May 11
Obama Admin ‘Strong-Armed’ One Senator’s Push to Declassify 9/11 Report, Paul Ryan’s Problems on the Right, US Failure on Accepting Syrian Refugees, 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.
Paul Ryan’s Challenge from the Right (Russ)
Nobody, it seems, is safe from the monster they helped create.
Independent “Siri” that Could Revolutionize Voice Commands (Russ)
This time the inventor is retaining control of this potentially dominant technology rather than selling it, and it’s driving the biggies nuts.
Dem: FBI Strong-Armed Former Senator on 9/11 Pages (Reader Pat)
Fellow Democrat Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) is critical of the Obama administration ‘strong-arming’ a fellow Senator’s effort to declassify the censored 28 pages of the 9/11 Report alleged to implicate Saudi Arabia in the attacks.
DHS Testing ‘Bioterror Airflow’ on NYC Subway System (Jeff C.)
In the first large-scale use of particles, in addition to gases (yes, nontoxic), the Dept. of Homeland Security this week is conducting testing in an effort to help scientists, counter-terrorism specialists, and emergency responders understand the impact of chemical weapons in the nation’s largest subway system.
The US Navy’s Next-Gen Communication System Is Frozen In the Italian Courts (Trevin)
Three giant satellite dishes that make up the $7B Sicily station of the Navy’s Mobile User Objective Systems are non-operational due to potential related health risks (such as childhood leukemia or brain cancer) to the 30,000 local residents.
US Has Accepted Only 1,736 of 10,000 Syrian Refugees (Dan)
The delays are not just Congress, either.
When Weird Feathered Things Ruled the World (Gerry)
Forget what you thought you knew about dinosaurs. Most had feathers, and were more like birds than reptiles, inside as well as out. This beautifully illustrated article brings you up to date about the rapidly changing past.
