Putin orders troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognizing them as independent states. / CNN

Opinions differ on whether it's an "invasion" of the country. / The Washington Post

As the EU prepares to unveil the scale of sanctions to be imposed, the west struggles to maintain a unified response. / The Guardian

Analysis: The White House's strategy has been to share intelligence about Russia's plans, if only to unite its NATO allies. / The New Yorker

England becomes the first Western nation to drop all Covid-19 restrictions. / BBC News

Scientists estimate there may be millions of new onset cardiac cases related to the coronavirus. / The Washington Post

Specialists and parents disagree about when to tell daughters they may carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. / The New York TImes

Imagine you get a life-changing retinal implant, then the company behind it abandons the technology. / IEEE Spectrum

Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse is likely decades away, if only for the "generational shifts" required in computing and manufacturing. / Protocol

Fred Pearce: Don't blame climate change for catastrophes that were caused by bad policy and planning decisions. / YaleEnvironment360

For your weekly wanderlust, a travel report from a small island off the northernmost point of mainland Scotland. / Granta

February means a lot of visitors to Yosemite National Park trying to capture the glowing light of "firefall season." / The Morning News

An essay of literary references to explain why people endure very cold places, written by someone who lives in one. / The Hedgehog Review

Unrelated: The world's largest mug can hold 4,000 gallons of iced coffee. / Mashed

RIP, the incredibly inspiring Dr. Paul Farmer, global health champion, dead at 62. / NPR

Ivan Reitman's first movie is said to be "the most successful student film ever made in Canada." / The Morning News

One of our favorite things: Playwright Alan Bennett's annual diary. / The London Review of Books