US is expected to sanction Russia and expel Russian officials in response to hacks and election interference
CNN
The Biden administration is expected to announce sanctions as soon as Thursday targeting Russian individuals and entities, in addition to new financial restrictions and the expulsion of as many as a dozen Russian diplomats from the US, in response to the hack of SolarWinds and election interference, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
The sanctions will target intelligence and government officials and entities involved in the SolarWinds cyber intrusion, the officials said. One reason the rollout of these actions has taken longer than anticipated is because the White House was not satisfied with the options the State Department initially presented and wanted more expanded sanctions, a US official familiar with the plans said. The White House announced an intelligence review of Russia's "reckless and adversarial actions" in a wide array of areas during President Joe Biden's first week in office.Venezuelan authorities are investigating opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for alleged treason after she expressed support for a US bipartisan bill that seeks to block Washington from doing business with any entity that has commercial ties with the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro.
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the intelligence community, was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm earlier this year, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.