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
 |
New York Issues First Drought Warning in 22 Years as Dry Conditions Persist (Maria)
The author writes, “New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years and paused major repairs to its main water aqueduct out of concern for the lack of rainfall. Dry conditions across the Northeast have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires. They had already prompted New York and state officials to implement water-conservation protocols when Mayor Eric Adams upgraded the drought warning and temporarily halted the $2B Delaware aqueduct project. … Last week, a park on the northern tip of Manhattan caught fire, sending smoke billowing across the city — less than a week after a brush fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.”
What Are Recess Appointments and How Could Trump Use Them to Fill His Cabinet? (Reader Steve)
From the Associated Press: “As President-elect Donald Trump moves to set up a more forceful presidency than in his first term, he is choosing loyalists for his Cabinet and considering a tool known as recess appointments to skip over Senate confirmations for even some of the most powerful positions in U.S. government. Trump … demanded that Republican leaders in the Senate, who will hold a majority in the chamber next year, agree to allow recess appointments. It would be a significant shift in power away from the Senate, but Trump is returning to Washington with almost total support from his party, including the more traditional Republicans who still hold sway in the chamber.”
The Cities Didn’t Deliver for Harris (Al)
The author writes, “An underappreciated factor in her election loss is the key urban areas that turned out fewer voters for her than for Biden in 2020.”
The Anti-Fluoride Movement Vaults Into the Mainstream (Russ)
The author writes, “From the moment that fluoride was introduced into the water supplies of American cities, starting in 1945, critics questioned the safety. Dentists pointed to a direct correlation in the decline in tooth decay and improved oral health thanks to fluoridation. But the debate often veered away from science and toward conspiracy theories.”
Editor-in-Chief of America’s Oldest Magazine Resigns After Calling Trump Voters Fascists (Mili)
The author writes, “Laura Helmuth is resigning as editor-in-chief of Scientific American magazine following an expletive-filled rant about Donald Trump voters. Posting on Bluesky, an X rival, Helmuth said Thursday that she’s ‘decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor in chief’ without mentioning her previous comments. In a series of now-deleted posts on the same platform, she called Trump voters the ‘meanest, dumbest, most bigoted’ group and ‘fascists’ following the former president’s reelection.”
Climate Advocacy Groups Say They’re Ready for Trump 2.0 (Laura)
From Inside Climate News: “Despite the challenges posed by a clearly anti-climate-action administration, the groups have some momentum behind them and say they plan to strategically capitalize on it. The world’s seemingly inexorable transition away from fossil fuels will continue with or without a Trump White House, they say.”
Texas Sent About 10 Kids Per Day to the Justice System in September for One Reason (Reader Jim)
From The Dallas Morning News: “An average of about 10 children per-day were referred to the Texas justice system for making threats in September. More children are facing criminal consequences for terroristic threats in recent years, according to data obtained by The Dallas Morning News. During the first full month of the school year, 316 children were referred for terroristic threats, according to county-level figures compiled by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.”
How France Uncovered the Mystery of the Forbidden Photos of Nazi-Occupied Paris (Dana)
The authors write, “The search for the unknown photographer began in the summer of 2020, with the discovery of an old photo album at a flea market in the town of Barjac, in the south of France. … ‘As I flipped through the pages I realized, my God, it’s all scenes of [Nazi] occupied Paris. And I knew I’d found a treasure,’ she says. ‘And then I read the little note in the front. “If you find this album,” it said, “take care of it and have the courage to look at it.” I thought, someone sent a message in a bottle and I just found it.’ … But there was no indication of who had taken the pictures, and with good reason.”
