National News at a Glance

12 Russian Agents Charged in Effort to Sow Chaos in 2016 Election

The special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election issued an indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers Friday in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton presidential campaign. The indictment came only three days before President Donald Trump was planning to meet with President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Helsinki. The 29-page indictment is the most detailed accusation by the U.S. government to date of the Russian government’s interference in the 2016 election, and it includes a litany of brazen Russian subterfuge operations meant to foment chaos in the months before Election Day.

Democrats Say Trump Should Cancel Putin Meeting After Indictments

Leading Democrats called Friday for President Donald Trump to cancel his meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia after the Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers accused of hacking Democrats’ emails and computer networks during the 2016 presidential race. Top Republicans were mostly mute, although a handful urged the president to use the indictments to get tough with Putin when they meet Monday in Helsinki. A grand jury indicted the officers Friday, accusing them of conspiring to interfere with the outcome of the 2016 presidential election by hacking the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

On Threat of Computer Attacks, the ‘Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again’

The nation’s top intelligence officer said Friday that the danger of Russian cyberattacks today was akin to the warnings the United States had of stepped-up terror threats before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. That alarm sounded by Dan Coats, national intelligence director, came on the same day 12 Russian agents were indicted on charges of hacking the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Coats said those indictments illustrated Moscow’s continuing strategy to undermine U.S. democracy and erode its institutions. "The warning lights are blinking red again,” Coats said. “Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack.”

Ex-Health Secretary Wasted $341,000 on Improper Travel, Inquiry Finds

Tom Price, former secretary of health and human services, repeatedly violated government travel rules and wasted at least $341,000 by billing taxpayers for his use of chartered jets and military aircraft, federal investigators said Friday. Daniel Levinson, the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general, documented the abuses in a blistering report. Levinson examined 21 trips for which Price used chartered aircraft, military aircraft, commercial aircraft or the fleet of planes equipped for use by the president and vice president. He found that 20 of the 21 flights did not comply with federal requirements. The total cost of the 21 trips was $1.2 million, the report said.

Cuomo Moves Closer to Marijuana Legalization in New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo took a step closer to voicing full-throated support for legal marijuana in New York on Friday, embracing elements of a state Health Department report that favored legalization. Cuomo said New York would no longer have the option of trying to simply prevent the flow of the drug into the state now that Massachusetts and New Jersey are moving forward with plans to legalize the drug. The governor’s comments followed the release Friday of the Health Department’s 75-page report that weighed arguments for and against legalization and concluded the state should have a regulated market.

Friday the 13th, a ‘Tattoo Holiday’

Friday the 13th is the day of black cat crossings, devious witches, shattered mirrors — and cheap tattoos. Tattoo veterans and virgins lined up outside tattoo parlors to partake in the tradition of Friday the 13th tattoos, when shops release a sheet of pre-designed tattoos, most of which cost $13 (plus a lucky $7 tip). It offers enthusiasts the chance to get a professional tattoo for very little money, and it offers shops the chance to promote their work. The tradition was started by Oliver Peck, co-owner of Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas and a judge on the reality TV show “Ink Master,” who held the first Friday the 13th tattoo event in 1996.