I, Sculptor.
One week before the Olympics, Tokyo reports its highest number of new Covid cases in almost six months. / ABC News
A record number of French people sign up for vaccinations after being told they'll need them to return to cafés. Restaurant workers aren't thrilled about doing the policing. / NPR, The Associated Press
"Planetary quarantine," preventing the importation of Earth life to Mars, dates back to the 1950s, when rocket tech emerged. / The Guardian
Reasons to believe that the 21st century may be the most important century ever for humanity. / Cold Takes
Two 14-year-olds grill an author about their future. / NPR
Related: Parts of the Amazon rainforest now emit more carbon dioxide than they are able to absorb. Also, a new study predicts a surge of coastal flooding beginning in the 2030s. / Axios, NASA
Itally announces a permanent ban on cruise ships in Venice. / designboom
The European Union plans to end sales of new gas- and diesel-powered cars in just 14 years. / The New York Times
Laura Miller has a good conversation about conservative book publishing with Eric Nelson from Broadside Books. / Slate
See also: A review of the memoir that sparked Japan's MeToo movement. / Tasteful Rude
Your weekly white paper: Significant discrimination found against Muslim women during everyday interactions with native Germans. / Phys.org
Britney Spears receives court approval to hire her chosen attorney in the battle to end her conservatorship. / The Hollywood Reporter
An essay from 2018 by Laura Fridman about "pain language"—how to indicate to other people that you are still alive. / The Millions
Luscious pictures in "Liminal State" by photographer and multimedia artist Mengwen Cao. / It's Nice That
In case you've noticed a lot of love in the media for octopi, here's a great article from 2017 about the books that (we think) started it all. / The London Review of Books
Robots are sculpting marble in Italy. "If Michelangelo saw the robots, he would tear out his hair." / The New York Times
TMN is not made by robots. Here is why we ask for your support. Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member or making a one-time donation today.
Got a correction or a link we should consider? Email us or just reply to this newsletter.
Since 1999, your Headlines are sourced and written by Andrew Womack and Rosecrans Baldwin, and arrive in your inbox, Monday through Saturday. View this edition and the latest Headlines at TMN.