The Daily Valet. - 6/29/22, Wednesday
✔️ Well That Escalated Quickly
Wednesday, June 29th Edition
Tell me that I “smell good” and I’ll be your friend for life.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
Explosive Testimony
Trump wanted to lead an armed mob to the Capitol, aide says
It’s hard to say that any more news about what happened on January 6th could be shocking—haven’t we heard it all? But that’s what happened at Tuesday’s last-minute hearing. Across two full hours of testimony, a 25-year-old former White House aide divulged a flood of new and highly relevant information about one of the most reported-on events in American history.
According to Axios, Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, delivered the most damning testimony to date, “tying former President Trump directly to the attack and providing potential evidence if criminal charges are pursued.”
It adds a new layer to the picture we have—at least in the public understanding—of Trump’s behavior leading up to and on Jan. 6th. Hutchinson really moved the ball forward in terms of establishing that Trump was personally aware of the potential for violence, yet forged ahead on January 6 with his attempts to rile up his supporters to interfere with the joint session of Congress to certify President Joe Biden’s victory.
Trump’s staff, several of whom had been warned of violence beforehand, became increasingly alarmed but Trump wanted the metal detectors removed to pack his rally on the Ellipse: “I don’t f**king care that they have weapons, they're not here to hurt me,” he reportedly said. She described multiple incidents of Trump’s rage, detailing his unwillingness to call off the crowds despite cries to “Hang Mike Pence!” Hutchinson recalled that Meadows told aides that Trump “thinks Mike deserves it.”
Trump denied Hutchinson’s allegations in a series of 12 posts on his Truth Social networking app. The former president said she is “A Total Phony” and called the January 6 Committee “a Kangaroo Court.” But before yesterday, Hutchinson had impeccable GOP credentials. A former aide to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Sen. Ted Cruz, she held various White House roles before serving as an aide to Meadows—a post that gave her frequent close contact with Trump in the weeks before and on the day of the Capitol attack.
The Washington Post reports that the committee bumped up her testimony in hopes that it would drive others on the fence to come forward and testify. Another factor, the source said, was that there were extensive security threats against her in recent days.
↦ Mafia Moves: Lawmakers said they are concerned that Trump allies are trying to intimidate witnesses who are cooperating with the special House panel.
A Wake Up Call for Men’s Health?
Men in the U.S. live shorter lives than both American women and men in other nations
Here's some not so great news: Just being an American male may be hazardous to your health. Men in the United States die an average of five years before women do. That's coupled with the fact that the country is already something of an outlier when it comes to life expectancy.
In other wealthy countries, such as Iceland, Norway, Japan, and Australia, men live on average eight years longer than they do here in the States, even though Americans spend more on health care than people in any other country in the world.
Over the past few years, life expectancy of men in the United States has only dipped further. According to the CDC [PDF], the life expectancy for men was 75.1 years in the first half of 2020, down 1.2 years from the year before. So why is being a man in the richest country on Earth so bad for your health, and is there anything we can do about it?
According to Fatherly, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing nearly one in three men, often prematurely. A number of factors are at play, but the high death toll of heart disease is due in large part to poor diet, smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol, stress and lack of exercise. And while cancer is a big killer too, medical experts say that American men could (and should) be taking better care of themselves.
↦ FYI: Research has shown that masculine gender stereotypes cause men to be bigger risk-takers than women, leading to more accidental deaths on the job.
Partner
Weight loss is not just about what you eat. Perhaps even more important is how, when and why you eat it.
Follow Your Nose to Your Friends
A recent study found that people who like each other tend to smell alike
If you've ever had the experience of meeting someone and you just instantly vibing, it's probably because (whether you knew it or not) you liked how they smelled. It turns out, dogs have had it right all along—your friends have to pass the sniff test.
According to a new study, these subconscious yet important whiffs play an important role in how we bond with others and choose the people we want to be around. And we're not talking about their choice in cologne or perfume.
Researchers investigating pairs of friends whose friendship “clicked” from the beginning found intriguing evidence that each person's body odor was closer to their friend's than expected by chance. And when the researchers got pairs of strangers to play a game together, their body odors predicted whether they felt they had a good connection. Scientists were able to accurately predict how two individuals would rate their interaction based on their smell profile 71% of the time.
Scientific American reports that the theory is that humans constantly sniff themselves to establish a baseline scent to compare with the odors of everyone around them and that this might play a role in how we subconsciously tell friend from foe. So if you've ever gotten an immediate good vibe from someone, chances are it wasn't your brain or heart alerting you ... but your nose catching a whiff of something it liked.
↦ Wise Words: George Carlin famously said, “You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.”
Taco Bell Is Back With Snack Foods
The unexpected mashup features a giant Cheez-It cracker
I usually don't get that excited about these gimmicks, but you've got to hand it to Taco Bell. The innovations never cease and they're not afraid to try an idea that sounds like an SNL sketch.
The chain behind the Flamin' Hot Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos announced Tuesday that it partnered with Cheez-It to create two new menu items built around a super-sized version of the cheesy cracker: the Big Cheez-It Tostada and the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme.
As the name suggests, this new menu item starts with a base of a very Big Cheez-It, which is 16-times larger than a normal Cheez-It, with the same taste and texture. From there, Taco Bell finishes it off tostada-style with seasoned beef, reduced-fat sour cream, diced tomatoes, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese.
According to Thrillist, the new items are being tested at one location in Irvine, California (where the company is headquartered). Food & Wine asked when the rest of the country might see it, and a Taco Bell spokesperson told them, “As with any test item, there's no guarantee it will be available nationwide, but when it comes to Taco Bell innovation, we never say never.”
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Partner
Push Past Your Plateau
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Style Accessories on Sale Now
A pop of color in your outfit can come right at the waist. Inspired by the ropes on ships, this braided belt ($44.99 / $22.49) gives off an old school nautical vibe while the pop of color feels fresh. Wear it with a horizontally striped polo tucked into some navy chinos for throwback “Ralph” vibes.
↦ Want more? 5 style accessories on sale now
Partner
The Future of Debit Cards?
What if you could pay quickly and easily without your wallet, a credit card or even your phone? Quontic Bank is the first U.S. bank to offer a payment ring that functions as your debit card. It's completely secure and works at any payment terminal that accepts contactless payments. Just fist-bump and you're done. Plus, there's no battery to charge and (for a limited time) no cost for the ring either. Are you ready for the next wave of banking technology?
↦ Get It: Open an account to get your ring
Morning Motto
Speak your mind. Now.
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That’s all for today...
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