| This is an OZY Special Briefing, an extension of the Presidential Daily Brief. The Special Briefing tells you what you need to know about an important issue, individual or story that is making news. Each one serves up an interesting selection of facts, opinions, images and videos in order to catch you up and vault you ahead. WHAT TO KNOW Lights. Camera. Academy Awards. This Sunday marks the 90th annual Academy Awards, and the second in a row hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel. And while the ABC-aired show is expected to have fewer viewers than last year, prices for ad spots continue to rise — this year by almost 30 percent, averaging around $2.4 million for a 30-second spot. The Favorites. Best director is expected to go to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water, and Gary Oldman and Frances McDormand are likely to win the acting categories. Best picture, meanwhile, is more open as it’s the only category decided by preferential ballot: If one film is the first choice of more than 50 percent of the Academy, it wins, but otherwise the film with the fewest votes is eliminated and the ballots recalculated until there’s a winner. The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are the favorites, but nobody is discounting an upset from Lady Bird or Get Out after last year’s surprise triumph for Moonlight. And If You Didn’t Watch the Movies … Come for the politics. Since Marlon Brando allowed Sacheen Littlefeather to speak on his behalf at the 1973 Oscars about the mistreatment of Native Americans, the awards have featured plenty of political posturing. The Golden Globes featured Oprah, the Grammys featured Janelle Monae, and host Kimmel — who hasn’t shied away from discussing health care and gun control on his show — says politics will be “part of the show.” | 