The Daily Valet. - 7/20/22, Wednesday

✔️ This Could Mean Trouble

Wednesday, July 20th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

If you’re feeling stressed, I’ve got the perfect tension-relieving game for you below.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

We Need Better Antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance was already on the rise, but the pandemic made it a legitimate crisis

Since their discovery over a century ago, antibiotics have fundamentally improved our lives. Research suggests they’ve actually extended average human life expectancy by more than 20 years. But the overuse of antibiotics in recent years has unfortunately led to some serious trouble that could make this vital medicine all but useless.

And the COVID-19 pandemic has made—like so many other things—worse. According to a new report [PDF] from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the first year of the pandemic, the problem of drug resistance only intensified.

Even in the Before Times, experts had been warning that we’re approaching a “post-antibiotic era”—when our bodies would no longer benefit from our go-to antibiotics. Take, for example, gonorrhoea. Just one drug remains effective for the sexually transmitted infection but soon the bacteria may be able to evade it. Doctors note that routine hospital procedures like C-sections and joint replacements could become more dangerous, too, as the risk of infection—especially infections acquired in hospitals—increases.

According to Vox, antibiotics were prescribed excessively during the height of the pandemic. In fact, 80% of COVID patients in 2020 got them to prevent secondary infections. Of course, as a virus, COVID wasn’t affected by antibiotics.

Just as troubling, many of the companies making the medicine are simply not incentivized to create new antibiotics. Since 1990, 78% of major drug companies have scaled back antibiotic research—or cut it altogether. Why? Well antibiotics are a drug of last resort—and those don’t sell as well as a drug that needs to be taken daily. So for companies, the payoff just isn’t there.

But there is some light at the end of this sickening tunnel. On Tuesday, Science reported that there’s now a better way to create “good” viruses that kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It’s essentially a biological weapon at the cellular level and it could be tweaked to treat specific antibiotic-resistant infections.

↦ Progress: In 2014, nearly 32 million prescriptions for Azithromycin (the antibiotic known as the Z-Pak) were filled. In 2019, that number had dropped to 15.3 million.

Are You Being Followed?

It’s Wednesday morning, do you know where your data is?

Here's a shocking statistic: The location data industry is a $12 billion market, made up of hundreds of apps that collect location data, data brokers who trade that information among each other, and buyers who look to use that data for purposes such as advertising and law enforcement.

Location data has been sold in the past to help the U.S. military identify Muslim populations and was available on Planned Parenthood visitors. A blog also used location data to out a gay priest last year. In 2020, the Wall Street Journal revealed that several federal agencies were using commercial location data for immigration enforcement.

On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union released a report containing hundreds of pages of partially unsealed documents from the federal government, which it says offers an in-depth glimpse at how the Department of Homeland Security spent millions of taxpayer dollars collecting private information from millions of Americans' cell phones. The documents highlight conversations and contracts between federal agencies and the surveillance companies Babel Street and Venntel, and reveal just how widespread all this warrantless data collection really is.

Last year, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced an act which looks to stop agencies from buying Americans' data from data brokers without a warrant. “Despite claims by data brokers, no one who downloads an app thinks they are giving permission to waive their 4th Amendment rights and let the government follow their every move,” Wyden told Politico. And remember, just because you deleted it doesn't mean it's really gone.

↦ Meanwhile: Many of the states that have criminalized abortion have relied increasingly on Google’s location data in police investigations.

Partner

This might be the most fun time of year, but it’s often difficult to dress for. Let MR PORTER help.

Get an Older, Wiser Roommate

Such arrangements are growing in this strange housing market we find ourselves in

Rising housing prices in the U.S. have had a unique and unintended consequence of bridging the generation gap. As affordable housing gets harder to find, many people have turned to roommates and some have decided to live with people from an entirely different generation.

Rent increased by 14% nationwide in 2021. Of course, it was even higher in places like New York City, where rent rose 35%. And booming cities like Austin Texas saw jumps of 40%. When you crunch the numbers, the median rate of rent increases in the 21st century has stood at 4.17% per year. The last time rents decreased from one year to the next was in 1934.

According to the Washington Post, many of these new multigenerational roommates have found the arrangement quite fulfilling. There's even a home-sharing website, Nesterly, that matches young adults with older homeowners with room to spare.

And while the Post points out that while some May-December roommate setups are unplanned, several American universities actively foster such relationships as a part of their housing programs. At Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, for instance, music students can opt to live rent-free at a local senior living center in exchange for performing regularly for residents.

↦ FYI: Should you rent or buy a house? Use the ‘BURL’ rule to avoid financial regret, according to this real estate investor.

A Wildly Mundane Video Game

A first-person shooter game that delivers a strange middle-aged satisfaction

I'm not much of a video game player. Never was. But PowerWash Simulator—which is getting a bunch of new players at the moment because it was just added to Xbox Game Pass—is something I can get into.

After a year in early access, the game's launching in full with a variety of modes and I'm genuinely intrigued by the concept. This is a first-person soother you'll either think is an absolute bore or the best kind of meditative chore. All you do is power wash. You rid surfaces of grime in the most satisfying way possible.

According to The Verge, there's no winning or losing. You receive feedback from the client when the job is done, a before and after picture to show the impact of your work, and a recap on how many gallons of water you used.

But while it might be fun and oh-so-satisfying to clean dirt using high-powered water canons, it's not as simple as aiming a hose at the ground and wagging your arm around. So Kotaku offers some useful tips and tricks to help you. Now, I'm patiently waiting for a video game simulator where you just pop zits.

↦ FYI: If you do play, the developer has warned players not to look at the sun, in order to avoid a game-crashing bug.

In Other News

↦ Netflix Loses Nearly 1 Million Subscribers. That’s the Good News.

↦ Emilia Clarke Says Scan of Her Brain Shows ‘Quite a Bit’ of It Is Missing

↦ Three Industries Dominate Stadium Naming Rights

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

A realistic flying car concept

These phony negronis

This very good boy

Partner

Essential Summer Style Staples

During a season of minimal dressing, invest in the best

We get it. When it's hot out, you don't want to put a lot of thought into what you're wearing. You just want to throw something on and go have some fun. This might be the most fun time of year but it's often difficult to dress for. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't update your outfit or take your look to the next level. The key to getting fits off during summer is mastering the essentials. We've pulled over a dozen options for you—from classic interpretations to more modern takes—in a range of price points. And since they're all available via MR PORTER, you know the brands will be of the utmost quality and the styles won't let you down. After all, when you're focusing on the essentials, you want to buy the very best, right?

Mr P. Irregular Wave Print Recycled Swim Shorts

Swimwear

Busy patterned pants can be tough to pull off, but shorts? We say go wild and let them make an outfit out of a simple T-shirt and a pair of sandals.

Irregular Wave print recycled swim shorts, $125 by Mr P.

Camp Collar Shirts

The slightly boxy, open-neck silhouette feels right at home as the weather warms up. For 2022, swap the tropical flowers for more graphic styles, with a louche retro appeal to them.

Linen camp collar shirt, $200 by Hartford

Sunglasses

Tortoiseshell frames are a timeless style, but there are plenty of ways to wear them. From classic keyhole frames to thin round glasses to a sleek, square profile, choose your sun fighter wisely.

D-frame tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses, $440 by Bottega Veneta

Sandals

You don't get more summery vibes than when you slide into some sandals. Look for simple pairs that allow you to pair them with everything from swim trunks to lightweight suits.

Arizona leather sandals, $135 by Birkenstock

Loafers

During a summer when stylish men are happily trading their sneakers for leather slip-ons, invest in a pair of quality penny loafers. Whether you're wearing them with or without socks, the better the shoe, the more comfortable it'll be.

Cannes suede penny loafers, $645 by George Cleverley

Hats

You last layer of protection from sun and heat is a good hat—be it a ball cap or a bucket hat, look for something that makes a statement with a bold color or graphic.

Logo-embroidered baseball cap, $60 by STRAY RATS