The Daily Valet. - 4/20/20, Monday
✔️ The Biggest 4/20 Ever?
Monday, April 20th Edition
Was everyone watching “The Last Dance” last night? It seems so ...
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
Protests Erupt Over Lockdowns
The debate about when and how to reopen the country intensified over the weekend
Small but vocal groups of protesters gathered in over a dozen cities across America this weekend, demanding governors reopen the U.S. economy, encouraged by President Trump, who complained that some governors had “gotten carried away” with restrictions designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, reports the Washington Post.
“America’s testing capability and capacity is fully sufficient to begin opening the country,” Trump said at a Saturday news conference. But this is at odds with most governors and key industry leaders, who say a lack of widespread testing makes reopening businesses in mass more risky.
While fears of infection (and a sense of duty to protect high-risk populations) are keeping most people indoors, several large protests erupted in Washington and Texas.
According to Vice, many of the protests have had strong ties to the fringe right. The Texas protest was promoted by InfoWars, the conspiracy theory-driven alt-right organization that has now been banned on YouTube and major social media platforms.
The protests come at a time when the U.S. counts over 763,00 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (more than the next five countries combined) and over 40,000 Americans have lost their lives from the disease (nearly twice the second deadliest country of Italy). Cabin fever sucks. And the unemployment numbers pose a serious economic challenge. But large groups of un-masked people at this time is irresponsible at best and incredibly dangerous at worst.
↦ FYI: If you ask me, protesters practicing social-distancing are much more striking.
Will This Be the Biggest 4/20 Ever?
Cannabis demand is at an all-time high
This year, all of April is 4/20 technically ... and cannabis culture is figuring out new ways to celebrate despite stay-at-home orders, reports Rolling Stone.
In a world without coronavirus, thousands of people would have gathered on 4/20 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for a massive smokeout. But it, like the annual Mile High 420 Festival in Denver (which expected a turnout of 50,000), is canceled.
Instead, there are heaps of virtual smoking seshes and Zoom hangouts to choose from. Instead of playing a planned party with Wiz Khalifa and Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg is celebrating the worldwide digital release of Dr. Dre’s seminal debut album “The Chronic” on 4/20 at 4:20 pm with a livestream DJ set and smoke-in on his media company’s Instagram.
And according to Forbes, while other industries have been crushed by the coronavirus lockdown, the cannabis industry has enjoyed a fitting high. As states instituted shelter-in-place policies in mid-March, cannabis sales jumped 35% compared to the same period last year. And after a small dip from the high-water mark of panic buying, April sales are already well above 2019 levels.
↦ FYI: Last year, Americans bought $90 million worth of cannabis for 4/20.
Additional Small Business Relief Coming Soon
Latest stimulus package could include more funds for hospitals and national testing
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a deal to fund a $450 billion economic relief package to replenish a depleted emergency fund for small businesses could be reached with Democratic leaders today, reports CNN.
President Trump opened Sunday's coronavirus task force briefing by discussing the negotiations on Capitol Hill over additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, saying “We are also looking at helping our hospitals and our rural hospitals who have been hurt very badly.”
According to the New York Times, the agreement will likely include $300 billion to replenish the emergency fund; $50 billion for the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief fund; $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing.
↦ FYI: Hospitals’ funding needs became clearer over the past two weeks and widespread testing is now seen as crucial to being able to reopen the economy.
Are You Up for Sex?
Dr. Fauci says quarantine dating app hookups are (kind of) okay
Here's some good news for the many sex-starved singles who have been posting flagrant displays of horniness on social media in recent weeks. According to Inside Hook, Dr. Fauci says it's okay to hook up with a random from a dating app. If you're okay with a “relative risk.”
America's infectious-disease expert was asked on Snapchat’s Good Luck America: “If you're swiping on an app like Tinder, or Bumble or Grindr, and you match with someone that you think is hot, and you're like, ‘Maybe it's fine if this one stranger comes over.’ What do you say to that person?”
Fauci said that it was a tough call, but that “if you're willing to take a risk and you want to go a little bit more intimate, well, then that's your choice.” But that's only if you're in the mood.
The Wall Street Journal reports that stress and fear are taking a toll on intimacy. A lot of people are terrified that kissing, touching or even breathing on someone could be deadly. Most experts now suggest using technology—sexting, video or virtual sex and toys that can be operated remotely—for new ways to connect. Now ... where'd I put that remote?
↦ Dig Deeper: The Conversation examines if sex in isolation can be as fulfilling as real life?
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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How to Unwind After Working From Home
Don’t let the days run on ... and on ... and on
For those of us working from home, a long day can easily bleed into the night and rob you of some well-earned relaxation and stress-relief.
Our own Scott Woolf tackles the subject, and says you must find a way to wind down your work day and build a barrier between the salaried version of yourself and the “off-the-clock” one.
In order to log out, it's best to find those nightly rituals that worked for us before this all started (remember those days?). Otherwise you'll feel like you're spending the night at the office.
↦ Read: Six ways to break up your day and unplug.
What We’re Buying
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Morning Motto
Focus your attention on the good stuff.
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