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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.
Climate Summit and IRA 2022 Signing Cap a Momentous Week for Climate Action (Maria)
The author writes, “Two marquee events in Washington, D.C., have cemented the biggest week for climate action ever, calling attention to the urgent need for policy to meet capital and innovation. Over 450 local and state elected officials gathered in Washington, D.C., last week to meet with Biden administration officials from the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. … Immediately preceding the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act into law by President Biden, the week of positive climate action sets the stage for an important international gathering in November: the UN COP27 in Sharm el- Sheikh, Egypt.”
Truth Social Faces an Uncertain Future Amid Concerns Over Trump’s Dwindling Popularity and Continued Controversies (Sean)
The author writes, “The future of the former president’s 10-month-old social media platform, Truth Social, is on uncertain ground as the app faces huge financial losses and is accused of shorting its vendors amid Donald Trump’s continued legal controversies. A planned merger between the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the business that created the Truth Social platform, and the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Digital World Acquisition Corp, has been postponed indefinitely as the Securities and Exchange Commission investigates the platform’s business dealings.”
A $1.6 Billion Donation Lays Bare a Broken Campaign Finance System (Reader Jim)
From The Washington Post: “One man has donated $1.6 billion to a nonprofit group controlled by a conservative activist who has crusaded, with startling success, to transform the country’s politics. The only reason the public knows about it? An insider tip-off to the New York Times. The Times reported [last] week that electronics mogul Barre Seid last year gave 100 percent of the shares of surge protector and data-center equipment manufacturer Tripp Lite to a group called Marble Freedom Trust. The group is led by Leonard Leo — who has helped bankroll right-wing advocacy on abortion rights, voting and climate change, among other things. His chief focus for a time was reshaping the judiciary as executive vice president of the Federalist Society, including by advising Republican presidents on Supreme Court nominees. The tale of how his group got such a lavish gift underscores the sad state of this country’s campaign finance system.”
Factchecking the Factchecker on Chomsky, Russia, and Media Access (Gerry)
From FAIR: “Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US-based media platforms have made an extraordinary effort to cut Western audiences off from news from a Russian perspective. When social critic Noam Chomsky pointed out how unprecedented this was, Newsweek’s ‘factchecker’ (7/26/22) declared his criticism ‘clearly untrue’ — a determination that did more to confirm the ideological strictures of US media than to debunk them. Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Russia Today, funded by the Russian government, was removed from DirecTV and Dish Network (New York Times, 3/12/22), YouTube (France24, 12/3/22), TikTok, Meta (CNN, 3/1/22) Google News (Reuters, 3/1/22) and Spotify (Reuters, 3/2/22) in the United States and/or Europe. RT and Sputnik (another Russian state–funded network) were removed from the Apple app store (TechCrunch, 3/1/22).”
Arizona Republican Secretary of State Nominee Kept ‘Treason Watch List’ and Posted About Stockpiling Ammunition on Pinterest (DonkeyHotey)
The authors write, “The Republican nominee for secretary of state in Arizona is a self-proclaimed member of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers who repeatedly shared anti-government conspiracies and posts about stockpiling ammunition on social media. CNN’s KFile team uncovered previously unreported posts from Mark Finchem, an Arizona state representative who won his party’s nomination with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, on several social media websites linked from his since-deleted former Twitter account.”
Bioengineered Cornea Can Restore Sight to the Blind and Visually Impaired (Mili)
The author writes, “Researchers and entrepreneurs have developed an implant made of collagen protein from pig’s skin, which resembles the human cornea. In a pilot study, the implant restored vision to 20 people with diseased corneas, most of whom were blind prior to receiving the implant. The promising results bring hope to those suffering from corneal blindness and low vision by providing a bioengineered implant as an alternative to the transplantation of donated human corneas, which are scarce in countries where the need for them is greatest.”
Thai Zoo Holds Escape Drill With Employee in Ostrich Costume (Dana)
The author writes, “A Thai zoo’s escaped animal drill is going viral after photos and videos emerged showing a zoo employee in an ostrich costume fleeing from keepers. The Chiang Mai Zoo posted photos to Facebook showing the employee, dressed in an ostrich costume and makeup, being chased through the facility’s Africa Zone by zookeepers after simulating an escape from the zone’s Show Area.”
