Britain and Japan fell into technical recessions in the final quarter of 2023. / ABC News
See also: The sneaker resale market is plummeting. / Business of Fashion
“Tooth fairy inflation” refers to parents competing over Gen Alpha's average payout per lost tooth. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
“People are more likely to engage with content that feels like a FaceTime call.” TikTok advice from Generation Z to the White House. / Politico
Vladimir Putin takes the time to troll both Tucker Carlson and President Biden. / Politico, The Associated Press
Meanwhile, after a win in New York, Democrats feel like they've found an immigration message. / Semafor
A moon lander launches from Florida, looking for the first lunar touchdown by a private business. / Reuters
Parts of New York City are sinking over 3 centimeters per decade. Hotspots in Maryland are sinking over 10 centimeters. / The New York Times [+]
A person in Oregon acquires bubonic plague from a sick cat—the same plague that killed millions in the 1300s. / The Los Angeles Times
Related: So you think you know all about the plague? / Goats and Soda
A brief history of how the workplace messaging app Slack was built. Also, how Showmax dethroned Netflix in Africa. / building slack, rest of world
Unrelated: What it's like to be a photographer's muse. / It's Nice That
Bookstores dedicated to romance novels are opening across the United States. / The Guardian
Imagine there was a machine that could give you any experience you desired—would you plug into it? Studies find 84% of people would not. / Philosophy Break