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Oh-Queso, What's The Plan? |
Ok. So. What's the plan, here? Queso, as we all know, is the Spanish word for cheese. If you say it fast enough and add the word "oh" in front, then you can make another bilingual cheese pun of the kind Cheddar has become known for all across Christendom. Personally my favorite variety of Queso is from the Iberian Peninsula, with a flavor ranging from nutty to tangy and a texture varying from creamy to firm. But as we all know, I'm easily pleased, and you may be far more picky, or "quisquilloso," as they say in Iberia, and in Rio, at the Copacabana, of course. |
Today's Cheddlines You Need2Know |
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She was a showgirl! |
—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor |
P.S. We've got a flying car on the 'gram and it's only $300k. |
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Quote of the Day |
| ❝ | | | "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!" | | | | — Donald Trump |
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Should You Check Your 401(k) Today? |
👎 |
(nope) |
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Katz's Delicatessen. The name conjures up images of towering pastrami sandwiches, the lively chatter of New Yorkers, and of course, Meg Ryan faking one in the movie "When Harry Met Sally." |
I'll have what she's having! |
"Katz's deli was founded in 1888, nearly 137 years ago now," said fifth-generation owner Jake "Don't Call Me Deli" Dell. "Delicatessen is really a New York City tradition. It's about Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s taking food traditions from their home and bringing it to foods that were readily available here, to inexpensive cuts of meat like brisket. We were just a part of the neighborhood." |
Everyone loves immigrants in America these days, right? And the deep connection to the Lower East Side's immigrant history is palpable in every corner of Katz's. The Dell family's involvement began with Jake's grandfather, Martin Dell. |
"My grandfather was partners with the second generation of the Katz's family," he said. "And then my father and uncle came on board in the in the 80s. My earliest memory is in this place. I used to have my birthday parties every year here. I used to hand out tickets from when I was six or seven years old. I had my Bar Mitzvah here." |
Jake officially joined the family business in 2009 and oversees the operation, including the massive quantities of meat the restaurant serves weekly. |
"On any given day, we can see anywhere from 400 to about 4,000 people. We can serve, you know, 3 or 4,000 pounds of brisket, 3 or 4,000 pounds of turkey, about 10 to 15,000 pounds of corned beef. About 30 to 40,000 pounds of pastrami, and that's our most popular right there. It takes about a month to make. So juicy, so tender that it literally cannot go on a slicer, and you have to carve it by hand." |
I just did the numbers, and I figure Katz's brings in about $200 million a year in revenue, at least. But ultimately, for Dell, it's about more than just running a business. "It's humbling. Being in this place is so special. I mean so much to so many different people, and it's an honor to just even get to come here every day, right? And to talk to people about this place, to teach people about this place, but also to listen to people about this place." |
More importantly, can heteronormative men and women ever be "just friends?" And shouldn't they make a movie about that? I think so! |
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Apple's innovation cycle continues with the introduction of the iPhone 16e — priced at $599 compared to the $799 iPhone 16 — in stores Feb. 28. |
The choice between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e will depend largely on personal preference. Some of you may even decide you don't need either phone, which would make you a strange bird indeed. |
The iPhone 16 offers technology enthusiasts a top-tier experience with advanced camera systems and a striking display feature, which is why I own one. Meanwhile, for the rest of you, the iPhone 16e makes a compelling case for those looking for things like "efficiency" and "value," without sacrificing much in the way of performance or quality. |
With improved battery life and competitive pricing, the iPhone 16e also proves a worthy contender in Apple's lineup, challenging the norms of what a budget-friendly smartphone can achieve. Words like "budget-friendly" make me weep, personally. Then again, I'm a horrible person. So, what do I know? More on this in our next story. |
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From @cheddar |
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I do a lot of work in the nonprofit sector when I'm not writing reasonably high-quality newsletters for Cheddar. Something about trying to do good things for humanity helps me believe in a small possibility of redemption for my otherwise completely irredeemable personality. |
Still, one of the literal worst things that can happen to a nonprofit is when Jeff Bezos' ex-wife decides to throw you a couple of million bucks because, a year or two later, she'll just as likely yank that check, and the whole experience is like being on a rollercoaster. Take it from someone who's been on the long end of that experience; it can be jarring. People don't like to talk about it publicly because of course they'd rather have the check than turn it down. But donor whiplash is real thing, and it is why smart nonprofits tend to make sure they have a diverse donor base and are never too dependent on one whale donor. Take heed. |
Still, good ol' Mackenzie Scott has donated a total of $19 billion over the last six years, according to a new study by think-thank Center for Effective Philanthropy. Scott's total fortune is $35.6 billion, so she still has about $16 billion, which (thanks to the miracles of compound interest) isn't exactly going to leave her destitute soon. |
She's given the money to more than 2,450 nonprofits globally, according to the report, significantly affecting their operations and growth. The new study highlights the transformational impact of her donations. For instance, Kaboom!, a nonprofit dedicated to creating playgrounds, received $14 million from Scott, allowing it to expand its annual budget from $9 million to $21.5 million (for "math" fans out there, I'm assuming they just stashed the extra $1.5 million under the bed). The funding enabled Kaboom! to develop more extensive, higher-quality playgrounds and launch initiatives aimed at ending "playspace inequity." The South Texas Food Bank also benefited greatly, using Scott's $9 million donation to double its food distribution and improve employee benefits significantly. |
Of course, if this country taxed billionaires a little more, then we might not need the nonprofit sector to exist. Then again, billionaires are only ever good for this country in all other ways, so I'll keep my opinions to myself. Hey, speaking of which… |
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The Trump administration is trying to revoke New York City's congestion pricing program, which charges most drivers $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. |
The good news for supporters of the program is that, while the Trump campaign pledged to end the policy during the election, it doesn't have the power to do so, and the move will set up a legal fight. |
Congestion charging started on January 5 and was designed to reduce traffic, curb pollution, and raise $15 billion for mass transit repairs. It's been working; however, President Trump, in a staffer's letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, indicated the plan should end, citing cost burdens on working-class motorists and objection to the use of toll revenues for transit rather than roads. |
Trump celebrated the move on Truth Social: "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED," adding, "LONG LIVE THE KING!" |
The timing of the "KING" remark could have been better, coming on the same day Trump falsely accused Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky of being a "dictator" for suspending elections at a time of war, just like Winston Churchill did in World War II. |
Governor Hochul vowed to challenge the decision, asserting, "We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king," and pledged to see the matter in court. Indeed, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has already filed a lawsuit against the federal order. |
Critics, including Governor Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey and other political figures, have contested the policy, deeming it detrimental to commuters and a financial burden. Meanwhile, supporters argue the program has already produced positive outcomes like reduced traffic and improved travel times. |
Trump is unlikely to successfully overturn congestion pricing, but he might well win more support from voters around New York and beyond, thanks to this move. I've seen traffic in my Manhattan neighborhood down 9% since the charge started and foot traffic up 5%. I'm delighted with the results. Trump recently said states should have more rights to set their own policy on certain matters rather than see policy passed down from the federal government, but what do you think? |
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Nicole Doucet's company, Open Water, makes recycled aluminum water bottles, to reduce plastic pollution. She cited a recent study that found a significant increase in microplastics in human brains. "I think it's definitely something that's concerning," she said. |
There's a misconception surrounding plastic recycling, with only 9% of plastic water bottles being recycled. Nicole attributed this to "broken" economic incentives, where "it is cheaper to use than recycled aluminum." In contrast, she emphasized the high recyclability of aluminum: "over 93% of aluminum cans actually become aluminum cans again."
She challenged the notion that environmentally friendly companies cannot be profitable. "Consumers are very much looking to vote with their dollars," Nicole said. "And I think that there's been a very, very big movement over the past few years where consumers are looking to make those changes that are going to make a difference." |
Nicole pointed to Open Water's growth and partnerships with major organizations like Chipotle and the L.A. Clippers as evidence of the increasing demand for sustainable products. She also issued a stark reminder of the scale of the plastic problem. "There are 1 million single-use, water bottles, plastic water bottles used every minute," she said. "And that number is a little bit depressing once you think about what that means." |
That's only if you allow yourself to think about it instead of stuffing the information down deep where it belongs, underneath a delicious pastrami sandwich…or some cheese. |
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Have a great weekend, Cheddfriends. |
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