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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.
Top Associates of FTX Founder Plead Guilty to Criminal Charges (Maria)
The authors write, “Two of Sam Bankman-Fried’s top associates secretly pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and are cooperating with investigators, a federal prosecutor announced Wednesday as the digital coin entrepreneur was being flown in FBI custody to the US. from the Bahamas. Carolyn Ellison, the 28-year-old former CEO of Alameda Research, a trading firm started by Bankman-Fried, and Gary Wang, the 29-year-old who co-founded FTX, pleaded guilty to charges including wire fraud, securities fraud and commodities fraud.”
January 6 Committee’s Unanswered Questions (DonkeyHotey)
From Axios: “Even after 18 months of investigation and over 1,200 witness interviews, the House Jan. 6 committee released the executive summary of its final report Monday with several major questions lingering. Why it matters: The committee’s work has been historic, culminating in an unprecedented criminal referral against former President Trump on four charges. But gaps remain — largely as a result of roadblocks that special counsel Jack Smith must now overcome in his own criminal investigation of Trump and his allies.”
Kari Lake Trial to Be Arizona Governor Lacks Day 1 Shockers (Reader Steve)
The authors write, “Since her loss in the Arizona governor’s race, Republican Kari Lake has claimed the election was stolen and promised bombshells showing she was the rightful winner. But on the first day of trial in her election challenge Wednesday, her lawyers alleged small-bore problems that didn’t appear to show the widespread, intentional misconduct she would need to prove.”
Tainted History (Sean)
From Van: “According to a 2020 survey conducted by the school, 11 percent of respondents indicated knowledge of a sexual assault that took place in a Juilliard-related context. Four percent of respondents said they had been a victim of sexual harassment at a Juilliard program or activity. (Though the school completes these every other year, Juilliard has not yet released the results of its 2022 survey.)”
One Day With an Ambulance in Britain: Long Waits, Rising Frustration (Russ)
The author writes, “Britain is experiencing a crisis in ambulance response times, part of a broader breakdown in the country’s revered National Health Service. We rode with one crew to witness the problems in real time.”
Fewer Abortions, More Vasectomies: Why the Procedure May Be Getting More Popular (Mili)
From NPR: “Restrictions on abortion in many states are prompting some men to rethink their reproductive health decisions. Since this summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, some doctors say they’re hearing from a growing number of male patients asking for vasectomies. ‘It shouldn’t just be on women to step up and not have kids, you know?’ says Dustin May, of St. Louis, shortly after his vasectomy procedure at a Planned Parenthood clinic. Vasectomies are outpatient permanent sterilization procedures that block sperm from being released in semen.”
NASA Eyes ‘Mysterious Shapes’ Inside Mars Crater (Dana)
The author writes, “Mars offers lots of grand mysteries. Did it ever host microbial life? Are there hidden ‘lakes’ under the polar cap? But the red planet also has intriguing little mysteries, like what’s going on inside a series of craters in the Arabia Terra region in the northern part of Mars. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured some views of craters in Arabia Terra from up above using its HiRise camera. The craters in question ‘contain curious deposits with mysterious shapes and distribution.’”
