5 Things For You To Know On This Thursday May 18

Special Counsel Appointed In Russia Probe:

The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including potential collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign associates and Russian officials.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to the position in a letter obtained by CNN. Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously recused himself from any involvement in the Russia investigation due to his role as a prominent campaign adviser and surrogate.

Comey Prepped Responses Ahead Of Trump Discussions:

head of discussions with President Donald Trump, Former FBI Director James Comey prepped with his team on ways to respond to anticipated questions so that he would not come across as confrontational during the ongoing Russia probe, according to an official close to Comey.

“He wanted to make sure he could maintain independence and maintain ethical boundaries,” the official said.

The FBI director would memorialize the conversations he had with Trump as soon as he got into his car after the meetings, the official said. He would write everything down from the conversation because the former FBI director wanted to make sure he characterized the conversation accurately.

Chris Cornell Dead At Age 52:

Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, died Wednesday night, his representative told CNN.

Cornell, 52, was in Detroit performing with Soundgarden, which had embarked on a US tour in April. Brian Bumbery, his representative, called Cornell’s passing “sudden and unexpected” in a statement to CNN.

“His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause,” the statement read. “They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time

Alan Thicke’s Sons In Legal Battle With His Widow Over Estate:

Alan Thicke’s sons are gearing up to battle their father’s widow, Tanya Callau Thicke, over his estate.

Thicke’s two eldest son, Brennan Thicke and musician Robin Thicke, filed a petition Tuesday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court after they allege that Callau disputes the prenuptial agreement she signed ahead of her marriage to the “Growing Pains” star in 2005.

“Now that Alan is dead, Tanya claims there are numerous problems with the Trust and the Prenuptial Agreement,” states the Thicke son’s attorney, Alex Weingarten, in the petition obtained by CNN.

The court documents also claim that Callau “threatened to make her claims fodder for ‘tabloid publicity’ unless the Co-Trustees agreed to participate in a mediation and succumb to her demands.”