Russia's export system has become less reliant on the West's infrastructure, "and has therefore escaped the scope of sanctions." / The Economist
A storm of global issues exacerbates Pakistan's political, economic, and security problems. / NPR
An ice storm in Texas leaves 171,000 people around Austin without power. / The Austin American-Statesman
An old law may soon eliminate housing-related zoning ordinances for the vast majority of cities in the Bay Area. / The Discourse Lounge
A new video shows planets circling a star light-years away. / Science Alert
See also: A newspaper article recounts how girls in 1971 perceived the Apollo program. / Paleofuture
Photographs of London cafes from the 1980s. / Flashbak
A new study suggests rising smog levels in 19th-century London and Paris played a role in Impressionism. / Hyperallergic
A round-up of Black artists who are not as widely celebrated as some of their historical or contemporary peers. / Artsy
"Funny but odd, precise but unnameable." Painters Sam McKinniss, Amy Sillman, Jamian Juliano-Villani, and David Salle respond to Alex Katz's body of work. / Artforum
Unrelated: "The artist who couldn't draw," by Danny Gregory. / YouTube
A professor asks other academics for advice after students turned class into a dating service. / StackExchange