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.
Explainer: What Are the Key Climate Themes at Davos? (Maria)
The author writes, “While the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine will be focuses of the World Economic Forum’s gathering of business and government leaders, so too will climate change. It’s captured the world’s attention in unignorable and devastating ways. The acceleration of rising temperatures, the ferocity and costliness of major weather events, and the impact — particularly on people in developing countries — have pushed the issue from one of science to something that touches every aspect of life, including (or, perhaps especially) business and economics. Of the roughly 270 panels Monday through Thursday, one-third are about climate change or its direct effects.”
Ginni Thomas, Wife of Supreme Court Justice, Pressed AZ Lawmakers to Help Reverse Trump’s Loss, Emails Show (DonkeyHotey)
From The Washington Post: “Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Arizona lawmakers after the 2020 election to set aside Joe Biden’s popular-vote victory and choose ‘a clean slate of Electors,’ according to emails obtained by The Washington Post. The emails, sent by Ginni Thomas to a pair of lawmakers on Nov. 9, 2020, argued that legislators needed to intervene because the vote had been marred by fraud. Though she did not mention either candidate by name, the context was clear.”
Lauren Boebert Targeted by Same Group That Took Out Madison Cawthorn (Sean)
The author writes, “In an interview with The Daily Beast’s Matt Lewis, one of the members of the conservative group that pulled out all the stops to make sure that Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) lost his primary last Tuesday claimed that they are focusing their energy on also making Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) a one-term House member. According to the conservative Lewis, it is possible that Boebert will be ‘Cawthornized’ with an onslaught of attacks about her scandals that could be more effective in her case because her district is not as solidly red as it was when she won in 2020.”
Russia’s Laser Weapon Claim Derided as Propaganda (Mili)
The author writes, “Russia claims to have used laser weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, although the US says it has seen no evidence of this and Ukraine has derided it as propaganda. What are laser weapons and how effective could they be in the conflict? Yury Borisov, the deputy prime minister in charge of military development, told Russian TV that a laser prototype called Zadira was being deployed in Ukraine and had burned up a Ukrainian drone within five seconds at a distance of 5km (three miles). … However, an official with the US Department of Defense said he had not seen ‘anything to corroborate reports of lasers being used’ in Ukraine.”
Operation Surprise: Leaked Emails Expose Secret Intelligence Coup to Install Boris Johnson (Reader Pat)
From The Grayzone: “Leaked emails reviewed by The Grayzone reveal possibly criminal plot by pro-Leave elites to sabotage Theresa May’s Brexit deal, infiltrate government, spy on campaign groups, and replace May with Boris Johnson.”
How California Bureaucrats Are Using a Typo to Destroy a Fisherman’s Dream (Reader Steve)
From The Mercury News: “Bureaucrats sometimes make mistakes. But when they refuse to acknowledge a mistake and double down on it to deprive someone of their livelihood and family business, a lawsuit can be the only way to hold them accountable. That’s what happened to Max Williams, and he’s fighting back.”
This Simple Math Problem Drove Our Entire Staff Insane. Can You Solve It? (Dana)
From Esquire: “Every few months, the internet eats itself over some kind of viral riddle or illusion, each more infuriating than the last. And so, like clockwork, this maddening math problem has gone viral, following in the grand tradition of such traumatic events as The Dress and Yanny/Laurel. These kinds of conundrums are purposely meant to divide and conquer, and predictably, the seemingly simple problem posed in the offending tweet — 8÷2(2+2) — practically caused a civil war in the office.”
