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Here’s what just happened with the Russia investigation
Two big things.
One: Prosecutors said Paul Manafort lied about his contacts with the Trump administration. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office said Manafort has misled investigators about a variety of topics since signing his plea agreement.
Two: Federal prosecutors said Michael Cohen should serve a “substantial term of imprisonment.” Even still, the recommendation is that Trump’s longtime personal lawyer should serve slightly less time because of his “provision of information” to the special counsel’s office.
The thing to pay attention to: Mueller’s office filed a brief sentencing memorandum after Cohen’s guilty plea. That memo actually tells us a lot about the investigation.
Chris Geidner reads between the lines and breaks down five big things Mueller revealed. No. 1: The special prosecutor sees a connection between the Trump Tower Moscow project and the core of his investigation into election interference.
Chaos reigns as Theresa May pulls crunch Brexit vote
After months of tensions over what a deal between the UK and the European Union could look like when the UK withdraws, British MPs were set to vote on Theresa May’s negotiated agreement tomorrow.
Everything has changed.
That vote, which was expected to fail, has been pulled at the last minute. May’s team has discussed a second referendum or a “softer Brexit” if her agreement is killed.
Last week was an especially chaotic one, with headlines that included phrases like “constitutional crisis.” If you missed it, we explain what happened here.
Ahead of the crucial vote, a pro-Brexit rally (and its counterprotesters) marched through London this weekend. On social media, Remainers dominate the narrative.
SNAPSHOTS
John Kelly will be leaving the White House, Trump says. Kelly has been the president’s chief of staff since July. He was tasked with imposing order on a chaotic White House. The abrupt announcement of his departure follows reports that Kelly had a frosty relationship with Trump.
Snow, sleet, and ice are wreaking havoc as winter storm Diego slams the southeastern US. More than 1,000 flights were canceled and 300,000 customers were without power as the storm progressed over the Carolinas and Virginia. The dogs are loving it.
Paris has again been rocked by violent protests this weekend. Police deployed tear gas and stun grenades amid clashes with demonstrators, as the so-called “Yellow Vests” protests that have rocked France in recent weeks showed no sign of stopping.
Millions of comments about the FCC’s net neutrality rules were fake. People's names and addresses were listed on the agency’s website beside comments they didn't make. Now, federal investigators are taking an interest in the case.
A woman who died from a “brain-eating amoeba” used filtered tap water in a neti pot. Experts say if you clear your sinuses with a neti pot, always, always, always use sterile water.
Two nuns stole $500,000 from a Catholic school and may have used it for traveling and gambling. The Southern California school discovered its former principal and another nun stole the money over a decade for their personal use.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling called out the media for “fueling racism” while covering black players. The soccer star shared two headlines about players buying new homes and highlighted the difference in tone. Sterling is right about this, and absolutely wrong to have left Liverpool.
A high school descended into utter chaos after students were told a fake active shooter drill was real. Students and parents are infuriated with how the drill was handled. Multiple people said students were crying, running for their lives, and suffering panic attacks.
The Avengers 4 trailer is finally here and oh my god oh my god oh my god. Just watch it. It is good. Also, the title is Avengers: Endgame, as in “What’s this franchise’s endgame?”, as in “How long can we live like this?”
The alt-right abandoned one of their own as he faced the music for killing “Unite the Right” counterprotester Heather Heyer
On Friday, James Alex Fields Jr. was found guilty of murdering Heyer.
During 2017’s “Unite the Right” protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, Fields plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters, killing Heyer. The victim’s father said he doesn’t want her killer to get the death penalty.
When Fields drove to Charlottesville to join the hordes of white supremacists, he was embraced. Now, it’s a different story — few leaders of the movement that drew him to join that day have been willing to stand by him.
One put it simply: “Why would I want to go to the trial of a fucking murderer?”
Read Blake Montgomery’s story on how the alt-right abandoned one of their own.
This couple had a magical Harry Potter-themed engagement
Mohit Gupta and Mahathi Kumar are not your average, casual fans of Harry Potter. I know you think you’re a serious fan, but consider: The Bangalore couple met at a Harry Potter quiz night in Delhi.
When it came time to plan their engagement party, there were few doubts as to what the theme would be. So have a look and enjoy and get on their Potter fandom level. A sneak peek:
