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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NASA’s Stuck Astronauts Hit 6 Months in Space. Just 2 More To Go. (Maria)
The author writes, “Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5, the first to ride Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. … NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they’re fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts.”
New LAPD Chief Says He Will Work to Protect Immigrants Ahead of Trump’s Plans for Mass Deportations (Reader Steve)
From The Associated Press: “The new chief of the Los Angeles police force said his department is working with consulate offices for Mexico and other Central American countries to draft a plan to protect immigrants ahead of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations. In an interview with The Associated Press, Jim McDonnell said his tenure as police chief will be marked by high engagement with the community, adding that all of society must participate in the criminal justice system to create a safe place to live.”
Missouri Voters Enshrined Abortion Rights. GOP Lawmakers Are Already Working to Roll Them Back. (Dana)
From ProPublica: “One month after Missouri approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion, legislators have proposed a flurry of bills to tighten abortion access or raise the bar for future amendments driven by voter initiatives.”
The IRS Is at Risk of Losing $20 Billion in Funding Without Legislative Intervention (Sean)
The author writes, “Already bracing for funding cuts under a new Trump administration, U.S. Treasury officials are calling on Congress to unlock $20 billion in IRS enforcement money that is tied up in legislative language that has effectively rendered the money frozen. Hoping to unlock the funds in upcoming budget negotiations, Treasury officials are rushing for action before President Joe Biden’s term ends.”
These Batteries Could Harness the Wind and Sun to Replace Coal and Gas (Russ)
From The Washington Post: “After decades of development, the world has figured out how to make wind turbines and solar panels cheaply and at massive scale. … But now, a few of the regions that have adopted wind and solar most aggressively are finding some of that energy goes to waste because they can’t store it. Power companies are experimenting with new ways to hold on to that clean electricity, from stashing heat in vats of sand to supersizing the lithium-ion batteries that power laptops and cars. … The Hokkaido Electric Power Network (HEPCO Network) is deploying flow batteries, an emerging kind of battery that stores energy in hulking tanks of metallic liquid.”
Thomas Jefferson and the Fight Against Slavery (Al)
The author writes, “Thomas Jefferson, although a mind-bogglingly prolific writer, strangely published only one book during his lifetime: Notes on the State of Virginia. From this reviewer’s experience, every mention of this book has been about a brief section that covers Jefferson’s racist beliefs concerning the physical attributes of African American slaves compared to those of the Caucasian race. The section confirms what most people know: that Jefferson, the writer who included the idea that ‘all men are created equal’ in the Declaration of Independence, was a hypocrite who not only owned slaves but justified their condition based on his ‘bunk’ science. Cara Rogers Stevens, however, has published a book that completely changes the narrative regarding Notes on the State of Virginia.”
Roman Era Barbarians Carried Tiny Spoons That May Have Helped in Battle (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Tiny spoon-shaped implements carried by Roman era Germanic warriors may be evidence they used stimulants on the field of war. According to a new analysis of the mysterious artifacts and their context, archaeologists and biologists believe that the suspiciously round-ended fittings could have been used to dispense drugs that gave the warriors an edge when they faced their opponents thousands of years ago.”
