memeorandum: McConnell aims to use Green New Deal to divide Democrats, but party is unifying against his show vote (Paul Kane/Washington Post)

12:05 PM ET, March 23, 2019

Top Items:

As Mueller Report Lands, Prosecutorial Focus Moves to New York — Even as the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, submitted his confidential report to the Justice Department on Friday, federal and state prosecutors are pursuing about a dozen other investigations that largely grew out of his work …

Discussion: Raw Story, emptywheel, Law & Crime and New York Post

Benjamin Wittes / Lawfare:

Very Quick Thoughts on the End of the Mueller Investigation — Attorney General William Barr now has the Mueller Report, and the world looks a heck of a lot like it did yesterday, when Barr did not have the Mueller Report. At least, it appears to. The major difference is that the mystery before us has slightly changed form.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA, CNN, The Atlantic and Washington Post

Heather Caygle / Politico:

Democrats plot ways to force release of Mueller findings — House Democrats are huddling Saturday to strategize how to force special counsel Robert Mueller's potentially explosive findings into the open — a possible drag-out legal fight that could consume Washington for months.

Discussion: ABC News, Viking Pundit and FiveThirtyEight

Manu Raju / CNN:

Kushner provides documents to House Judiciary in obstruction probe — Special counsel Robert Mueller ends investigation — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is providing records to the House Judiciary Committee for its probe into obstruction of justice …

Discussion: Washington Press, WNEP-TV and fox5sandiego.com

Alexandra Hutzler / Newsweek:

Robert Mueller's Report Is ‘Just the Beginning’ of Donald Trump's Legal Troubles, Experts Say — Special counsel Robert Mueller has finally completed his nearly two-year investigation into Russian election interference, handing off his highly anticipated report to the attorney general on Friday.

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Five things that didn't happen in the Mueller investigation — Robert Mueller has delivered his report on the Trump-Russia investigation to Attorney General William Barr. Sometime soon, perhaps within hours, Barr will send the report's “principal conclusions” to Congress.

Ken Starr / The Atlantic:

Mueller Cannot Seek an Indictment. And He Must Remain Silent. — As the nation awaits the Mueller report, a return to first principles is in order. One relevant first principle was dramatically illustrated in the breach during the waning weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Discussion: Townhall and Slate

Mike Allen / Axios:

With Mueller report submitted, Trump's legal team feels “cautious optimism” — With Robert Mueller's delivery of his report, and word from the Justice Department that he would have no more indictments, President Trump's legal team believes the immediate threat to the presidency has passed.

Discussion: Political Wire, Breitbart and Vox

Washington Post:
Mueller report sent to attorney general, signaling his Russia investigation has ended

The Daily Caller:
CNN Forced To Admit Mueller Report Vindicates Trump

Discussion: RedState

New York Post: Mueller wraps up — but don't expect the hysteria to end

New York Times:
William Barr Hopes to Update Lawmakers on Mueller Report This Weekend

Discussion: Fox News, Politico, Raw Story, Vanity Fair, Quartz and TalkLeft

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
How Much of Mueller's Report Will See Daylight?

Discussion: New York Times, The Guardian, Spectator USA and VICE News

New York Times:
Mueller Delivers Report on Trump-Russia Investigation to Attorney General

Discussion: Townhall, Shareblue Media, The Nation, Raw Story, SFist, The Mary Sue, Vox, Common Cause, Washington Post, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, New York Times, Washington Monthly and The Stranger

New York Times:
Mueller Delivers Report on Russia Investigation to Attorney General

Mike Levine / ABC News:
Mueller report handed off to Department of Justice; won't recommend any further indictments, a senior official says

Discussion: RedState, Axios, Refinery29, CBS News, BuzzFeed News, One America News Network, Raw Story, Breitbart, Bloomberg, The Daily Signal, ABC7, FiveThirtyEight, Instapundit, The Week and The Gateway Pundit

Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
Four Arguments About the Mueller Report You Should Ignore

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
Mueller concludes Russia probe, delivers report to AG Barr

Discussion: Breitbart, Damian J. Penny, POLITICUSUSA, Florida Politics, Al Jazeera, Byline Times, Raw Story, KTLA, Quartz, Common Dreams and Towleroad Gay News

Marshall Cohen / CNN:
11 looming questions now that Mueller's investigation is over

Discussion: The Week, fox8.com, YouTube, Breitbart, WHNT-TV and Politico

Andrew Prokop / Vox:
Robert Mueller has completed his report

Discussion: Power Line, New York Times, Political Wire, Breitbart, Financial Times and Politico

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Mueller submits report on Trump investigation to AG Barr

Discussion: Washington Post, The Bulwark, CNBC, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Wall Street Journal, VICE News and Common Dreams

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Robert Mueller's Russia investigation is officially complete

Discussion: Yahoo News, Chicago Tribune, IJR, Hullabaloo, NPR, twitchy.com and Hit & Run

Gina Salamone / New York Daily News:

Barbra Streisand says Michael Jackson's accusers were ‘thrilled to be there’ and his ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’ — Barbra Streisand is under fire for comments she made about two men accusing Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting them as children.

Discussion: Daily Wire, RT, Deadline, USA Today, The Root, Rolling Stone, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Towleroad Gay News, Page Six, The Wrap and Fox News

Pat Saperstein / Variety:

Barbra Streisand Believes Michael Jackson Accusers, But Says ‘They Were Thrilled to Be There’ — Jane Fonda, Thierry Fremaux, Alexander Payne Advocate to Save Classic Films at HFPA Restoration Summit — Barbra Streisand only met Michael Jackson a few times, but she definitely has some opinions …

Discussion: RedState and Althouse

Lance Williams / Politico:

Recording Reveals Oil Industry Execs Laughing at Trump Access — Gathered for a private meeting at a beachside Ritz-Carlton in Southern California, the oil executives were celebrating a colleague's sudden rise. David Bernhardt, their former lawyer, had been appointed by President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story, Common Dreams, Political Wire, The Colorado Independent and Reveal

The Montgomery Advertiser:

Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen to step down — What we know about SPLC's firing of co-founder Morris Dees — Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen said in a statement Friday he has asked the board of the troubled organization to “to immediately launch …

Discussion: Washington Times, Fox News, Tennessee Star, New York Post and Townhall

Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times:
Head of Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen, announces resignation amid internal upheaval

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Rukmini Callimachi / New York Times:

ISIS Caliphate Crumbles as Last Village in Syria Falls — American-backed forces took the last remnant of territory under Islamic State rule in Syria, but signs of the group's resurgence are already visible. — A four-year military operation to flush the Islamic State from its territory …

Discussion: Slate, The Guardian and Washington Free Beacon

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:

Theresa May isn't the adult in the room. She's part of the problem. — “She was dealt a bad hand.” “She took a poisoned chalice.” From a great distance, it is possible to feel sorry for British Prime Minister Theresa May. She seems so dignified. She seems to be trying so hard.

Discussion: The Guardian and Towleroad Gay News

Gabby Orr / Politico:

Shanahan's nomination to head Pentagon on ice — Patrick Shanahan's expected promotion to permanently head the Defense Department has stalled amid an ethics investigation and a series of unimpressive public performances, according to four people with knowledge of internal White House discussions.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Raw Story

Rory Appleton / Fresno Bee:

Fresno Republicans to reschedule annual dinner after Nunes-Twitter beef explodes — The Fresno County Republican Party canceled plans for its Lincoln Reagan dinner next month featuring Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, as its keynote speaker after social media calls for people to crash the event.

Discussion: Raw Story

Ken Meyer / Mediaite:

WATCH: Trump Fumes and Calls Fox's Maria Bartiromo ‘Fake News’ for Grilling Him on McCain Attacks — President Donald Trump grew angry during an interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Friday as she repeatedly pressed him over his renewed attacks on John McCain.

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Splinter and IJR