China’s marriage rates have plummeted while infant mortality rates rise in US pro-life states.
And one of London’s most significant Roman discoveries.
“The Intersection” is your bi-weekly briefing on global affairs, social innovation, culture, and design—offering fresh insights through the lenses of sustainable development, women-centered perspectives, and emerging global trends. The aim? To keep you informed, curious, and always ready with a compelling conversation starter at the dinner table.
The Munich Security Conference, the premier global forum for security discussions, kicked off on Friday. JD Vance immediately sparked controversy by accusing European leaders of suppressing free speech, mishandling migration, and ignoring the will of their voters. Meanwhile, a powerful all-women panel, featuring Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, former Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadottir, and former Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Kajsa Ollongren, delved into how female leaders in Europe perceive current security challenges and the future of democracy and international alliances. You can watch their conversation here.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have officially disconnected from Russia's Soviet-era electricity grid, marking the end of their last energy ties with the oil-and-gas giant more than 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The move, which aligns the Baltics with the rest of Europe, carries both geopolitical and symbolic weight for the region and the continent as a whole.
Liechtenstein is set for its first woman head of government. The Fatherland Union of Brigitte Haas won over 38 percent of the votes in the constitutional hereditary monarchy.
Two teenage transgender girls, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, are taking a stand against President Donald Trump's ban on trans women and girls competing in girls' sports at schools. The 16- and 15-year-old plaintiffs have amended their ongoing lawsuit against New Hampshire state officials to not only contest local policies but also expand the case to directly challenge the executive order itself.
Trump has ordered the U.S. Treasury to halt penny production, calling it a waste of money, as each coin now costs 3.7 cents to mint. While Canada scrapped its penny in 2012, critics argue that rounding cash transactions could leave consumers shortchanged.
“There’s so much freedom in not being self-conscious.”
— Actor Renée Zellweger on returning to play Bridget Jones
A decade into the UN’s push for gender equality in STEM, the numbers remain stubbornly lopsided—women make up just a third of the global scientific community, and progress has stalled. As AI and emerging technologies reshape the world, the lack of female voices in the field isn’t just unfair; it’s bad business. Doubling the number of women in tech could inject €600 billion into the economy, yet barriers persist—from outdated stereotypes to systemic bias. This year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science brought together 16 female astronauts to prove that women belong in every frontier, from boardrooms to space stations. But as the Beijing Declaration turns 30, it’s time for action, not just anniversaries. The message? The future is being built in STEM, and women deserve more than just a foot in the door—they deserve a seat at the controls.
The Met Gala is suiting up. This year’s dress code, “Tailored for You,” pays homage to Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, The Costume Institute’s latest exhibition, which spotlights the artistry of Black menswear and the legacy of the Black dandy. It’s a milestone moment—marking the first Costume Institute show dedicated entirely to designers of color and the first menswear-focused exhibition in over two decades. The Gala, set for May 5, is helmed by co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James serving as honorary chair. A revived Host Committee brings together an eclectic mix of creatives, including André 3000, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Janelle Monáe, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Tyla, and Simone Biles. With the exhibit running from May 10 to October 26, expect the red carpet to be a masterclass in tailoring—razor-sharp lapels, avant-garde takes on the classic suit, and, no doubt, a few daring looks that push the boundaries of what “made-to-measure” really means.
Minnesota has turned up the heat on nonstick cookware, becoming the first state to ban the sale of pots and pans containing PFAS—those so-called “forever chemicals” linked to cancer, liver damage, and fertility issues. But not everyone is buying it. The Cookware Sustainability Alliance, representing brands like T-fal and All-Clad, is suing, arguing that PTFE (better known as Teflon) is FDA-approved and safe. Meanwhile, other states—including Colorado, Maine, and Vermont—are lining up to follow suit. One clear winner? Minneapolis-based Nordic Ware, which conveniently switched to ceramic coatings last year. Coincidence? The competition isn’t convinced.
Brussels is taking aim at the digital bazaars flooding Europe with cut-price goods, tightening the leash on platforms like Temu, Shein, and Amazon Marketplace. Under new proposals, these e-commerce giants will no longer be able to turn a blind eye to dodgy merchandise, instead facing liability for unsafe, counterfeit, and non-compliant products. The surge in low-value imports—now worth €4.6 billion annually, mostly from China—has raised alarms over consumer safety, environmental impact, and unfair competition. The EU’s solution? Stricter customs checks, greater transparency, and possibly a handling fee for each package, a move that could upend the business model of platforms built on lightning-fast logistics and rock-bottom prices. Meanwhile, Shein and Temu, already under scrutiny via the Digital Services Act, may also lose their tax loophole, which allows them to dodge import duties on shipments under €150. Add in concerns over Temu’s “potentially addictive” design and the eye-watering stat that 80% of toys from these marketplaces don’t meet EU safety standards, and it’s clear why regulators are sharpening their pencils. The era of e-commerce freewheeling is coming to an end, and for some platforms, the bargain-bin business model may soon come with a much higher price tag.
Meanwhile, some sellers on Temu are resorting to the dark arts of counterfeit postage to pad their profits, duping the U.S. Postal Service into delivering goods for a fraction of the legitimate cost. The scam, openly advertised on Chinese social media for as little as 60 cents per label, is costing USPS millions annually, while merchants in China exploit loopholes in shipping regulations to keep their prices low. With delivery fees reaching $10 for a modest parcel, fake labels offer a tempting shortcut—though it comes with hefty legal risks. While only a small minority of merchants are involved, the growing cost pressures in e-commerce may fuel the rise of such illegal practices. For Temu, which faces increased scrutiny over such activities, it’s a balancing act of keeping prices competitive while cracking down on fraudulent tactics. But for some sellers, the gamble is worth it: "I can accept paying some fines, because I’m making more in profits," one admitted in this article, proving that sometimes, the cost of doing business is just another number on the bottom line.
Canada’s Hydrostor has secured $200 million to advance its long-duration energy storage projects, harnessing compressed air technology to stabilize renewable energy supply. Backed by Canada Growth Fund, Goldman Sachs, and CPP Investments, the funding will accelerate development in Canada, California, and Australia. Hydrostor’s A-CAES system, which repurposes mining and gas components, offers scalable, low-impact storage with a 50-year lifespan, addressing the challenge of intermittent wind and solar power. With construction set to begin in 2025, the company’s 7 GW project pipeline signals growing investor confidence in clean energy innovation.
The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, addressed the Security Council with a message of cautious optimism, insisting that a lasting peace remains within reach—provided all parties commit to de-escalation and diplomacy. Amid a fragile but notable reduction in hostilities, including a halt in Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels, he urged the international community to capitalize on this momentum. However, challenges persist: recent arbitrary detentions of UN staff by the Houthis threaten humanitarian efforts, while Yemen’s economic crisis is deepening, exemplified by prolonged blackouts in Aden and soaring food prices. Meanwhile, military activity continues, with reports of reinforcements and drone strikes. Grundberg warned against miscalculations that could plunge the country back into full-scale conflict, stressing that only a negotiated settlement will ensure stability. The UN’s top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, underscored the urgency, revealing that 19.5 million Yemenis require assistance, with children suffering disproportionately from malnutrition and preventable diseases. Despite operational risks, aid efforts persist, though detentions have forced temporary suspensions in certain areas. Grundberg concluded with a stark reminder: Yemen’s peace process is at a crossroads, and missteps now could imperil not just the nation’s future but the region’s stability.
In rural Zambia, where tradition often dictates modesty, 86-year-old Margret Chola has rewritten the style rulebook—one electric blue wig and gold wedge at a time. What started as a playful wardrobe swap with her New York-based stylist granddaughter, Diana Kaumba, has catapulted Chola, affectionately known as "Legendary Glamma," into the global fashion zeitgeist, amassing 140,000 Instagram followers (including Rihanna and Viola Davis) and turning heads from BBC features to glossy magazine covers. Kaumba, who inherited a flair for fashion from her diplomat father, now splits her time between styling celebrities in Zambia and orchestrating her grandmother’s next viral ensemble—a red Adidas tracksuit today, a layered dress in Zambian flag colors tomorrow. But beyond the spectacle, the granny series has become a cultural reset, challenging ageist conventions and proving that style—much like good wine and Iris Apfel—only gets better with time. Once met with skepticism in Zambia, Chola’s fearless fashion reinvention has now been embraced at home, inspiring women of all ages to reclaim their own sartorial joy. “She told me it’s given her a second chance at life,” Kaumba shares. Once defined by hardship, Chola now wakes up with a different kind of energy—one that comes with anticipation, a camera-ready attitude, and, most likely, a pair of statement sunglasses.
In the wake of the Roe v. Wade overturn, two new studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveal troubling increases in both birth and infant mortality rates in states that adopted abortion bans. Researchers found a 1.7 percent rise in births—22,180 additional babies—disproportionately affecting younger, unmarried, lower-income, and minority mothers. Alongside this, infant mortality rose by 6 percent in these states, with non-Hispanic Black infants facing an 11 percent higher mortality rate than expected. Dr. Caitlin Myers of Middlebury College attributes these increases to both the inability to terminate pregnancies with congenital anomalies and the disproportionate risks faced by women of color and low-income backgrounds who are denied access to abortion.
China’s marriage rates have plummeted to their lowest levels since records began in 1986, with 2024 witnessing a dramatic 20% drop as young people resist government efforts to encourage settling down and having more children. The number of marriages fell from 7.7 million in 2023 to 6.1 million last year, less than half the number from 2013, while divorce filings also rose. Economic pressures like high youth unemployment, skyrocketing living costs, and changing attitudes toward traditional gender roles have driven young people to prioritize independence over matrimony. Despite the Communist Party’s push to reverse the country’s demographic decline, the notion of marriage—once seen as a prerequisite for childbearing—is increasingly viewed as an optional lifestyle choice, with some even questioning the state’s grip on personal freedoms, particularly with the refusal to legalize same-sex unions. As the pressure from family gatherings wanes, one thing is clear: the institution of marriage in China is now firmly on the rocks.
Beneath an unremarkable office block on Gracechurch Street, archaeologists have unearthed one of London’s most significant Roman discoveries: a chunk of the city's first basilica, the 2,000-year-old political and commercial heart of Londinium. Built around 80 AD, this towering structure—once the Roman equivalent of a town hall—hosted court cases, business dealings, and the occasional imperial decree. Discovered between filing cabinets during test digs, its limestone foundations are remarkably intact, forcing developers to rethink their plans. Now, pending approval, the remains will be preserved within a new public space, joining London's growing portfolio of subterranean Roman wonders. Progress must make room for the past.
An idea to sit with this weekend…The concept of formalism argues that beauty in art can be dissected through its formal, mathematical components, not its experience, and for mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, this means that art is just another form of mathematics. From the golden ratio in Mozart’s The Magic Flute to Jackson Pollock’s fractal-inspired chaos, du Sautoy believes the universe operates on structures that humans, through both science and creativity, naturally translate into patterns. Even Shakespeare, the wordsmith, weaved prime numbers into his famous lines—‘To be or not to be’ has an extra beat, purposefully breaking the iambic rhythm. For du Sautoy, understanding the math behind beauty doesn’t strip away its wonder; it enhances it, revealing the invisible threads that hold art, nature, and the cosmos together. So, while some might prefer to “preserve the magic,” he sees the rainbow as even more fascinating once you know what makes it shine.
Wangarĩ Maathai (1940-2011): A woman of firsts—first in her field, first in her country, and first on the world stage. Born in Kenya’s lush highlands in 1940, she ascended from a small village to international prominence through intellect and tenacity. A beneficiary of the Kennedy Airlift, she earned degrees in the United States before becoming the first woman in East and Central Africa to obtain a PhD. But her true legacy was rooted not just in academia, but in the soil itself. In the 1970s, she founded the Green Belt Movement, a simple yet radical initiative that empowered rural women to combat deforestation through reforestation, turning environmental restoration into a political act.
Her influence extended far beyond the groves she nurtured. A fierce advocate for democracy, she stood against Kenya’s oppressive regime, using grassroots mobilization and international pressure to expose corruption and ecological neglect. Her activism earned her arrests and threats, yet she remained undeterred. In 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, a recognition of her life's work in intertwining sustainability with social justice. She later served in Kenya’s Parliament and championed global environmental causes, including the UN’s Billion Tree Campaign and Japan’s mottainai philosophy of waste reduction.
Even as her political fortunes waxed and waned, Maathai remained steadfast in her mission, publishing The Challenge for Africa in 2009 to articulate her vision for the continent’s future. Until her passing in 2011, she continued to serve on advisory boards and global initiatives dedicated to peace and environmental stewardship. Her final resting place—the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies in Nairobi—serves as a fitting testament to a life spent planting not just trees, but ideas, movements, and an enduring hope for a greener, freer world.
Hope you are having an interesting and intentional weekend!
Jennifer
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Really enjoy this style of round up, especially as someone who gets caught in the loop of only seeing US news. Thank you for aggregating and making this style of newsletter!