Are we in a simulation? The war in Ukraine rages on, Shanghai is locked down, the French public is divided over its presidential election, and inflation - as perceived by consumers - is at a new high. Not great...

Now, more than ever, it's critical to focus on what you can control. Prioritize health, family, and putting one foot in front of the other. Tough times don't last.

That said our story of the week is, unfortunately, another bummer. We share it because it affects literally everyone and it's just too important to ignore.

As always, please forward IQNEWS to a friend if you're a fan!

Scientists have sounded alarm bells on air quality in cities like Delhi and Beijing for a long time. However, a World Health Organization report released last week revealed the issue to be universal - not regional. Yikes.

Some background...

Six months ago, the WHO tightened its guidelines on air quality after research showed pollution impacts us at lower levels than we thought. Then the group measured air quality in 6,000+ cities and found that 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds these guidelines' quality limits.

And the toll dirty air takes on global health is massive. Each year, there are "7 million preventable deaths and countless preventable lost years of good health due to air pollution,” says Dr. Maria Neira of the WHO.

Some of the WHO's main takeaways:

• Many contributing factors: Fuel burning (e.g., cars, power plants), agriculture, waste burning, and even natural pollutants like desert dust all degrade air quality.
• Different pollution by region: The Mediterranean is high in nitrogen dioxide (from fuel), India is high in PM10 (from construction), China is high in PM2.5 (from fuel).
• No easy answers: The scale of needed change is huge. Electric vehicles, a shift to fossil fuel alternatives (e.g., nuclear), and large scale waste separation are a start.

The most polluted city in the US? Los Angeles. The areas where the 1% folks breath clean air? Not shared in the study! Kind of an important detail, don't cha think?...

While moderation in alcohol consumption is a key tenet of wellness, health professionals generally agree the occasional glass of wine is fine for most folks. Some research even suggests there may be a benefit.

For those partial to a glass of white at the end of a long week, we've got a great hack! Buy a few clusters of green grapes and throw one cluster in the freezer. Then, when you're ready to drink some vino, pop a few frozen grapes in your glass as if they're ice cubes.

If your wine is warm, the grapes will chill it nicely. If it's cold, the grapes will keep it cold. In either case, the wine's flavor is maintained and you get a snack at the end of your glass.

Side note: irrespective of wine, frozen grapes are delicious.

1. The amount of milk Starbucks sells significantly exceeds the amount of coffee it sells. Thus, it's really more of a milk shop.
2. When you meet new people in real life you're also unlocking new characters for your dreams.
3. There probably could have been just one Dakota.
4. If you freeze a bottle of water and bring it to the airport, security can’t confiscate it because it’s not a liquid.
5. Beds are charging stations for the human body.

Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

Today I learned that the color "Jet Black" comes from a gemstone called jet. Jet is extremely dark, and so jet black refers that dark. (more here)

funambulism [ fu-nam-bu-lism ] - noun
tightrope walking; a show especially of mental agility
I felt too dizzy to be a funambulist!

Q: Which country produces the most coffee in the world?
A: (see below next section)