The Know Daily - Tuesday 10 June 2025

_{Read in 4m 34s ∙ Listening to Norah Jones ∙}

Home and hybrid working can seriously boost wellbeing if it’s properly organised. A House of Lords committee heard that people need real choice, not just “flexibility” in name. With the right setup, working from home isn’t just comfy – it’s seemingly a game changer for health and happiness.

💅🏻 The pink tax: does it cost more to be a woman?

From razors and deodorant to dry cleaning, products marketed to women often come with a higher price tag. Welcome to the pink tax.

What is it?
Well, it’s not an actual tax, but it feels like one. The pink tax refers to the higher prices women pay for products and services compared to men – even when the items are nearly identical. Think a blue razor for £1.99 versus a pink one for £2.49. Or dry cleaning a blouse costing more than a men's shirt. There’s also the tampon tax – menstrual products are still taxed as “luxury items” in many places, even though they’re as essential as toothpaste. It’s subtle differences in price hiding in plain sight… and usually behind pink packaging.

What’s behind the differences?
A lot comes down to marketing. In an effort to tailor products “for women”, companies began changing the look, scent, or branding of everyday items – then charging more. Over time, these tweaks became expected, even normalised. A think tank recently estimated that gender bias in clothing costs women $2.5bn per year.

Why does it matter?
Over a lifetime, the consequence of the pink tax can add up – especially when paired with the gender pay gap. It highlights how everyday purchases can quietly reinforce broader inequalities. But with growing awareness and public scrutiny, more people are challenging these disparities and that momentum is driving real change.

Is anything being done about it?
Some countries and US states have banned tampon taxes and several companies have made moves to abolish pink tax on their own products. Consumers are also pushing back by comparing prices and shopping gender-neutral. Social media has made it easier to spot and share these disparities, turning awareness into action.

Advertise with The Know! Tell us about a brand our audience will love 💕

✈️ Passenger policies: The EU is in the process of revising rules covering air passengers’ rights when flights are delayed, overbooked or cancelled.

• The bigger story: In 2004, the EU announced Regulation 261 which stipulated a duty of care for disrupted travellers, including cash compensation. Since it was introduced, many airlines have ignored these rules. Now, the European Parliament and Council of the European Union have agreed to fresh proposals that try to clear up some of the many anomalies in the law. 

🥔 Farm to family: Surplus food will be redistributed to charities, food banks and shelters across England thanks to new grants totalling £13.6m from the government.

🪖 Security stakes: NATO’s chief has called for a 400% increase in defence, ahead of a summit in The Hague later this month.

🦉 Observing owls: London has seen a dramatic increase in owl sightings, particularly in green spaces and gardens.

🇳🇴 Tourist taxes: Norway is set to become the latest European destination to introduce visitor levies in a bid to tackle overtourism. 

🎪 Fewer festivalgoers: Glastonbury Festival has sold “a few thousand” less tickets this year to help prevent overcrowding.

🐳 Babbling bubbles: A new study has found that when whales blow bubble rings towards humans they may be trying to communicate with us.

Help your friends feel better about the news. Get them to sign up using your personalised code 👉 https://theknowmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

⭐ Get clicking - this tells our partners that readers are interested in The Know. Let’s get started with this one!

⭐ Add us to your contacts or primary inbox - this makes sure we reach your inbox (and everyone else’s) each morning.

The Know is on a mission to help everyone start their day feeling informed and hopeful. We only recommend things we genuinely love but sometimes we make money from the links and content we share. This directly supports keeping our journalism free for all.

Trivia answer: C) Bloomers are on the rise, fuelled by social media and the need for a cooler alternative to jeans in the hot summer months.

How did you find today’s email?
😍 Loved it! | 😕 Could be better…

Need fewer emails? Click here to hear from us once a week.