1. AIRLINES SUSPEND FLIGHTS TO CHINA IN WAKE OF CORONAVIRUS: United Airlines is among the carriers that have canceled flights to China in response to the deadly coronavirus. Global companies, most notably Facebook, have suspended business travel to China, as have financial companies HSBC and Goldman Sachs, leading to a drop in demand for flights. Reuters: "The coronavirus that originated in the city of Wuhan has killed 106 people in China and spread across the world, rattling financial markets. The United States warned that Americans should reconsider visiting China, while Britain advised against all but essential travel to mainland China. South Korea also advised its citizens to stay away."
2. OSCARS PLAN KOBE BRYANT TRIBUTE: In addition to winning five N.B.A. titles, Kobe Bryant also won an Academy Award in 2018 for an animated short called Dear Basketball. Producers of the show are planning a tribute to the basketball star, who died along with eight others in a helicopter crash on Sunday. Deadline: "The Oscar ceremony annually features an In Memoriam segment devoted to those in the industry who have died in the past year. It’s unclear whether the Bryant mention will be part of that block or something else. Bryant is not a member of the Academy despite his Oscar win. ... On Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon began with a moment of silence for the victims of the helicopter crash."
3. HOW LIVE EVENTS ARE GIVING NEW LIFE TO 'CATS' MOVIE: The film adaptation of the musical Cats flopped with critics and movie-goers, but events like the Jellicle Ball Karaoke Challenge and drinking games at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Los Angeles and other cities as part of its "Rowdy Screenings" series have given life to the movie. Vulture: "Alamo’s senior director of programming and promotions, Sarah Pitre, confirms that the shared audience experience of seeing Cats might serve as something of an antidote to streaming platforms’ continued disruption of theatrical moviegoing. 'It captures that sense of wanting to enjoy something with fellow fans,' Pitre says. 'That’s the way you want to enjoy [Cats]—not just staying at home. It’s more fun to come see this film that they love at the Alamo rather than watching it on your couch. Cats definitely is headed for Rocky Horror territory.'"