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.
‘Disturbing and Reckless’: Retired Brass Spread Election Lie in Attack on Biden, Democrats (DonkeyHotey)
From Politico: “A day after 124 retired generals and admirals released a letter spreading the lie that President Joe Biden stole the election, current and former military officers are speaking out, calling the missive a dangerous new sign of the military being dragged into the trenches of partisan warfare. The open letter on Monday from a group calling itself Flag Officers 4 America advanced the false conspiracy theory that the presidential vote was rigged in Biden’s favor and warned that the nation is ‘in deep peril’ from ‘a full-blown assault on our Constitutional rights.’”
Efforts to Weed Out Extremists in Law Enforcement Meet Resistance (Sean)
The author writes, “In the battle to stamp out extremism from the ranks of the police, lawmakers from California to Minnesota have proposed solutions they thought were straightforward. Some laws would empower the police to do more robust background checks of recruits, letting them vet social media to make sure new officers were not members of hate groups. Other laws would make it easier for departments to fire officers with ties to extremists. But legislators working to get these measures passed in recent months have found themselves confronting a thicket of obstacles and somewhat unexpected opposition, ranging from straight Republican vs. Democrat clashes to profound questions about protecting constitutional rights.”
Zimbabwe Will Let Trophy Hunters Shoot Up to 500 Elephants for $70K Each (Dana)
From Face2Face Africa, “Zimbabwe will allow trophy hunters who are willing to pay up to $70,000 per elephant to shoot up to 500 of the beasts in national parks, in a bid intended to help raise money to sustain the conservatories which the cash-strapped government cannot maintain. The intention was actually put on paper last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic destabilized plans for tourists to travel to the southern African country. However, this year’s southern hemisphere winter — beginning in June — will see trophy hunters from countries such as the United States going to Zimbabwe.”
Fasting Lowers Blood Pressure by Reshaping the Gut Microbiota (Mili)
The author writes, “Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, a condition that raises the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the U. S. At Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. David J. Durgan and his colleagues are dedicated to better understand hypertension, in particular the emerging evidence suggesting that disruption of the gut microbiota, known as gut dysbiosis, can have adverse effects on blood pressure.”
Streaming Services Aren’t Equitably Sharing Profits With Music Artists. Bill C-10 Could Help Change This (Bethany)
The author writes, “As a musical artist, I was delighted to learn of Bill C-10, a proposed amendment to the Broadcast Act. It has been over 30 long years since the internet and all that came with it began to dismantle what was once a $20-billion music industry in 1999 — reducing it to a $7.5-billion industry by 2014, primarily as a result of unfettered and unregulated technology. Although no bill will completely satisfy everyone, for those in the music industry equitable compensation cannot come soon enough.”
JOB LISTING: Colonial Pipeline Cyber Security Manager (Dan)
From Daybook: “Ready to work for Colonial Pipeline Company? Are you intrigued by the thought of being part of revolutionizing the energy industry and a new era in the pipeline industry? … As the Manager, Cyber Security, you are accountable for managing a team of cyber security certified subject matter experts and specialists including but not limited to network security engineers, SCADA & field controls network engineers and a cyber security architect.”
