The Virus: WaPo: “As the coronavirus pandemic approaches its third full winter, two studies reveal an uncomfortable truth: The toxicity of partisan politics is fueling an overall increase in mortality rates for working-age Americans.”

+ Bad Actors: “The Iranian government’s campaign to crush a nationwide revolt reached one of its most famous actresses Saturday, with the arrest and detention of Taraneh Alidoosti, a beloved movie star known internationally for her role in the 2016 Oscar-winning film ‘The Salesman.'” The New Yorker: Iran Detains Its Most Celebrated Actress.

+ TSA For Effort: The TSA Confiscated 6,300 Guns At America’s Airports In 2022 — Most Of Them Were Loaded. It’s a new record. No one keeps America down!

+ Baby Driver: “The post-Roe rise in births in the U.S. will be concentrated in some of the worst states for infant and maternal health. Plans to improve these outcomes are staggeringly thin.” The Atlantic: We Are Not Prepared for the Coming Surge of Babies. (The same headline could apply to the coming GOP control of the House.)