Oscar Surprises

The big winner of the night was definitely Parasite, which not only took home Best Picture but also best director for Bong Joon-ho, best international feature film and best original screenplay.  Parasite becomes the first-ever foreign-language film in the Academy Awards 92-year history to take the top prize. 

The acting awards were not surprises with awards- season favorites Joaquin Phoenix winning best actor for Joker and Renée Zellweger winning best actress for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy. Brad Pitt and Laura Dern took the supporting actor and actress statues home as well. 

A full list of winners here.

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Vindman Fired

The White House fired a National Security Council official who testified under subpoena in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman told Congress what he heard on the phone call between Mr. Trump and the president of Ukraine. The firing has many on both sides of the political aisle in agreement on the chilling effect this has on a whistleblower’s willingness to come forward in the future. 

Learn more about it here.

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Iowa Update

It's not over until it's over, but will it ever be over??  With most candidates already moving on to New Hampshire, the state Democratic Party on Sunday released results for the Iowa caucuses,  indicating that Pete Buttigieg was the winner after it updated data from more than 50 precincts. Errors in the original results have led several major news organizations, including The New York Times, to hold back from calling the race.