Cheat Sheet - Oscar Shockers! 13 Snubs & Surprises

Today: Untested Drugs Execute Killer , Great and Fake: The Wild Absurdity Of Iranian And Russian State Media , Nigerian Man Lashed for Being Gay January 16, 2014 SNUBS AND SURPRISES 1. Oprah, Tom Hanks, and Other Oscar Shockers The 2014 Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday and—surprise!—there were several unexpected twists. From Oprah's snub to little love for Inside Llewyn Davis, The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern breaks down the biggest head-scratchers. Read it at The Daily Beast Cruel and Unusual 2. Untested Drugs Execute Killer At 10:29 a.m. Thursday morning, convicted murderer Dennis McGuire received an untested combination of two drugs to kill him. For the next 20 minutes, McGuire struggled and gasped loudly for air, "making snorting and choking sounds…with his chest heaving and his fist clenched," The Columbus Dispatch reports. McGuire's attorneys unsuccesfully argued the drugs could cause him to die painfully, which violates the Constitution's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. McGuire died from an injection of a sedative and a morphine derivative because Ohio couldn't get pentobarbital thanks to Danish restrictions on its distribution for use in capital punishment.  Read it at The Columbus Dispatch GREAT AND FAKE 3. The Absurd Fun of Russian and Iranian State-Run Media Did you know North Korea has schools that rival Eton? Or that Nazi space aliens running Washington? The Daily Beast's Michael Moynihan picks out some of the weirdest propaganda peddled by Moscow and Tehran. Read it at The Daily Beast DE-EVOLVING 4. Nigerian Lashed for Being Gay A Nigerian man, who was one of 11 Muslims and one Christian arrested in Nigeria last month for being homosexual, received 20 lashes after being convicted by an Islamic court of homosexual offenses. In determining his sentence, the court says it kept in mind that he committed the offense seven years ago and was no longer a practicing homosexual. Earlier in January, President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill that banned gay marriage, gay groups, and same-sex public affection. Two of the men had their trial delayed until January 23, but what is planned for the remaining nine is unknown. Read it at BBC HIGH SEAS SCUFFLE 5. Trace Adkins Fights Impersonator There's nothing like a bad encounter with one's own impersonator to throw a decade-sober country singer off the wagon. Trace Adkins was shipped off to rehab after an altercation with a karaoke-singing Trace Adkins impersonator while aboard a country music-themed cruise for which he was the headlining act. "Trace has entered a treatment facility after a setback in his battle with alcoholism," said a spokesman. "As he faces these issues head on, we ask that his family's privacy will be respected." The singer has been very open about his drinking problem, for which his family staged an intervention in 2002. Read it at Yahoo MATCH POINT Heat Wave Suspends Australian Open As temperatures hit 111 degrees. HE'S BACK Rev. Wright Slams Obama for Drones Compares him unfavorably to MLK. INFERNO 1,700-Acre Blaze Erupts Near L.A. Three people are in custody. COME TOGETHER 90% Approve Egypt Constitution According to state-run media. THROWBACK Ex-Bushie Running for Senate Ed Gillespie goes for Virginia. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. No Strange Magic in the Attic by Andrew Romano Conspiracy Theorist: U.S. Let Hitler Live by Caitlin Dickson Meet the Lawyer Suing Christie Over Bridgegate by Olivia Nuzzi

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