Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast here to talk about the news that Deputy Attorney

General Rob Rosenstein has appointed a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in

the 2016 election and whether or not that included collusion or collaboration with anyone

tied to President Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

This is something Democrats have been demanding for months and something the Trump administration

and Republican leaders had resisted.

The special counsel is a familiar name former FBI director Robert Mueller who held that

job for 12 years.

I'm Scott Detro, I cover Congress for NPR.

I'm Susan Davis, I also cover Congress and I'm Mara Lias and National Political Correspondent.

A quick note are things may have changed by the time you hear this timestamp.

Yes, it's becoming a running joke at this point.

We recorded a podcast today and things changed before you even heard it.

We have not even posted that podcast yet.

So here's what we're doing.

Both of you are in both of them.

I'm just hanging out here, but that podcast is posted in your feed too.

It's a big picture.

Look at the last few days of news, including that major development, the report that President

Trump asked James Comey in the Oval Office to let go of the FBI investigation into Michael

Flynn, the former National Security Advisor.

So that's there.

...