PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
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Saving the Cultural Legacy of Wild Animals (Maria)
The author writes, “Biodiversity is increasingly declining in response to the effects of human activities on Earth’s climate, geological processes, and ecosystems. This includes the degradation of behavioral and cultural diversity of animals. … Some cultural behaviors involve tool use to access resources such as food, water, and mates, thereby contributing to the long-term survival of a species.”
America’s Future Is Hungary (Gerry)
From The Atlantic: “MAGA conservatives love Viktor Orbán. But he’s left his country corrupt, stagnant, and impoverished.”
A Democratic Senator Is Putting Holds On VA Nominees to Protest Trump’s Plans to Cut Its Workforce (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego announced Tuesday he will block the confirmation of top leaders at the Department of Veterans Affairs, raising the stakes in Democrats’ bid to get the Trump administration to back off plans to cut jobs from the sprawling agency that serves millions of military veterans.”
Notable & Quotable: Thomas Sowell on Tariffs (Al)
From Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson: “People hang on to their money until they figure out what you’re going to do. And when a lot of people hang on to their money, you can get results such as you got during the Great Depression.”
What a $660 Million Verdict Means for Greenpeace and the Environmental Movement (Laura)
From Inside Climate News: “A North Dakota jury delivered a crushing blow to the advocacy group that some experts warn could chill free speech. Inside Climate News spoke with Greenpeace’s interim executive director after the verdict.”
Cold Plunges Actually Change Your Cells (Mili)
The author writes, “Ever wondered what happens to your body when you take those trendy ice baths? Scientists at the University of Ottawa just found out, and it’s pretty fascinating. A new study conducted at the Human and Environmental Physiology Research lab (HEPRU) at the University of Ottawa has unveiled significant findings on the effects of cold water acclimation on autophagic (the cells’ recycling system, which promotes cellular health) and apoptotic (the programmed cell death that gets rid of damaged cells) responses in young males.”
Incredible Photo Shows Supermassive Black Hole Blowing a Jet of Matter Into Interstellar Space (Dana)
The author writes, “A distant galaxy is home to a ravenous supermassive black hole that appears to be playing with its food in a lively new image from the Very Large Telescope. Located over 12 million light-years from Earth, a spiral galaxy known as NGC 4945 is blowing powerful winds of material from the supermassive black hole located at its core. Using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), which is located on Cerro Paranal mountain in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, astronomers captured an up-close view of the galaxy’s active core and the fast winds flowing out from the black hole.”
