Apr 12, 2017

FBI had FISA warrant to monitor former Trump adviser

Shannon Vavra

Pavel Golovkin / AP

The FBI and DOJ got a FISA warrant to monitor the communications of Carter Page, Donald Trump's former foreign policy advisor, for possible links to Russia, per a Washington Post report.

What this means: The agencies convinced the secret court there was probable cause to believe Page was acting as an agent for Russia. Recall, earlier this month, Page confirmed he met with a Russian spy who was allegedly trying to turn him, although he has denied any wrongdoing.

Why it matters: As the Post puts it, "This is the clearest evidence so far that the FBI had reason to believe during the 2016 presidential campaign that a Trump campaign adviser was in touch with Russian agents."

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Axios

WHO won't call coronavirus a pandemic as cases spread

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The World Health Organization will not yet call the coronavirus a pandemic, claiming that needs across affected countries are too varied and the classification would increase fear, per a briefing Monday.

The big picture: As South Korea and Italy stepped up emergency measures in efforts to thwart the spread of the virus, WHO expressed concern about infections with no clear link to China. COVID-19 has killed at least 2,620 people and infected almost 80,000 others, with all but 27 deaths occurring in mainland China.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 27 mins ago - Health
Dave Lawler

The global scramble to contain the coronavirus

Taking precaution, in the Philippines. Photo: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

The coronavirus is spreading quickly in cities nowhere near Wuhan, China, and the window to prevent a global pandemic is narrowing.

Zoom in: Here's a look at what comes with a coronavirus outbreak in communities outside China that have been hardest hit so far.

Go deeperArrow45 mins ago - World
Axios

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Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy