The Daily Valet. - 6/28/22, Tuesday

✔️ A Big Fight and a Flying Hotel

June 28, 2022

Tuesday, June 28th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Invite me to your barbecue, and I’ll pitch in for the good hot dogs.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

The Fight Continues

Abortion rights groups launch multi-state court effort to stop or slow enforcement of abortion bans

The battle over abortion shifted to the states on Monday as a weekend of furious protest and prayerful thanksgiving in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision gave way to a wave of lawsuits, legislation and pitched political fights from coast to coast.

As one side sought to put statewide bans into effect, the other tried to stop or at least delay such measures. Judges temporarily blocked abortion bans Monday in Louisiana and Utah, while a federal court in South Carolina said a law sharply restricting the procedure would take effect there immediately.

“It’s all about the states from here on out,” one law professor who has worked on abortion rights cases told the New York Times. “We can fantasize about federal solutions to this issue or nationwide settlements of the abortion question, but I think that after Dobbs, I don’t see a lot of possibilities at the federal level.”

Over the weekend, abortion services had stopped in at least 11 states—either because of state laws or confusion over them. In some cases, the lawsuits may only buy time. In Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas, state court lawsuits were filed Monday by abortion providers challenging those states’ moves to ban the procedure.

Without Roe’s federal protections, abortion rights advocates cannot use the case as a precedent to challenge state bans. Now, they have to take other things into consideration, including: Whether specific state constitutions protect abortion access (which is a strategy being used in Utah and Louisiana), or whether there is some sort of state court precedent that protects the right to an abortion.

In liberal states, lawmakers are looking to solidify reproductive rights. California is poised to become one of the first states in the nation to explicitly enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in its constitution. And since some states have previously attempted to pass laws in an effort to stop people from crossing state lines for an abortion, some blue states are passing laws to protect providers and patients from those potential bans.

↦ Meanwhile: NPR outlines how the end of Roe v. Wade has pretty substantial economic implications for male partners, too.

Your Backyard BBQ Now Costs More

Sizzling inflation is raising the cost of July 4th cookouts by about 20%

If you're planning a Fourth of July barbecue, be prepared to dig deeper into your wallet (or ask your guests to chip in a little too).

A new study found that the cost of the traditional July 4th cookout, including everything from hamburgers and buns to ice cream and homemade potato salad, has increased by 20.9% to $71.98 in the past year. And that's not including alcohol.

Ground beef prices are up 36% from a year ago, while chicken breasts gained by a third, according to a survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation. This marks the biggest increase since the lobbying organization began tracking data a decade ago.

Not that the overall price hike should come as a surprise at a time when the rate of inflation is 8.6%. In fact, a recent WalletHub survey found that two-thirds of Americans said they plan to spend less money this Fourth of July compared to last year, and 57% said inflation is affecting their holiday plans ... it calls to mind one of my favorite National Lampoon's scenes.

↦ FYI: If you’ve got a dog at home who’s frightened by fireworks, here are some expert tips to help calm them.

Partner

Find your flow-state. Get into the zone and get stuff done with what's being called “Silicon Valley's new morning elixir.”

Alexa Will Soon Mimic Dead People

Amazon’s new tech could also copy your own voice too, right?

Did you hear about this? Because I missed it and had to look it up, as it sounded like a joke to me. Albeit, a dark and strange joke.

But it's true. Amazon Alexa might use the voice of friends and family who are no longer alive in a future update. The tech giant mentioned the feature at its re:MARS conference last week as a way to “make memories last.”

After listening to someone's voice for less than a minute, Alexa would be able to simulate that voice when speaking. A video of the feature depicted a child who asked to have their grandmother read them a story, and Alexa affirmed before changing her voice, reports CNET.

While similar voice-cloning technology has already come in handy in the entertainment industry—most notably in the Star Wars universe—it's unclear how many people would want the aural ghost of a deceased loved one floating through the rooms of their own houses. Of course, if it can mimic any voice, it could be your own, right? Or your favorite cartoon character? That's a little less morbid. But Amazon hasn't announced a public release date, so we'll have to wait and see.

The Flying Hotel of the Future

Would you stay at this nuclear-powered floating cruise ship?

I love hotels and I actually enjoy flying, so this should be right up my alley, but I'm not sure about this concept. And I'm not alone: A video showing ambitious designs for a floating “hotel of the future”, which could host 5,000 guests and would remain airborne for years at a time, has divided the internet.

Imagine, if you will, the offpring of a luxury cruise ship and the Helicarrier from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It would be several orders of magnitude larger than the biggest passenger jets, with viewing terraces offering guests sights of incredible skyscapes from above the clouds.

InsideHook says the Sky Hotel concept taps into something that many an air traveler has felt in recent years: wouldn't it be nicer if flying was a lot less stressful? But the Daily Mail wonders where it would actually ‘transport’ people to and from, since it never lands.

The designers say the cruiser would be powered by nuclear energy and piloted by artificial intelligence. And that's just two of the things concerning people. Others fear the physics behind this simply don't check out while others are more concerned about the possibility of a nuclear-powerd plane crashing into the ground.

↦ In the Meantime: Here are six aviation-themed hotels you can sleep in right now.

In Other News

↦ The Jan. 6 Panel Announced a Last-Minute Hearing for This Afternoon

↦ WNBA Star Brittney Griner’s Criminal Trial Begins Friday in Russia. Do Not Expect a Good Outcome.

↦ At Least 46 Migrants Found Dead in Tractor-Trailer in San Antonio

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The best shows of 2022 (so far)

Gose beers

This lost ‘Bridesmaids’ scene

Partner

Drink Your Productivity

Athletes have their Gatorade, now creators have their own “Creatorade”

Believe it or not, over-caffeination is hurting your productivity. Because accomplishing your growing to-do list is about more than just a jolt of energy, right? You need focus, clarity and all your neurons firing at the right time. Magic Mind knows this, which is why it's been designed to boost both cognition and energy, while promoting calmness for long-term success.

Founder James Beshara wrote a best-selling book on nootropics after developing a heart condition in 2013 from excess caffeine consumption. Nearly a decade later (after 70+ formulations all backed by a revered scientific advisory board), he and his team have introduced the best drink on the planet for creators: entrepreneurs, creatives and high performers like Justin Kan (Founder of Twitch) and Kevin Rose (Founder of Digg).

Beshara says that it's less about energy and more about balancing stress and anxiety. “What I realized in my experimentation was that when I added herbal anxiolytics to my morning ritual, and when I got proper sleep and practiced my daily mindfulness, my stress levels were so low that my to-do list would just melt away.” Magic Mind's proprietary blend of matcha, honey, nootropics and adaptogens work together to get you into your “flow-state” ... that means no anxiety or jitters, no distractions, just focus and increased motivation.

↦ Try It: Get 15% off your order w/code VALETMAG15

The Wardrobe Workhorse

Earl chambray shirt,$195 by imogene + willie

The denim shirt is an undisputed classic— a staple that has been in the sartorial rafters for decades and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Sure, it's got a masculine vibe, but it's also incredibly comfortable and adaptable too. One thing certainly remains true: Like high-quality jeans that get better with time, the same goes for shirts cut from the same cloth. Go ahead and wear it year-round—no need to stop just because it's warm out.