CYBERWAR/ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Senior intelligence officials described Russian efforts to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections as deep, real and ongoing, showcasing their efforts to combat a threat President Trump has repeatedly dismissed and played down. ‘We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States,’ Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told reporters at a briefing Thursday [8-2-18]. Speaking at a time when the administration is facing criticism for not doing enough to address the threat of Russian election interference, Mr. Coats said Mr. Trump had directed intelligence agencies to make election hacking a ‘top priority’…U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia undertook a broad effort to interfere in the 2016 election, directed at the highest levels of its government. Tactics included hacking state election systems; infiltrating and leaking information from party committees and political strategists; and disseminating through social media and other outlets negative stories about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and positive ones about Mr. Trump.”
– Rebecca Ballhaus and Dustin Volz, “U.S. Intelligence Officials Warn of ‘Pervasive’ Russian Efforts to Disrupt 2018 Elections,” The Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2018 2:37 am