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.
Hydropower Decline in Drought Strains Power Grids (Maria)
The author writes, “After water levels at a California dam fell to historic lows this summer, the main hydropower plant it feeds was shut down. At the Hoover Dam in Nevada — one of the country’s biggest hydropower generators — production is down by 25%. If extreme drought persists, federal officials say a dam in Arizona could stop producing electricity in coming years. Severe drought across the West drained reservoirs this year, slashing hydropower production and further stressing the region’s power grids. And as extreme weather becomes more common with climate change, grid operators are adapting to swings in hydropower generation.”
The World Is Questioning Washington’s Competence, Fearing Prospect of US Default (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “What would happen if the most economically powerful country were to default on its debts? The damage would be ‘catastrophic,’ Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said this week during an appearance on CNBC. ‘I fully expect it would cause a recession as well.’ This impact would stretch far beyond U.S. borders. This U.S. economic turmoil would ripple across global markets. A default could be potentially devastating to foreign investors in U.S. Treasury bonds — including allied nations such as Japan, which held $1.31 trillion worth as of July, as well as rivals such as China, which held $1.07 trillion, according to Treasury data.”
Black Children Were Jailed for a Crime That Doesn’t Exist. Almost Nothing Happened to the Adults in Charge. (Mili)
The authors write, “Three police officers were crowded into the assistant principal’s office at Hobgood Elementary School, and Tammy Garrett, the school’s principal, had no idea what to do. One officer, wearing a tactical vest, was telling her: Go get the kids. A second officer was telling her: Don’t go get the kids. The third officer wasn’t saying anything. Garrett knew the police had been sent to arrest some children, although exactly which children, it would turn out, was unclear to everyone, even to these officers. The names police had given the principal included four girls, now sitting in classrooms throughout the school. All four girls were Black. There was a sixth grader, two fourth graders and a third grader. The youngest was 8. On this sunny Friday afternoon in spring, she wore her hair in pigtails.”
How AT&T Helped Build Far-Right One America News (DonkeyHotey)
From Reuters: “One America News, the far-right network whose fortunes and viewership rose amid the triumph and tumult of the Trump administration, has flourished with support from a surprising source: AT&T Inc, the world’s largest communications company. A Reuters review of court records shows the role AT&T played in creating and funding OAN, a network that continues to spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic. OAN founder and chief executive Robert Herring Sr has testified that the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives.”
Key Witness in Assange Case Jailed in Iceland After Admitting to Lies and Ongoing Crime Spree (Reader Pat)
From Stundin: “Sigurdur Thordarson, a key witness for the FBI against Julian Assange, has been jailed in Iceland. The notorious alleged hacker and convicted pedophile was remanded to custody in Iceland’s highest security prison, Litla Hraun, on September 24. Thordarson´s lawyer, Húnbogi J. Andersen, confirms that he is in custody. Thordarson was given immunity by the FBI in exchange for testimony against Julian Assange.”
A Wildfire Investigator Searches for a Spark (Dan)
From The New Yorker: “Sitting in his Ford pickup last month, in the sagebrush-covered hills of eastern Oregon, Al Crouch heard his two-way radio beep. Eleven times. ‘Please stand by for a smoke report,’ a voice crackled. ‘We got our first of the day,’ Crouch said, pulling out. The dispatcher had indicated that the report came from I-84, near mile marker three hundred and twenty-two. Crouch, who is tall with a bushy mustache, is a wildland-fire investigator for the Vale District Bureau of Land Management, which covers roughly five million acres. He spent more than two decades fighting fire on the ground, trying to get in front of the flames. Now he moves in the opposite direction, toward a fire’s source.”
A Crypto-Trading Hamster Performs Better Than Warren Buffett and the S&P 500 (Dana)
The author writes, “What if we told you there was a hamster who has been trading cryptocurrencies since June — and recently was doing better than Warren Buffett and the S&P 500? Meet Mr. Goxx, a hamster who works out of what is possibly the most high-tech hamster cage in existence. It’s designed so that when Mr. Goxx runs on the hamster wheel, he can select among dozens of cryptocurrencies. Then, deciding between two tunnels, he chooses whether to buy or sell. According to the Twitch account for the hamster, his decision is sent over to a real trading platform — and yes, real money is involved.”
