The latest data from Levada, an independent Russian pollster, finds that support for all Russian political figures, including Vladimir Putin, has plunged, following a shift in the pension system that raised the retirement age by five years. Read the rest

NPR reporters poked around in Maria Butina's social media world, looking at the accused Russian agent's thousands of social media friends and reaching out to over 200 individuals. The resulting investigative report paints a portrait of Butina's life, from Siberia, to the tight-knit Moscow pro-guns shooting community, to D.C, Las Vegas, Washington state, and South Dakota. Read the rest

“Putin’s Russia,” as ABC News reports today, would have featured the Russian President hunting, fishing, and generally being a very macho man outdoors. Read the rest

Why does the Russian embassy want to visit accused hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin so very badly, lawyers ask. Good question. Read the rest

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, FBI Director Chris Wray, Secretary of State John Bolton, and NSA Director General Paul Nakasone spoke today as a group for the first time about “election meddling” -- the information warfare attacks being carried out against the United States right now, a little more than 90 days before the midterm elections, by the adversary we all know is Russia. Read the rest

In a hearing on Capitol Hill today, Former CIA director and Trump's replacement Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Trump remains upbeat about the prospect of North Korea denuclearization, and that the United States will not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea. Read the rest

A former nude model and “Bond girl” exchanged sexual messages via Twitter with the online persona now believed to be an unknown number of Russian spies who are accused of attacking the 2016 US elections, the UK tabloid Sun Online posted today.

They're really awful and I don't want to link to them, but this is too rich, you guys. Motherboard has a more credible piece up, you should read that one, too.

In today's garbage interview, Robbin Young told The Sun she "fell madly in love" with Twitter user Guccifer 2.0, and sent him photographs of her breasts and exchanged sexually explicit messages with him or them.

Excerpt:

She was left stunned last week after the US government announced it had indicted 12 Russian spies who they believe ran the Guccifer 2.0 account, hacked into Democratic party computers and leaked stolen documents in a bid to interfere with the 2016 election result.

In an exclusive interview, Robbin, 63, told Sun Online: "I thought he was one Romanian man and I fell in love with him - now to be told it could have been 12 Russian spies running that account - I'm shocked.

"If this is all true it's like I've had Twitter sex with 12 Russian hackers."

Robbin Young once starred with ​007 Roger Moore in 'For Your Eyes Only.'

Guccifer is no Roger Moore.

Get a load of this shit.

In one message he wrote: "Wow u r making me breath harder .. ur soul's so pure and unspoiled ..

The Facebook data set on tens of millions of Americans that was gathered for Cambridge Analytica was accessed from within Russia, British MP Damian Collins today told CNN. Read the rest

Here are transcripts and videos of the press conference with US President Donald Trump & Russian President Vladimir Putin, following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. Read the rest

July 27, 2016. Trump: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

Indictment: That evening, Russian operatives targeted Hillary Clinton campaign emails “for the first time.” Read the rest

Messages sent by Roger Stone suggest he is the unnamed individual in the new Russia probe indictment made public Friday. Read the rest

Novichok that poisoned a couple in Wiltshire came from a small bottle found in the home of one of the victims, said British police on Friday. Read the rest

Lo, how the mighty have fallen. Read the rest

The Democratic National Committee today filed a lawsuit against the Russian government, Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and WikiLeaks, alleging the Trump campaign 'gleefully welcomed Russia's help.' Court papers describe a far-reaching conspiracy to disrupt the 2016 presidential campaign, and throw the election for Donald Trump through a complex and well-funded global disinformation campaign. Read the rest

Russia's communications regulator says it has blocked IP addresses owned by Google and Amazon because Moscow claims the internet addresses are used by the Telegram messaging service that was banned by Putin's regime this week. Read the rest

The military-grade nerve toxin attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia may have left the victims with 'compromised mental capacity,' a British judge said on Thursday. It is unclear whether the former Russian double agent and his adult child will recover from being poisoned with what the UK says was a Russian chemical weapon known as 'Novichok.' Read the rest

Former CIA director John Brennan fears for the future of the United States with "impetuous" Trump at the helm and is speaking out.

This morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe he expressed a deep concern "about our national security."

Five minutes into the interview (with every word of the 17-minute interview worth listening to), Brennan says that Trump "is afraid of the president of Russia...The Russians might have something on him personally." He goes on to say that Trump has a "fawning attitude" towards Putin and has not said anything negative towards him...he has something to fear."

Brennan also says that he has worked with six presidents, and although he didn't agree with some of their policies, "all of them, ALL of them were trying to do what they thought was best for the United States. That's not Mr. Trump."

In the interview Brennan refers to Trump as "mean-spirited," "dishonest," "self absorbed," and showing "a lack of integrity," and said "our future is in jeopardy while Mr. Trump continues his antics."

He looks at the camera and says to Trump, "America will triumph over you." Read the rest