May 29, 2018

Italy's political crisis roils the markets

Photo: Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via Getty Images

Political chaos in Italy is hitting the financial markets, the WSJ reports, with new elections carrying the risk that Italy’s surging populist parties could move to take the country out of the euro.

Big picture: Italy's president Sergio Mattarella vetoed a government proposed by the Five Star Movement and the League — the two big populist winners from March's election — because it included a nominee for finance minister who has repeatedly advocated for leaving the Euro. Now there will be fresh elections in the coming months, and the future of the Euro could be front and center. That prospect has led to mass selling of European debt, and the Dow has dropped by more than 400 points.

Go deeper

Stef W. Kight

14 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Amid racial unrest, a test at the polls

Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Eight states plus D.C. are holding primary elections today following a week of intense protests across the country over the brutal police killing of George Floyd.

Why it matters: It's the first major test for voting since the national outcry. Concerns over civil unrest and the police — as well as the coronavirus and expanded absentee voting — could reduce the number of voters showing up in person but heighten tensions for those who do.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Margaret Talev

44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Axios-Ipsos poll: America’s big racial divide on police, virus

Data: Ipsos/Axios survey; Note: ±3.2% margin of error; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

A new Axios-Ipsos poll finds that America has a massive racial gulf on each of our twin calamities — trust in police, and fear of the coronavirus.

77% of whites say they trust local police, compared with just 36% of African Americans — one of many measures of a throbbing racial divide in Week 11 of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index, taken the week George Floyd was killed by a white policeman in Minneapolis.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Rebecca Falconer

Updated 54 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Updates: George Floyd protests nationwide

Police officers wearing riot gear push back demonstrators outside of the White House on Monday. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images

Protests over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people continued for a seventh day across the U.S., with President Trump threatening on Monday to deploy the military if the unrest continues.

The latest: Four police officers were struck by gunfire while standing near a line in St Louis on Monday after a peaceful demonstration, Police Chief John Hayden said early Tuesday. They were all taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He said a small group of people had thrown rocks and fireworks at police officers.

Go deeper (2 min. read)