s primary

Sorting through the data of the dead — their pots, their knives, and the rocks they cooked on — in order to reconstruct how they once lived, is not so different from tracking the Special Counsel investigation.

On a Friday in February, Adrienne Cobb, 29, lab assistant in the archaeology department at Western Washington University, was trying to do both. She was digitizing data on artifacts found on a farm in Washington state that were about 3,000 years old, and keeping track of what was happening on Capitol Hill, where the House Judiciary Committee grilled Matthew Whitaker — then, acting Attorney General — about his involvement in Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign and its links to Russia.

Cobb’s an unlikely candidate for legal sleuthing. She’s a recovering heroin addict with no experience in journalism, and a preference for Ghost Adventures over Reliable Sources. (“I hate cable news.”) She has dyed red hair, rocks Daria-esque glasses, and tends to look at the floor when she isn’t absorbed by a screen.

She spends her free time — and some of her office time, too — tracking every update, big and small, in Mueller’s probe. She’s part of an online community of digital sleuths, amateur journalists, and statisticians, who commit hours upon hours of their lives to all things Mueller. Some have launched careers out of obsessively tracking the investigation’s twists and turns.

But for her, keeping track of Mueller’s work is about helping others feel less “helpless” in a wilderness of fast-paced, complex news that doesn’t always add up. She calls herself an “aggregator,” which seems simple enough, but it's tough work. She checks Twitter and Reddit three times an hour for new, relevant reporting, and saves links to those articles with the program, Evernote. Meanwhile, news of every White House departure goes in a separate spreadsheet that she’ll refer to in order to update her website, 45Chaos, which in granular detail, notes every staffer who’s left, whether and why they quit, resigned, or resigned under pressure (“R-UP”), and measures the length of their tenure in “mooches,” a metric born in Trump’s White House. (She goes by 10-days, not 11, though there’s a debate over how long Anthony Scaramucci really lasted as White House Communications Director.)

On the weekends, she wakes at 4:30 a.m. and never makes plans to leave the house for long — giving her just enough time for scan every article she’s saved to Evernote, for any new revelations. These get boiled down into weekly recaps that she posts every Monday to a Reddit forum called, appropriately, “Keep_Track.” Readers sometimes message her in appreciation or send tips, and her summaries have ballooned along with the news cycle to run as long as 5,000 words. On Monday, the process starts again.

“I get a lot of people who say, ‘I can't believe that all happened in one week,’” she said. “Or, ‘That feels like it was a month ago, because so much has happened.’ So I think there's value to seeing it all in one spot.”

There’s value, even for the other Mueller obsessives who, like Cobb, have become addicted to tracking the unknown-knowns.

Scott Stedman, a 23-year-old, started tracking Mueller’s probe while he was a political science major at UC Irvine. Within a year of graduation, his obsessive reporting and research has earned him bylines in major outlets and landed him a book deal (Real News, out in April). Stedman says he’s a fan of Cobb’s recaps. “I find them super useful. It’s a testament to how much information there is.”

Some of Cobb’s readers even donate — she makes about $150 a month through her Patreon account, and 76,000 people subscribe to the Reddit forum, where her work is pinned to the top, so any new members can get caught up on the fly.

“There was a New Yorker cartoon that came out this week that I think sums it up pretty well,” says A.G., the host of the popular podcast Mueller She Wrote, referring to a Julia Suits cartoon that some might see as an exaggeration but that many in this Mueller-obsessed world received with a ring of truth. The cartoon shows a conspiracist-type standing in a room, wallpapered in names ripped from Washington Post headlines, and string trying to connect them all.

Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com

Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews
Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews
More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo

Related keywords

matthew whitaker jazz,robert mueller young,documentaries about space,trump campaign headquarters,documentary heaven,twitter apk,reddit nyc,newsame,vice hbo consent,vice news hbo,twitter app,documentary movies,social media marketing,msnbc live audio,vicepresidente,reddit sat,capitol hill block party,current events wikipedia,vice on hbo imdb,robert mueller wiki,capitol hill housing,matthew whitaker news,news google,capitol hill station,vicente fernandez edad,donald trump net worth,russia investigation msnbc,capitol hill bars,msnbc live youtube,anthony scaramucci wife,vice news march 22 2018,vice news april 4 2018,msnbc live news stream,newspaper,us news medical school,documentary now izle,matthew whitaker twitter,trump campaign donations,current events sports,special counsel investigation history,vicente castaño,vice on hbo youtube,matthew whitaker piano,robert mueller en vivo,documentary collection,mueller probe report,vicente borrero costa,twitter cover photo size,newspaper theme,capitol hill denver,social media advertising,vice news bias,robert mueller report pdf,vice news tonight may 1 2018,capitol hill restaurants,donald trump birthday,donald trump hair,vice news tonight cast,interviews with outlander cast,anthony scaramucci linkedin,msnbc live stream nicolle wallace,trump campaign sign,social media strategy,social media icon,robert mueller report,donald trump polls,vice video documentaries,documentaries on youtube,vice hbo cancelled,vice video drugs,newsroom izle,msnbc live stream now,reddit news,current events in spain,vice video internship,capitol hill apartments,vice news youtube,vice news tonight episode list,social media manager,vice news september 25 2018,donald trump wiki,matthew whitaker attorney,vice news internship,vice hbo panic,vice video app,robert mueller height,reddit cfb,documentary music,anthony scaramucci twitter,documentaries on hulu,trump campaign song,capitol hill baptist church,mueller investigation manafort assets,vice news tonight stream reddit,news corporation,vice news documentaries 2018,donald trump signature,bicentenario,vice videos youtube,russia investigation agency,robert mueller fbi,vice news twitter,robert mueller trump,trump campaign speech,documentaries on hbo,donald trump children,capitol hill tour,vice news tonight wiki,current events cnn,matthew whitaker wikipedia,trump campaign slogans,vice on hbo episodes,mueller investigation cost recoup,robert mueller iii,russia investigation court,current events articles,mueller probe child,vice hbo episodes,vice on hbo syria,documentary bbc,matthew whitaker testimony,vice on hbo watch online,matthew whitaker quartet,news world,current events worksheet answer key,vice hbo china,us news university rankings,viceversa,vice on hbo new season,vicerrectoria academica univalle,documentaries on netflix,current events in mexico,us news top law schools,reddit colts,documentary imdb,interviews with game of thrones cast,msnbc live new on,robert mueller univision,mueller investigation report,trump campaign ads,russia investigation news,mueller investigation net cost,social media awards,newsroom,capitol hill washington dc,newsnow,interviews with serial killers,robert müller quien es,capitol hill seattle,https://www.reddit.com/,donald trump wife,vice hbo 2008 financial crisis,trump campaign store,current events in the us,robert mueller testify,current events usa,twitter video download,capitol hill hotel washington dc,vice on hbo wiki,documentary photography,current events worksheet,news haber,vice video greece,mueller probe hearing,interviews with monster girls wiki,mueller probe cost to date,mueller investigation team,interviews with former slaves,trump campaign announcement,vice news brasil,msnbc live radio,social media strategist,vice video ezy,vice hbo trailer,matthew whitaker height,documentaries on serial killers,interviews with freddie mercury,documentary channels,current events in the world,donald trump news,msnbc live stream free,robert mueller investigation,anthony scaramucci married,matthew whitaker youtube,current events science,us news hospital rankings,mueller probe highlights,interviews with extra dimensionals,social media news,capitol hill library,msnbc live now,vice news 2018 youtube,vice news april 9 2018,interviews with monster girls characters,interviews in qualitative research,current events news,vice on hbo reporters,matthew whitaker pianist,special counsel investigation purpose,anthony scaramucci and kimberly guilfoyle,vice news tonight amazon prime,vice hbo imdb,mueller probe witness,documentaries on amazon prime,mueller probe statistics,twitter trending,trump campaign manager 2016,vice hbo 2019,special counsel investigation report,russia investigations,social media manager salaire,twitter lite apk,us news high school ranking,documentary download,documentaries about sugar,special counsel investigation indictments,documentaries about chernobyl,mueller investigation news,msnbc live stream,us news law school rankings,reddit soccer stream,donald trump approval rating,vice news tonight 2018,vice news syria 2018,newscientist,anthony scaramucci instagram,documentaries on youtube free,trump campaign funds,donald trump kids,mueller investigation assets seized,mueller investigation cost profit,mueller investigation report pdf,vice video lularoe,social media listening,capitol hill ranchi,vice on hbo stream,vice news april 2 2018,vice on hbo season 6,vicente,vice on hbo season 7,vice on hbo season 4,vice on hbo season 5,vice on hbo season 3,vice news jordan peterson,vice hbo series,vice on hbo season 1,vice video jobs,news turkey,documentaries online,documentaries 2018,vice video submissions,vice news tonight katie hill,vice news careers,vice video game addiction,interviews with the central park five,mueller investigation latest news,msnbc live free,mueller probe pdf,vice hbo season 6,vice news canada,vice video editor,documentary film,capitol hill club,vice hbo season 7,us news college rankings 2020,vice news tonight full episode,documentary about sugar,russia investigation wiki,reddit memes,twitter sign up,us news best hospitals,russia investigation mueller,anthony scaramucci wife photos,mueller probe poll numbers,mueller probe live,documentaries for kids,msnbc live news,vice on hbo cancelled,vice news tonight stream,interviews with monster girls,vice hbo co2 fuel,special counsel investigation mueller,reddit fantasy football,documentary series,us news today,interviews with hideous men,twitter logo png,matthew whitaker education,vice city,msnbc live streaming online free,msnbc live with stephanie ruhle,viseras,vice on hbo co2 fuel,vice news founder,twitter logo,interviewstream,newsweek,anthony scaramucci celebrity big brother,twitter profile,donald trump parents,us news mba rankings,vice news documentaries,vice hbo season 7 release date,us news college rankings,twitter advanced search,current events today,mueller investigation attorneys,mueller probe statement,social media vs reality instagram,vice video download,anthony scaramucci lisa miranda,vice video srbija,vice hbo wikipedia,vice hbo wiki,vicente fernández,mueller probe summary,news point,vice news reporters,vice news tonight youtube,documentaries reddit,trump campaign schedule,msnbc live anchors,news bg,vice hbo co2,vicente garcia,reddit nba streams,vicepresidente de colombia,vice news tonight correspondents,robert mueller testimony,interviews with ted bundy,robert mueller hearing,reddit mma,matthew whitaker biography,interviews but no offers,twitter followers,social media analyst,vice hbo documentary,anthony scaramucci new yorker,mueller investigation cost,social media editor,vice news tonight charlottesville,vice video games,reddit mlb,vice news episodes 2018,vice news december 3 2018,capitol hill school,donald trump height,twitter bootstrap,documentaries to watch,vice video charlottesville,vice on hbo season 6 watch online,newsela,vice news tonight hbo,documentary film festivals,interviewstreet,vice news jobs,vicente fernandez murio,newspaper mockup,reddit dota 2,vice on hbo co2,vice news tonight reporters,interviews questions,current events pokemon shuffle,vice video everywhere,us news world report,donald trump age,matthew whitaker wiki,vice news tonight episodes,mueller probe wiki,documentary with english subtitles,vicente aleixandre,interviews with sam heughan,capitol hill blog,msnbc live stream youtube,mueller probe announcement,vice video uk,social media manager emploi,capitol hill hotel,bisel,current events worksheet answers,mueller probe paid for itself,documentary tube,vice hbo episode guide,msnbc live stream free online,capitol hill seattle restaurants,vice news tonight anchors,news in level,trump campaign staff,msnbc live streaming free,current events en español,robert mueller news,vice news april 2018,vice news tonight episodes 2018,twitter bio,us news suv rankings,interviews with monster girls season 2,donald trump today,vice news wiki,robert mueller biografia,mueller investigation new york times,documentary izle,vice news tonight hbo canada,trump campaign donors,capitol hill kaiser,twitter icon,us news liberal arts rankings,special counsel investigation team members,social media optimization,reddit nfl streams,mueller probe latest news,trump campaign contributions,reddit nba,donald trump quotes,vicentico,interviews gone wrong,social media seriously harms your mental health,vice on hbo consent,twitter icon png,twitter login,donald trump when they see us,msnbc live youtube today,matthew whitaker bio,donald trump jr,special counsel investigation mandate,vicente huidobro,vice video wiki,twitter lite,anthony scaramucci family,vice news tonight canceled,vice news tonight,trump campaign 2016,documentary çeviri,mueller probe attorneys,social media analytics,donald trump 2020,vice news uk,us news and world report cars,vice video editor salary,robert mueller congress,robert mueller investigacion,mueller probe lawyers,documentaries on netflix 2019,trump campaign office near me,news in levels,news ne demek,documentary ne demek,anthony scaramucci wiki,mueller investigation podcast,current events pokemon go,donald trump education,mueller probe profit,documentary now,social media club,anthony scaramucci quien es,us news business school rankings,vice news tonight schedule,vice news tonight online,documentaries to watch on netflix,social media platforms,viceralgina,current events 2019,current events 2018,twitter search,russia investigation trump,us news car rankings,us news and world report college,us news cars,documentaries list,social media manager paris,vice hbo show,reddit nfl,reddit college football,mueller probe cost,trump campaign jobs,documentaries about food,twitter auto follower,documentaries like blackfish,anthony scaramucci net worth,msnbc live broadcast,trump campaign fundraising,reddit all,vice news tonight cancelled,reddit politics,reddit movies,special counsel investigation cost,trump campaign manager,vicerrectoria de investigaciones univalle,vice news mexico,us news best high schools,