FBI Used Dossier Allegations to Bolster Trump-Russia Investigation
CNN
Remember that lurid dossier of allegations of Russian ties to Donald Trump's campaign? It seems to be in less disrepute now. The FBI used it last year as part of the justification to win approval to secretly monitor a Trump associate, officials say. It has also been cited by Director James Comey in recent weeks in some of his briefings to Congress. Investigators are said to have done their own work separate from the dossier to support their findings. RNC Digital Guru Mixed $1 Million Personal Gain With Campaign Work
Politico
The Republican Party's top digital strategist in 2016 got a nearly $1 million payout from a firm he co-founded that collected online campaign contributions — despite earlier claims that the strategist had severed his ties to the company. Gerrit Lansing's joint roles, while legal, have raised questions of cronyism and profit-making at the Republican National Committee. Ivanka's Brand Prospers as Politics and Business Intersect
Associated Press
Since her father was elected president, global sales of Ivanka Trump merchandise have surged and her company has expanded. Using the prestige of government service to build a brand is not illegal. But as she and her husband rub elbows with the leaders of China and other countries, they could run afoul of criminal conflict-of-interest law barring them from matters like trade. Indonesian Women Risk Health to Supply Palm Oil for Your Ice Cream
STAT News
Indonesian palm oil is widely used in processed foods from ice cream to chocolate to margarine, and producers like Kellogg and Nestlé say they buy from plantations that harvest responsibly. So why do female workers keep falling ill? The likely culprit: the potent cocktail of chemicals they spray on young trees, with little protection. Can an Ocean Tract Be a 'National Monument'? Fishermen Fight Back
Watchdog.org
President Obama last year unilaterally designated nearly 5,000 square miles of ocean off Cape Cod as a "national monument," placing off limits vast stocks of fish vital to the livelihoods of generations. A coalition of fishing organizations is suing. "We're losing opportunity as we speak," one fisherman said. "It could easily be millions of dollars just this winter." Massachusetts Fishing Fleet Confronts an Opioid Problem
The Boston Globe
Facing drug use among crew members, fishing captains in the state are adding the life-saving drug Narcan to the essential gear on their boats. "This is a mayday call for the fishing industry," said the head of an advocacy group. "Ambulances don't go where fishermen fish." Cellphones Used While Driving on 88 Percent of Trips
Axios
The stats are in: Zendrive studied actual device use among 3.1 million drivers over 5.6 billion miles of driving and found that in 88 percent of trips, drivers made some use of their phones. On average, drivers spent 3.5 minutes per hour on their device. Go figure: Vermont, which had the highest rate of device usage, also has a law against doing so. | 
