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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‘White Christmas’ a Memory in NYC — Winter Is Cooked (Maria)
The author writes, “Bing Crosby’s performance of ‘White Christmas’ has, in recent years, sounded to me like an elegy. Some people might still get white Christmases, but where I live, in New York City, 2002 is the last time any snowflakes fell on Christmas Day. That is not a statistic of climatological significance, really. It’s more like an omen. This winter, most places in the U.S. should expect less snow than what many people — and the historical record — would consider normal. Climate change might be making summer days and nights hotter, but across most of the U.S., winter is getting warmer faster than any other season.”
After Fall of Assad Dynasty, Syria’s Risky New Moment (Dana)
From the Council on Foreign Relations: “The swift collapse of Syria’s regime brings a humiliating end to Russia’s and Iran’s sway and opens the door for greater Turkish influence. But the Islamist movement that seized power has yet to show its full intentions.”
Biden Can’t Save Trump’s Enemies With Preemptive Pardons (Russ and Reader Jim)
From Vox: “Politico reports that top White House officials are considering having President Joe Biden issue preemptive pardons of several current and former federal officials who may be targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration. For more than 150 years, the Supreme Court has understood the president’s power to issue pardons as entirely within his discretion; typically, neither Congress nor the courts may intervene. Yet, while the Constitution permits Biden to pardon whoever he wants, such a pardon won’t necessarily protect its recipient from everything Trump or his allies in government might do to make life difficult for Trump’s perceived enemies.”
Guess Who Profits From Trump’s Deportation Plan? Private Equity Firms. (Laura)
The author writes, “In the days after Donald Trump’s election, business leaders across a swath of industries celebrated the victory of a man they thought would bring them a financial bonanza. Crypto bros, oil and gas honchos, and tycoons looking to orchestrate mergers all did a victory dance. Now, a new report details how private equity companies — operating in relative obscurity — stand to benefit too. Trump’s promised mass deportation campaign will enrich private equity companies, according to a new report released Wednesday by a watchdog organization tracing the industry’s far-reaching involvement in the business of detention and deportation.”
Why Temu and Shein Could Give Western Retailers a Run for Their Money This Holiday Season (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “By all accounts, we’re living in an accelerating age for consumerism, one that Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, its fierce rival, supercharged with social media savvy and an interminable assortment of cheap goods, most shipped directly from merchants in China based on real-time demand. The business models of the two platforms, coupled with avalanches of digital or influencer advertising, have enabled them to give Western retailers a run for their money this holiday shopping season.”
At 93, He’s as Fit as a 40-Year-Old. His Body Offers Lessons on Aging. (Mili)
The author writes, “For lessons on how to age well, we could do worse than turn to Richard Morgan. At 93, the Irishman is a four-time world champion in indoor rowing, with the aerobic engine of a healthy 30- or 40-year-old and the body-fat percentage of a whippet. He’s also the subject of a new case study, published last month in the Journal of Applied Physiology, that looked at his training, diet and physiology. Its results suggest that, in many ways, he’s an exemplar of fit, healthy aging — a nonagenarian with the heart, muscles and lungs of someone less than half his age.”
The Country Where 10 Percent of Workers Are Robots (Sean)
From Newsweek: “South Korea has become the first nation to achieve a remarkable milestone: One-tenth of its workforce now consists of robots, a development that could help counteract the country’s demographic challenges. While robotics offers a partial solution, South Korea continues to grapple with a demographic crisis as the nation’s fertility rate dropped to a record-low 0.72 in 2023.”
