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Big Stories

Identity theft marketplace gets shut down.

International law enforcement agencies shut down Genesis Market, a giant dark web marketplace, on Tuesday in a joint effort called “Operation Cookie Monster”.

Hold up, what‘s the dark web?
The dark web is a hidden group of internet sites that can only be accessed with specialized software. It’s used to hide users internet activity and keep them anonymous. While the dark web itself isn’t illegal, many criminal marketplaces operate on the network providing banned goods and services like guns, drugs, and murder for hire.

Why did Genesis Market get shut down?
The U.S. Treasury Department said that Genesis was “one of the most prominent brokers of stolen credentials and sensitive information” on the dark web. The site hosted over 80 million credentials and digital fingerprints stolen from 2 million people. Bad actors could purchase these records and assume the victims identity online.

How do I know if I was hacked?
The investigation of Genesis is ongoing, but authorities in the Netherlands have created a search tool for those who want to ensure their data is safe. Check it out here. Lesson of the day: Change your password from password.

Donkey goes elephant

North Carolina lawmaker Tricia Cotham plans to switch her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. The flip will give the Republican party veto-proof supermajority control in the state House of Representatives.

Upset democrats said Cotham should resign because the voters in her district expected her to support the party’s agenda. As North Carolina seeks to strengthen its laws on abortion, many liberal lawmakers are concerned that the outcome is now a foregone conclusion. However, Cotham has been pro-choice during her tenure as a Congresswoman and maintains that she will remain steadfast in her belief of what is right.

Why’d she turn?
Cothan cited a number of reasons why she made the switch, including bullying and being cast aside for not doing exactly what Democrats want you to do. She also stated that “the party that best represents me and my principles and the state of North Carolina is the Republican party.”

Little Stories

Business

*Bob Lee, the founder of CashApp, died Tuesday night from multiple stab wounds according to San Francisco police. Lee was found and rushed to a hospital, but didn’t survive despite doctors best efforts. Police have not identified any suspects.

**Sweetgreen’s stock price took a 6% hit after Chipotle sued the company for using its likeness in an ad for a new burrito bowl that dropped March 30. Sweetgreen ignored Chipotle’s cease and desist letter and continues to run the advertisement.

World

*Another large tornado ripped through the midwest on Wednesday killing at least 5 people. The twister caused serious damage in the rural towns of Glenn Allen and Glassy, Missouri. The Storm Prediction Center said that 40 million people are still at risk from the storm in an area that includes Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Memphis.

**House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on U.S. soil in a show of support defying China’s warning that the meeting would come with consequences.

Politics

*A spokesperson for Mike Pence said he won’t try to block the order for him to testify in the Justice Department’s investigations into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

**Michigan Governor Gretchen Widner nixed a 100-year-old abortion ban in the state on Wednesday. The ban came back under effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and gave power to each state to decide its own abortion laws.

Sports

*The Masters tournament tees off today! One person who will not be attending is, LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman. Augusta National Chairman, Fred Ridley, said the move was intentional in order to keep the focus on the tournament rather than the riff between the PGA and LIV.

One Liners

*In Maine a jogger was charged by an angry cow.

**Check out 10 of the best seaside hotels in Ireland. 

***Watch a cat rescue his buddy from the evil vet.