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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New Yorker Finds Complete Mastodon Jaw Under Lawn (Maria)
The author writes, “A New York state resident has found a complete mastodon jaw just below the surface of their lawn, after spotting two large teeth protruding from the ground. Mastodons roamed the U.S. Northeast during the Pleistocene epoch, and there have been several notable mastodon discoveries in the region, including a complete, 13,000-year-old skeleton in Hyde Park, New York, in 2000. The latest discovery, of a jaw believed to be from an adult animal, was unearthed after an alert from the owner of the house in Scotchtown, Orange County. … Researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange visited to fully reveal the jaw, along with a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment. The jaw is the first find of its kind to be found in New York in more than 11 years.”
What To Know About the Debt Ceiling Debate as a Government Shutdown Looms in Washington (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “A debate over the debt ceiling is at the center of a dispute over funding that is pushing Washington to the brink of a federal government shutdown. President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that a provision raising or suspending the nation’s debt limit — something that his own party routinely resists — be included in legislation to avert a government shutdown. … Republicans quickly complied, including a provision in a revamped government funding proposal that would suspend the debt ceiling for two years, until Jan. 30, 2027. But the bill failed overwhelmingly in a House vote Thursday evening, leaving next steps uncertain. Here’s what to know about the debate over the debt ceiling and the role it’s playing in the shutdown saga.”
How Labor Can Fight Trump’s Authoritarianism (Dana)
From Jacobin: “Former United Teachers Los Angeles president Alex Caputo-Pearl lays out a ‘block and build’ strategy for labor to defeat the rising right-wing attacks on workers and democracy in the coming Donald Trump administration.”
The Billion-Dollar Adult Streaming Industry Is Fueled by Horrific Labor Abuses (Reader Jim)
From Wired: “The fantasy of the influencer economy is to find an audience for your content, be swept away on the winds of the algorithm, and live a glamorous life with all the money you’re making. And someone is certainly making money. Take adult web-camming, for example, a billion-dollar global industry in which content creators build up devoted followings as they stream themselves to meet endless demand. But far from the dream of mansions and diamonds and luxury cars, a new report finds that webcam models are often making pennies on the dollar in deplorable conditions.”
About 3 Dozen High-Rise Buildings in South Florida Are Sinking (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Almost three dozen high-rise condos and luxury hotels along the beach in South Florida are sinking or settling in unexpected ways, in some cases because of nearby construction, according to a new study. The 35 buildings surveyed along an almost 12-mile (19 kilometer) stretch from Miami Beach to Sunny Isles Beach have sunk or settled by 0.8 to 3.1 inches (2 to 8 cm). About half of the buildings are less than a decade old, according to scientists.”
The Place To Be (Bill)
From Air Mail: “For a few short years in the 1970s, New Times magazine punched way above its weight, tackling the big issues of the day while elevating a new generation of writers.”
Shared Genetics Link Musical Rhythm and Language Skills (Sean)
The author writes, “A new study reveals shared genetic underpinnings between musical rhythm abilities and language-related traits, including dyslexia. Using data from over 1 million individuals, researchers identified 16 overlapping genome regions tied to rhythm and language, with key roles in brain connectivity.”
