The Daily Valet. - 8/11/23, Friday
✔️ Maui in Crisis Mode
Friday, August 11th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Itching to get out of town? Now’s the time to book your ticket.
Today’s Big Story
Maui in Crisis Mode
The death toll keeps rising and None of the wildfires are 100% contained, officials said Thursday night
The images are painful to look at. Hawaii is always such a lush, relaxed and idyllic location ... to see the smoldering remains of these wildfires, it's no suprise that this is the worst natural disaster in the state's history. Late Thursday, authorities were still searching for survivors of this week's destructive wildfires, which killed at least 55 and injured dozens of others on Maui. Officials warned that the death toll would still rise.Nearly 11,000 electricity customers on the western side of Maui were without power on Thursday, the utility Hawaiian Electric said. And the company has warned that some West Maui customers could be without power for weeks. Meanwhile, more than 2,100 people sought refuge at four emergency shelters and two more shelters were planned due to full occupancy at existing ones. “We are going to need to house thousands of people,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Thursday.A flyover of historic Lahaina showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations, including along famous Front Street, where tourists shopped and dined just days ago. A colossal banyan tree, which was planted in 1873, and has grown into a sprawling tree that was the heart of the oceanside community was singed badly, but locals are hoping that the roots remain strong enough for it to grow back.Six fires are burning on Maui and the Big Island. Officials reported progress in battling the blazes, saying the Lahaina fire is now 80% contained. President Biden approved a major disaster declaration and ordered additional federal aid. Green said that will allow rental assistance and FEMA grants to people, and aid to small businesses.California and Nevada said they were sending urban search and rescue teams, including dogs. And even some airlines sent help. United canceled flights so empty planes could be flown to Maui to help tourists and other visitors leave. Alaska Airlines said it was sending rescue flights. County officials have asked visitors to leave in order to focus on the crisis.
Want to help?
Aid groups are mobilizing to provide relief to those displaced by the disaster, one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years. Here’s how you can help.
Inflation Picks Up
But Details Under the Surface Are Encouraging, pointing to some Relief in coming months
The Consumer Price Index hit 3.2% in July, compared with 3% in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday. It's the first acceleration in 13 months, and followed a 3% reading in June. But that tick up requires context. According to the New York Times, inflation was rapid in June last year and slightly slower the next month. “That means that when this year's numbers were measured against 2022 readings, June looked lower and July appeared higher than if the year-earlier figures had been more stable.”The good news is that price increases have already drifted downward from the heights we experienced just last summer. At one point, year-over-year inflation had reached 9.1%, the highest rate of price increases for goods and services since the early 1980s. And while Americans are currently paying more to rent or insure their homes than a few years ago and much more to buy one with a mortgage, there's a silver lining in that hardship: A cool-down could help convince the Federal Reserve to pause its series of interest rate hikes.According to NBC News, Federal Reserve officials and other economists have given recent indications that the chances of cutting interest rates this year are not likely and that, if anything, more rate hikes may be necessary.
FYI:
CNN reports that closely watched measures of consumer confidence and consumer sentiment have trended higher in recent months.
Airfare Enters Its Cheaper Era
Domestic, and even some international Ticket prices are finally cooling down ... but it won't last very long
There's finally some good news for travelers in a hot, crowded, expensive summer: Airfare is starting to cool. According to a travel report from Hopper, the price of a domestic flight is expected to drop 2% in August for an average of $267. That's down 11% from last year and 2019, and a decrease of more than 14% from the roughly $300 people were paying for round-trip flights over the Fourth of July weekend. The not-so-great news? It isn't expected to last.“We're expecting the cost of domestic airfare to level off this August,” Hayley Berg, the lead economist at Hopper, told Travel + Leisure. “For those looking to book an upcoming trip, the early fall 'shoulder season' can often be one of the cheapest times of the year to travel and you'll experience less crowds as kids head back to school.”InsideHook reports that people are booking fall trips to cities like Orlando, Miami, Las Vegas, Boston and Los Angeles. As for international destinations, Cancun is currently the most popular with a flight average of $288 round trip. But why? Well, typical seasonality is a big factor, but there are more forces at work. Fares have been falling considerably as airlines added capacity to U.S. routes, jet fuel prices dropped, competition increased and travelers shifted to more global getaways.
Going Fast:
Price-conscious travelers should take advantage while they can: As the holidays approach, many of the deals will disappear.
Shower Upgrades Are the Move at Home
Putting the “rest” in restroom
Think of really great hotel rooms ... sure, the beds and linens are luxurious, but really it's all about the bathrooms, right—those deep tubs and roomy steam showers. Well, more and more these days, homeowners are renovating their houses to upgrade their bathrooms. According to a recent report by Houzz, 78% of homeowners are adding luxury features into their bathrooms, focusing mostly on the showers.A “larger walk-in shower” tops the list of desired bathroom features—with 60% of respondents interested—per another national survey, this one by the American Institute of Architects. Among the other bathroom updates: rainfall shower heads (52%), dual showers (19%), body sprayers (16%) and thermostatic mixers (13%).And while it might just sound like luxe ways to boost your home's resale value, these upgrades can help you have a more restorative shower. Research has shown that a long, hot shower can alleviate anxiety as a result of the heat prompting our brains to release oxytocin (the “happy hormone”) which, in turn, reduces stress. Clinical psychologist, Jennifer Taitz (author of the forthcoming book Stress Resets) tells Axios that having a mindful shower experience is about “deciding that a worry-free, gratitude-full space.” So the next time you lather up, treat it like a mini meditation.
Steamy Brilliance:
Why do we get our best ideas in the shower? The science of so-called shower thoughts teaches us the importance of mind-wandering for creativity.
In Other News
Kyiv wants the fighter jets ASAP, but pilots can't fly them until next summer.
Have you heard about ...
A Weekend Pairing
‘Only Murders in the building’ + a Manhattan cocktail
I slept on this show for a while, but finally gave in and got to enjoy the first two seasons back-to-back, but then I had to wait with everyone else for the third season, which thankfully is now back streaming on Hulu. The podcasting trio (played by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) have faced serial killers, grave robbers, and personal demons aplenty, but there are still some suprises left as the show leaves the building for the theater.This season picks up right where Only Murders season two left off: Actor Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd) dies on opening night of Oliver (Short)'s play. It sets off an investigation that revolves around Broadway. This season also features Meryl Streep as another actor in the play, Jesse Williams as a documentarian, and Ashley Park as a Broadway ingenue. And reviews are glowing, to say the least. It's been called “superb” and “still lethally delightful” ... one even went so far as to say that this is “the best season ever.”
Pair It With
What else could we possibly pair this show with? A Manhattan just makes sense for such a New York show, right? Regarded as one of the first modern cocktails, Diffords offers a delicious take on the drink, made from a mi of bourbon, rye and sweet vermouth, finished with a dash of Angostura bitters.
Also Worth a Watch:
‘Painkiller’ on Netflix; ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ on Prime Video
Shopping
What We’re Buying
20 under $20
You may have the retail itch in your wallet, and we're here to help scratch that. Because we all need a treat sometimes, right? But who said that to find something nice you have to spend a lot? We've rounded up a few items that are budget approved and all under 20 bucks. These cost-conscious picks will have you smelling good and feeling good while keeping plenty of money in your pocket.
Start saving:
Morning Motto
No excuses.
▾
Follow:
Share today’s motto:
