AT&T Data Breach Impacts Millions

Good morning and happy Monday. If you feel like there is a new story about the discovery of a long-lost sunken ship almost every day, you are not imagining things. Scientists and treasure hunters say it has never been easier to find shipwrecks thanks to climate change and technological advancement. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Havana Syndrome: 60 Minutes probe

• Prince Charles: Attends Easter service

• Trump: Social media firestorm

• Kia: Massive Telluride recall

• Louis Gossett Jr. Dies at 87

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Change your password

AT&T is grappling with a massive data leak.

• What happened: The telecommunications giant said it recently discovered sensitive information belonging to current and former customers online. Passcodes and some Social Security numbers were found on the "dark web."

• How many impacted? A lot. AT&T said close to 8M current accounts were impacted along with over 65M former account holders. Current user passcodes have already been changed by the company.

• Next steps: Impacted customers will be informed by email or letter. AT&T said will pay for credit monitoring services where applicable. A "robust investigation" into the issue has been launched.

2) March madness

The NCAA men's Final Four is set and the last two national semifinalists on the women's side will be determined tonight.

• The men: N.C. State continued its surprise run, knocking off rival Duke yesterday to reach the Final Four for the first time since it won the national title in 1983. The Wolfpack will face Purdue in the national semifinals on Saturday in Phoenix while reigning national champion UConn will play Alabama in the other semifinal.

• The women: Undefeated South Carolina will face N.C. State in one national semifinal on Friday in Cleveland. The other matchup will be determined after tonight's regional final games. Reigning national champion LSU will play Iowa in a rematch of last year's NCAA final. UConn will face USC in the other game with a trip to the Final Four at stake.

• The spotlight: All eyes will be on the LSU-Iowa game in Albany. The Hawkeyes are led by Caitlin Clark, arguably the biggest star in college sports. LSU is led by star Angel Reese and polarizing coach Kim Mulkey.

3) Sticky fingers

Reporters have been asked to stop stealing stuff while riding Air Force One.

• What happened: A terse White House Correspondents' Association memo reminded members they cannot take things off the plane while traveling with President Joe Biden. The missive reportedly came after the White House informed association president Kelly O'Donnell of NBC that several items were missing after a recent trip.

• Grab bag: The reporters on the trip were mailed and offered amnesty. Only one media member responded, eventually negotiating the turnover of an embroidered Air Force One pillowcase. Glasses and gold-rimmed plates are other items often pocketed by the press.

• Big picture: Lifting Air Force One souvenirs is reportedly a long-running tradition among reporters, and the theft has never been anything more than a nuisance for the White House. But the administration wants it to stop, and it makes good copy for a slow news day.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A 60 Minutes investigation broadcast last night alleged Russia could be behind "Havana Syndrome" cases afflicting federal employees. A 2023 government report claimed it was unlikely a foreign adversary was responsible for the health issues (More)

• Crews began to remove parts of the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge from the Patapsco River yesterday. Four workers who are presumed dead remain unaccounted for (More)

• A major storm system is expected to sweep across the nation to start the week. The storm began in California over the weekend; it could bring severe thunderstorms and tornadoes (More)

World News

• Prince Charles attended Easter Sunday service yesterday and greeted well-wishers with Queen Camilla. It was his first public appearance since beginning cancer treatment; Princess Kate and Prince William did not attend (More)

• Turkey's secular opposition party appeared to secure major municipal election wins in Ankara and Istanbul. The losses are a significant political setback for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (More)

• Radio Free Asia will close its Hong Kong bureau due to the new national security law driven by mainland China's government. The radio news outlet is funded by the U.S. government (More)

Campaign News

• Former President Donald Trump is under fire after sharing a video that depicted President Biden bound in a pickup truck. Trump reposted the video on his Truth Social account (More)

• A judge's order blocking New Jersey's controversial "county line" ballot format will only apply to this year's Democratic primary. The GOP primary ballot will remain unchanged (More)

• Several House Republicans are working to defeat party member Virginia Rep. Bob Good in his upcoming primary. Good is a hardliner who helped overthrow former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed on Friday as the markets get ready for the start of Q2 today (Dow +0.12%, Nasdaq -0.12%, S&P 500 +0.11%).

• Kia has recalled close to 430K Telluride SUVs. A defect may cause the cars to roll away when parked (More)

• Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is telling investors he wants to buy TikTok without its proprietary algorithm. The approach would effectively mean the social media platform would need to be rebuilt from scratch (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Louis Gossett Jr. died last Thursday at 87. He was the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor after his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman; he was also an Emmy and Golden Globe recipient (More)

• Chance Perdomo was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday at 27, according to his publicist. He starred in Gen V and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (More)

• Disney has greenlit a sequel to Freaky Friday. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles; production would begin this summer (More)

Quick Hitters

• Makes Sense: Shoplifters often target disposable razors when stealing from retailers. The reasoning is pretty simple -- people use them.

• Take Note: Electric vehicle fires are proving far more difficult to extinguish than when a conventional car is ablaze. Fire fighters are beginning to work on innovating new ways to handle them.

• Go Deep: Many people discover surprising things when they take an at-home DNA test. Here is an in-depth look at what a genetic match really means.

• Chow Down: It can be hard to get a good lunch during a busy workday. Here are over 50 easy ideas to make sure you are getting the fuel you need.

• Life Hack: Many of us have been burning our candles the wrong way. Here is how you prevent the tunnel around the wick.

• OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”

Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:

Watch This

Think of a number between 1 and 100. There is a good chance you came up with 37, because it is seemingly always on our minds. Here's why.ks

• Larry David does not want to talk about his net worth 💰

• Spinal Tap II's cameo list keeps growing 🍿

• Secondhand clothing sales skyrocketed last year 👗

• Television storylines that ended with no explanation 🤷‍♂️

• It is not easy being an art history major 🎓

• How UK Easter candy became such a big hit in the U.S. 🐣

• Boston Market is becoming a thing of the past 🍗

• Incredible buildings made entirely out of wood 🪵

• A historical collection of paper airplanes ✈

• A guy lugged a refrigerator up Mt. Kilimanjaro for some reason 🏔️

Looking Ahead …

Oscar-winning film director Christopher Nolan will be knighted in the United Kingdom. His wife, film producer Emma Thomas, will receive a damehood.

Question of the Day

Last week’s results:

Trivia: What was Kramer’s name for the Seinfeld pilot?

Only 31% of readers got this one right — it was Kessler!