The Daily Valet. - 4/5/23, Wednesday
✔️ That Was an Unusual One
Wednesday, April 5th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
No drinks for me tonight.
Today’s Big Story
Trump’s Day In Court
After pleading not guilty to charges of falsifying records, he seethed In his first Post-arraignment Speech
Yesterday was a very unusual day for former President Donald Trump. While supporters rallied outside, Trump sat, almost docile, at the defense table, listening as prosecutors described the case against him. He was entirely silent beyond uttering “not guilty” in court and blasting out all-caps posts on his social media site.The indictment unsealed Tuesday includes 34 counts of falsifying business records with “intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof.” That's a Class E felony — the lowest level of felony in the state of New York. The judge on Tuesday did not impose a gag order but warned Trump to avoid making comments that were inflammatory or could cause civil unrest. If convicted of any one of the felony charges, Trump could face a maximum of four years in prison (but he'd likely be sentenced to less.)Of course, the wheels of justice move slowly. It will be a while until the trial actually gets underway. The next major court date is Dec. 4th. The prosecution is pushing for opening arguments to begin sometime in January 2024, but Trump's defense asked for a few more months, maybe sometime in spring 2024. That's right in the heart of primary season, which could complicate the former president's reelection bid.While he faces a swirl of legal challenges, Trump is already using the charges and other investigations to galvanize his supporters. His campaign is using a T-shirt with a fake mug shot to promote contributions and members of his team say that fundraising has soared since the indictment. That's not to say that Tump is happy.After a day of historic indignity, he returned to his home in Florida and gave a seething speech, lashing out at the prosecutor and judge in personal terms, despite the latter's warning to watch his words. A key purpose of his speech seemed to be priming his base for additional prosecutions that may soon be incoming. The Washington Post reports that in private, Trump spends much of his time worrying about various investigations, particularly the documents probe. They called his speech Tuesday night a splitscreen highlighting the two worlds he's straddling: one in which he is a defiant political hero and another in which he is in increasing legal peril.
Dig Deeper:
Can Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg make his unprecedented case against Trump stick? The Financial Times looks closer at what's ahead.
Here’s to Your Health
New research shows even moderate drinking isn't good for your health
As someone who enjoys relaxing with a nice glass of wine or a cocktail, it brings me no joy to bring you this news: Despite a long-held belief that moderate amounts of alcohol can be good for you, a sweeping new analysis finds that, no ... that's not true.The analysis looked at over 100 studies with nearly 5 million participants in all. So what does “moderate” drinking look like? For women, it's defined as seven servings of alcohol or less a week. For men, it is 14 servings of alcohol or less, according to the CDC. What's more, the researchers determined that even drinking relatively low levels of alcohol (less than 1 ounce for women and about 1.5 ounces for men per day) actually increased the risk of death.So how did earlier studies get it wrong and lead us to believe that a little red wine does the body good? According to the New York Times, most of those studies were observational, meaning they could identify links or associations but they could be misleading and did not prove cause and effect. Scientists said that the older studies failed to recognize that light and moderate drinkers had myriad other healthy habits and advantages, and that the abstainers used as a comparison group often included former drinkers who had given up alcohol after developing health problems.
FYI:
In the U.S., a standard drink (5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer or 1.5 oz. of distilled spirits) typically has about 14 grams of alcohol.
What Do Surging Oil Prices Mean?
Crude oil prices are a driver of gas prices, experts believe they’ll go up
Oil prices jumped Tuesday after OPEC+, an alliance with oil-producing countries led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, announced plans to cut oil production, causing market concerns about the impact of higher prices on the global economy.Experts agree that rising oil prices will no doubt complicate efforts by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks to get inflation under control, analysts said. “Higher fuel prices—diesel in particular—would weigh on consumers' wallets and jack up costs for the shipping networks that underpin global supply chains.”These cuts come as global oil stockpiles were already reportedly low. Onshore oil inventories around the world fell for seven of the past nine weeks, according to oil data and analytics firm Vortexa. And Barron's predicts that the surprise product cut is “likely to elevate prices for months—or even years—to come.”
FYI:
The United States and China are the top largest consumers of oil in the world, totaling 18.7 million and 15.4 million barrels per day, respectively.
The Cooler of the Future?
It's So Innovative, You Don't even Need Ice
Behold, the Rimowa of beer coolers. The Oyster Tempo is an innovative aluminum “performance cooler” that fits a whopping 36 cans and is so good at insulating, it doesn't even require ice to keep your foods and drinks properly chilled.The innovative Norwegian company's patented technology not only saves you ice, but space—since the streamlined design is far more spatially efficient than the most popular coolers on the market today. The little cooler delivers three times the capacity of other coolers its size and stays cold three times as long thanks to Oyster's proprietary DLTA technology, which uses vacuum insulation, much like your favorite heavy-duty water bottle.According to Gear Patrol, the Tempo's lid can be fully removed for easy cleaning, and the strap and aluminum handle offer multiple carrying options. But, they warn, don't drop it because it'll dent—not unlike that Rimowa I mentioned earlier.
Cool:
This countertop ice maker can churn out small, round cubes in less than 10 minutes.
In Other News
It underscores concerns about the readiness of America’s fighting forces.
Have you heard about ...
Your April Reading List
From our search for life beyond Earth to a James Bond adventure without bond
A new month means a new reading list. Have you been reading as much in 2023 as you'd hoped to be? I'm currently looking for a new book to dive into, so I'm ready for something engaging. Thankfully, this month brings some good fiction and non-fiction options.
By: Alejandro VarelaOut: March 4
Celebrated author Alejandro Varela is back with a collection of interconnected stories brimming with the anxieties of people who retreat into themselves while living in the margins, acutely aware of the stresses that modern life takes upon the body and society as a whole.
By: Kim SherwoodOut: March 11
Here’s a interesting twist: A James Bond novel … without James Bond. Sherwood takes on Ian Fleming’s legendary character, but this novel explores how some of Bond’s MI6 crew handle an international crisis with him out of the picture.
By: Jaime Green Out: March 18
One of the most powerful questions humans ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? Acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green traces the history of our understanding, from the days of Galileo and Copernicus to our contemporary quest for exoplanets.
By: David GrannOut: March 18
The latest from the best-selling Grann has been called a “tour de force of narrative nonfiction.” On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. This is that story.
Shopping
What We’re Buying
An Irish Linen Shirt
If you buy it, spring weather will come. Todd Snyder's sale section is packed with summery, vacation-ready styles like this linen camp collar shirt cut from fabric by Ireland's Baird McNutt. Snag it will its on sale and start prepping for your warm-weather wardrobe.
Get It:
Irish linen shirt, $138 / $64 by Todd Snyder
Morning Motto
Celebrate the small wins.
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