found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.
Trzaskowski appeared two days later. He said he could agree with some points, like fiscal restraint, but rejected others. He strongly defended LGBTQ+ rights and reaffirmed that Ukraine should eventually join NATO, once the war ends, calling it key to Poland’s own security.The YouTube interviews have dominated the political conversation, underscoring how Mentzen, a TikTok-savvy outsider, has upended traditional campaigning.
The exchange between Trzaskowski and Mentzen on Saturday was occasionally tense, especially over LGBTQ+ rights, but remained civil and substantive.In many ways it overshadowed a traditional televised debate the day before. The substance of that debate did not seem to change the trajectory of the campaign. The thing Poles discussed most was a brief moment when Nawrocki inserted something into his mouth which he later said was a tobacco pouch. Some have questioned if he is fit to be president if he couldn’t get through a two-hour debate without taking a hit of tobacco.After the sometimes sharp exchanges, Mentzen sat down for a beer with Trzaskowski and others in the pub he owns.
The informal gathering was documented by Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, who was there as well. He posted a video on social media Saturday evening showing the group with the words: “For a Poland that unites, not divides.”quickly went viral, with commentators speculating about whether it was a spontaneous gesture or a calculated political move.
It was also one more example, if more were needed, of how far-right forces in Europe are slowly becoming accepted.
For Mentzen, the moment was also awkward. The man who made his name skewering the political elite appeared cozy with establishment figures. Critics on the hard right lashed out, revealing fractures in the movement he helped popularize.Many retailers are getting seats on the slow train. West Elm, for instance, was early among home retailers in joining Fair Trade USA, which ensures that suppliers maintain good workplaces and wages, and support their communities.
The global reforestation project One Tree Planted gets part of every purchase from furniture brand Joybird. Herman Miller’s rePurpose program gets used furniture to nonprofit organizations. And Ikea has initiatives like moving to bio-based glue, and instituting a buy-back/re-sell program that saw 230,000 items given a new life in 2022.For the past five years, the United Nations Refugee Agency’s
has helped artisans partner with fashion and home accessories businesses worldwide to create sustainable, fairly traded goods.New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The AP. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.