The Daily Valet. - 7/22/21, Thursday

✔️ Should We Be Worried?

Thursday, July 22nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I base my personal ratings of airlines on the cookies they serve.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

The New COVID Panic

U.S. virus cases nearly triple in two weeks. Should we be worried?

Speaking Wednesday night at a televised town hall, President Joe Biden expressed pointed frustration over the slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate in the U.S. and pleaded that it’s “gigantically important” for Americans to step up and get the shot as the virus surges just when we thought we had it under control.

COVID cases are spiking in many part of the U.S., especially in places like Missouri and Arkansas, which are lagging behind in vaccination rates and experiencing severe outbreaks fueled by the delta variant—nearly exclusively infecting the unvaccinated.

Across the U.S., the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 6, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Last week, Los Angeles mandated that people wear masks when indoors in public spaces again, regardless of their vaccination status. New Orleans leaders urged people to do the same. All of this is enough to be thoroughly freaking plenty of people out.

But according to the CDC, if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic. And it’s clear that the vaccines are very effective at doing the main thing these vaccines are supposed to do: prevent severe illness and death.

And while there are some breakthrough cases, the important thing to realize is that when those cases surface, they're managable and short-lived. “The goal was never to eradicate COVID from being annoying,” one physician told Slate. “It was to eradicate it from being a killer.”

↦ FYI: The President also said that he expects the FDA will give final approval for the COVID vaccines by the fall, which should help increase trust in the shots.

$26 Billion Opioid Settlement

The deal could bring an end to thousands of lawsuits for a painkiller addiction epidemic

Three major drug distributors and the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson have agreed to a $26 billion settlement with states to resolve thousands of lawsuits over the country's opioid crisis, officials announced Wednesday.

If the agreement is finalized, thousands of local governments as well as states would drop lawsuits against the companies and also pledge not to bring any future action.

The deal comes as the addiction crisis is worsening. Overdose deaths from opioids hit a record high in 2020. In all, more than 500,000 have died from overdoses to prescription and illegal street opioids since 1999, according to federal data.

The agreement still requires the approval of more than 40 states and hundreds of cities and counties. Once it is finalized, it would result in billions of dollars' flowing to states to be used for prevention, treatment and recovery. Individuals and families who have been affected by opioid abuse won’t receive any money directly.

Smoke Across America

How the wildfires are affecting people 3,000 miles away

Smoke traveling from the Western wildfires is reaching all the way across the U.S., bringing vibrant red sunsets and moon glow to the East. But it's also carrying poor air quality and harmful health effects thousands of miles away from the flames.

The massive fires have been actively burning for weeks across the Western U.S. and Canada. The Bootleg Fire in Oregon has already burned more than 600 square miles of land—nearly two times the size of Texas—and become so large it generates its own weather.

As the smoke moved across the continent, cities such as Toronto, New York and Philadelphia all saw dangerous concentrations of microscopic air pollution known as PM2.5 (because the particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter).

Breathing high concentrations of PM2.5 can increase the risk of asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes. But thankfully, if you've got an N95 or KN95 mask handy (which many of us do), they're specifically designed to capture such particles.

↦ Meanwhile: The couple whose gender-reveal ceremony sparked the El Dorado fire was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The World’s Best Airline

Is there anything better than a good flight?

It's been a strange year for the aviation industry, with many airlines grounding aircraft for significant chunks of 2020. But as air travel returns in some regions, AirlineRatings.com has released its annual round-up of the world's best carriers.

The site noted Qatar's “commitment to keeping the world's air routes open during COVID-19, innovation, new products and world-renowned inflight service” as the reasons behind the airline's win.

According to InsideHook, some airlines were given specific honors, such as best first class (Singapore Airlines), best cabin crew (Virgin Australia) and best airport lounges (Qantas). The best domestic airline? Surprisingly, it was United, which was singled out for its “huge commitments to supersonic, subsonic and electric aircraft to rejuvenate its fleet and offer passengers the very best in comfort and eco-technology.”

The 10 best low-cost airlines weren't ranked but presented in alphabetical order: EasyJet, Frontier, JetBlue, Jetstar, Ryanair, Scoot, Southwest, VietJet Air, Volaris and WestJet.

↦ FYI: The longest flight in the world by distance is the Qatar Airlines Auckland to Doha route, which clocks in at 9,032 miles.

In Other News

↦ Venmo Is Ending the Public Feed. It Still Needs One More Privacy Fix.

↦ One of the Biggest Myths About EVs Is Busted In New Study

↦ After Missing Olympics, Sha’Carri Richardson Teams up With Kanye West for New Ad

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Sneaker brokers

Hating the dentist

Forgotten Olympic sports

Can’t Sleep?

Outfit your bedroom to doze off like a champ

According to a recent study by SleepHelp.org, nearly 25% of Americans have had a poorer quality of sleep since last March. About a third said their sleep troubles stemmed from the news coverage they consumed, while others simply pointed to the disruptions of their daily routines.

And in case you haven't heard, sleep deprivation is serious stuff. Whether you find yourself having trouble getting to sleep or simply wake up feeling run down and tired, it's time to stock your bedroom.

The sleep industry is booming these days and there are some outstanding products designed to soothe and relax you, monitor your sleep patterns and help wake you more naturally. We've scoured the market for the best and most effective items no serious sleeper should be without.

↦ Buy: The five essential items you need to sleep like a champ.