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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.
Leaders Are Missing the Human Face of Climate Change: Nakate (Maria)
The author writes, “Vanessa Nakate’s climate activism over the past three years has propelled her to the world stage. Since 2019, Nakate has worked to amplify the voices of African climate activists through a platform she created called Rise Up Movement, spearheaded an initiative to stop the deforestation of African rainforests and launched the Vash Greens Schools Project, which aims to install solar panels in remote areas of her home country, Uganda. These endeavors led UNICEF to announce her as their new goodwill ambassador this week, with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell saying Nakate’s appointment to the role ‘will help ensure that the voices of children and young people are never cut out of the conversation on climate change.’”
There’s Terrific News About the New COVID Boosters, but Few Are Hearing It (Russ)
From The New York Times: “For the first time, the United States is rolling out Covid vaccines updated to match variants that are currently dominant, as well as the original strain. This bivalent character will provide a better response not just to the most threatening variants today but probably to future variants too, because when the immune system faces different versions of the same virus it generates broader protections overall. This is terrific news, and there’s more. Not only will a booster with the new vaccines decrease the likelihood of infection and severe illness, and help reduce transmission of the virus; it could also decrease the likelihood of developing long Covid. The bad news? The boosters are getting so little fanfare, and so much unfounded skepticism, that too few people might get them, and lots of people who need not get sick, suffer or die will get sick, suffer and die.”
Doctored Videos Exaggerate Fetterman Speech Issues in Viral Social Media Posts (DonkeyHotey)
From NBC News: “Numerous videos on TikTok and Twitter appeared to be edited to exaggerate the candidate’s speech issues after his stroke. They’ve been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.”
Trump’s DOJ Pushed for Prosecution of Political Enemies, Book Claims (Sean)
The author writes, “Former southern district of New York attorney Geoffrey Berman claims the Trump administration’s Justice Department pushed investigations into Trump’s critics that ‘would directly further Mr. Trump’s desires for revenge and advantage,’ according to a copy of his new book Holding the Line, which was obtained by The New York Times.”
For This New Hampshire Family, ‘Live Free or Die’ Is More Than a Motto (Reader Steve)
From The Boston Globe: “Free State leaders estimate that more than 6,000 people have moved to New Hampshire as part of the movement, and say that nearly 20,000 have signed a pledge to do so. Those figures have been disputed by critics, but Free Staters in New Hampshire are running for office from select boards to the State House, including contests in Tuesday’s primary election. Already, there are 25 known and likely members in the state House of Representatives, according to progressive tracking groups, and a number of other representatives are suspected of sympathizing with the movement. They constitute a formidable bloc that some mainstream Republicans contend has hijacked their party in pursuit of an extreme conservative agenda.”
British Muslims Reflect on Late Queen Elizabeth II, UK’s Monarchy (Mili)
The author writes, “While some see the royal family as a vital anchor around which the country coalesces through prosperous as well as tough times, others find it to be an outdated relic of vanity and a reminder of Britain’s horrific colonial past. ‘The colonial legacy that the (late queen) represented has had an enduring impact while she directly benefited from that same legacy,’ Aqsa Ahmed, who studies history at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and works in the education sector, told Al Jazeera.”
Nine-Year-Old Finds a Three-Foot-Long Earthworm in His Backyard (Dana)
The author writes, “Nine-year-old Barnaby Domigan was playing in his family’s backyard in Christchurch, New Zealand, when he noticed something bobbing in the water of a nearby riverbed. He grabbed a stick, fished it out and discovered it was a three-foot-long, dead earthworm, reports Radio New Zealand (RNZ). ‘I could not believe my eyes,’ Domigan tells RNZ, adding that he named the creature ‘Dead Fred.’”
