The Daily Valet. - 3/16/23, Thursday
✔️ TikTok Trouble
Thursday, March 16th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Below, you'll find an explanation for why you're seeing so many French bulldogs recently.
Today’s Big Story
U.S. Threatens TikTok Ban
The White House is Pushing for a Sale to Resolve National Security Concerns
No more funny dances, 10-second reviews or cooking tutorials? One thing's for sure: Banning TikTok would potentially save us all a lot of time scrolling through incredibly addictive content. But could it really come to that?The Biden Administration has warned TikTok that it faces a ban in the U.S. if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell its stake in the U.S. version of the app, a source confirmed to Axios.It's no surprise to anyone that a ban would have huge ripples. TikTok has become one of the most popular mobile apps, amassing over 100 million users in America alone. Plus, a ban would mark a significant escalation of tensions between China and the U.S.Despite a lot of chatter over the past few months, this is the first time the Biden administration has explicitly threatened to ban the app. Whether federal officials have given TikTok a deadline to find a buyer remains unclear. Former President Trump attempted to put TikTok out of business, but the actions were halted by federal courts. These new demands will almost certainly be met with a legal challenge from TikTok.According to the New York Times, the White House had been trying to negotiate an agreement with TikTok that would apply new safeguards to its data and eliminate a need for parent company ByteDance to sell its shares in the app. TikTok has said its $1.5 billion security plan would essentially wall off its U.S. operations and gives an American company, Oracle, the ability to access the company's algorithmic code and flag issues for government inspectors. But critics have said that plan isn't sufficient, saying any Chinese-owned company must comply with demands from Beijing if called upon.
Upcoming:
Shou Zi Chew, TikTok's CEO, is set to testify for the first time in front of Congress next week.
Playboy Will Relaunch ... Again
The Magazine Returns to Internet With New OnlyFans-Style Platform
Is there still room in today's world for Playboy? The once-legendary magazine's current owner, PLBY Group, is reviving the original magazine in a digital-only format, with a catch: This new Playboy is a virtual display window for an OnlyFans-style platform called, of course, Playboy.The company announced that it was bringing back its iconic magazine with a mix of free and paid content. According to Variety, the new Playboy will offer select content for free, but will require users to pay individual creators for behind-the-scenes content and full photo shoots. You may remember, they tried to relaunch (without the nudity) back in 2015 but that didn't really work. And then the print edition was closed in March 2020, nearly 70 years after its debut in 1953. The first cover of this new relaunched Playboy magazine features Amanda Cerny—a model, actor and former Playmate—as a futuristic “platinum Bunny.” The first full issue is scheduled to come out later this year. CEO Ben Kohn said he hopes its creator platform will disrupt the current creator economy “the same way the magazine shook up the publishing industry.” But ... that seems unlikely, right?
Labs No Longer Our Favorite Dog
After more than 30 years, there's a new Favorite
My apologies to all the obedient, lovable Labrador Retrievers out there ... you're still very good boys and girls in my book. But the American Kennel Club announced Wednesday that the French bulldog is now the top breed in 2022—overtaking the lab, which had held the number one spot for a whopping 31 years.According to Forbes, “Popularity of the 'smart, compact breed,' as the AKC describes it, grew by over 1,000% in the past 10 years, climbing the AKC ranks of nearly 200 breeds and making it to the number two spot in 2021.” And last year, it finally clinched the top spot.Yet despite the breed's popularity, French bulldogs can have a raft of health issues, reports NPR. They are one of several breeds known as brachycephalic dogs, which means their shortened skulls and snouts make them more prone to respiratory, eye, skin and spinal problems. Of course, the AKC says they're also extremely adaptable to “a variety of home circumstances,” awesome watchdogs and don't require a ton of outdoor activity, which is a hard sell for a lot of dog owners in metropolitan areas.
Dig Deeper:
The Netherlands has banned the breeding of short-muzzled dogs. And the British Veterinary Association said people should not buy brachycephalic dogs.
NASA Debuts Its New Space Suit
Built by Axiom Space, The Sleek Suit is a huge Jump Forward for our astronauts
After more than 50 years of white, bulky spacesuits, America's astronauts are finally getting an upgrade. NASA and Texas-based company Axiom Space just revealed a new design for a smarter and a lot less bulky suit than the marshmallowy versions of the past.But it's hard to tell exactly what they'll look like. At an unveiling event in Houston on Wednesday, the suits were covered with a protective layer that the manufacturer, Axiom Space, said was to “guard its proprietary secrets.” The final version will likely be all-white when worn by NASA astronauts on the Moon's surface, to help keep the astronauts safe and cool while working in the harsh environment of space.The new suit is also designed to “fit a broad range of crew members, accommodating at least 90% of the U.S. male and female population,” NASA wrote in a statement. This reflects the space agency's plan to land the first woman on the Moon as part of the upcoming Artemis 3 mission.
FYI:
There is one relic that hasn't changed since the early days ... astronauts will still have to pee in their space pants.
In Other News
Searching for friends in Mark Zuckerberg’s deserted fantasyland.
Have you heard about ...
The Long Read
culture is dominated by efforts to score points and win arguments. But do we really talk anymore?
It’s not just that the public nowadays seems unpersuadable. The echo chambers keep shrinking as well. Is it that we’re incapable of having conversations, or that there are simply more voices to account for? Could it be that we are suffering from too much talk, not too little?”
- By Hua Hsu
Read It:
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Shopping
What We’re Buying
Miles Davis Sunglasses
If you want cool shades, get them from Miles Davis. This seems to be pretty solid advice, right? Garrett Leight California Optical has just launched a new pair of sunglasses with the Miles Davis Estate. The thick frames feel like the perfect shape for right now, but actually take inspiration from the sunglasses Davis wore at the Newport Jazz Festival back in 1958.
Get It:
New Miles sunglasses, $385 Miles Davis x GLCO Sun
Morning Motto
Lighten your load.
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