THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBSHELLS: President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey was a metaphorical MOAB that’s sent shockwaves through the capital, and has the president’s critics throwing around the adjective “Nixonian” and talking about a “constitutional crisis.” The move took virtually everyone by surprise, including Comey himself who was speaking to FBI staff in Los Angeles when saw the news flash on TV and thought it was a good-natured prank.

THE BIG QUESTION: How will Comey’s sudden departure affect the ongoing FBI investigation into possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia’s attempt to influence the U.S. presidential elections? The firing of the person overseeing an investigation of the president’s circle of associates left Democrats uniformly outraged, and calling for an independent counsel or prosecutor to take over the politically-sensitive probe. “If an independent special prosecutor is appointed, there can still be faith that we can get to the bottom of this. If not, everyone will suspect a cover-up,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate. “The need for a special prosecutor is now crystal clear,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.