The Daily Valet. - 3/25/22, Friday

✔️ The Key Takeaways

March 25, 2022

Friday, March 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

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Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

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Today’s Big Story

Takeaways From NATO Summit

The leaders see both danger and opportunity

A day of crisis talks in Brussels ended Thursday with NATO leaders touting unprecedented levels of unity—while questions about what Putin may do to unblock a battlefield stalemate in Ukraine hung in the air.

The New York Times called it a mix of both fear and opportunity. “The fear is that the aftermath of the invasion has rapidly transformed Europe into two armed camps once again, though this time the Iron Curtain looks very different. The opportunity is that, 30 days into a misbegotten war, Russia has already made so many mistakes that some NATO leaders believe that, if the West plays the next phase right, Putin may fail at taking all of Ukraine.”

The battle for the capital, Kyiv, rages on as the war enters its second month, with counterattacks forcing Russian troops into defensive positions, according to U.S.-based military analysts. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked NATO leaders on Thursday for fighter jets, tanks and better air defenses: “You can give us 1% of all your planes. One percent of all your tanks. Just one percent.”

The emotional appeal did not appear to move Western leaders off their deep reluctance to become more directly engaged in the conflict. Instead, they spent Thursday crafting next steps to counter Russia’s attacks—and huddling over how they might respond should Putin deploy chemical, biological or even a nuclear weapon.

President Biden told reporters after the meetings that if Russia were to use chemical weapons in Ukraine, it “would trigger a response” from NATO. Asked if the U.S. had gathered specific intelligence regarding Russias using or preparation to use chemical weapons, Biden said he could not comment on any intelligence data but reiterated, “we would respond.”

The other big takeaway was that Biden said that he would support Russia being expelled from the G20, one of the preeminent international summits representing the world’s developed economies. It wasn’t a decision that could be made in Brussels, where only the leaders of NATO and the smaller (and more exclusive) Group of 7 had gathered for the last-minute crisis talks. But it was an enticing prospect for leaders intent on isolating Russia for its war crimes.

↦ Meanwhile: President Biden is headed for NATO’s eastern flank today, where he will meet with his Polish counterpart, just miles from the Ukrainian border.

Hot Weather Spring?

Nearly 100 locations could break record high temperatures by the end of the weekend

March … in like a lion, out like a grilled lamb kebab. The majority of the United States (basically anything west of the Mississippi River) will experience a highly unusual event—record-breaking and extremely early-season heat through the weekend.

Strong high pressure system is building across the western third of the country and will remain throughout the weekend, reports CNN. High pressure causes the air to sink. As it sinks, the air compresses. And as air compresses, it heats up, which will lead to many states experiencing high temperatures some 10 to 20 degrees above average.

Years ago, this would be the time of year to see not only healthy snowfalls in the mountains but hints of spring as snow melt and runoff create the sounds of cascading waterfalls and the gushing of mountain rivers traveling downstream to replenish the lakes and reservoirs. But now, more heat means more concerns for the ongoing drought throughout the West and into Texas.

Experts say that climate change is creating these conditions. As environmental data scientist Dr. Robert Rohde told the New York Times, “What were hot days in the past are becoming more common. What were very, very hot days in the past are now two or three times more common than they used to be.”

↦ Dig Deeper: This map shows how many days have elapsed since an American city has had a record-breaking temperature.

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Omega’s Most Affordable Watch

Swatch’s take on the Speedmaster, coming in at just $260, surprised just about everyone

Omega has teamed up with Swatch on a new collection, which reinvents the iconic Speedmaster at an incredibly reasonable price point: just $260. And the unexpected collaboration seems to be breaking the internet with excitement. Especially for watch fans.

If you're wondering why the legendary watchmaker would allow its iconic Speedmaster—a watch that has been around for 65 years and been to the moon—to be co-opted by Swatch, InsideHook says it's good to remember that the Swatch Group owns Omega.

In all, there are 11 variations of the new MoonSwatch (effectively, 11 colorways) that each correspond to a specific planetary object. Each version is called a “Mission,” so there's Mission to Mercury, Mission to the Moon, Mission to Mars, and so on. There's even one called, um, Mission to Uranus.

Instead of a stainless-steel case the MoonSwatch is made from Swatch's BioCeramic and finished with a velcro strap branded with both brands' logos. It comes out tomorrow but here's the rub: It's only available at select Swatch retail stores. (Though some people tell me that after this initial run, Swatch may start selling them online.)

↦ Find It: See if there's a Swatch store in your area.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Atlanta’ + a Craft Beer

The second season of Atlanta ended on FX in 2018, which now seems like a lifetime ago, right? This was a long hiatus—even for a series that has always moved with its own fluid sense of time. The show has been a lot of things all at once—it's a comedy, except when it's a drama, or skews towards horror. But it's always been compelling stories we want to watch.

The opening episodes of the FX hit's third season quite literally take the show to new places, says The Ringer. I didn't know what to think when news broke that Atlanta's third season was to be largely shot in Amsterdam. But according to Entertainment Weekly, “there are a lot of left-turns in the stunner premiere, which is the show's boldest narrative experiment yet.” The Wrap calls the episode a “Lynchian fever dream,” and the rest of the rave reviews seem to suggest a season worth the wait.

↦ Your Pairing:I don't need anything fancy to enjoy this show. But I will crack open an ice cold craft beer from one of America's best Black-owned breweries. Green Bench is somehow able to brew any style of beer really well, but the Bench Life lager is dry, drinkable, and undeniably refreshing—like what Bud wishes it tasted like.

In Other News

↦ New Unemployment Weekly Claims Lowest Since 1969

↦ You Can Finally Switch Your Instagram Feed to a Chronological Timeline. Here’s How.

↦ Vanessa Bryant Reached an Agreement With Nike to Bring Back Kobe’s Sneaker Line

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

A deleted Joker scene from ‘The Batman’

What we’re wearing to work

This $36K mattress

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This is the time of year we like to break out our SeaVees. And now, the Southern California brand is offering a 20% discount on one of our favorite pairs. The Baja slip-on is a throwback Spring/Summer sneaker, cut from breathable canvas and finished with a contoured, cushy foam footbed and an extra heel-strike cushion. They also feature the brand's exclusive cooling system, meaning you can wear them all day and night with no problems. Just use code BAJA20, good for this weekend only!