The Daily Valet. - 6/26/20, Friday
✔️ Some Real Ups and Downs
Friday, June 26th Edition
I will NOT be dining inside a restaurant this weekend ...
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today's edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
Record Cases Pause Several Reopenings
“Americans are living through a split-screen pandemic”
The coronavirus crisis deepened in Arizona this week, and the governor of Texas began to backtrack after making one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to reopen, as the daily number of confirmed cases across the U.S. continues to rise.
As of Thursday, at least 29 states are seeing increases in confirmed daily coronavirus infections, reports Business Insider. The inclines are particularly steep in Southern states, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, as well as California. Many are reporting more cases than they’ve ever seen on a daily basis.
As a result, numerous states and cities are dialing back their reopening efforts, reverting to earlier phases or postponing next steps.
While expanded testing likely accounts for some of the increase, the daily deaths, hospitalizations and the percentage of tests that are coming back positive also have been rising over the past few weeks as well, according to the Associated Press. The higher positivity rate suggests that outbreaks are spreading rapidly in reopened communities.
The Washington Post put it perfectly: “Americans are living through a split-screen pandemic: Their leaders are relaxing restrictions while their states set records for new coronavirus infections. Churches, beaches and bars are filling up, and so are hospital beds.”
Unfortunately, all these fits and starts of reopening have confused and frustrated residents and business owners alike, and has definitely made people question the virus’s danger. “I think the bottom line is that we don’t really know what’s coming,” Jeffrey Bethel, an epidemiology professor at Oregon State University told the Post. “This is day-by-day, week-by-week constant reevaluation.”
↦ Meanwhile: The Trump administration is ending federal funding for 13 coronavirus test sites in five states on June 30.
Volvo Is Prepping Electric Robotaxis
The carmaker will use Waymo’s self-driving technology to power its fleet
Volvo's self-driving car efforts have been most closely associated with Uber, but it's about to make you rethink that connection. On Thursday, the automaker announced an alliance that will see Waymo be the exclusive partner for Level 4 self-driving (that is, full autonomy in most conditions) for its vehicles.
According to The Verge, that means that Volvo will integrate Waymo's autonomous driving technology, widely considered to be among the best in the world, into a fleet of electric robotaxis that it will deployed at some point in the future. The deal also applies to Volvo's two subrands, its electric performance company Polestar and its Chinese brand Lynk & Co.
Volvo is the fourth automaker to commit to integrating Waymo's AV technology into its vehicles. The Alphabet subsidiary also has preexisting agreements with Nissan, Fiat Chrysler and Jaguar/Land Rover.
And Reuters reports that Volvo still has a separate deal to provide vehicles to Uber, which adds self-driving equipment after the fact. I'm all for a driverless taxi/Uber ... just wondering how we'll identify them without looking for “Victor in a black Toyota Prius.”
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U.S. Has a Boom in Non-White Populations
Since 2010, Asians and Hispanics have seen the highest growth rates
The United States is becoming a far more diverse nation these days, led by surging growth among those of Asian and Hispanic descent, reports The Hill.
A new report released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau shows America's population is 60.1% white, the lowest level ever recorded. Among those under 16 years of age, fewer than half are white—a sign that white Americans are having less children while stagnating fertility rates slow overall population growth.
According to the Associated Press, Asians had the biggest growth rate of any demographic group over the past decade, increasing by almost 30%. Nearly two-thirds of that growth was driven by international migration.
But the number of overall Americans under the age of 25 actually fell over the last ten years, driven entirely by lower fertility rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in May that the national birthrate has hit its lowest level in two generations.
↦ FYI: Among the ten most diverse metro areas in the nation, only one, Washington, D.C., is east of the Mississippi River.
The Chain Reaction of Working From Home
Turns out, good toilet paper comes at a cost
With so many Americans spending a lot of time at home these days, more money is being spent on toilet paper ... good toilet paper. But that may be bad news for the environment, reports Bloomberg.
The kind of cushy tissue that was sold out earlier in the pandemic uses material that comes primarily from clear-cutting ancient forests, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Office buildings, on the other hand, tend to use recycled fibers in their toilet paper, the group said.
Over 60% of at-home toilet paper in the U.S. comes from so-called virgin wood pulp. The big problem here is that it drives deforestation in Canada's boreal forest, which according to TreeHugger, is regarded as one of the most ecologically important forests in the world.
People need toilet paper; the report does not dispute that, though it does endorse the use of bidets. And reminds us that eco-friendly brands have managed to prove that fully-recycled TP works perfectly well.
↦ Alternative: Maybe it's time to finally get that affordable bidet washlet extension for your toilet.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Refresh Your Summer Style
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Camp collar shirt, $155 by The Workers Club
One of the biggest benefits of shopping online is that it opens up the doors to bold styles and unique brands that might not be readily available locally. And the best retailers, like MR PORTER, encourage you to branch a bit and try something new while offering up fresh takes on your favorites. Case in point, this easygoing summer outfit featuring an intricately printed and dyed camp collar shirt paired with more subdued shorts and sneakers. The finishing touches? A pair of luxury shades and a silver cuff. It’s a little courageous but definitely cool.
Clockwise, from top left:Camp collar shirt, $155 by The Workers Club; Polished sterling cuff, $300 by Le Gramme; Cotton-linen drawstring shorts, $125 by Mr P.; Tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses, $375 by Garrett Leight California Optical; Esplar sneakers, $120 by Veja; 3-in-1 face cream, $95 by The Grey
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Your Weekend Pairing
Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Film + a Brenn & Tonic
I'll be honest, I don't really know much about the Eurovision Song Contest. But I think I'm about to get a good idea from this new Netflix original film that starts streaming today. It's the story of Lars (played by Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams), childhood friends whose greatest dream is to win the annual music contest and claim glory for their tiny Icelandic hometown. Only ... they're not very good.
Vox calls the film "wild and truly hilarious," and also "the kind of movie you can barely imagine a Hollywood studio executive greenlighting." But that's the whole point of streaming, right? To let such weird gems find their audience. Esquire says the film mixes a bit of European quirk with niche humor, “as if Bjork occasionally showed up in the middle of a standard script writing session to sheepishly announce, 'Please be quiet!' followed by a strange giggle.” And really, doesn't that seem like the kind of two-hour distraction we could all use right about now?
↦ Your Pairing:This is perfect occasion to grab a bottle of Brennivin. Of what, you ask? Scandinavia's drink of choice is aquavit, the clear spirit generally flavored with caraway and dill. But in Iceland? Your only real choice is Brennivin, which just uses caraway seeds for flavor. It's a lot like gin, but instead of juniper berries, the caraway gives the spirit a nutty, bittersweet sharpness with a peppery citrus finish. Which is why it makes a nice swap for gin in a classic G&T. Just combine 1.5 ounces of Brennivin with four ounces of high-quality tonic water over ice. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and maybe a sprig of rosemary.
What We’re Buying
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Morning Motto
Think positive thoughts ...
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