The European Commission president says the EU must consider mandatory vaccination in response to the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant. / The Guardian

Germany's incoming chancellor wants vaccinations to be mandatory by February. / Politico

Public health experts say mandates are unlikely to win over those with deep-rooted opposition. / TIME

The United States says Russia has plans to attack Ukraine. / ABC News

A breakdown of procedures used to estimate the size of a political rally properly, from aerial photography to "the Jones method." / The Conversation

An overview of the shopping season's bigger trends. "The sweater-vest was one item we didn't think we'd see back." / Strategist

See also: London teenagers explain their personal fashion. / Dazed

When you support TMN with a Sustaining Membership, you also get 50% off our Winter 2022 merch collection. / TMN Memberships

Another year in the books: 52 things Tom Whitwell learned in 2021. / Fluxx

Here's something we didn't know: The Italian city of Bologna was "the Manhattan of the Middle Ages." / The Morning News

Tel Aviv is ranked the world's most expensive city, followed by Paris and Singapore. Syria's capital Damascus ranked last. / Barron's

Two months before the start of the Olympics, the Women's Tennis Association says it will suspend all tournaments in China and Hong Kong. No other sports organization has followed its lead. / BBC News

After a "decentralized autonomous organization" failed to buy the Constitution with crypto, another has its sights on an NBA team. / NPR

The scientists who created the first living robots (known as xenobots) say they figured out a way for them to self-replicate. / CNN

A thoughtful interview with painter Alvin Armstrong, one of Artsy's Vanguard 2021. We also like these "In My Head" paintings by Alvin Ong. / Artsy, Booooooom

"Diehard Office superfan" Will Chase tabulates every one of Michael Scott's verbal flubs. / Google Docs