Putin interview exclusive, Biden has tea with the Queen and Wasabi wins it all at Westminster

Monday, June 14, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     This morning we have more details from NBC News' exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his high-stakes summit with President Joe Biden in Geneva.   We also take a closer look at the end of the Netanyahu era — for now — in Israeli politics. And the Pekingese who won it all at the Westminster Dog Show.    Here's what we're watching this Monday morning. Exclusive: Putin says he can't guarantee critic Navalny will come out of jail alive Russian President Vladimir Putin denied ordering a hit on political rival Alexei Navalny, but in an exclusive interview with NBC News  he did not guarantee that the jailed Kremlin critic, who survived being poisoned with a nerve agent, would get out of prison alive.   "Look, such decisions in this country are not made by the president," Putin said.   That was one of several striking moments in Putin's first interview in three years with a U.S. news organization, days ahead of his meeting with President Joe Biden in Geneva.    Relations between the U.S. and Russia are at their worst in decades, badly frayed by a string of cyberattacks linked to Moscow, as well as a long list of old grievances — chief among them being Russia's meddling in the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections. On Sunday, Biden said he agreed with Putin's recent assessment that U.S.-Russia relations had reached a low point.   The White House announced that Biden will hold a solo press conference following the leaders' Geneva summit, avoiding what foreign policy experts warned could be a high-risk moment had the president chosen to stand side-by-side with Putin while briefing the press.   Watch more of NBC News' exclusive interview with Putin on TODAY at 7 a.m. ET and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT. Monday's top stories 'She reminded me of my mother': Biden meets Queen Elizabeth for tea  By Adela Suliman and Peter Alexander | Read more After a busy weekend at the Group of Seven summit, the president and first lady had a private meeting with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Biden is the 13th U.S. president the Queen has met. Check out a photo gallery stretching back to her meeting President Truman when she was still just a princess. Biden will be participating in the NATO summit in Brussels today.   Netanyahu's grip on power finally broken as new Israeli government takes office By Saphora Smith and Rachel Elbaum | Read more  After 12 consecutive years in power, and another three before that, the country's longest serving prime minister is out after an unlikely coalition came together to oust Benjamin Netanyahu by a narrow 60-59 vote in the Israeli parliament.  As hope for federal voting rights rescue dim, state Dems, advocates turn up the heat  By Jane C. Timm | Read more  Nearly two dozen state Democrats plan to head to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday as part of a last-ditch effort to lobby senators and rally support for the For the People Act, a major voter rights bill that otherwise appears doomed in the Senate.   OPINION The bombshell report on how the rich avoid taxes could make life harder for Biden By Leslie Book  | Read more  We can only hope new reporting on tax inequality doesn't inadvertently make it harder for the IRS to detect and punish tax evasion, writes a professor of law at Villanova University.  Woman killed after car drives into protesters in Minneapolis By Kurt Chirbas and Rachel Elbaum | Read more   The neighborhood where the incident took place has been the scene of protests after U.S. Marshalls shot dead a Black man, Winston Boogie Smith Jr., earlier this month. BETTER How to make cold brew coffee (it's easier than you think) By Carrie Parente | Read more It's different from iced coffee and creates a mellow, smoother tasting drink.  Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here. Also in the news ... Novavax says its Covid vaccine is highly effective in U.S. trials, including against variants Victim dies after mass shooting Austin, Texas Ned Beatty, indelible in 'Deliverance' and 'Network,' dies at 83 Mother, son of prominent South Carolina family found shot dead; grandfather dies days later Danish soccer star 'was gone' after on-field cardiac arrest, doctor says  SHOPPING Multiple retailers are gearing up for major deals on Prime Day 2021 — here are the best early deals going on now. One fun thing Top dog!   Wasabi, a Pekingese, was named Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.    "He has that little extra something, that sparkle, that sets a dog apart," said Wasabi's handler, breeder and co-owner, David Fitzpatrick.   Watch video of Wasabi's win here. Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill Download the NBC News App Follow NBC News Privacy | Unsubscribe | More NBC Newsletters | Contact View in browser