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March 16, 2026

When the Oscars take place this weekend, few countries will be watching as closely as will Brazil. Last year, for the first time, a Brazilian film was nominated for best picture. This year promises more—“The Secret Agent” by Kleber Mendonça Filho is nominated for four Academy awards. Brazil’s sudden success has led to euphoria in a nation that has long been considered Latin America’s cinema laggard. Tap the link in our bio to find out why growing competition and a more internationally minded Academy awards are to thank. Photo: Dado Galderi/The New York Times/Eyevine

March 16, 2026

This spring Dartmouth College will graduate a class fluent in literature, science, writing and foreign languages—but, for the first time in more than a century, not necessarily able to swim. Swim tests were once commonplace on American campuses. But over the years budget pressures and waning administrative enthusiasm led many schools to abandon their swimming requirements. In recent years the focus has shifted away from the cost and inconvenience of swim tests. Click the link in our bio to find out why instead, it has shifted to the uncomfortable racial disparities they reveal. Photo: Getty Images

March 16, 2026

Big oil shocks, a generation of economists has been taught, are a relic of the distant past, when energy production was concentrated in the Middle East and the world economy was not so energy-efficient. Over the past two weeks, however, the old way of thinking has returned from the scrapheap. A big enough shock in the Gulf, it turns out, can still initiate a profound crisis. And the chaos emanating now from the Strait of Hormuz is huge. It has already caused the biggest energy supply shock in history. Yet click the link in our bio to find out why some regions will be more affected than others. Photo: Reuters