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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.
NYC Food Delivery Gig Workers Score a Big Minimum Wage Victory (Maria)
The author writes, “New York City gig economy workers just scored a significant victory as Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced on Sunday a new minimum wage of $17.96 per hour, effective on July 12th, for food delivery workers (via Quartz). That wage will grow to $19.96 on April 1st, 2025. The new pay rate bumps workers up from their current $7.09 per hour minimum wage, and when it reaches its full rate, it amounts to a near-tripled base pay for more than 60,000 food delivery workers in the city.”
Don’t Forget the Other Half of Europe’s Abortion Compromise (Roshni)
From The Atlantic: “Republicans are interested in only one part of the European approach to protecting life — the abortion restrictions. They seem to forget that every European country that protects unborn life by restricting abortion after the first trimester protects born life too, through prenatal health care, paid maternity leave, and a public infrastructure for child care and preschool.”
Republicans Set to Push Mail Ballots, Voting Methods They Previously Blasted as Recipes for Fraud (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “After years of criticizing mail voting and so-called ballot harvesting as ripe for fraud, Republicans at the top of the party want to change course. They are poised to launch aggressive get-out-the-vote campaigns for 2024 that employ just those strategies, attempting to match the emphasis on early voting Democrats have used for years to lock in many of their supporters well ahead of Election Day. The goal is to persuade voters who support GOP candidates that early voting techniques are secure and to make sure they are able to return their ballots in time to be counted, thus putting less pressure on Election Day turnout efforts.”
Matt Walsh’s Vitriolic Anti-Trans Christianity Is Distinctly Anti-Christian (Al)
From Jacobin: “Right-wing commentator Matt Walsh has made a name for himself with his relentless, religious-inflected trans-bashing. He’s a bad thinker and a bad Christian.”
The First Plastics Pollution Weather Forecast Predicts 88 Pounds of Microplastics Over Paris (Russ)
From One Green Planet: “Visiting Paris? You may want to bring an umbrella for an unusual reason. For the first time ever, a plastic pollution weather forecast predicts that billions of microplastic particles will descend upon France’s capital, with 40 to 48 kilograms (88 to 106 pounds) of these insidious pollutants blanketing the city every day.”
Colorado Frackers Doubled Freshwater Use During Megadrought, Even as Drilling and Oil Production Fell (Laura)
The author writes, “Oil and gas operators dramatically increased their reliance on high-quality water for fracking even though they produced enough wastewater to supply the operations.”
The US Is Giving Away 6 Lighthouses — Here’s What It’s Like to Actually Own One (Dana)
The author writes, “If you’ve ever wanted to own a lighthouse, now’s your chance. The U.S. General Services Administration is offering up six lighthouses to federal, state or local government agencies, nonprofits, educational organizations, or other entities willing to maintain, preserve, and make them available to the public for recreational, educational, or cultural purposes. … But there’s a catch: While the lighthouse is free, the new owners will be responsible for the cost of upkeep and maintenance.”
