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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.
Glass Act: Scientists Reveal Secrets of Frog Transparency (Maria)
The author writes, “Some frogs found in South and Central America have the rare ability to turn on and off their nearly transparent appearance, researchers [reported] Thursday in the journal Science. During the day, these nocturnal frogs sleep by hanging underneath tree leaves. Their delicate, greenish transparent forms don’t cast shadows, rendering them almost invisible to birds and other predators passing overhead or underneath. But when northern glass frogs wake up and hop around in search of insects and mates, they take on an opaque reddish-brown color. … Further research on the species could provide useful clues for the development of anti-blood clotting medications, said Carlos Taboada, a Duke University biologist and study co-author.”
The Michigan Lawyer Pushing Trump’s Voter-Fraud Fictions in US Courts (Reader Steve)
From Reuters: “Stefanie Lambert was a defense attorney with financial woes before seizing on the election-denial movement for new business. Now she faces potential disbarment and a criminal investigation into voting-data hacks. Her journey highlights the key role lawyers played in a struggle shaking American democracy.”
Far Right Turns on ‘Faker’ & ‘Liar’ Marjorie Taylor Greene (Sean)
The author writes, “The far right is out to destroy one of their own. Over the past week, far-right pundits have begun lining up to take shots at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as the congresswoman reportedly vacationed in Costa Rica. As for why fellow extremists are upset? That’s three-fold — and it involves Greene’s vocal support for Rep. Kevin McCarthy to be the next Speaker of the House, her public spat with onetime friend Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and the finalization of her divorce.”
Meta Agrees to Pay $725 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over Cambridge Analytica Data Leak (Reader Pat)
The author writes, “Facebook parent company Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a longstanding class action lawsuit accusing it of allowing Cambridge Analytica and other third parties to access private user information and misleading users about its privacy practices. The proposed settlement would end the legal battle that began four years ago, shortly after the company disclosed that the private information of as many as 87 million Facebook users was obtained by Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm that worked with the Trump campaign. The data leak sparked an intense international scandal for Facebook, drawing the scrutiny of regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Security News This Week: Russians Hacked JFK Airport Taxi Dispatch in Line-Skipping Scheme (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “Between long hours, medallion costs, and the rise of Uber and Lyft, the life of a New York City cab driver is hard enough. Now it seems that Russian hackers—and a couple of their enterprising partners in Queens — were trying to get their own cut of those drivers’ fares.”
Maybe Consider Not Kissing That Baby (Russ)
The author writes, “Barack Obama did it. Donald Trump did it. Joe Biden, of course, has done it too. But each of them was wrong: Kissing another person’s baby is just not a good idea. That rule of lip, experts told me, should be a top priority during the brisk fall and winter months, when flu, RSV, and other respiratory viruses tend to go hog wild (as they are doing right this very moment). ‘But actually, this is year-round advice,’ says Tina Tan, a pediatrician at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Rain, wind, or shine, outside of an infant’s nuclear family, people should just keep their mouths to themselves. Leave those soft, pillowy cheeks alone!”
Winter Solstice Comes to Stonehenge — And So Does a New Debate Over the Ancient Monument’s Mysterious Origins (Mili)
From Grid: “In 2021, archaeologists suggested that Stonehenge’s origin lies in an older, dismantled stone circle in Wales. Now that’s just another myth for the storied monument.”
