July 28
Judging Media Coverage of the Republican National Convention, Police Brutality Measured in New Study, Netanyahu’s New Embrace of an Old Initiative, and More Picks
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.
How Bad Was Media Coverage of the GOP Convention? (Russ)
Very bad, says this essayist. He argues that media totally failed at its job to show skepticism, and avoided meaningful analysis in favor of letting partisan spinmeisters do their thing.
Study Shows 55,400 People Hospitalized or Killed by US Cops in a Single Year (Reader Pat)
New research shows that in 2012 alone an estimated 55,400 people were killed or fatally injured during traffic stops by police. An average of 1 in 291 stops or arrests led to hospital treated injuries or death. Police brutality? What police brutality?
Indonesia to Execute 14 Drug Convicts This Week, Most Are Foreign Citizens (Trevin)
President Joko Widodo claims that the country’s massive drug problem kills 50 per day. UN human rights officials advocate for a rethinking of capital punishment as the solution.
Democrats Embrace Republican Values at Convention (Dan)
Leon Panetta’s speech was interrupted twice by Oregon protesters yelling, ‘No More War.’ The protests, in turn, were interrupted by counter shouts of ‘USA’. The ‘USA’ chant was also used against anti-Trump voters at the RNC.
Mainstream-y Slate Takes Off After Jill Stein (Russ)
Here it comes — the gloves are off for Third Party candidates in what could be a close election.
Traffic Deaths Up in Cities that Turn Off Red-Light Cameras (Trevin)
Deaths due to red-light-running accidents up nearly a third in cities where the cameras are eliminated.
PM Netanyahu Presents a Very Telling Map of Enemies and Allies During a Knesset Speech (Jesse)
The map, perhaps most tellingly, lists ten predominantly East African countries as those which Jerusalem has “recently developed/upgraded” relations — making the map look strikingly like a return to Israel’s founding “Periphery Doctrine,” which supersedes peace with its Arab neighbors in favor of those on the periphery.
