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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.
Want to Help Wildlife? Turn Off Your Lights. (Maria)
The author writes, “Look for a constellation in the glow of a city, and at best you might see a star or two. That’s because light pollution is turning night into day in 80 percent of the world. The day to night cycle is an essential part of nature, telling animals when to emerge to hunt, forage, migrate, and mate. When artificial light disrupts those natural light cues, wildlife from bugs to birds, and even plants, are seriously impacted. It’s a problem getting worse every year, but there are simple solutions to help wildlife and restore our night sky view, experts say.”
Republicans Can’t Simply Remove a WI Supreme Court Justice (Al)
From Wisconsin Watch: “Rep. Dan Knodl’s 8th Senate District victory gives Republicans a two-thirds Senate majority, creating speculation about whether they could impeach Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz.”
How Tennessee GOP’s Majority Used Power to Expel Democrats (Reader Steve)
The authors write, “The expulsion of two Tennessee Democrats over a gun control protest is an extraordinary showcase of how the levers of single-party power in America’s statehouses can be pulled not only to shut down opponents, but to also punish them. On any given day in Tennessee, Republicans have the commanding majority to pass just about any law they want. The lopsided dynamic is common in many U.S. statehouses — including where Democrats are in charge — and it has widened under gerrymandered voting maps that redraw legislative district boundaries to dilute the opposition party’s votes.”
Gov. Reeves Declares Confederate Heritage Month in Mississippi (Dana)
From the Mississippi Free Press: “For the fourth year in a row, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a proclamation declaring April as Confederate Heritage Month in Mississippi, keeping alive a 30-year-old tradition that former Republican Gov. Kirk Fordice first began. Black people make up 38% of Mississippi’s population, which is the highest for any state.”
Gov. Greg Abbott Backs Call for Pardon for Daniel Perry, Who Killed Austin Protester in 2020 (DonkeyHotey)
From The Texas Tribune: “Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider recommending a pardon for Daniel Perry on Saturday, one day after a Travis County jury convicted the U.S. Army sergeant in the 2020 murder of Austin protester Garrett Foster. After 17 hours of deliberations and an eight-day trial, jurors Friday found Perry guilty of murder for shooting and killing Foster, who was armed with an AK-47 as part of a group protesting police brutality. Perry, an Uber driver, had encountered the protest a few blocks from the Capitol in downtown Austin.”
One of the World’s Most Cited Scientists, Rafael Luque, Suspended Without Pay for 13 Years (Reader Jim)
From El País: “The prolific chemist, who has published a study every 37 hours this year, has been sanctioned by the University of Córdoba over his research work for other institutions in Russia and Saudi Arabia.”
I’m No Genius With Genuses, but Your Garden Is Killing the Earth (Russ)
The author writes, “I did almost everything wrong. For 20 years, I found the latest, greatest horticultural marvels at garden centers and planted them in my yard: sunny knock-out roses, encore azaleas, merlot redbud, summer snowflake viburnum, genie magnolia, firepower nandina. In between them flowed my lush, deep-green lawn. I hauled sod directly from the farm and rolled it out in neat rows. I core-aerated, I conditioned, I thatched, I overseeded, I fertilized. I weeded by hand, protecting each prized blade of tall fescue from crabgrass and clover. … But this year, the bloom is off the rose. And the hydrangea. And the rhododendron. And all the rest. It turns out I’ve been filling my yard with a mix of ecological junk food and horticultural terrorists.”
Why Friendship Makes Us Healthier (Sean)
The author writes, “It’s well-established that romantic relationships can improve your health and even help you to live longer. But does friendship bring the same benefits?”
