a simpler, more brazen proposal: resetting the term-limit clock to zero.
"When a country is going through such upheavals and such difficulties," Putin said in a speech to legislators in favor of the term-limit reset amendment, "stability may be more important and must be given priority."
The proposal, passed by the lower house of Parliament just hours after it had been introduced, would allow him to serve for an additional two six-year terms when his tenure expires. Meaning he'd be in power until 2036.
↦ FYI: If this happens, Putin will have held the nation’s highest office for 32 years, longer than Stalin, but still shorter than Peter the Great, who reigned for 43 years.
Chlamydia Discovered Under the Arctic Ocean
Was the Arctic once a popular spring break destination?
Like so many sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia pops up in different places, usually when you least expect it. But this one's truly surprising.
Several abundant populations of bacteria in the chlamydia family were discovered by a group of researchers in deep sediments of the Arctic Ocean—two miles beneath the surface of the water and several feet beneath the ocean floor.
The findings, published in Current Biology, could shed new light on how chlamydia evolved to become the infectious disease it is today.
The team of researchers discovered that the bacteria used resources from other microbes living nearby instead of relying on host organisms to survive, reports ZME Science. They'll now grow those microbes in a lab, which should reveal how the bacteria ended up infecting animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms all over the world.
Uber Is Testing Its Self-Driving Cars Again
A couple of vehicles will be cruising through San Francisco streets
Uber has resumed testing autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, two years after the company scaled back its program following a fatal crash in Arizona that killed a pedestrian, reports Tech Crunch.
At the time, the company let go all 100 of its self-driving car operators in Pittsburgh and San Francisco and rumors circulated that the company wanted to sell its self-driving unit.
But it's getting back on the road, ever so slowly. According to The Verge, the California DMV reinstated Uber’s permit to test self-driving vehicles on public roads last month. But the company says it will take a cautious approach and only operate two vehicles with safety drivers during daylight hours.
↦ Dig Deeper: In the age of AI advances, Vox explores why self-driving cars turned out to be harder than people expected.
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Why Men Today Are Wearing Signet Rings
It’s the jewelry for guys who aren’t “Jewelry Guys”
It seems like men’s jewelry has never been more popular. Or more wild, for that matter. Harry Styles, Pharrell Williams and A$AP Rocky are all wearing flashy pieces like pearl necklaces. In an age where everything goes, there's something to be said for pulling on something classic, cool and understated.
A subtle whisper speaks volumes when everyone else is shouting, right? And in terms of a man's accessories, that means sliding on a signet ring.
What's more, there are all sorts of styles to try these days. We rounded up ten of the best versions, in a range of materials and price points—and capped them off with some guidance on why they work so well and how to suit them to your personal style (and hand size).
↦ Buy: The 10 best signet rings for men right now.
What We’re Buying
Levi's is currently offering up to 75% off sale items during their massive end-of-season sale. There's plenty fo choose from, but our top pick has to be this pair of 502 tapered jeans. They're a more refined, modern alternative to the classic 501, complete with a touch of stretch for ultimate all-day comfort. And at the moment, there are plenty of sizes and wash options to choose from. But you'd better move fast to score the ones you want.
↦ Get It $69.50 / $39.98 at Levi's
Special Promotion
This is actually the hair product I use daily. I can’t tell you how many jars I’ve gone through, but it never lets me down. A little of the putty goes a long way and it doesn’t feel sticky or heavy. It adds texture and a healthy sheen to hair while providing enough hold to last all day. It’s basically a shortcut to better hair.
↦ Get It $22 by Port Products (free shipping w/code WITHVALET)
Today’s Deals
Expires 3/19
Expires 3/31
Ongoing Sale
↦ Want More? See all 49 sales
Morning Motto
We’ve got a lot to be thankful for, right?
↦ Follow: @third.eye.thought
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