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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.
Sea Otter Week: Here’s What You Otter Know
The author writes, “It’s Sea Otter Awareness Week, which means it’s a great time to learn about everyone’s favorite aquatic fluffball! And the first thing you ‘otter’ know about sea otters is that they are way bigger than you might think. … Because it’s so thick, sea otter fur is warm and waterproof. It’s also super-soft, which has made the animals prized targets for fur-trappers. In fact, sea otters were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s. Fortunately, people realized the animals were almost lost, and the United States government added several otter species to the endangered species list beginning in the 1970s. Today there are about 3,000 southern sea otters living on California’s coast. And that’s good news, because sea otters are eco-superstars.”
What Happens When a Party Rejects Humanity? (Dana)
From Intelligencer: “As inhumanity takes hold of the GOP and conquers whatever moral core the party once possessed, it has a totalizing effect on Republicans. They believe their own anti-migrant propaganda so sincerely that other perspectives seem naïve by comparison. Put another way, this transformation began with the conviction that migrants — and, before them, Black people — were not full human beings. A party becomes inhumane through the degradation of others. By treating migrants like parasites instead of people, Republicans lower themselves, too.”
Migrants’ Attorneys Demand Criminal Investigation Into Flights From Florida (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “The law firm representing 30 of the 48 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard at the direction of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Massachusetts and federal officials to open a criminal investigation into the incident on Saturday. The Boston-based firm Lawyers for Civil Rights wrote letters to U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, calling on them to open a formal investigation into the ‘political stunt,’ according to the firm’s website.”
These Male Politicians Are Pushing for Women Who Receive Abortions to Be Punished With Prison Time (Reader Andrew)
From CNN: “A faction of self-proclaimed ‘abolitionists’ are seeking to make abortion laws more restrictive and the consequences of having the procedure more punitive than ever before. Emboldened by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, they say they will not be satisfied until fetuses are given the same protections as all US citizens — meaning that if abortion is illegal, then criminal statutes should be applied accordingly. While major national anti-abortion groups say they do not support criminalizing women, the idea is gaining traction with certain conservative lawmakers. And the activists and politicians leading the charge are nearly always men, CNN found.”
Fury in Iran as Young Woman Dies Following Morality Police Arrest (Dana)
The author writes, “A 22-year-old Iranian woman has died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. Eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran on Tuesday. Police have denied the allegations, saying Ms Amini had ‘suddenly suffered a heart problem.’ It is the latest in a series of reports of brutality against women by authorities in Iran in recent weeks.”
Getting Your Daily Steps Is Important, But It’s Not Just the Amount That Matters (Mili)
The author writes, “It’s not just the number of steps you take in a day that matter. It’s also the pace at which you take them, according to new research. In nearly 80,000 adults with wearable trackers — one of the largest analyses to date — researchers found those who walk at a faster pace also show signs of improved health outcomes. … In two new studies of nearly 78,500 participants a piece, researchers in the United Kingdom have shown strong evidence that a person’s walking pace matters. Those who regularly walked at a faster pace or with higher intensity at times throughout the day showed a lower risk of dementia onset as well as a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cancer and cardiovascular disease compared to those who walked slower.”
‘Very Aggressive’ Owl at SeaTac Park Prompts Safety Warning (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “People who go to a park south of Seattle are being advised to bring hats, umbrellas or even a helmet because of an aggressive owl. In a tweet this week, the city of SeaTac highlighted a warning about a ‘very aggressive owl’ known to frequent North SeaTac Park.”
