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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.
T-Mobile Says Data on 37M Customers Stolen in New Breach (Maria)
The author writes, “The US wireless carrier T-Mobile said Thursday that an unidentified malicious intruder breached its network in late November and stole data on 37 million customers, including addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. T-Mobile said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the breach was discovered Jan. 5. It said the data exposed to theft — based on its investigation to date — did not include passwords or PINs, bank account or credit card information, Social Security numbers or other government IDs.”
What the January 6 Probe Found Out About Social Media, but Didn’t Report (Russ)
From The Washington Post: “The Jan. 6 committee’s 845-page report offered few details of social media’s role in the Capitol riot. Transcripts and an unreleased memo shows the committee knew more.”
What the Supreme Court Left Out of Its Dobbs-Leak Report (DonkeyHotey)
From Intelligencer: “A surprise report from the Supreme Court on its investigation into who leaked a draft of the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade informs the public that the disclosure was ‘a grave assault on the judicial process,’ an ‘extraordinary betrayal of trust,’ and that the leaker ‘brazenly violated a system that was built fundamentally on trust.’ The summary of the inquiry, conducted by the Court’s marshal, Gail Curley, provides a tiny window into the pandemic-era workings of one of the most secretive institutions in American life. It describes consulting cell-phone records and printer logs and conducting interviews that culminated in affidavits. We even learn that some of those interviewed breached protocol by blabbing to their spouses. But crucially, it does not tell you whether investigators actually spoke to the justices themselves. Oh, and the report also doesn’t say who leaked to Politico last spring. These omissions may or may not be related.”
Boeing Ordered to Be Arraigned on Charge in Max Crashes (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “A federal judge has ordered Boeing Co. to be arraigned on a felony charge stemming from crashes of two 737 Max jets, a ruling that threatens to unravel an agreement Boeing negotiated to avoid prosecution. The ruling by a judge in Texas came after relatives of some of the victims said the government violated their rights by reaching a settlement with Boeing without first notifying the families.”
The Most Toxic Online Platforms: Are Your Kids on Them? (Sean)
From PC Magazine: “Kids are now born into a world with social media, as well as a tangled web of images, games, users, and algorithms that make it nearly impossible for parents to know everything they’re doing. A new study by ExpressVPN asked over 2,000 children in the US and the UK about the biggest issues they’re facing online and on which platforms. The top problems kids reported experiencing are somebody being rude or swearing at them (34%), seeing scary videos (31%), and seeing scary photos (26%).”
Global Pollinator Losses Causing 500,000 Early Deaths a Year — Study (Laura)
The author writes, “The global loss of pollinators is already causing about 500,000 early deaths a year by reducing the supply of healthy foods, a study has estimated. Three-quarters of crops require pollination but the populations of many insects are in sharp decline. The inadequate pollination that results has caused a 3%-5% loss of fruit, vegetable and nut production, the research found. The lower consumption of these foods means about 1% of all deaths can now be attributed to pollinator loss, the scientists said.”
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life as We Don’t Know It (Gerry)
From Scientific American: “Much of astrobiology research involves searching for chemical ‘biosignatures’ — molecules or combinations of molecules that could indicate the presence of life. But because scientists can’t reliably say that ET life should look, chemically, like Earth life, seeking those signatures could mean we miss beings that might be staring us in the face. ‘How do we move beyond that?’ [Sarah Stewart] Johnson asks. ‘How do we contend with the truly alien?’ Scientific methods, she thought, should be more open to varieties of life based on varied biochemistry: life as we don’t know it.”
