Feb 10, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Obama-produced "American Factory" wins best documentary Oscar

Barack and Michelle Obama close the Obama Foundation Summit, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, October 2018. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

"American Factory," the first Netflix film produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground, won an Oscar for best documentary feature Sunday.

What they're saying: The former president and first lady both tweeted their congratulations to filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, who directed the film, which documents what happened to an Ohio factory after it was reopened by a Chinese billionaire. "So glad to see their heart and honesty recognized — because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect," Michelle Obama said. "But that's where the truth so often lies."

Go deeper: The Obamas and Netflix reveal details for 7 of their productions

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Alexi McCammond
32 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Political world reacts to Biden tapping Kamala Harris as running mate

Sen. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden at a campaign event in March. Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Democrats from across the party — including some of the women on Joe Biden's vice-presidential shortlist — are championing his historic appointment of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.

What they're saying: "I warmly congratulate Senator Kamala Harris on her selection as Joe Biden’s Vice Presidential running mate," said former UN Ambassador Susan Rice, whom several sources said was in the top two. Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail."

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Axios
Updated 56 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 20,166,415 — Total deaths: 738,266 — Total recoveries: 12,388,925 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 5,124,050 — Total deaths: 164,329 — Total recoveries: 1,670,755 — Total tests: 62,513,174 — Map.
  3. States: Florida reports another daily record for deaths — State testing plans fall short of demand.
  4. Axios-Ipsos poll: 1 in 2 has a personal connection to COVID-19.
  5. Business: Moderna reveals it may not hold patent rights for vaccine.
  6. 🏈 Sports: Big Ten scraps fall football season.
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Fadel Allassan
Updated 1 hour ago - Sports

PAC-12 and Big Ten postpone fall sports due to coronavirus

Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced Tuesday that they've voted to postpone their 2020 fall sports seasons, including football, due to risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic, hoping instead to play in the spring.

Why it matters: The move from two of the most prominent conferences in college sports will almost certainly prompt other Power Five leagues to follow suit.

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