The Daily Valet. - 9/26/22, Monday

✔️ Get Outta Town (and Get Paid)

Monday, September 26th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I bet you’d enjoy this newsletter even more if it was being read from your new Italian villa.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Get Paid to Move to Paradise

You can get paid $15,000 to move to the idyllic Italian island of Sardinia, but there’s a catch

Are you good with remote work? Does the coming cooler weather have you romanticizing more temperate climates? Why not relocate to the sunny Italian isle of Sardinia? The beloved Mediterranean island will actually pay you $15,000 to move there.

According to CNBC, Sardinia is setting aside €45 million to subsidize around 3,000 grants to combat depopulation. In recent years, the Italian government has made moving to the country as enticing as possible—from visas aimed at courting foreign retirees to selling homes in certain municipalities for as little as one euro. But getting paid to move there sounds like a sweet opportunity.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean (behind Sicily) and is famous for its pristine waters, beautiful coasts and distinctly local fare. The mountainous region features a subtropical climate, with hot summers and mild winters. Expect a culinary canon unlike the mainland, marked by what can be harvested, like prickly pears, or caught locally, such as lobster.

Unfortunately, Sardinia’s rural communities have suffered from dwindling populations, reports Afar. The program is meant to repopulate the countryside—and give those smaller communities an economic boost. That’s where the catch to this generous deal comes in.

The money must go toward buying or renovating a home in a town of fewer than 3,000 people, such as Galtellì (near Mount Tuttavista, popular for hiking) and Calasetta (known for its white-sand beaches). Applicants also need to plan to live there full-time—the funds aren’t intended to be used for vacation homes.

As InsideHook points out, as far as catches go, that all doesn’t sound too bad. It doesn’t hurt that the island is also home to intriguing art museums and storied soccer teams, among other features. La dolce vita, indeed.

↦ Interested? Get all the information on the program and how to apply on Sardinia’s official website.

Italy Is Set for a Hard-Right Turn

Giorgia Meloni claims victory to become Italy’s most far-right leader since Mussolini

Italy appeared to turn a page of European history on Sunday by electing a hard-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, whose long record of bashing the European Union, international bankers and migrants has sown concern about the nation's reliability in the Western alliance.

According to the BBC, that will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU's third-biggest economy. However, Meloni— who would be Italy's first female PM—is seeking to reassure EU leaders that she'd govern as a center-right pragmatist, stand by Ukraine and spend EU recovery funds responsibly.

Addressing the media and supporters in the early hours of Monday morning, Meloni said it was “a night of pride for many and a night of redemption.” The final results would not be clear until later today, and it will still be weeks before the new Italian parliament is seated and a new government is formed. Axios says the process often moves slowly.

Brothers of Italy won just 4% of the vote during the last general election in 2018. It will now be easily the largest party with 26% of the vote, according to projections based on votes counted from 63% of polling stations. CNN reports that their victory will “result in the most far-right government since the fascist era of Benito Mussolini.”

↦ Dig Deeper: NBC News offers a crash course to get to know the far-right nationalist expected to become Italy’s first female prime minister

Partner

Here's a bold prediction: “Five years from now, you'll probably wish you'd bought this stock.” See why people are talking about this emerging technology.

Ban a Book and Get a Teen’s Attention

Inside the national battle between limiting and expanding book access for young people

Across the United States, efforts to ban books have skyrocketed again, after reaching historic highs last year.

More than 1,600 books have already been prohibited this year, according to PEN America—many of which feature diverse themes and characters from Black and LGBTQ+ communities. For comparison, book challenges and bans hovered around the high 200s and the high 400s between 2018 and 2020.

Last week, libraries and anti-censorship groups were among those hosting Banned Books Week to call attention to the growing issue. Some of the titles being banned or restricted this year include “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders and “Sulwe,” a children's book by Lupita Nyong’o. And although librarians and educators have moved many of the outlawed titles online, conservative parents and lawmakers have been quick to notice.

But it begs the question: When you try to dissuade teens from doing something, don't they want to do it more? I know I would've been much more interested in reading “The Great Gatsby” in 11th grade had I been told that I was forbidden from cracking it open. Which, I guess, is why demand for many of those outlawed titles is only growing online, where they can be found as an e-book in another more liberal library, or for purchase from any online bookstore, or less legally on any torrenting site.

↦ FYI: Here’s where you can read banned books for free.

Rihanna Tapped for the Super Bowl

It will be the multi-hyphenate pop star’s first public performance in five years

On Sunday, the NFL announced Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12. The news comes after a flurry of updates regarding this year's Halftime Show. Following rumors of Taylor Swift being asked to perform, it was subsequently reported that the singer-songwriter turned down the opportunity.

Last week, Apple Music stepped in as the new presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, taking the place of Pepsi after a decade. And Rihanna's will be the first. It marks Rihanna's first public performance since her appearance with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

And according to ESPN, the decision represents a change from 2019, when Rihanna said she turned down an offer to perform at the Super Bowl to show solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.

Of course, Apple never misses an opportunity to create some content. The company is promising behind-the-scenes previews and other material ahead of the big game. More details about the upcoming show, including sneak peeks, will be released over the coming months on various Apple platforms.

↦ Meanwhile: Despite pinballing from crisis to crisis over the years, here’s why fans are still watching the NFL.

In Other News

↦ Tropical Storm Ian Strengthens As It Heads to Cuba, Then Florida

↦ Whatever Happened to the Starter Home?

↦ From Forehead Diamonds to Koi Ponds: 11 Crazy Splurges From Chart-Topping Musicians

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

This Fall essential

Sexy food imagery

Butter boards

Partner

The Key to Smart Investing? Getting in Early.

And one CEO estimates this emerging technology could be worth the value of 35 Amazons

Amazon's valuation has skyrocketed in the past seven years, from $172 billion in 2015 to $1.6 trillion in 2022. And it's only predicted to continue to grow. Recently, Jeff Bezos surprised investors when he revealed that one emerging technology could be the key to Amazon's future success. In fact, Bezos argues that “it's hard to overstate the impact” of this game-changing technology. The CEO of ARK Investments takes the idea a step further: “We think [it] could approach $17 trillion in market cap—which would be 35 Amazons.”

What in the world could possibly be worth that much? The answer is a radical breakthrough that Wired called “the rocket fuel of AI.” Of course, this giant leap forward has many on Wall Street very excited. One excited 'Shark Tank' billionaire says the technology will no doubt create the world's first trillionaire.

And the best part? One remarkable company is absolutely dominating this exploding market. And that means you could get in early and invest before it really takes off. After all, when so many successful people are all saying the same thing, it usually pays to listen, right?

Rex Moore of The Motley Fool was even as bold to say, “Five years from now, you'll probably wish you'd bought this stock.” He's gone and laid out the full story on this incredible tech trend in an exclusive report. It will give you the ins and outs of this emerging technology and how one legendary investor is preparing for this incredible opportunity. Like they say, you probably don't want to wait.

↦ Ready? Get the inside story before things really take off

What We’re Eyeing

Fuzzy cardigans are definitely having a moment. And this is a great one, for a great price ($168). California Arts & Recreation Board is a brand that promotes accessible design by producing less and offering quality at a reasonable price point. Case in point: This collared button-up cardigan features a relaxed boxy fit, dropped shoulders and a slight crop to hit right at the waist. It's knit from a soft mohair and nylon blend that's soft but strong.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week