CYBERWAR/ELECTION/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday [8-2-18] to impose stiff new sanctions on Russia and combat cyber crime, the latest effort by lawmakers to punish Moscow over interference in U.S. elections and its activities in Syria and Ukraine. The bill includes restrictions on new Russian sovereign debt transactions, energy and oil projects and Russian uranium imports, and new sanctions on Russian political figures and oligarchs. It also expresses strong support for NATO and would require that two-thirds of the Senate to vote in favor of any effort to leave the alliance. Russian markets reacted quickly to the measure, with the rouble slumping toward two-week lows. Congress passed a Russia sanctions bill last summer but some lawmakers chafed at what they saw as President Donald Trump’s reluctance to implement it; he signed it only after Congress passed it with huge majorities. Several provisions of the measure introduced on Thursday sought to toughen that law.”
-Patricia Zengerle, “U.S. senators introduce Russia sanctions ‘bill from hell’, Reuters, August 2, 2018 7:33 am