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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.
Endangered Sea Turtles Found on Louisiana Islands for First Time in 75 Years (Maria)
The author writes, “For the first time in 75 years, hatchlings of the world’s smallest sea turtle species have been discovered on the Chandeleur Islands, a chain of barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of New Orleans. Wildlife experts at the Breton national wildlife refuge have documented more than 53 turtle crawls and two live hatchlings that were navigating toward the sea, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority announced in a press statement this week. The news was particularly uplifting for environmentalists because the hatchlings were Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, an endangered species that also happens to be the world’s smallest sea turtle.”
Number of Republicans Who Say They Support Trump Over GOP Rises: Poll (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Republicans who support former President Trump more than they support the GOP climbed to 41 percent in August, up 7 points from May when 34 percent said they supported Trump more than the party, according to an NBC News poll released Sunday. A slim majority of Republicans, or 50 percent, say they support the party more than they do Trump, the poll finds. But that’s down from 58 percent in May.”
The New United States of New England (Reader Steve)
From The Boston Globe: “Today the Union … stands at a precipice, riven by political fault lines that are geographic as well as ideological. Eleven months ago a University of Virginia poll found 59 percent of Biden voters and 77 percent of Trump voters agreed that red and blue states should secede to form separate countries. These numbers may be even higher now that the overturning of Roe v. Wade has widened the gulf between the states and now that efforts to hold former President Donald Trump accountable to the nation’s laws have shown that many of his supporters think he should be above them. To be clear: A breakup would be a disaster of monumental proportions. … But if the United States should shatter, history suggests that New England or a Greater New England federation would emerge. Indeed, one has been waiting in the wings every time the Union has approached the brink.”
Explosive New Evidence Points to Richard Glossip’s Innocence. Why Is Oklahoma Still Trying to Kill Him? (Dana)
From The Intercept: “Since the moment he was arrested in January 1997, Glossip has maintained his innocence for orchestrating the murder of Barry Van Treese. The Intercept was the first national news outlet to dig into his case; an investigation published in July 2015 revealed myriad problems plaguing Glossip’s conviction: a perfunctory and biased police investigation, aggressive prosecutors who cut corners and ignored glaring holes in their theory of the crime, and woefully inadequate defense lawyering that left much of the state’s story unchallenged. … As Glossip’s fourth execution date approached this summer, his legal team asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to grant them the opportunity to present new evidence that had never been heard in court. [Last] week, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered a 60-day stay of execution to allow the court to consider their request.”
Ignition Confirmed in a Nuclear Fusion Experiment for the First Time (DonkeyHotey)
From New Science: “A 2021 experiment achieved the landmark milestone of nuclear fusion ignition, which data analysis has now confirmed — but attempts to recreate it over the last year haven’t been able to reach ignition again.”
Many Men Lose Y Chromosomes as They Age. Now We May Know Why It’s So Deadly (Mili)
The author writes, “Errors in the human genome are a part of life. As we age and DNA replicates, small mistakes creep into our genes — a misplaced letter here or some erroneous repetition there — that can accumulate over time to create a ‘mosaic’ of cells with unique codes throughout the body. Some cells can even wind up losing whole chromosomes. One example of this is a condition whereby white blood cells are missing their Y chromosome. Called mLOY (for mosaic Loss Of Y chromosome), it’s more common than you might think, occurring in roughly 40 percent of men aged over 70. Although the Y chromosome has long been considered a shrinking genetic wasteland full of dispensable chunks of DNA, missing a Y chromosome can have serious health consequences.”
10 Mysterious Windowless Buildings in New York City (Sean)
From Untapped New York: “Walking the streets of New York City, passersby might notice that most of the buildings they pass are meant to be inviting: storefronts draw customers in, brownstone stoops welcome neighbors inside, and office building windows allow onlookers to observe thousands hard at work. But mixed into the densely built ecosystem of New York City are buildings that seem out of place. These ‘monoliths,’ with towering concrete and stone walls that have few or no windows are uninviting and almost standoffish. The blank walls of these windowless buildings, though, hide incredible secrets as the diverse and sometimes surprising functions of these buildings often motivate their impenetrable appearance. Uncover the secrets that hide within these ten mysterious and monolithic windowless buildings in New York City.”
