Your Weekly Storybench: Data, Digital, & Deep Dives

Cool Stuff Corner: What are we reading?

🪪 See your identity pieced together from stolen data

As you may have noticed, data breaches have become alarmingly common, and, sadly, the threat to your personal identity is growing by the day. Cybercriminals are finding new ways to steal and exploit everything from Social Security numbers to everyday passwords, turning your personal data into a goldmine for fraud. But you can’t protect yourself if you don’t know what’s happening — that’s where this ABC News investigation comes in. Revealing how easily your information can fall into the wrong hands and showing you how to check if you’ve been affected by a breach.

It’s not pretty folks, but it’s stuff you need to know if you’re going to protect yourself online. Click (and enter your email) for one wake-up call you won’t want to miss. 

🩺 Medicaid could be on the chopping block. Here’s what potential cuts could mean for New England. 

More under things you hate to see but need to know: MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid program, is under scrutiny as recent policy changes raise concerns about coverage continuity. Amid debates over eligibility and funding, thousands of residents are now facing uncertainty regarding their healthcare access. This Boston Globe in-depth analysis sheds light on the potential impacts of these developments on vulnerable populations, using some awesome interactive datavis in the process – take a look.

From the Vault 💪🏼

👨‍💻 A roundup of visualizations of discrimination in the tech industry

Continuing with this weeks (somewhat scary) data theme… Ever wonder how charts and graphs can expose bias in the tech industry? This roundup showcased the power of data visualization to shine a light on workplace discrimination in tech. Using colorful bar charts, revealing infographics, and interactives to tell a story that numbers alone can’t. Each visual sparks curiosity by revealing surprising patterns behind otherwise hidden tech’s diversity gaps in the industry. This is one oldie but a goodie you won’t want to miss!

Here's a look inside the data team at the Associated Press

Speaking of data…ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of the Associated Press’s data team? Now you can 😎 

Here at the AP, journalists are blending traditional reporting with cutting-edge data analysis. Discover how embedding data reporters within beat teams—covering areas like education, climate, and state government—enhances storytelling and keeps the AP at the forefront of modern journalism.  This is one #BTS you wont want to miss!

Photo of the Week 💪🏼

This one goes out to all my sunset chasers.. did you know one of the best views of the Boston skyline – especially at sunset – is from the top of the Museum of Science parking lot? That’s right. Head on over for an afternoon of science and innovation and finish your day with one of the best views of our beloved city. See for yourself ⬇️

That's all we've got for this week! Thanks for reading, and let us know if there's anything you'd like to see in these newsletters or in our coverage at [email protected].

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