No longer the FBI director.
No longer the FBI director. Zach Gibson / Getty Images

The director of the FBI, James Comey, was fired this afternoon, supposedly because President Donald Trump didn't like his (mis)handling of the Hillary Clinton e-mail "scandal."

Maybe Trump's really, truly pissed that Comey's FBI investigated Clinton in a way that tarnished Clinton's reputation and helped Trump become president. Or maaaaaybe Trump's also not digging the fact that Comey's investigating links between Trump's campaign and Russia? There'll be plenty of time to keep speculating on what drives Trump to do what Trump does, but here's the answer to two immediate and urgent questions:

How does a new FBI director get appointed?

President Trump gets to nominate Comey's replacement, but the US Senate will have to confirm Trump's nominee. If confirmed, the new FBI director gets a 10-year term (unless fired by a current or future president).

A Trump appointee overseeing an FBI that's currently investigating the Trump campaign's ties to Russia—that's just too weird. So how do we get a special prosecutor?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions could appoint one. Or Congress could.

Oh, and I guess we should ask this too: