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.

California woman, boyfriend accused of killing 3 roommates over rent argument

Police have arrested a 20-year-old woman and her boyfriend, both of whom are accused of killing her roommates over a possible rent dispute in a Southern California home. The couple, Jordan Guzman and her boyfriend Anthony McCloud, 18, were  arrested Thursday after police alerted authorities in Las Vegas to a missing car belonging to one of the victims, 18-year-old Trinity Clyde. The three victims – Clyde, Wendy Lopez-Araiza, 46, and her daughter, Genesis Lopez-Araiza, 21 – were found dead Wednesday in their home in Hemet, about 76 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

China sentences Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai to 10 years

A Chinese court has sentenced Swedish book publisher Gui Minhai to 10 years in prison on charges of illegally providing intelligence abroad in a case that has rattled relations between Beijing and Stockholm. Gui, one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for publishing salacious titles about Chinese political leaders, was snatched by Chinese authorities while on a train to Beijing in February 2018, the second time he disappeared into Chinese custody. The court in the eastern city of Ningbo said Gui was convicted on Monday and that he had his Chinese citizenship reinstated in 2018, but it was not immediately clear if he had given up his Swedish nationality.

Coronavirus updates: 5 dead and 200 infected in Italy as Europe braces for COVID-19

Number of coronavirus deaths in China nears 2,600 • Italy records fifth coronavirus death as it becomes worst-hit country in Europe • Dow plunges by more than 900 points on fears of coronavirus • Two more doctors die of coronavirus in China • More than 800 confirmed cases, 8 dead in South Korea • China postpones key political meeting because of virus • China bans illegal wild animal trading amid coronavirus outbreak: state media • Coronavirus deaths spike to 12 in Iran; 47 cases confirmed Dow plunges by 950 points on fears coronavirus will tank global economic growth Wall Street plunged at Monday's opening bell after a spike in the number of reported cases of coronavirus fueled fears that th...

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  Italy put 12 towns on coronavirus lockdown after 215 cases and 5 deaths made it the most infected country outside Asia

  Business Insider
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  Fifth person dies in coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy - official

  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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  Coronavirus Outbreak: Death toll in Iran is now at 50, news agency says

  KTRK – Houston
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  Coronavirus Cases Soar to Alarming Numbers in Italy, South Korea and Iran with Hundreds Infected

  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.

Tennessee continues push for executions, setting 2 more

Tennessee on Monday set two new execution dates, days after putting to death its seventh inmate in the past year and a half. The Tennessee Supreme Court ordered an Oct. 8 execution date for Byron Black and a Dec. 3 execution date for Pervis Payne. Black was convicted by a Nashville court of murdering his girlfriend Angela Clay and her daughters Latoya, 9, and Lakesha, 6, at their home in 1988.

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

Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images Google Trends data show that Americans are losing interest in the coronavirus, even though the death toll continues to rise in mainland China and other countries. The World Health Organization said Monday that the epidemic peaked and plateaued in China between January 23 and February 2. Cases have been reported in 34 countries outside of China, with the most severe outbreaks in Italy, Iran and South Korea.

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  WHO Head Warns of ‘Potential Pandemic’ after Initially Praising China’s Response to Coronavirus

  National Review
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  Virus-driven risk-off move lifts yen versus dollar

  Reuters

President Trump, first lady visit Taj Mahal in India

President Trump, who once owned the former Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J., took in breathtaking views of the real Taj Mahal Monday in India. As Trump walked from the iconic 17th century mausoleum, he told reporters that it is s an “incredible place.

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  India throws Donald Trump the largest rally of his political career

  Meredith Videos
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  The Trumps (with Ivanka and Jared) Visit Taj Mahal During India Trip Half a World Away from the Election

  People

Biden campaign runs South Carolina ad accusing Sanders of trying to undermine Obama's re-election

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign team is going after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for reportedly once going after Biden's old boss. The Biden campaign unveiled a new digital ad Monday that's tied to a story published The Atlantic last week that reported Sanders seriously considered launching a primary challenge against former President Barack Obama in 2012. When word got around to the Oval Office, it reportedly sent Obama's re-election campaign team into a panic.

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  Bernie Sanders says it's 'unfair' to say everything Fidel Castro did was bad, condemns his 'authoritarian nature'

  The Week
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  Rahm Emanuel: Bernie Sanders needs moderate voters to beat Trump

  CBS News Videos

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

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.

Probe into abuse at America's oldest deaf school finds 'appalling truths'

An investigation into inappropriate conduct at America's oldest school for deaf people corroborated multiple allegations of sexual and physical abuse that stretched decades, school officials said. In a report, officials at the American School for the Deaf, in West Hartford, Connecticut, said Friday that the allegations involved former dorm supervisors, a maintenance worker, a dean and the school's longtime executive director. "The results of this investigation reveal startling and appalling truths," Executive Director Jeffrey S. Bravin and Catherine Burns, president of the board of directors, said in the report.

Americans Show Fresh Signs of Panic as Coronavirus Cases Jump Again

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday that the number of 2019 novel coronavirus cases in the United States rose from 34 on Friday to 53 as more passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for the disease. The virus quickly spread among 695 passengers aboard the Carnival cruise ship docked in Yokohama, Japan, and has since killed at least two and forced many of the rest into quarantine and isolation. The U.S. State Department eventually repatriated those Americans who wished to come home, though local officials across the United States have shown signs of resistance to housing the potentially infected in state or federal facilities.

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  Trump Was Furious That Cruise Ship Passengers With Coronavirus Were Brought Back to U.S.

  The New York Times
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  Two more Japan officials aboard ship contract coronavirus

  AFP

Susan Collins Breaks With Trump on Director of National Intelligence Pick

Republican Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Monday rejected President Trump's pick to lead the intelligence community, saying Richard Grenell does not have the experience to serve as director of national intelligence. “I would have much preferred that the president nominate the acting director Maguire for the post,” Collins said, referring to the former director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire. “As one of the four authors of the law that created the DNI back in 2004, I care deeply about that position and believe the person needs experience in the intelligence community, which regrettably Ambassador Grenell does not have,” Collins continued.

Afghanistan confirms first coronavirus case in province bordering Iran

KABUL/HERAT (Reuters) - Afghanistan confirmed its first case of the coronavirus in the western province of Herat on Monday, declaring a state of emergency in a territory bordering Iran which itself reported a sharp rise in cases. Dozens of cases of the virus, which originated in the central Chinese province of Hubei in December, have been confirmed in Iran where 12 people have died, the highest death toll outside of China. "I ask people to try to stay at home and restrict their movements," Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz told reporters, referring to Heart, the gateway to Iran.

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  Iran neighbours impose travel bans as coronavirus toll rises

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

  Meredith Videos

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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  Coronavirus: Wuhan evacuees leave UK quarantine as 30 others from virus-hit cruise ship begin isolation

  The Independent
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  As the coronavirus goes global, what should we expect?

  The Telegraph

Indonesia Backs Calls for Global Response to Virus Outbreak

Indonesia is backing calls for a coordinated global response to the coronavirus outbreak, warning that authorities may be underestimating its impact on trade and economic growth. It's “very important” to synchronize, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in a Bloomberg TV interview in Riyadh, where she's attending the Group of 20 meeting of finance chiefs. All the economic ministers coming here, and the central banks, they have instruments and policy tools that they can implement and execute, including fiscal expansion if it's necessary,” Indrawati said.

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  G20 finance heads eye impact of coronavirus outbreak on growth, see modest pickup

  Reuters
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  Coronavirus duration will 'determine the economic impact': Strategist

  Yahoo Finance Video

Islamic Jihad renews rocket fire on Israel amid ongoing air strikes

Islamic Jihad resumed firing rockets at Israel from Gaza Monday night amid ongoing Israeli air strikes, damaging hopes for an end to a two-day flare-up a week before the Jewish state's election. The militant Islamist group announced Monday evening it had ceased firing rockets but backtracked about an hour later after Israel continued striking its forces in the Gaza Strip. "We announced the end of our military response...

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  Gaza: Israeli army filmed dragging corpse of suspected militant with bulldozer, as cross-border violence surges

  The Independent
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  Israeli jets strike targets in Syria and Gaza

  Reuters Videos

Auschwitz Museum upset at scene in Amazon series 'Hunters'

The museum of the Nazi German Auschwitz death camp is objecting to a scene in a new Amazon TV series that shows a murderous game of human chess being played there, insisting that no such thing took place at the camp. The museumand memorial that guard the Auschwitz-Birkenau site in southern Poland, its historic facts and the memory of the victims tweeted about the scene in Amazon's series “Hunters.” It said inventing fake scenes is “dangerous foolishness and caricature," encourages Holocaust deniers and is disrespectful of the camp's some 1.1 million victims, including women and children. The series' creator, David Weil stressed in a statement it was not a documentary but a narrative with largely fictional characters.

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  Auschwitz museum criticises scene in Hunters TV series

  PA Media: World News
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  Amazon in Holocaust row about 'Hunters' series, anti-Semitic books

  Reuters

'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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  Yes, Chuck Schumer has spent more than $8,600 on cheesecake. He's 'guilty as charged.'

  INSIDER
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  Schumer is 'guilty' of spending thousands on cheesecake

  Reuters Videos

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.

30 of the Best Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucets

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

Warren Buffett says he'd 'certainly' vote for Mike Bloomberg, but will have to 'see what happens' with Bernie Sanders

The billionaire and CEO and chair of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. sent his annual shareholder letter out this weekend, and appeared Monday on CNBC's Squawk Box, where he weighed in on various topics, including the 2020 presidential election. There was no indication he'd support President Trump's re-election in the interview, but he did seem hesitant about supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) if he winds up as the Democratic nominee. Buffett didn't denounce Sanders — in fact, he said he agrees with him on some counts, especially the argument that "we ought to do better by the people who get left behind by our capitalist system" — but he said he'll wait to see what happens before making any sort of declaration.

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  Elizabeth Warren's stellar debate in Las Vegas came too late to give her a big win in the Nevada caucuses

  Business Insider
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  Moscow's preferred U.S. candidate reportedly isn't Trump or Sanders, but 'chaos'

  The Week