1. PLANNED FUND-RAISER FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RUFFLING FEATHERS IN SILICON VALLEY: Following the decision by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison to host a golf-focused fund-raiser next week for President Trump, which was revealed Wednesday, angst is brewing across the Silicon Valley-based firm. Employees are complaining about the event, which will take place at Ellison’s Coachella Valley mansion, but they may not be able to bring about change. Recode: “Recode spoke with one former and five current employees who, in sum, described bubbling frustration at Oracle on Thursday. They said they were privately complaining to colleagues in their offices and sharing links about the fund-raiser to friends on Facebook Messenger. But while many say that their coworkers, too, are upset, assessing the full scale of their anger is difficult because of Oracle’s culture: It discourages employees from talking about politics.”

2. SENATOR MITT ROMNEY THREATENED WITH BODILY HARM IF HE ATTENDS CPAC 2020: Senator Mitt Romney’s reasons not to attend this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, slated for February 26-29, is growing by the minute. First, his invitation to CPAC, the Republican Party’s biggest annual get together, was revoked last month after he voted to hear from additional witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the senate. Now, CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp has publicly advised the rogue senator to fear for his safety if he makes an appearance at the event. Business Insider: “‘This year, I would actually be afraid for his physical safety, people are so mad at him,’ Matt Schlapp told Full Court Press with Greta Susteren on Sunday. Schlapp, responding to criticism of his claims Monday, tweeted that ‘I don't want anyone to get physical [with] any senator. But you know what you are doing when you whisper in Sen. Romney's ear to encourage a continuing coup.’”

3. WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW CROWNS A POODLE: Although the crowd was rooting for other contenders, Siba the standard poodle beat her competition and won the 144th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Time: “First held in 1877, the Westminster show is America’s second-longest continuously-held sporting event. (The Kentucky Derby beats it.) And the Dog Show is also Madison Square Garden’s longest continuous tenant, also dating back to 1877. ‘We’re the oldest and most prestigious. And the fact that we’re in New York City and have such a rich history in New York, that just makes it bigger, because everything’s bigger in New York,’ explained the Westminster Kennel Club’s national television spokesperson Gail Miller Bisher to Time.”

4. CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO PLAGUE THE CRUISE INDUSTRY: Many passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise, which is quarantined off the coast of Japan, have fallen ill. At least 135 people aboard the ship are sick with the virus, nearly double the amount of affected passengers reported previously. Concern over cruises is rising to a fever pitch. USA Today: “The cruise ship is one of several affected by the deadly coronavirus outbreak, which has prompted cruise lines to issue quarantines and perform screenings onboard. Meanwhile, some ports are denying at least one cruise ship entry over fears of the virus. The coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, has spread across the globe with more than 42,763 confirmed cases and 1,013 deaths as of Monday evening.”

5. 'PARASITE' MAKES HISTORY AS FOUR TIME OSCAR WINNER: Becoming the little movie that could, Parasite shattered both records and expectations at the 92nd Oscars, winning best picture and director awards, as well as two other trophies. The South Korean film triumphed over widely predicted 1917 for the top prize, while director Bong Joon Ho beat out industry giants. Acting trophies were awarded as expected during the hostless ceremony while the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also announced December 14 as the opening date for its museum. Los Angeles Times: “In recent years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has brought in hundreds of new members from overseas as part of its ongoing effort to diversify its historically white-male-dominated membership. In naming Parasite both best picture and best international feature, the organization seemed to be embracing the chance to show that it has become less parochial and more open-minded than it may have been in decades past.”