Newsletter: Today: Mueller’s First Year

May 17, 2018 5 AM PT

It’s been a year since Robert S. Mueller III was appointed as special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election.

TOP STORIES

Mueller’s First Year

One year ago today, Robert S. Mueller III was appointed special counsel. Since then, his team’s work has led to a web of inquiries digging deeper into President Trump’s inner circle (as this timeline shows) — and endless back-and-forth among partisan onlookers. Among the things Mueller is reportedly looking into is that 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee released thousands of pages of congressional testimony relating to it. Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s own inquiry has found that Russia meddled in the election with the aim of helping Trump — a finding that backs up the intelligence community and contradicts what House Republicans concluded last month.

‘Animals’ and the LAPD Captain

At the White House on Wednesday, Trump hosted a group of officials from California opposed to its “sanctuary state” laws. During the session, he recommended that Oakland’s mayor be investigated for obstruction of justice for impeding a federal round-up of people in the U.S. illegally and, apparently referring to immigrants who are criminals, said, “These aren’t people, these are animals.” But in the Trump era, the task of engaging with those living here illegally has emerged as a major goal for the L.A. Police Department and is based on a strategy that goes back four decades. At the same time, the force has been reshaped so that it now nearly mirrors the city’s demographics. That includes a police captain who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child and became an American citizen while in the Marine Corps.

About That Nobel Peace Prize …

Experts say that this week’s threat by North Korea to cancel a summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un has been a reminder that achieving any deal with Pyongyang won’t come easily. Though Trump has been eager to prove his approach is working for a number of reasons, the decades-long history of negotiations shows that North Korea often tries to toy with its adversaries.

More Politics

-- The Trump administration’s support for Israel has gone beyond that of its predecessors, and some say that it’s isolating the U.S. internationally.

-- The Senate has narrowly advanced a Democratic-led attempt to retain net neutrality regulations. It’s the first step in a long-shot bid to keep the online traffic rules in place.

-- In an apparent swipe at Trump, his fired secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, warned that “going wobbly” on truth endangers American democracy.

More Stories of Disturbing Behavior

The USC community is grappling with the news that the physician who served as the campus clinic’s only full-time gynecologist for nearly 30 years had been accused of serial misconduct. The Times interviewed more than a dozen women who recounted what they consider inappropriate sexual comments, touching and other troubling behavior. Dr. George Tyndall, who resigned as part of a secret deal that included a financial payout last year, has denied wrongdoing. Columnist Robin Abcarian wants to know: Who is protecting young women in this scenario?

Breakdown at the Tiffany Network

Behind-the-scenes machinations. A showdown in court. A powerful family trying to exert its control. This is not the latest drama on CBS; instead, it’s the latest drama that is CBS. Earlier this week, the network’s board members began taking steps to strip the company’s controlling shareholders — the Redstone family — of their power. Shari Redstone has tried to strike back. Meanwhile, the dispute threatens to unravel the company.

A Truly Thankless Cycle

To the untrained eye, watching this week’s Amgen Tour of California — or any team cycling race on the international circuit — would seem straightforward. You ride the fastest, you win. But of course, it’s not that simple. On the team, there’s a hierarchy. And the most thankless role goes to the “domestique,” who acts as a wind block and pacesetter, a cheerleader and butler who drops back to the team car for fresh bottles of water. All while the designated lead rider for the day goes for the glory.

Tom-Jelte Slagter, a domestique for Team Dimension Data in the Amgen Tour of California.

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MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Cress Williams talks about playing two neighborhood heroes in the CW series “Black Lightning”: a crime fighter by night and a high school principal by day.

-- Hayley Atwell says she’s been keeping the early 20th century alive even before starring in “Howards End.”

CALIFORNIA

-- Authorities say a deadly explosion that ripped through an Aliso Viejo day spa has been linked to a suspicious device and is being investigated as a homicide.

-- A special task force of L.A. County prosecutors is determining whether to file various sexual abuse charges against at least half a dozen Hollywood celebrities, including producer Harvey Weinstein.

-- Officials say a Beverly Hills real estate developer was arrested on a felony charge of bribing an L.A. County employee in exchange for a government lease worth $45 million.

-- Know before you vote: Your guide to the five propositions on the state’s primary ballot.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- As Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in the film “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” actors Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover are breathing new life into beloved characters.

-- At Cannes, John Travolta was asked about the #MeToo movement: “I honestly don’t know a ton about it, because I try my best to keep people equal — men, women, races.”

-- On U2’s tour stop at the Forum, the show addressed current events but had a distinctly 1990s vibe.

-- Yanny or Laurel? Why people hear different words.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

“It’s game over, man.” Actor Bill Paxton had a long and varied film and TV career, but that improvised line from “Aliens” would stay with him. He’d hear it thrown back at him while walking down the street. Paxton, who was born on this date in 1955 and died last year at age 61, told The Times’ Mary McNamara that he was fine not only with hearing that line but also with the endless mixing up of his name with Bill Pullman’s: “There are worse problems to have.”

NATION-WORLD

-- The nationwide outbreak of illnesses from eating romaine lettuce tainted with E. coli bacteria rose again, with 23 more cases reported in 13 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-- In Missouri, Republican Gov. Eric Greitens is facing charges and impeachment, but who is the mysterious Republican financier who wants to bring him down?

-- This nature-loving sect in India dragged one of the world’s biggest movie stars to court and won.

-- In a galaxy more than 13 billion light-years from Earth, astronomers have discovered traces of the oldest known oxygen in the universe and evidence of when ancient stars “turned on.”

BUSINESS

-- Tesla says it doesn’t need to raise more money, but one analyst says it needs $3 billion.

-- It’s a risky time to be building movie theaters, but this producer of the film “Selena” has focused on opening them in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

SPORTS

-- Last season, the Dodgers and Astros were as evenly matched as two teams could be. This season, they couldn’t be any further apart. Columnist Dylan Hernandez weighs in.

-- The Houston Rockets evened their NBA playoff series against the Golden State Warriors by turning up the intensity all over the court.

OPINION

-- News flash: One year into the special counsel’s investigation, it isn’t going to “wrap up” soon. And Trump is still in peril.

-- At USC, why are so many misconduct complaints falling on deaf ears?

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Why were Michael Cohen’s financial records leaked? The law enforcement official who did it became alarmed after finding that additional suspicious transactions did not appear in a government database. (The New Yorker)

-- Understanding North Korea’s nuclear doctrine: This brief history gives context for what’s happening today. (Cipher Brief)

-- Observing Ramadan in Canada’s north can be particularly challenging, given the sun is up 19 hours a day. (The Star)

ONLY IN L.A.

Luis Perez, who was signed by the L.A. Rams as a rookie free agent, is a classic two-sport athlete. Not too unusual, unless you consider that the other sport in which the Chula Vista native could go pro is bowling. That said, both do involve Xs and O’s.

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