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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.
Five Ways to Help Wildlife in Heat Waves (Maria)
The author writes, “Extremely hot weather is becoming more common. The top ten warmest years since 1884 all happened in the last two decades. While experts can help people take adequate precautions to beat the heat, who’s looking out for the rest of the animal kingdom? Hot temperatures are uncomfortable and potentially deadly for wildlife too. Fortunately, you can give a helping hand with a few easy steps.”
Not One Single Republican Votes for Probe of Neo-Nazis in US Military and Police (Sean)
From Common Dreams: “Zero House Republicans on Wednesday supported a measure requiring the Pentagon and federal law enforcement agencies to publish a report on countering white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in their ranks. Rep. Brad Schneider’s (D-Ill.) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023 directing the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense “to publish a report that analyzes and sets out strategies to combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in the uniformed services and federal law enforcement agencies” passed in a party-line 218-208 vote.”
Woman Says Texas Abortion Law Prevented Her From Getting Timely Miscarriage Care (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “In the three weeks since the Supreme Court overturned a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, uncertainty is growing about how the ruling will affect other pregnancy-related issues like fertility treatments, contraception, even miscarriage. A woman in Texas said after finding out she had a miscarriage, her doctor refused to perform the necessary medical procedure, which means she carried her dead fetus for two weeks until she found a doctor who would help her. Marlena Stell and Ab DeSilva have always wanted a little brother or sister for their daughter, Adelina. Instead, what they said they got was a nightmare because of a Texas anti-abortion law.”
Dear Liberals: Come on Down! (Russ)
The author writes, “Dear Liberals, I greet you from the Medieval stronghold of the American South, where things are every bit as bad as you’ve heard. They may be worse. Red-state legislators have perfected the art of voter suppression, which you probably know. They have also gerrymandered the South’s blue cities into political irrelevance, which you may not. These cities serve as their states’ economic engines: According to Mark Muro, the policy director of the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Project, the counties Joe Biden won in 2020 account for 71 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. A bunch of those counties are in red states, and they are growing. Come help us grow. The new gerrymandered district lines are based on current data. With your help, we can outwit craven G.O.P. calculations about where residents reliably vote Republican.”
A Treatment for a Deadly Condition in Newborns Fails to Improve Outcomes, Study Finds (Bethany)
From Stat: “What do you do when a child is born with poor consciousness, not crying, not sucking, and not breathing on their own? For babies born with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, commonly called birth asphyxia, doctors have limited options. And a treatment that many had hoped would be effective turns out not to be. A new study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that the hormone erythropoietin did not improve survival and other outcomes in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.”
A Whole Lot of Southwest Europe Is on Fire Right Now, and It’s Only Getting Hotter (Mili)
The author writes, “Firefighters battled to contain wildfires sweeping across southwest Europe on Sunday as a heatwave showed no sign of abating, with Britain poised to set new temperature records this coming week. Blazes raging in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain have destroyed thousands of hectares of land and forced thousands of residents and holidaymakers to flee. It is the second heatwave to engulf parts of southwest Europe in weeks. Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather such as heatwaves and drought.”
‘Ghost Ship’ Washes Ashore on Infamous Island During Rough Storm (Dana)
From AccuWeather: “Officials were at first bewildered when they came upon a mysterious ghost ship with no captain or crew on board that had washed ashore on a secluded island off the coast of Cambodia during an intense storm [last] week. Three life jackets from the wreckage were spotted about 160 feet (50 meters) away from where the rusted, old shipping vessel ran aground on the rocky beach of Koh Tang Island.”
