No deal or no deal.
China struggles with new outbreaks of Covid-19's delta variant ahead of the Winter Olympics in February. / The Week
A study says "funny or cute memes" made people feel more confident in their ability to face the global health crisis. / The Washington Post
Substandard and falsified coronavirus vaccines and medical products are becoming pervasive. / STAT
Frozen fish vending machines are popular in Covid-era Japan. "It's nice to be able to take your time to decide what to get without having in-person interactions." / The Japan Times
See also: Leos are more likely to get vaccinated than any other Zodiac sign; Scorpios are the least likely. / The Guardian
California fought to follow Germany and Japan to save Americans from doing their taxes. Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, has worked relentlessly to keep taxes complicated. / The Los Angeles Times
A private-equity firm forbids its employees from using the word "deal." / The Wall Street Journal
Turkey orders the expulsion of ambassadors from 10 countries, including the United States, France, and Germany. / Reuters
Sudan's military appears to have launched a coup, detaining the civilian prime minister. / BBC News
The head of NASA suspects there are other Earth-like planets in the universe. / Quartz
How do you find a book when you can't remember the title or the author? / Lithub
Related: An appreciation of the "Best American" book series, including those that have been discontinued. / The Chicago Tribune
Researchers discover that years of ivory poaching in Mozambique have led to a greater proportion of elephants who've rapidly evolved to not grow tusks. / NBC News
The "coolest event in running" is said to be an underground relay that begins at the Santa Monica Pier and ends at the Las Vegas Strip. / InsideHook
See also: When Alexi Grewal won gold in the 1984 Olympics, it wasn't because he was wearing spandex. / Vimeo
Spandex?! This newsletter doesn't need spandex! 🩳 Become a Sustaining Member or make a one-time donation today and keep us spandex-free.
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.