Twelve experts offer thoughts on how we can avoid war with China over Taiwan, or anywhere else. / Foreign Policy

Related: What we know on day 317 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. / The Guardian

An online black market for Covid-19 drugs is said to be thriving in China. / rest of world

David Wallace-Wells: The United States never had Covid lockdowns, and other pandemic misunderstandings. / The New York Times

While a handful of Republicans continue to deny McCarthy's House speakership, the Jan. 6 panel releases a detailed picture of their parts in Trump's scheme. / Politico

Fifty-something GOP representatives have appeared on CNN this week, anxious to get their messages out. / Reliable Sources

Many people think Chicago is in a spiral of decline; instead, it may offer a model for other American cities to follow. / The Economist

A large study finds drinking two or more coffees daily may double the risk of heart death in people with severe hypertension. / American Heart Association

See also: Almost everything with a "truffle" label available in stores or served in restaurants is probably a fraud. / Taste Atlas

From October, an argument and data for saying we're in a "social recession"—fewer friendships, less sex, delayed adulthood, etc. / Novum

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, teenage stars of 1968's Romeo & Juliet, are suing Paramount for sexual exploitation. / Variety

Ted Gioia on the successful return of Barnes & Noble: "At first glance, this makes no sense." / The Honest Broker

Author James Patterson, who has no interest in retiring, has 30-something books going at any given time. / GQ

Report from a budding surf scene in Southeast Alaska. And a report on the attractive doors at Antarctica's McMurdo Station. / The Cleanest Line, brr

See also: A diary about what it's like to live for six months at a wolf sanctuary. / Catapult