3.21.2018

All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
 

Breaking: Austin Serial Bomber Reportedly Killed.
A suspect in the string of Austin serial bombings is reportedly dead after an encounter with police early this morning, with initial reports suggesting the suspect blew himself up in his car after being pursued by police. The confrontation follows an explosion at a San Antonio FedEx center, where an Austin-bound package detonated yesterday morning. Police also found and successfully defused a second package at a facility near the Austin airport yesterday afternoon (an evening explosion at an Austin-area Goodwill turned out to be unrelated). The city had been on edge since the bombings began, with four bombings over the previous two weeks (see map) that killed two and injured four. Officials say they are unsure if - or how many - more packages had already been mailed. 

Facebook Under Fire.
The social media giant is facing heavy scrutiny from US and UK lawmakers as well as a possible Federal Trade Commission probe over a leak associated with data science firm Cambridge Analytica. The firm reportedly skimmed the personal data of 50 million Facebook users, building a massive database that allowed it to microtarget inflammatory advertisements during political campaigns like the 2016 US presidential election and the 2016 British referendum to leave the European Union. Cambridge used simple surveys that exploited extremely lax enforcement by Facebook around the ability of apps to not only harvest personal data from app users - largely without their knowledge - but their friends as well. Basically, users would agree to short unrelated surveys whose terms of agreement allowed the firm to begin harvesting data. Cambridge's CEO Alexander Nix was suspended yesterday, and for Facebook the scandal has mushroomed into a larger issue around how it handles user privacy. 

Facebook stock closed down 2.5% yesterday - and 9% over the week - erasing $50B in market value. 

Former French President Taken into Custody.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy was questioned by French police over alleged illegal financing of his 2007 campaign by former Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi. The corruption investigation began in 2013 after a media outlet said it had obtained a document showing that a senior Libyan official signed off on a transfer of 50M Euros (about $60M) to Sarkozy's campaign. Sarkozy and allies have repeatedly denied the allegations during the 5-year investigation - unlike the US, France sets a ceiling on how much any one political candidate can spend on campaigning. The alleged sum would have more than doubled the then-limit of 21 million Euros, while violating rules around foreign support. Under French law Sarkozy can be held for up to 48 hours before being released or charged. 
 

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In honor of National Down Syndrome Day, a beautiful version of Carpool Karaoke.

Michigan tested its government workers with a fake phishing email - 33% opened, 20% provided login info.

More new art surfaces in NYC from Banksy.

Ugh Millennials: Here's all the ways you differ from your grandparents (new data from Pew).

Archeologists discover world's oldest crayon.

Don't mind Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, he's just out taking his robot dog for a walk. 

How obesity kills your taste buds. 

The trailer for the Mister Rodgers documentary is here and all the sudden the room is full of onions. 

This 87-year-old woman uses MS Paint to create masterpieces. 

Clickbait: Lindsay Lohan becomes new spokesperson for Lawyer.com. 

Historybook: RIP Pocahontas (1617); Charles Lindbergh receives Medal of Honor for 1st solo trans-Atlantic flight (1928); HBD Matthew Broderick (1962); US announces boycott of Summer Olympics in Moscow (1980); HBD Twitter (2006).
 

"Isn't it strange that we talk least about the things we think about most?"
-Charles Lindbergh
 

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