Hear intercepted calls from Russian soldiers describing battlefield disasters and war crimes. (Content warning.) / The New York Times

Claiming occupied areas of Ukraine voted in favor of the move, Russia says it will annex the regions—repeating the process it used to take over the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. / NPR

"All the progress on norms and laws risks going up in smoke, right along with the forests." Putin's war is a crime against the planet. / The New York Times

The devastation in Florida from Hurricane Ian: Millions are without power as threats of storm surges loom. / NBC News

See also: Time-lapse footage of flood waters rushing into Fort Myers, Fla. / YouTube

Insurance analysts think the storm may be one of the costliest in US history. / Quartz

Fearing the site may crumble into the sea within the next 100 years, archaeologists re-excavate a Roman mosaic in Britain to record what remains. / KentLive

See also: The race to document prehistoric art in a coastal cave in France. / Atlas Obscura

"We may not know how we are going to feed our people for the next six months, but we have made sure that we can keep them safe from hostile aircraft." Pakistan and the case for climate reparations. / The New Yorker

A gastroenteritis outbreak at the Grand Canyon that sickened hundreds can be traced to multiple visitors and multiple norovirus strains converging at the park. / Ars Technica

"There is [still] an unacceptably high number of deaths—almost 400 a day, three or four times higher than a really bad flu year." When will the pandemic be "over?" / WIRED

Lizzo becomes the first person ever to play a one-of-a-kind crystal flute gifted to James Madison more than 200 years ago. / Smithsonian Magazine

David Bowie's handwritten lyrics for "Starman" sell for more than £200,000 at auction—five times what was originally estimated. / The Guardian

See also: Fifty years ago this week, Bowie played his first-ever show at Carnegie Hall. Take a real-time journey alongside Ziggy Stardust on Twitter. / Ziggy to Aladdin

The science of the music you like comes down to the combination of intensity, emotions—positive and negative—and complexity. / The Washington Post

In a nine-episode podcast, Björk discusses the making of—and meaning behind—each of her albums. / Sonic Symbolism