The Daily Valet. - 3/14/22, Monday

✔️ Things Intensify

March 14, 2022

Monday, March 14th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Is this time change messing with you, too?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Russia Intensifies Attacks

Expanding its range of airstrikes, Moscow hits new targets in brutal weekend of fighting

Russia launched a barrage of airstrikes on Sunday against a military base in western Ukraine where American troops had trained Ukrainian forces just weeks earlier, bringing the war 11 miles from the border with Poland, where NATO forces are stationed on high alert, reports the New York Times.

Western officials said the attack at NATO’s doorstep was not merely a geographic expansion of the Russian invasion but a shift of tactics in a war many already worried might quickly grow into a larger European conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again urged NATO leaders to establish a no-fly zone over the country—a plea that several Western leaders have said could escalate the war to an even more dangerous nuclear confrontation.

In another sign of the expanding conflict, the White House said national security adviser Jake Sullivan would meet with a top Chinese official today in Rome to warn of what Sullivan said would “absolutely be consequences” for any Chinese efforts to assist Russia in evading sanctions.

While several talks for a broad cease-fire have so far failed, Ukrainian and Russian officials expressed optimism that they would make progress in peace talks set for later today. Officials in Kyiv say Russia is “starting to talk constructively” as Ukrainian forces put up a fierce resistance to the invasion—but Ukraine’s position is firm: It wants Russian troops gone.

The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths, though it believes the true toll is much higher, and Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office said that at least 85 children are among them. An American filmmaker and journalist was also killed Sunday.

↦ FYI: A new stamp honors the Ukrainian soldiers who profanely told off a Russian warship.

If You Snooze, You Succeed

Are naps coming back with us to the office?

Of all the benefits we derived from the WFH revolution during the pandemic, the midday nap far outweighs sweatpants and saving time on commutes, in my opinion.

But now, as companies are requesting (and sometimes requiring) employees return to the office, does this mean the days of weekday napping are in danger? Ultimately, it could depend on where you work. According to Fast Company, more and more workplaces are coming to appreciate the benefits of a well-rested workforce.

And the science backs up those feel-good vibes: a quick afternoon nap has been proven to boost productivity, creative thinking and emotional regulation. And a nap could also help your career, since one study found nappers were 18% more likely to get a promotion than their colleagues who managed to stay awake all day.

Besides, the kids are already doing it. A recent poll found that 80% of Gen Z workers and 70% of millennials have admitted to snoozing while on the clock.

↦ FYI: Here is everything you need for the perfect couch nap.

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The future of medicine is here. This pharmacy of the future is something you probably want to get in on.

MoviePass Is Coming Back

Two years after going bankrupt (and taking my money), the service is being reborn

Look, I'll admit ... MoviePass was fun while it lasted. The service (which basically let you see any movie, in any theater for ten bucks a month) was called an affordable public good but an extremely stupid and shady business.

But I was also one of the customers that prepaid my membership (to get an even better discount) and whole operation went belly up before I could get my money's worth. So I don't know how I feel about it coming back from the dead. But like an inflatable clown-shaped punching bag, you can't keep a ridiculous Silicon Valley idea down.

The “Netflix of cinemas” will be returning from the dead this summer. This time, MoviePass will offer a tiered service, with movies costing “credits” based on their popularity and screening time. Another twist: subscribers will be able to earn credits by watching ads on their phone—provided they allow the software to track their eye movements to ensure they're watching the ads.

According to Vulture, the company's new CEO is acutely aware of the confusion surrounding the innovation (and the dystopian undertones). But he says it's not as scary as it sounds. In fact, he thinks it's a way that viewers can monetize their own attention, paid for by companies that would typically spend for product placement in the movies. Will it work? We'll have to see, but I can tell you that I'm not all that eager to return to watching movies in the theater. Are you?

↦ FYI: The average cost of a movie ticket in 2021 was $9.16, which has held at that price since 2019.

Uber Adds New Fuel Surcharge

The company says fees go to drivers, who are responsible for paying for their own gas

Your next Uber ride will likely be more expensive. The company just announced it's adding a “temporary fuel surcharge” to fares to help drivers pay for record-high gas prices around the country.

“Rides customers will pay a surcharge of either $0.45 or $0.55 on each Uber trip, and Eats customers will pay either $0.35 or $0.45 on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location,” said Liza Winship, Uber's head of driver operations in US and Canada.

According to NBC News, the entirety of the surcharge will be passed on to drivers, and the plan is for the surcharge to be in place for the next 60 days.

Interestingly (and annoyingly), this temporary fuel surcharge will even be in place for rides or deliveries done in an electric vehicle, “which we hope will serve as additional incentive for drivers to transition to EVs going forward,” an Uber spokesperson told The Verge.

↦ Dig Deeper: The Associated Press examines how the average U.S. price of gasoline shot up over the past two weeks to a record-setting $4.43 per gallon.

In Other News

↦ Obama Tests Positive for COVID-19, Says He’s ‘Feeling Fine’

↦ Why Tom Brady Un-Retired: This Season May Be His Best Yet, But This Was No Master Plan

↦ The Real Hot Vax Summer Is Coming

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

William Hurt

These Birks

Iced coffee jelly beans

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Invest in the Future of Pharmacy

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If you don't regularly need to take medication, let me remind you of what it's like: a doctor calls in a prescription to your pharmacy, they fill it and contact you. You then have to go to the store, wait in line and pick up the pills and pay. The only benefit? You end up buying candy at the checkout. In the age of streaming and app-based food delivery, the process feels terribly out of date.

Meet NowRx, the tech-powered pharmacy that provides free same-day prescription delivery at no additional cost to the consumer. How? Fulfillment centers that operate at a fraction of the cost of typical retail chains. NowRx is not a middle man or mail-order service. Every order is handled by HIPAA-certified NowRx pharmacy employees to ensure safe and secure deliveries.

The company is disrupting the $480 billion pharmacy industry and it's only getting started. Which means it's an ideal opportunity to invest. After all, NowRx's revenue saw 90% year-over-year growth between 2019 and 20220 and they achieved $26M in annualized revenue in December 2021. The competitive advantage will only continue to outpace everyone else, so now's the time to get in.

↦ Learn more: Invest in NowRx today

What We’re Eyeing

These are pants with a secret identity. Sure, they look like vintage military standard-issue fatigue pants. But they're actually brand new ($98)—cut from a durable yet soft cotton with just a hint of stretch. Old school details remain (simple melamine buttons and adjustable drawstring waistband), but the fit is slightly relaxed for a modern silhouette. They're masculine, versatile and extremely comfortable—the kind of pants you find yourself wearing over and over.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week

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A Modern Heritage Brand

Meet Le Alfré, a menswear brand founded by a 25-year-old who used to work on Wall Street. The New York brand is bringing a new vibe and aesthetic to traditional men's clothing by focusing on the fit and finishes modern guys are looking for. Le Alfré's products are all handmade in Europe by some of the best fabric mills and the oldest factories in the game. “Even with the modern technology of machines, making quality clothes still requires an insane amount of skill and expertise,” says founder Brandon Snower. “Our craftsmen have decades of knowledge and experience in making garments that last a very long time.” Le Alfré doesn't believe in high unnecessary markups, so you get these shirts for about half of what they'd normally retail for.