The White House backs a World Trade Organization proposal to waive intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines. / NPR

Alex Tabarrok says patents are not the problem! Helen Branswell says it’s more of a symbolic milestone anyway. / Marginal Revolution, STAT

Canada is the first to authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 to 15. / The Guardian

A round-up of the worst coronavirus predictions, including some from “the pandemic’s wrongest man,” Alex Berenson. / The Washington Post

Since January 6, Trump mentions have declined by about 90 percent on Twitter and Facebook. / Vox

For some liberals, a lonely asceticism about Covid has become a form of good citizenship—one they’re reluctant to give up. / The Atlantic

Travel agencies in Thailand are selling “coronavirus vaccine tours" to the United States. / Reuters

Low immunization levels among cops pose risks to public safety. Meanwhile, the Texas Senate votes to allow most residents to carry handguns without permits or training. / The Washington Post, The Texas Tribune

See also: What bullets do to bodies. / HuffPost

Peloton announces a recall of its treadmills. / Quartz

During lockdown, a woman sent her diary to a stranger, who added an entry and did the same. People have kept it going for a year. / The Washington Post

Related: In praise of strange hotel rooms, from Rosecrans Baldwin’s newsletter about beautiful things. / Meditations in an Emergency

What is "cheugy?" Basically anything favored by that high-school classmate “who tried to make you join a multilevel-marketing scheme." / The Cut

For some Chinese feminists, "uterine morality" means choosing handsome partners to make sure your offspring are attractive. / Sixth Tone

A big buzzword in the wine world is “minerality”—the flavor of rocks that is probably imperceptible, but still real to many. / The New Yorker

Despite a variety of alt-meats available, Americans' consumption of chicken and beef has been rising since 2016. / The Bittman Project

“Mushrooms & Friends,” Phyllis Ma's new photography zine series, documents mushrooms in fantastical still lifes. / This Is Mold

John Doran pays tribute to Lego’s album of white noise. / The Morning News