Thursday's Headlines: Special counsel appointed to oversee inquiry of Russia, Trump

Q&A: What exactly is a 'special counsel,' and how will his investigation work?; Some Republicans nervously begin stepping away from the president; Joe Lieberman, three others to meet with Trump about FBI director job; House Majority Leader McCarthy told colleagues in 2016: 'I think Putin pays' Trump; A tough job in Washington right now: Working for Trump; President Trump is turning to the strategies from his business career. They may not be helping.;   Democracy Dies in Darkness     The morning's most important stories, selected by Post editors   Top Stories Special counsel appointed to oversee inquiry of Russia, Trump Robert S. Mueller III, a former prosecutor who served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013, has agreed to serve in the role, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said. The move marks a concession by the Trump administration to Democratic demands for the investigation to be run independently of the Justice Department. By Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz and Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more » Q&A: What exactly is a 'special counsel,' and how will his investigation work? Robert Mueller will still answer to Rod Rosenstein and rely on the Justice Department for his budget. By Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more »   Some Republicans nervously begin stepping away from the president Within the GOP this week, what had been a fairly solid wall of support has suddenly developed cracks. But where some see the start of a snowballing opposition, others caution that a momentary crisis does not necessarily imply collapse. By Marc Fisher  •  Read more »   Joe Lieberman, three others to meet with Trump about FBI director job The former senator is on a new short list of candidates that also includes former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating and the current acting director. By Matt Zapotosky and John Wagner  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   EXCLUSIVE House Majority Leader McCarthy told colleagues in 2016: 'I think Putin pays' Trump Kevin McCarthy made the politically explosive assertion in a private conversation on Capitol Hill in June 2016 with his fellow GOP leaders. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan interjected and stopped the conversation from exploring McCarthy's assertion, saying: "No leaks. ... This is how we know we're a real family here." By Adam Entous  •  Read more »   A tough job in Washington right now: Working for Trump As the president has grown increasingly angry with his staff, his aides have their own complaints about him. Some White House staffers have turned to impeachment gallows humor. Others have started reaching out to consultants, shopping their résumés. By Ashley Parker and Abby Phillip  •  Read more »   President Trump is turning to the strategies from his business career. They may not be helping. The tactics that Trump believed served him so well in business — insisting on bare-bones briefings, threatening opponents with litigation and relying on a small but fiercely loyal cadre of advisers — may be adding to his self-inflicted wounds. By Michael Kranish  •  Read more »   Opinions   Rod Rosenstein saves the Republican Party from itself By Dana Milbank  •  Read more »   Trump has caused a catastrophe. Let's end it quickly. By E.J. Dionne Jr.  •  Read more »   With Mueller as the special prosecutor, the White House has every reason to panic By Jennifer Rubin  •  Read more »   Trump may have broken one D.C. Commandment too many By Charles Lane  •  Read more »   An old 'disease' that could help lawmakers understand today's health-care debate By George F. Will  •  Read more »   A special counsel is essential. But Congress isn't off the hook. By Editorial Board  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   More News   Trump's first full education budget: Deep cuts to public school programs in pursuit of school choice Documents obtained by The Post show how the president wants to cut $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives and expand charter schools and vouchers for private and religious schools. By Emma Brown, Valerie Strauss and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel  •  Read more » 'They've forgotten who got them here': Conservative media upset with Trump They say they've become second-class citizens in their access and connections to the administration. Several are upset that major interviews and big scoops have gone to mainstream news outlets. By Paul Farhi  •  Read more » How a Trump order on abortion could hurt the fight against AIDS in Africa Many HIV/AIDS organizations funded by the United States stand to lose their funding, putting at risk the possibility of eliminating the epidemic by 2030. By Kevin Sieff  •  Read more » Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, a founding father of grunge, dead at 52 Cornell, a key figure in the '90s grunge rock movement as the founder of Soundgarden and later Audioslave, died Wednesday in Detroit. He was in the middle of a national tour. By Travis M. Andrews  •  Read more » Today's WorldView | Analysis Iran’s tense presidential election sparks fears of a rigged finale Friday's vote favors President Hassan Rouhani, but his bid has been hampered by widespread frustration among ordinary Iranians who have yet to see the dividends of the country's nuclear deal. By Ishaan Tharoor  •  Read more » 'Radical centrism' of France's new leader looks a lot like conservatism To the chagrin of leftists, the cabinet choices of French President Emmanuel Macron show he has ceded control of budget and economy to the political right. By James McAuley  •  Read more » Fact Checker | Analysis Nancy Pelosi's claim that '7 million veterans will lose their tax credit' under the GOP health bill House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi glossed over the nuances of this issue, so here are the facts. By Michelle Ye Hee Lee  •  Read more »         Share Today's Headlines:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you are signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071