The Russia Hack: The same day that presidential candidate Donald Trump invited Russian hackers to break into the computers of his opponent Hillary Clinton, they did it, according to the indictment of 12 Russians announced yesterday by the Justice Department.

Trump said in front of reporters on July 27, 2016, “I will tell you this, 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.”

The indictment describes concerted efforts by Russia to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign ranging from phishing attacks on Democratic operatives, to money laundering, and attempts to break into state election boards. It also reveals a sophisticated computer investigation that uncovers names of Russian agents, programs, false identities, and dates.

The President was briefed in advance about the indictments, which means that he was on Twitter denouncing the Russia investigation as a witch hunt, even while he knew it was producing more criminal charges.

Neither the President nor the White House have expressed outrage toward the Russians. Despite the indictments that describe a detailed attempt to derail American democracy, President Trump says he will not cancel his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The President tweeted today, “The stories you heard about the 12 Russians yesterday took place during the Obama Administration, not the Trump Administration.”

Trump has always dismissed the notion that Russians tried to influence the election, despite a unanimous assessment by intelligence agencies that they did. Although a total of 32 people and three companies have been charged, the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller has become a matter of political debate, not a search for truth by Republican politicians.

In announcing the indictments, Deputy. Attorney Gen. Rod Rosenstein called for unanimity in protecting American democracy. “There will always be adversaries who work to exacerbate domestic differences and try to confuse, divide and conquer us,” Rosenstein said. “So long as we are united in our commitment to the shared values enshrined in the Constitution, they will not succeed.”

The indictment says the hackers were in touch with “a person who was in regular contact with senior members of the presidential campaign.” The NY Times reports that the person was Trump crony Roger Stone.

The document also says the Russians targeted more than 300 people affiliated with the Clinton campaign, planting malicious code enabling them to  monitor computers, steal confidential files, and make revelations that were disastrous for the Democrats. It also says the hackers used Wikileaks and their own website called DCLeaks as their pipelines to disseminate stolen information.

Most of the Russian intelligence officials worked for the Russian military intelligence agency known then as the G.R.U. and now called the Main Directorate. It is unlikely that any of them will ever see the inside of an American courtroom, let alone a prison.

American Werewolf in London: Digging out of a diplomatic hole, President Trump claimed yesterday that the recorded interview he gave the British newspaper The Sun criticizing Prime Minister Theresa may was “fake news” based on cherry-picked quotes.

“I didn’t criticize the prime minister,” Trump said in a flat out lie. He said the story in which he hit May for her handling of Brexit didn’t include flattering things he said about her, which of course it wouldn’t. The news was that he criticized her on her doorstep to one of her hometown newspapers.

Trump also carried on his campaign against CNN, refusing to take a question from reporter Jim Accosta. He said, ‘“Let’s go to a real network,” and called on Fox’s John Roberts.

British Mystery: The source of the deadly Russian-developed nerve agent that killed a British woman in Amesbury, England, was found in the home of her companion, British investigators say. A bottle of Novichok  was discovered in the home of Charlie Rowley, 45, who appears to have been poisoned the same day as his girlfriend, Dawn Sturgess, 44, who died. Rowley remains in critical condition.

Scientists are testing to see whether the Novichok found in Rowley’s home came from the same batch that poisoned former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

News Roundup: McDonald’s has pulled salads from 3,000 restaurants after more than 60 customers were made sick by a parasite. — Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price repeatedly broke federal travel rules, wasting $331,000 on transportation, according to an internal report. — After winning Spain’s national beauty contest, 27-year-old Angela Ponce will become the first transgender woman to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. “Having a vagina doesn’t make a woman,” she said in an interview.

The Commercial Presidency: President Trump is in Scotland promoting his golf resort while he waits for Monday’s meeting with Vladimir Putin. He tweeted, “I have arrived in Scotland and will be at Trump Turnberry for two days of meetings, calls and hopefully, some golf – my primary form of exercise! The weather is beautiful, and this place is incredible!”

It’s Called Acting: After casting criticism from trans-gender actors, Scarlett Johansson has withdrawn from shooting the movie “Rub & Tug” in which she was to play a transgender man who ran a chain of massage parlors. When she played a superhero in “Captain America,” no actual super heroes complained.

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