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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.
Switching to Renewable Energy Could Save Trillions: Study (Maria)
The author writes, “Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy could save the world as much as $12 trillion by 2050, an Oxford University study says. The report said it was wrong and pessimistic to claim that moving quickly towards cleaner energy sources was expensive. Gas prices have soared on mounting concerns over energy supplies. But the researchers say that going green now makes economic sense because of the falling cost of renewables. … The report’s findings are based on looking at historic price data for renewables and fossil fuels and then modeling how they’re likely to change in the future.”
Not Mar-a-Lago: Congress’ Secrets in Sealed Rooms, Lock Bags (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Security-sealed rooms. Lock bags. And in the most rare of circumstances, the ability to handcuff a document pouch to a messenger to transport the nation’s secrets. These are some of the ways Capitol Hill keeps classified documents secured, an elaborate system of government protocols and high-level security clearances that stands in stark contrast to the storage room stash of secrets at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.”
Why CNN Is Booting All the Trump Critics Who Work There (Russ)
From Slate: “Calling Donald Trump a dishonest demagogue shouldn’t be the sort of thing that might get a journalist in trouble. The statement is roughly as disputable as saying that fire is hot or water is wet. Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, pretended he didn’t, induced thousands of idiots to storm the U.S. Capitol in order to ‘stop the steal,’ and is now using his political clout to support those midterm candidates who most aggressively subscribe to his election lies. Journalists are supposed to report the facts, and Trump’s dishonest demagoguery is one of the plainest facts of the present day. So why does the new management at CNN seem so intent on pretending otherwise? The answer, of course, is because millions of Americans still support Trump and believe his obvious lies, and because CNN would like very much for some of these people to help boost the network’s flagging ratings.”
QAnon Follower Killed by Michigan Police After Shooting Wife and Daughter (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “A Michigan man died in a firefight with police Sunday after he allegedly killed his wife and wounded his daughter, with another family member blaming his interest in QAnon conspiracy theories for the attack, according to NBC News. Igor Lanis, 53, fired a shotgun at officers responding to a 911 call outside his Walled Lake home, leading police to return fire, according to the local Oakland County Sheriff’s office.”
First Politicians Call for Putin’s Removal After Reverses in Ukraine (Sean)
The author writes, “Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered a rare and pointed challenge to his authority on Monday after an embarrassing defeat for Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine at the weekend. Some 18 municipal lawmakers from the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kolpino signed a public declaration for Putin’s removal from office, citing the harm that his policies are doing. While the deputies are not familiar to either the international or the national Russian audience, their action is a striking show of dissent, indicative of an opposition that has been effectively silenced for years by Putin’s increasingly autocratic leadership.”
Pakistan Grapples With Dengue, Other Waterborne Diseases in Flood-Hit Areas (Mili)
From Arab News: “Pakistan has been struggling to fight outbreaks of dengue and other waterborne diseases, particularly in the country’s south, authorities said [last week], with the government and charities setting up hundreds of medical camps nationwide to treat patients in flood-ravaged areas. Historic monsoon rains and melting glaciers in northern mountains brought cataclysmic floods, which have killed at least 1,314 and affected over 35 million people, according to data shared by the National Flood Response Coordination Centre (NFRCC). A third of the country is submerged and the extreme weather, widely attributed to climate change, is still expected to continue for the next few days.”
Mystery ‘Blue Goo’ Ocean Animal Stumps Scientists (Dana)
The author writes, “From the same science folks who brought us weird seafloor holes and a ghostly squid comes a new mystery of the deep: a ‘blue goo’ animal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Okeanos Explorer crew spotted oddball specimens of an unknown sea creature during a recent expedition in the Atlantic. ‘Have you heard about the latest Okeanos mystery? Seen multiple times during off St. Croix, this ‘blue goo’ animal stumped scientists, who thought it might be soft coral, sponge, or tunicate (but def not a rock!),’ the Okeanos team tweeted.”
