Better late than Denver.

Some tips on how to interpret the coming flood of data about the Omicron Covid-19 variant. / STAT

A survey of Omicron's best- and worst-Case scenarios. "If it ends up causing milder symptoms than Delta, there's a real upside." / The Atlantic

Related: An atomic simulation of a coronavirus nestled in a tiny airborne drop of water. / The New York Times

A new report finds the EU capturing migrants before they can reach its shores, sending them to brutal Libyan detention centers run by militias. / The New Yorker

Profile of a New York physician who commutes 800 miles across four states to perform abortions. / The Washington Post

Iowa senator Chuck Grassley blocks a request to proceed on gun control legislation following the Michigan school shooting this week. / The Guardian

Not everyone in North Dakota is excited to receive a controversial statue of Theodore Roosevelt. / Hyperallergic

Ahoy! Today we're announcing the shortlist, judges, and Zombie poll for the 2022 Tournament of Books! / TMN

It's December and it hasn't snowed in Denver yet. That's an event that's never before been recorded. / CNN

See also: "Venus could have been a paradise but turned into a hellscape." / Vox

In 2020, the amount of anthropogenic mass—human-made stuff—exceeded the weight of all global living biomass. / Visualizing Capitalist

Amazon encapsulates many of the problems and ironies of the climate crisis—like how it's helping scientists study how to dim the sun. / Gizmodo

Some tips on how to plan for friends and relatives handling all your online stuff when you're no longer around. / The Verge

Psychics and astrologers are popular on Instagram, thus scammers are impersonating them. / The Los Angeles Times

Morticians let loose at their annual gathering in Nashville. / Mic


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