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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Florida Passes ‘Cruel’ Bill Curbing Water and Shade Protection Rules for Workers (Maria)
The authors write, “The Florida legislature passed a bill on Friday that prevents any city, county or municipality in the state from adopting legislation aimed at protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat, prompting many to call out lawmakers for being ‘cruel’ to the ‘most vulnerable workers.’ Efforts to ensure potentially life-saving water breaks, rest and shade for construction and agriculture workers have failed largely due to industry pressure, a growing trend across Southwestern states, where heat-related deaths are on the rise. At present, there are no federal standards to protect outdoor workers in the US from heat and humidity, which can be deadly. … The newly passed legislation will affect roughly 2 million outdoor workers.”
No Labels Delegates Vote To Move Forward With Presidential Ticket (Russ)
From Politico: “The centrist political organization No Labels voted on Friday to move forward with its presidential ticket, according to a virtual meeting the group held with its delegates. But an official with the group acknowledged during the gathering, a recording of which was shared with Politico, that they currently do not have a candidate and may not find one.”
The Fundie Baby Voice (Gerry)
The author writes, “As soon as Senator Katie Britt started speaking, I knew exactly who she is. She is so many of the pastor’s wives and Sunday School teachers I knew growing up in an Evangelical church. Be sweet. Obey.”
Rupert Murdoch’s New Russian Fiancée Ties Him to a Sprawling Web of Money — With Some Surprising Connections (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Rupert Murdoch, 92, is engaged again. For his fiancée, Elena Zhukova, 67, the engagement stands to add another page to a storied family history and sprawling ties to wealth and power. And with this union comes some new, shared history between Murdoch and a couple of Russian oligarchs, one of whom is thought to be a confidant to Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
Boeing Says It Can’t Find Documents on the Door Plug That Blew Off Mid-Air (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Amid a federal investigation into what caused a door plug to blow off a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet in January, a Boeing top official said the company cannot find documents about the door plug and it’s likely that such records never existed. Ziad Ojakli, the executive vice president of government operations at Boeing, said employees looked “extensively” and failed to turn up any paperwork about the “opening and closing of the door plug,” he said in a letter to Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell on Friday.”
Harmful Waste Generation Set To Jump, UN Warns (Laura)
The author writes, “Waste produced by the public will surge by 2050, causing hundreds of billions of dollars of damage through biodiversity loss, climate change and deadly pollution, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a report [last month.] The report said unless urgent measures were taken global waste generation would soar, driven largely by fast-growing economies, including in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where many countries are already struggling to manage current production levels.”
Less Sea Ice Means More Arctic Trees — Which Means Trouble (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “Anywhere else in the world, more trees would be a blessing. But in the far north of Alaska, they’re a reckoning. As the Arctic warms up to four times as fast as the rest of the planet, white spruce trees are now spreading into tundra that was once inhospitable. Bully for the white spruce, but not so much for the Arctic: Because the trees are darker than snow, they absorb more of the sun’s energy, potentially further heating the region and further driving dramatic change. That, in turn, could release potent greenhouse gases locked in the tundra, accelerating warming for the rest of the planet.”
‘Guardian of Drone’: Chinese Scientists Create New Invisibility Cloak (Sean)
From Interesting Engineering: “The concept of objects disappearing without any noticeable trace, not only in controlled lab settings but also in everyday life, has long captivated public interest. Now, researchers from Zhejiang University in China have shown an intelligent aero amphibious invisibility cloak, which is a significant step forward in this field.”
From Our Archives
The Backstory to Trump’s Astonishing ‘Strong Christian’ Lie
March 8, 2016: “We all know that Donald Trump will say anything. But when it comes to his biggest bluff of all, on religion, he really takes the cake.”
