How Sarah Palin Mastered Politics

They called themselves the elite six — and the name was meant to be ironic. This was Wasilla, Alaska, 30 miles north of Anchorage, in the early 1990s — when the sagging economy meant, as a local recalls, “everyone had dust on their ass.” There was nothing élite about this little town on the stretch of highway along the railroad.

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In Peru Sports, Men Bumble, And Women Shine

Peruvians have gone mad for the boxer Kina Malpartida, an unlikely sports figure in this South American country where soccer, even if not played well, is king. You see, Malpartida is a woman but she is idolized by the traditionally macho men of Peru because there is no equivalent male athlete in the country. Malpartida, known as “Dynamite” to her fans, is the World Boxing Association’s female super featherweight champion

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Number of best picture nominees doubling

The number of movies nominated for the best picture Oscar will double next year, a move apparently aimed at bolstering sagging ratings for the Academy Awards broadcast. “Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” Sid Ganis, president of the Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said. Doubling the nominations would make it more likely a viewer’s favorite movie is in the running for the top honor, which may make them want to watch the show, said Steve Pond, author of “The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards.” “This clearly is a reaction to declining ratings,” Pond said.

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