What you need to know about the Russia probe indictments

Plus: White House shrugs off charges No Images? Click here         George Papadopoulos Is Bad News For Donald Trump There may have been a brief moment Monday morning when the White House thought the week wouldn’t be so bad. The federal grand jury indictment unsealed against Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and his longtime associate Rick Gates, dealt with much of their lobbying work before the 2016 election. At first glance, the indictments didn’t seem to have much to do with whether Trump and his team coordinated with Russia. They could certainly be used to gain leverage over the former Trump associates, but there was no smoking gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia.  But any moment of optimism would have been short-lived. Not long after Manafort and Gates were in federal custody, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team dropped another bombshell: They’d flipped a former Trump campaign adviser months ago. The charges against Trump’s former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos ― a little-known, little-qualified 30-year-old who listed his involvement in Model United Nations as one of his credentials ― may end up being a much bigger part of the Russia investigation. The Papadopoulos charges, dated Oct. 5 but only unsealed on Monday, deal directly with his work during the election and his attempt to link up the Russian government with the Trump campaign. His statements also make clear that he was acting with the involvement of higher-ranking officials in Trump’s orbit. READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders shrugged off news of criminal charges against several members of Trump’s campaign, arguing they had “nothing to do with the president” or “the activities of the campaign.” READ MORE A federal judge blocked enforcement of Trump's transgender military ban. Trump’s reasons for the controversial ban “do not appear to be supported by any facts,” the judge found. READ MORE Paul Manafort's indictment sheds more light on the pro-Russia change to the GOP platform last year. The former Trump campaign chairman is charged with laundering millions from Vladimir Putin’s allies in Ukraine. READ MORE    .     ICYMI It's been one month since the Las Vegas shooting and bump stocks are still legal. The push for a ban on the devices has stalled in Congress.   New Jersey's Bayshore is waiting for a post-Sandy recovery that never came. Five years after the storm, decaying boardwalks, abandoned bungalows and exposed septic tanks show Money Island has received little to earn its name.   The Ivy League has an unexpected friend in Donald Trump. Their graduate students are trying to unionize. The president may have already stopped them.    . Want more?  John Boehner Rips ‘A**hole’ Jason Chaffetz In Scorching Interview   Trump Ally Roger Stone Suspended From Twitter After Vicious Attacks On CNN Journalists   Trump Often Says He Has Proof For His Claims. But He Never Comes Through.   How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    . - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe