Covid cases are no longer falling in the US, due to a slowing vaccination rate as well as the more contagious and severe Delta variant. / The New York Times

Related: US governors are assessing whether to keep emergency orders in place. / Associated Press

"They were so close, they weren't doing anything wrong." Recent Covid deaths feel especially cruel against the backdrop of America's reopening. / The Washington Post

How the Pentagon Papers established an understanding between the US government and the press that, 50 years later, has eroded. / The New York Times

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the AmazonBasics electronics that are reportedly prone to combusting. / CNN

"There are more states who are trying to ban Critical Race Theory than there are schools that teach Critical Race Theory." / The Root

In the lead-up to Elizabeth Holmes's August trial, online sellers are pushing Theranos merch—including a $17,000 (supposedly authentic) lab coat. / CNBC

Our children are downloading some very weird games on their tablets. Case in point: "Huge Kid Cesarean Birth in Hospital." / The New York Times

"As Pokémon cards bubble like NFTs or house prices, the major grading companies cannot keep up with demand." / WIRED

As with the art world at large, women NFT artists are getting shut out of the highest bidding circles. / Hyperallergic

"You always get people that have more power and influence telling that story." Why we must ensure underrepresented artists are part of 1990s' jungle and drum 'n' bass history. / The Guardian

In what may be the largest such collection, 8.4 billion passwords—likely from past data breaches—have been uploaded to a hacker forum. / CyberNews

See also: Test your stamina with the "normal password entry system" game. / The Verge

The in-flight meals an air-travel enthusiast has been making at home during lockdown look a lot better than anything we've had on a plane. / BBC

How some people are emerging from the pandemic: by buying Lamborghinis, which are now nearly sold out for the year. / Bloomberg

"Yet here he is, one of the most powerful idiots in the world." Pink Floyd's Roger Waters responds to Facebook's request to use "Another Brick in the Wall." / Boing Boing

A diver off Cape Cod was swallowed by a humpback whale, and spent 30 to 40 seconds inside its mouth before he was spit out. / Cape Cod Times

Cross-stitches of earth science maps, including Georgia's bedrock, Crater Lake's bathymetry, and the Great Lakes' bathymetry. / Reddit