You can own some of Iris Apfel’s personal collection.
And are probiotics BS?
“The Intersection” is your Monday, Wednesday, and Friday briefing on global affairs, business, 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.
There are so many different ways to help the city and people of Los Angeles who are suffering unimaginably. It can be overwhelming to know what to do, so I suggest picking a couple of GoFundMe’s or organizations to support - every $20 helps. There is a huge wildfire relief fund, a fundraiser to help clean the Palisades, and a wide selection to help families rebuild. While making some donations this morning, I came across this one and instantly got goosebumps and tears in my eyes. We are all here to look after one another.
Lebanon’s parliament has elected General Joseph Aoun, the head of the country's armed forces, as its next president, ending a prolonged power vacuum. The country has been without a president for over two years, as twelve previous votes to choose the leader were unsuccessful. The decision follows a turbulent period marked by a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and a deepening economic crisis.
Nearly 400 of the firefighters battling the Los Angeles blaze are incarcerated individuals. Their contributions are critical to emergency services, yet many face barriers to employment in firefighting after completing their sentences. The Forestry Fire and Recruitment Program aims to change this by offering training, recruitment, and job placement support for formerly incarcerated individuals. To learn more or support their work, visit their site.
Apple’s billion-dollar bid to shift some production to Indonesia has fallen short. An Indonesian minister announced yesterday that the offer wasn’t enough to overturn the country’s ban on iPhone 16 sales. The tech giant has been eyeing alternatives to China amid escalating trade tensions, but talks with Jakarta concluded without a deal.
Liberia and Panama, home to the world’s largest shipping registries, have endorsed a proposed flat tax on greenhouse gas emissions from shipowners. Long advocated by the EU and vulnerable Pacific island nations, the tax aims to curb the industry’s environmental impact. However, debates persist over how broadly the revenues should be allocated. The proposal faces opposition from major shipowning nations and exporters such as China, Brazil, and the US. Key details, including the cost per tonne of emissions, remain unresolved, underscoring the challenges of forging global consensus on maritime sustainability.
Ralph Lauren and Anna Wintour have been honored with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian accolade. Lauren, the first designer to receive this distinction, is celebrated for his transformative influence on American fashion and his lasting imprint on the country’s design identity. Wintour, the iconic editor-in-chief of Vogue, is recognized for her unparalleled role in using fashion as a cultural touchstone, steering global conversations through her editorial leadership at Condé Nast. Both figures have shaped the fashion world and the broader cultural landscape. It’s no surprise—Lauren has outfitted many U.S. Presidents, First Ladies and the U.S. Olympic team. Wintour is one of the most powerful figures in fashion and her influence extends beyond, with her pivotal role as a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party. Other recipients of this year’s award included actor Denzel Washington, former first lady, senator and Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton, and footballer Lionel Messi.
What can 82,000 apples achieve? Poland is about to find out. To mark its six-month presidency of the European Union Council, which began on January 1, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has declared the humble apple the official fruit of its term. These 82,000 crisp offerings will be handed out at events tied to the presidency—a juicy nod to Poland’s status as the EU’s largest apple producer, with an annual yield of some 4 million metric tons. Healthy diplomacy, anyone?
Climate change presents security risks that far outweigh those posed by traditional foreign policy challenges. “With the possible exception of a Taiwan invasion or a nuclear attack on the homeland, nearly everything else that U.S. foreign policy professionals focus on—from terrorism prevention to regional conflict management to supply chain diversification—matters far less to U.S. interests than the certain harms that global climate change will inflict on the United States,” CFR Senior Fellow Varun Sivaram told CFR.org.
Are probiotics BS? Biomedical scientist Dr. Andrea Love answers questions about pseudosciences, health fads, and false wellness claims. A must-watch. We need all the debunking we can get…
The United Arab Emirates has emerged as the leading investor in new business ventures in Africa, surpassing China. Between 2019 and 2023, Emirati firms announced $110bn (€102bn) in projects, with $72bn earmarked for renewable energy initiatives. These figures far outstrip commitments from the UK, France, and China, whose investments in Africa have cooled following underwhelming returns on large-scale infrastructure projects. African leaders, disillusioned by unfulfilled climate finance promises—such as the $300bn annually pledged by wealthy nations at COP29, which fell far short of the $1.3tn sought—have welcomed the UAE’s growing interest.
However, this enthusiasm is tempered by concerns over the Emirates’ track record. Critics highlight the UAE's poor labour rights for migrant workers, its reliance on hydrocarbons, and lapses in environmental stewardship as potential pitfalls for its African ventures. The UAE has long wielded political influence in North Africa and the Horn of Africa, where it has faced accusations of exacerbating conflicts in Libya and Sudan. With ambitions to diversify away from oil and gas, the UAE is increasingly focusing on green energy and critical minerals, such as copper, essential for electric vehicles and batteries. Yet, challenges persist: research from Swissaid revealed discrepancies of 2,569 tonnes—valued at $115.3bn—between official gold exports from Africa to Dubai and imports recorded by the emirate from 2012 to 2022, raising concerns over illegal smuggling. The UAE’s expanding role in Africa promises opportunities but also underscores the need for vigilance in ensuring ethical and sustainable investment practices.
You can own some of Iris Apfel’s personal collection. Christie’s is giving fans of Iris Apfel (aka all of us) a chance to own a piece of her bold legacy. The online auction, Unapologetically Iris, launches on January 28, featuring over 200 items from the late style icon’s personal collection. Known for her “more is more” philosophy, Apfel, who passed away last year at 102, leaves behind a treasure trove of fashion, furnishings, and eccentric accessories—including her signature oversized eyeglasses. Highlights include designer pieces spanning the 1960s to today, a pre-1950s full silver service, ornate chairs and screens, and a whimsical wooden ostrich sculpture doubling as a bar, complete with a Kermit the Frog soft toy perched on its back. WHO IS BIDDING???
Nepal’s Safe Motherhood Program has transformed maternal healthcare, boosting hospital births to nearly 80% and slashing maternal mortality by 72% since 1996. Once, home births were the default in remote areas due to arduous treks to medical facilities, but the National Safe Motherhood Program changed that with initiatives such as free hospital births and travel reimbursements. Antenatal checkups are now routine, and trained nurses trek into mountain villages to provide care, ensuring even the most isolated mothers have access to safe deliveries. Despite these successes, the program faces challenges as donor funding wanes and the government’s health budget is stretched thin. Maintaining progress toward the UN’s 2030 maternal health targets will require innovative, self-sustaining strategies to bolster healthcare quality and access. Nepal’s achievements thus far are a testament to what targeted policies and international collaboration can accomplish—but sustaining this momentum is crucial to safeguarding the gains for mothers and babies across the nation.
Britney Spears will be “very involved” in her biopic. Jon M. Chu, director of Wicked, has been hired to helm the adaptation of The Woman in Me, based on her 2023 memoir. He gave a status update on the Golden Globes red carpet: “She’s going to be very involved,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “I haven’t really started anything fully yet, but she will be very involved in this. I have ideas and things, an approach, but it’s very early.” I still have not read her memoir (shame on me), but it was Simon & Schuster’s biggest-selling nonfiction hardcover in 2023 and the audiobook
(read by Michelle Williams) was the fastest-selling in the publisher’s history. It was the most listened-to audiobook on Spotify in 2023, and all formats were instant No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. I really hope the film does her and her story justice. Whenever I listen to her, I have an out-of-body experience and can’t stop thinking, “Wow, she has so many fantastic songs.”
A bumper crop of Indian literature awaits readers this year, featuring an eclectic mix of titles. Highlights include anticipated new works by Arundhati Roy and Anuradha Roy, an evocative anthology of Urdu poetry, a sweeping history of the Chola Empire, and an intriguing biography of a charismatic Indian woman who has remained largely overlooked.
Mary Robinson (1944-): Her presidency (1990–1997) marked a transformative era for Ireland, as she became the country’s first female head of state and the first independent candidate to secure the role. A trailblazer in progressive policies, her legal and political career championed causes such as decriminalising homosexuality, legalising contraception, and enabling women to serve on juries. Her tenure as president, which once boasted a 93% approval rating, redefined the office as a voice for modernity, inclusivity, and international engagement. Robinson's achievements remain a cornerstone of Ireland’s progressive trajectory.
After her presidency, Robinson was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002), where she took bold stances on global issues, including capital punishment in the US and Ireland’s immigration policies. She extended her term to oversee the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, though the event courted controversy over its draft language linking Zionism to racism. Following her UN role, Robinson launched Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, an effort to integrate human rights into the globalisation debate.
A champion of climate justice and civil rights, Robinson founded the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice and continued her activism through her roles with The Elders and as Chancellor of the University of Dublin. From Harvard Law graduate to global advocate, her career has spanned decades of meaningful impact. President Obama, in awarding her the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, aptly described her as a light that has "illuminated a better future for our world."
Take care of yourself. If you can, spend tonight doing something you love.
Jennifer
xxx