1/ Mitch McConnell blocked two bills that would have ended the government shutdown. The bills had passed the House. McConnell said he will not consider any shutdown-related bills he doesn’t believe Trump would sign. He added: “Political stunts are not going to get us anywhere.� (CNN / The Hill)

2/ The Pentagon has begun preparing options for building a wall along the southern border in the event Trump declares a national emergency. If an agreement can’t be reached, said Trump, “probably I will do it – I would almost say definitely. We have plenty of funds if there’s a national emergency.� (USA Today / Reuters / Washington Post)

3/ Michael Cohen agreed to publicly testify in front of the House Oversight Committee before he goes to prison next month. Trump’s former personal attorney said he appreciates the opportunity “to give a full and credible account� of the time he worked for Trump. Cohen will also answer questions from lawmakers about the Russia investigation during a closed-door session. (Washington Post / NBC News / New York Times / ABC News / CNN / The Hill)

4/ Robert Mueller requested information last year from a Trump campaign pollster and colleague of Paul Manafort. Tony Fabrizio was interviewed by Mueller’s team in February 2018; the meeting went unreported until now. The interview is significant in light of recent revelations that Mueller has been investigating Manafort’s sharing of polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence. (CNN)