Patriarch Kirill, the head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, has described the war as a sacred battle against “forces of evil” that are trying to destroy Russia. He has also said that only Moscow can prevent the rise of the “antichrist” and that Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine will have all their sins forgiven. (Bennetts, The Times UK)
Read MoreElmo checked in with his followers Monday – and now people are pouring their hearts out to Sesame Street's beloved red muppet. "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?" he posted on X, formerly Twitter. As it turns out, folks on the internet are filled with anxiety and existential dread and Elmo was the perfect, cuddly friend for some "trauma dumping." (Gomez, USA Today)
Read MorePeople say that there's an “epidemic” in the works, but not the infectious disease kind. Instead, it’s swarms of preteens flooding Sephora stores across the country, ravaging makeup and skincare displays for Drunk Elephant and Rare Beauty products that some experts argue are not suitable for children. (Camero, USA Today)
Read MoreFacebook (now Meta) has become an avatar of all that is wrong with Silicon Valley. Its self-interested role in spreading global disinformation is an ongoing crisis. (LaFrance, The Atlantic)
Read MoreElon Musk says his ambitious plan to let humans wirelessly connect their brains with phones and other devices has taken a new step, announcing that the first human has received a brain implant from his Neuralink company. (Chappell, NPR)
Read MoreIt’s not clear why infectious cases of syphilis rose 9% while gonorrhea dropped 9%, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, adding that it’s too soon to know whether a new downward trend is emerging for the latter. (Stobbe, AP)
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