Barr appoints special counsel to continue investigating origins of Russia probe

Attorney General Bill Barr told the AP on Tuesday he appointed veteran prosecutor John Durham as a special counsel on Oct. 19 to continue investigating the origins of the FBI's 2016 probe into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Why it matters: It's an extra layer of protection for Durham to continue investigating possible misconduct by Obama-era intelligence officials past Joe Biden's inauguration as president.

The big picture: President Trump and his allies have long predicted that Durham's investigation would lead to the indictments of high-level Obama administration...