Slow Motion Disaster: “Moscow’s seizure of the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk province came at a steep price. The critical question now is whether Russia can muster enough strength for a new offensive to complete its capture of the Donbas and make gains elsewhere in Ukraine. ‘Yes, the Russians have seized the Luhansk region, but at what price?” asked Oleh Zhdanov, a military analyst in Ukraine, noting that some Russian units involved in the battle lost up to a half their soldiers.'” (As a layperson doing a lit review, here’s what I’ve noticed as a trend in stories about the invasion. Russia makes slow gains. Experts critique their poor performance, planning, and effectiveness. Russia makes more slow gains. It’s also notable that Putin doesn’t care about human losses. He cares about maintaining power and money.) Plus, Brittney Griner made an appeal to President Joe Biden: “As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.”

+ Nepalm Leaf: “Phuc, who now lives in Toronto, said she hoped that the world would learn ‘how to live with love, hope and forgiveness …If everyone can learn to live like that we don’t need war at all.” Vietnam ‘Napalm Girl’ gets final burn treatment in Florida 50 years later.

+ Traffic Signals: “Supply-chain snarls, raw material shortages, and record-setting inflation are turning the simple act of buying a car into a war of all against all, and there’s no relief in sight. Could the electric-car market collapse under its own weight?” Nick Bilton: How Crazy Prices and Yearslong Wait Times Could Doom the Electric-Car Experiment. (I don’t think it can doom the E-xperiment because so many automakers are shifting gears. But it’s slowing the car market to a crawl. And I happen to need a new car and my wife and kids aren’t buying the supply chain excuses…)

+ Secret Society: “A drumbeat of revelations from the House Jan. 6 committee has revealed two dueling identities of the Secret Service under former president Donald Trump — gutsy heroes who blocked the president from a dangerous plan to accompany rioters at the Capitol and political yes-men who were willing to enable his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.” No one covers the Secret Service like Carol Leonnig in WaPo: Jan. 6 showed two identities of Secret Service: Gutsy heroes vs. Trump yes-men. (Those seem to be the two identities of Americans in general.)

+ Fault of Our Stars: Nick Kyrgios has dominated the Wimbledon buzz. He’s a jerk on the court. And now he’s headed for another court. Wimbledon quarterfinalist Nick Kyrgios charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend.