And then there were 10: The Academy Awards are doubling the number of best-picture nominees from five to 10. Academy President Sid Ganis says the academy’s board of governors made the decision to expand the slate. Ganis says the decision will open the field up to more worthy films for the top prize at Hollywood’s biggest party. The change takes effect with next year’ Oscars on March 7. The move is a return to Oscar traditions of the 1930s and ’40s, when 10 nominees were common.
Lied about whereabouts: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted today he’s been having an affair with a woman he visited on a secret trip to Argentina and he’ll resign as head of the Republican Governors Association. Sanford, a rumored 2012 presidential candidate, refused to say whether he’ll leave office. “I’ve let down a lot of people, that’s the bottom line,” Sanford said at a news conference. Sanford, a 49-year-old father of four, choked up during remarks to reporters. Sanford says his wife has known about the affair for the past five months. Sanford revealed this morning that he’d gone to Argentina for a seven-day trip. For two days after reporters starting asking questions, his office had said he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
