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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.
Sensitive Personal Data of US House and Senate Members Hacked, Offered for Sale (Maria)
The author writes, “Members of the House and Senate were informed on Wednesday that hackers may have gained access to their sensitive personal data in a breach of a Washington, DC, health insurance marketplace. Employees of the lawmakers and their families were also affected. DC Health Link confirmed that data on an unspecified number of customers was affected and said it was notifying them and working with law enforcement. It said it was offering identity theft service to those affected and extending credit monitoring to all customers. The FBI said it was aware of the incident and was assisting the investigation.”
Council Speaker Looks to Link Growing Number of NYCHA Entrepreneurs With Vacant Space, Capital (Russ)
From City Limits: “New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams will [announced] a proposal during her State of the City speech Wednesday that aims to support and expand the growing number of NYCHA resident-owned businesses. The proposed legislation, Adams said, aims to help residents save more money without raising their rent or cost of living. It would create a directory of NYCHA tenant-owned businesses as well as marketing materials to spotlight their work, and require the city to launch a public education campaign for NYCHA residents to connect with other startups at public housing facilities throughout the five boroughs.”
Bill Allows DACA Recipients to Become Police Officers (Al)
From Urban Milwaukee: “An effort to allow certain immigrants lacking permanent legal status to become police officers and sheriff’s deputies has been reintroduced by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers. The legislation aims to provide more job opportunities for DACA recipients and address recruiting challenges among law enforcement agencies.”
DeSantis’s New Disney World Board Hints at Future Controversy (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “The first meeting of the new board of Walt Disney World’s government — overhauled by sweeping legislation signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as punishment for Disney publicly challenging Florida’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill — dealt with the rote affairs any other municipal government would handle: calls for better firefighter equipment, lessons on public records requests and bond ratings. But the five board members appointed by DeSantis hinted Wednesday at future controversial actions they may take, including prohibiting COVID-19 restrictions at Disney World and recommending the elimination of two cities that were created after the Florida Legislature in 1967 approved the theme park resort’s self-governance.”
The Privacy Loophole in Your Doorbell (Gerry)
From Politico: “Police were investigating his neighbor. A judge gave officers access to all his security-camera footage, including inside his home.”
There Are 21,000 Pieces of Plastic in the Ocean for Each Person on Earth (Laura)
The author writes, “Humans have filled the world’s oceans with more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic, dramatically more than previously estimated, according to a major new study released Wednesday. The trillions of plastic particles — a ‘plastic smog,’ in the words of the researchers — weigh roughly 2.4 million metric tons and are doubling about every six years, according to the study conducted by a team of international researchers led by Marcus Eriksen of the 5 Gyres Institute, based in Santa Monica, Calif. That is more than 21,000 pieces of plastic for each of the Earth’s 8 billion residents. Most of the pieces are very small.”
Black Soldiers Cycled 1,900 Miles Across the US So He Did, Too. (Mili)
The author writes, “A remarkable journey from Montana to St. Louis by 20 Black infantrymen in 1897 seemed doomed to obscurity until Erick Cedeño, a bicyclist, retraced their journey.”
