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The Morning Brief: Trump’s Navy Pick Withdraws, Bill Paxton Dies and Best Picture Mistake Stuns

2 minute read

Good morning. These are today’s top stories:

La La Land is mistakenly named top Oscars winner

La La Land was accidentally declared Best Picture in a historic mistake at last night’s 89th Academy Awards. The film’s producers had taken the stage to deliver an acceptance speech before it was revealed that the top prize actually belonged to Moonlight.

Another Jewish cemetery is vandalized

More than 100 headstones were knocked over at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia over the weekend, authorities said. Last week, a historic Jewish cemetery in St. Louis was vandalized.

German hostage beheaded in Philippines

Abu Sayyaf extremists have beheaded a German hostage in the Philippines. The killing was captured in a video, which was released by the militants.

President Trump’s Navy Secretary pick says no

Philip Bilden, a businessman whom President Donald Trump had nominated to be Secretary of the Navy, has withdrawn his name from consideration. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said in statement that Bilden’s decision was “driven by privacy concerns and significant challenges he faced in separating himself from his business interests.”

Also:

Trump’s proposed budget will likely include boosting military spending and cutting Environmental Protection Agency and State Department costs.

Actor Bill Paxton, who starred in Aliens and Twister, has died at 61.

The man accused of ramming a vehicle into a Mardi Gras parade crowd in New Orleans had a high blood alcohol level, police said.

Muhammad Ali’s son was reportedly detained at an airport and was asked “Are you Muslim?”

The Nokia 3310 phone is back, and it still features the classic Snake game.

Oxford Dictionaries has recognized 300 new words, including “squad goals.”

The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com.

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