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It's the 2023 Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes! Yay! It’s time to Rooster!

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