Facebook says Cambridge Analytica may have gotten 87 million user files not 50 million.

Yesterday afternoon Nasim Aghdam, 39, walked onto the YouTube campus in San Bruno, California, fired dozens of shots, injured four people and then killed herself. Initial reports suggested the shooter might be a disgruntled former employee or friend. Aghdam’s name already has led some to jump to the conclusion that the attack is tied to Islamic fundamentalism. But that seems pretty clearly not to be the case. Aghdam’s activism was tied to animal rights and veganism. Her extensive online trail shows that she was intensely angry at YouTube itself for “demonetizing” her YouTube channels and in other ways purportedly discriminating against her. This seems clear to have been the motive behind her rampage. In other words, she was a disgruntled YouTube user.

All of Aghdam’s social media platform accounts have already been suspended. They were down shortly after her name became public last night. But her site remains on line. Here are a couple screen grabs of the site, both to give you some flavor of her world and to let you read some of her grudge. Read More

Here’s Alice Ollstein’s look at a critical issue we’re going to be closely focused on in the months and (unfortunately) years to come: the effort to purge the federal bureaucracy of experts, non-Conservative loyalists and, today, those who are not personally loyal to Donald Trump. The story has taken on a distinct coloration today under Donald Trump since his war against the ‘deep state’ is so tightly focused on protecting himself from personal prosecution. But it has decades’ old roots. And a central player is Newt Gingrich, who was at this thirty-plus years ago and now is closely advising and egging on Donald Trump to force or in many cases simply allow purges across the board. Trump isn’t an ideologue like Gingrich. But he only understands loyalism and he will do anything to protect himself from the law. So he’s a perfect partner for Gingrich’s quest to make the federal government more corrupt, ideological, ineffectual and stupid. Give this a read; and if you’re part of the federal workforce and you see things we want to hear.

WaPo reporter says Mueller team is planning on releasing a report on the obstruction part of the investigation in June or July.

More info: Mueller team wants to release report on Obstruction investigation, incidents during President's time in office this June or July. AND THEN they continue with collusion probe. Hot Summer. pic.twitter.com/tFQHd9yZ4y

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 4, 2018

Note that technically, Rod Rosenstein appears to have authorized Mueller to write such a report. In theory, he could decide to keep it confidential. In practice, that seems highly unlikely.

Just out from the White House.

Note the reference to the protection of ‘national security’ which may be a predicate to ignoring the restrictions of the Posse Comitatus Act which prevents the military from carrying out police actions on American soil. Read More

Our Tierney Sneed was in the courtroom today for the sentencing of Alex van der Zwaan. And one bizarre, somewhat (darkly) comical part of the discussion was about the logistics of sentencing because no one in the courtroom was totally sure whether or when ICE might swoop into deport the defendant. Here’s the story (Prime access).

A short time ago President Trump said he is ordering the US military to start guarding the US-Mexico border until his wall is built. Can he do that? The short answer is: no. The longer answer is basically no but I wanted to explain the details because it’s not 100% no. Read More

Trump says he’ll have the US military guard the Mexican border “until we can have a wall.”

Trump: “Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than I have.”

Trump: No one is tougher on Russia than me. Everybody Agrees. pic.twitter.com/Q1zj4ANTg3

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 3, 2018

Here are key statements from the President just moments ago in the White House on Russia, the Border, Amazon and China (selections from White House pool report) … Read More