The Daily Valet. - 6/18/21, Friday

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Friday, June 18th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Ready for a nice, relaxing weekend? Me too ...

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

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Today’s Big Story

Celebrating Juneteenth

Biden signs into law bill establishing it as an official federal holiday

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law Thursday, officially making June 19 a federal holiday and giving national recognition to the end of slavery in America.

Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved Black people learned they were free. Confederate soldiers surrendered in April 1865, but word didn’t reach the last group of slaves until June 19—when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Texas. That was also about two and a half years after Licoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first female and Black vice president, said designating a federal holiday “makes an important statement.”

Also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day and Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is the 11th federal holiday and the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Of course, some see this as progress, but not a stopping point. Advocates and activists rejoiced, but said there’s more to do. Trevor Noah acknowledged criticism that the U.S. government tends to reach for symbolic gestures instead of practical solutions when addressing issues of racism. However, he noted that symbols can also have real power.

Because June 19 is a Saturday this year, most federal employees will observe the holiday today. If you’re working, don’t worry. There’s always next year. It sounds like more and more municipalities and companies are adopting the holiday as an official day off.

↦ FYI: What does the Juneteenth flag symbolize? Mental Floss breaks it down.

Obamacare Survives

Supreme Court dismissed a third challenge to the Affordable Care Act

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) remains valid after being challenged by several states as well as members of the former Trump Administration.

The justices, by a 7-2 vote, left the entire Affordable Care Act intact in ruling that Texas and 17 other GOP-led states had no right to bring their lawsuit in federal court. The White House says 31 million people have health insurance because of the law, which also survived two earlier challenges in the Supreme Court.

Former President Barack Obama celebrated the ruling, saying in a statement: “This ruling reaffirms what we have long known to be true: the Affordable Care Act is here to stay.”

Also left in place is the law's now-toothless requirement that people have health insurance or pay a penalty. Congress rendered that provision irrelevant in 2017 when it reduced the penalty to zero.

↦ Dig Deeper: The Wall Street Journal has a brief history of how new provisions, legal challenges and Congressional votes have shaped the healthcare law.

Partner

Stand apart from the pack. While everyone's wearing simple white sneakers, you should be wearing these.

A Pill to Treat COVID?

The U.S. will spend $3 billion to develop antiviral pills against the coronavirus

The U.S. government spent more than $18 billion last year funding drugmakers to make a Covid vaccine, an effort that led to at least five highly effective shots in record time. Now, they'll develop antiviral pills for COVID-19 and other pathogens to prepare for future pandemics, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday.

The pills for COVID-19, which would be used to minimize symptoms after infection, are currently in development and could begin arriving by year's end, pending the completion of clinical trials.

This alludes to two things: That COVID could be here for a while, despite all the progress being made vaccinated the global population. And that with time, this deadly illness can be managed with relative ease.

Fauci told the New York Times he looked forward to a time when COVID-19 patients could pick up antiviral pills from a pharmacy as soon as they tested positive for the coronavirus or develop symptoms.

Leica Now Makes a Smartphone

But it’s surprisingly familiar

Legendary German camera house Leica is jumping into the smartphone space with the Leitz 1, which features a gorgeously minimal design finished with their iconic red dot. And while they've lent their camera technology to phones in the past, this is the brand's first official phone.

The camera system is of course going to be paramount for a device like this, and the hardware here is certainly unusual. There's a single 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor—the biggest in any phone—with a 19mm-equivalent f/1.9 ultrawide lens, meaning other focal lengths need to use digital zoom.

For some tech watchers, this might sound familiar. The Verge says Sharp announced the exact same thing a month ago. The Aquos R6 has the same Leica-branded camera system (though the Leitz Phone 1 makes it look a lot bigger) and other specs like its 120Hz Pro IGZO OLED screen are also a match.

The camera maker isn't afraid to admit that the new phone is actually a rebadged Aquos R6. And Engadget says it's not a bad thing at all, with the Leitz Phone 1 emphasizing a “true Leica experience” down to the level of industrial design and user interface.

In Other News

↦ The New Ford Bronco Is Coming Soon to a Dealership Near You

↦ New Federal Broadband Maps Show Stark Differences in Access, Affordability

↦ Naomi Osaka Pulls Out of Wimbledon

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Peloton cybersecurity risks

This watch collaboration

An Olympic-level smart home gym

Partner

Stand Out In Camo

SeaVees’ camo collection helps turn the tide on climate change

While a simple pair of white sneakers will always be a summertime staple, some camo kicks stands out in just the right way. Why? We think it has something to do with camouflage's understated, earthy quality. The bold pattern actually reads more like a neutral. Especially in Seavees' salt-washed herringbone cotton.

Monterey salt wash sneaker, $88 by SeaVees

It just so happens that one of our favorites also happens to be a best-seller. Which is why the brand expanded their camo offering for summer. They easily align with the California brand's ethos: Purposefully timeless and consciously crafted—made to be worn by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Pair the easygoing low-top lace-ups with your navy chinos, washed jeans, and of course, any shorts or swim trunks. We'd even think they add a shot of style to your khaki summer wedding suit.

↦ Expore: The SeaVees' camo colletion

What We’re Wearing:Weekend Errands

Men's weekend errands outfit inspiration

Whether or not you’re back in button-ups at the office or working from home in sweatpants indefinitely, the universal “weekend time is me time” rule demands a level of comfort that few clothes can provide, especially in the summer. The weekends are for lazy mornings and early starts alike, for long runs and bakery runs, for an increasingly more occasional trip with friends and for late nights catching up at the computer. Not too many outfits are up to the task of weekend errands, where transitioning from yard work to hard work to no work can occur before lunch time. The best combinations are relaxed but not sloppy, with comfort, coolness and simplicity as the key ingredients. Our picks combine the best of summer dressing but are also perfect chore-ready styles.

↦ Get It: Your weekend off-duty kit