Good morning, curious minds!
Ready for a fresh spin through everything that matters today? We've got upsets at the Oscars (hello, "Anora"), Middle East tensions ramping up, and a Trump-fueled crypto rally. Consider this your daily caffeine jolt—minus the jitters. Let’s dive in!
You'll Know First:
• Vatican sources say the pope is in stable condition, but the "risk of crisis" remains: "He rested well all night."
• In a comeback, Cuomo launches campaign for NYC mayor years after resignation.
• It's almost time to "spring forward" an hour and lose an hour of sleep. Why the US kept Daylight Saving Time?
• Blue Ghost lands on the moon with a special delivery for NASA.
Connecting the dots for you, daily:
I gushed about "Anora" in our Weekend Leisure Core a few weeks ago, remember? Well, that underdog indie—a strip club Cinderella with more drama than your average fairy tale just won Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards. Sean Baker's $6 million film won four additional statuettes, including Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
Adrien Brody won his second Best Actor award for "The Brutalist," while Zoe Saldana got Best Supporting Actress honors for "Emilia Pérez." Flow, a low-key Latvian film, beat The Wild Robot in the animation category. With Conan O'Brien hosting, the ceremony again proved that Hollywood loves an underdog—and we are here to cheer them on. Enjoy the cinematic ride—and don't say I didn't call it!
Bonus: Get the full list of Oscar winners for 2025 or a glimpse of the moments.
Crypto Prez
The global crypto market got jolted out of its slump when President Trump mentioned XRP, Solana, and Cardano. This led to a $300 billion rally and a complete rebranding of his earlier "stockpile" idea as the "U.S. Crypto Reserve."
Nobody knows how a reserve of tokenized assets would actually work (or how it'd be funded), but the president's pro-crypto stance overshadowed recent market losses. This is Trump's style: bold, headline-grabbing, and leaving everyone wondering if it's just another tweet. Either way, the crypto world is not snoozing.
Hungry Negotiations
The fragile truce in Gaza just hit another major snag: Israel held all humanitarian aid on Sunday, hoping to get Hamas to extend the ceasefire deal. The blockade has already led to 48,000 Palestinian deaths.
Mediators are scrambling to revive phase two (yes, the one that's been stuck for weeks), which demands Israel withdraw and calls for a permanent ceasefire. Gaza's supplies are running out, and the clock is ticking for any hope of preventing a catastrophe.
💬 Beyond the Core
Ask Your Gran: If you want this stunningly popular accessory, you'll probably have to ask your grandma.
Shower Singing: Check out the 25 best movie musicals of the century (so far).
Mint Condition: What's the per-person amount of money in the world?
💡 Core Wisdom
“
When one paints an ideal, one does not need to limit one's imagination.
— Ellen Key
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📸 Lens to Life
Life in pictures of New York Dolls frontman David Johansen, who died at 75.
🧮 Core Count: 4
Number of weeks you shed a complete layer of skin every time.
🗓️ Flashback:
1575 - Indian Mughal EmperorAkbar defeats the Bengali army at the Battle of Tukaroi.
1857 - France and the United Kingdom declared war on China in the Second Opium War.
1861 - Alexander II of Russia signed the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them the full rights of free citizens.
1887 - Anne Sullivan begins teaching 6-year-old blind-deaf Helen Keller.
1917 - The first major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the Putilov factory.
1939 - Mahatma Gandhi began a fast in Mumbai to protest against autocratic rule in India.
1943 - Australian and American air forces devastate the Japanese navy convoy in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
1991 - Los Angeles police officers severely beat Rodney King; the beating was captured on amateur video, and riots broke out after the officers were acquitted.
I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Fatih Taskiran
