Mar 18

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.

NYT Public Editor Criticizes Changes to Story on Sanders (Klaus)

After a story on the legislative accomplishments of Bernie Sanders was already published (and distributed by the senator’s campaign), New York Times editors made substantive changes to the piece and changed its tone without explanation. Now, the paper’s public editor said they were wrong to do so and should have, at least, told readers which changes were made and why.

Imagining Hillary’s Speech to Goldman Sachs (Russ)

What she might have said — or at least how those “in the know” might have interpreted her actual remarks.

The Islamic State’s Deadly New Strategy in the Sinai Peninsula (Milicent)

The Islamic State (IS) is increasingly intimidating and terrorizing civilians in the Sinai since military targets have become more difficult to attack. According to a retired Egyptian officer, the reason behind the intensity of the attacks is that IS “must show the funding states its strength and control so that money will continue to flow, or else [they will] succumb to Egyptian armed forces’ growing threat.”

Rights of Elderly Recognized Almost Everywhere…Except US (Russ)

And how a country treats its longest-lived citizens tells a lot about its values.

Before Her Assassination, Berta Cáceres Singled Out Hillary Clinton for Backing Honduran Coup (Trevin)

Watch a clip from the Democracy Now! interview with the late activist here. Read our coverage of her assassination.

US Mail Service to Cuba Resumes (Trevin)

On Wednesday, after over 50 years of travelling through an intermediary country, mail was delivered directly between the United States and Cuba. Now the Obamas can send a postcard home while on their trip to the island next week.

Do You Know Where Some of Your Great Western Culture Comes From? (Milicent)

In a recent interview by the Tehran Times, a professor of philosophy at St. Olaf College says that the “Muslim world had made such extraordinary headway in mathematics, algebra, medicine, and the sciences in general, it was inevitable that its philosophical contribution needed to be taken seriously by medieval philosophers.”  And, he added, “… most Philosophy majors in the West are probably not aware that some of the arguments that they find in Aquinas, Descartes, Malebranche, David Hume, and others, are all represented in earlier Islamic sources, even if not each of these thinkers was directly aware of such precedence.”

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