The Daily Valet. - 8/23/22, Tuesday

✔️ We've Got a Problem

August 23, 2022

Tuesday, August 23rd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I hope you’ve eaten breakfast, because today’s newsletter might make you hungry.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Food Waste Is a Big Problem

But unlike other big problems, this is one that we’re finding solutions for by working together

Let’s start off with the good news. A California-based nonprofit is using the lessons it learned during the pandemic to expand food assistance into other regions and communities. This not only helps those who wouldn’t have access to nutritious, fresh whole foods, but ensures truckloads of surplus fruits and vegetables from growers don’t go to waste.

Food Forward works with more than 350 partners to coordinate food donations to a dozen California counties, along with six other states and two Tribal nations. Based in the region that receives and ships the most food in the U.S., they’ve built an extensive nationwide recovery network, and in June, they reached a milestone of 250 million pounds (or 1 billion servings) of fresh produce recovered and donated to food insecure communities.

As we all know, food waste is a huge problem. According to a 2020 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30-40% of the food supply in America ends up in landfills. According to Eater, food rescue non-profits like Food Forward focus on recovering fresh produce—the bulk of which it collects from a wholesale recovery program before it goes to waste. Recent studies found that around 54 million tons of food are categorized as “surplus food” in the U.S. annually—which includes anything unsold or uneaten at restaurants, supermarkets and at home.

However, we’re getting smarter about ways to continually chip away at those numbers. Grocery stores are reducing their use of labels such as “best by” and “sell by,” (which many customers don’t understand anyway), in an effort to prevent tossing safe, edible food.

According to Forbes, setting up local indoor farming operations closer to stores could cut down drastically on crop/weather issues, transportation and storage inefficiencies which lead to waste. And Vice offers solutions we can do at home to get more out of the food we have in the fridge (so we end up throwing away less).

Meanwhile, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is paving the way for a new type of ice cube to revolutionize how we keep food cold to prevent spoiling. And while traditional ice cubes consume energy to produce and cannot be reused when they melt, these new jelly ice cubes can be reused at least 10 times. That means that these will cut back on food-related carbon dioxide emissions as well as preventing spoilage in transport.

↦ Give Back: Local food banks and local pantries can often be overlooked as places to give, but a little can go a long way.

Trump Had More Than 300 Classified Documents at Home

The former president is asking for a special master to oversee the review of evidence

More details are emerging about the classified documents that former President Donald Trump should have turned over when he left office. The New York Times reports that the National Archives found more than 150 sensitive documents when it got a first batch of material from Mar-a-Lago in January.

That previously unreported count helps explain why the Justice Department moved so quickly to hunt down any remaining sensitive material. In total, the government has recovered more than 300 documents with classified markings. There was the first batch in January, another set provided by Trump's aides to the Justice Department in June and the material seized by the F.B.I. in the search this month.

What's more, multiple sources also told the Times that Trump had gone through the boxes of documents himself in late 2021, while the officials from the Archives were actively attempting to recover the material.

On Monday evening, Trump and his legal team filed a motion seeking an independent review of the records seized by the FBI. They're asking for a special master—a third-party attorney—to oversee the review of evidence gathered from the beach club in the criminal probe, and for the judge to pause federal investigators' work related to the evidence until the review is done.

↦ Meanwhile: Trump’s political action committee, Save America, spent nearly $1 million on legal fees in July alone.

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Why Is the Dollar So Strong Right Now?

The euro slid back below parity with the American dollar Monday

Europe's common currency slid back below parity with the U.S. dollar Monday as concern about the economic prospects for the region continue to mount. You might remember, the euro briefly fell below parity in mid-July for the first time in 20 years, but rebounded as the dollar's rally lost steam.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the dollar has sprung back to life in recent days—not just against the euro but versus a variety of global currencies.

Why does the greenback remain so strong? Vox puts it like this: While things might be weird in the U.S. economy right now, a combination of factors (including higher interest rates) has made the dollar a better bet for investors than most other currencies.

Of course, a healthy dollar is good for American consumers. You may have already found it easier to fund European vacations and purchase luxury goods and fine wines in other countries. Some American buyers are even househunting in countries like France, since the weaker euro means it's cheaper for them to buy real estate in Europe compared to a year ago.

↦ Dig Deeper: Forbes investigates how some U.S. companies actually suffer from a strong dollar.

McDonald’s to Bring Beloved British Sandwich to U.S.

It’s a unique twist on the classic Big Mac

The Big Mac has to be McDonald's signature item, but the fast food chain is putting a new twist on it—and the innovation is coming from across the Atlantic.

In England, they currently have a Big Mac with crispy chicken swapped in for the burger patties. And American customers will very soon get a chance to try it, reports USA Today.

The Golden Arches announced they'll be bringing it to the U.S. later this month. For now, the limited test will only include locations in Miami, but if all goes well, we could see the item going nationwide soon.

According to The Takeout, we should thank the internet. They say it sometimes feels like McDonalds is reliant upon social media movements to do the actual innovating. Search Twitter for “big mac but with chicken” and it's clear that people have been wanting this for a while. “When your audience literally tells you exactly what they want to see, it seems like a promotional slam dunk to deliver it to them.” So ... what else can we get Mickey D's to do?

↦ FYI: McDonald’s first drive-through opened in 1975 in Sierra Vista, Arizona.

In Other News

↦ Fauci to Retire in December, After Decades As Top U.S. Infection Expert

↦ Bored Apes, Moonbirds Have 'Misled' Buyers on NFT IP Rights

↦ Your Dog Might Cry With Happiness When He Sees You, Study Finds

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Harry Styles

The art world’s new ‘it’ city

Supreme’s new accessories

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So it's dire, yes. But it's such a complex problem—it's hard to know where to start and what to do. I recycle and bike most places, but still I know I could and should do more. And, let's be real—switching to paper straws just ain't gonna cut it. That's where Wren comes in. The buzzed-about start-up is making it incredibly simple for everyone to make a meaningful difference in the climate crisis.

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It’s Time for New Bath Towels

You know the towels currently hanging in your bathroom? Can you remember when and where you got them? If you have to think too long, it's probably time to swap them out. Why? Because we all go too long before replacing them.

The best all-around option: Riley's spa towel collection (starting at $20). Dubbing the collection “spa towels” is a bold move, but these live up to the moniker. They're fluffy and soft, made from long-staple Egyptian cotton with a soft hand and low-linting fibers (which means it not only feels luxurious, but also won't shed much). Then there are the finishes—stitched binding along the rounded edges and a locker loop for easy hanging—which provide even more polish.

↦ Want more? 7 of the best bath towels