| 1. NOTORIOUS RBG RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN UNUSUAL CEREMONY: While a fight for the White House raged on Wednesday night during the latest Democratic presidential debate, which was held in Las Vegas, a more upbeat political gathering took place in Washington. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was honored with the DVF Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award for being a trailblazer, contributing to gender equality, and supporting women's issues. Other women were honored for fighting international sex trafficking and for helping prisoners in Mexico. USA Today: “The 11th annual DVF Awards, which are normally in New York and held around springtime, traveled to the capital and were held at the Library of Congress for the first time—all for Ginsburg. Diane von Furstenberg said that in order to honor RBG, they had to work around Ginsburg's schedule. 'I'm so happy we did; it's the least we can do,’ she told USA Today prior to her namesake event.” 2. HOMELAND SECURITY JUST MADE THE REAL ID APPLICATION PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT: Federal officials have agreed to let states accept documentation for Real ID applications electronically, expediting requests for the enhanced driver’s licenses that, barring passports, will be needed by travelers in order to board domestic flights beginning October 1 of this year. While many people already have braved lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles to secure the identification, two-thirds of Americans still lack a compliant license, according to Chad Wolf, acting secretary, Department of Homeland Security. USA Today: “‘Rest assured, our department will continue to examine other viable options to improve upon this process and...do everything it can to inform Americans on the requirement to obtain a Real ID before the full enforcement deadline later this year,’ Wolf said.” 3. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER RETURNS TO ITS COMEDIAN HOST FORMAT: The funny has returned to the White House Correspondents Dinner. Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson has been tapped to host this year’s iteration of the Beltway’s “nerd prom,” which will be held on April 25. The Hollywood Reporter: “The actor and longest-tenured Saturday Night Live cast member will lead through the evening a year after a historian was picked as host. Hasan Minhaj, the host of Netflix’s Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, will return to the dinner as featured entertainer. ‘Kenan and Hasan are two of the most engaged and engaging entertainers in America. I’m thrilled they’ll help us celebrate the role of a free press in our democracy,’ said Jonathan Karl, chief White House correspondent for ABC News and president of the WHCA." 4. IS IT OK TO RECLINE ON A PLANE? AN INTERNET DEBATE RAGES ON: A video posted to Twitter of an airplane passenger repeatedly punching the chair of the woman seated in front of him after she reclined has created the Internet’s latest debate: Is it OK to go back, or is it rude? New York Times: “‘Airplane etiquette is you only recline when necessary, and if you must recline, just put the seat back a little bit to get the comfort you need without encroaching too much on the person behind you,’ said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. Still, he added, the passenger behind Ms. Williams was wrong to keep striking her seat. ‘The person in the seat has the right to recline, that’s the way it is. It may not be fair, but life itself is not fair.’” 5. FACEBOOK CANCELS CONFERENCE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS WORRIES: Shifting its wrath to the corporate front, coronavirus has prompted the cancellation of another event. Facebook has pulled the plug on an annual marketing conference that was slated to take place next month, March 9-12 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, due to concern about the coronavirus. It was expected to bring in 5,000 international attendees. Recode: “Facebook’s call to cancel its conference because of the virus is an amplified example of how coronavirus fears are impacting day-to-day business in the tech industry. Some tech companies and professionals in the Bay Area are instituting no-handshake policies in business meetings, wearing masks on public transportation, and asking people to work from home.” | 