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
 |
Swiss Banker Turned African Conservationist Offers Others a Change of Pace (Maria)
The author writes, “The grainy, washed-out shot reveals a portion of the East African plains devoid of vegetation. The tall grass of the savannah is picked and eaten away clean to the ground from a mix of migrating wildlife, cattle herds, and roaming goats that threaten to leave a dust bowl behind them. It’s an alien image compared to the terrain surrounding this end-of-day fireside chat alongside Lake Manyara, Mdori. The flatlands now thrive with grasses, candelabra trees, and endless fields of morning glories.”
Leonard Leo’s Plan to Suppress Voters in Swing-States (Dana)
From Jacobin: “A cadre of lawyers tied to conservative activist Leonard Leo is spearheading a series of legal attacks on voting rights in critical swing states. The operation aims to suppress voters, with the potential to tip the scales during the election this fall.”
Yes, Kamala Harris’s Campaign Is Editing News Headlines in Google Ads (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Kamala Harris’ campaign has launched Google advertisements that link out to legitimate news outlets’ websites, but feature edited headlines and descriptions with pro-Harris messages. Google and the Harris campaign have defended the practice as legitimate and legal, The Associated Press reported. But three news outlets whose content was used in the advertisements told VERIFY they were unaware of the practice.”
Kremlin Response to Kursk Incursion Shows How Putin Freezes in a Crisis (Russ)
From The Washington Post: “Faced with crisis, Vladimir Putin tends to freeze. Moscow’s slow, fumbling military response to Ukraine’s surprise occupation of parts of the western Kursk region is the latest example of the Kremlin chief failing to respond with quick, decisive action to match his bellicose rhetoric.”
Federal Judge Throws Out US Ban on Noncompetes (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “A federal court in Texas has thrown out the government’s ban on noncompete agreements that was set to take effect September 4. In her ruling, Judge Ada Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas wrote that the federal agency had overstepped its power when it approved the ban.”
Alzheimer’s May Not Actually Be a Brain Disease, Expert Reveals (Sean)
The author writes, “The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies. In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer’s, may have been based on fabricated data. … With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind?”
Hotter Temperatures Are Causing Trees to Have Heat Strokes (Laura)
From Sierra: “According to a growing body of research, hot droughts have now been tied to tree die-offs the world over, regardless of how much precipitation a region typically gets.”
Woman Who Faced Eviction Over 3 Emotional Support Parrots Wins $165,000 in Federal Case (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “A woman who faced eviction from her Manhattan apartment over her three emotional support parrots will be paid $165,000 in damages plus $585,000 for her apartment under a consent decree announced by federal prosecutors. The consent decree announced Monday resolves a dispute between Meril Lesser and the board of the Rutherford, a 175-unit cooperative apartment building where Lesser lived with her parrots Layla, Ginger and Curtis.”
