Updated Day 483

Author: mkiser

_posts/2018-05-17-day-483.markdown

@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ todayInOneSentence: Trump marked Mueller's one-year anniversary as special couns
 
 * **Inside year one of the Mueller investigation**. As the Mueller probe hits its one-year anniversary, the special counsel's team has brought charges against 22 people and companies, notched five guilty pleas and seen one person sentenced. While a number of those charges were related to Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, so far none of them has extended to potential collusion between the Russian government and Trump associates. ([CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/17/politics/robert-mueller-investigation-one-year-inside/index.html))
 
-* **One year into investigation, Mueller shows no signs of letting up**. The president calls it a “witch hunt” on Twitter, the White House calls it “Russia fever” – but Robert Mueller, who has now spent exactly one year looking into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign, shows no signs of slowing down in his secretive investigation that looms over the Trump White House. ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/year-investigation-mueller-shows-signs-letting/story?id=55221414))
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 * **Is Trump's rhetoric about an informant in his campaign warranted?** On the first anniversary of the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to take over the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and any overlap with Donald Trump’s campaign, now-President Trump used his preferred political superlatives to disparage that inquiry on Twitter. ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/17/is-trumps-rhetoric-about-an-informant-in-his-campaign-warranted/))
 
 * ✨ **Last Year Today**: Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Bob Mueller to oversee the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. ([WTF Just Happened Today](https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2017/05/17/Day-118/))
 
 2/ **Mueller's office filed under seal an unredacted memorandum that outlines the scope of his probe** into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The filing was made as part of Mueller's criminal case against Paul Manafort, and was requested by the judge overseeing the case. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-memo/muellers-office-files-unredacted-memo-outlining-scope-of-russia-probe-filing-idUSKCN1II2EN))
 
+* **Manafort's former son-in-law cut a plea deal with the Justice Department**, requiring him cooperate with other criminal probes. Jeffrey Yohai, a former business partner of Manafort, divorced Manafort's daughter last August. ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort-exclusive/exclusive-manaforts-former-son-in-law-cuts-plea-deal-to-cooperate-with-government-sources-idUSKCN1II2YM))
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 * **Mueller's team is examining a series of meetings that took place in the Seychelles**, which have been characterized as an attempt by the U.S. to set up a backchannel with Russia. A Russian plane, owned by Andrei Skoch, a Russian billionaire and deputy in the Russian State Duma, the country's legislative body, flew into the Seychelles a day prior to the 2017 meeting. ([NJ.com](http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/new_details_emerge_on_russian_aircraft_in_seychell.html))
 
 3/ **Trump referred to some undocumented immigrants as "animals,"** saying "these aren't people. These are animals." Trump also suggested that the mayor of Oakland, California, should be charged with obstruction of justice for warning her constituents about ICE raids in February. "You talk about obstruction of justice," said Trump. "I would recommend that you look into obstruction of justice for the mayor of Oakland." ([New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/trump-undocumented-immigrants-animals.html) / [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/05/16/trump-suggests-justice-department-investigate-oaklands-democratic-mayor-for-tipping-off-immigrants/))
@@ -39,9 +39,11 @@ todayInOneSentence: Trump marked Mueller's one-year anniversary as special couns
 
 4/ **Michael Avenatti: Two more women claim they have agreements with either Trump or Michael Cohen to stay quiet about an affair with the president**. Avenatti said he is in talks with the two women, but has not confirmed the allegations and is working to substantiate their claims. ([The Hill](http://thehill.com/homenews/news/388126-avenatti-two-more-women-claim-they-were-paid-hush-money-to-stay-quiet-about))
 
+* **A New York appeals court rejected Trump's request to stay proceedings in a defamation suit** filed by a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who claimed he sexually harassed her. ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/appeals-court-denies-trump-request-to-stay-summer-zervos-defamation-case/2018/05/17/bc0656b2-59f5-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html))
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 5/ **The unnamed law enforcement official who leaked confidential financial records about Michael Cohen and his shell company last week did so because the official was worried that information was being withheld from law enforcement**. Two suspicious activity reports filed by Cohen's bank were missing from the database managed by the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. "I have never seen something pulled off the system," the official said. "That system is a safeguard for the bank. It's a stockpile of information. When something's not there that should be, I immediately became concerned." The official continued: "That's why I came forward." ([New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/missing-files-motivated-the-leak-of-michael-cohens-financial-records))
 
-6/ **Michael Cohen solicited a payment of at least $1 million from the Qatari government in late 2016**. Cohen offered to provide access and advice about the then-incoming Trump administration in exchange. Qatar declined the offer, which came following a Dec. 12, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower between Qatar's foreign minister and Michael Flynn. Cohen didn't attend the meeting, but did speak separately to Ahmed al-Rumaihi, who was head of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund at the time. ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-personal-attorney-solicited-1-million-from-government-of-qatar/2018/05/16/e787e716-592c-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html?utm_term=.e7e02612bd74))
+6/ **Michael Cohen solicited a payment of at least $1 million from the Qatari government in late 2016**. Cohen offered to provide access and advice about the then-incoming Trump administration in exchange. Qatar declined the offer, which came following a Dec. 12, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower between Qatar's foreign minister and Michael Flynn. Cohen didn't attend the meeting, but did speak separately to Ahmed al-Rumaihi, who was head of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund at the time. ([Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-personal-attorney-solicited-1-million-from-government-of-qatar/2018/05/16/e787e716-592c-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html?utm_term=.e7e02612bd74) / [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-cohen/trump-lawyer-cohen-sought-1-million-from-qatar-in-late-2016-washington-post-idUSKCN1II061))
 
 * **Jared Kushner's family company is close to a deal with the Qatar government to bailout the family's financially troubled tower in New York City**. The building generates about half its annual mortgage payment, and 30% of the 41-story tower is vacant. ([New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/nyregion/kushner-deal-qatar-666-5th.html))
 
@@ -65,6 +67,8 @@ poll/ **13% of Americans consider Trump honest and trustworthy** – down 3 poin
 
 5. **The White House canceled its daily communications morning meeting** in response to the leak of a joke about John McCain being close to death. ([New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/politics/white-house-leaks.html))
 
+6. **A Republican lawmaker suggested that rocks falling in the ocean are causing sea levels to rise**. Representative Mo Brooks from Alabama: "Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up." ([Science](https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/republican-lawmaker-rocks-tumbling-ocean-causing-sea-level-rise))
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 ### 👀 Watching.
@@ -81,4 +85,6 @@ poll/ **13% of Americans consider Trump honest and trustworthy** – down 3 poin
 
 {% onebox https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/17/17364492/trump-russia-michael-cohen-new-yorker-qatar %}
 
+{% onebox https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/17/russian-oligarch-viktor-vekselberg-chairs-nonprofit-backed-by-us-firms-politicians.html %}
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