Though officials won't "get into the specifics," the US says if Ukraine is invaded it may halt the opening of a Russian pipeline into Western Europe. / BBC

A new Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in Asia and Europe, and has now reached the US. Early evidence shows it may be slightly more contagious than its predecessor. / NPR

See also: The "let it rip" mentality for Covid isn't an option for the immunocompromised. / NPR

America's gross domestic product expanded 5.7% in 2021, the biggest surge for the country since 1984. / Associated Press

"When people listen to happy songs, the market outperforms," according to an analysis of billions of Spotify streams in 40 countries. / Harvard Business Review

The recent crypto selloff has wiped $7 billion off the balance sheets of publicly traded companies that hold bitcoin. / Quartz

See also: The bitcoin price drop, explained. / Wealthsimple

"Once your brain is attuned to anagrams, you start seeing them everywhere." Life as a competitive Scrabble player. / Literary Hub

Starting this summer, if you want to access your tax records, you'll need to send the IRS a video of your face. / The Washington Post

A new report slams the UK's proposed Online Safety Bill, which doesn't address the kinds of digital abuse women face. / Dazed

See also: How blockchains can enable harassment, from publicly visible transactions to airdrops hiding abusive content. / Molly White

"The merits of different options are considered, with the PI (Pulverize It) method being among those favored." A paper outlines ways to save Earth from an asteroid. / The Guardian

Campaigns to rename "squaw" place names in the US are pitting white locals against Native Americans, who cite the offensive history of the term. / Los Angeles Times

The No Man's Sky makers relaunched one of their defunct iOS games after hearing from a parent whose autistic child was bereft over the game's demise. / The Guardian

"Emissions from gas stoves in US homes have the same climate-warming impact as that of half a million gasoline-powered cars." / CNN

The company behind the Bored Ape NFTs has profited handsomely—but Seneca, the artist who designed them, has gone unnoticed and, apparently, underpaid. / VICE

In the context of NFTs, esolangs, which began in the 1990s, "serve as a reminder that digital art has other histories and other futures." / Hyperallergic

How to build your overland vehicle like an Australian. / Outside