What we've been reading

Dog, meet a not-so-long tail

The Head of the US Federal Reserve says it’s hard to keep the inflation in check because of the rising cost of insurance. Driving the increases in insurance are factors such as climate change and rising prices for car parts, experts say. “In the longer term, companies are withdrawing from writing insurance in some coastal areas,” Powell said, adding, “It’s a significant issue.”

Does your city have its own ultra-rich yet?

Here is a both interesting and not entirely surprising map of the cities where the ultra-rich live. Apparently it’s a measure of a city’s vitality. The herd mentality can feel disappointing, but we can’t entirely blame them, we’ve lived in a few of them, and we don’t mind when they sponsor the local opera house - or support democratic institutions for that matter. What we really want to know though is where they are building their compounds to survive the pending apocalypse.?

Atlas of the not-so-rich

In the UK, Lloyds Banking Group will be the lead investor in a fund backing Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), “becoming the UK’s first high street bank to support the not-for-profit lenders that offer credit to customers who cannot access it elsewhere. It's significant because, unlike in the US, there is no regulation like the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to incentivize such investments, and while the UK CDFI sector has been growing, access to credit for “riskier” customers has been lagging behind. By the way, at WhiteLabel, we think there is a lot to learn from the CRA.?

This week in plus ca change

Europe is the fastest warming continent and it’s absolutely not ready for the challenges, some urgent, it is facing on food, infrastructure, health, biodiversity, and the economy writ-large, says the EU’s Environment Agency. It recommends more dynamic cooperation between local, national and supranational governments - who share responsibility for said risks.?

Add cheese to the list of species facing extinction

Somewhere at the junction of nature and nurture, we are intentionally narrowing the genetic pool of the food we eat, to make it easier to grow, to make it look better, to make it taste a certain way, and so on. But there’s a catch: genetic mutations mean a narrower gene pool makes cloning harder. That’s why, among other foods, Camembert and Brie are becoming harder to produce. On top of this, relying on single genes puts our food at higher risk if pathogens evolve the machinery to kill said genes. It would be very sad to have nothing to eat with the second-cheapest wine.?

How to be a good donor in a time of uncertainty

It’s an election year in America and much of the world, and much is at stake. What does it mean for the philanthropic world? Suzette Brooks Masters, who heads the Better Futures Project at the Democracy Funders Network, suggests seizing the moment of uncertainty to reinvent the future. Use futurist techniques to think rigorously about the future, support experimentation to invigorate democracy, and develop new narratives about possible futures, top her advice. Some of us want to hear more.?

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers

And she too may decide the election. Or can she? The Guardian debates Taylor Swift’s political influence.?

There’s a learning curve with AI

Like the odd amateur Royal photographer, AI is still figuring out what real looks like. The Queensland Symphony Orchestra faced backlash for its latest AI generated ad which, among other things, featured too many fingers. We only wished they were on the piano, Gattaca-style.?

This week in mastering emotions

Someone passive aggressively emailed the author of these lines NPR’s field guide on processing anger, (as opposed to burying it.)?

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