The Washington Post has laid off one-third of its staff, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage. The widespread purge announced Wednesday is a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing and weather changes in technology and user habits. He outlined the changes in a companywide online meeting. Staff members then began getting emails with one of two subject lines — telling them their role was or was not eliminated. Rumors of layoffs had circulated for weeks.

Novelist Megha Majumdar has won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her book “A Guardian and a Thief.” The American Library Association announced the award on Tuesday. Majumdar shares the honor with Yiyun Li, who won for her memoir “Things in Nature Merely Grow.” Both authors will receive $5,000 and be honored in June in Chicago. Majumdar is an immigrant from India and appreciates libraries as spaces for solitude and community. Li is originally from Beijing and discovered her love for libraries in the U.S. and now teaches at Princeton University.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, known for her advocacy for hostages abducted by Hamas-led militants, has a memoir coming out this spring. Random House announced Thursday that “When We See You Again” will be published April 21. Goldberg-Polin, a Chicago-born educator living in Jerusalem, shares her journey of loss and resilience. Her son, Hersh, was taken during a music festival in southern Israel. She traveled the world calling for his release, meeting with leaders like President Joe Biden and Pope Francis. Despite the discovery of her son's body, she continues to share her story of grief and love.