The Daily Valet. - 6/2/22, Thursday
✔️ A Risky New Era
Thursday, June 2nd Edition
Scroll down for some interesting news about corgis.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
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Today’s Big Story
A Risky New Nuclear Era
After generations of stability in nuclear arms control, experts say old norms are eroding
Surely even Vladimir Putin—destructive, isolated, determined to restore his version of Russia’s greatness—wouldn’t dare use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, right? The short answer is, like so many things with this guy, we don’t know ... probably not.
But the old nuclear order, rooted in the Cold War’s unthinkable outcomes, was already fraying before Russia invaded Ukraine. And now, experts warn that Putin’s betrayal of Ukraine could trigger nuclear proliferation.
Russia’s recent reminders of its nuclear muscle (even if largely bluster) are now seen as signs of a more overt and dangerous threat. They were enough to draw a pointed warning to Moscow this week from President Biden in what could be seen as an acknowledgment that we’ve again entered a period of heightened nuclear risks.
“We currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible,” Biden wrote in a guest opinion essay in the New York Times. “Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences.”
Of course, it’s not just the Russians. The Chinese nuclear arsenal has the power and potential to destroy most of the United States. The North Koreans have amassed a significant stockpile of bombs. Iran has rebuilt much of its nuclear infrastructure since President Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear agreements. Suddenly, the unthinkable seems possible again.
The Atlantic says the U.S. can’t keep ignoring the threat these weapons pose, but American political leaders “have a responsibility to educate the public about how, and how much, the United States relies on nuclear weapons for its security,” writes Tom Nichols. “If the U.S. nuclear arsenal exists solely to deter the use of enemy nuclear weapons, then it’s time to say so and spell out the consequences.”
↦ Meanwhile: Time is ticking to replace the Pentagon’s 1970s-era Doomsday planes. Built to survive a nuclear attack, these Air Force aircraft are expected to fly well past their 50th birthday.
The Shootings Continue
It’s hard to keep up with them, right?
While we're still dealing with the jarring stream of inconsistent facts, changing narratives and altering timelines of the shocking mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the shootings continue.
America endured more than a dozen mass shootings over the long holiday weekend. Then, on Wednesday, at least four people were killed in a shooting on a hospital campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (The gunman also killed himself.)
It was unclear what prompted the deadly assault. However, the unidentified gunman carried both a handgun and a rifle during the attack, reports the Associated Press.
What's also unclear is if this recent spate of violence will amount to any real, lasting changes. Of course, there are ideas floating out there. CNN's Philip Alpers looks at what happened when three different nations that experienced mass shootings did something about it.
↦ Opinion: It’s time to show the real horror of mass shootings. In pictures.
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Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
Britain begins celebrating its longest-reigning monarch
Queen Elizabeth II is the only British monarch most of us have ever known. Starting with Winston Churchill, she has worked with 14 prime ministers and has served longer than any other British ruler, including her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
The United Kingdom will celebrate the queen's Platinum Jubilee this week to mark her record-setting 70 years on the throne. The nation is planning a four-day extravaganza and Buckingham Palace is pulling out all the stops—starting today with the Trooping the Color, a parade that will include 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.
Why is it called a jubilee? Good question. Apparently, a jubilee is an old, old anniversary celebration with Judeo-Christian origins that was adapted to mark milestones of a British monarch. The third book of the Old Testament, Leviticus, tells people to “sanctify the fiftieth year … for it is the year of jubilee.”
Of course, recent years have been bumpy, as new turmoil and scandals have enveloped the royal family. But according to NPR, many Britons value the queen for being steadfast and dependable. And because I will always report on any dog-related news, her majesty's beloved corgis are playing a starring role in the weekend's celebrations, too.
↦ Cheers: Celebrate with the Queen’s drink of choice, a Dubonnet and gin, which is just gin mixed with a wine-based French aperitif, garnished with a slice of lemon.
Sonos Finally Catches Up
You can now use “Hey Sonos” voice commands on your voice-enabled speaker
I always felt like Sonos kinda rested on its laurels. The speakers always sounded great, but they were constantly slow to innovate. For instance, it took them way too long to incorporate voice controls. But, at least, they're here now.
Sonos just launched its own voice assistant via a free software update—allowing customers to use voice commands to control their speakers. Available through the Sonos app, you can now request specific songs, albums, radio stations or playlists by voicing the request aloud, the company said Wednesday.
Once it is set up, you can ask Sonos Voice Control to start music from a handful of services, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, Deezer and Sonos Radio. Saying “Hey Sonos,” the company notes that the feature maintains user privacy by processing your voice and responding to your requests only on the local speaker.
So if privacy is a concern, no audio is ever recorded and sent to the cloud for storage, or listened to by anyone else. Other popular voice assistants can't say the same.
↦ How To: Gear Patrol put together a guide to adding the new voice command technology to your Sonos.
In Other News
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Morning Motto
Time to get serious.
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That’s all for today...
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