The Daily Valet. - 7/25/23, Tuesday
✔️ Is the Truth Out There?
Tuesday, July 25th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
What’s better than cold brew? How about a cold brew with some ice cream “swirled” into it?
Today’s Big Story
Is the Truth Out There?
Congress hopes to find out as the U.S. government Holds a historic UFO hearing this week
What's out there? Will we ever really know? While most of us still call them UFOs (unidentified flying objects), NASA recently adopted the term “unidentified anomalous phenomena,” or UAP. Either way, every few years popular claims resurface that the American government has some stored away ... or at the very least, knows more about them than they're willing to say.If the truth really is out there when it comes to what the government knows, we may get a little closer to it this week. On Wednesday, the United States House of Representatives will hear testimony from three witnesses—two of whom claim to have seen unidentified aerial phenomena, and a third who says the U.S. has “intact and partially intact” extraterrestrial vehicles.That whistleblower was the subject of a report published last month in which the decorated former combat officer and veteran of the Pentagon's intelligence community claimed to have received “extensive classified information about deeply covert programs that he says possess crafts of non-human origin.” While his statements have been controversial to say the least, they have received attention from both major news outlets and U.S. politicians.According to The Hill, lawmakers do not necessarily believe the government is hiding signs of extraterrestrial life from the public and congressional oversight. But they are frustrated they are not learning more about unknown objects flying in restricted U.S. air space.Debates over potential UFO sightings have gotten increased attention in recent years, particularly on Capitol Hill. But Scientific American says that NASA believes that insufficient data, and not aliens, are likely behind the surge in sightings and that better data and more information is required to solve the mystery of strange apparitions in the air.
Dig Deeper:
Why do people believe UFOs are extraterrestrial? A sociologist explains our collective fascination.
Getting ‘Canceled’ Can Be Good for Your Career
Jason alden just snagged the best-performing single of his career amid controversy
In theory, to “cancel someone” (usually a celebrity or some other well-known figure) means to stop giving support to that person. But in this polarizing reality we find ourselves in, it can actually be a good career move. Put another way: It pays to be divisive. Just ask Jason Aldean.The video for his controversial “Try That In A Small Town” may've been pulled from CMT, but the polarizing song was able to ride a wave of headlines to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, after it'd spent the last two months not even cracking the lower ranks of the chart, prior to the controversy erupting.While Aldean decried “cancel culture” at a recent concert as “something that, if people don't like what you say, they try to ruin your life, ruin everything,” the AV Club points out that nothing was really ruined for the singer. And in fact, the song's streams increased by 999%, from 987,000 to 11.7 million, in the wake of the controversy.
Clap Back:
Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell mocked Aldean for not writing the songs he sings. “Seriously, how do you defend the content of a song you weren’t even in the room for? You just got it from your producer.”
Justice Department Sues Texas
It's the first direct challenge by the Biden administration to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Actions
The Department of Justice sued Texas on Monday. The suit is centered on the installation of a floating barrier meant to stop people from swimming across the Rio Grande, which sits between his state and Mexico. The lawsuit accuses the state of violating the River and Harbors Act, which prohibits the placement of obstructions in the water without federal approval.Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice warned Abbott that he had until Monday afternoon to agree to remove the barrier of interlocking buoys or face legal action. Officials said the governor's efforts to hinder migrants from crossing into Texas were “unlawful” and presented “humanitarian concerns,” Texas Public Radio reported. In addition to the floating barrier, the state has set up miles of razor wire barriers along crossing points and the Houston Chronicle has reported on claims made by a state trooper that superiors had ordered officers to push migrants, including children and babies, back into the river.“Mr. President, Texas will see you in court,” Abbott said on social media in response to the lawsuit. The governor also claimed that the string of buoys—which is about four-feet tall and movable, so that it can be “deployed strategically” in migrant crossing hotspots—was legal because the Constitution “grants Texas sovereign authority to protect its borders.”
FYI:
Civil rights groups are calling for a probe into accounts of 'inhumane' border enforcement actions in Texas.
Is This the Coldest Cold Brew?
Wendy's unveils new cold brew coffee drink based on its signature Frosty
I've always been somewhat confused by Wendy's signature dessert, the Frosty. Don't get me wrong—it wasn't bad, but originally, it had a not-quite-chocolate chocolate flavor and it wasn't exactly a milkshake, but it wasn't soft-serve ice cream either. But they just blended it with cold brew, and well ... I can't stay mad at you, Frosty.According to Mashed, the Frosty Cream Cold Brew hit stores on Monday and is made with cold brew coffee and Vanilla Frosty creamer mixed with your choice of vanilla, chocolate or caramel syrup and “swirled over ice”—making for a creamy sugar rush that's also extra chilled for this hellish heat wave we're living through.The company says they're sweating the details to make the coffee as tasty as possible. Wendy's VP of Culinary Innovation says they're steeping the coffee for a full 12 hours to deepen the flavor. And to kick things off, they're selling them at a discount. If you purchase via the Wendy's app through Aug. 6, any small hot or cold brew (including the Frosty Cream Cold Brew) is just 99 cents.
Meanwhile:
Big Dairy is back with new advertising campaigns, and they're gunning to win over Gen Z .
In Other News
‘White fonting’ is used to bypass AI and other tech filters. But is it cheating?
Have you heard about ...
Know Your Net Worth
you don't have to be filthy rich to calculate this
You might think it’s not all that important to know your net worth, if you don't have a private jet or a yacht. But the truth is, calculating this simple number is the first step on getting your finances on track. And we all want to be better at managing our money, right? We've all got financial goals we'd like to one day attain. But before you can go where you want to, you have to know where you stand.In financial terms, your net worth is the amount by which your assets exceed your liabilities (or don't). It provides a snapshot of your monetary situation which can confirm you're saving and spending appropriately or provide a wake-up call if you're veering off track. The experts we spoke to say this number can provide you with the outlook you need in order to become a master of your money.
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Shopping
What We’re Buying
A statement vase
Upton is having a big sale on all their ceramics, and this beautiful vase will add elegance to any living room. It's excellent for storing a bouquet or standing alone as a statement piece.
Get It:
Ceramic jug vase, $119 / $48 by Upton
Morning Motto
No joy is too little.
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