Human rights activists have reported a sharp increase in sexual assaults and human trafficking involving Venezuelan women and girls trying to reach Colombia ever since the border officially closed because of the coronavirus last March. trib.al/m6eMaWu

When the pandemic hit, many countries prevented crew members from leaving ships. Some were trapped at sea for over a year. Now, maritime organizations are pushing for more protections. "At the peak, it's been 400,000 seafarers trapped at sea." trib.al/5vTNRnL

The Scottish-born, L.A.-based producer transformed underground dance music, melding the worlds of house, techno, trance, pop and the avant-garde into something brazenly new and undeniable. trib.al/6EJvnbc

One critical care physician says omicron is milder in the same way that a hurricane can be milder than a tornado: the tornado may cut a more destructive path with high-wind speeds, but the hurricane has a much bigger footprint. n.pr/34541hD

New Hampshire residents who are having trouble getting an at-home rapid COVID-19 test might soon find them among the bottles at state-run liquor stores. n.pr/34lmw1i

Members of the 144th Security Forces Squadron watch a demonstration of a "robot dog" at the Fresno Air National Guard Base in California.⁠ ⁠ Developed by Ghost Robotics, the robots would be used for patrolling the base and could flag any security concerns.

As experts and officials in Ukraine's capital consider a range of possible actions by Russia — including invasion, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns — they say Ukraine still lacks critical defenses. n.pr/3KTxmME

Non-alcoholic beers are finally good — and they're not just for Dry January. If you're curious to try one, here are some recs to get started 🍻 n.pr/3IN0ELa

Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open, breaking his three-way tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to claim the record for most Grand Slam titles in men's singles tennis history. n.pr/3HepqTT

Snowfall totals eclipsed 30 inches in some areas of Massachusetts, and Boston tied its record for the most snow in a single day at just under 2 feet. n.pr/3ga12Hf

Americans get sicker as omicron stalls everything from heart surgeries to cancer care npr.org/sections/healt…

RNC votes to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over work with Jan. 6 panel npr.org/2022/02/04/107…

Minneapolis police kill a Black man while executing a no-knock warrant npr.org/2022/02/04/107…

Post-Confederate law bars Jan. 6 speaker Rep. Cawthorn from office, challengers argue npr.org/2022/02/05/107…

America's birthplace of organized skiing is in Michigan, here's what it looks like npr.org/sections/pictu…

Nordic combined remains the only Winter Olympic sport women can't compete in npr.org/2022/02/05/107…

Consumer groups want the FDIC to ban rent-a-bank loans with rates that can top 100% npr.org/2022/02/05/107…

Why a 20-year effort by the NFL hasn't led to more minorities in top coaching jobs npr.org/2022/02/03/107…

Tarot can't predict the future, but it can help you make that big decision npr.org/2022/02/01/107…

Therapists say a new law requiring upfront cost estimates could discourage patients npr.org/sections/healt…