Farmer of medicine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin orders troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognizing them as independent states. / CNN
Opinions differ on whether it's an "invasion" of the country. / The Washington Post
As the EU prepares to unveil the scale of sanctions to be imposed, the west struggles to maintain a unified response. / The Guardian
Analysis: The White House's strategy has been to share intelligence about Russia's plans, if only to unite its NATO allies. / The New Yorker
England becomes the first western nation to drop all Covid-19 restrictions. / BBC News
Scientists estimate there may be millions of new onset cardiac cases related to the coronavirus. / The Washington Post
Specialists and parents disagree about when to tell daughters they may carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. / The New York TImes
Imagine you get a life-changing retinal implant, then the company behind it abandons the technology. / IEEE Spectrum
Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse is likely decades away, if only for the "generational shifts" required in computing and manufacturing. / Protocol
Fred Pearce: Don't blame climate change for catastrophes that were caused by bad policy and planning decisions. / YaleEnvironment360
For your weekly wanderlust, a travel report from a small island off the northernmost point of mainland Scotland. / Granta
February means a lot of visitors to Yosemite National Park trying to capture the glowing light of "firefall season." / The Morning News
An essay of literary references to explain why people choose to live in very cold places, written by someone who lives in one. / The Hedgehog Review
Unrelated: The world's largest mug can hold 4,000 gallons of iced coffee. / Mashed
RIP, the extraordinarily inspiring Dr. Paul Farmer, global health champion, dead at 62. / NPR
Ivan Reitman's first movie is said to be "the most successful student film ever made in Canada." / The Morning News
One of our favorite things: Playwright Alan Bennett's annual diary. / The London Review of Books
And now a brief chat with a new Sustaining Member, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Hello, Anonymous! When did you first start reading TMN? It looks like I first subscribed to the newsletter at the end of February 2018. I am a bit ashamed it's taken me so long to properly support your work, as it's been in the back of my mind for almost as long as I've been receiving the newsletter. Better late than never, I suppose!
Well, thank you. It really makes a difference to us and is extremely welcome. How did you find us in the first place? I was looking for some kind of slow trickle of news that could replace the daily Quartz newsletter (which, to me, was losing its objectivity in favor of hot takes). I seem to recall TMN being included on a list of Jason Kottke's daily reads at some point. I know I had come across TMN posts and essays before—for example, an all-time favorite—but I hadn't considered subscribing to the newsletter until he recommended it.
We're so glad he did. Welcome to the band. Honestly, TMN has been such a ballast over the course of this pandemic. Other newsletters have come and gone, but I think I'll be reading TMN as long as you keep publishing. For me, it's the pacing (in particular, taking off holidays); the balance of news, culture, and art; and the contextualizing. Pretty much hits the sweet spot for me. Thanks so much for what you do.
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