The Daily Valet. - 3/29/21, Monday

✔️ A Streaming Event

March 29, 2021

Monday, March 29th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I should probably be better at saving receipts, shouldn’t I?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Minnesota v. Derek Chauvin

The trial of the former Minneapolis police officer is being called the biggest trial of the streaming TV age

Opening arguments begin on Monday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murdering George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, last May—igniting outrage and a worldwide reckoning on police reform and racial justice.

It took 11 days to pick 12 jurors and three alternates. There are nine women and six men. Of those, nine are White, four are Black and two that identify as multiracial. CBS News says it’s a surprisingly diverse panel for a county that is about 75% White.

National civil rights leaders appeared alongside several of Floyd's family members at a prayer service Sunday night. His sister, Philonise, called for a conviction and urged observers to focus on the bystander video capturing his brother’s struggle, reports The Star-Tribune. Prosecutors have not said when they will play the video, but legal experts expect it to be early in the trial.

Chauvin faces three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. The murder charges could carry 40 and 25 year sentences, respectively. The former officer has pleaded not guilty to all three.

From a media perspective, the trial will be the biggest trial of the streaming TV age. People will be watching on streaming-first services like Law & Crime as well as TV networks, Cable News and YouTube.

For a primer on what to expect, read Eric Levenson’s overview for CNN. “In a first for Minnesota,” he wrote, “the trial will be broadcast live in its entirety to accommodate COVID-19 attendance restrictions, giving the public a rare peek into the most important case of the Black Lives Matter era.”

↦ DIg Deeper: Charles Blow writes about the experience of visiting Minneapolis and going to the now-hallowed spot where George Floyd died.

Have You Spent a Lot on Masks?

Because the IRS says they are tax-deductible

You know all those face masks (maybe even shields) that have become a standard part of your standard uniform over the last year? And all that hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes you've been buying in bulk?

Well that stuff and any other protective gear you may have purchased over the last year, to keep yourself safe from COVID, are tax-deductible on your 2020 return, the IRS just announced.

So, money you or other members of your household paid for those things in 2020 may be claimed when you submit your taxes this year, provided that none of the costs were reimbursed by an insurance company.

But, according to MoneyWise, in order to get the write-off, you'll need to itemize deductions—and your medical expenses for the year must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. That's your taxable income before the deductions have been subtracted.

↦ Meanwhile: Under Biden, Democrats are poised to raise taxes on corporations and the rich.

Amazon’s Union Vote Is Bigger Than Amazon

Experts say the repercussions could affect the entire U.S. labor force

For the last seven weeks, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, have been voting by mail on whether to unionize. Their ballots are due by today, and counting will begin on Tuesday.

If the union wins, the warehouse employees would become the first members of Amazon's U.S. workforce to unionize—a momentous event at a company that has long resisted labor organizing (sometimes aggressively), and one that could be a first step toward improving conditions at the country's second-largest employer.

According to The Verge, such a chain reaction could do more than change the conditions that hundreds of thousands of Amazon employees work under. Because of its size and the sprawling geographic scope of its logistics network, the quality and pay of Amazon's jobs have a powerful effect on the quality and pay of other jobs.

Insider spoke with several experts who say workers in Bessemer could provide a roadmap for other employees at Amazon and various companies across the country on how to effectively unionize. After decades of declining labor union membership, this high-profile unionization effort could play a part in reversing the trend.

VW’s Electric Bus Is on Its Way Here

We now have a confirmed launch timeline for one of the most anticipated electric vehicles

By now, you're likely aware that Volkswagen is converting its entire lineup to electric powertrains and leaving gasoline behind. But the brand isn't giving up its heritage. They dipped back into their archive for inspiration on an electric take of the classic VW Bus.

Unveiled all the way back in January 2017, the ID. Buzz concept promised a reboot of the classic camper van. And over the past couple of years it's become one of the most anticipated electric vehicles on Earth.

Car and Driver confirmed that Volkswagen will bring the production ID. Buzz to the U.S. in 2023 as a 2024 model year vehicle following its 2022 debut in Europe.

According to Gear Patrol, this could be a major hit for Volkswagen for more than just nostalgia reasons. The secret to the initial Bus' success was its space efficiency; it could fit eight-ish people and a substantial amount of cargo into a footprint similar to a modern sedan. And current EVs tend to be small and not very practical for families on the cargo front.

↦ Rent a Classic: Vintage Surfari Wagons offers epic road trips and group camp tours via a fleet of vintage VW buses and vans for rent.

In Other News

↦ The Ship Blocking Suez Canal Is Partially Freed

↦ Nike Wants to Clarify They Don’t Endorse Lil Nas X’s Shoes (That Contain Human Blood)

↦ Here Are the First Photos of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS’s Massive Screen

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

What’s on our radar

Performative allyship

Chet Hanks

U.S. Men’s Soccer Fails to Qualify for Olympics

Disappointing, yes, but not as disastrous as it sounds

The United States failed in its latest bid to qualify for the Olympic men’s soccer tournament on Sunday, falling to Honduras, 2-1, in a regional qualifying tournament in Mexico.

The defeat was a humbling end to yet another Olympic qualifying campaign for the United States, and it means the American men will miss their third straight Summer Games.

A U.S. men's team last appeared in the Olympics in 2008— and now has failed to qualify for the Games in four of the past five cycles.

But while the United States missing out on the Olympics is certainly discouraging, Sports Illustrated says there were several mitigating circumstances that didn't work in their favor. And an Olympic qualifying failure is nowhere near on par with the 2018 World Cup qualifying failure. Still, the Games are often seen as a barometer of youth development and the U.S. was favored to qualify.

What We’re Buying

UNIQLO has a rep for making quality garments for ridiculously low prices, and this is the perfect example. The brand's new “Ultra Stretch Pullover” hoodie offers double the stretch of conventional performance fabrics, and it's 20% lighter too. The knit material is silky smooth and extremely breathable. Plus, the silhouette isn't sloppy or slouchy like regular hoodies. The more structured shape and the sheen of the material gives it an added level of polish. It comes in five different colorways, and at this price, you could easily pick up a few.

↦ Get It: Dry Stretch hoodie, $39.90 by UNIQLO