The Daily Valet. - 5/14/21, Friday

✔️ The Big Unmasking

May 14, 2021

Friday, May 14th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

What a day to be getting my second vaxx shot.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

The Big Unmasking

The CDC’s good news: Fully vaccinated people can mostly stop wearing masks indoors and outdoors

For more than a year, everyone has wondered when this pandemic will end. The answer has always been “not for a long time.” But on Thursday, federal health officials said that Americans who are fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance (indoors or outdoors) in most settings.

It’s the clearest sign yet that America has rounded a corner in the pandemic. Russell Berman of The Atlantic said “a few more twists and turns in the pandemic” surely lie ahead, given the ongoing global spread of the virus, but “when the pandemic is finally indeed over, the country might look back at the unexpected announcement of May 13 as a moment of demarcation—even as something of an end.”

President Biden celebrated the day along with VP Kamala Harris and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who said “You can now do things you stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

The new policy is based on recent real-world studies from Israel and the U.S. on people who’ve been vaccinated. Walensky added that the federal mask requirement on public transportation remains in force for everyone, vaccinated or not—including on buses, trains, airplanes and in stations and airports.

Permission to stop using masks also offers an incentive to the many millions who are still holding out on vaccination. According to the New York Times, about 155 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but only about a third of the nation (119 million people) had been fully vaccinated.

Of course, I trust the science here ... just like I trusted the science to mask up to protect myself and others. This is good news and I’m looking forward to unmasking. But also, this image lives in the back of my head, rent-free.

↦ Future Cover: After the pandemic, will more people in U.S. wear masks for colds and flu? Let’s hope so.

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to New Low

Claims now at lowest level since the pandemic shut down the economy

New jobless claims fell to 473,000 last week, the lowest level since the start of the pandemic, down from a revised 507,000 the week earlier.

The Wall Street Journal called it a sign hiring is primed to strengthen as workers return to the labor market.

But job losses are still higher than their pre-pandemic levels—the 2019 weekly average was 218,000. Job growth is not yet keeping pace with the lack of job losses, as employers added only 266,000 jobs in April, far less than the one million anticipated.

According to ABC News, job growth is not yet keeping pace with the lack of job losses, as employers added only 266,000 jobs in April, far less than the one million anticipated.

↦ FYI: A dozen states with Republican governors have announced they will stop paying additional pandemic unemployment benefits in June or July in an effort to get workers to take available jobs.

Nokia’s Flip Phone Is Coming to the U.S.

Digital detoxers, rejoice!

Does the idea of a digital detox sound good, but too extreme to actually give up your smartphone? Are you nostalgic for the days of tapping out messages in T9? Then you might be interested in Nokia's new phone.

Or new-ish old phone? I'm not sure how this is classified officially. Two years after its initial launch, HMD's Nokia-branded 2720 Flip is coming to the U.S. on Verizon May 20th for $80. It's an updated take on the classic flip phone, offering 4G connectivity and compatibility with modern apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps and Facebook.

Of course, the best thing about a flip phone is that you can clasp it shut to end a call, which is immensely more satisfying than thumbing a screen. I'll admit, I do miss that. But, you'll have to adjust to the tiny 2.8-inch screen if you're downsizing from a modern smartphone. (An even smaller external display shows you who's calling and lets you check your notifications.)

While in concept, the 2720 Flip sounds appealing if you'd like to spend less time staring at your phone, the tech editors at The Verge gave it a try and found that in practice, it to be more frustration than it's worth.

↦ FYI: The Nokia brand was founded in 1865 as a single paper mill operation. It wasn't until the '90s that its primary focus switched to telecommunications.

The 2022 Porsches Will Cost More

Prices climb by $600 to $2,500

Buying a Porsche is never an exercise in frugality, but it's about to get even more expensive.

The Porsche 718 Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe just had their sticker prices raised. Most versions of Porsche's entry-level sports cars will see price increases of $600, some are $700 more, and top-end versions climb by $2,500.

According to Car and Driver, the 2022 models that are available to order now and will arrive in the U.S. this fall are starting at $61,850 for the Cayman and $63,950 for the Boxster.

Those prices are for the base-model versions, which are powered by a 300-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four and come standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. As always with Porsche, there is a long list of options with which one can greatly inflate the starting cost. Among them are special colors. Two new hues for 2022 are Frozen Berry Metallic and Shark Blue, from the family of special colors that tack an additional $2,580 to the price tag.

↦ FYI: Porsche will now build you a one-off if you pay to develop it.

In Other News

↦ Israeli Forces Escalate Campaign in Gaza With Tanks, Artillery, Planes; Hamas Launches Rockets

↦ Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers Nearly $5 Million in Ransom

↦ Conor McGregor Seizes Hold of “World’s Highest-Paid Athlete” Title With $180M in Earnings

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The coolest stuff under $20

Kendal Jenner, menswear icon?

LeBron’s impressive salsa dancing

A Weekend Pairing

The Underground Railroad + a Brass Rail

In his popular 2016 novel, The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead made a metaphor out of a metaphor, making the fabled fugitive-slave route of the antebellum South into a literal uptown subway, a mystery train to emancipation.

Today, Amazon Prime Video debuts a 10-part limited series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, helmed by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins. It's getting rave reviews from pretty much every media outlet, but The Hollywood Reporter puts it this way: It's a tough watch, but a rapturous watch, with occasionally questionable narrative choices generally outweighed by a spell that’s at once poetic and grounded.

↦ Your Pairing:I'll be mixing up a Brass Rail while I watch this over the weekend, and I invite you to join me. Difford's Guide has the recipe for this nuanced and spicy sipper. A flamed orange zest and a light dusting of ground cinnamon on the surface of the rum drink makes all the difference.

What We’re Buying

Ready to embrace “Thigh Guy Summer”? Then these can be your first pair of five-inch inseam shorts. They hit right at mid-thigh so start adding a few more squats to your workouts. Available in eight different colors, from standard khaki to brighter shades of salmon and blue, they're a classic look made a lot more modern. What's more, they're already on sale and with the code EXTRA, you can score an additional 15% off.

↦ Get It: $69.50 / $34.05 at J.Crew