Morning! While you were sleeping (or staying up to binge-watch Friends for the tenth time) (or pulling an all-nighter in the library), a few things went down that you’ll probably want to know about. So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and get scrolling.
Rumor Has It
The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly sent a letter to and warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that blocking streaming companies such as Netflix from competing for Oscar awards could “raise antitrust concerns and violate competition laws,” according to Variety.
“In the event that the Academy—an association that includes multiple competitors in its membership—establishes certain eligibility requirements for the Oscars that eliminate competition without procompetitive justification, such conduct may raise antitrust concerns,” the letter said, per Variety.
Justice Department warns Academy over potential #Oscars rule changes threatening Netflix (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/CMPEiqNAWe pic.twitter.com/R6NqN5DQvE
— Variety (@Variety) April 2, 2019
Makan Delrahim, the head of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, sent the letter to AMPAS CEO Dawn Hudson on March 21, warning that new rules could limit competition. The letter responds to rules proposed by Steven Spielberg, an Academy board member, to restrict movies that appear on a streaming service and the big screen simultaneously.
The move seems directed at Netflix, which earned three Academy Awards this year for “Roma.” Spielberg has been a major critic of streaming services.
“Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” Spielberg said in an interview last year with ITV News, per The Los Angeles Times. “You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy—but not an Oscar. I don’t believe films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination.”
According to The New York Post, the Academy will meet on April 23 for its annual review of the rules.
News You Can Eat
You can now order a “Cumberbunny,” a chocolate bunny shaped like Benedict Cumberbatch, online, and it’s perfect for the Sherlock fandom.
The chocolate treat is made by UK-based chocolate shop Chocolatician, where the first Cumberbunny made its debut in 2016. There are three options available: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. The milk chocolate Cumberbunny is handmade from Belgian milk chocolate with edible gold “lustre dust.” The dark chocolate Cumberbunny is made from Belgian dark chocolate with edible bronze lustre dust. And the white chocolate Cumberbunny is made from Belgian white chocolate with bowtie made with a 22-carat edible gold leaf.
It lasts for six months, and it shouldn’t be refrigerated, kept in direct sunlight, or placed in extreme temperatures.
The treat costs around $65 for the milk and dark chocolate options and around $91 for the white chocolate ones. Good news, the Cumberbunny can be delivered to the United States. The shipping costs around $23.50 with “additional import taxes on delivery that are not included.” It also recommends that you check your “regional delivery websites.”
It’ll definitely be an Easter treat you or your friends will never forget.
Then This Happened
In a historic moment, Chicago elected Lori Lightfoot as the new mayor, making her the first black woman and LGBTQ person to hold the position. According to The New York Times, she beat former school teacher and 19-year veteran of the city Council Toni Preckwinkle, and she will replace Rahm Emanuel.
“Now that it’s over I know that we will work together for the city that we both love,” Lightfoot said, per CNN. “Today you did more than make history, you created a movement for change.”
She continued to say, “Now we’re going to take the next steps together. Together we can and will finally put the interests of our people, all of our people, against the interests of a powerful few.”
Lori Lightfoot is elected mayor of Chicago. She will be the first African-American woman and first who identifies as a lesbian to hold the position. https://t.co/tneZWXxZJq pic.twitter.com/TFIcYcthG8
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 3, 2019
According to The Chicago Tribune, Lightfoot was a first-time politician and won the mayoral race with 180,000 more votes than Preckwinkle. This was the most crowded mayoral race in the city’s history, The New York Times reports.
Lightfoot, according to the Times, campaigned on increasing equity within Chicago, creating affordable housing, strengthening access to education. She also emphasized a need for more accountability and transparency within City Hall.
Happy News
It’s good to know that we’re not the only ones who love a good Disney throwback.
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) April 3, 201