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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Another Rare Spotless Giraffe Found — First Seen in the Wild (Maria)
The author writes, “Just weeks after a giraffe at a US zoo was born missing its characteristic spots, another spotless giraffe calf has now been seen and photographed in the wild for the first time. The unprecedented sighting occurred at Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, a private game reserve in central Namibia. Tour guide Eckart Demasius saw and photographed the solid-brown calf during a game drive on the roughly 90,000-acre reserve, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Demasius, who was not immediately available for comment, shared his photos with the giraffe nonprofit.”
How an Extramarital Affair Factors Into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Trial (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “How much does an extramarital affair matter to whether Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton keeps his job? An answer may arrive soon. The question hangs over the Republican’s impeachment trial as it approaches the final stretch of testimony before a jury of state senators decides whether Paxton should be removed from office on charges of corruption and bribery. Most of the senators are Republicans and one is his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, although she will not have a vote in the verdict.”
Indiana Supreme Court Gives Natural Rights a Boost (Dana)
From State Court Report: “In June, the Indiana Supreme Court provided a fascinating exploration of the American theory of natural rights in ruling on a challenge to the state’s abortion ban. The court ultimately upheld the ban, but its analysis connected the state’s constitution to the 17th-century English philosopher John Locke in a way that could open the door to protecting a broad array of ‘natural rights’ in Indiana and other states with similar constitutional guarantees.”
Tuberville ‘Paralyzing’ Pentagon, House Foreign Affairs Chair Says (Al)
The author writes, “Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) repeatedly said Sunday that Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s one-person blockade of military nominations was ‘paralyzing’ the Defense Department. ‘To hold up the top brass from being promoted and lower brass, I think, is paralyzing our Department of Defense,’ said McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on CNN’s State of the Union. More than 300 nominations await consideration. Backers of Tuberville’ blockade, which the Alabama Republican launched because of the Pentagon’s abortion policy, have said the nominations could be considered individually, though doing so would tie up the U.S. Senate indefinitely.”
From 2020: Trump’s Former National Security Adviser Accused Him of Treasonous Conduct. And No One Cared. (DonkeyHotey)
From Mother Jones: “In any other time, it would have been front-page news and ignited days or weeks of controversy. But … when a former top government official accused the president, for whom he once worked, of treasonous conduct, the story lasted nanoseconds and was blown away by the never-ending firehose of craziness and disinformation generated by the commander-in-chief and his crew. The tragedy here is not merely that Donald Trump escaped yet another scandal. It is that a fundamental and dire threat to the security of the United States did not receive sufficient attention and that American democracy remains in immediate danger.”
The Inside Story of How the Navy Spent Billions on the ‘Little Crappy Ship’ (Reader Jim)
From ProPublica: “Littoral combat ships were supposed to launch the Navy into the future. Instead they broke down across the globe and many of their weapons never worked. Now the Navy is getting rid of them. One is less than five years old.”
Can Golf Cure Its Water Addiction? (Laura)
The author writes, “At The Ranch at Laguna Beach, golfers tee off under the dramatic shadow of a vast canyon, zipping around in electric carts and strolling along gleaming grassy fairways. From the lush greenery, you’d never know California is emerging from a historic mega drought. Golf and the Southern California climate make for uneasy bedfellows. The sport is often a target of water cuts by regulators — and of environmentalists who believe the game uses far too many resources in a world of water scarcity.”
