The Daily Valet. - 8/23/21, Monday

✔️ Making Waves

Monday, August 23rd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Monday? Already?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Henri Makes Landfall

It’s expected to continue dumping rain across the region through tonight, prompting flood watches in several states

After making landfall in Rhode Island Sunday, tropical storm Henri weakened as it moved slowly along the Eastern U.S. It was downgraded from a hurricane before reaching New England—bringing heavy rain but also relief that the storm didn’t hit as hard as feared.

The storm weakened into a tropical depression by nightfall, as it crawled over the Northeast and continued to unleash downpours over a region already saturated by heavy rain and wind that knocked out power to over 130,000 homes.

This weekend was the wettest two-day period in New York City since Tropical Storm Irene passed through a decade ago, one National Weather Service meteorologist told NPR.

Major airports across the region remained open as the storm approached, though hundreds of flights on Sunday were canceled. Service on some branches of New York City’s commuter rail system was suspended through Sunday, as was Amtrak service between New York and Boston.

The White House over the weekend said President Biden convened a call with governors of Northeastern states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others to discuss the federal response. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said FEMA was prepositioning more than 700 personnel, as well as meals, tarps and generators.

According to the Associated Press, it could’ve been much worse, but many New England communities were waiting for sunrise to survey the damage wrought by the storm. “It came so quick—in the blink of an eye,” said one mayor. “Now there’s clean up. So this is far from over.”

↦ Meanwhile: At least 22 people are dead (and more than 40 are missing) after major flooding over the weekend devastated parts of Tennessee.

Full Vaccine Approval Is Coming

The F.D.A. is aiming to give full approval to Pfizer’s COVID shot today

The Food and Drug Administration is closing in on approval for Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, reports the New York Times.

Until now, the vaccine has been distributed under emergency use authorization from the FDA. Full approval is expected to open the door to more vaccine mandates and perhaps increase the uptake by some people who are vaccine hesitant.

According to Reuters, vaccine hesitancy has been a major hurdle to the White House's goal of getting all eligible Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus. And full approval would also make it easier for physicians to prescribe a third booster shot to people who could benefit from an additional dose.

Regulators were working to finish the process over the weekend, but were still working through a substantial amount of paperwork and negotiation with the company. Some of the Times' sources cautioned that the approval might slide beyond Monday if some components of the review needed more time.

↦ FYI: Pfizer's vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December and more than 203 million people in the United States have so far received it.

Amazon Department Stores?

The shopping giant’s latest experiment in physical retail

Amazon is planning to open large retail locations that resemble department stores, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Some of the first Amazon department stores are expected to be located in Ohio and California, their sources said. The new retail spaces will be around 30,000 square feet, smaller than most department stores, which typically occupy about 100,000 square feet, but will offer items from popular brands as well as Amazon's own lines of electronics and other products.

For anyone who's even casually followed the flagging fortunes of America's department stores over the past 15 years, this move might strike you as counterintuitive.

But as The Atlantic puts it, the people who do Amazon's math aren't dumb. They surmise that these stores could actually be convenient for shoppers, eradicating some of the hassles of online shopping (for both brands and customers alike): the high return rates, the cost-prohibitive last-mile freight, the logistic nightmares, the buyer frustration, and the monumental volume of consumer waste it all sends to landfills.

↦ FYI: Amazon Prime is now estimated to have 147 million members in the United States.

Flight Attendants Mean Business

Alcohol and fights over masks fuel highest FAA fines against passengers ever

I try to be a model passenger on flights—simply as a common courtesy. But now I'll be doing it to save money. Rowdy airline passengers have now racked up a record $1 million in potential fines this year.

According to Reuters, the FAA (which regulates U.S. civil aviation), has received 3,889 reports of unruly passengers so far in 2021. This includes nearly 3,000 reports of people refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate.

The agency has initiated three times as many such enforcement cases in the first seven months of 2021 compared to all of 2020.

And, in case you didn't know, the FAA has a zero tolerance policy in regard to unruly behavior from customers. Fines for airline passenger misconduct cited in this week's report range from $7,500 to $45,000.

↦ FYI: The FAA said some passengers were hit with $9,000 fines alone for not wearing face masks during flights.

In Other News

↦ Don Everly, Who Helped Set Standard for Pop Harmony As Half of the Everly Brothers, Dies at 84

↦ Don’t Overthink It: Elon Musk’s Tesla Bot Is a Joke

↦ Why Beer Might Actually Be an Effective Post-Workout Drink

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

This handy Hyperchiller

Mushroom ketchup

Insuring classic cars

A Training Truth We Don’t Talk About

Feel like you’ve messed up? These personal trainers will put your mind at ease

I'd been feeling stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to fitness. Sure, it's easy to stay motivated when you're consistent with your diet and exercise. But if you step off the proverbial treadmill for too long, it can feel nearly impossible to get back on. “Did I just screw up all the progress I've made?” I'll ask myself over and over again.

But there's a training truth that doesn't get talked about enough—one that trainer Austen Gravett brought to my attention after he admitted that he had indulged a bit too much on his vacation.

“Having some bad days won't derail your overall progress,” he says. “If anything, you'll be surprised how fast you rebound. In fact, this is incredibly important from a mental health standpoint—although it may seem counterproductive, it's like taking one step backward, but two steps forward.”

Luke Milton, the Hollywood trainer and founder of Training Mate, agrees. His program emphasizes that physical health, social health and mental health are all part of the balanced lifestyle we're striving for. “So if you're enjoying something that isn't traditionally 'healthy,' just make sure it's adding to your social or mental health,” he says. What's more, I found that the science backs up what these trainers told me.

↦ Read: How to get back on track when you feel like you've slipped up.

StuffWeWant

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↦ Want More? The five stylish items to buy this week