Pompeo appeared to coordinate with Giuliani on Ukraine, new documents show

WASHINGTON — “Pls have Mr. G bring the documents,” reads the March 27, 2019, email from a State Department official to someone who worked for “Mr. G.,” better known as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a central figure in the Ukraine pressure campaign that culminated in the impeachment of President Trump. “S is happy to meet with him tomorrow for 10 minutes,” went an email, apparently between State Department officials, the next day (both sender and recipient are redacted, though the title “Office Manager to the Secretary of State” is visible in the sender's signature). “S” was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is suspected by Democrats to have had a more central role in that Ukrainian campaign than has yet been publicly acknowledged.

A California man drove his Jeep off the roof of a six-level parking garage and crashed into a McDonald's, police say

Police in California are investigating after a man drove his Jeep off the roof of a six-level parking garage and into a McDonald's across the street. Police responded just after midnight Sunday and found a newer-model Jeep against a building, the Santa Monica Police Department said in a press release. The Santa Monica Fire Department reported it received information that the Jeep had been driven off the top of a parking garage.

It looks like people with no real interest in Bloomberg are signing up to be grassroots campaigners because he pays $2,500 a month

Reuters Mike Bloomberg's efforts to take social media by storm by paying people to post about him may not be working out, according to the Los Angeles Times. Several California-based operatives told the paper anonymously that they mainly signed up to campaign because of the $2,500-a-month offer. One was a Sen. Bernie Sanders supporter who followed up a campaign text to a friend with, "Please disregard, vote Bernie or Warren."

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  Bloomberg Tops Half a Billion Dollars in Campaign Advertising

  Bloomberg
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  Campaign-Finance Laws Created Candidate Bloomberg

  The Wall Street Journal

South Korea to launch mass coronavirus testing, U.S. pledges $1 billion for vaccine

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korea aims to test more than 200,000 members of a church at the center of a surge in coronavirus cases, as countries stepped up efforts to stop a pandemic of the virus that emerged in China and is now spreading in Europe and the Middle East. More than 80,000 people have been infected in China since the outbreak began, apparently in an illegal wildlife market in the central city of Wuhan late last year. China's death toll was 2,663 by the end of Monday, up 71 from the previous day.

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  Coronavirus latest: WHO says the virus isn't a pandemic 'yet', but markets think otherwise

  Yahoo Finance
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  Battle against coronavirus turns to Italy; Wall Street falls on pandemic fears

  Reuters

Iran Prepares to Suffer the Wrath of the Coronavirus

The spread of coronavirus has rapidly come to the Middle East after almost two months of being mostly contained in China, where it has killed more than two thousand people. Iran's leadership has responded by either ignoring the crisis or denying that it exists, even as all of Iran's neighboring countries have closed the borders that they share with Iran and began to institute checks on Iranians traveling abroad. The reaction of Middle Eastern states reveals a lack of coordination in responding to the emerging crises and also creates questions about what kind of impact a virus can have on a region that has deep divisions and smoldering conflicts.

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  The coronavirus death toll is still rising, but US interest in the outbreak is plummeting

  Business Insider
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  Iran COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 8, With 43 Confirmed Infection Cases

  Meredith Videos

Pacific NW winds shut interstate, fell tree that crushes man

High winds wreaked havoc on the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, closing a stretch of an interstate freeway in Oregon and toppling a large tree that crushed a man sleeping in an apartment complex in Washington state. The man was critically injured in Renton, Washington, after a tree fell on a six-unit apartment building during a morning of high winds and heavy rain. Elsewhere, Interstate 84 was closed in both directions between Pendleton and La Grande in northeast Oregon, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) east of Portland, because of a downer power line.

Idaho's governor says he's hoping to speed up the extradition of doomsday mom Lori Vallow so she can face charges connected to her 2 missing kids

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he's hoping to speed up the process of bringing doomsday mom Lori Vallow back from Hawaii. Vallow, who's two children have been missing since September, was arrested on charges related to their disappearance last week. Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he's hoping to speed up the extradition process to get doomsday prepper Lori Vallow back from Hawaii to face trial for charges connected to the disappearance of her two children.

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  Lori Vallow's Niece Allegedly Knows Where 2 Missing Kids Are, Says Ex  — as Video of Son Surfaces

  People
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  Lori Vallow: Tracking the Movements of Idaho Mom Now Under Arrest After Her 2 Kids Went Missing

  People

Trump Admin. Considers Booting Chinese Reporters in Response to ‘Egregious’ Expulsion of WSJ Journalists: Report

The Trump administration is considering whether to expel Chinese journalists in response to China's own expulsion of three Wall Street Journal reporters, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. A meeting will be held at the White House on Monday to discuss the administration's options. The meeting will be led by deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who himself was a Journal reporter based in Beijing.

Virus delivers blow to Hong Kong protests but rage remains

The new coronavirus has handed Beijing an unexpected gift -- an end to Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies. For the Chinese government -- and its unelected proxy leaders in Hong Kong -- the end of the financial hub's huge rallies that engulfed the city for seven months straight has been a rare spot of good fortune in an otherwise grim start to the year. Protests were winding down when the virus first began to emerge in central China as activists reeled from exhaustion and a huge increase in arrests.

Trump praises Pakistan while announcing $3 billion India arms deal

President Donald Trump got all the pageantry he'd been promised on day one of his first trip to India since taking office. But Trump also made some remarks that may not be as well received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: he highlighted the “very good” U.S. relationship with Pakistan and the importance of unity among India's various religions. On stage he announced a $3 billion deal to sell American-made military equipment to India, a move he cast as a sign of deepening ties between the two countries.

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  Trump returns to domestic squabbles on India trip

  Associated Press
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  Trump gets red carpet treatment in first official visit to India

  CBS News Videos

Tom Steyer has paid more than $40,000 to rent a property owned by Jim Clyburn's daughter

Billionaire Tom Steyer is facing some criticism over his spending in South Carolina, a state where his Democratic presidential campaign is making some legitimate headway. Some people have even accused him of trying to buy votes from the state's African-American voters, which Steyer and many others have adamantly denied, The New York Times reports. One thing that's been particularly scrutinized is the Steyer campaign's rental agreement with a company owned by Jennifer Clyburn Reed, the daughter of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress whose endorsement is considered key in South Carolina.

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  Clyburn thinks Sanders may make it tougher for Democrats to keep House majority

  The Week
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  South Carolina Kingmaker Representative Clyburn to Endorse Biden in Bid to Slow Sanders

  National Review

How the 'failed' quarantine of the Diamond Princess cruise ship started with 10 coronavirus cases and ended with more than 630.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship went from 10 cases of the new coronavirus to more than 630 over the course of its two-week quarantine. Here's how the cruise ship ended up with more than half of all novel coronavirus cases outside China. Passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship got their first piece of bad news on February 4: Ten people onboard had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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  Coronavirus: Four new UK cases confirmed as cruise ship evacuees test positive

  The Independent
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  Two more Japan officials aboard ship contract coronavirus

  AFP

How South Korea’s Coronavirus Outbreak Got so Quickly out of Control

Buses and subways in Seoul, the normally crowded South Korean capital, were unusually quiet on Monday, and social media was filled with posts with the hashtag “work from home.” South Koreans work some of the longest hours in the world, and companies tend to frown on allowing employees to telecommute. This drastic departure from the conventions of corporate culture are a sign of how the country is scrambling to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The country's public health authorities have for the past several days reported drastic increases in the number of cases here, with 231 new cases on Monday, bringing the total number to 833, with more than 11,600 people undergoing diagnostic testing.

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  South Korea becomes biggest coronavirus centre outside China

  AFP Relax News
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  Xi says China facing 'big test' with virus, global impact spreads

  AFP

Nine of the World’s Most Beautiful Outdoor Saunas

From Seattle to Oslo, these outdoor saunas take relaxation and high-design to the next level Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

China sentences Swedish bookseller to 10 years in prison

A court in eastern China has sentenced a Swedish seller of books that took a skeptical look at the ruling Communist Party to 10 years in prison for “illegally providing intelligence overseas," in a further sign of Beijing's hard line toward its critics. Gui Minhai first disappeared in 2015, when he was believed to have been abducted by Chinese agents from his seaside home in Thailand. He and four others who worked for the same Hong Kong publishing company all went missing at around the same time, only to turn up months later in police custody in mainland China.

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  Four years after his disappearance, China sentenced a Hong Kong bookseller to 10 years in prison

  Quartz
• Sweden demands China release bookseller Gui Minhai

  Reuters

Ginni Thomas: SCOTUS justice's wife leading right-wing effort to purge officials 'disloyal' to Trump

A group of pro-Trump activists led by Ginni Thomas has reportedly compiled lists of “disloyal” government officials it wants sacked.

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  Conservative activists are reportedly sending Trump lists of 'disloyal' government officials to fire

  The Week
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  White House spokesperson confirms Trump is purging people: 'If we find them, we'll take appropriate action'

  Business Insider

Fake News or Reality? Did F-35s from Israel Fly Over Iran?

Key point: An Israeli strike in Iran would be risky even with F-35s, given distance to the target and Iranian air defenses... Israel's F-35 stealth fighters are positively supernatural: here, there and everywhere. In 2018, the Israeli Air Force claimed its new F-35s had attacked Iranian targets in Syria.

Senate FISA Abuse Investigation to Focus on Mystery Source Who Contradicted Steele Dossier

Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) on Sunday told Fox News the Senate's investigation into FBI abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will focus on interviews the agency conducted with a Russian source who contradicted much of the information in the Steele dossier. The first thing I want to do is call the people who heard from Russian sub-source that this dossier is a bunch of bar talk and hearsay,” Graham said on Fox's Sunday Morning Futures. I want to find out when did [former FBI director James] Comey and [former FBI deputy director Andrew] McCabe understand it was not reliable and start from there.

U.S. judge rejects Roger Stone's request she be kicked off his case

A U.S. federal judge on Sunday denied a request by Roger Stone's lawyers that she be removed from the case in which she last week sentenced the long-time adviser to President Donald Trump to three years and four months in prison. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had been accused of bias by Stone's attorneys in a filing on Friday that called for her recusal. Stone, 67, was convicted on Nov. 15 of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

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  Federal judge denies Roger Stone's request for her recusal

  The Week
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  Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejects Roger Stone's bid to disqualify her from the case

  USA TODAY

14 products dermatologists recommend for soothing redness and rosacea

To help you tackle red, irritated skin, we consulted top dermatologists for their favorite products. "This cleanser is very gentle on reactive or sensitive skin, which most patients with rosacea have. It also contains feverfew, an ingredient known to decrease redness and help with irritation," said Noelani González, MD, director of cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai West in New York City.

Greyhound will stop allowing immigration checks on buses

Greyhound, the U.S.'s largest bus company, said on Friday that it will stop allowing Border Patrol agents without a warrant to board its buses to conduct routine immigration checks.

Bloomberg adviser accuses Warren of 'running interference' for Sanders

The Bloomberg campaign seems a little exasperated with Democratic presidential primary competitor Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has directed a bevy of criticism at their candidate, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Over the weekend, Warren was asked whether she considered the Democratic frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) a risky candidate — a term which she has used to describe Bloomberg. Warren didn't directly respond to the question about Sanders, instead reiterating her feelings about Bloomberg, who she said has a history of hiding his taxes, harassing women, and supporting racist policies, before launching into an argument about why she's the least risky candidate.

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  Bernie Sanders' big win as candidates look to South Carolina

  ABC News Videos
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  Stephen Colbert Brings Back Bernie Sanders Impression: “I Promise You Will Feel The Bern”

  Deadline

Two-Thirds of the World’s Most Polluted Cities Are in India

Several Chinese cities, including Beijing, have dramatically improved their air quality in recent years, while Indian metropolises remain some of the world's worst polluted, according to a new report. Beijing -- once infamous for its toxic haze -- has reduced smog levels and dropped down a list of the world's most polluted cities, falling to 199 from 84 three years before, according to the 2019 World Air Quality Report published Tuesday by IQAir AirVisual. In contrast, India still dominated its list of the smoggiest urban areas, accounting for 14 of the top 20.

30 of the Best Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucets

An easy upgrade for your kitchen sink Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

Dispute leaves Taiwanese stuck in locked-down Chinese cities

Beauty salon operator Shelly Chen flew from Taiwan to her hometown in China last month to see her aging parents for the Lunar New Year holiday. Two days later, their city in the heart of a new virus outbreak was locked down to stop the fast-spreading infection. At first, Chen didn't leave her parents' house in Huanggang because she didn't want to get sick and be barred from boarding a charter flight home.