The Daily Valet. - 2/10/25, Monday

Monday, February 10th Edition
Cory Ohlendorf  
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Anyone else still thinking about Kendrick Lamar's flared jeans?

Presented by

Frank Darling

Today’s Big Story

The Big Game

 

Eagles thwart Chiefs’ pursuit of history in Super Bowl LIX

 

Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did you place any bets or simply use it, like I often do, as an excuse to snack on copious amounts of chicken wings and nachos? In any case, by now I’m sure you’ve heard that Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni are world champions. A ferocious Philadelphia Eagles defense tormented and frustrated Patrick Mahomes while Hurts made all the plays the offense needed.

So much for the Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for a Super Bowl three-peat. In the end, it wasn’t even close. Cooper DeJean got a pick-6 on his 22nd birthday, Josh Sweat pressured Mahomes all night and the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.

According to The Athletic, Philly’s triumph also concluded one of the greatest seasons ever from a running back: With 57 yards Sunday, the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley surpassed Hall of Famer Terrell Davis for the most rushing yards in a single season in NFL history, including the playoffs. He finished with 2,504, further cementing the fact that his offseason signing last March was one of the shrewdest in league history.

There were no shortage of celebrities in the stands this year. According to Vulture, some, like Megan Thee Stallion, were just there to see Kendrick Lamar perform the Half Time show. Others, like Taylor Swift, brought a squad with her, including Ice Spice and a couple Haims. Obviously they were supporting her Travis and his Chiefs. On the “Go Birds” side of the event we had Bradley Cooper, sadly without Gigi Hadid because she has the flu. The Eagles also manifested another Abbott Elementary/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover (another win, if you ask me).

And speaking of Half Time, Kendrick of course performed “Not Like Us”. According to the New York Times’ music critic Jon Caramanica, the first rapper to headline the N.F.L.’s biggest stage solo made his Drake diss the centerpiece of his set at the expense of a larger statement. “But what will always be remembered from this performance is not the musical choices Lamar made, or the aesthetics of his choreography, or the silhouettes of his outfit. What will remain is his grin when he finally began rapping that song. It was wide, persistent, almost cartoonish in shape. The grin of a man having the time of his life at the expense of an enemy.”

 
Watch Closer:
 
Mashable rounded up all the best commercials from the big game.

More Tariffs Coming

 

The president, who has threatened and delayed other tariffs, said he will announce the new measures

President Donald Trump said he will announce a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports today. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25 percent tariff,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday en route to the Super Bowl. “Aluminum, too.”

He also said he planned to hold a separate news conference Tuesday or Wednesday to announce massive new reciprocal tariffs, which could match other countries’ tariffs on U.S. goods dollar-for-dollar. “Very simply, it’s if they charge us, we charge them,” Trump said. But this plan for reciprocal tariffs—by unilaterally overhauling the existing U.S. tariff structure—could run afoul of its commitments to the World Trade Organization and would upend global trade patterns.

According to the Washington Post, the largest supplier of steel to the United States in 2024 was Canada, followed by Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Vietnam, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Canada is also a major supplier of aluminum to the United States, followed distantly by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and China. The Canadian Steel Producers Association said the tariffs would devastate the sector and its workers. In a statement, it urged the government to fight back. “While the target of Canadian steel and aluminum is completely baseless and unwarranted, we must retaliate immediately,” it said.

 
FYI:
 
It's not yet clear how blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum would impact the ongoing negotiations with Canada and Mexico, against whom tariffs were paused until March 1.

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The End of Pennies?

 

Trump is instructing the Treasury to stop making the coins

Since taking office, President Trump has set his sights on big targets, like tariffs and Greenland. But he has also taken aim at small ones, like paper straws. And now he’s taking on pocket change—namely the humble penny. “Can he really do that?”, you might be asking. Well, maybe not. But the president is right when he says that the one cent coins “literally cost us more than 2 cents” each.

“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it's a penny at a time,” Trump said on Truth Social. Of course, this probably isn’t news to anyone in government or the financial world. According to the U.S. Mint's annual report, the cost of the single cent coin has “remained above face value for the 19th consecutive fiscal year.” In fact, the Mint cited the cost of making a penny was 3.69 cents in Fiscal Year 2024. And if you think that’s bad … the per-unit cost for nickels was 13.78 cents, the report said.

However, despite making changes with the swipe of his Sharpie, it is unclear whether Trump has the power to do this. It is Congress, not the Treasury or the Federal Reserve, that authorizes the manufacture of the nation’s coins, according to the U.S. Mint. Then again, plenty of countries around the world have eliminated their smallest-denomination coins in recent decades, so maybe the time is now to chuck those little copper coins.

A Different Kind of “Digital Detox”

 

New research backs up what gamers already knew: video games help you deal with stress

It seems like everyone’s playing video games these days. According to Reuters, the gaming industry is larger than the film and music industries combined globally. And a growing sector is the subgenre dubbed “cozy games”. They are marked by their relaxing nature, meant to help players unwind with challenges that are typically more constructive than destructive. Recent research explores whether this style of game, along with video games more generally, can improve mental health and quality of life.

With the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2020, there’s been a rise in the number of cozy games and a significant increase in popularity. There’s no hard definition for a “cozy game”. If the game gives the player a cozy, warm feeling then it fits (I guess I can include Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, then!). Researchers found that these games can provide a space for people to connect in ways they may not in the real world.

Of course, there are low-risk games that run the gamut from satisfying power-washing simulators to cutesy sticker shops. But even more traditional adventure and fast-paced games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can be effective outlets for easing your anxiety. If you’re looking for some suggestions, Engadget rounded up a list of their current favorites, from puzzlers and driving sims to Tetris.

 
Meanwhile:
 
Sony is giving PS Plus members extra days following PSN’s big outage.

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A Day for Diamonds

 

Splash out with some serious sparkle from Frank Darling

When you’re investing in jewelry, you want to know you’re buying only the good stuff. Frank Darling has established themselves as the place where modern men and women are going for quality diamonds—they only sell conflict-free diamonds from select countries with superior standards (because who needs that kind of dirt on their hands?) They source the best quality stones from around the world and then lovingly craft their jewelry from the finest materials in New York City. For this Valentine’s Day, they’re suggesting a classic tennis bracelet. It’s a timeless piece that works in any situation, offers plenty of sparkle and makes her feel like a million bucks. Here are six of our favorite styles. And right now, you can get free diamond studs when you spend $1,500+ w/code CUTABOVE.

 
 
 

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Baguette Bezel Tennis Bracelet, $3,075

 
 
 
 

Bezel Set Oval Tennis Bracelet, $4,350

 
 

Round Tennis Bracelet, $4,800

 
 
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Shop all tennis bracelets from Frank Darling

Morning Motto

Wait for the right time.

 

Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most?

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@growwithcolby

 

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