The Daily Valet. - 3/11/22, Friday

✔️ Is Your Stress Spiking?

March 11, 2022

Friday, March 11th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Do yourself a favor and have some fun this weekend, okay?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Americans’ Stress Is Spiking

In less than shocking news, the latest data proves that we’re more stressed than ever

The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” poll, published Thursday, found that U.S. adults—already weary from two years of the COVID-19 pandemic—are now overwhelmingly troubled by inflation and the war in Ukraine.

More than 80% of Americans say the economy and supply chain issues along with global uncertainty and safety are significant sources of their stress. I mean, no real suprise there, right? The only time I’m not stressed is when I’m binging another show about con artists and grifters.

But the numbers on this survey were the highest in nearly two decades and the APA described the findings as “alarming.” The findings revealed widespread grief, sense of loss, continual hardships for vulnerable populations, including communities of color.

“Typically, our highest levels of stress have been in the mid 60s, so hitting, for example, 87[%] for inflation as a source of stress is truly astounding,” on APA psychologist told NPR. “We know stress can lead to physical consequences, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease … and emotionally, it can lead to things like anxiety disorders and difficulty sleeping, which we’ve seen in the survey as well.”

Parents and caregivers, in particular, have been hit hard by stress in the past year, researchers found. Parents are not only worried for themselves; they are overly concerned for the future of their children. But as George Packer writes in The Atlantic, it’s not all that easy to be a kid these days, either.

However, the good news from past research is that most people eventually bounce back from temporary stressors. “It might take some time, but most people are resilient and actually recover,” says Dr. Kali Cyrus , a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, who wasn’t involved with the report. She hopes that those who are stressed link up with friends and family members “because that’s one thing that does promote resilience.”

↦ FYI: 87% of those surveyed cited rising costs of everyday items, such as groceries and gas, as “a significant source of stress.”

No End in Sight

Diplomatic efforts stall, civilian casualties rise and Russians feel a new Iron Curtain close in

As the war entered its third week, there were scant signs that the catastrophe with global implications would end anytime soon. High-level talks between Ukraine's foreign minister and his Russian counterpart dissolved Thursday without any progress, nixing hopes of a cease-fire as the number of civilian casualties rises.

The U.S., NATO and the European Union have focused on strangling Russia's economy and arming Ukrainian fighters. But it's unclear how this will stop the war. The Washington Post reports that Putin signaled that—even though the economic consequences for his country were devastating—he intended to stay the course.

For Russians, many are split on this new reality. According to Axios, educated citizen always knew they were living in an autocracy. Many had made peace with that. But they never expected to once again live in the type of country where “portraits of the Great Leader” hang on the walls.

However, that's just a subset of the population. One independent poll puts approval for the war at 58%, with 23% of Russian citizens disapproving. One senior fellow at Carnegie Moscow said that when the financial sanctions start to bite, many will be prepared to accept the Kremlin line that they are victims of economic warfare from the West that has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

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Baseball Is Back!

How will this new agreement affect the teams, the playoffs and the sport?

I'm sure you heard that yesterday afternoon, after nearly 100 days of conflict between MLB and the Players Association, ESPN reported that the two sides had reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

According to The Ringer, each team will play 162 games this season (which seemed like a pipe dream just a few days ago, right?). Opening Day is now April 7, and the season will be stretched by three days and peppered with double-headers to accommodate rescheduled games. But there will be no doomsday scenario, no lost or truncated season that could threaten the future viability of the sport.

The deal includes a lot of internal MLB tweaks involving the draft, minimum salaries, arbitration and other stuff sport wonks obsess over but normal people don't care about. Some of the changes most fans will notice: Look for advertisements on uniforms (expect a lot of crypto), two more playoff teams (bringing a total of 12) and no more fun tiebreaker games at the end of the regular season.

So what's next? Apparently, there are still a few hundred free agents out there. If history holds, about 60 will sign major league contracts and scores more will sign minor league deals. And trade talks had to be put on hiatus for the lockouts. It'll be a madhouse of injury assessments, arbitration and roster changes, but the new contract means none of us will have to endure this again for, at least, another five years.

↦ Place a bet: The Dodgers are the World Series betting favorites at SI Sportsbook, followed by the Astros and Blue Jays.

A Weekend Pairing

‘The Adam Project’ + a CBD Beverage

Netflix's big original tentpole of the month, “The Adam Project,” starts streaming today. The film stars Ryan Reynolds who plays a time-traveling fighter pilot from the year 2050 who crash lands on Earth in 2022 and ends up befriending his younger self. Mark Ruffalo plays his father in the 2022 timeline, while the supporting cast also includes Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldana.

A version of “The Adam Project” has been in development for nearly a decade, apparently. Tom Cruise was once going to play the time-traveling pilot but Reynolds, with his wise-cracking charm, seems to be the right guy for the role. The film is being called “Back to the Future” for the Marvel era—a sci-fi film with “a Spielbergian sense of wonder to cut through all the pew-pew noise.” Without spoiling anything, the finale of the movie boils down less to spectacle and more to emotion—with an ending that The Wrap says will leave many in tears.

↦ Your Pairing:For this week's pairing, I'm thinking something refreshing ... that's also safe (and legal) for your inner child. Recess makes some of the best CBD-infused beverages on the market and this flavor is new to me. Brewed with real coconut water and infused with lime and ginseng, it's tasty, effervescent and mood-boosting.

In Other News

↦ TSA to Extend Mask Mandate for Planes, Public Transportation Until April 18

↦ Jussie Smollett Will Serve 150 Days in Jail for Lying to Police About a Hate Crime

↦ Peloton Finally Connects With Your Apple Watch

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Asian American experience

These clear shades

Starting our own island nation

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