In a dramatic departure from its press-shy tendencies, special counsel Robert Mueller’s office issued a statement Friday evening disputing the blockbuster Buzzfeed report claiming that President Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.

In an unusual move, the office of special counsel Robert Mueller has issued a statement denying key elements of the Buzzfeed blockbuster that alleged President Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress:

The William Barr confirmation hearing (sub. req.) is the day’s big news, but the federal court decision blocking the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the census may be the day’s most important and far-reaching news. Tierney Sneed is unpacking the ruling here.

Michael Cohen to testify to Congress next month, in open session.

The Senate has in the last few minutes pressed pause on any further votes on government funding or the border wall until the White House and congressional leaders agree on some kind of global deal.

A design of our Steel Slat Barrier which is totally effective while at the same time beautiful! pic.twitter.com/sGltXh0cu9

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018

It’s telling that no one on the Republican side wants to take any more votes until they know what President Trump will sign.

To be clear, that’s not significant progress. A shutdown still looms. A deal is not in sight.

Wilting under erratic and inconsistent pressure from President Trump, the Republican-led House moved closer to a government shutdown Thursday night by passing a funding bill that includes money for a border wall and faces little prospect of passing the Senate.

TPM’s Tierney Sneed obtained a copy of the lengthy Mueller-bashing memo that Attorney General nominee William Barr sent to the justice department earlier this year.

This is down deep in the NYT story just out on the open and public battle between the White House and the Pentagon over whether to withdraw immediately all U.S. troops from Syria:

During his fateful interview with FBI agents at the White House in January 2017, then-National Security Advisor Mike Flynn was given numerous opportunities to describe his prior conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, according to new FBI interview notes released Monday.

Josh Kovensky has the fascinating backstory on a third, lesser-known figure in the alleged Roger Stone-Jerome Corsi Wikileaks’ outreach effort during the summer and fall of 2016.