The Daily Valet. - 8/30/21, Monday

✔️ The Big One

Monday, August 30th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

This hurricane is upending people’s lives and livelihoods. Here’s how you can help.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Hurricane Ida Slams the South

Knocking out New Orleans’ power and reversing the flow of the Mississippi River

Hurricane Ida blasted ashore Sunday as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States—16 years to the day when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans.

Authorities are reporting “catastrophic” damage in parts of southeast Louisiana where the hurricane made a direct hit and the governor is describing Ida as “one of the strongest storms to make landfall here in modern times.”

A climate scientist called it a worst-case scenario. The storm was able to intensify so quickly because it had all the ingredients a hurricane needs to grow. Warm waters below the storm and plenty of moisture in the atmosphere provided fuel, while winds in the upper atmosphere allowed it to keep developing and prevented it from weakening before landfall.

According to NBC News, all of New Orleans is currently without power Sunday night, the city’s electric utility said. The sewer and water board said the power loss could affect a “very significant” number of its 84 sewer pumping stations, many of which it said were without backup power.

At landfall, the storm’s winds were just short of 157 mph, the level considered a Category 5 hurricane—only four storms have made landfall in America as Category 5 hurricanes in the last century.

Just how strong was it? The hurricane has been blamed for significant damage and at least one death so far. Not to mention, the winds temporarily reversed the course of the mighty Mississippi River—physical proof of how powerful that surge has been.

↦ Brutal: Watch as the Today Show co-host Al Roker reports from New Orleans, “It’s basically a 15-mile wide F3 tornado.”

Flu Season Is Gonna Be Weird This Year

And the Delta surge makes getting your flu shot more important than ever

As we round the corner on the last days of summer, autumn brings the promise of tailgating and sweater weather. But it should also mark the arrival of the annual flu shot or spray. Getting vaccinated against the flu remains one of the simplest and best things you can do for your health, especially in a world where COVID-19 is unfortunately still around.

According to Gizmodo, it's probably best to get an influenza vaccine sooner than later. Why? The flu was virtually non-existent last winter, aided by both a higher vaccine uptake as well as the measures people took to limit the spread of COVID (avoiding gatherings and wearing masks).

That likely means there is reduced flu immunity in the community, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned.

Flu season usually runs from October to May, with experts suggesting that the best time to get vaccinated is from early September to the end of October—although some major retail pharmacies have already begun advertising this year's supply. The bonus is that some will be able to get their flu vaccine during the same appointment as their COVID booster shot.

↦ FYI: The flu mutates so quickly that we never have complete immunity to it, but our preexisting experience with a returning flu strain can temper the harm it causes.

Partner

Looking for an exceptional bottle for less? This program is essentially a cheat sheet to the world's best wine lists.

Is It Time to Rethink Air Conditioning?

One of the greatest inventions of the 20th century is killing the 21st

What if the most American symbol of unsustainable consumption wasn't the automobile, but the air conditioner? Vox raises the quesiton of whether it's time to rethink AC because it's worsening the warming that it’s supposed to protect us from.

Ten air conditioners will be sold every second for the next 30 years, according to a United Nations estimate. This is not exactly a bad thing, considering it can mean the diffence between life and death for the young, elderly, and those with medical conditions such as compromised immune systems.

But the rise of ACs has an enormous cost: Over time, chemicals known as refrigerants leak out of AC units and accelerate climate change. According to TechCrunch, our pursuit of comfort ironically begets us more insecurity and ultimately, less comfort.

They speak with Eric Dean Wilson, who in his just published book, After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort, dives deep into the history of (and alternatives for) indoor climate control.

↦ Dig Deeper: Want to keep your place cool? You can employ some expert tips to keep your place from overheating with or without AC.

Kanye West Finally Releases ‘Donda’

His 10th studio album drops after several delays and controversies

After a month of teased release dates, stadium-filling listening parties, problematic guest-artist appearances, and somehow turning into both the Joker and the Phantom of the Opera, the album named after his late mother, Donda West, has arrived on streaming.

According to Variety, West claimed that Universal Music Group released the album “without [his] approval” and also originally “blocked 'Jail, Pt. 2' (which features DaBaby) from being on the album.” Not surprisingly, sources at the label called West's claim “preposterous.”

The album arrives amid huge changes in the rapper's private life. He recently officially filed to have his name legally changed to a single word: Ye. The name change petition came months after the news that he and Kim Kardashian West are divorcing. Kardashian West appeared in the crowd for both Donda events in Atlanta with their children. At the Chicago event, she and West reenacted their wedding. TMZ has also reported that West and Kardashian West are “working on rebuilding the foundation of their relationship.”

Suddenly, your Monday doesn't feel so messy, right?

↦ Meanwhile: The DONDA merch signals another chatoic presidential run for Kanye.

In Other News

↦ The U.S. Says It Carried Out a 2nd Strike Against ISIS-K in Afghanistan

↦ How Ice Cream Became the Ultimate American Comfort Food

↦ New York City’s Narrowest Townhouse Is on the Market

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Food squares?

Jake Paul

Yeti’s huge water bottle

Partner

Need Help Picking the Right Wine?

Score access to the world’s best wine lists (at exceptional prices) with this insider’s club

I'll be honest, choosing wine can be overwhelming—I want the best bottles for the best prices. But there's often a lot of smoke and mirrors. Wine Access cuts through all that to bring you curated selections of expertly-picked wine, shipped direct to your door. And these aren't just any bottles.

Wine Access is now the official wine provider of the Michelin Guide. What's that mean? It's essentially a cheat sheet to the world's best wine lists. Each shipment is curated in partnership with the sommelier or beverage director at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Not only is this an unofficial “seal of approval” for each bottle you receive, but it ensures that they'll also be the most food-friendly wines you can pair with your home cooking. And you won't find them anywhere else.

And you don't just get delicious wine. You also get access to exclusive content and members-only discounts. Plus, the Napa-based team is so confident in their picks, that if you don't like a wine—for any reason—they'll credit that bottle back to your account, no questions asked. What have you got to lose?

↦ Learn More: Wine Access curated subscription programs

Stuff We Want

Are you ready for Fall? Perhaps you need a good cardigan to get you in the mood. This bold sweater ($535) features a chunky open-knit design, crafted from soft Pima cotton and knit by hand for over 72 hours per sweater by a women's collective in Lima, Peru. It's chunky and weighty, yet breathable for easy layering over your favorite tee. It comes in blue too, but we like the natural color.

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