Deaths from Covid-19 are accelerating globally. "It took nine months to reach 1 million deaths, four months to reach 2 million and three months to reach 3 million deaths." / Vox, CNN

Rising cases push German hospitals to the limit. Meanwhile, English beer gardens have never been so busy. / DW, The Guardian

Helen Branswell: We know a lot about Covid-19. Experts have many more questions. / STAT

The Australian government wants you to know that Covid vaccines do not—and cannot—connect you to the internet. / Australian Government Department of Health

Are outdoor mask mandates still necessary in the United States? Some say no, that wearing masks outdoors right now "almost becomes ridiculous." Then there are “forever maskers.” / The Atlantic, Slate, New York

What it’s like to catch Covid after being vaccinated. / STAT

See also: How to play Covid chess, including special moves like “a Tinder date.” / The New Yorker

Allissa V. Richardson: It’s time for a moratorium on police shooting videos. / Vox

For young Asian Americans, posting and reposting images of graphic violence has become a means of processing. / Vox

A profile of Nick Lim, free speech maximalist, who provides tech support to white nationalists and conspiracy theorists. / Bloomberg

If a byproduct of social media culture is that everyone has a “platform,” a byproduct of that is a lot of pep talks and “broetry.” / Nisha's Internet Tote Bag

Once you earn a solid living, a billionaire is not likely to be any happier than you are—which is a fact that many people struggle to grasp. / The Atlantic

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti proposes a guaranteed basic income pilot program, the largest experiment of its kind in the United States. / LAist

Also in Los Angeles? “A deadly flesh-eating vapor cloud that could affect 1 million people.” / Drilled News

Unrelated/related: Thanks to TikTok, a night market emerges in Southern California, possibly the country’s most diverse street food bazaar. / Eater

Thousands flock to Iceland's Reykjanes volcano for photographs, including many people looking for a unique wedding site. / The Guardian

A round-up of fashion podcasts. A sex diary from a graduate student in Hawaii. / Wallpaper, The Cut

Fabian Oefner turns sneakers, clocks, and cameras into a sculptural series of segmented objects. / Colossal

A new paint, the whitest ever, reflects up to 98.1% of light, meaning it can act as a cooling agent. / Gizmodo

No big deal, but a new chair features a running wheel for a cat. / designboom