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.
|
Listen To This Story
 |
Google Owner Drops Promise Not to Use AI for Weapons (Maria)
The author writes, “The Google owner, Alphabet, has dropped its promise not to use artificial intelligence for purposes such as developing weapons and surveillance tools. The US technology company said on Tuesday, just before it reported lower than forecast earnings, that it had updated its ethical guidelines around AI and no longer referred to not pursuing technologies that could ‘cause or are likely to cause overall harm.’ Google’s AI head, Demis Hassabis, said the guidelines were being overhauled in a changing world and that AI should protect ‘national security.’”
The Coming War on Dissent (DonkeyHotey)
From The New Republic: “As critics focus on Trump’s attacks on the media, his administration is preparing a larger assault on the First Amendment.”
Gazans Dreamed Of Returning to Rafah. The Reality Is a Nightmare (Dana)
The author writes, “Eight months after Israel invaded Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, forcibly displacing over 1 million Palestinians, the ceasefire has enabled some of the city’s former residents to return home. But unlike in Gaza’s northern sector, where the relatively swift and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces made it possible for tens of thousands of displaced residents to go back to their devastated neighborhoods, the army’s continued presence in Rafah along the border with Egypt and its ongoing attacks on returning civilians means that only a small number have attempted to make their way back.”
How Huge Parts of the US Could Become Uninhabitable Within Decades — Even So-Called ‘Climate Havens’ (Sean)
The author writes, “The United States is no stranger to extreme weather, but the accelerating effects of climate change are pushing some regions closer to the brink of uninhabitability. From oppressive heat in the Southwest to rising sea levels and storm surges along the coasts, the challenges are diverse, daunting, and interconnected.”
Hoping to ‘Trump Proof’ Students’ Civil Rights, Illinois Lawmakers Aim to End Police Ticketing at School (Reader Steve)
From ProPublica: “Citing an urgency to protect students’ civil rights in a second Trump administration, Illinois lawmakers filed a new bill Monday that would explicitly prevent school police from ticketing and fining students for misbehavior. The legislation for the first time also would require districts to track police activity at schools and disclose it to the state — data collection made more pressing as federal authorities have signaled they will deemphasize their role in civil rights enforcement.”
Army Helicopter Accidents Are Occurring at Near Record Rates (Laura)
The author writes, “The collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet over Washington on Wednesday, which killed 67 people, comes at a terrible time for Army Aviation as accident rates have spiked to levels not seen since early in the century. In 2024, Army Aviation recorded the highest number of Class A flight mishaps — the most serious type of aircraft accidents — since 2014 and the worst Class A flight mishap rate per 100,000 hours since 2007… Class A mishaps are those that result in at least $2.5 million in property damage, the destruction of a manned aircraft, and/or a fatality or a catastrophic injury. The Army suffered 15 Class A flight mishaps and two Class A aircraft ground mishaps last year compared to nine flight and one aircraft ground accidents in 2023, and just four flight and four ground mishaps in 2022.”
The School Shootings Were Fake. The Terror Was Real (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “In the midst of that months-long reign of terror, Torswats had distinguished himself as perhaps the most prolific American school swatter in history. And throughout all of it, federal law enforcement was well aware of the chaos Torswats was inflicting. For months, the FBI had possessed everything it needed to unmask him. In fact, the agency already knew Torswats’ real name and address. But it had still done nothing to stop him — a fact that was particularly appalling to the man who had practically handed Torswats’ identity to the FBI.”
