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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.
Madagascar’s Unique Wildlife Faces Imminent Wave of Extinction, Scientists Say (Maria)
The author writes, “From the ring-tailed lemur to the aye-aye, a nocturnal primate, more than 20 million years of unique evolutionary history could be wiped from the planet if nothing is done to stop Madagascar’s threatened mammals [from] going extinct, according to a new study. … So much is on the line because the island is relatively pristine and is home to wildlife that has evolved nowhere else, having split from greater India around 88 million years ago. It is the world’s fourth-largest island, about the size of Ukraine, and much of its diversity has been built on species coming from Africa and then diversifying over millions of years.”
Jack Smith Takes Possession of Internal Trump Campaign Communications (Sean)
From Bipartisan Report: “Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who like other Democrats in executive roles in that state was recently re-elected, received and complied with a subpoena from Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the Justice Department’s investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of classified materials from his administration and his political schemes to stay in power.”
Conservatives Take Aim at Tenure for University Professors (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas colleges to disavow critical race theory, the University of Texas faculty approved a resolution defending their freedom to decide for themselves how to teach about race. Patrick said he took it as a message to ‘go to hell.’ In turn, Patrick, a Republican, said it was time to consider holding the faculty accountable, by targeting one of the top perks of their jobs.”
VIDEO: From Battlefield to Internet Sleuthing: Exposing US White Supremacy (DonkeyHotey)
From NBC News: “NBC News’ Courtney Kube has the story of veteran Kristofer Goldsmith who is on a mission to expose far-right extremism despite some saying his tactics are controversial after Goldsmith witnessed some members of the veteran community participate in the Capitol riots.”
Congress Urges EPA to Maintain Clean-Air Regulations on Chemical Recycling of Plastics (Laura)
From Inside Climate News: “In a report tied to the massive $1.7 trillion federal budget bill signed last week by President Joe Biden, Congress has signaled to the Environmental Protection Agency that it should not loosen regulations around the chemical recycling of plastic waste. The advice from lawmakers was included in wording in a House Appropriations Committee report on the federal budget urging the EPA to continue to regulate chemical recycling as incineration with its stricter clean air requirements. It was not in the budget bill itself. The Congressional language ‘encourages’ EPA to take into account the environmental impacts of chemical recycling during an ongoing rule-making process by the agency.”
In Kabul, Taliban Rulers Are Changing the Face of the Capital (Russ)
The author writes, “Widening roads and replacing monuments, officials erase relics of adversaries and fulfill long-awaited plans.”
A New Study Reveals That ‘Bog Bodies’ Were Part of a Millennia-Old Tradition (Mili)
The author writes, “Archaeologists have studied hundreds of ancient ‘Bog Bodies’ discovered in Europe’s wetlands, revealing that they were part of a millennia-old tradition. New analysis shows the majority of these individuals met a ‘gruesome’ end before being intentionally discarded into the wet, spongy bogland.”
