The Daily Valet. - 8/5/20, Wednesday

✔️ What Happened?

Wednesday, August 5th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Really wish I could spend the afternoon looking at art in a museum ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Beirut Explosion: What Happened?

2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited, causing widespread damage

A huge explosion rocked Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday, killing at least 78 people and shattering windows and damaging buildings across a wide swath of the city, reports NPR. The blast sent a towering mushroom cloud into the sky, seemingly emanating from a spot close to where a large fire had been burning.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the blast—video of which quickly surfaced on social media—was caused by the ignition of more than 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored, insecurely, at a warehouse. It’s unclear why the chemical was being kept there, but the explosion is now under investigation.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound most commonly used in fertilizers. It is also used to make explosives and was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

President Trump called it a “terrible attack” and said U.S. military leaders believe the explosion was caused by “a bomb of some kind.” But three Defense Department officials told CNN that as of Tuesday night, there was no indication that the explosion was an attack, contradicting the president’s earlier claim.

One official said that if there were indications anyone in the region pulled off something of this scale, “it would trigger automatic increases in force protection for U.S. troops and assets in the region,” but none of that has happened so far.

↦ On the Ground: An NBC News journalist in the city felt the explosion from her apartment, nearly a mile from the port, as her windows and doors were blown out, filling the stairwell with thick dust as residents dashed to exit the building.

‘Mulan’ Is Heading to Disney+

A controversial switch to streaming

Will we ever be in a darkened theater again? Disney's live-action adaptation of Mulan will now be released on Disney+ on September 4th for $29.99, the company announced Tuesday.

Last month, Disney delayed Mulan indefinitely, pulling the film from its theatrical calendar. But considering the future of blockbuster releases is uncertain at best, the company has decided to experiment with a premium streaming release.

According to Variety, the hefty $30 rental fee will be on top of the standard $6.99 subscriber fee for Disney Plus customers. (Disney CEO Bob Chapek also made it seem like non-subscribers can pay $30 for the film as well.)

Disney+ now has over 60.5 million paying subscribers as of last month, just nine months after the launch of the streaming platform.

↦ Push, Push: The film was originally supposed to be released on March 27th, got pushed back to July 24th, and was delayed again to August 21st.

A Wave of Evictions Is Expected

Congress has until August 24th to extend the eviction ban established by the CARES Act

Over 23 million people nationwide are at risk of being evicted, reports the Associated Press, as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire and courts reopen. Around 30 state moratoriums have expired and evictions can begin starting August 24th, according to Princeton's Eviction Lab.

Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks, with 30 million people now unemployed and the uncertainty surrounding whether Congress will end up extending the additional $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that expired last week.

But according to Politico, a growing number of Republicans—including the powerful chair of the Senate Banking Committee—want the party's leadership to include a renewal of the federal eviction moratorium, which expired July 25, in addition to rental assistance payments in the next economic relief package. The White House is even floating the possibility of an executive order extending the ban.

↦ FYI: For the unemployed, rising grocery prices stretch budgets even more.

Abstract Art Changes Minds

Why one type of art helps you see the big picture

You know that feeling of staring deeply at a conceptual piece of art and feeling like you could almost get lost inside it? Turns out, it does a body and mind good.

New research suggests that abstract art has qualities that can literally change our mindsets, and prompt us to let the minutia of day-to-day life fall away.

According to Inverse, abstract art changes how we think. When you look at a realistic painting, it's clear (at least at first glance) what you're actually seeing: you'll recognize familiar shapes like humans, animals and objects. But with abstract art, the brain has fewer signposts to tell you exactly what you're looking at.

The science suggests that abstract art can help us tap into those hard-to-describe feelings about events, objects or people because it puts us in the state of mind to do so. Now all I want to do is stare at a Mark Rothko or Josef Albers painting.

↦ Dig Deeper: According to the New York Times, art objects are a bore. People want multi-sensory “experiences,” the more immersive the better.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The ‘Ratched’ trailer

This easy home upgrade

Jay-Z’s ‘Black Is King’ fits

Want Big Desk Energy?

Nostalgia and good work vibes all in one site

Tyler Denk used his downtime during quarantine to turn his wildly popular Spotify playlist into a throwback site to supercharge your workday.

Big Desk Energy is styled in a Windows 95 mood and the main draw is the music player stocked with songs that, according to Denk, are “chill enough to be background music but upbeat enough to keep me energized and focused.”

There's also a single-player Pong game and workable notepad (along with a merch store). Meaning there's plenty distractions available too—should you need them after all that productivity.

↦ FYI: If you just want the music, follow the OG playlist on Spotify.

What We’re Buying

The Chaco sandal is not the same as your father's lame five strapped, funky patterned sandals. These are lightweight, low-profile sport sandals built for anything. The signature Z/Straps make for a perfect fit on any foot with only one cinch buckle to worry about. Take a more relaxed but adventurous approach to your summer footwear. And these are just different enough to stand apart from the Teva crowd. Chaco's cult followers own several pairs, but just one will last a lifetime.

↦ Get It $85 / $63.99 at Amazon