Seems Greenland won’t be leaving the news anytime soon. On Wednesday, President Trump announced he reached a “framework for a future deal” with NATO chief Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum (WEF) concerning Denmark’s Arctic territory.

The deal came after weeks of escalating tension over Trump’s earlier attempts to gain control of Greenland, with the US president saying it will benefit both the United States and NATO nations.

In the same meeting, Trump also announced that he was withdrawing tariff threats against several European allies, which had prompted the EU to consider setting off its “trade bazooka” on the US.

The announcement diffused a transatlantic ticking time bomb that had tanked global markets and sparked widespread diplomatic pushback, especially from NATO and EU member countries.

While markets are back up and tensions are cooling, critical details regarding the deal are still up in the air:

What happens now? With major details unresolved, like the extent of US influence and whether Denmark and Greenland would accept any agreement, the situation is still pretty fluid. At this stage, the only clear outcome is that hostilities have eased… at least temporarily.

🌎 Why does this matter? The immediate cooling of tensions vastly reduced the risk of reopening a trade war with Europe, which would likely push up prices on cars, electronics, wine, and other imports you buy. As for the framework deal, if it goes through, Americans will see a shift in future job opportunities and the price/support of technologies they depend on.

With the US dominating international headlines, you might’ve forgotten about this one. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday over President Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations, appearing to express concerns about the Fed’s independence.

The Trump administration has asked SCOTUS to allow for the removal of Cook, claiming that she committed mortgage fraud, an allegation which she has denied and not been charged with.

During two hours of arguments, justices across the aisle seemed skeptical of the legal basis for Trump’s request:

Trump’s lawyers argued the president holds the broad authority to fire a governor if there’s an identifiable cause (though no president has done so before), and that courts shouldn’t review such decisions.

Regardless of what they decide… the outcome could impact Fed chair Jerome Powell, whom Trump is also trying to remove, as the DOJ is investigating him for the Fed building renovations being roughly $700 million over budget.

Looking forward: The court is expected to rule by summer. Powell’s term as chair ends in May, though he could remain a governor until 2028.

🌎 Why should you care? If SCOTUS decides to let Trump fire Cook, it could make interest rates and inflation more politically driven, meaning your mortgage, rent, student loan costs, and credit card rates could swing with political cycles instead of typical economic conditions.

China can’t stop dropping on the global baby leaderboard. China recorded just 7.92 million births last year, its lowest birth rate on record and a 17% drop from the year prior.

The abysmal demographic figure is the lowest since the nation officially began tracking births in 1949, when the Communist Party came to power. According to government data:

China also holds one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFR) in the world, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, at around 0.9 babies per woman. For comparison, Europe’s TFR sits at 1.41, the US at 1.62, Asia at 2.24, and Africa at 3.95.

China has attempted to boost birth rates through a range of policy changes, including ending its one-child policy in 2015, but all of its efforts have yet to reverse the trend.

Why is babymaking so important? China (and many other nations) are concerned that a smaller workforce will put pressure on pensions and social services, which led the government to recently raise the retirement age for the first time since the 1950s.

🌎 What this means: As China’s workforce shrinks, prices for goods like electronics and household products could rise. It could also shift more manufacturing and jobs to the US, potentially creating new opportunities for young workers.

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25 years in the making… just to hit pause? The European Parliament voted to pause the finalization of a long-delayed free trade agreement between the EU and a group of South American countries yesterday, ending over a quarter-century of negotiations.

The trade agreement, called the EU-Mercosur deal, was signed just days earlier after over 25 years of talks. It contains the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

If it passed, it would create one of the largest trade zones in the world:

Supporters have said it could help strengthen trade ties and give the EU access to new markets, while critics, including European farmers who protested over its ratification, say it would flood the continent with cheap goods. Austria, France, Hungary, Ireland, and Poland also publicly oppose the deal.

Looking forward: Some EU lawmakers want Parliament to check whether the deal follows EU law and see if it would restrict consumer protections before it ends up giving it the green light.

🌎 Why is this important? If the EU–Mercosur trade deal moves forward, it could make food like beef, coffee, and sugar cheaper globally while also heating up competition for US farmers and manufacturers, which can affect food prices and job availability in agriculture-heavy states.

Why build normal buildings when you can stack servers for the AI boom? While data centers may not be the most inspiring construction projects, they are increasingly becoming the ones that commercial builders are depending on this year.

High interest rates, rising costs, and labor shortages have caused commercial construction in the US to face a slowdown. For that reason, traditional projects, like offices, retail, hotels, and warehouses, are seeing weaker demand and being scaled back.

However, data centers are a notable exception:

It’s a dream for the building business: A construction company president told the WSJ that while most large commercial projects cost hundreds of millions and employ hundreds of workers, data centers can exceed $1 billion and require thousands.

🌎 Why does this matter? The shift toward data center construction (instead of traditional projects) may limit housing and mixed-use development, keeping rents high in some cities, and produce more short-term construction jobs rather than stable community roles outside the AI boom.

> Researchers found those who practiced positive thinking produced more antibodies after a vaccine, suggesting the brain’s reward pathway may influence immune response.

> An Austrian cow was observed using a brush to scratch herself, the first ever documented case of a cow using a multipurpose tool.

> The company behind the Las Vegas Sphere is planning to build a smaller version near Washington, DC, that will seat 6,000 and be outfitted with advanced LED screens, haptic seats, and immersive sound.

> New guidelines say enforcing screen-time limits for kids isn’t enough anymore, as the immersive designs of social media, games, and apps can affect sleep, learning, and mental health.

> As UK energy costs rise and more people install wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, demand for chimney sweeps is growing in London.