Neil Young was never in a battle with Spotify

PLUS: It’s Not Just the IRS—the US Government Wants Your Selfies, and more [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [WIRED logo and a robot carrying a WIRED magazine]( [01.28.22]( [Tourists pose for selfies in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building]( [SMILE | 5-MINUTE READ]( [It’s Not Just the IRS—the US Government Wants Your Selfies]( BY TOM SIMONITE [A controversial new program that uses facial recognition is part of a national effort to verify identities and reduce fraud.]( [people in London train station wearing masks]( [PUBLIC HEALTH | 5-MINUTE READ]( [Politicians Say It’s Time to Live With Covid. Are You Ready?]( BY GRACE BROWNE [As countries declare endemicity and drop restrictions, how does a battered and bruised society embrace a sudden return to normality?]( [Traffic jam on a highway in California, USA]( [SAFETY | 4-MINUTE READ]( [The Feds Plan to Reduce Roadway Deaths—With Smarter Road Design]( BY AARIAN MARSHALL [The US Department of Transportation wants to shift the focus from the actions of individual drivers to the role of street layouts and local policies.]( [Joe Rogan]( [DIGITAL CULTURE | 3-MINUTE READ]( [Spotify Was Never Going to Drop Joe Rogan]( BY KATE KNIBBS [Neil Young removed his music from the platform to protest Rogan's vaccine disinformation. But Spotify is unlikely to cave on its star.]( [[GET WIRED]( [Winter Sale. Give yourself the gift of information.]( [Get the print edition of WIRED and exclusive subscriber-only stories for just $29.99 $5.]( [Subscribe now.](]( [headphone jack on a phone]( [PLUG IN | 6-MINUTE READ]( [The Best Phones With an Actual Headphone Jack]( BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU [Audio jacks are endangered, but they’re not extinct. Here are some of our favorite smartphones that still let you plug in.]( [Collage of images of improv actors, a microphone on stage, and TikTok logo]( [IDEAS | 5-MINUTE READ]( [TikTok Has Created a West Elm Caleb Cinematic Universe]( BY SARAH SLOAT [The imaginative play that makes the platform so much fun also helps explain the controversy around the internet's new main character.]( [Mike Lynch wearing black face mask and a suit]( [MEGABUCKS | 4-MINUTE READ]( [HP Wins Huge Fraud Case Against Autonomy’s Mike Lynch]( BY CHRIS STOKEL-WALKER [The ruling by the UK’s High Court could also lead to Lynch’s extradition to the United States, where he faces further charges.]( [Two characters from the film We Met in Virtual Reality standing outside looking up at floating paper lanterns]( [THE MONITOR | 3-MINUTE READ]( [We Met in Virtual Reality Is the Best Film From the Metaverse]( BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER [Director Joe Hunting’s documentary, shot entirely in VRChat, could also be the metaverse’s swan song.]( [logitech brio web cam ]( [BUYING GUIDE | 7-MINUTE READ]( [The Best Webcams for Looking Brighter and Better]( BY MATT JANCER [Whether you’re videoconferencing or just hanging out with friends, you may as well look good onscreen with our favorite webcams.]( [Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. STAY INFORMED]( [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED%20Newsletter%20Questions,%20Comments%20or%20Feedback). This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.