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.
US House Panel Weighs Labor Law Amendment to Protect Workers From Wage Theft (Maria)
The author writes, “US House lawmakers questioned several labor experts [last] Wednesday before a House Education and Labor panel about how a new bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 would protect workers from wage theft. House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro introduced the bill, H.R. 3712, known as the ‘Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act of 2022.’ It would require employers to provide pay stubs to workers, establish new minimum and maximum civil penalties for … wage theft and provide grants to organizations and institutions to enhance the enforcement of wage and hour laws.”
School Districts Address Buffalo Shooting (Carina)
From Niagara Gazette: “School principals around the area made statements during morning announcements on Monday about the tragedy, which also involved moments of silence to pay respect to the victims. Information was given to students about mental health resources, in case one needs to talk about how they are feeling. While still looking to keep a normal schedule, school district leaders say they are urging students to speak up if they feel they are in need of assistance, or if they are worried about someone else.”
Former Judge Resigns From the Supreme Court Bar (DonkeyHotey)
From Slate: “On Wednesday, Dannenberg tendered a letter of resignation from the Supreme Court Bar to Chief Justice John Roberts. He has been a member of that bar since 1972. In his letter, reprinted in full below, Dannenberg compares the current Supreme Court, with its boundless solicitude for the rights of the wealthy, the privileged, and the comfortable, to the court that ushered in the Lochner era in the early 20th century, a period of profound judicial activism that put a heavy thumb on the scale for big business, banking, and insurance interests, and ruled consistently against child labor, fair wages, and labor regulations.”
When Secret Mystery Planes Landed at the Air Bases Where I Was Stationed (Sean)
From The Warzone: “What’s hiding behind the military’s technological curtain is certainly fascinating to ponder. The War Zone has extensively documented what is publicly known about the United States Air Force and Navy’s pursuit of secretive unmanned aerial systems and other projects, such as the long-running goal of retaining a low observable special forces transport and the operations of the shadowy RQ-170 Sentinel. Still, I have no idea what aircraft paid me and my squadron mates a visit on those two occasions.”
Hawaiian Airlines Investing in ‘Seagliders’ That Fly a Few Feet Above the Water (Reader Steve)
From The Points Guy: “The future of travel between the Hawaiian Islands could be moving from tens of thousands of feet in the air to just a few feet up. Boston-based electric “seaglider” maker REGENT (which stands for Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport) announced Wednesday that Hawaiian Airlines made a major investment in the company, in support of the development of a seaglider that would transport up to 100 passengers from dock to dock, traveling just above the water’s surface.”
Trained Sniffer Dogs ‘Can Detect Covid With Accuracy Similar to PCR Tests’ (Carina)
From Independent: “Sniffer dogs are able to effectively detect coronavirus infections with up to 99 percent accuracy, a new study suggests. Results from the trial in Finland suggested that dogs can be trained within a matter of weeks to detect Covid-19 with a degree of accuracy comparable to that of a standard PCR test.”
