|
Listen To This Story
 |
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.
‘Perfect Explosion’: Merger of Neutron Stars Creates Spherical Cosmic Blast (Maria)
The author writes, “Astronomers have observed what might be the ‘perfect explosion,’ a colossal and utterly spherical blast triggered by the merger of two very dense stellar remnants called neutron stars shortly before the combined entity collapsed to form a black hole. Researchers on Wednesday described for the first time the contours of the type of explosion, called a kilonova, that occurs when neutron stars merge. The rapidly expanding fireball of luminous matter they detailed defied their expectations.”
Biden, Democrats Ramp up Attacks on Republicans Amid Debt Limit Standoff (Russ)
From The Washington Post: “[Wednesday], President Biden argued that Republican legislative plans would add substantially to the national debt and benefit the wealthy, large corporations and drug companies. Biden accused Republicans of trying to ‘take away people’s health care, increase costs for middle-class families to push Americans into poverty,’ and vowed, ‘I’m going to stop them.’ His speech at a union hall in Lanham, Md., came amid a standoff over raising the debt ceiling with House Republicans, who are insisting upon spending cuts in exchange for their support — a stand they did not take under President Donald Trump when the limit was raised three times without conditions.”
Idaho Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Criminalize Those Who Administer COVID Vaccines (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Two Idaho lawmakers have introduced a bill to charge those who administer mRNA vaccines with a misdemeanor. Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, and Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, sponsored HB 154. It was introduced in the House Health & Welfare Committee on Feb. 15 by Nichols. According to the bill text, ‘A person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state.’”
Cambridge Analytica’s Israeli Black Ops Team — Exposed at Last (Reader Pat)
From Haaretz: “In-house emails published here for the first time identify the Israeli hackers running global disinformation campaigns whom Cambridge Analytica officials tried so hard to keep hidden.”
California’s Population Dropped by 500,000 in Two Years as Exodus Continues (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The California exodus has shown no sign of slowing down as the state’s population dropped by more than 500,000 people between April 2020 and July 2022, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by nearly 700,000. … The primary reason for the exodus is the state’s high housing costs, but other reasons include the long commutes and the crowds, crime and pollution in the larger urban centers. The increased ability to work remotely — and not having to live near a big city — has also been a factor.”
CDC: ‘Alarming’ Rise in Violence, Hopelessness Among Teen Girls (Mili)
The author writes, “The CDC is reporting alarming increases in the rates of sadness, hopelessness, violence, and suicidal ideation among teen girls. Nearly three in five (57 percent) said they felt ‘persistently sad or hopeless’ in 2021, a rate that doubled boys and represented a large jump from the 36 percent reporting that in 2011, according to findings from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey.”
The People Who Live Inside Airplanes (Sean)
From CNN: “After losing her house to a fire, Jo Ann Ussery had a peculiar idea: to live in an airplane. She bought an old Boeing 727 that was destined for the scrapyard, had it shipped to a plot of land she already owned, and spent six months renovating, doing most of the work by herself. By the end, she had a fully functional home, with over 1,500 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and even a hot tub — where the cockpit used to be. All for less than $30,000, or about $60,000 in today’s money.”
