There are only three viable presidential candidates, according to Mike Bloomberg's campaign

Only three candidates out of the more than half dozen vying for the White House have a viable path to the nomination, a senior official for the Mike Bloomberg campaign told reporters Tuesday. Bloomberg states director Dan Kanninen said that “we are really down to a race where there are three people left who could really be considered viable to be sworn into office next year, and that's Bernie Sanders, Mike Bloomberg and Donald Trump,” he said in a conference call with reporters. The blunt statement provides a window into how the campaign views the other established frontrunners, including former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

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  Jane Sanders reacts to Mike Bloomberg's 'Bernie Bro' attacks

  The Independent
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  Bloomberg qualifies for Las Vegas debate as Sanders rises in polls

  Fox Business

Coronavirus updates: Quarantine ends on cruise ship as death toll passes 2,000

Almost 450 passengers allowed to leave quarantined cruise ship in Japan • U.S. evacuee from cruise ship confirmed to have virus • American passenger still on cruise ship unclear happens next • 2,004 dead, more than 74,100 confirmed cases in mainland China • Second coronavirus death recorded in Hong Kong • China announces measures to cut costs for business affected by outbreak • Adidas, Puma warn of coronavirus hit to China business Iran reports 2 coronavirus deaths Two Iranians have died in hospital after testing positive for the new coronavirus in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom, the head of the city's University of Medical Sciences told Mehr news agency on Wednesday.

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  Coronavirus updates: Americans quarantined on cruise ship return to U.S

  NBC News
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  Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Evacuee Tours Quarantine Lodgings on California Air Force Base

  Storyful

Abbott says top Malaysian leaders suspected pilot of MH370

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the “top levels” of the Malaysian government long suspected that the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 almost six years ago was a mass murder-suicide by the pilot. Australia, working on Malaysia's behalf, coordinated what became the largest search in aviation history, but it failed to find the plane before being ended in 2017. Speaking in a Sky News documentary to air on Wednesday and Thursday, Abbott said high-ranking Malaysian officials believed veteran pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately downed the jet.

Turkish president says a new military intervention in Syria is 'imminent'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday told his party's lawmakers it is "only a matter of time" before he launches a new military intervention in neighboring Syria's Idlib province if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad does not withdraw his forces from the area. "An operation in Idlib is imminent," Erdogan said. "We are counting down; we are making our final warnings.

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  Turkey's Erdogan says Syria talks with Russia unsatisfactory, offensive 'matter of time'

  Reuters
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  Turkey edges towards direct conflict with Russian-backed Syria

  Reuters

Former South Korean president jailed after losing appeal

Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was taken to prison Wednesday to begin a 17-year term for bribery and embezzlement after losing an appeal against a lighter sentence. Lee, in office from 2008 to 2013, was briefly jailed in 2018 after being sentenced to 15 years and fined 13 billion won ($11 million), but was granted bail while he appealed. He was found guilty of creating slush funds of tens of millions of dollars and accepting bribes from Samsung Electronics in return for a presidential pardon for its chairman, Lee Kun-hee, who was jailed for tax evasion.

Kent State 'gun girl' claims students started a riot over her - police say they did not

A campus protest against the “Kent State gun girl” Kaitlin Bennett was not “a riot,” according to Ohio University police. Ms Bennett, who helps run a conservative website called Liberty Hangout and who often appears on Alex Jones' InfoWars programs, was driven off the campus of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio on Monday by a student protest according to the Athens News. She said the students “started a riot” and claims the police “let it happen.

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  'Gun Girl' Kaitlin Bennett's appearance on Ohio University campus sparks protests

  NBC News
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  Kaitlin Bennett: Who is the 'Kent State gun girl' and how is she making the left look so intolerant?

  The Independent

Report: Obama reportedly expects he'll have to play a 'prominent role' in uniting Democrats this summer

The New York Magazine reports former president Barack Obama's radio silence on the 2020 Democratic primary is part of a "choreographed strategy" on the part of Obama, who is "increasingly sure he will need to play a prominent role in bringing the party back together and calming its tensions later this summer."

9 Rural Farms of the 21st Century Featuring Stunning Modern Design

From Italy to Tasmania, a new book covers those farms with an eye on both sustainability and beautiful design Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

Democrats Still Haven’t Come to Terms with 2016

In an otherwise excellent Politico article advising Democrats how to avoid the fate of 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Obama staffer Dan Pfeiffer offers his team some self-soothing revisionism regarding the 2016 election: When all is said and done, the 2016 election might end up being a black-swan event. The combination of Russian interference, Comey intervention and multiple third-party candidates make that election a hard one to extract guidance from. Guess what?

Michael Bloomberg is not the candidate who can beat Donald Trump

Take it from someone who lived under Bloomberg, who served with him, who fought against him — if you look behind the curtain, as I hope millions will in tonight's debate, that image begins to melt away. Mayor Bloomberg's policies created an affordable housing and homelessness crisis in New York City that has extended and exacerbated far beyond his tenure, creating a city that is the most expensive it has ever been.

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  Mike Bloomberg takes 2nd place in new Democratic primary poll, qualifies for Wednesday's debate

  The Week
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  Bloomberg campaign responds to attacks from rivals ahead of Nevada debate

  CBS News Videos

Lawyer: Assange was offered US pardon if he cleared Russia

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to claim during an extradition hearing that the Trump administration offered him a pardon if he agreed to say Russia was not involved in leaking Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, a lawyer for Assange said Wednesday. Assange is being held at a British prison while fighting extradition to the United States on spying charges. At a preliminary hearing held Wednesday in London, lawyer Edward Fitzgerald said that now-former Republican congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, visited Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in August 2017.

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  Julian Assange: 4 things to know about the WikiLeaks founder

  USA TODAY
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  Future of journalism 'at stake' over Assange: WikiLeaks chief

  Reuters Videos

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Nearly Double With No End in Sight

Confirmed cases of the new, deadly coronavirus in the United States almost doubled over the holiday weekend thanks to the messy evacuation of Americans from a cruise ship in Japan, while fresh numbers from China suggested the disease might be deadlier than first believed. The U.S. government evacuated 328 American passengers from Tokyo early Monday on two chartered cargo jets, leaving dozens others behind who preferred to stay on the Diamond Princess cruise ship—despite a strong disembarkation recommendation from the federal government. All travelers from Japan were screened before boarding the aircraft “to prevent symptomatic travelers from departing Japan,” according to the CDC.

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  Granite Bay couple evacuated from ship after coronavirus quarantine, now in Texas for 2 weeks

  KCRA - Sacramento Videos
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  The cruise industry has been rocked by the coronavirus. Here's you how can find out if your ship has been impacted.

  Business Insider

George Zimmerman sues Warren, Buttigieg for $265 million

The lawsuit claims the candidates "defamed Zimmerman for political gain in misguided and malicious attempts to bolster their standings amongst African-American voters, all at Zimmerman's expense." They did so in "separate postings on their Twitter accounts" on Feb. 5 that suggested that Zimmerman killed Martin as a result of "racism" or "fear" because of the teen's skin color, the suit alleges. "The defamatory tweets are not an account of two sides of an issue that raises questions in a reader's mind," the suit states.

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  George Zimmerman is suing Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg over Trayvon Martin birthday tweets

  The Week
• Buttigieg and Warren Sued by George Zimmerman

  PR Newswire

Pompeo says 'mature, responsible countries' don't 'restrict speech' after China expels reporters

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is condemning China for its decision to expel three reporters from The Wall Street Journal from the country. "Mature, responsible countries understand that a free press reports facts and expresses opinions," Pompeo said in a statement on Wednesday. This came after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said three journalists from the Journal would have their credentials revoked over the paper's recent headline, "China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia," The New York Times reports.

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  China expels three Wall Street Journal reporters

  Reuters Videos
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  China revokes press credentials of 3 WSJ reporters over opinion piece

  Yahoo News Video

Hate crimes go unchecked at Syracuse University, students say

A student activist group that took over a Syracuse University administration building to protest long-simmering charges of racism and bias on campus rejected an attempt by the school to end its three-day sit-in, the school said in a statement Wednesday. The black-led movement #NotAgainSU launched the sit-in at Crouse-Hinds Hall with more than 20 students Monday to protest the administration's handling of racial incidents at the university. The university's Department of Public Safety sealed off the building and hasn't allowed in food or medicine since Tuesday, according to The Daily Orange, the university's independent newspaper.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sided with 'The View' hosts after they confront her over 'deeply misogynistic' and 'violent' Bernie Bros

Screenshot /ABC News Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who's endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders, agreed with hosts of The View who argued that Sanders should "do more" to reign in his supporters' behavior online. Conservative host Meghan McCain described the harassment she and others have faced from "Bernie Bros" as "disgusting and vitriolic." Ocasio-Cortez said Sanders "works very hard" to counteract the online vitriol, but she agreed when host Whoopi Goldberg said Sanders has "got to stand up and say it every day if he needs to."

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  Meghan McCain confronts AOC over 'deeply misogynistic' Bernie Sanders supporters

  AOL.com
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  AOC defends Bernie Sanders over online abuse by ‘Bernie bros’

  The Independent

'We don't have a history of murdering our citizens': A Saudi official says reports that the Saudi Crown Prince is connected to the death of Jamal Khashoggi are 'ridiculous'

Majed Jaber/Reuters Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir told Deutsche Welle, a German state-owned broadcasting company, that reports of Jamal Khashoggi's assassination being "authorized" by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are "ridiculous." "If Saudi Arabia was so bad, nobody would come," Al-Jubeir said of foreign investors flocking to the Kingdom. The 59-year-old Washington Post journalist, who was frequently critical of the Saudi government, was killed in October 2018 upon entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to obtain the documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancée.

Hunter Biden Served on Board of Trade Group That Lobbied Obama Admin for Increased Ukraine Aid: Report

Hunter Biden, son of former vice president Joe Biden, was on the board of a trade group that lobbied the Obama administration for increased U.S. aid to Ukraine, according to a report Tuesday. From 2012 through 2018, the younger Biden served as a director for the Center for U.S. Global Leadership and was connected as well with its affiliate, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, The Daily Caller reported. The two groups, which include about 400 larger corporations and non-government organizations, lobbied for increased spending abroad by the State Department's International Affairs Budget, including a special focus on Ukraine.

Andrew Yang is headed to CNN

Andrew Yang's presidential bid failed, but it did land him a gig with CNN. The entrepreneur who made a run at the Oval Office before dropping out last week after a poor showing at the New Hampshire primary will be joining the network as a political analyst. He's doing so just in time for Wednesday night's Democratic debate in Las Vegas, as the remaining candidates take the stage before the Nevada caucuses Saturday.

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  CNN Hires Former Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang as Political Commentator

  The Wrap
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  Andrew Yang Joins CNN As Political Commentator, Will Provide Analysis Of Wednesday’s Democratic Debate

  Deadline

Maduro accused of "disappearing" US oilmen as trial delayed

Family members of six American oil executives jailed in Venezuela are accusing Nicolas Maduro's government of “forced disappearance” after the men were inexplicably missing for the scheduled start of their trial on Wednesday. Veronica Vadell said that lawyers for her father, Tomeu Vadell, and the five other executives from Houston-based Citgo had been waiting at a Caracas courthouse for more than six hours for the men to be transferred by the nation's intelligence police. The arrest took place the same day opposition leader Juan Guaidó met with President Donald Trump at the White House, fueling speculation the detention was politically motivated.

Virginia lawmakers reject assault weapons ban over fears of potential civil war

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's push to ban the sale of assault weapons has failed after members of his own party balked at the proposal. Senators voted to shelve the bill for the year and ask the state crime commission to study the issue, an outcome that drew cheers from a committee room packed with gun advocates.

Missing 6-year-old South Carolina girl's death ruled homicide by asphyxiation

A child's polka dot boot and a soup ladle with fresh dirt on it led police to the body of a 6-year-old kidnapping and homicide victim, South Carolina police said Tuesday. First grader Faye Marie Swetlik, who was found last week near her home in Cayce, a suburb of Columbia, died by asphyxiation at the hands of a neighbor, officials revealed. "Faye Swetlik's death did not occur at the location where her body was discovered," Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher told reporters.

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  Authorities to reveal how missing girl, neighbor were killed

  Yahoo News Video
• Faye Swetlik case details, info on Cayce neighbor, to be released

  WLS – Chicago

Russia raises eyebrows with blanket ban on Chinese visitors

Moscow is to impose a blanket ban on Chinese visitors over coronavirus fears in a move that will hit its tourism industry as experts question the need for such "draconian" measures. Moscow will ban all Chinese citizens from entering its territory from Thursday. It has already halted visa-free tourism for Chinese nationals and stopped issuing them with work visas and suspended rail links and restricted air travel.

• Malaysia maintains tourism target, bets on locals and non-Chinese visitors

  Reuters
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  Russia relaxes visa rules for EU citizens – but not for UK visitors

  The Independent

Death toll from coronavirus surpasses 1,100; US confirms 13th case

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week reported the 13th case in the U.S. "The rise in mortality cases is concerning," Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor and public health specialist at Butler University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY. "In China, health workers are overstretched, and diagnostic processes are not keeping up with the cases." Omenka said testing and confirming cases takes longer because of a shortage of diagnostic tools.