Mar 24, 2018

Russia continues pointing fingers after ex-spy poisoning

Haley Britzky

Russian President Vladimir Putin poses with medalists of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympic Games. Photo: Yuri Kadobnov / AFP / Getty Images

It's become relatively understood with world leaders that Russia probably poisoned ex-spy Sergei Skripal.

The bigger picture: The U.S. has said so, the E.U. recently voiced support for the U.K. in saying so; the only person who won't say is Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Kremlin has "spread a flurry of theories" to explain the nerve-agent attack, with "one common theme: It was anyone but Russia."

  • Theory one: The U.S. did it. The top arms-control officer for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Vladimir Yermakov, said per the WSJ: "It's most likely the latest crude, bogus, illegal stunt...One could imagine that it may have been orchestrated from across the ocean."
  • Theory two: A British TV show is to blame. Yermakov wondered if it could "be some kind of hypnosis under the influence...of the TV series?" He was referring to "a recent British TV thriller, the Journal reports.
  • Theory three: It was meant to disrupt the election. A foreign-trade student said, per WSJ, that "it was probably a setup by foreign security services ahead of elections."
  • Theory four: It's all a lie. The Journal reports one woman in Moscow said the reports are "all rumors...No one poisoned him, he died of his own accord."

Go deeper

Erica Pandey

America's funeral homes buckle under the coronavirus

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Morgues, funeral homes and cemeteries in hot spots across America cannot keep up with the staggering death toll of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The U.S. has seen more than 10,000 deaths from the virus, and at least tens of thousands more lives are projected to be lost. The numbers are creating unprecedented bottlenecks in the funeral industry — and social distancing is changing the way the families say goodbye to their loved ones.

Go deeperArrow1 hour ago - Health
Jonathan Swan, Margaret Talev

Navarro memos warning of mass coronavirus death circulated in January

Image from a memo to President Trump

In late January, President Trump's economic adviser Peter Navarro warned his White House colleagues the novel coronavirus could take more than half a million American lives and cost close to $6 trillion, according to memos obtained by Axios.

The state of play: By late February, Navarro was even more alarmed, and he warned his colleagues, in another memo, that up to two million Americans could die of the virus.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 2 hours ago - Health
Margaret Talev

Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: The virus hits home

Data: Ipsos/Axios poll; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

The share of Americans who know someone who's tested positive has more than tripled in just a few weeks, to 14%, according to the latest installment of our Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

  • It's still highest in the Northeast, but last week alone it doubled in the South — and it's becoming most pronounced among people who still must leave home to work.
Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Health