Did Trump Break the Law by Ordering Sessions to End Mueller Investigation?

[t]   Monday, August 6, 2018 [t r u t h o u t] [View Recent Newsletters]( [Tell a friend about Truthout!]( [Donate Today!](   Truthout is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible. BuzzFlash Marching for Peace: From Helmand to Hiroshima [Read the Article at BuzzFlash]( This Time Things Are Different as Ferguson Elects a Prosecutor [Read the Article at The Daily Beast]( After Mainstream Exposure, Q-Anon Is Starting to Fracture [Read the Article at ThinkProgress]( While Rome (and Most Everywhere Else) Burns [Read the Article at BuzzFlash]( One Year After Charlottesville, the Far-Right Is Gathering Again -- in Washington [Read the Article at Vox]( The Democratic Socialist Movement Comes to Michigan [Read the Article at Axios]( If You Think Trump's Racism Is Bad Now, Just Wait Until 2020 [Read the Article at The American Prospect]( Truthout is funded by readers -- not by corporations, advertisers or lobbyists. To support our independent reporting and analysis, make a tax-deductible donation. [Donate Now]( [Did Trump Break the Law by Ordering Sessions to End Mueller Investigation?]( Marjorie Cohn, Truthout: Is Trump's order to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the Russia investigation permissible under the "unitary executive" doctrine, or is it evidence of obstruction of justice by the president? What will be the legal and political fallout, should the president succeed in orchestrating the firing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller? [Read the Article]( [Remembering the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Perilous Times]( Joseph Gerson, Truthout: The incineration of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had nothing to do with getting Japan to surrender, as it already had attempted to surrender on the same terms that the US ultimately accepted after the atomic bombings. Rather, it was domestic politics, racism and the US desire for hegemony over that part of the world which prompted President Truman's decision to launch the nuclear age. [Read the Article]( [Contrary to Trump's Claims, Last Quarter's GDP Growth Was Not "Amazing"]( Dean Baker, Truthout: Gross domestic product (GDP) data are often erratic. Bad quarters tend to be followed by unusually good quarters and vice versa, and quarters with more than 4 percent growth are actually not rare. Meanwhile, those looking for evidence of the promised investment boom will not find it in the second quarter GDP data. [Read the Article]( [Federal Judge Issues Game-Changing Ruling on Dark Money]( Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams: An ethics watchdog has claimed a "major court victory" after a federal judge issued a ruling invalidating a Federal Election Commission regulation that allowed contributors to so-called dark money organizations to avoid disclosure. [Read the Article]( [Venezuelan President Maduro Targeted in Alleged Drone Assassination Attempt]( Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro survived an apparent assassination attempt Saturday at a military event in Caracas, where officials say two drones loaded with explosives detonated above Maduro as he gave a nationally televised speech. It was the first known attempted assassination by drone strike against a sitting head of state. [Watch the Video and Read the Transcript]( [Republicans Say They'll Target Obamacare if GOP Wins the Midterms]( Elizabeth Preza, AlterNet: Republicans are eyeing another effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if they win the midterm elections -- even as candidates on the campaign trail keep those plans under wraps. The Republican Party is remaining persistent despite previous failed efforts to overturn the legislation and polling that shows support for the ACA is at an all-time high. [Read the Article]( [Fueled by Pollution and Unsound Policies, Toxic Algae Overtake Florida Beaches]( Julie Dermansky, DeSmogBlog: Florida is in the midst of a still-unfolding water pollution catastrophe as South Florida is inundated by harmful algal blooms, including red tide and blue-green algae. While both types of toxin-producing algae are normal in that environment, this crisis is not. Water pollution and climate change are fueling this supersized toxic algae mess. [Read the Article and View the Photos]( [The Legacy of Infinite War: Special Ops, Generational Struggle and the Futility of the Forever War]( Nick Turse, TomDispatch: While so much about the war on terror seems repetitious, the troops most associated with this conflict -- the US Special Operations forces (SOCOM) -- have thrived. In spite of repeated failures and questionable victories, or perhaps because of them, SOCOM's budget, its personnel numbers, its missions and its global reach continue to rise. [Read the Article]( [Trump Administration and California Will Collide Over Vehicle Emissions Rules]( Meredith Hankins and Nicholas Bryner, The Conversation: On August 2, the Trump administration formally announced a proposal to freeze fuel economy standards and tailpipe emission standards for new cars. In addition, it is proposing to revoke California's authority to set more stringent rules, which sets up an unprecedented legal battle between the state and the federal governments. [Read the Article]( [Lancaster Shows How to Say No to For-Profit Prison Company]( Negin Owliaei, Inequality.org: What's the best way to push profit-seeking corporations out of the public sphere? Don't let them take over in the first place. Residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were thrilled to learn this lesson with their recent victory against GEO Group, a giant of the private prison industry. [Read the Article]( [Want to strengthen Truthout and help us plan for the future? 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