June 7
Surveillance State Beefs Up Facial Recognition, Stop and Smell the Roses No More, NATO Loves New German Military Increase, 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.
A Face in the Crowd No More (Jeff C.)
Nearly 250 million video surveillance cameras have been installed throughout the world, and chances are you’ve been seen by several of them. Advancements in facial recognition technology mean anonymity may be a thing of the past.
NSA Doc Dump: Snowden Repeatedly Raised Alarms About Spying (Trevin)
Turns out he went “through channels” after all.
NATO Welcomes German Military Build Up (Dan)
The military increase, aiming to create a ‘rapid response’ team, is meant to deter further Russian advances. This, in turn, only frustrates cooperation and inflames tension.
Where Have All the Flower Scents Gone? (Milicent)
Global warming has led to a decrease in the fragrance of flowers, and this, in turn, can affect the continued existence of the flower species: Those scents are needed to attract pollinating insects. The researcher who discovered this is at work trying to find a way to overcome the problem.
NY Times Journalist Declared a ‘Terrorist’ in Ukraine (Dan)
A nationalist website with close ties to the Kiev government has declared journalist Andrew Kramer a ‘terrorist’ (and published his home address and phone number) for presenting both sides of the conflict. This includes the pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk.
Outrage as Media Accused of Preemptively Crowning Clinton (Trevin)
“Frustration and contempt” spread among progressives Monday night at the AP’s projection of Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party’s nominee, despite warnings that it would be inaccurate to include superdelegates in their totals before July’s convention. Many believe the announcement to be an attempt to cut voter turnout for today’s primaries.
