Axios

Politico Magazine looked at the long history between James Comey and Bob Mueller, the "straight arrow" who will now serve as the government's special counsel for the Russia investigation. The two have held the same jobs — FBI director and deputy attorney general — and Comey regards Mueller as something of a mentor.

The money quote:

"It is as if, after having an unrelated disagreement over movie trivia in a bar, Trump has challenged Usain Bolt to a 100-yard dash or John Cena to a cage match to the death," writes Politico's Garrett Graff.

After emerging from an all-Senate briefing from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Senator Claire McCaskill told reporters Rosenstein "knew Comey was going to be removed prior to writing the memo."

Why it matters: The White House originally said Rosenstein's memo recommending Comey be fired was what convinced Trump to make the move. Trump has since said the decision was his alone, but this indicates that everyone from Sean Spicer to Mike Pence was either misinformed, or intentionally misleading.

Nature of investigation: Senator Lindsey Graham: "It was a counter intel investigation before, now it seems to me now to be a criminal investigation."

• Richard Blumenthal confirmed, "Mueller is doing a criminal investigation...an investigation of criminal allegations...including possible obstruction of justice," and when asked if Trump himself was under criminal investigation said "no."

Trump's ousted National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who resigned over his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, has yet to honor the Senate Intel Committee's subpoena, per the AP.

Quote from Sen. Richard Burr, the top Republican on the committee: "We'll figure out on Gen. Flynn what the next step, if any, is."

Context: This comes after reports that Trump asked Comey to drop the Flynn probe, and the news Wednesday evening that Trump's team knew Flynn was under investigation before he came to the White House. There is also currently a grand jury investigation into Flynn's foreign lobbying.

Update: Burr has walked back his statement that Flynn refuses to cooperate: "General Flynn's attorneys have not yet indicated their intentions regarding...the subpoena."

At her weekly press briefing, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel for the federal government's Russia investigation a "good first step," but said an independent special commission is needed to "address the broader vulnerability of our elections."

• Should foreign nations be nervous to share intel with the U.S.? "Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you be nervous?"
• On talk of impeachment: Pelosi noted the "enthusiasm" of some members of the Democratic caucus, but brushed aside concerns that Dems might be overplaying their hand politically.
• Trump's tweets: "Honestly, how did he spell 'witch hunt?'"

Trump campaign officials engaged in more contacts with Russians and Kremlin-affiliated individuals than have previously been disclosed, according to a new Reuters report that cites "current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges."

• The timing: "The 18 calls and electronic messages took place between April and November 2016..."
• Main focus: "Six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Kislyak and Trump advisers, including [Michael] Flynn..."
• Caveat: "The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far..."

Why it matters: "The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators..."

The influential conservative pro-Israel leader, Morton Klein, says President Trump is making a terrible mistake by shelving his conspicuous campaign promise to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Klein, who I caught up with Wednesday at the SALT conference in Las Vegas, was responding to a Bloomberg report today that Trump had decided to delay moving the embassy because doing so now would "raise tensions" and be unhelpful to his efforts to strike a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

This sends a message — and this is really dangerous — that terrorist threats can succeed ... you cannot allow terrorist threats to determine policy. — Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America

Former FBI director Robert Mueller will serve as special counsel in the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mueller, who led the FBI from 2001-2013 under presidents from both parties, is one of the most highly respected figures in U.S. law enforcement and is considered an ally of James Comey's.

He was selected by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. Rosenstein had authority in the matter because Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe, and this move may not go over well in the White House.

From deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, on his decision to name Robert Mueller the Special Counsel on the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election:

Alexander Shnaider, a Russian-Canadian developer who partnered with Trump to build the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto, used hundreds of millions of dollars that can be traced back to Vnesheconombank (VEB), a Russian government-run bank under investigation in the U.S., to help finance the project, reports the WSJ.

Why this matters: A Trump Organization spokesman told the WSJ that the company had no financial dealings with VEB. Trump has also repeatedly stated that he has no ties to Russia. Meanwhile, federal investigators are looking into the links between Trump's staff and Russian financial institutions. This all comes as Trump has been under fire for sharing Israeli intelligence with top Russian officials.

Mark your calendars: House Oversight Chair Jason Chaffetz has scheduled a hearing next Wednesday, and he's inviting former FBI Director James Comey — once he figures out his new phone number.

Chaffetz has already asked the FBI to produce any and all memos it has from Comey's communications with Trump. One of those memos reportedly includes the claim that Trump asked him to stop investigating Michael Flynn.

Split screen: Trump will be in Europe at the time for a NATO summit and a meeting with the Pope.

Meanwhile... Mitch McConnell says the Senate Intelligence Committee needs to hear from Comey in a public hearing as well: "I think we need to hear from him about whatever he has to say about the events of recent days, as soon as possible."

The Senate Judiciary Committee requested two additional pieces of information Wednesday, per the AP:

• The memo former FBI Director James Comey wrote that indicates Trump asked him to drop the probe into ousted National Security Advisor Michael Flynn
• Any tapes from the White House

Context: Richard Burr and Mark Warner, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Senate Intel Committee, sent two letters Wednesday. The first asked Comey to testify publicly and privately. The second asked Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe for any memos from Comey.