Six months after Russia's invasion, Ukraine today marks 31 years of independence, forgoing large celebrations over worries of "brutal strikes." / Associated Press

See also: "We cannot stop, and we cannot move into a boring, low-intensity war. We need to think how we can squeeze them out." Reflecting on six months of war. / The New York Times

The US launched airstrikes on Iran-backed groups in Syria yesterday, claiming retaliation for attacks on US military facilities. / NBC News

Biden could announce today whether low-income borrowers will have $10,000 in student debt canceled. / USA Today

What it means that life expectancy declined across the US in 2020: It's not only Covid deaths, but a larger public-health concern. / BuzzFeed News

A former Louisville police detective pleads guilty to helping falsify an affidavit for the search of Breonna Taylor's apartment that ended in her death. / The Courier-Journal

The IRS bumps the amount teachers can deduct for school supplies to $300—a $50 increase, the first since the deductions began in 2002. / Hyperallergic

See also: After two years of viciously attacking teachers on air, Fox News is now complaining about the nationwide teacher shortage. / Twitter

Yelp adds a vaguely worded notice to search results that include anti-abortion pregnancy centers. / Associated Press

When sleep-deprived, individuals' altruism appears to decline, according to a new study. / Daily Beast

See also: If humanity goes extinct, it's unlikely another technologically capable species would take our place. / WIRED

An artist who duct-taped a banana to a wall in 2019 is being sued by another artist who created a very similar work 20 years ago. / The Guardian

Capitol Records drops "AI-powered robot rapper" FN Meka following criticism of the project's gross stereotypes of Black artists. / Pitchfork

"We don't foresee anything bad coming out of this." A startup argues that by making voices sound white, its audio algorithm actually removes bias. / Input

Bad crypto thing: A Binance executive says hackers used a hologram deepfake of him to defraud crypto projects. / Gizmodo

Good crypto thing: A dispatch from the Friends With Benefits Fest, where cell service was nonexistent and community warmth was tangible. / Dirt

People with similar faces who are otherwise unrelated likely share similar DNA. / Neuroscience News

Based on findings from a medieval map, researchers think a legendary pair of underwater Welsh islands may be real. / Motherboard

A study of sedentary behavior finds watching TV—compared to using a computer—is associated with an increased risk of dementia. / Ars Technica

Listen: By translating astronomical data into audible sound, NASA lets us hear the sound of a black hole. / The Morning News