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.
Scientists Study Thwaites, Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday’ Glacier (Maria)
The author writes, “A team of scientists is sailing to ‘the place in the world that’s the hardest to get to’ so they can better figure out how much and how fast seas will rise because of global warming eating away at Antarctica’s ice. Thirty-two scientists on Thursday are starting a more than two-month mission aboard an American research ship to investigate the crucial area where the massive but melting Thwaites glacier faces the Amundsen Sea and may eventually lose large amounts of ice because of warm water. The Florida-sized glacier has gotten the nickname the ‘doomsday glacier’ because of how much ice it has and how much seas could rise if it all melts.”
Desperate Patients Are Shelling Out Thousands for a Long COVID Cure. Is It for Real? (Sean)
From Mother Jones: “Two years into the pandemic, it might be tempting to throw caution to the wind and get on with life, new variants be damned. But if you’re ever tempted to do something risky— choral singing with a few dozen friends in a basement, say, or perhaps an impulsive trip to the mosh pit — you might first consider visiting one of the dozens of long-haul Covid online support groups for a quick reality check. There, hundreds of thousands of members congregate to offer encouragement and commiserate over a dizzying list of ghastly symptoms. Some haven’t been able to get out of bed for a year or more. Others find digesting food so difficult that they have to use a feeding tube to stay alive. Many have had to stop working because they can no longer think clearly. Then there are the reports of people who have been so tormented by their experiences that they have died by suicide.”
Wave of Suicides Hits Texas National Guard’s Border Mission (Mili)
From Army Times: “[Four] soldiers tied to Operation Lone Star have died by suspected suicide … according to family members, Guard troops currently on the mission and official documents obtained by Army Times. The string of suicides raises urgent questions about the mission’s conditions and purpose, as well as the way it’s organized and manned through indefinite involuntary call-ups, according to the Texas Army National Guard’s former top enlisted soldier. Operation Lone Star is a separate mission from the federally controlled National Guard task force on the U.S.-Mexico border, which was the subject of a previous Army Times investigation.”
Democratic National Committee Staff Votes to Unionize (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Democratic National Committee employees voted to unionize on Tuesday. Details: The DNC staff will join the SEIU Local 500 union, which represents workers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The move represents a significant step in a broader effort to organize political staffers on the left.”
Investigation of Journalists by Customs Unit Is Under Review (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “An internal review has been launched into the actions of a special Customs and Border Protection unit that used sensitive government databases intended to track terrorists to investigate as many as 20 U.S.-based journalists, including one from The Associated Press. The review is focused on activities of the Counter Network Division, which under the administration of former President Donald Trump used the databases to investigate leaks to the media and to screen journalists as potential sources of information, as was detailed in a report by Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.”
In Mexico, Women Directors Take the Lead (Dan)
From The New York Times: “In a society where machismo has often held women back and gender-based violence is commonplace, the rise and recognition of female filmmakers reflects a broader social change brought about by both an emboldened feminist movement in Mexico and an urgent conversation about sexism worldwide.”
520 Drones Put on Light Show to Celebrate Dog’s Birthday (Dana)
The author writes, “A Chinese woman celebrated her dog’s 10th birthday by hiring a team of 520 drones to put on a canine birthday-themed light show in the sky. Footage from the dog’s birthday party in Changsha, Hunan Province, shows a crowd of well-wishers singing Happy Birthday to the canine while hundreds of drones prepare for takeoff nearby.”
