Arundhati Roy: "[India's] government has failed. Perhaps 'failed' is an inaccurate word, because what we are witnessing is not criminal negligence, but an outright crime against humanity." / The Guardian

See also: What's happening in India is what happens when rich people do nothing. / The Atlantic

Alleging a grave threat to his life, the CEO of the group that manufactures the AstraZeneca vaccine in India, has fled to the UK. / Quartz

Modi had expected to make electoral gains in West Bengal, but was instead defeated in a rebuke over his handling of the Covid outbreak. / The Guardian

"It's almost like you're living in two realities." As the Covid outlook improves in the US, Americans struggle to help their Indian relatives. / The Washington Post

Health experts say the spread of Covid variants coupled with vaccine hesitancy make the US unlikely to reach herd immunity. / The New York Times

According to CDC data, Walgreens and CVS have wasted more Covid vaccine doses than all US states, territories, and federal agencies combined. / KHN

John Warner on the "plot twist" of Covid vaccines: Those who were careful suddenly have new choices. / Chicago Tribune

Post-pandemic, Google's open offices may include inflatable walls. / The Verge

"I've been trying to say, 'It's not just you. It's all of us.'" Mental health professionals on navigating post-pandemic anxiety. / InsideHook

"Now that I think of it, it's been more than a year since I've had a cold." / The Atlantic

Without commuters or tourists, Manhattan's storefront retail—such a vibrant aspect of life in New York City—is in peril. / The New York Times

Bob Ross was one of the most prolific painters in history, with at least 30,000 works to his name, but the company that owns them isn't interested in selling. / The Hustle

The first major interview with John Swartzwelder, who has written more episodes of The Simpsons than anyone. / The New Yorker

Scott Rudin evaded accountability by being nice to artists who might later defend him. / Vulture

Rudin and Bailey, like so many others before them, were enabled by men in power who didn't care when others were harmed. / The Cut

So far in his presidency, Biden has averaged one false claim every three-and-a-half days. For comparison, from August 2019 to July 2020, Trump averaged around eight lies a day. / CNN

A new poll shows Americans are the most optimistic they've been about the future of the country since December 2006. / ABC News