TOP STORIES
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MEET THE MAN LEADING THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN THE 2016 ELECTION Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russian influence in the 2016 election. Both sides of the aisle applauded the pick, and Mueller has a “history of standing up to the White House.” And here’s what a “special counsel” does. [HuffPost]
FLYNN BOMBSHELL “Michael Flynn told President Donald Trump’s transition team weeks before the inauguration that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign, according to two people familiar with the case.” And here’s what you need to know about the Flynn revelations and how they may have directly affected U.S. military strategy in Syria. [NYT]
TRUMP CAMPAIGN REPORTEDLY HAD AT LEAST 18 ‘UNDISCLOSED’ CONTACTS WITH RUSSIANS “Flynn and other advisers to Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters.” Six of those were reportedly between Flynn and Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak. [Reuters]
DOW TAKES LARGEST DIVE SINCE SEPTEMBER Amid the swirl of White House controversies. [HuffPost]
HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER SAYS VLADIMIR PUTIN ‘PAYS’ TRUMP IN LEAKED TAPE According to audio recording obtained by The Washington Post. Rep. Kevin McCarthy called it “an attempt at humor gone wrong.” [HuffPost]
OKLAHOMA OFFICER WHO KILLED TERENCE CRUTCHER FOUND NOT GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER “The white police officer who fatally shot Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man whose car stalled in the middle of the road in Tulsa, Oklahoma last year, was found not guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday evening.” [HuffPost]
BAYLOR FOOTBALL TEAM ACCUSED OF GANG-RAPE, TAKING PHOTOS OF VICTIM In federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. [HuffPost]
EL NINO MAY BE OVER But those record-breaking temperatures are here to stay. [HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
‘ANY HALF-DECENT HACKER COULD BREAK INTO MAR-A-LAGO’ “Our inspections found weak and open Wi-Fi networks, wireless printers without passwords, servers with outdated and vulnerable software, and unencrypted login pages to back-end databases containing sensitive information.” [ProPublica]
LAWMAKERS MOVE TO MAKE ‘STEALTHING’ ILLEGAL Representatives in two states have put forth legislation to recognize nonconsensual condom removal as sexual assault. [HuffPost]
TURNS OUT THE DUTCH KING HAS ONE HECKUVA SIDE HUSTLE He’s been secretly co-piloting commercial flights for years. [HuffPost]
HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER USE THAT SUNSCREEN FROM A FEW YEARS BACK And always check the expiration date. [HuffPost]
SOMEONE FOUND THE MONEY IN THE BANANA STAND As Netflix officially announced “Arrested Development” is coming back for a fifth season. [HuffPost]
WE’RE ALREADY ANTICIPATING THE NIGHTMARES We’ll get from watching Jordan Peele’s Jim Crow horror series for HBO. [HuffPost]
SORRY IN-N-OUT This burger chain just took over as America’s favorite. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
French President Emmanuel Macron has filled half of his 22-person Cabinet with women.
These five presidents had the shortest tenure.
Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, died Wednesday. He was 52.
This is what the hook on your airline tray is for.
The internet is in love with Starbucks coffee ice.
Former President George W. Bush seemed to enjoy videobombing this reporter.
J-Law doesn’t have time for your judgment about her stopping by a strip club for a friend’s birthday.
What it means to own a giant pet tortoise.
Jimmy Fallon still regrets that infamous Trump interview.
Melissa McCarthy’s Spicey bloopers might be even better than the real ‘SNL’ deal.
Even this squirrel has a better six-pack than you.
Reese Witherspoon keeps fanning the flames of potential for a season 2 of “Big Little Lies.”
According to Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” is about her.
The hidden choking hazard of those fidget spinners.
This refugee camp is the first to be powered by solar energy.