Sep 3, 2018

Vatican pushes back against Vigano on Pope Francis' Kim Davis meeting

Photo: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

The Vatican's former spokesman issued a statement Sunday challenging claims made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano regarding Pope Francis' 2015 meeting with Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage licenses, reports the AP.

Why it matters: Vigano has also claimed that Francis knowingly covered up sexual misconduct allegations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. His statements last week that Francis approved of the meeting with Davis further turned up the heat against the Vatican, which has so far remained silent on the McCarrick allegations.

The details of the "he said, he said" surrounding the Davis meeting:

  • Vigano claimed that he was summoned to Rome but praised by Francis after news leaked of the pope's meeting with Davis during a 2015 trip to the United States.
  • Rev. Federico Lombardi, the former Vatican spokesman, and his English-language assistant released notes from a contemporaneous conversation with Vigano showing that Vigano said he'd been scolded by the pope for not being clear about the potential political implications of meeting with Davis.

Go deeper: Cover up claim against Pope Francis shakes a Church in crisis.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2:30 p.m. ET: 5,547,523 — Total deaths: 348,040 — Total recoveries — 2,269,422 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2:30 p.m. ET: 1,671,728 — Total deaths: 98,493 — Total recoveries: 379,157 — Total tested: 14,604,942 — Map.
  3. Trump administration: Mike Pence's press secretary returns to work.
  4. States: New York reports lowest number of new coronavirus deaths since March.
  5. Public health: The final data for remdesivir is in, and its benefits are rather limited.
  6. Space: How to virtually watch SpaceX's historic crewed launch.
  7. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Updated 4 mins ago - Politics & Policy

FBI to investigate death of black man after video shows officer kneeling on neck

A man protesting near the area where a Minneapolis Police Department officer allegedly killed George Floyd. Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

The FBI will investigate the death of a black man for possible civil rights violations after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the man's neck for several minutes, ignoring protests that he couldn't breathe, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The big picture: The man, identified as George Floyd, was being arrested for alleged forgery and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to a police press conference Monday night. Police say he resisted arrest before suffering from “medical distress."

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow16 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pentagon watchdog sidelined by Trump resigns

Fine testiying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Glenn Fine, the Pentagon's principal deputy inspector general, submitted his resignation on Tuesday.

Why it matters: President Trump removed Fine as the Pentagon's acting inspector general in April 7 after a group of independent federal watchdogs selected him to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which was set up to oversee the rollout of the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow2 hours ago - Politics & Policy