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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.
Scientists Find 30 Potential New Species at Bottom of Ocean (Maria)
From The Guardian: “Scientists have found more than 30 potentially new species living at the bottom of the sea. Researchers from the UK’s Natural History Museum used a remotely operated vehicle to collect specimens from the abyssal plains of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific. Previously, creatures from this area had been studied only from photographs.The study, published in the journal Zookeys, found there is a high species diversity of larger organisms in the abyss. Of the 55 specimens recovered, 48 were of different species.”
Ties Between Alex Jones and Radio Network Show Economics of Misinformation (Russ)
The author writes, “Ted Anderson, a precious metals seller, was hoping to rustle up some business for his gold and silver dealership when he started a radio network out of a Minneapolis suburb a couple of decades ago. Soon after, he signed a brash young radio host named Alex Jones. Together, they ended up shaping today’s misinformation economy. The two built a lucrative operation out of a tangled system of niche advertisers, fund-raising drives and promotion of media subscriptions, dietary supplements and survivalist merchandise. Mr. Jones became a conspiracy theory heavyweight, while Mr. Anderson’s company, the Genesis Communications Network, thrived. Their moneymaking blueprint was reproduced by numerous other misinformation peddlers.”
Hulu Blocks Ads on Abortion, Guns, and Climate Change — And Dems Aren’t Happy (DonkeyHotey)
From The Verge: “Abortion rights, gun control, and climate change have taken center stage for Democrats running in this year’s midterm elections. But the popular streaming service Hulu has repeatedly rejected Democratic ads focusing on these central campaign issues over the last few weeks. … On July 15th, a group of Democratic campaign organizations attempted to purchase a joint ad on abortion and gun control on the Disney-backed Hulu platform along with other digital buys on Facebook, YouTube, and Roku and more traditional placements on broadcast and cable channels. The ad ran on every other platform, but Hulu rejected it. Hulu hasn’t told the groups if it will run the ad, a Democratic party official told The Verge.”
AP-NORC Poll: 2 in 3 in US Favor Term Limits for Justices (Reader Steve)
The authors write, “About 2 in 3 Americans say they favor term limits or a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices, according to a new poll that finds a sharp increase in the percentage of Americans saying they have ‘hardly any’ confidence in the court. The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds 67 percent of Americans support a proposal to set a specific number of years that justices serve instead of life terms, including 82 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans. Views are similar about a requirement that justices retire by a specific age.”
GOP Lawmaker Attended Gay Son’s Wedding 3 Days After Voting Against Same-Sex Marriage (Dana)
The author writes, “A Republican lawmaker attended his gay son’s wedding just three days after joining the majority of his GOP colleagues in voting against a House bill that would codify federal protections for same-sex marriage. The gay son of Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., confirmed to NBC News on Monday that he ‘married the love of [his] life’ on Friday and that his ‘father was there.’”
Do These Heat Waves Mean Climate Change Is Happening Faster Than Expected? (Sean)
From MIT Technology Review: “Millions of people are now experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand. Blistering heat waves have smashed temperature records around the globe this summer, scorching crops, knocking out power, fueling wildfires, buckling roads and runways, and likely killing thousands across Europe alone. The dizzyingly quick shift from an abstract threat to an era of tumbling temperature records, megadroughts, and pervasive fires has many people wondering: is climate change unfolding faster than scientists had expected? Are these extreme events more extreme than studies had predicted they would be, given the levels of greenhouse gases now in the atmosphere? As it happens, those are two distinct questions, with different and nuanced answers.”
Druze: The Great Survivors (Mili)
From Arab News: “To many, the Druze are an enigma, Arabic-speaking followers of an esoteric Abrahamic faith rooted in Islam, but which branched out on a different spiritual path in the 11th century. To the Druze, both of these characterizations are misperceptions. With a fierce generational attachment to the lands on which they have lived for centuries, the Druze are culturally an Arab Middle Eastern community. As a result of the laying down of the modern borders of the Middle East in the early 20th century, the Druze can be found today chiefly in Syria and Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Jordan. There are an estimated 1.5 million or more Druze in the world today.”
Incorrectly Painted Lanes on Street Cause Confusion in Hollister, CA (Dana)
The author writes, “A newly repaved and stripped street in Hollister is causing confusion for drivers and community members. The lanes along Ladd Lane were incorrectly drawn. ‘I saw it later in the afternoon on my way home from work, and I thought, Woah, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen,’ said Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez. The city redesigned Ladd Lane to add a bike lane and central circles on the road. Their goal was to add those obstructions to slow traffic and prevent people from using the street as a drag racing strip. The lanes were supposed to be slightly curved but ended up looking zig-zag-like and not straight.”
