The head of the Wagner Group has mounted an insurgency against Russia; troops captured a southern city overnight and are now headed to Moscow. / Reuters

Is it a coup? Not yet, as there has been no attempt to seize power from the government. / BBC News

"If EVs are the mode of transportation in the future, there's really not much of a place for the US or the EU." No one stood a chance against China in the rare-earth race. / Foreign Policy

Though of course anything can happen, the machine-learning boom of the 2010s didn't kill jobs—in fact, it helped increase demand for jobs in highly exposed fields. / WIRED

The FDIC appears to have accidentally leaked details on Silicon Valley Bank's biggest customers. / CNN

The future of a pair of off-grid communities in California is unclear, as one group tries to keep another—led by a religious zealot—from purchasing the land. / SFGATE

Four artists who worked on Across the Spider-Verse describe a uniquely grueling experience. A producer responds: "Welcome to making a movie." / Vulture

"There are reality shows made with care, intent, and attention to detail, just as there are prestige shows that are absolute dogshit." The economics of entertainment. / Read Max

Miniatures are still used heavily in movie making, but Wes Anderson's particular way of using them is part and parcel to the look of his films. / Vox

Watch: An appreciation of Looney Tunes' background art and how it was created. / Laughing Squid

See also: The always delightful Looney Tunes Backgrounds account. / Instagram

An in-depth, interactive guide to the theory and science of color and contrast and how they change what our eyes perceive. / Color & Contrast

"It's one of those loose threads in my life that I deeply regret." Forty years later, finishing a quest to build a Commodore 64.  / Ars Technica