The Daily Valet. - 6/19/20, Friday
✔️ Well, That Was Surprising
Friday, June 19th Edition
Who else is listening to John Legend’s new album today?
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
A Win for “Dreamers”
The Supreme Court shows its independence
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program) could remain, stating that the Trump administration had failed to give an adequate justification for ending the Obama-era program that allowed teens and young adults brought to the U.S. as children—but who lack legal status—the chance to study and work without fear of deportation, reports NBC News.
The court ruled that while the administration had the authority to end the program, it did so improperly. The 5-to-4 decision, written by Chief Justice Roberts, stunned President Trump, who tweeted that this and the ruling earlier in the week on LGBTQ protections were “shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives.”
The impact of the decision is profound. In the eight years since DACA became reality, that first wave of young people known as “Dreamers” have moved into adulthood and created families, bought homes and built careers that contribute to society.
Harvard University professor Roberto Gonzales, who documented the lives of 1,500 DACA recipients in his book, Lives in Limbo, said there are now more 50,000 “Dreamers” beneficiaries in health-related fields battling COVID-19 and 20,000 teaching children around the country.
So what happens next? According to the Associated Press, the administration can try again to end DACA. But experts say that’s not likely to happen before the November election in part because the program has wide, bipartisan support among the American public.
↦ By the Numbers: There are more than 650,000 people who have DACA status as of December 2019, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Florida Will Release Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
Despite objections from environmental groups
Florida and federal officials have authorized a plan to release around 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys this summer, reports The Guardian.
Oxitec, the British-based biotechnology company, modified the mosquitoes to contain a protein that, when passed down to female offspring, will kill them, preventing the spread of such diseases as dengue fever and Zika.
The Environmental Protection Agency granted Oxitec's request last month, after years of investigating the impact of the genetically altered mosquito on human and environmental health.
But when word spread in the Florida Keys that the mosquito was on the way, public backlash was swift: More than 100,000 people signed a Change.org petition against the proposal; that number has grown to more than 232,000 today.
↦ FYI: A similar trial is scheduled to take place in Harris County, Texas, next year.
The NBA Will Play With Smart Rings
They could detect coronavirus up to three days in advance
Next month the NBA's biggest names are tentatively headed to Walt Disney World in Florida to play out an abbreviated end to the season while isolated from the rest of the world in a highly-orchestrated bubble.
An important part of the plan is apparently the Oura ring, a discreet fitness tracker that they hope will serve as an early warning system for the spread of COVID-19. The ring measures body temperature, respiratory functions and heart rate—all of which can signal whether or not someone is sick.
According to The Athletic, an informational memo from the players union (titled “Life Inside the Bubble”) indicated the league will offer every player the option to use the ring.
Earlier this month, study results from West Virginia University’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute suggested that data from the rings can “forecast and predict the onset of COVID-19 related symptoms” three days in advance, with 90% accuracy, reports Engadget. Now I'm thinking we should all have one.
↦ GET One: For $299, it could be yours.
Today Is Juneteenth
The oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States
According to Google Trends, search interest in Juneteenth has hit “an all-time high worldwide and in the U.S.” The name is derived from June 19, 1865, the day news arrived in Texas that the Civil War was over and that enslaved African Americans were free—two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a state or ceremonial holiday. While there have been several efforts in Congress to make Juneteenth a national holiday, nothing has been passed. But that could change.
In the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter marches, a growing list of major American companies from Nike and Target to Twitter and Capital One have made the day a paid company holiday, reports Fortune. And on Thursday, several Democratic senators announced that they are introducing legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
↦ FYI: From marathons of Atlanta and Black-ish to Selma, here are all the television specials honoring the day.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Your Weekend Pairing
Da 5 Bloods + an Artillery Cocktail
Spike Lee’s latest film, Da 5 Bloods, which started streaming last week on Netfix, tells the story of black Vietnam War veterans—a perspective largely lacking from Hollywood's exploration on that conflict. It centers around a group of retirees, still mourning their leader Stormin' Norman (played in flashbacks by Chadwick Boseman), who died in battle. They return to modern-day Vietnam to recover his body and a cache of gold bars he was buried alongside.
While it's an adventurous caper of a movie, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post says it's about a lot of things. “Racism and imperialism, men's friendships, post-traumatic stress disorder and the greatness of Marvin Gaye, to name a few.” It blends real life events with fictional characters well, but it has no easy answers. She says that's why it's the perfect movie for the moment.
↦ Your Pairing:A serious film calls for a stiff drink. And the aptly named artillery cocktail is just that. According to Mr. Boston, we owe this classic gin cocktail to the Chatham Artillery, Georgia's oldest military unit. Savannah's bartenders have been mixing up this potent potable since at least the late 1700s. And you've likely got all the ingredients in your home bar already. You do have a bottle of Angostura bitters, don't you?
What We’re Buying
Embracing a classic style with some upgraded features is the way to go when it comes to swim trunks, if you ask me. The proportions of this pair are just right. The blue and white stripes are a timeless look and the built-in compression lining means no unfortunate outlines and riding up. With a sale bringing the price down 50%, these trunks are an easy summer staple and a definite add-to-cart.
↦ Get It $49 / $24.99 at Abercrombie & Fitch
Today’s Deals
Expires 6/20
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Ongoing Sale
↦ Want More? See all 69 sales
Morning Motto
Perspective is everything, isn’t it?
↦ Follow: @goodvibes_goodthoughts
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