1. FACEBOOK CANCELS MAJOR DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS: In the wake of the growing coronavirus threat, Facebook has canceled its upcoming F8 developer conference, which was scheduled for May 5-6. The social media giant Thursday announced it was changing plans for its yearly gathering, which generally draws an estimated 5,000 developers. Ad Age: “‘We need to prioritize the health and safety of our developer partners, employees, and everyone who helps put F8 on,’ said Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Facebook’s director of platform partnerships, in a blog post. ‘We explored other ways to keep the in-person part of F8, but it’s important to us to host an inclusive event and it didn’t feel right to have F8 without our international developers in attendance.’”

2. PROPOSED AND AFFORDABLE NEW AIRPLANE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS COULD MAKE FLYERS MORE COMFORTABLE: It’s been the stuff of comedy, as well as recent online battles. Rows of airplane seats in coach class feel squished together, a sensation that heightens with each passing year. An entrepreneur, who is a frequent flyer, has created a prototype for a new, budget-friendly seating configuration. The Points Guy: “Enter Zephyr, a new wide-body aircraft seat prototype designed to eliminate most of the frustrations of coach class misery. The seats offer business-class privacy and comfort at premium economy prices. ‘We should not be having these ridiculous discussions about asking permission to recline a seat or get to the bathroom,’ said Jeffrey O’Neill, who designed the Zephyr … ‘Why are we even giving airlines the option to tell us how we can and cannot travel?' O’Neill told The Points Guy. ‘Privacy should be accessible and affordable, and [airlines] should improve their customers’ in-flight experience.' The Zephyr utilizes a double-decker design in a 1-2-1 configuration to offer aisle access for every single passenger while providing privacy for free.”

3. SANDERS AND BLOOMBERG FACED SCRUTINY AT 10TH DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: Another Democratic debate is in the books, and for the 10th grudge match, which took place Tuesday in South Carolina, frontrunner Bernie Sanders became the new target of his fellow candidates. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had a much better showing at his second time on a debate stage podium, but his wealth, alleged mistreatment of women at his company, and controversial policies while running the Big Apple all came under fire once again. The Daily Beast: “It was clear from the jump that the candidate who hadn’t faced much scrutiny in the nine prior debates was due to receive the frontrunner treatment in Charleston, the last chance for candidates to take on the Vermont senator, who is surging ahead of the South Carolina primary on Saturday. ‘Bernie and I agree on a lot of things. But I think I would make a better president than Bernie,’ Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said.”

4. NEW ORLEANS ELIMINATES TANDEM FLOATS AFTER TWO FATALITIES IN ONE WEEK DURING MARDI GRAS: A man was hit and killed over the weekend by a tandem Mardi Gras float, marking the second time in just four days that such an incident occurred. The Guardian: “Witness video posted online suggested the man fell at a point in the parade route where there were no barricades to separate onlookers from floats, which often pass close to the roadside. On Wednesday, 58-year-old Geraldine Carmouche was run over and killed by a tandem float. New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell instructed all remaining parades to end the use of tandem floats. ‘To be confronted with such tragedy a second time at the height of our carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear,’ she said in a statement.”

5. SPORTS EMMYS GIVING LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO A WOMAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 41 YEARS: Longtime sportscaster Lesley Visser will receive a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Sports Emmys. The 41-year-old ceremony will honor a woman for the first time on April 28 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, in New York. Now in her 30th year at CBS, Visser has been in the industry for 45 years working for a variety of networks. Variety: “‘To be a pioneer at nearly every juncture of sports reporting isn’t easy despite how Lesley Visser makes it look,’ said Justine Gubar, executive director, Sports Emmy Awards. ‘Lesley has spent her career serving as an unparalleled role model and mentor to countless up-and-coming journalists including myself. Her generous spirit, breadth and depth of knowledge, and professionalism shine in our industry and the National Academy could not be more thrilled to honor Lesley with our Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports.'”