Oh so much to choose from, and the problem is that I don't want to do another "You Are There" posting two days in a row, even if that is, in the fact, the norm and reality.
Like Robert Mueller issuing subpoenas for the Trump organization.
Or, having sued Buzzfeed over publishing the Steele Dossier, White House lawyers foolishly opened the door wide for the discovery process, and Buzzfeed's lawyers asked for all documents about Stormy Daniels.
Or the report that Trump has apparently fired his National Security Adviser.
Or that the Treasury Department finally invoked some sanctions against Russia -- which is a start, but they were only against the names of Russians who the Special Counsel indicted, not the oligarchs who the Obama Administration and Congress subsequently had unanimously sanctioned, nor any sanctions against the Russian oil industry which is where Russia is most vulnerable.
Instead, significant as any of those stories are individually, or collectively, as yet another "You Are There" Day, one other story stood out even more to me. All the more so in perspective with the weakness of the sanctions finally just reported.
The other story is the emergency warning from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI in a joint press release from CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) about a Russian cyberattack against the U.S. power grid. As brief background to this, last Spring CERT had issued a private warning to power plants about efforts by Russian hackers to test vulnerabilities at power facilities across the U.S. (Though private, the story did leak out, though wasn't major headlines, since the story was about Russia looking for vulnerabilities, nothing more.) But the new warning yesterday was made public because Russian efforts had increased and were now even far more serious.
What the analysis by DHS and the FBI found is that Russian hackers had been able to take control of some power plants -- including nuclear power plants -- to the extent that they would be able to cause havoc with those systems or even shut them down.
You can read the CERT document here, though know that it is monstrously technical.
Keep in mind a few things:
This cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. power grid is something the Trump administration knew about as early as last Spring -- almost a full year ago.
Seemingly no efforts were taken by the Trump administration for power plants to address last year's Russian cyberattack to the extent that the problem increased substantially.
All the while for the past year, Trump has continually refused to blame Russia for anything as simple as hacking social media, at best saying that Russia appears to have been involved, yet still softening that -- even to this day with the assassination attempt with nerve chemicals in England -- by suggesting that it could also be others.
And for the past year, knowing about this cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. power grid, the Trump administration refused to enable Russian sanctions that were passed by Congress almost unanimously -- and passed, not over this, but for something else entirely, trying to attack the U.S. presidential elections. And no sanctions nor response after Russia made an assassination attempt in England, our closest ally and a member of NATO which we're obligated by treaty to support, despite charges against Russia by the British Prime Minister. And the most the Trump administration could finally muster after all of this, and after a year of knowing about the cyberattacks on our power grid, now actually taking control of some of the nuclear power plants, is to enable the weakest possible sanctions against a handful of people already indicted by the Special Counsel.
During the presidential campaign, and continuing today, Trump prompted his crowds with the disingenuous cry about Hilary Clinton that "She put us all at risk!!" And what that yelp concerned was the possibility that maybe, potentially some imagined emails existed which could have perhaps conceivably divulged some information that should have been kept private. On the other hand, what we have here in the real world is inaction and unconcern that Russia has -- has actually, as reported by our intelligence services -- unleashed a range of cyberattacks on the United States up to the degree of taking control of numerous power plants, including some nuclear power facilities. Meaning that, in reality, Trump literally has literally put us all at literal risk. Literally.
Then again, maybe the cyberattack was done by a 400-pound guy from his parents' basement.
Which brings up a reminder --
Today on All in with Chris Hayes at 5 PM (Los Angeles time) on MSNBC, his guest is the oft-mentioned here Felix Sater, the convicted felon, former Russia Mafia member, intelligence service asset and Trump business partner. A man who it must be noted has already testified before Robert Mueller and has reportedly told family and friends that he'll be going to jail.
Like Robert Mueller issuing subpoenas for the Trump organization.
Or, having sued Buzzfeed over publishing the Steele Dossier, White House lawyers foolishly opened the door wide for the discovery process, and Buzzfeed's lawyers asked for all documents about Stormy Daniels.
Or the report that Trump has apparently fired his National Security Adviser.
Or that the Treasury Department finally invoked some sanctions against Russia -- which is a start, but they were only against the names of Russians who the Special Counsel indicted, not the oligarchs who the Obama Administration and Congress subsequently had unanimously sanctioned, nor any sanctions against the Russian oil industry which is where Russia is most vulnerable.
Instead, significant as any of those stories are individually, or collectively, as yet another "You Are There" Day, one other story stood out even more to me. All the more so in perspective with the weakness of the sanctions finally just reported.
The other story is the emergency warning from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI in a joint press release from CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) about a Russian cyberattack against the U.S. power grid. As brief background to this, last Spring CERT had issued a private warning to power plants about efforts by Russian hackers to test vulnerabilities at power facilities across the U.S. (Though private, the story did leak out, though wasn't major headlines, since the story was about Russia looking for vulnerabilities, nothing more.) But the new warning yesterday was made public because Russian efforts had increased and were now even far more serious.
What the analysis by DHS and the FBI found is that Russian hackers had been able to take control of some power plants -- including nuclear power plants -- to the extent that they would be able to cause havoc with those systems or even shut them down.
You can read the CERT document here, though know that it is monstrously technical.
Keep in mind a few things:
This cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. power grid is something the Trump administration knew about as early as last Spring -- almost a full year ago.
Seemingly no efforts were taken by the Trump administration for power plants to address last year's Russian cyberattack to the extent that the problem increased substantially.
All the while for the past year, Trump has continually refused to blame Russia for anything as simple as hacking social media, at best saying that Russia appears to have been involved, yet still softening that -- even to this day with the assassination attempt with nerve chemicals in England -- by suggesting that it could also be others.
And for the past year, knowing about this cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. power grid, the Trump administration refused to enable Russian sanctions that were passed by Congress almost unanimously -- and passed, not over this, but for something else entirely, trying to attack the U.S. presidential elections. And no sanctions nor response after Russia made an assassination attempt in England, our closest ally and a member of NATO which we're obligated by treaty to support, despite charges against Russia by the British Prime Minister. And the most the Trump administration could finally muster after all of this, and after a year of knowing about the cyberattacks on our power grid, now actually taking control of some of the nuclear power plants, is to enable the weakest possible sanctions against a handful of people already indicted by the Special Counsel.
During the presidential campaign, and continuing today, Trump prompted his crowds with the disingenuous cry about Hilary Clinton that "She put us all at risk!!" And what that yelp concerned was the possibility that maybe, potentially some imagined emails existed which could have perhaps conceivably divulged some information that should have been kept private. On the other hand, what we have here in the real world is inaction and unconcern that Russia has -- has actually, as reported by our intelligence services -- unleashed a range of cyberattacks on the United States up to the degree of taking control of numerous power plants, including some nuclear power facilities. Meaning that, in reality, Trump literally has literally put us all at literal risk. Literally.
Then again, maybe the cyberattack was done by a 400-pound guy from his parents' basement.
Which brings up a reminder --
Today on All in with Chris Hayes at 5 PM (Los Angeles time) on MSNBC, his guest is the oft-mentioned here Felix Sater, the convicted felon, former Russia Mafia member, intelligence service asset and Trump business partner. A man who it must be noted has already testified before Robert Mueller and has reportedly told family and friends that he'll be going to jail.
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