the friday brief
10/31/20253 things that matter
The International Monetary Fund has lowered its 2026 global growth outlook to 3.1 %, citing weak trade and sluggish investment. The World Trade Organization expects merchandise trade to expand only 0.8 % next year — less than half the pre-pandemic average — underscoring how geopolitical tension and supply-chain realignment continue to restrain recovery.
In France, coalition talks have stalled for months, leaving President Macron to appoint his fifth prime minister in 21 months as the far-right Rassemblement National gains influence without a governing majority. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi became the nation’s first female prime minister this month, pledging higher defence spending and tighter immigration controls. Across major democracies, voter blocs are consolidating around identity rather than policy.
Apple, Microsoft, and Google have announced new multi-billion-dollar carbon-removal partnerships ahead of COP30 in Brazil, shifting from offsets to verified removal. In 2025, tech firms signed more than US $279 million in long-term offtake deals — turning climate ambition into measurable proof.
1 thing to know
earth has crossed its first climate tipping point.
new research led by the Stockholm Resilience Centre in collaboration with the Earth Commission confirms that warm-water coral reef systems have entered irreversible decline — the first widely acknowledged earth-system tipping point. since 1998, roughly 71 % of the world’s reefs have experienced at least one mass-bleaching event. even if global warming is limited to 1.5 °C, between 70 % and 90 % of reefs are expected to be lost.
coral reefs support about 25 % of all marine species, sustain close to one billion people, and generate roughly US $2.7 trillion in annual ecosystem value. their collapse triggers cascading effects — from collapsed fisheries and eroded coastlines to rising food insecurity and climate-driven displacement.
1 thing to try
indulgence can be intentional — especially when it begins at the source. distilled in san miguel de allende, casa dragones blanco redefines luxury through restraint — carbon-neutral, small-batch, and crafted from pure spring water and blue agave. pair it with cuna de piedra’s 73% cacao de comalcalco con flor de jamaica, a mexican-owned chocolate made with shade-grown cacao and dried hibiscus from chiapas. finish with a trace of jacobsen lemon zest salt, harvested from the pacific coast through solar evaporation.
the result: agave, cacao, and citrus in quiet dialogue — three origins, one ritual of care.
links to shop: the tequila, the chocolate, the salt.
