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.

Iran official running anti-coronavirus task force has virus

The head of Iran's counter-coronavirus task force has tested positive for the virus himself, authorities announced Tuesday, showing the challenges facing the Islamic Republic amid concerns the outbreak may be far wider than officially acknowledged. The announcement regarding Iraj Harirchi came after he gave a news conference with journalists in Tehran about the virus just one day prior, seeking to minimize the danger posed by the outbreak. The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday meanwhile banned all flights to and from Iran over the outbreak of the new coronavirus, just a day after its spread from the Islamic Republic was announced across multiple Mideast nations.

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  Iran neighbours impose travel bans as coronavirus toll rises

  AFP
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  Virus pushes beyond Asia, taking aim at Europe, Mideast

  Associated Press

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Nice memories but no trade deal for Trump in India

Donald Trump failed Tuesday to strike any major trade deal with India at the end of a visit big on photo opportunities but short on substance and overshadowed by deadly riots. Speaking after talks in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US president said only that they had made "tremendous progress" towards a comprehensive agreement and that he was "optimistic we can reach a deal". While minor compared to his trade war with China, Trump has slapped tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium and suspended duty-free access for certain goods in an effort to cut the $25-billion US trade deficit with Asia's third-biggest economy.

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  Trump Says U.S.-India to Sign $3 Billion in Defense Deals

  Bloomberg
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  Trump dazzled by 'stunning display of India's culture and kindness' at welcome rally

  USA TODAY

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.

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.

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

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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  Italy locks down 'hot spot' cities; WHO says coronavirus 'not yet' a pandemic despite rising death toll

  USA TODAY
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  Italy's Far-Right Seeks to Gain from Coronavirus Outbreak

  Time

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

Democrats' strategy to stop Sanders could be fatally flawed

As the results of the Nevada caucuses showed Sen. Bernie Sanders solidifying his status as a — or the — Democratic frontrunner, those in the party who fear his nomination mounted increasingly panicked calls for other candidates to drop out and allow the opposition to coalesce around a single challenger.

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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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  Bernie Sanders’ Nevada Coalition Gives Him Clearest Path to Nomination

  Bloomberg

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

Trump administration backs off sending coronavirus patients to Alabama -governor

The Trump administration has backed off plans to quarantine patients from the Diamond Princess cruise ship stricken with coronavirus at a federal facility in Alabama, the state's governor and a U.S. senator said on Sunday. The news came as worry grew over the spread outside China of the sometimes fatal virus, with a spike in the number of cases found in South Korea, Iran and Italy. Experts were baffled over outbreaks with no clear link to China.

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  'Welcome Home': Australian Couple Films Evacuation From Diamond Princess to Darwin

  Storyful
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  Two American cities fight to block quarantine facilities in their communities

  ABC News Videos

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.

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

Did New Spy Chief Richard Grenell Advise George Clooney?

Before becoming President Donald Trump's ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, Richard “Ric” Grenell had a bare-knuckled career in public relations. The Republican operative served as spokesman at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration and then moved to Capitol Media Partners, a firm that represented a host of clients. Grenell's work in private practice for foreign clients has drawn scrutiny, particularly work for a Moldovan oligarch and a nonprofit funded largely by a far-right Hungarian political party.

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

30 of the Best Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucets

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

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."

A 'brokered convention' designed to block Bernie Sanders would be a poison pill

If Sanders has only a plurality of delegates at the Democratic national convention in July, rather than an outright majority, he might not win the nomination on the first ballot. Under convention rules, this would allow “superdelegates” to vote on the second ballot, and open up the possibility that other candidates can “horse trade” their delegates in order to receive the nomination, even if Sanders won all or most of the primaries and a strong plurality of pledged delegates. What's the point in having primaries if party insiders at the convention just override the result?

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  Bernie Sanders wins Nevada, solidifies front-runner status

  Yahoo Finance Video
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  Chris Matthews: TV host apologies for likening Bernie Sanders primary victory to Nazi invasion

  The Independent