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 Report Shows Greater Interest in Labor Unions, Especially Among Young Workers (Maria)
The author writes, “A new report from the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals significant changes in support for labor unions among US workers. The report, published by the Economics Policy Institute, delves into the evolving attitudes toward unions and identifies three major shifts … a recent, marked decline in opposition to labor unions, a rise of workers who are interested in — but unsure about — unions and an emerging generation gap in attitudes toward unionization between younger and older workers.”
How Kamala Harris Can Win (Gerry)
The author writes, “Kamala Harris has a lot to do in a short time — build a team, choose a running mate, introduce herself to the country. But her most important task is to figure out what this election should be about.”
The Corporate Wishcasting Attack on Lina Khan (DonkeyHotey)
From The American Prospect: “Billionaires are hopeful that Kamala Harris will break from the FTC chair. But she’s part of an entire network of policymakers who are actually governing in Washington.”
Wells Fargo Must Face Lawsuit Over Sham Job Interviews (Sean)
The author writes, “A U.S. judge ordered Wells Fargo to face a lawsuit alleging it defrauded shareholders by proclaiming its commitment to hiring diversity, even as it conducted sham job interviews of non-white and female applicants it had no plans to hire. U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson in San Francisco, who dismissed a version of the lawsuit last August, on Monday found direct and indirect evidence that the San Francisco-based bank intended to defraud shareholders about its hiring practices.”
Google Wins the Gold Medal for Worst Olympic Ad (Russ)
From The Atlantic: “Google is running a new commercial during the Olympics. It’s about a cute little girl — she’s a runner, and she loves Team USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a world-record-holding track star who won two Olympic gold medals in 2021. The little girl wants to write her a letter. So Dad fires up an AI chatbot.”
Abandoned Mines Cover the West (Laura)
From High Country News: “There are at least 250,000 abandoned mining ‘features,’ including at least 4,000 involving uranium, scattered across the Western U.S. — mines, waste piles, prospect holes and other infrastructure. Some are harmless and invisible to the untrained eye. Others continue to threaten the environment, people and wildlife, even after millions of dollars have been spent attempting to clean them up. Mining is hard — but healing the earth and the health of the communities affected by it is immeasurably harder.”
Two New Shark Species Are Moving Into Puget Sound: ‘They’re Not Supposed To Be Here’ (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “There’s a new pair of apex predators in Puget Sound. Two species of shark, one of which is critically endangered in some places, have been found in South Puget Sound, sparking a bit of mystery surrounding the region’s marine habitat, scientists with Oregon State University said. What brought them to these waters? Have some of them been here all along? Could climate change be a factor?”
