Jun 14, 2018 - World

Report: Trump said Crimea is Russian because people there speak Russian

Dave Lawler, author of World

Putin and Trump in 2017. Photo: Mikail Klimentev/AFP/Getty Images

In a meeting with G7 leaders last week, President Trump said Crimea is Russian because everyone there speaks Russian, Buzzfeed News reports, citing two diplomatic sources.

Why it matters: Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory in 2014, leading to universal condemnation in the West and Russia's expulsion from what was then the G-8. Western allies took great pains to show a united front and declare that such aggression wouldn't be tolerated. Trump is taking a far different approach to Russia, and in this case is making a similar argument to the one put forth by the Kremlin.

Go deeper

Alexi McCammond
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Biden releases 2019 tax returns ahead of debate

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Joe Biden's campaign released his 2019 tax returns on Tuesday, showing that he and his wife, Jill, paid nearly $300,000 in federal taxes last year.

Why it matters: The release, timed just hours before the first presidential debate, comes days after a bombshell New York Times report said that President Trump paid only $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017. Biden's team is hoping to make the tax contrast a sticking point during their showdown.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2:15 p.m. ET: 33,454,037 — Total deaths: 1,003,571 — Total recoveries: 23,204,219 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2:15 p.m. ET: 7,165,067 — Total deaths: 205,476 — Total recoveries: 2,794,608 — Total tests: 102,342,416 — Map.
  3. Health: Americans won't take Trump's word on the vaccine, Axios-Ipsos poll finds.
  4. States: NYC's coronavirus positivity rate spikes to highest since June.
  5. Sports: Tennessee Titans close facility amid NFL's first coronavirus outbreak.
  6. World: U.K. beats previous record for new coronavirus cases.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Marisa Fernandez
2 hours ago - Health

NYC's coronavirus positivity rate spikes to highest since June

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images

New York City's coronavirus positivity rate has ticked up to 3.25%, its highest since June, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The jump — from 1.93% on Monday — came on the first day that public elementary classrooms reopened in the city after months of closures, but guidelines state that all public schools will have to shut if the citywide seven-day positivity rate stays above 3%.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow