Apr 12, 2017 - World

Tillerson meets with Putin

Alexei Nikolsky / Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo / AP; Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson became the first senior member of the Trump administration to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin today after a prolonged will-they-won't-they standoff prior to Tillerson's visit to the Kremlin, per the AP. According to a U.S. embassy official, they concluded their meeting after nearly 2 hours.

Maybe a little awkward: "The level of trust [with the United States] at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded," Putin told Russian state television today.

Don't forget: Back in 2013, Putin awarded then-ExxonMobil CEO Tillerson the Order of Friendship medal, one of Russia's highest honors for foreign citizens.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 a.m. ET: 19,638,142 — Total deaths: 726,786 — Total recoveries — 11,939,423 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 a.m. ET: 4,998,017 — Total deaths: 162,425 — Total recoveries: 1,643,118 — Total tests: 61,080,587 — Map.
  3. Politics: Trump signs 4 executive actions on coronavirus aid — Democrats, and some Republicans, criticize the move
  4. Public health: Fauci says chances are "not great" that COVID-19 vaccine will be 98% effective — 1 in 3 Americans would decline COVID-19 vaccine.
  5. Science: Indoor air is the next coronavirus frontline.
  6. Schools: How back-to-school is playing out in the South as coronavirus rages on — Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Howard to hold fall classes online.
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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine again tests negative for coronavirus after positive result

Photo: Justin Merriman/Getty Images

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) tested negative for COVID-19 for a second time after initially testing positive last week, he announced Saturday.

Why it matters: 73-year-old DeWine was set to meet President Trump Thursday on the tarmac at an airport in Cleveland and was tested as part of standard protocol.

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Republicans and Democrats react to Trump's coronavirus aid action

President Trump speaks to workers at a manufacturing facility in Clyde, Ohio, on Thursday. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing President Trump Saturday night for taking executive action on coronavirus aid, with Democratic leaders demanding the GOP return to negotiations after stimulus package talks broke down a day earlier.

Why it matters: Trump could face legal challenges on his ability to act without congressional approval, where the power lies on federal spending. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was the most vocal Republican critic, saying in a statement: "The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop."

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