Welcome to the inaugural edition of Things to Know, your source for staying woke or at least avoiding mid-morning drowsiness.
An ICE arrest in Oregon could be unconstitutional.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Carlos Bolanos in Portland, but they didn’t have a warrant. Although he was later released, U.S. senators from Oregon are demanding an explanation.
This incident with ICE follows another from last month, when ICE agents who failed to identify themselves stopped Isidro Andrade-Tafolla and his wife outside a courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Investigative journalism gets macabre.
Today Reuters launched the first part of an investigation into body brokers, companies that essentially procure dead bodies, break them down and sell them for parts. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s nauseatingly morbid, making it a solid read leading up to Halloween.
Now you might know if tech giants give your user data to the government.
Microsoft is pulling its lawsuit against the Department of Justice after the agency reversed its policy that put tech companies under permanent gag orders when it came to subpoenaed user data. Now, for the most part, Microsoft and other companies can tell customers when they give their data to the government.
A small Montana company will play a big role in Hurricane Maria recovery.
When Hurricane Maria made landfall, the powerful storm knocked out Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, leaving most of the commonwealth without power. Now the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is paying a company in Montana, Whitefish Energy, $300 million to get the grid up and running. Critics are questioning the cost of choosing a private firm to do the work and the company itself, which has never before tackled an infrastructure challenge as huge as Puerto Rico’s.
Another component of this: Whitefish Energy is based in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown, and the company’s CEO and Zinke have said they know each other. But they also said Zinke had nothing to do with the contract.
Your daily news detox: Sometimes, if I’m having a rough day, I tune in to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live jellyfish cam. Take a step back and find peace with the jellies.
Contact Mollie Bryant at bryant@bigiftrue.org or 405-990-0988. Follow Bryant on Twitter and Facebook.