Latest Stories from Jessica
American Express kickstarts ByBlack with support from Issa Rae
ByBlack is the first national business certification program exclusively for Black-owned businesses. The billion-dollar scheme offers opportunities for young entrepreneurs to expand beyond in-house sales. Online platforms like Etsy and Instagram have been essential tools for young business owners to independently launch their products and services, but growing a business venture beyond the early stages can be an expensive and tricky process. In particular, the Black community in America faces a...
Heron Preston meets Mercedes Benz for upcycled streetwear collection
Paying homage to 40 years of the airbag’s patent, Heron Preston has teamed up with one luxury car brand to push the boundaries of innovation and sustainability in fashion. It goes without saying that stepping out of a luxury car looks better when you’re dressed head to toe in an equally drippy, designer outfit to match – just ask Kylie Jenner next time you see her. But what if I told...
Abandoned tents from UK festivals to be sent to refugees
Apparently eco-awareness goes out the window in the aftermath of a weekend festival. Luckily, charities are repurposing discarded camping gear for a greater cause. While many can relate to the feeling of exhaustion from dancing and indulging in extracurricular activities all weekend, there’s no excuse for leaving festival locations in a complete mess. This was the case when a combined total of 180,000 people attended Reading and Leeds Festival last weekend....
Oysters become a lifeline in the face of rising sea levels
An unlikely ecological saviour, one mollusc has the potential to help save us from rising seas - but only if we work at reforesting them in places where they once thrived. One odd but delectable brunch-time staple is now viewed as a key tool of defence against the effects of climate change. That’s right - oysters, with their rock-like shells and cluster-growing formations, could be essential in protecting coastal towns and...
Doctors in Belgium prescribe museum visits to manage stress
Access to museums and art galleries are being prescribed in one European nation to combat increased mental stresses caused by the pandemic. Whether or not your pandemic-related stress has dissipated during this ‘summer of freedom’, it’s impossible to forget the feelings of impending doom that periodically emerged as we journeyed through the last two years. In a study of over 3,000 people in the UK, at least 64 percent had symptoms...
National Lottery sponsors climate action projects with £2.5m funding boost
‘Together for Our Planet’ will offer grants to initiatives that foster community-level action tackling the climate crisis. Independent billionaires might still be occupied with advancing carbon-emitting space travel, but there are some wealthy companies offering support to organisations that are working to make our home planet a better place. One of the most recent announcements of this kind came from The National Lottery. This week, it announced a new scheme called...
You decide – is Texas’ new law banning abortion unconstitutional?
A law in Texas banning abortions from as early as six weeks into pregnancy will come into effect from today. It is being regarded as one of the most restrictive laws in the United States. Named the ‘Heartbeat Act’, the newly introduced law has set out to ban abortions from the moment a foetal heartbeat can be detected. Anti-abortion campaigners have used the existence of a ‘foetal heartbeat’ to support the...
Gen-Z and Millennials more likely to consider a childless future
An internet search on global births reveals close to 1 billion articles about declining fertility rates. Why are young people so apprehensive about becoming parents? Millennials and Gen-Z have borne the brunt of criticism for delaying many of their major life milestones, but no subject is as closely studied as their decision about when to start a family. It’s a known fact that birth rates have been declining for years, but...
Berlin’s university canteens will be nearly meat-free from October
The city’s four universities will swap traditional meat dishes for whole grains, seeds, and vegetables in response to student concerns over climate change. As the conversation around climate protection continues to advance, vegan and vegetarian diets have been pinpointed as the simplest way to reduce our individual carbon footprint. Here at Thred, we know that young people are leaders in pushing for sustainable practices around the world - and students...
You decide – is the ‘Nevermind’ lawsuit about exploitation or money?
The child star on one of the world’s most famous album covers is suing for irreparable damages. Are the claims genuine or a 'get rich quick' scheme? Spencer Elden, the four-month-old baby featured on the cover of Nirvana’s 1991 Nevermind album, is suing the band for alleged sexual exploitation. US law typically doesn’t consider non-sexualised images of children as child pornography, but Elden’s lawyer suggests the image of a baby floating...
