A Defense of Complexity
A new HIV prevention shot, worker exploitation in Champagne, Spain’s pushback to NATO, a political crisis in Thailand, and the Fed holds firm
By the time you’re reading this on Sunday morning, you’ve probably seen the latest news about the conflict unfolding in the Middle East. If you haven’t, I encourage you to catch up. Both The New York Times and BBC News are two of my go-to outlets for live coverage in moments like this.
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is complexity. Last night, as I was scrolling through the news, I came across posts, stories, and reels trying to simplify, package, and explain everything that’s happening in just a few minutes. I think that’s important. It’s part of the role journalism plays: to make sense of what’s happening and help us approach complex realities with more clarity and context.
But simplification can’t be the only thing we rely on. Reality is layered and complex. It’s not clear-cut, linear, or a binary situation of good and bad. Technology has made us too comfortable with immediacy, answers on demand, and bite-sized summaries. Just to be clear, this space belongs to that sphere. But that kind of speed only gets us so far. It scratches the surface, but doesn’t go much deeper.
Depth takes time. It also takes people who devote their lives to studying something, who specialize, and who help us understand what’s not immediately visible. Research requires discipline, and it’s not a word to be thrown around after a quick search engine or AI query. This is a defense of that work. And it’s also a warning: be cautious of anyone who claims everything can be boiled down to “common sense” or reduced to a simple black-and-white framework. Human progress has always depended on depth, not just on fast takes. In a world that increasingly makes knowledge feel optional, boring, or slow, we need to defend it more than ever.
With that, let’s dive into what might not have made the headlines this week:
Spain pushes back on NATO’s 5% defense spending plan
Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, calling the target “unreasonable” and “counterproductive.” In a letter sent to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country “cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP” ahead of next week’s NATO summit in The Hague.
Sánchez argued that such a steep spending commitment would clash with Spain’s social and environmental priorities, potentially undermining its welfare system and green transition efforts. While reiterating Spain’s commitment to NATO, he urged allies to consider a more flexible framework.
Spain currently spends less than 2% of its GDP on defense, the lowest in the alliance, but is on track to hit NATO’s earlier target of 2% by 2025 with a planned €10.5 billion increase in its military budget. NATO's new plans, however, call for even higher investment: 3.5% for core military capabilities, plus another 1.5% on supporting infrastructure.
Interested in more? El Pais - Spain threatens to block NATO’s 5% defense spending target
FDA approves first twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV
The FDA has approved a long-acting HIV prevention shot developed by Gilead, a significant step forward in the global fight against the virus. The drug, marketed as Yeztugo, is a twice-yearly injection that has been shown to reduce HIV transmission risk by over 99.9%, potentially offering a new alternative to daily oral PrEP regimens.
In two large trials, one with women in sub-Saharan Africa, the other with men and gender-diverse participants, the drug outperformed Truvada, the current standard for PrEP.
Access, however, could become a barrier. While Gilead hasn’t announced pricing for Yeztugo, analysts expect U.S. costs to land around $25,000 annually. The company has signed agreements with manufacturers in over a hundred low- and middle-income countries to eventually produce generic versions, but this is still pending regulatory approval. Meanwhile, a deal with the Global Fund, an international partnership established by the United Nations, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and others, to provide doses for two million people is now in question, as recent funding cuts made by the U.S. government have thrown future commitments into uncertainty.
Interested in more? NYT - Regulators Approve a Twice-Yearly Shot to Prevent H.I.V. Infection
Human trafficking trial sheds light on labor abuses in champagne industry
A human trafficking trial underway in Reims is exposing the conditions of undocumented workers harvesting grapes in France’s champagne region. Three people are accused of exploiting more than 50 undocumented migrants from West Africa during last year’s harvest.
The workers, aged 16 to 65, were reportedly recruited via WhatsApp and promised well-paid jobs. Instead, they were housed in overcrowded shelters with limited access to toilets, hot water, or safe electrical systems. Labor inspectors described the setup as a serious risk to health and dignity. The workers were also allegedly paid far less than promised, transported in unsafe conditions, and given no written contracts.
All three defendants face up to seven years in prison and additional charges related to undeclared labor, unsafe housing, and exploitation. The case has reignited concerns over labor practices in the champagne industry, which relies on seasonal workers each year. In recent years, several cases have emerged involving similar abuses, including six heatstroke-related deaths during the 2023 harvest.
Interested in more? Le Monde - Champagne region employer faces prison sentence in human trafficking trial
Thai prime minister under pressure after leaked call
Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing calls to resign after a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen sparked political backlash and nearly collapsed her governing coalition. In the call, she appears to disparage a senior Thai military official and offers to help Hun Sen on border matters, addressing him as “uncle.”
The full recording, released by Hun Sen after an initial excerpt surfaced, has caused a public uproar and led to the conservative Bhumjaithai party withdrawing from the coalition. While other partners have not yet left, the government’s parliamentary majority has thinned, leaving Paetongtarn’s leadership in question.
The prime minister apologized publicly, saying her words were part of a negotiating tactic. Still, the fallout has been swift. Thailand’s foreign ministry lodged a formal protest with Cambodia, and military leaders issued statements reaffirming their commitment to national sovereignty. The crisis comes amid economic headwinds for Thailand, including a sharp drop in Chinese tourism and the threat of U.S. tariffs on Thai exports.
Interested in more? BBC - BBC - Thai PM faces calls to quit after leaked phone call
Fed holds interest rates for fourth time amid inflation concerns
For the fourth consecutive time, the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, keeping its key lending rate at 4.3%. The move came despite policymakers’ revised forecasts that predict slower growth, higher inflation, and rising unemployment in the months ahead.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank was bracing for price hikes as import tariffs begin to impact consumer costs. “That process is very hard to predict,” Powell said, pointing to uncertainty around the size and duration of the tariffs. For now, he said, holding steady is the “appropriate” approach given the economy’s overall strength and relatively low unemployment.
Fed projections now show this year’s GDP growth to fall to 1.4%, down from earlier forecasts of 1.7%. Inflation is projected to hover around 3%, while unemployment may rise to 4.5%. Despite these headwinds, the Fed is still eyeing interest rate cuts in 2025, with rates potentially dipping below 4% by year-end, though longer-term expectations for rates have ticked slightly higher.
Interested in more? NYT - The Fed isn’t calling it ‘stagflation,’ but the risks are rising
That’s it for this week. If any of these stories stood out to you, feel free to share The Decanter with someone who might also find it worth their time.
As always, I’d love to hear from you: thoughts, story tips, or anything that caught your eye this week. Thanks for reading, take care, and I’ll see you next Sunday.
Any views expressed in this space are solely my own and do not reflect those of my current or former employers, or any institution I’ve been affiliated with.