Briefing

THE WEEK

GAY MARRIAGE GOT A COURT DATE

‘We do not attack religion, but we do when it gets involved in politics.’

GERARD BIARD, Charlie Hebdo editor, defending the satirical newspaper’s decision to publish cartoon depictions of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, in his first interview on American TV since terrorists killed 12 people at the paper

161-2

The final score of a California high school girls’ basketball game, which led to the coach’s suspension for poor sportsmanship

$100 MILLION

The price for which a two-story penthouse in Manhattan was purchased, setting a record for the most expensive apartment ever sold in New York City

‘I would love to see a greater cultural diversity among all our nominees.’

CHERYL BOONE ISAACS, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, responding to criticism of the lack of diversity in this year’s acting nominations

American Sniper

The Iraq War flick set January box-office records with a $107 million opening

GOOD WEEK

BAD WEEK

Blackhat

Michael Mann’s hacker movie earned just $4.5 million in its first weekend

‘I SAID I WENT TO HEAVEN BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD GET ME ATTENTION.’

ALEX MALARKEY, car-accident survivor, who claimed in the best-selling book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven that he visited angels during his time in a coma at age 6; he now admits it was a hoax

$24

Invoice (£15.95) sent to a 5-year-old British boy by a classmate’s mother after he failed to attend the classmate’s birthday party

‘I’d like to be an equal citizen in my own country.’

LEO VARADKAR, Irish Health Minister, who revealed he’s gay and supports same-sex marriage as a May referendum on the issue approaches

‘If you truly believe you could … support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it.’

U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, calling on Congress to increase the minimum wage during his State of the Union address. Obama touted the economic recovery and said “the shadow of crisis has passed”

Sources: NBC News; BBC; AP; Guardian; NPR