The Daily Valet. - 9/25/20, Friday

✔️ Are You Drinking This?

Friday, September 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I drink Topo Chico because I like to live on the edge ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Chemicals Found in Sparkling Waters

But bottled water trade group says the report’s methodology is flawed

A study from Consumer Reports found that some carbonated water brands have measurable amounts of so-called PFAS chemicals, which are linked to adverse health effects. Researchers said that sparkling water was more likely to include the toxic chemicals than still water.

What are PFAS? According to CBS News, they’re a group of man-made chemicals that have been used since the ’40s in everything from food packaging to stain-resistant fabrics. Because the chemical bonds that hold the compounds together don’t break down easily, they’re commonly called “forever chemicals.”

They’ve also been linked to health problems such as low birth weight, cancer and thyroid hormone disruption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Nice, right?

The government has issued only voluntary guidance for PFAS, saying that the compounds should be below 70 parts per trillion. But some states have set lower limits, of 12 to 20 ppt, according to American Water Works, an industry group.

So who had the best and the worst waters? Sadly, Topo Chico (a personal favorite) measured with the highest levels, at 9.76 parts per trillion, the testing found. LaCroix rang in at a less threatening 1.16 ppt.

Does this mean we should stop drinking them? Not exactly. None of them exceeded the suggested levels for drinking water—though that limit is seen by many scientists and some regulators as too lax. And Bloomberg reports that the beverage industry’s trade group and several of the manufacturers called the testing flawed and maintain that their products are safe. And honestly, in 2020, my addiction to citrusy sparkling water is low on my list of worries.

↦ Bottle Your Own: The Aarke is a handsome alternative to the standard SodaStream. And it produces 60 liters of perfect bubbly water from one CO2 canister.

House Democrats Prep New Stimulus Plan

It includes unemployment aid and direct payments

House Democrats are preparing a new, smaller coronavirus relief package as they try to forge ahead in talks with the Trump administration, reports CNBC.

The package is expected to cost about $2.4 trillion and would include enhanced unemployment insurance, funding for state and local governments, along with additional stimulus checks. To reach the price tag, Democrats would chop roughly $1 trillion from their previous proposal for a fifth pandemic aid plan.

According to Forbes, Democrats and Republicans have failed to come to agreement on more aid to combat the health and economic damage from the pandemic, even after a $600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit, a federal moratorium on evictions and window to apply for PPP loans lapsed. If Republicans turn down Democrats’ latest offer, the House could vote on the new proposal next week even without GOP support.

↦ FYI: U.S. Treasury yields rose early this morning as traders monitored news of a potential new fiscal stimulus.

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Amazon Announced a Lot of New Stuff

We saw new Echo devices, wild Ring updates and even Amazon’s cloud gaming service

Amazon hosted its fall hardware event on Thursday, and it was packed with a number of big announcements, reports Engadget. There are a slew of new Echo devices, such as a spherical redesign of the tried-and-true Echo. And a cheaper version of the popular Fire TV Stick.

We saw a bunch of new Ring devices—one of which was a drone that can autonomously fly around inside your home. That slightly unsettling announcement got social media buzzing and Input has some valid questions about the device.

In less Orwellian news, the company finally took the wraps off its long-rumored cloud gaming service, Luna. It's coming to Fire TV, PC, Mac and iPhone (via web app) at launch, with support for Android “coming soon.” You can request early access now.

↦ FYI: Tesla is the first compatible car for Amazon's Ring Car Connect.

Models Correctly Predicted 200K Deaths

Here's what they're warning for the coming months

Despite early doubts back in March when the pandemic first hit the U.S., scientific models, unfortunately, have been vindicated. And they're now providing new warnings that a recent uptick in cases could mean the American death toll could almost double in the next four months, reports NBC News.

The latest models developed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington suggest that the U.S. could total more than 378,000 coronavirus deaths before the end of the year.

The director of the institute, Dr. Christopher Murray, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, said his team's U.S. model has undergone numerous refinements throughout the pandemic. Behavioral changes—such as diligent mask-wearing—could drive their projections for January down, but he also worries about fatigue settling in.

Masks definitely seem to be key here. In fact, there's a growing theory suggesting masks may be inadvertently giving people COVID-19 immunity and making them get less sick from the virus. So keep those masks on everybody.

↦ FYI: Google Maps introduced a new info layer that shows information on COVID-19 cases in a particular area.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Raf Simon’s Prada debut

Cool stuff under $20

This Rolls Royce cabin

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And take control of what happens in bed

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Sales We’re Eyeing

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Now through Monday, you can score some big deals during SeaVees' massive Sale on Sale event. The California brand is offering a wide range of styles and fabrications from bold seasonal prints to premium leathers, all for an additional 20% off sale prices with code EXTRA20. Known for their durability and comfort, the handsome sneakers feature natural gum rubber and a removable, contoured foam footbed for all-day wearability. And when the whole sale section is up to 60% off, you can get two pairs for less than the price of one.