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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The Life of Two Boeing Starliner Astronauts Stuck Indefinitely in Space (Maria)
The author writes, “Getting stuck on the International Space Station for an extended stay could be the ultimate dream vacation. Great views of Earth and the solar system right out the window. Flying Superman-style in zero gravity while floating M&Ms into each others’ mouths. There’s even decent internet and an expansive movie selection. Unfortunately for Sunita Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, the NASA astronauts who have had their stay on the space station extended indefinitely while NASA and Boeing determine what went wrong with their spacecraft, the bah-humbug bureaucrats at NASA aren’t allowing them a vacation.”
Aging, Incoherent Felon Refuses To Drop Out of Presidential Race (Reader Steve)
From the San Francisco Chronicle: “With Biden’s exit, we hope the purple parts of the country that couldn’t trust the president’s mental competency will now see the obvious truth about Trump.”
What Would a Harris Presidency Mean for the Climate? (Laura)
From Grist: “A look at Kamala Harris’ record on clean energy, climate diplomacy, and environmental justice in California, the Senate, and the White House.”
Elon Musk’s Trans Daughter Vivian Wilson Slams His Anti-LGBTQ+ Comments as ‘Ketamine-Fueled Haze’ (DonkeyHotey)
From The Advocate: “Vivian Wilson is fact-checking own father after billionaire Elon Musk made bigoted comments about her gender. The billionaire recently attacked gender-affirming care in an interview with conspiracy theorist Jordan Peterson for conservative platform the Daily Wire, claiming that the life-saving treatment ‘killed’ his daughter while repeatedly misgendering her.”
There’s a Junk Science Crisis in Criminal Convictions. Sonia Sotomayor Calls It Out in Alabama Bite-Mark Case. (Laura)
The authors write, “While the court refused to review the 1985 case of Charles McCrory, Sotomayor urged states to pass laws to help exonerate people imprisoned on debunked forensic evidence.”
America’s Largest Economy Is Falling Out of Love With Tesla — And It’s Only Going to Get Worse (Russ and Sean)
The author writes, “This might be the end of a love affair that became unrequited. Elon Musk has been steadfast in bashing California and has pledged to move Tesla, SpaceX, and X to Texas. Californians, in turn, are turning their backs on Musk. Tesla sales in California dropped 24.1% in the second quarter, the brand’s third straight quarterly decline in the state. Purchases dipped 7.8% in the first quarter of 2024 and 9.8% in the final quarter of last year. Year-to-date, Tesla sales in California are down 17% compared to last year.”
Chimpanzees Take Turns in Fast-Paced Conversations, Just Like Humans Do (Dana)
The author writes, “When humans have conversations, we take turns speaking, sometimes even interrupting each other. Now, a study published in Current Biology on Monday reports that chimpanzees follow a similar communication pattern structured around back-and-forth, fast-paced turns — albeit with gestures rather than speaking.”
