Big (vaccine) ‘fit.
Dexter Filkins assesses the state of negotiations in Afghanistan amid an ongoing assassination campaign (possibly from both sides). / The New Yorker
Statistics reveal that the police in South Africa are substantially more violent than those in the US. / Africa Is a Country
In France, the Redouane case represents the futility of trying to investigate police violence. / The Ballot
In Belarus, a generation of entrepreneurs and artists are facing prison sentences. / Foreign Policy
Italy braces for widespread closures as a new wave of coronavirus infections puts hospitals under strain. / The Guardian
The World Health Organization says there's no reason to stop administering the AstraZeneca vaccine after Bulgaria becomes the fourth country to suspend usage. / BBC News
President Biden directs states to ensure that all adults are eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by May 1, in order to celebrate our "independence from this virus" by the Fourth of July. / The Washington Post, The Associated Press
See also: In praise of the vaccine 'fit. / Vox
In case you missed it back in February, Helen Branswell compares the vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. / STAT
Reflections of a New York City medic. "It was a terrible blessing to be an EMT at a time when the city was in desperate need." / The New York Times
Photographs of homelessness in Covid-era Los Angeles. / The Los Angeles Times
Meghan O'Rourke: Clinicians are having surprising early success in unlocking the mysteries of "long Covid." / The Atlantic
Cellphones show that Americans have started leaving home even more than before the pandemic. / The Washington Post
Analyzing what happened at Gimlet Media while "Reply All" remains dormant: too fast a rise, too little attention paid to non-shareholders. / Vulture, The New York Times
Before October, the most the digital artist Beeple had sold a print for was $100. An NFT of his work just went for $69 million at Christie's. / The Verge
The media narratives around prosthetic limbs are meant to be reassuring—"but actually using a bionic arm can really suck." / INPUT
A new study provides the strongest evidence yet for a mysterious layer inside Earth, dubbed the inner-inner core. / Popular Mechanics
See also: What is the Hubble Telescope currently looking at? / Twitter
In today's match at the Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes®, a bestselling debut meets the winner of the National Book Award! / The Tournament of Books
And now a quick chat with a new Sustaining Member, Matt U!
Hi, Matt! When did you start reading TMN? I first became aware of TMN during the 2016 Tournament of Books. I have been hooked ever since, and for the last two years have become a ToB shortlist completist.
That's a lot of reading! One thing I love about the ToB is how it pushes me past my reading boundaries and exposes me to books I would never have picked up otherwise. In fact, I have the ToB shortlist and/or longlist to thank for finding some of my all-time favorite novels: Black Wave by Michelle Tea and In the Distance by Hernan Diaz, just to name two examples. As far as the tournament itself, I can say there’s nothing better than waking up on a crisp March morning and reading a compelling, well-reasoned, and brilliantly written judgement on two interesting books—Merritt Tierce’s essay in 2018 sticks in my mind as a great example.
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