Jun 4, 2017

U.S. Ambassador contradicts Trump over criticism of London mayor

Dave Lawler, author of World

London Mayor Sadiq Khan (Matt Dunham / AP)

The acting U.S. ambassador to the U.K. has commended the Mayor of London for his handling of Saturday's terrorist attacks — hours after President Trump criticized the mayor's response.

What Trump said: "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'"

What Lewis Lukens said, from the embassy twitter account: "Commend the strong leadership of the @MayorofLondon as he leads the city forward after this heinous attack."

What Mayor Sadiq Khan actually said: That Londoners shouldn't be alarmed by increased security. Trump took his words out of context.

Not Trump's man: Lukens is a career diplomat, serving as acting ambassador until Trump fills the role. Trump has indicated he will select Woody Johnson, the NY Jets owner, but has not yet nominated him.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 34,124,948 — Total deaths: 1,016,723 — Total recoveries: 23,703,113 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 7,273,244 — Total deaths: 207,605 — Total recoveries: 2,840,747 — Total tests: 103,946,170 — Map.
  3. Politics: House prepares to pass revised COVID relief bill as White House talks hit roadblock — Biden to expand voter outreach with in-person canvassing amid pandemic.
  4. Health: Health officials urge flu shots, warning of "twindemic" with COVID-19 — Coronavirus infections rise in 25 states.
  5. Business: Remdesivir is good business for Gilead — Amazon says over 19,800 employees contracted coronavirus — Doomsday has arrived for tens of thousands of workers.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Ursula Perano
3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Doomsday has arrived for tens of thousands of workers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Federal coronavirus aid for airlines expires on Thursday with no renewal in sight, meaning massive layoffs for the industry aren't far behind.

The big picture: Airline workers aren't alone on the unemployment line. Oil companies, tire manufacturers, book publishers and insurers are among those that have announced tens of thousands of layoffs. Federal aid through the CARES Act earlier this year delayed most layoffs — until now.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Alison Snyder, author of Science
4 hours ago - Science

How the brain handles the unknown

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Uncertainty can be hard for humans. It drives anxiety, an emotion neuroscientists are trying to understand and psychologists are trying to better treat.

Why it matters: Under the threat of a virus, job insecurity, election uncertainty, and a general pandemic life-in-limbo that is upending school, holidays and more, people are especially anxious.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow