The upside-down American flag goes mainstream as a form of right-wing protest The symbol, traditionally used by seafarers as a distress call, has been wielded as a bipartisan protest. But its most visible recent uses have taken a hard right political shift. Read more on NPR

What to make of the new COVID variants, FLiRT As much as we would all love to ignore COVID, a new set of variants that scientists call “FLiRT” is here to remind us that the virus is still with us. Read more on NPR

Can you make music from Joshua trees — or is that wild science? Yes. Scientists have long studied how near-infrared light bounces off forests and grasslands, as a proxy for plant health. Now, an artist is using the same trick to turn the Joshua tree into an instrument. Read more on NPR

A priest honors the nun who demonstrated ‘the ministry of presence’ When Father James Martin’s dad was dying, a nun named Sister Janice Farnham went out of her way to visit him. Read more on NPR

This chef in Rwanda wants to create a revolution in African cuisine Meza Malonga, a restaurant in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, serves innovative Afro-fusion cuisine. Chef Dieuveil Malonga opened it in 2020, after years of working in high-end European restaurants. Read more on NPR

How earning $30 too much a month keeps a cancer patient in Georgia from cheaper care Georgia hasn’t expanded Medicaid. Some people suffer more than others because of that coverage gap. Read more on NPR

Georgia’s parliament speaker signs divisive foreign influence bill into law Opponents have denounced the legislation as “the Russian law” because it resembles measures pushed through by the Kremlin to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists. Read more on NPR

South Korea says it will suspend peace deal with North Korea over balloon launches South Korea’s presidential national security council said it has decided to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at easing animosities, until mutual trust between the two Koreas is restored. Read more on NPR