The 96th Academy Awards were awarded tonight at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and after a brief delay caused by protests calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, “Oppenheimer” took home a leading seven Oscars, including ones for best picture, director (Christopher Nolan) and lead actor (Cillian Murphy). (Phillips, Los Angeles Times)
Read MoreHamas leaders are betting that the holy month of Ramadan can turn the momentum of the war in Gaza in their favor, heaping diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop its offensive and help secure the militant Islamist group’s survival. (Jones & Lieber, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreBritain faces an alarming rise in intimidation and threats of violence against those perceived to have insulted Islam, a new report will warn. Protests condemning acts of apparent blasphemy have become more frequent and radicalised, according to independent research commissioned by the government’s counterextremism chief. (Hamilton, The Times UK)
Read MoreA woman with a sleek ponytail and jade blouse posts up at the bar. A man in a blazer tucks into a high-top table. Then there’s John Tierney, 30, sporting a bleached mullet, patchwork cardigan and unwavering self-confidence. This is his first attempt at speed dating, he said, and he’s loving the novelty of meeting single women in real life, rather than swiping on a dating app. (Hunter, The Washington Post)
Read MoreCreators and fans say that even without putting eyes to the page, they’re able to read more Scripture and be spurred to deeper study. “What’s special about [listening] is it makes it easier to just marinate on those big themes of Scripture,” said Jonathan Bailey, cofounder of Dwell, an app for listening to the Bible. “It makes it easier to have the Scriptures wash over you and just be in a posture of soaking or dwelling.” (Pfeiffer, Christianity Today)
Read MoreWhen the lives of Lori Hanasko’s parents unravel, so does her own. Her 89-year-old father fell when taking out the garbage the day after Christmas and broke his hip. He is now in a personal care home. Weeks later, her 84-year-old mother fell in her bathroom, and remains in the hospital. She paid for her father’s care by emptying her small savings account. “I have no brothers or sisters to take turns with me,” says Lori, 49. (Ansberry, The Wal Street Journal)
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