The Daily Valet. - 4/2/20, Thursday
✔️ Shortages, Spending and a Long-Awaited Upgrade
Thursday, April 2nd Edition
Let’s all be as responsible as Sandra the orangutang.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
Supply Shortages
States compete as the US stockpile of emergency medical supplies is depleted
The government’s emergency stockpile of respirator masks, gloves and other medical supplies is running low and is nearly exhausted due to the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the Washington Post, anonymous officials from the Department of Homeland Security say the stockpile was “never built or designed to fight a 50-state pandemic.”
President Trump has been assuring the country that the federal government is holding 10,000 ventilators in reserve to ship to the hardest-hit hospitals. But many of the lifesaving devices are currently unavailable after the contract to maintain the government’s supply lapsed late last summer, reports the New York Times.
The discovery came in response to inquiries to the Department of Health and Human Services after some states reported that the ventilators they received were not operational, while other states try to obtain the life-saving machines and other necessary supplies.
The Gaurdian quoted New York Governor Andrew Cuomo describing the “bizarre situation” in which every state buys its own ventilators, fueling an “eBay-style bidding war.” Meanwhile, PBS reports that the Pentagon is offering to send 2,000 ventilators wherever they’re needed and companies like Disney are donating over 150,000 desperately needed N95 masks to hospitals in need. Unfortunately, donations alone may not be enough to address the dire shortages.
↦ Tracker: Keep an eye on the numbers with Domo’s constantly updated Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tracker.
Americans Have Cut Their Spending
What are you buying these days?
In a weekly report of U.S. consumption trends, market research firm NPD found that while consumers are still shopping, fear has driven consumer behavior from discretionary to necessity. They noted that the pandemic's disruption will bring both short- and long-term changes in behavior.
Similarly, a Bankrate survey this week found that 52% of Americans have intentionally cut their spending due to concerns about the economy or stock market.
According to the Associated Press, auto sales are evaporating with people on every continent shutting in (and certainly not haggling on car lots). The latest estimates point to a 40% drop in new vehicle sales compared to a year ago.
But as someone who's tried to buy a pull-up bar or TRX system (and struck out), I know that there's still plenty of discretionary spending going on. In fact, that same Bankrate survey found that 43% of consumers haven't changed their spending at all. I guess the real question is how will shopping change once we've fully settled into this new home life?
Maybe We Should Be Wearing Masks?
Amid shifting advice, Los Angeles recommends them for anyone out in public
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many of us are now overthinking things we never used to care about at all. Is it safe to go outside? How close is too close to stand in line? What to do if you’re jogging, and another runner is heading toward you on a narrow sidewalk?
Much of this confusion stems from the shifting conversation around best practices. First, masks were only for those who were sick and medical staff on the front lines. But recently, news reports have suggested that the coronavirus can spread through the air. And according to CNN, the White House task force could soon recommend Americans wear masks
On Wednesday, the nation’s second-largest city is recommending that all residents wear masks whenever they're in public, reports Time. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said people who are performing essential tasks such as food shopping should wear homemade, non-medical face coverings, or even bandannas, as people in other countries hard-hit by the Covid-19 virus have done.
In explaining why he wasn't waiting for the CDC's official guidance on masks, Garcetti said "anything that can even be 1% effective, 10% effective, 50% effective, is something we should do."
Divorces Spike in a Locked-Down World
To have and to hold, in quarantine and in health
In China, reports from various cities show divorces surged in March as husbands and wives began emerging from weeks of government-mandated lockdowns intended to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, reports Bloomberg.
The trend may be an ominous warning for couples in the U.S. and elsewhere who are in the early stages of isolating at home: If absence makes the heart grow fonder, the opposite might be true of too much time spent together in close quarters.
Laura Wasser, a Los Angeles divorce attorney who inspired Laura Dern's character in "Marriage Story," spoke to The New Yorker about it in no uncertain terms. "A quarantine experience, particularly where there are underlying issues of resentment and poor communication, could be devastating to a marital relationship." She compared the situation to couples who, after enduring the forced togetherness of the holidays, seek divorce in January—a busy month for matrimonial lawyers.
The key to making it to the other side of this still intact? Communication of course. Well, that ... and not being incredibly loud and annoying on your conference calls.
↦ FYI: The number of unmarried adults is at a record high of 20%, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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The Bidet’s Big Moment
It’s time we all make the switch
If you've ever been to Japan (or even a nice Japanese restaurant) you've likely experienced the joy of the Toto Washlet, the country's famed smart toilet. Now, thanks to panicked Americans hoarding toilet paper, the modern bidet may finally be making its way stateside.
There have been several pieces written lately about the need to make a switch from bunching up thin paper and clogging sewage systems with wet wipes to a more efficient, cleaner and ecologically responsible alternative.
People seem convinced. Business Insider reports that Brondell, a home product company that sells a variety of bidet attachments, says sales have increased over the past few days. Bidet distributor Hygiene for Health said they've also seen a spike. And Crunchbase recently reported that the Millenial-focused startup Tushy has also enjoyed a substantial sales boost.
It really shouldn't have taken a pandemic to convert the country from a primitive act to one that's civilized, mechanized and, dare I say, refreshing. But at least the bidet boom is belatedly here.
↦ Buy: Tushy's classic bidet attachment, which can be installed onto your existing toilet in just 10 minutes, is currently being offered for $20 off.
Weekend Shopping Plans
From sneakers to lightweight jackets, our picks from three can’t-miss sales going on this weekend.
Extra 20% off sale items w/code EXTRATWENTY
New Balance MLC100 sneakers $100 / $64
40% off w/code SPRING
Stretch workshirt $79.50 / $47.70
25% of select items
Garment-dyed work jacket $155 / $95
Morning Motto
We’ll get back there ...
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