The Daily Valet. - 6/24/22, Friday

✔️ Making Waves

Friday, June 24th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Well, that week sure breezed by, right?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Supreme Court Makes Waves

The Court delivered a victory for gun rights, while the Senate passed the first gun control bill in decades

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans have a broad right to arm themselves in public. It was a much anticipated decision, as the court continues to issue opinions ahead of wrapping its term in the next week or two.

The court found that a New York law that requires people applying to get a license to carry a concealed weapon to show that they have “proper cause” to carry a gun violates the Constitution. The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, says that it is a constitutional right to carry a weapon in public for self-defense purposes.

But what was not expected was how Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the six conservatives, went much further, totally transforming how the Court reviews gun laws in general, reports Intelligencer. “Because as of today, in order to be constitutional, any such law must have a specific historical precedent from the 18th or early-19th century.” His opinion shows how subjective and selective history can be read—depending on one’s ideological point of view.

According to Axios, the ruling could have major implications for gun control laws across the country as the U.S. also struggles with an epidemic of gun violence. Other states like California, Maryland and New Jersey have similar laws to the one that the Supreme Court just struck down. The court’s opinion could set a precedent to go after those laws.

The court’s decision is somewhat out of step with public opinion. About half of the voters in the 2020 presidential election said gun laws in the U.S. should be made more strict, according to the Associated Press. An additional one-third said laws should be kept as they are, while only about 1 in 10 said gun laws should be less strict.

And speaking of court rulings that defy public opinion, people are still wondering when exactly the court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which could overturn Roe v. Wade, will be issued. But it could as soon as today. The Supreme Court tends to save the biggest rulings for last (and they’re scheduled to announce more today). No one knows which rulings will be published when—or if the court could decide to release more opinions into early July before the court lets out for the summer.

↦ Meanwhile: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is an unlikely breakthrough on gun laws—the most significant in three decades. It’s poised to pass the House today and be signed by President Biden.

Innovating Our Way Out of a Crisis

Tapping icebergs, fog nets and other unconventional sources to meet water needs

As climate change worsens, and with populations rising worldwide, water shortages are a top threat to human development and security.

In fact, one in four people on Earth face shortages of water for drinking, sanitation and agriculture. Water scarcity is expected to intensify in regions like the Middle East and North Africa region—which has 6% of the global population but only 1% of the world's freshwater resources.

Conventional water sources—which rely on snowfall, rainfall and rivers—are not enough to meet growing freshwater demand in water-scarce areas. Trust me, I know ... I live in Calirfornia. But the atmosphere contains an abundance of water vapor, some of which can be captured through fog and mist using special nets. The nets are being used to provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in Africa and could be helpful to Californians too.

Scientists are also investigating other unconventional ways to harvest water, with help from the UN. Everything from deep land-based and seabed aquifers, to tapping icebergs and seeding clouds to intensify rainfall. What that means is that this problem, that seemed so finite and unfixable, has options thanks to those looking for new and innovative solutions.

↦ FYI: Every day desalination contributes over 100 million cubic meters of water, supporting approximately 5% of the world’s population. This is projected to double by 2030.

Partner

Need more energy? Put down the coffee. You don't need caffeine, but you could very well be deficient in a vital bodily element.

Dance It Out

Moving to the beat can improve mental health and decrease pain

When times are tough, turn up the music. Putting in my earbuds and jamming out to a song always makes me feel better. But now I know why.

Turns out, there's a portion of the brain known as the somatosensory cortex and activating it through dancing may help us connect to our bodies, develop our sensuality and capacity to feel pleasure. In short, bopping around is an easy way to boost your mental health.

And as counterintuitive as it might seem, swaying to your favorite jams can also help with chronic pain, based on a meta-analysis where people reported significantly lower discomfort when they danced regularly.

Ready for more good news? It's easier than ever to get these brain and body benefits thanks to the revival of ’90s house music. “Break My Soul,” the new song by Beyoncé, features a sound that actually dates back to the diva house movement of the 1990s, with its deep grooves, soaring melodies and insistent four-four beats. And it arrived just a couple of days after Drake's similarly club-inspired new album, Honestly, Nevermind.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Westworld’ + a Whiskey Smash

If you, like me, dutifully watched all of Westworld's third season and yet have pretty much no recollection of what happened (or simply are no less confused than when you first watched), I suggest catching up with a slideshow or video recap ahead of the season four premiere this Sunday on HBO.

According to Vanity Fair, this season proves “far more inviting, legible, and gripping than did the previous season, which significantly altered the DNA of the series from eerie psycho-philosophical musing to pre-apocalyptic action.” Without going into all the complicated details, just know that this season promises a return to the Westward park, along with missing characters like Teddy (played by James Marsden) and the Man in Black (Ed Harris). Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Dolores (along with many variations of her in many host bodies), recently spoke about the show's prescience and made some good points about the spooky nature of AI: “It's the looming unknown. It's knowing that we must evolve and that technology is evolving at such a rapid rate now ... I think it's that just existential dread of where are we going?”

↦ Your Pairing:They're always slinging whiskey in the Westworld park, but I wanted something lighter for a pairing. After all, whiskey's a hard drink. But when muddled with some lemon and fresh mint in a Whiskey Smash, that sting is unexpectedly lighter and brighter. Refreshing even. It's the kind of alchemy that happens with a really good cocktail.

In Other News

↦ Jan. 6 Panel Reveals GOP Lawmakers Sought Trump Pardons After Capitol Attack

↦ European Union Makes Ukraine a Candidate for EU Membership

↦ Giant Bacteria Visible to the Naked Eye Discovered in Mangrove Swamp

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

This handsome coffee grinder

The end of “prestige TV”

Footprint by The Krank

Partner

Give Your Health a Boost

By upgrading your source for electrolytes

After decades of misinformed guidance, a growing body of scientific literature is revealing that low sodium levels may indeed be harmful to health. It's a shame how slow this information usually travels. Remember how long it took to get over the idea that low-fat foods lead to weight loss?

Sodium is a key electrolyte that we're often running low on—especially if we're active. And when we're low on electrolytes, we often feel run down or achy. Anyone following a low-carb, ketogenic diet knows about that (ever hear of the “keto flu”?) Thankfully, restoring your electrolytes is as simple as downing some LMNT. The tasty single-serving drink mix is used by everyone from pro athletes and Olympians to Navy Seals and has everything you need and nothing you don't.

That means a generous dose of salt, along with potassium and magnesium but absolutely no sugar, no artificial ingredients and no fillers. How many sports drinks can say that? Yeah, not many. And LMNT has a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium. Plus, the fruit flavors are refreshing and sweetened only with natural, no-calorie stevia.

↦ Try It: Get a free sample pack (8 single serving packets) with any purchase.

What We’re Wearing

A three-day weekend is within sight. Enjoy the extra day off from the work week, take a few obligatory Instagram pics, and rest assured you'll look and feel great while doing it.

↦ Get It: Our long weekend outfit