Checking In on the Trump-Russia Investigation

Another blockbuster story from the New York Times late Thursday, which has more details about how Donald Trump and the White House attempted to shut down the Russia investigation last year, suggests it's a good time to take stock of where the story is right now.

I'll start with obstruction of justice. While the Times story did have further details (and probably made the position of White House counsel Donald McGahn even more precarious), I don't really think the reported case against Trump has moved very far since July. Trump certainly -- by his own admission, and the clear public facts of the case -- attempted to stop the investigation. He pressured the attorney general not to recuse himself despite Justice Department guidance that Jeff Sessions had to do so. He pressured FBI Director James Comey to be loyal to the president, and when Comey wouldn't shut down the investigation, Trump fired him in order to put an end to it.