The color wordle
China eases its harsher coronavirus policies amid mounting public pressure. / Quartz
Social media suggests a growing number of Chinese people know someone who has Covid, a month prior to millions celebrating the lunar new year. / The Economist
See also: "Based on what we have seen in Hong Kong, this could be fairly devastating." / STAT
Vladimir Putin says his army likely will fight in Ukraine for a long time to come. / Reuters
WNBA star Brittney Griner is released in a prisoner swap for arms dealer Viktor Bout. / CBS News
Wordle is the most-searched term on Google search in 2022, both in the United States and around the world. Though perhaps no Wordle today? / TechCrunch, NME
The UAE ranks as having the world's best passport in terms of mobility. Troubled fast-fashion company Shein is the world's most Googled brand. / CNBC, Hypebeast
In contrast, a new espresso maker in development, meant to be more sustainable, is modular and 3D printable. / designboom
Once more, the holiday suicide myth—the false claim that suicides rise at the end of the year—persists in news coverage. / Annenberg Public Policy Center
Anecdotes from turf wars in New York City's Christmas tree business. / Curbed
A positive review of a very small smartphone: "It's clearly trying its best." / Read Max
See also: Pictures from when mobile phones, prior to smartphones, "went absolutely catshit bananas." / Twitter
It's always pleasant to see Danny MacAskill on a bicycle, this time in San Francisco. / The Kid Should See This
San Francisco decides to pause the "killer police robots" thing. / The Associated Press
Finally, some guesses on future uses of artificial intelligence. And some pictures of food designed by AI to imitate Michelin-starred chefs. / Second Best, Fast Company
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Your headlines are sourced and written by Andrew Womack and Rosecrans Baldwin, Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest headlines at TMN.