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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 Midterms Bring Few Changes From Social Media Companies (Maria)
The authors write, “Social media companies are offering few specifics as they share their plans for safeguarding the US midterm elections. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are generally staying the course from the 2020 voting season, which was marred by conspiracies and culminated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Video app TikTok, which has soared in popularity since the last election cycle while also cementing its place as a problem spot for misinformation, announced Wednesday it is launching an election center that will help people find voting locations and candidate information.”
6 Drastic Plans Trump Is Already Promising for a Second Term (Reader Steve)
From The Washington Post: “For the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump has started getting specific about what he would do if he wins a second term in the White House. The pitches he’s made onstage over the past month in speeches from Washington, D.C., to Dallas to Las Vegas are a stark contrast from ordinary stump speeches. He promises a break from American history if elected, with a federal government stacked with loyalists and unleashed to harm his perceived enemies.”
Louisiana Woman Is Forced Carry Headless Fetus to Term or Travel to Florida for Legal Abortion (DonkeyHotey)
From Jezebel: “A pregnant woman in Louisiana says she’s being forced to choose between carrying a fetus that lacks a skull and the top of its head (as a result of a rare condition called acrania) to term, or traveling several states over for a legal abortion, since Louisiana has banned abortion with very narrow exceptions. ‘It’s hard knowing that I’m carrying it to bury it,’ Nancy Davis, who’s 13 weeks pregnant and is already the mother of one child, told local news station WAFB9 on Monday. A few weeks ago, she had her first ultrasound and was told the fetus wouldn’t survive — but that she would have to either carry and birth the nonviable fetus or travel to Florida, the closest state where abortion is still legal. Davis is running out of time to make her decision, however, because Florida bans the health service at 15 weeks.”
What Is Ranked Choice Voting, the New Election Process Used in Alaska? (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Instead of voting for a single candidate, voters in Alaska [ranked] their favorite candidates on their ballots in an election process called ranked choice voting that is becoming more popular in the U.S. Fox News Digital spoke with American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Kevin Kosar, who studies politics, Congress and election reform, to better understand the process, how it has been implemented in America, and its impact on this year’s midterm election primaries.”
Taiwan’s Air Force Flexes Muscles in Face of Chinese War Games (Sean)
The author writes, “Taiwanese F-16 fighters roared into the night sky on Wednesday in a show of force in front of the media, demonstrating the military’s determination to defend the democratically governed island in the face of days of Chinese war games. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has been carrying out military exercises around the island after a visit earlier this month by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was followed by five U.S. lawmakers on Sunday and Monday.”
Gaza Beach Erosion Portends Environmental Catastrophe (Mili)
From Al-Monitor: “Palestinian officials are trying to stop the erosion of the Gaza seashore with concrete, rubble of houses and local resources in order to avoid collapses and the sinking of residents and their homes.”
See Rare Footage of Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pups Having an Evening Scamper (Dana)
The author writes, “Red wolves are a rare sight. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are up to 21 in the wild, 10 of which are collared for tracking and monitoring. On Monday, USFWS shared a recent video of red wolves ‘out and about on an early evening scamper.’ The video shows an adult wolf running through a field, followed by a series of pups. The pups then wander back into the frame while frolicking through the grass.”
