The Pentagon reports a second suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over Latin America. / The Guardian Residents in North Carolina are asked not to take potshots at the first balloon. / Twitter On the China-Russia border, locals explain why Putin isn't a pariah to them. / The Economist Esteban Almiron
The United States unemployment rate is at its lowest level in more than 50 years. / CBS News Lackluster earnings reports from Amazon and Alphabet suggest Big Tech's golden age is fading. / The Washington Post Or, another way to look at it: "It's fair to say
A new video shows planets circling a star light-years away. Here's what you're looking at. The black circle in the center is the young 30-million-year-old star, around 1.5 times the mass and 4.9 times the brightness of the Sun. The
In Ukraine, Moscow's forces are becoming more capable before a critical spring period as the war drags on. / The Guardian Russia's export system has gotten less reliant on Western infrastructure, "and has therefore escaped the scope of sanctions." / The Economist A mess of global
Oil giants Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, and TotalEnergies record a combined $190 billion in profits for 2022. / Quartz Chevron's big stock buyback—rewarding wealthy executives and shareholders, rather than investing in energy projects—is another way of saying "screw the optics." / CNN After suffering decades of
President Biden tells Congress he's ending the dual states of emergency that were declared to address the pandemic. / Deadline From earlierthis month: What Democrats achieved—and didn't—in two years of controlling Congress. / The Guardian The death toll from yesterday's suicide bombing at a
A new study finds a simple nasal swab can provide early warning of emerging viruses. / YaleNews Related: Nine diseases "that keep epidemiologists up at night." / Goats and Soda A field guide to House Republicans' various investigations, all set to begin this week. / Politico Residents of suburban Atlanta&
A night of protests around the United States after video is released showing police officers killing Tyre Nichols. / NPR See also: Video of Nichols skateboarding, "living his best life." / Twitter A look at what all three branches of government did this week. / Wake Up to Politics A Republican
Despite growing faster than expected in the fourth quarter, the US economy is under threat from reduced demand by consumers—who are trying to save rather than spend. / Reuters "It's still difficult to fight the feeling that CEOs are willing this recession into existence to create a
The world spent $1.1 trillion transitioning to clean power in 2022, the same as the amount spent producing gas and oil. / Bloomberg The United States' switch to electric vehicles may require three times as much lithium as is currently produced for the entire world. / The Guardian Alissa Walker:
