ELECTION/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is finally making moves against foreign election meddling – and Russia says it couldn’t care less. Trump’s executive order this week authorizing sanctions on foreigners who mess with American elections could herald new headaches for Moscow. But Russian officialdom shrugged it off as internal U.S. politicking, and analysts say it would barely bruise Russia’s economy and do little to deter interference in November’s midterms — since Russia denies meddling anyway. A Russian PR agent who runs a provocative U.S. website says the executive order isn’t denting his resolve to expand in the next few months…A series of sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs and companies by the U.S. has progressively deepened Russian resentment, and Russians see Trump’s new order as further reducing any remaining chances for detente…Trump’s order came amid bipartisan criticism of his refusal to confront Putin at a joint news conference in Helsinki in July about accusations of Russian hacking, trolling and manipulation during the 2016 presidential campaign.”
–The Associated Press, “As Trump Threatens Election Meddlers, Russia Says ‘So What?’,” The New York Times online, September 14, 2018