5491
5492

We’re so screwed.

5493

This could also go in the Nazi thread but the Russian thing makes this a better place IMO:

Russian actors organized both anti-Islam and pro-Islam protests in the same location at the same time on May 21, 2016, using separate Facebook pages operated from a so-called troll farm in St. Petersburg, the Senate Intelligence Committee disclosed on Wednesday.
[…]
“What neither side could have known was that Russian trolls were encouraging both sides to battle in the streets and create division between real Americans,” Burr said on Wednesday during an open hearing with the general counsels of Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

“Ironically, one person who attended stated, ‘The Heart of Texas promoted this event, but we didn’t see one of them,’” Burr said. “We now know why. It’s hard to attend an event in Houston, Texas, when you’re trolling from a site in St. Petersburg, Russia.”

Edit: Oh, this from Burr: “Burr said that organizing and promoting these protests cost Russia ‘about $200.’”

5494

Just for clarification, Russia doesn’t count as an “enemy” for treason purposes for Twitter (if they’d knowingly given ad space to ISIS, we’d be having a different conversation). That said, this is some seriously messed up stuff.

5495

Makes you wonder how many r/thedonald redditors are Russian Trolls (as well as other reddits…)

5496

The_Donald is likely 70% Russian trolls/ bots…I think there is even data on this…

5497

I thought there were some kind of laws to prevent foreign governments from attempting to influence elections.

5498

Foreign governments can’t contribute funds to campaigns (including super PACs). It’s incredibly obnoxious for foreign governments to try and influence campaigns, but that’s it (although of course we do the same thing).

edit - and just to clarify, foreign-owned businesses (including RT) actually can contribute to PACs as long as it’s only from a US-based affiliate if they’ve collected the funds from their American employees.

5499

Fancy Bear tried to pry open at least 573 inboxes belonging to those in the top echelons of the country’s diplomatic and security services: then-Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, then-NATO Supreme Commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, and one of his predecessors, U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark.

The list skewed toward workers for defense contractors such as Boeing, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin or senior intelligence figures, prominent Russia watchers and — especially — Democrats. More than 130 party workers, campaign staffers and supporters of the party were targeted, including Podesta and other members of Clinton’s inner circle.

5500

“It’s a wish list of who you’d want to target to further Russian interests,” said Keir Giles, director of the Conflict Studies Research Center in Cambridge, England, and one of five outside experts who reviewed the AP’s findings. He said the data was “a master list of individuals whom Russia would like to spy on, embarrass, discredit or silence.”

5501

This is the first time I’ve seen “Trump does not recall” (at least as far as I recall). When you’re in a political scandal with sharks circling you, that’s blood in the water. At least he’s not using the Bob Packwood “I can’t remember because I was too drunk” defense.

5502

I do not recollect, Senator!

From the guy with one of the world’s great memories.

One of the world’s great liars. Maybe the best.

5503

Republicans are good at having a bad memory.

And at the 2:13 mark:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4402495/reagan-doesnt-remember

5504

How is it I had forgotten that Regan was called to testify on Iran-Contra stuff?

It makes me wonder why Trump hasn’t been called to testify on the Russian collusion investigation.

5505

So Sam Clovis has withdrawn his name for chief scientist of USDA (thank God). I guess maybe they decided they couldn’t shrug off the Papodoplous story.

5506

Also, the guy is a political science professor and talkshow host, with literally zero scientific qualifications.
So, presumably, he would have faced at least some challenge to his nomination.

Then again, he does look like a potato.

5507

Yes, without all the Russian stuff going on he was still about the worst possible pick for the position that could be possible. A perfect example of everything that is wrong with this administration.

5508

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has gathered enough evidence to charge six members of the Russian government in the hacking of Democratic National Committee computers before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the investigation.

Federal agents and prosecutors in Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco have been cooperating on the DNC investigation and prosecutors could bring the case to court next year, it said.

By identifying individual Russian military and intelligence hackers with charges, U.S. authorities could make it difficult for them to travel, but arrests and jailing would be unlikely, according to the Journal report.

5509

Robert Mercer (who remember is the multibillionaire data-mining expert who bankrolled the Trump campaign) is trying to step out of the spotlight. He’s resigning as co-chief of his hedge fund, and trying to distance himself from Bannon/Breitbart by selling his holdings in Breitbart to his daughters,

Maybe he’s just retiring from both business and politics to play with his million-dollar toy train. Or perhaps he’s getting nervous.

5510

When you sell to your kids that usually means you’re still controlling it. It’s just a dodge.