Bare Market: “I know girls who dance in Vegas and even they weren’t making money. They’re like the oracles we consult, and if Vegas girls aren’t making money, no one’s making money.” When all the major indicators are giving mixed signals, how do you assess whether or not we’re in a recession? You get more granular. Lipstick sales, packed lunches, strippers’ tips: the unlikely signs of recession.

+ When Art is a Contact Sport: “I’ve always thought that my books are more interesting than my life. Unfortunately, the world appears to disagree.” The New Yorker’s David Remnick catches up with the novelist who has survived decades of threats and a near-fatal attack. The Defiance of Salman Rushdie.

+ Latest Styles: Beyonce set a new record for Grammy wins, but Harry Styles won the night. Here’s a Complete List of Winners. The show was endless, but it featured several good performances, including a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop that featured RunDMC, LL Cool J, Salt N Peppa, Ice T, Queen Latifah, Wu-Tang, Big Boi, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Nelly, and more. Check it out.

+ Red Zeppelin: “There was the theft of the designs of the F-35 about 15 years ago, enabling the Chinese air force to develop its look-alike stealth fighter, with Chinese characteristics. There was the case of China’s premier hacking team lifting the security clearance files for 22 million Americans from the barely secured computers of the Office of Personnel Management in 2015. That, combined with stolen medical files from Anthem and travel records from Marriott hotels, has presumably helped the Chinese create a detailed blueprint of America’s national security infrastructure.” Balloon Incident Reveals More Than Spying as Competition With China Intensifies. (Are we giving this story too much air?)

+ Street View: “Shares in billionaire Gautam Adani’s companies have been in free-fall since a Jan. 24 critical report by Hindenberg Research, with group cumulative market losses now topping $110 billion, sparking fears of wider financial contagion.” A short sellers’ report had impacted the Street. And now it’s spilling out onto the streets. India’s Adani crisis spills over into street protests.

+ Vet Offensive: “I want to make this abundantly clear: If there’s one thing you must do flawlessly in your career, it’s killing. I don’t care if it’s an old dog, a sow, some pet chicken, a stallion, or a f–king 3-day-old kitten. You will do it humanely. That means quickly, painlessly, and compassionately.” Slate: Our Business Is Killing: I never understood why veterinarians are at such a high risk of suicide. Until I became one.

+ Steady Tok: Can’t keep your kids off TikTok? Don’t feel bad. WiredUK: Even The Taliban Can’t Stop TikTok. “It’s a psychological tactic to get away, even briefly, from the dire, dangerous circumstances they are living in. In a single house, you will see a father sitting on the couch watching political hot takes, his young daughter following a fashionable influencer from her bedroom, and his wife watching comedy or singing videos from the kitchen.”

+ He Made a Peep: “Ira ‘Bob’ Born, a candy company executive known as the ‘Father of Peeps’ for mechanizing the process to make marshmallow chicks, has died. He was 98.”