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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.
Oil Pollution: Investigation Reveals Egypt’s ‘Super Coral’ at Risk (Maria)
The author writes, “As Egypt hosts world leaders to discuss action over climate change, an oil terminal is dumping toxic wastewater on the country’s Red Sea coast, an investigation by BBC News Arabic has found. A rare form of coral that offers hope for preserving ocean life as the planet warms could be a casualty. Leaked documents obtained by the BBC and nonprofit journalism group SourceMaterial reveal that ‘produced’ water from Egypt’s Ras Shukeir oil terminal is being dumped into the Red Sea every day. The barely treated wastewater — which is brought to the surface during oil and gas drilling — contains high levels of toxins, oil and grease.”
Is the World Ready for President DeSantis and a Floridian Foreign Policy? (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “A disappointing night for most Republicans turned into a very good night for one Floridian. Gov. Ron DeSantis not only won a second term in [the] midterm elections but also did so by a sizable margin — even winning Miami-Dade County, marking the first time a Republican has taken that largely urban electorate in two decades. … But the results on Tuesday opened up another possibility: President DeSantis. What would that mean for the world? In some ways, that may seem more palatable to many than Trump or another Trumpian alternative. But DeSantis would also be the United States’ first Florida-born president — and if the Democrats give up the Sunshine State to the Republicans, the wider impact on U.S. foreign policy could be significant.”
The Inside Story of Sean Patrick Maloney’s Face Plant in New York (DonkeyHotey)
From Slate: “On an election night full of pleasant surprises for Democrats, things went surprisingly poorly for Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Sean Patrick Maloney. The New York Democrat may have been running the national party’s most important campaign arm — but he had arguably the worst individual performance of any politician in his home state. Not only did he lose his race, but congressional Democrats underperformed in New York more than in any other state in the country. It’s a story that is at strange odds with the rest of the 2022 midterm results.”
Oregon Election Results 2022: 2 More Counties Join Greater Idaho Movement (Reader Steve)
From The Oregonian: “Two more eastern Oregon counties appeared to join the growing, long-shot campaign to extend Idaho’s western border to add their region to the state, initial midterm election returns indicated. Oregon’s Morrow and Wheeler counties each voted [last] Tuesday to support the so-called ‘Greater Idaho’ movement, which proposes exiting Oregon to enter the boundaries of its eastern neighbor. If the results hold, that means 11 Oregon counties have adopted the idea since the concept’s launch in 2020.”
A Pussy Riot Member Describes What Brittney Griner Can Expect in Russian Penal Colony (Mili)
From NPR: “Lawyers for jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner revealed she is currently on her way to a Russian penal colony to begin serving out her nine-year sentence on drug smuggling charges. … Those who have spent time in the system say Griner can expect an experience that is more aligned with the Soviet Union’s past than most Americans’ current ideas of criminal justice. ‘If jail is possible to imagine, then a penal colony, you can only imagine reading dissidents’ books,’ says Maria Alyokhina, who spent nearly two years in a colony following a protest performance in a Moscow church as a member of the renowned feminist punk collective Pussy Riot.”
Marijuana Smoke Harms Lungs in Tobacco Smokers, Study Finds (Russ)
The author writes, “Smoking weed while being a tobacco smoker may increase damage to the respiratory system, a new study found. ‘There’s a public perception that marijuana is safer than tobacco, and this study raises concern this may not be true,’ said lead study author Dr. Giselle Revah, an assistant professor in the department of radiology at the University of Ottawa in Ontario. ‘The American Lung Association says the only thing that should go into your lungs is clean air, so if you’re inhaling anything, it could potentially be toxic to your lungs,’ she said.”
Rats Have Rhythm and Totally Get Down to Lady Gaga and Queen (Dana)
The author writes, “Humans can’t help but move to the music and it turns out that rats have the same instinct. Without even realizing it, we move our heads along to the beat, a behavior long thought to be exclusively human. But scientists have discovered rats do the same thing. Yes, it’s true: rats have rhythm. The rodents even keep time at the same rhythm as humans, 120-140 beats per minute. So when the researchers played songs like ‘Born This Way’ by Lady Gaga, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen, ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson, and ‘Sugar’ by Maroon 5, along with Mozart, the rats bopped their heads along just the same as the humans in the study.”
