The Daily Valet. - 9/30/20, Wednesday

✔️ That Escalated Quickly

Wednesday, September 30th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Please send me vintage bottles of bourbon.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

The First Presidential Debate Devolved Fast

Trump said it’s “rigged.” Biden said “Will you shut up, man?”

The first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden didn’t get good reviews. “As someone who’s watched for 40 years,” said ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, a previous primary debate moderator, “that was the worst presidential debate I have ever seen.”

Others questioned whether we should bother having any more debates this cycle, given how chaotic this one was. “The American people lost. That was horrific,” Jake Tapper said on CNN. “We’re on cable, so I can say this: That was a sh-tshow,” agreed Dana Bash.

So what exactly happened—assuming you spared yourself from the carnage? It was clear that Trump's objective was to rattle Biden after calling into question the former VP's mental ability. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump tried to control the conversation, interrupting Biden and repeatedly talking over the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News. “I’m not going to listen to him,” Biden said at one point to Mr. Trump’s interjections. “Will you shut up, man?”

The economy remains one of Trump’s strengths, polls show, and he played to that, accusing his rival of trying to kill any progress that has been made, reports NBC News. Biden said the Trump administration had not provided enough resources to help schools and businesses safely re-open. “You can’t fix the American economy until you fix the COVID crisis,” Biden said.

Again refusing to commit to honoring the results of the election, the Trump accused the election of being rigged and raised doubts about mail voting. Without evidence, he suggested that the process—surging in popularity during the pandemic—was ripe for fraud and incorrectly claimed impropriety at a Pennsylvania voting site.

But despite his efforts to dominate the discussion, Trump was frequently put on the defensive and tried to sidestep when he was asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists and paramilitary groups. According to NPR, the President drew quick criticism from anti-racism activists. I doubt any winners will be called for this, but I think the Intelligencer nailed it when they said Trump controlled the tone of the debate, but Biden controlled the message.

↦ Fact Check: CBS News looks into the facts and falsehoods about mail ballots, the economy, COVID and more.

Fighting Fires With the Internet From Space

SpaceX’s Starlink system is helping first responders fight wildfires in Washington

Responders fighting wildfires in Washington are getting some extra help from SpaceX and the company’s internet-from-space Starlink initiative, reports The Verge.

The company loaned the Washington Emergency Management Division a handful of user terminals that can tap into the company's Starlink satellites, providing internet to rural areas where first responders are battling raging wildfires.

SpaceX is currently building out its Starlink constellation—which will consist of nearly 12,000 satellites when it's complete. The satellites could beam broadband internet services to every spot on Earth at all times, ideally providing global internet coverage from space.

According to the Washington Emergency Management Division, the Starlink system has been great for communication. Responders have used the terminals to coordinate where to drop water on the fires and to request additional resources and supplies from areas were getting a wifi signal would be impossible.

↦ FYI: The 13th overall Starlink mission was originally planned for this week, before being delayed due to bad weather.

Will We Be Flying Soon?

Most flights are grounded. Could testing help?

There aren't a lot of people flying these days. In fact, so few are booking tickets that entire fleets are being grounded and sent to the airplane boneyard.

Early in March, the International Air Transport Association published two potential scenarios. The more extreme one forecast a global loss of revenue of $113 billion. By mid-April, about 14,400 passenger planes around the world–65% of the global fleet–had been placed into storage, according to the aviation research firm Cirium.

But airlines in the U.S. hope that the ability to offer testing before boarding will help lure people back to the airport. USA Today reports that American Airlines on Tuesday joined JetBlue Airways, United and Hawaiian airlines in announcing it plans to provide tests that can prove passengers don't have COVID-19, allowing them to bypass quarantine restrictions depending on where they are traveling.

The testing will be provided as a convenience to travelers. The airlines are not making them mandatory, and they are not free. Prices range from $80 to $250, depending on the airline and how the tests are conducted.

These Bottles Get Better With Age

Dusty hunters seek valuable old bottles of whiskey and other spirits

One of the coolest things about grabbing a drink at the American Bar in London's swanky Savoy hotel was checking out their impressive vintage cocktail archive.

Turns out, there are others that get enthralled by old bottles of booze. The New York Times has an interesting read on dusty hunters: antique collectors who only search for still-sealed bottles of vintage alcohol (usually American whiskey).

Discussion of dusty hunting, and the use of that exact term, appears on the internet around 2007, mostly on whiskey enthusiast blogs and message boards, such as Straight Bourbon.

And while this is a fairly new hobby, experts fear it's one already facing its end days, as there are simply fewer and fewer of these drinkable time capsules still out there to find.

↦ FYI: In 2010, bourbon was a $1.9 billion industry in America; today it’s worth more than $4 billion.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

WFH productivity boosters

The official James Bond podcast

The price of fashion

Hate Flossing?

Me too. But I do it anyway.

It took me a while to get into flossing. But now that it's become a part of my routine, I love it. I rely on it to give me that fresh feeling you can only get when your teeth are really clean.

The truth is, you need to floss. “Cleaning in between our teeth is one of the best things we can do to prevent cavities, bleeding, gum disease and infection,” Dr. Ruchi Sahota of the American Dental Association told us.

But that doesn't mean you have to twist some floss around your finger the old fashioned way. There are plenty of options available to us—many of which is recommended by dentists.

We rounded up the best options, from tiny flossers and reworked toothpicks to a proper Waterpik that acts like a tiny power washer for your mouth.

↦ FYI: Over 37% of Americans say they don't regularly floss and another 32% say they never floss, according to U.S. News & World Report.

What We’re Buying

While some are trending towards sporting lighter wash jeans all fall, a pair of black jeans will forever be in style. And if you want your black jeans to stay nice and dark, you need these. The Old Navy never-fade black jeans retain their color and shape, wash after wash, with an athletic fit that is roomy but not baggy, so you're comfortable all day long.

↦ Get It $49.99 / $45 at Old Navy