| INVESTIGATIONS: ABC News is reporting that special counsel Robert Mueller wants to speak with Trump about obstruction of justice. And yet on Wednesday, the president launched one of his most aggressive attacks to date against Mueller, saying over Twitter that Attorney General Jeff Sessions should end the special counsel “right now.” 
© Twitter Sessions has recused himself from the probe, which is being overseen by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. The Associated Press: Do Trump’s tweets cross legal line for obstruction of justice? Jonathan Turley: Trump’s reckless tweeting may be foolish, but it isn’t a crime. Trump’s lawyers and the White House sought to soften the president’s remarks, saying that he wasn’t interfering in the investigation, but merely expressing his opinion that it is time to wrap it up. “[The tweet was] not an order. It's the president's opinion." – White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The president on Wednesday also vented his frustration with the FBI for not warning his campaign that former chairman Paul Manafort was under investigation. 
© Twitter The second day of Manafort’s trial took place at a Virginia courthouse on Wednesday. The trial has so far been notable for the colorful exchanges between the prosecution and Judge T.S. Ellis III, an appointee of Former President Reagan. The Washington Post: Manafort judge known for being tough during trials. Ellis has previously expressed concern that the special counsel charged Manafort with crimes that fall outside their purview. Manafort faces more than a dozen corruption and financial fraud charges, but nothing pertaining to the Russia investigation. On Wednesday, Ellis told the prosecution to stop using the word “oligarch” to describe Russian businessmen and told them to rein-in their facial expressions during his scoldings. Prosecutors have spent the first two days focusing on Manafort’s lavish lifestyle. On Wednesday, a suitmaker testified on the nearly $1 million Manafort spent on fine clothes. Ellis has noted that profligacy is not a crime and has urged prosecutors to narrow their focus. Still, Manafort looks to be in big trouble and is fighting to stay out of jail for the rest of his life. The special counsel is alleging that he used dozens of foreign bank accounts to hide tens of millions of dollars he earned by consulting for foreign governments. The New York Times: Mueller inquiry exposes culture of foreign lobbying. Other interesting news of note about Facebook … The Hill’s Ali Breland reports that thousands of people attended anti-Trump rallies that were co-organized by groups that Facebook has since banned for being part of a disinformation campaign. Democrats have blamed Russia for being behind those groups. It’s further evidence that the foreign entities were looking to sow division and anger on the left and the right. > Real people continue to get entangled with fake accounts and pages on Facebook (The New York Times) > Facebook’s security chief departs for Stanford University (The New York Times). > Facebook’s prowess is tested by evolving, sophisticated foes creating influence campaigns (The New York Times) **** CONGRESS: The Senate agreed on a spending package for four federal departments on Wednesday as it works to meet a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the entire government into the new fiscal year. Senators approved spending for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as financial services and general government (The Hill). > The Senate also approved a compromise $717 billion National Defense Authorization Act aimed at upgrading the military and challenging Chinese foreign investment and telecommunications technology (The Hill). The Senate next turns to legislation to fund the Defense Department, which will likely be bundled with an annual Labor-Health and Human Services-Education measure that leaders hope can attract bipartisan support (Politico). > Along the way, Senate Republicans followed the lead of colleagues in the House on Wednesday and defeated a Democrat-sponsored plan that would have provided $250 million in federal grants to states to help them protect the integrity of future elections. The GOP resistance emerged despite bipartisan House and Senate worries about outside interference with the upcoming elections (The Hill). > In the House, the conservative Freedom Caucus has become something of a curiosity, as allies and foes of the renegade group try to plot what may happen if Democrats seize control of the House next year. Some Freedom Caucus members are privately preparing for congressional life in the minority and are strategizing about how to remain relevant if Democrats control the House (The Hill). | 
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