The Daily Valet. - 6/22/22, Wednesday

✔️ Some Good News, Some Bad News

Wednesday, June 22nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Now it feels like summer has really arrived.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

‘A Dangerous Cancer’

The Jan. 6 panel depicts the human toll of Trump’s election pressure

At the Jan. 6 committee’s fourth hearing on Tuesday, the panel leaned on emotional testimony to illustrate the human toll that Donald Trump’s elaborate scheme to overturn the 2020 election had on public servants and their families.

They laid out evidence showing how Trump led a campaign that played out in two related ways: applying direct pressure on Republican officials in swing states to reverse his loss, and pursuing a plan to name “alternate” slates of electors intended to tilt the Electoral College result in the former president’s favor.

The committee showed evidence that Trump was directly involved behind the scenes in trying to put forward the alternate slates of electors that he hoped could replace the electors awarded to Joe Biden through his victories in swing states like Arizona and Georgia. The White House Counsel’s Office told members of Trump’s team that the plan was not legally sound, according to recorded testimony from a West Wing aide.

The committee showed that Republicans in Congress were pushing the alternate electors plan even on Jan. 6, hours before the day’s violence—which had the effect of stopping the certification of the electoral count as Vice President Pence was whisked away from the violent mob.

The most heartbreaking testimony, though, came from multiple election officials who spoke about the intense harassment targeting them in the aftermath of the election. It illustrated the consequences of that pressure campaign: the violent threats to those who simply did their job and didn’t give into these election lies. The end result was that these low-level poll workers had their lives upended, and some had to leave their homes after the FBI verified genuine threats.

“The president’s lie was—and is—a dangerous cancer on the body politic,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of California. “This pressure campaign brought angry phone calls and texts, armed protests, intimidation, and, all too often, threats of violence and death.”And it showed how these ominous episodes foreshadowed the attack on the Capitol.

↦ FYI: The committee will hold the next public hearing on Thursday at 3 pm ET.

U.S. Charitable Donations Are Up

It reached a record $485 billion in 2021, though it didn’t keep up with inflation

Here's some good news: Charitable giving in the United States reached a record $485 billion last year (although the increase did not keep pace with inflation), according to a report Tuesday offering a comprehensive look at American philanthropy.

The Giving USA report says donations in 2021 were 4% higher than the record-setting $466 billion contributed in 2020. But they were down 0.7% when adjusted for inflation.

Many nonprofits are now feeling the strain because giving is not growing as fast as price increases, Laura MacDonald, chair of the Giving USA Foundation told Fox Business. In response to the intense needs of the early COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the calls for racial justice, giving increased in unusual ways in 2020, but has generally returned to previous patterns.

And speaking of giving away lots of money, Warren Buffett's recent estate planning is sending charities scrambling. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Omaha billionaire—who will turn 92 in August—promised to give away 99% of his fortune, but just where and how it gets divvied up could dramatically reshape the world of philanthropy.

↦ FYI: If you ask me, a true gentleman is someone who takes care of others. You don't have to be rich to make a difference in the world around you.

Partner

The next wave of banking technology is here. Now you can make quick, contactless purchases with a simple tap of your hand.

It’s a Tough Time to Fly

Why do flight cancellations and delays keep happening?

To say the least, it's been a rough few days for U.S. air travelers. And it could just be a sign of a frustrating season to come.

Nearly 15,000 flights were canceled or delayed this past weekend, according to FlightAware. It's a staggering number that's normally only seen during high-profile disasters like hurricanes or blizzards.

Faced with staffing shortages (and a pilot shortage in particular), many airlines have already cancelled thousands of flights for the summer season and predict more cancelled flights and delays over the July 4th holiday.

And the pilots that are available aren't happy. Southwest Airlines, which cut nearly 20,000 summer flights, is dealing with a pilot strike. More than 1,300 pilots stood on a picket line Tuesday in Dallas, sounding off about what they say are unfair working conditions and inadequate pay. This is not great news. Pilots, like surgeons, are professions where I'd like them to be as happy as possible when they have our lives in their hands.

↦ Meanwhile: What’s it like flying 15 hours on a low-cost airline? One writer flies Scoot from Singapore to London to find out.

People Are Talking About Nothing

Apparently the Nothing Phone’s LEDs do a lot more than you’d expect

Nothing made a splash with its economical earbuds, the Ear (1), which offer a pretty impressive bang for the buck at $100. Now the brand is once again testing the efficacy of its hype machine with its upcoming phone.

Much like the earbuds, the design is vaguely Apple-esque, but with a more pared back and transparent vibe. Of course, what has people talking about the Phone (1)—which will be released on July 12—is the fact that it will come equipped with a series of light strips on its back.

The strips, which Nothing is branding as its “glyph interface,” consist of more than 900 individual LEDs embedded into the rear of the phone. These lights, designed as a notification system, assign customizable light patterns to incoming alerts and indicators. (So I guess that means no case?)

The Verge has a list of all the light features and how they will actually work in practice. Gizmodo says it certainly looks cool, but “this particular design paradigm being game-changing.” Are these lights enough to convince people to switch to the green text bubble world of Android? I don't know.

↦ FYI: The entire LED array also collectively doubles as a light fill when the camera app is being used, of course.

In Other News

↦ America’s Belief in God Hits New Low

↦ How LimeWire, Winamp, Napster and More Internet Relics Are Finding New Life in Web3

↦ On a Tiny Tuscan Island, Inmates Work to Rehabilitate by Making Delicious Wine

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Krispy Kreme ice cream

The sex recession

Uber Pool is back

Partner

What If a Debit Card Took the Shape of a Ring?

Introducing the Quontic Pay Ring

You know what's faster and easier than pulling out your wallet or even calling up the digital card on your phone? Fist-bumping. Quontic Bank is the first U.S. bank to offer a payment ring that functions as your debit card. It's available with all Quontic checking accounts, including their 1.10%* APY High Interest checking account.

There's no battery to charge and the ring itself is water and scratch resistant. It's completely secure and works at any payment terminal that accepts contactless payments. Simply curl your fingers as you would if you were going to knock on a door, but do it over the payment terminal.

As a digital bank, Quontic is able to offer some of the best rates in the country for everything from checking and savings accounts to CDs. Named the “Most Innovative Bank of 2021” by Money magazine, they offer all the services of a traditional bank, but because they're online, they're much more convenient and have no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees. And since they're digital first, they're incredibly secure. Your checking account (tied to your ring) is FDIC insured for your protection. So ... you might say that it all has a nice ring to it.

↦ Get It: For a limited time, get the Pay Ring for free when you open a Quontic checking account

* High interest checking account APY rate as of June 22, 2022.

Menswear Finds on Sale Now

These soft cord shorts ($89.95 / $71.95), inspired by the 1970s, are sturdy enough for hiking and comfortable enough to chill in a hammock. They're hand-cut and sewn in the USA from 14-wale corduroy and finished with genuine wood buttons and large front patch pockets.

↦ Want more? 5 menswear items on sale now