Dozens are killed—mostly Palestinians—as Hamas and Israel approach war. "We have not seen this kind of violence since October 2000." / The Economist, The Washington Post

What led to the escalation? The forced expulsion of Palestinian families from an East Jerusalem neighborhood. / Al Jazeera

Ezra Klein interviews Michael Lewis about the CDC’s damning failures during the pandemic. / The New York Times

Historically, the CDC often struggles to quickly release guidance—and the price of so much caution is irrelevance. / STAT

Related: “Saying that less than 10 percent of Covid transmission occurs outdoors is akin to saying that sharks attack fewer than 20,000 swimmers a year. (The actual worldwide number is around 150.) It’s both true and deceiving.” / The New York Times

Japan is full of local mascots, about 3,500 by one count. Koronon, a bulbous pink cat, warns against the coronavirus. / Atlas Obscura

See also: McDonald's is changing its coffee cups to promote the vaccine. / CNN

A Covid-19 variant first identified in India has now spread to 44 other countries. A good video answers questions about how variants work. / The Guardian, The Morning News

One anti-vaccine conspiracy about vaccinated people is leading some anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers to “contemplate wearing a mask and social distance.” / VICE

A quiz helps you figure out if you’re experiencing vaccine side effects, or are merely a person who is older than 40. / McSweeney's Internet Tendency

Tyler Cowen: Covid will likely dominate the headlines for the rest of 2020, “but so could Russia, North Korea, and a malaria vaccine.” / Bloomberg

A map shows 838 hate groups in the United States that were active in 2020. / The Southern Poverty Law Center

As TikTok use skyrocketed over the pandemic, "style tribes" like #cottagecore and #goblincore proliferated. Meanwhile, as more people go out, business jumps for companies that sell plans to help lose weight. / GQ, The New York Times

Bullpens—i.e., relief pitchers—are baseball's most burned-out teammates, treated as replaceable commodities. / Sports Illustrated

As part of the New Deal, President Roosevelt established the Federal Writers Project. A new bill wants to bring it back. / The Los Angeles Times

Unrelated: Sonic explorations of Japan’s jazz tradition. / Open Culture