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.
How GOP Rage at Liz Cheney Makes a Future Stolen Election More Likely (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Rep. Liz Cheney’s fate appears sealed: Republicans are set to oust the Wyoming Republican as the No. 3 in the House GOP leadership, and will most likely replace her with Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whose loyalty to Donald Trump remains unquestioned. This is being widely depicted as a battle over the past, and over Trump. Most accounts portray it as a sign that in today’s GOP, fealty to the former president is a bedrock requirement, denouncing his lies about 2020 has become unacceptable, and telling the truth about the Jan. 6 insurrection is disqualifying. All that is true, but the forward-looking dimension to this story is getting lost. What also seems unavoidably at stake is that the GOP appears to be plunging headlong into a level of full-blown hostility to democracy that has deeply unsettling future ramifications.”
Kushner Companies Violated Multiple Laws in Massive Tenant Dispute, Judge Rules (Gerry)
From ProPublica: “Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh brought the consumer-protection case against Westminster Management, the property-management arm of Kushner Companies, in 2019 following a 2017 article by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine on the company’s treatment of its tenants at the 15 housing complexes it owned in the Baltimore area, which have served as profitable ballast for a company better known for its gleaming properties in New York. The article revealed the company’s aggressive pursuit of current and former tenants in court over unpaid rent and broken leases, even in cases where tenants were in the right, as well as the shoddy conditions of many units.”
PHOTOS: Deadly Protests Across Colombia (Dan)
The author writes, “For several days now, people across Colombia have voiced their anger in large demonstrations. The protests — initially in response to a tax-reform proposal by President Iván Duque that many said would punish the middle class — have transformed into platforms for people to express their wider anger over the government’s mishandling of unemployment, inequality, and the ongoing pandemic crisis. Demonstrations continue, despite President Duque’s withdrawal of his unpopular tax proposal. Recently, the protests have also focused attention on police brutality, after the deaths of at least 19 demonstrators in previous days.”
Glacial Lakes Threaten Millions With Flooding as Planet Heats Up (Dana)
The author writes, “An increasing number of people are being threatened by flooding caused by glacial lakes bursting, scientists have warned. As the planet warms and glaciers recede, meltwater accumulates and forms lakes, often as a result of ice or moraine acting as a dam. Since 1990, the volume, area and number of these glacial lakes has increased by 50% globally. When these lakes become too full there is a risk that they may breach or overflow, releasing huge volumes of water and causing catastrophic flooding.”
How Cities Will Fossilize (Reader Jim)
From the BBC: “If cities have a geological character, it begs the question of what they will leave behind in the stratigraphy of the 21st Century. Fossils are a kind of planetary memory of the shapes the world once wore. Just as the landscapes of the deep past are not forgotten, how will the rock record of the deep future remember Shanghai, New York and other great cities?”
Boy, 4, Accidentally Buys $2.6K Worth of Spongebob Popsicles on Amazon (Dana)
The author writes, “A 4-year-old cartoon fanatic from Brooklyn went a little overboard by buying nearly $3,000 worth of nonrefundable SpongeBob SquarePants Popsicles on Amazon. However, a graduate school friend of the little boy’s mom told The Post she set up a GoFundMe on Monday to help cover the chilling cost.”
