Politics

Just in time for the weekend, the Associated Press reported on Friday that the Department of Homeland Security had notified 21 states earlier that day that their election systems had been targeted by malicious cyber actors. The states and DHS quickly jumped to the conclusion that Russia had ordered the cyberattacks, even though it was reported that the identity or identities of the perpetrators were inconclusive Yet, the news spread like wildfire after readers had been primed as reports of possible infiltartion of state election systems had circulated for nearly a year.

On Tuesday, as President Trump imposed another round of meaningless new sanctions on North Korea's banks, Trump said that while he encouraged the world to work together to end the country’s nuclear program, the U.S. is “totally prepared” for a military option, which he said would be “totally devastating” for North Korea. Which at least provides some additional detail to what H.R. McMaster meant, when he said overnight that the U.S. has prepared "four or five different scenarios" for how the crisis with North Korea will be resolved, adding ominously that “some are uglier than others."

In its latest exclusive 'bombshell' report, CNN has just announced that Special Counsel Mueller's team is now working directly with the IRS to collect financial information on Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.  Of course, given that the FBI and Mueller raided Manafort's home over two months ago and speculation of an imminent indictment has been circulating for days/weeks, it would seem like this wouldn't be much of a surprise...but anything to keep the 'Russian collusion' headlines coming...

After months of being pounded for her use of a private email server, and rightfully so given all of her mishandling of classified information and efforts to destroy government property with bleachbit and hammers in an apparent effort to evade FOIA laws, Hillary was apparently a little perturbed to learn the Jared Kushner and other White House officials in the Trump administration have also decided to use their private email accounts to conduct official business.  Per ABC:

Republican Senator Bob Corker on Tuesday announced he will not run for reelection next year, and will retire at the end of 2018 .

“After much thought, consideration and family discussion over the past year, Elizabeth and I have decided that I will leave the United States Senate when my term expires at the end of 2018,” Corker said in an emailed statement.

The Senator, who last year was ranked the 23rd richest member of Congress with a net worth of roughly $18 million...