An Iranian operative has been found guilty ofa plot to assassinate President Donald Trumpin 2024, even as the nation today grapples with the threat of"sleeper cell" attackson American soil amid the war in Iran. Asif Merchant, 47, a Pakistani national, admitted in trial testimony that he was trained by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to steal documents and arrange political assassinations in the United States. The plot was foiled; now, he could face life in prison. In a statement when Merchant was arrested in 2024, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray called the plot"straight out of the Iranian playbook."
Iranian agent guilty in plot to kill Trump
'Killer' asteroid will skirt the moon
It looks as ifthe moon is in the clear. NASA has determined that asteroid 2024 YR4 − the same "city killer" that had appeared to be at risk ofcolliding with Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, before new calculations showed it would miss us − also will spare our neighbor. The space rock, about the size of a 15-story building, would not jolt the moon off its orbit if it hit; still, one team of scientists was worried enough that it proposednuking the asteroid. Not to fear, though: New observations show YR4 will miss the moon by 13,200 miles − by cosmic standards, still a very close shave.
Uber is going 'women only'
Uber is allowingwomen to stick togetherwhen they ride. The service has rolled out Women Preferences, a feature that allows female riders and teens to choose a female driver, plus let female drivers choose female riders −"because women asked for it,"Uber says. Riders can access Women Preferencesdirectly on the Uber app; if the wait time is too long, they can choose a standard ride or book a trip later. Similarly, drivers can turn on a Women Rider Preference in the Uber Driver app settings. The expansion comes as Uber has faced scrutiny over thousands of sexual assault lawsuits and rider safety overall.
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1968: "Oliver!" | Mark Lester plays the titular orphan in the film based on Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
1999: "American Beauty" | Kevin Spacey, with Mena Suvari, won the best-actor Oscar." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2000: "Gladiator" | Russell Crowe won the best-actor Oscar." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" | Ian McKellen helped complete the Middle-earth trilogy. This is the third film to win the all-time high of 11 Oscars, and the only fantasy film ever to win the Academy's top prize." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2006: "The Departed" | Leonardo DiCaprio, left, and Jack Nicholson star in this film that also won Martin Scorsese a directing Oscar." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2008: "Slumdog Millionaire" | The movie set in India, with Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, won eight Oscars, none in acting categories." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2009: "The Hurt Locker" | Jeremy Renner received a best-actor nomination but did not win. The film, however, won six Oscars, and Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for directing." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2011: "The Artist" | Jean Dujardin won the Oscar for best actor while Bérénice Bejo received a best-supporting actress nomination. The (mostly) silent film won five Academy Awards." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2012: "Argo" | Ben Affleck produced, directed and starred in this best picture based on the real-life rescue of American embassy workers in Iran in 1980." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2016: "Moonlight" | In the wildest Oscars ending ever, "La La Land" was erroneously announced as best picture. But in reality, the vote went to "Moonlight," the coming-of-age drama starring Mahershala Ali, right, and Alex Hibbert. The film won three Oscars, including best supporting actor for Ali and screenplay for director Barry Jenkins." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2017: "The Shape of Water" | A voiceless janitor, played by Sally Hawkins, and her co-worker, Octavia Spencer, work in a secret government laboratory in 1960s Baltimore. The romantic fantasy earned 13 Oscar nominations and won four." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2018: "Green Book" | Mahershala Ali stars as classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Viggo Mortensen is Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, his driver and bodyguard in the 1960s Deep South. Ali won the Oscar for best supporting actor." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2020: "Nomadland" | Frances McDormand stars as a nomad who lives out of her van after she loses her husband and her home when their Nevada mining town is wiped out in an economic collapse. The film won three Oscars, including best actress for McDormand and best director for Chloé Zhao, who made Oscar history as first woman of color to win the category." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
2024: "Anora" | A Brooklyn sex worker (Mikey Madison) elopes with a Russian oligarch's son (Mark Eydelshteyn). The film won five Oscars, including best actress for Madison and best director (Sean Baker)." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Every Oscar best-picture winner, ever
'Jeopardy!' takes a jab at Timothée Chalamet
It looks as if some offhand remarks Timothée Chalamet made about the classical performing artshave landed him in "Jeopardy!" The Oscar-nominated actor, joining Matthew McConaughey for a CNN and Variety town hall on acting and the arts, remarked:"I don't want to be working in ballet,or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.'" The ballet and opera community took notice − and, perhaps, so did the people at "Jeopardy!" who, on theirMarch 9 episode, offered a "ballet and opera" category.
Oscar predictions:Who will win 2026 Academy Awards – and who should?
Heat's Bam Adebayo lights up the scoreboard
TheMiami Heat's Bam Adebayo gave Wilt Chamberlain's single-game scoring record a run for its money, falling short but still racking upsome eye-popping records of his own. The 6-foot-9 center racked up 83 points against the Washington Wizards, second-most in NBA history behindChamberlain's historic 100 pointsin 1962 and edging pastKobe Bryant's 81 pointsin 2006. Along the way, Adebayo hit 36 free throws, a record, on 43 free throw attempts − another record. He also recorded 22 3-point attempts, tied for third all-time. The Heat won 150‑129.− Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Iran war ramps up, Uber goes 'women only': Week in review
