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| Russian Governor Is Accused of Multiple Murders as Kremlin Claws Back Powers | Russian Governor Is Accused of Multiple Murders as Kremlin Claws Back Powers |
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| MOSCOW — After leaving Russia’s regional leaders to take much of the responsibility and heat for battling the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin has sent a blunt message to recently empowered local elites: Don’t even think about challenging the will of President Vladimir V. Putin. | MOSCOW — After leaving Russia’s regional leaders to take much of the responsibility and heat for battling the coronavirus pandemic, the Kremlin has sent a blunt message to recently empowered local elites: Don’t even think about challenging the will of President Vladimir V. Putin. |
| In an emphatic blow against a regional leader long viewed as disloyal, masked security officers in camouflage uniforms on Thursday arrested the governor of Khabarovsk Krai, a remote territory in the Russian Far East. The Kremlin has fired or forced sitting governors to resign in the past but rarely had them arrested. | In an emphatic blow against a regional leader long viewed as disloyal, masked security officers in camouflage uniforms on Thursday arrested the governor of Khabarovsk Krai, a remote territory in the Russian Far East. The Kremlin has fired or forced sitting governors to resign in the past but rarely had them arrested. |
| The Khabarovsk governor, Sergei I. Furgal, who took office in 2018 after defeating a Kremlin-endorsed candidate, was pulled from his vehicle and bundled into a van near his home in Khabarovsk city on suspicion of involvement in multiple murders in the early 2000s while working in business, investigators said. | The Khabarovsk governor, Sergei I. Furgal, who took office in 2018 after defeating a Kremlin-endorsed candidate, was pulled from his vehicle and bundled into a van near his home in Khabarovsk city on suspicion of involvement in multiple murders in the early 2000s while working in business, investigators said. |
| “The very fact that they could not find anything more fresh to accuse him of is a clear signal that this is an act of political repression,” Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst who studies regional politics, said in a telephone interview “They are telling local elites that if they can arrest a sitting governor for crimes going back 15 or 20 years then they can arrest anyone.” | “The very fact that they could not find anything more fresh to accuse him of is a clear signal that this is an act of political repression,” Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst who studies regional politics, said in a telephone interview “They are telling local elites that if they can arrest a sitting governor for crimes going back 15 or 20 years then they can arrest anyone.” |
| Like many Russian politicians, particularly in far-flung provinces, Mr. Furgal, a former timber and scrap metal trader who entered politics as a member of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party, has a murky past that may have included criminal activity. But he has held elected positions in local and national legislatures for years without investigators showing any interest in his supposed propensity for murder. | Like many Russian politicians, particularly in far-flung provinces, Mr. Furgal, a former timber and scrap metal trader who entered politics as a member of the far-right Liberal Democratic Party, has a murky past that may have included criminal activity. But he has held elected positions in local and national legislatures for years without investigators showing any interest in his supposed propensity for murder. |
| Mr. Furgal, who was flown to Moscow immediately after his arrest in Khabarovsk, appeared in court in the Russian capital on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder. He was remanded in custody until Sept. 9. | Mr. Furgal, who was flown to Moscow immediately after his arrest in Khabarovsk, appeared in court in the Russian capital on Friday and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder. He was remanded in custody until Sept. 9. |
| Fear of having crimes, both real and fabricated, from the past suddenly revived by the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., and other arms of Russia’s vast law-enforcement system has helped glue Russia’s political elite together for years. The decision to investigate Mr. Furgal’s putative crimes after so many years suggests the Kremlin is anxious that elite obedience could be fraying. | Fear of having crimes, both real and fabricated, from the past suddenly revived by the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., and other arms of Russia’s vast law-enforcement system has helped glue Russia’s political elite together for years. The decision to investigate Mr. Furgal’s putative crimes after so many years suggests the Kremlin is anxious that elite obedience could be fraying. |
| His sudden arrest on Thursday, analysts say, signals an effort by the Kremlin to claw back some of the autonomy granted to provincial leaders in the early stage of Russia’s coronavirus crisis. Eager to avoid blame for unpopular lockdown decisions, Mr. Putin retreated to his country residence outside Moscow and largely left governors to decide how to respond. | His sudden arrest on Thursday, analysts say, signals an effort by the Kremlin to claw back some of the autonomy granted to provincial leaders in the early stage of Russia’s coronavirus crisis. Eager to avoid blame for unpopular lockdown decisions, Mr. Putin retreated to his country residence outside Moscow and largely left governors to decide how to respond. |
| But opinion polls suggest that this strategy backfired politically, increasing public trust in provincial leaders while eroding confidence in Mr. Putin, who lost his aura as a can-do man of action. | But opinion polls suggest that this strategy backfired politically, increasing public trust in provincial leaders while eroding confidence in Mr. Putin, who lost his aura as a can-do man of action. |
| Abbas Gallyamov, a former speech writer for Mr. Putin, said that the take-down of Khabarovsk’s governor was a message to provincial officials across the country: “Do not try to imagine that the ‘coronavirus federalization’ is serious.” Now that the battle against the virus has been declared won by Mr. Putin, Mr. Glayamov said, in a post on Facebook “all power that was transferred during the epidemic must now be brought back intact.” | Abbas Gallyamov, a former speech writer for Mr. Putin, said that the take-down of Khabarovsk’s governor was a message to provincial officials across the country: “Do not try to imagine that the ‘coronavirus federalization’ is serious.” Now that the battle against the virus has been declared won by Mr. Putin, Mr. Glayamov said, in a post on Facebook “all power that was transferred during the epidemic must now be brought back intact.” |
| The arrest opened a new front in a rolling crackdown undertaken after a recent national plebiscite that gave Mr. Putin the option of ignoring previous constitutional term limits, which would have forced him to step down in 2024, and staying in power until at least 2036. | The arrest opened a new front in a rolling crackdown undertaken after a recent national plebiscite that gave Mr. Putin the option of ignoring previous constitutional term limits, which would have forced him to step down in 2024, and staying in power until at least 2036. |
| Voters overwhelmingly approved a series of constitutional amendments scripted by the Kremlin, which declared the outcome a “triumphant referendum on confidence” in Mr. Putin. | Voters overwhelmingly approved a series of constitutional amendments scripted by the Kremlin, which declared the outcome a “triumphant referendum on confidence” in Mr. Putin. |
| But the exercise was so transparently rigged from the start that it left the president, whose approval rating has slumped to its lowest level since he took power 20 years ago, looking more reliant than ever on cheerleading by state media, dirty tricks and subterfuge. A respected electoral researcher estimated that more than 20 million votes, more than a quarter of those cast, had been falsified. | But the exercise was so transparently rigged from the start that it left the president, whose approval rating has slumped to its lowest level since he took power 20 years ago, looking more reliant than ever on cheerleading by state media, dirty tricks and subterfuge. A respected electoral researcher estimated that more than 20 million votes, more than a quarter of those cast, had been falsified. |
| Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the far-right party of which Mr. Furgal is a member, protested the governor’s arrest, threatening that his supporters in the national parliament might resign. “We gave you the constitution, and you’re putting us in handcuffs,” Mr. Zhirinovsky said in a warning to the Kremlin, which he usually supports. | Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the far-right party of which Mr. Furgal is a member, protested the governor’s arrest, threatening that his supporters in the national parliament might resign. “We gave you the constitution, and you’re putting us in handcuffs,” Mr. Zhirinovsky said in a warning to the Kremlin, which he usually supports. |
| While not mentioning Mr. Putin by name, Mr. Zhirinovsky took aim at the president, saying: “Shameless! You are sitting in high office and start acting like Stalin!” | While not mentioning Mr. Putin by name, Mr. Zhirinovsky took aim at the president, saying: “Shameless! You are sitting in high office and start acting like Stalin!” |
| Tass news agency reported on Friday that security officers had raided the homes of five members of Mr. Zhirinosky’s party in Khabarovsk in connection with the murder investigation into the arrested governor. | Tass news agency reported on Friday that security officers had raided the homes of five members of Mr. Zhirinosky’s party in Khabarovsk in connection with the murder investigation into the arrested governor. |
| In the days since voting on the amended constitution ended on July 1, the F.S.B. has spearheaded a series of moves to stifle criticism of Mr. Putin and the security services that anchor his rule. | In the days since voting on the amended constitution ended on July 1, the F.S.B. has spearheaded a series of moves to stifle criticism of Mr. Putin and the security services that anchor his rule. |
| Updated July 7, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| On Monday, a court in western Russia convicted a freelance reporter on terrorism-related charges initiated by the F.S.B. that even the Kremlin’s own human rights council had — before being purged of independent-minded members — dismissed as unwarranted. | On Monday, a court in western Russia convicted a freelance reporter on terrorism-related charges initiated by the F.S.B. that even the Kremlin’s own human rights council had — before being purged of independent-minded members — dismissed as unwarranted. |
| A day later, the F.S.B. arrested a highly regarded former journalist who had worked in recent months for the Russian space agency, accusing him of treason for passing secrets to an unnamed NATO country. A small protest outside the F.S.B. headquarters was quickly broken up by the police. | A day later, the F.S.B. arrested a highly regarded former journalist who had worked in recent months for the Russian space agency, accusing him of treason for passing secrets to an unnamed NATO country. A small protest outside the F.S.B. headquarters was quickly broken up by the police. |
| On Thursday, security officers searched the homes in Moscow and elsewhere of opposition activists involved with Open Russia, a group highly critical of the Kremlin. Also raided were the home of the editor-in-chief of an independent online publication and the residences of independent politicians who have tried to challenge Kremlin candidates in local elections. | On Thursday, security officers searched the homes in Moscow and elsewhere of opposition activists involved with Open Russia, a group highly critical of the Kremlin. Also raided were the home of the editor-in-chief of an independent online publication and the residences of independent politicians who have tried to challenge Kremlin candidates in local elections. |
| The Kremlin has grown increasingly uneasy about its ability to control the outcome of local polls since gubernatorial elections in 2018, when Mr. Furgal, the governor arrested on Thursday, and candidates in a few other regions defeated Kremlin-endorsed rivals. | The Kremlin has grown increasingly uneasy about its ability to control the outcome of local polls since gubernatorial elections in 2018, when Mr. Furgal, the governor arrested on Thursday, and candidates in a few other regions defeated Kremlin-endorsed rivals. |
| Voters in Mr. Frugal’s region, Khabarovsk Krai, which shares a border with China, last week endorsed Mr. Putin’s constitutional changes, but by smaller margin than elsewhere. Sixty two percent voted “yes” in Khabarovsk, compared with a national tally of 78 percent in favor. | Voters in Mr. Frugal’s region, Khabarovsk Krai, which shares a border with China, last week endorsed Mr. Putin’s constitutional changes, but by smaller margin than elsewhere. Sixty two percent voted “yes” in Khabarovsk, compared with a national tally of 78 percent in favor. |
| More damaging for Mr. Furgal’s standing in the Kremlin, however, was probably the fact the turnout in his region was only 42 percent. Governors are expected to mobilize at least a majority of voters to the polls to demonstrate their loyalty to the Kremlin and keep their jobs. | More damaging for Mr. Furgal’s standing in the Kremlin, however, was probably the fact the turnout in his region was only 42 percent. Governors are expected to mobilize at least a majority of voters to the polls to demonstrate their loyalty to the Kremlin and keep their jobs. |
| The state-controlled news agency Tass blamed Mr. Frugal’s troubles on his performance as governor, quoting analysts as saying that he had failed to deliver on promises of an economic revival for Khabarovsk. By that standard, however, Mr. Putin and virtually every elected official in Russia should have been arrested or at least lost his job long ago. | The state-controlled news agency Tass blamed Mr. Frugal’s troubles on his performance as governor, quoting analysts as saying that he had failed to deliver on promises of an economic revival for Khabarovsk. By that standard, however, Mr. Putin and virtually every elected official in Russia should have been arrested or at least lost his job long ago. |
| Kostantin Kalachev, a political analyst who used to work for the ruling United Russia party, said Mr. Frugal’s arrest so many years after his purported crimes was “an unequivocal signal” to all candidates in upcoming gubernatorial elections in September who are not backed by the Kremlin: “If there is the slightest chance of success do not even try.” | Kostantin Kalachev, a political analyst who used to work for the ruling United Russia party, said Mr. Frugal’s arrest so many years after his purported crimes was “an unequivocal signal” to all candidates in upcoming gubernatorial elections in September who are not backed by the Kremlin: “If there is the slightest chance of success do not even try.” |
| Victory, Mr. Kalachev wrote in a commentary on Facebook, will ensure “your life will not be all milk and honey.” | Victory, Mr. Kalachev wrote in a commentary on Facebook, will ensure “your life will not be all milk and honey.” |
| Oleg Matsnev contributed reporting. | Oleg Matsnev contributed reporting. |