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Theme parks to temporarily close amid coronavirus concerns

The coronavirus pandemic is spurring closures at many amusement parks, and the happiest place on earth is no exception. Orlando’s Disney World, Disneyland Paris and Universal Orlando Resort will shut down temporarily, joining California’s venerable Disneyland, the self-proclaimed “happiest place on earth,” which announced Thursday it would close Saturday through the end of March. Closures at the other parks begin at the close of business Sunday and will possibly run through the end of the month. The hotels and retail complexes at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice. Universal Studios Hollywood is also closed temporarily, starting Saturday. 

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Biden and Sanders to debate in D.C. Sunday … without an audience

Democratic presidential candidates former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will engage in what could be one of their final debates Sunday in a Washington, D.C., studio (CNN and Univision, 8 p.m. ET).  Previously, the event was set to take place in front of a crowd at the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix ahead of Arizona’s primary Tuesday. But due to coronavirus fears, CNN and the Democratic National Committee announced the debate would be shifted to the studio without an audience. On the heels of his stunning Super Tuesday success, Biden kept rolling Tuesday, winning four out of six states that voted while also maintaining a small lead in Washington. A defiant Sanders has vowed to go on, saying voters are with him on the issues.

NFL CBA vote: Players have their say

The NFL Players Association’s deadline to vote on the league’s new collective bargaining agreement is 11:59 p.m. ET Saturday. The proposed CBA — namely the expansion of the regular season to 17 games and the revenue split, which would increase from 47% to 48% and eventually 48.5% if the 17th game is instituted — has been the source of contention among players. If the majority rules in favor of the proposed CBA, most of those rules would take effect this season, although the 17th regular-season game wouldn’t happen until 2021 at the earliest. A simple majority among the approximately 2,000 NFL players would ratify the deal. 

Reasons to smile: ‘Frozen 2’ drops, Season 3 of ‘Westworld’ premieres

Amid the dire news and cancellations over the coronavirus outbreak, Walt Disney Studios announced that “Frozen 2” will be released this Sunday on streaming Disney+, three months earlier than scheduled. If you’re looking for more suspense, HBO’s complex sci-fi drama “Westworld” returns,, and they’re leaving the Old West theme park behind. Not ready for the season 3 premiere Sunday? Don’t worry, we have you covered.

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Pi Day takes on a different meaning this year

The coronavirus has already started to impact on dining out and now it’s causing changes to one of the most popular food holidays of the year. Saturday is Pi Day, the annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), which is usually celebrated with a smorgasbord of deals on pizza, pastry and pot pies. The pizza party will still go on at several businesses but Blaze Pizza canceled its annual Pi Day event, which was known for drawing large crowds. Meanwhile, starting Sunday and through March 31, Chipotle is offering free delivery on any order $10 or more placed through the chain’s app or website where you can leave instructions for delivery drivers to “limit direct contact.” Deliveries will have new “tamper evident packaging seal to help ensure food is untouched during delivery.”

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