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.

China sentences Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai to 10 years jail

China has sentenced Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison on charges of illegally providing intelligence abroad and claimed him as a citizen, prompting Stockholm to call for his release in a case that has rattled diplomatic relations. Gui, one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for publishing salacious titles about China's political leaders, was snatched by authorities while on a train to Beijing in February 2018, the second time he disappeared into mainland custody. A court in the eastern city of Ningbo said Chinese-born Gui was sentenced Monday to 10 years in jail, and claimed he had also voluntarily reinstated his Chinese citizenship in 2018.

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  China sentences Swedish bookseller to 10 years in prison

  Associated Press
• Sweden demands China release bookseller Gui Minhai

  Reuters

Iran is closing schools, scrambling for hospital places, and spraying disinfectant in the subway as coronavirus deaths and cases spike

reported. These figures have been questioned, however, with one lawmaker from the city of Qom telling the semi-official ILNA news agency that at least 50 people had died in that city alone, The Guardian, AFP and AP reported. ILNA's editor also told AFP: "The rest of the media have not published this figure, but we prefer not to censor what concerns the coronavirus because people's lives are in danger."

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

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

Victims turn to media to expose sex abuse by college doctors

Robert Julian Stone was tired of waiting, afraid that complaints of sexual abuse at the hands of a former University of Michigan doctor would be covered up. So five months after contacting the university to report that he'd been assaulted during a 1971 medical exam — and after learning there were more alleged victims — the 69-year-old Stone turned to The Detroit News. The newspaper last week was the first to report Stone's allegations against the late Dr. Robert E. Anderson, triggering similar reports.

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  Men hire lawyers over alleged abuse by U. of Michigan doctor

  The Associated Press
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  Michigan sex-misconduct claims mirror Ohio State doctor case

  Associated Press

‘It’s Unfair to Say Everything Was Bad’: Sanders Defends Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro

We're very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it's unfair to simply say everything is bad. You know? Sanders said.

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  Bernie’s Cuba Illiteracy

  The Wall Street Journal
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  Florida Democrats think Sanders' Castro comments could cost him the state in November

  The Week

Donald, Melania, Ivanka, and Jared Visited the Taj Mahal. Their Poses Spoke Volumes.

Melania Trump stood in front of the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a symbol of devotion to his wife, Mumtaz, and watched her open-mouthed husband bellow to photographers. Her high-necked, ivory jumpsuit matched the exterior of the famed marble mausoleum (CNN's Kate Bennett identified the one piece as made by Trump's stylist, Hervé Pierre). It came with a moss green sash made of “vintage Indian textile” that slightly clashed with her husband's canary yellow tie.

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  Trump In India: Cricket, Vegetarian Food, Fun With Pronunciation

  CBSTV Videos
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  Trump kicked off his India visit with roaring crowds, a stop at Gandhi's home, and a massive rally

  INSIDER

Trump Hails Stronger India Ties With an Eye to Countering China

I'm optimistic we can reach a deal that will be of great importance to both countries,” Trump said on Tuesday while sharing a stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The momentum on trade appeared to pave the way for closer strategic relations, as the U.S. looks to court India as a counterweight to China. Trump lauded increased security ties with India and showered praise on Modi, who has faced deadly protests -- including during the president's visit -- over a citizenship law that singles out Muslims.

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  In Pictures: Namaste Trump – thousands welcome US president to India

  PA Media: World News
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  Trump plays India’s favourite notes with Bollywood and cricket, but there’s no holding back the bored Indian

  Quartz

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.

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

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.

China said it would relax its lockdown of Wuhan's 11 million residents, only to immediately reintroduce it

Wuhan announced on Monday that some people who are deemed healthy will be allowed to leave the city, whose transport links have been severed since January 23. China's decision to lock down Wuhan and nearby cities is the largest quarantine in human history, with the World Health Organization calling it an unprecedented step that's it's not sure will work. The Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, relaxed the unprecedented quarantine restrictions on its 11 million citizens on Monday, only to almost immediately reverse that decision and reimpose the lockdown of the city.

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  WHO experts visit Chinese virus epicentre

  AFP Relax News
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  The Coronavirus Is Starting to Go Global

  Bloomberg

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

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.

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

2020 Watch: Why are there 8 candidates still in the race?

Presidential politics move fast. What we're watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign: Days to South Carolina primary: 5 Days to Super Tuesday: 8 Days to general election: 253 THE NARRATIVE Bernie Sanders has become the clear front-runner in the Democrats' presidential nomination fight. And his Democratic critics are only now beginning to realize they're running out of time to stop him.

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  Don't panic about Bernie

  The Week
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  Eye Opener: Democrats shift their focus to the South Carolina primary

  CBS News Videos

NASA space telescope spots a double star system with an alter ego

A volatile double star system appears to change its behavior rapidly and unpredictably like a cosmic story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The pair consists of a neutron star — an extremely dense remnant of a supernova explosion — and a smaller, sunlike star. Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation's Karl F. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers found that this binary star system switches between two alter egos every few years.

'It's my guilty pleasure': Sen. Chuck Schumer confirms spending $8,600 on Junior's cheesecake

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer admitted Sunday that he has dropped almost $9,000 on his favorite cheesecake over the years. Holding a platter of the rich dessert aloft at a news conference, Schumer responded to a New York Post report that said Federal Election Commission filings reveal he spent $8,600 on cheesecake from Junior's, a restaurant that boasts it has the best cheesecake in New York, over the course of a decade. "Guilty as charged," the New York Democrat confessed.

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  'Guilty as charged': Chuck Schumer admits he spent nearly $9,000 on cheesescakes

  The Independent
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  Schumer is 'guilty' of spending thousands on cheesecake

  Reuters Videos

Putin Sent Her Activist Boyfriend to the Arctic Circle. Now She Wants to Go, Too.

MOSCOW—Few people are familiar with Novaya Zemlya, a very obscure archipelago above the Arctic Circle that is controlled by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the infamous Soviet spy agency, the KGB. It sounds like hell frozen over, in fact—and it figures in what looks like a new tactic by President Vladimir Putin (a former KGB operative) to intimidate his most vocal critics.

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.

South Korea's F-15K Slam Eagle Fighters Could Make North Korea Hurt

On September 13, 2017 the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) test-fired a Taurus cruise missile in response to a North Korean ballistic missile test. For decades, the South Korean military has had to prepare for a conflict in which its cities, especially the capital of Seoul, would be on the receiving end of a North Korean artillery, chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. Based on the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter bomber in U.S. Air Force, the Slam Eagles have souped-up sensors and electronic warfare systems, and now are loaded with bunker-busting cruise missiles to blast open North Korean missile silos.

The US is telling Americans with pre-existing conditions to avoid trips to Italy

The US State Department and Center for Disease Control have issued travel warnings for Italy amid the spread of COVID-19. The State Department issued a level two warning for Italy back in January stemming from terrorism concerns. The Center for Disease Control issued a travel warning for Italy, after more then 200 cases of the novel COVID-19 were discovered in the northern region of the country.

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

  AFP
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  Asian Markets: South Korea Plunges More than 3%; Airlines, Smartphone Industry at Risk

  FX Empire