By Evan Perez & Shimon Prokupecz @ CNN.com, June 6

US investigators believe Russian hackers breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to a crisis among the US' closest Gulf allies, according to US officials briefed on the investigation.

The FBI recently sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the alleged hacking incident, Qatari and US government officials say. Intelligence gathered by the US security agencies indicates that Russian hackers were behind the intrusion first reported by the Qatari government two weeks ago, US officials say. Qatar hosts one of the largest US military bases in the region.

 

The alleged involvement of Russian hackers intensifies concerns by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies that Russia continues to try some of the same cyber-hacking measures on US allies that intelligence agencies believe it used to meddle in the 2016 elections [.....]

By Sarah Kliff @ Vox.com, June 6

[....] The Nevada legislature passed a bill Friday that would allow anyone to buy into Medicaid, the public program that covers low-income Americans. It would be the first state to open the government-run program to all residents, regardless of their income or health status.

The bill is currently sitting with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican. His office did not respond to an inquiry about whether he would sign the bill or veto it.

Democrats in Washington have previously proposed a similar “Medicare for all” scheme, which would open up the public program for the elderly to Americans under 65. The idea has always fizzled out, however, due to a lack of political support. “Medicaid for all” offers an alluring alternative to those proposals. For one, Medicaid coverage generally costs less than “Medicare for all” because the program pays doctors lower rates. This might make it a more alluring option for price-sensitive consumers worried about their monthly premium.

Because states have a large role in running Medicaid, they can move these proposals forward with less involvement of the federal government. A public option program like this has always failed at the federal level. But a liberal state such as Maryland or Connecticut — or, in this case, even a more centrist state like Nevada — might explore the option unilaterally.

This could mean that the path to a public option doesn’t run through Washington, DC. Instead, it runs right through Carson City.

Nevada’s plan to create “Medicaid for all,” explained [.....]

The mainstream U.S. media sells the mythical integrity of fired FBI Director Comey and special Russia-gate prosecutor Mueller, but the truth is they have long histories as pliable political operatives, writes ex-FBI official Coleen Rowley.

By Alex Roarty @ McClatchydc.com, June 5

A coalition of well-heeled Democratic groups is launching a grassroots-oriented effort targeting a dozen House Republican incumbents, as party operatives prepare for a midterm election cycle they increasingly think will yield big gains for Democrats.

The campaign will even go after House GOP Speaker Paul Ryan, organizing protests and rallies in his and other Republican-held districts as Democrats try to use the GOP’s support of the American Health Care Act against it.

In all, twelve House Republicans are part of the effort’s initial wave — all of whom voted for the AHCA. The list also includes Reps. Martha McSally of Arizona, Brian Mast, and Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Bruce Poliquin of Maine, Jack Bergman, Tim Walberg, Mike Bishop, David Trott, and Fred Upton of Michigan, and Sean Duffy, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. [....]

By Danielle Paquette @ Wonkblog @ WashingonPost.com, 3 hrs. ago

More than 9,500 of the 370,000 solar jobs across the country have cropped up in North Carolina alone, an Energy Department study found. The growth in the clean-energy field followed federal government tax credits and other supports in the Obama administration. But President Trump’s rejection of the Paris climate accord could be devastating for people who benefited directly from Obama-era incentives.

By Maryalice Parks @ ABCNews.com, June 5 

[....] The federal personnel office has not responded to ABC News' requests for comment, but two sources have confirmed to ABC News that the White House counsel’s office instructed legislative affairs departments to follow a new protocol to ignore requests for information from Democrats unless a Republican had signed on as well.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called the policy a “gag order.” Democrats say about 275 of their inquiries since the Jan. 20 inauguration have gone unanswered [....]

If you can’t fix the problem quickly, it’s not fixed.

By Ian Millhiser, @ ThinkProgress.org, June 5

The Supreme Court handed down a brief order on Monday affirming a lower court’s ruling that North Carolina’s state legislative maps were an illegal racial gerrymander.

That sounds like good news for advocates who oppose the maps drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature — but the decision could actually encourage state lawmakers to attempt more gerrymandered maps in the future.

That’s because the most lasting effect of the Court’s decision in North Carolina v. Covington is likely to stem from a brief opinion vacating a lower court order that called for an unusual remedy to fix this gerrymander [....]

In 2013. And in 2011. Giuliani in 2006. Next time we hear about who's the most popular politician, tell them to wait a couple of years, and then we'll talk.

Meanwhile, there's work to do.

BTW, this year's popularity poll included 6 Trump appointees plus these 9:

Name / Favorability rating
Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. 57%
Vice President Mike Pence 44%
President Donald Trump 44%
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton 42%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. 38%
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. 34%
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. 31%
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. 27%
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. 23%

I guess Bela Lugosi wasn't available. Where's say Al Franken? Jerry Brown? Arnold Schwarzenegger? Maxine Waters? Hell, where's Obama? Maybe the poll should read "Bernie Sanders is more popular than all Democratic politicians over 65 (except Bill Clinton, but he doesn't count)".

Meanwhile The Donald criticizes London mayor for comments made a year ago. Seems his Twitter clock is stopped, though may be right once every decade.

To quote Boris Johnson, conservative efforts have been a "Titanic Success". Sadly, even their malapropisms earn them fans - but don't criticize!!!