1/ Rudy Giuliani claimed that “I never said there was no collusion� between the Trump campaign and Russia. In a remarkable interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday night, Giuliani argued that he had only ever said Trump himself had not colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, leaving open the possibility that campaign aides could have colluded. “There is not a single bit of evidence the president of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspired with the Russians to hack the DNC.� Trump has tweeted at least 13 times directly saying there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. (CNN / The Guardian / Washington Post)

2/ Hours later Giuliani backtracked his “no collusion� claim, saying he has “no knowledge of any collusion by any of the thousands of people who worked on the campaign.� Giuliani’s statement added: “There was no collusion by President Trump in any way, shape or form.� (New York Times / Washington Post)

3/ Trump directed Michael Cohen to hire a company to rig CNBC and Drudge Report online polls in his favor. Cohen then stiffed John Gauger, who owns RedFinch Solutions. Gauger went to Trump Tower in early 2015 to collect the $50,000 he was owed for the work, but instead Cohen apparently gave him a blue Walmart bag containing between $12,000 and $13,000 in cash and a boxing glove that Cohen said had been worn by a Brazilian mixed-martial arts fighter. Cohen disputed that he handed over a bag of cash, but confirmed that he had hired RedFinch Solutions, adding in a tweet that “what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS.� Gauger said he never received the rest of what he was owed. However, in early 2017 Cohen received a $50,000 reimbursement from Trump and his company for the RedFinch work. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News)

1/ The government shutdown is causing more economic damage than previously estimated and could push the U.S. economy into a contraction. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett called “the damage� to the economy “a little bit worse� than anticipated, because they miscalculated the rate of damage by failing to account for government contractors. Meanwhile, the White House revised estimates from the Council of Economic Advisers, which shows that the shutdown – now in its 26th day – reduces quarterly economic growth by 0.13 percentage points for every week that it lasts. By comparison, last year’s economic growth for the first quarter totaled 2.2% (New York Times / CNN / NPR)

2/ The Trump administration continues to force thousands of federal workers back to work without pay by designating their jobs as essential or exempting them from the furlough. The IRS, for example, will officially be recalling 36,000 workers – more than half the IRS workforce – to process tax returns and refunds despite the shutdown. (CNN)

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that flying is “less safe today than it was a month ago� due to the partial government shutdown. The FAA is trying to recall thousands of workers who had been furloughed that they deem essential to deal with safety concerns. (The Hill)

Federal workers lose more than $200 million in combined unpaid wages for every workday the the government remains shutdown. A typical federal worker has missed $5,000 in wages since the shutdown began. (New York Times)

3/ Nancy Pelosi told Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address – or just submit it in writing – while the government remains partially closed. Pelosi cited “security concerns� related to the shutdown’s effect on the Secret Service. White House officials, meanwhile, are urging Republican senators to not sign a bipartisan letter calling for an end of the government shutdown. Trump is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union address on Jan. 29th, which is an opportunity for him to make his case for border wall funding in a prime-time televised address. (Politico / ABC News / Washington Post /

1/ Trump discussed withdrawing the U.S. from NATO with senior administration officials several times in 2018, saying he didn’t see the point of the military alliance, which has been in place since 1949. National security officials believe that Russia is focused on undermining the alliance so Putin could have the freedom to behave as he wishes. (New York Times)

2/ Trump’s legal team refused requests by Robert Mueller’s team for an in-person follow-up session with Trump. The request was made after Trump submitted written answers to a limited number of questions from Mueller’s office focusing on the period before Trump was in office. The two sides are reportedly at an impasse, with no meaningful discussion in roughly five weeks. (CNN)

3/ Michael Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee next month is expected to be heavily restricted to avoid interfering with Mueller’s Russia investigation. Cohen is scheduled to speak in a public hearing on Feb. 7 and won’t be able to talk about topics that he has discussed with Mueller and may also be limited in what he can say about the on-going Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office investigation. A person close to Cohen said “he’s going to tell the story of what it’s like to work for a madman, and why he did it for so long,� adding that Cohen is “going to say things that will give you chills.� (Wall Street Journal)

Rick Gates is still cooperating with federal prosecutors on “several ongoing investigations.� In a status report filed by Mueller, the special counsel and the Gates defense team are asking a federal judge to – again – delay Gates’ sentencing. (The Hill / Bloomberg)

Mueller has subpoenaed at least three new witnesses associated with Jerome Corsi, a Roger Stone associate. (ABC News)

4/ Mueller and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking at a meeting involving Devin Nunes, Michael Flynn, and dozens of foreign officials at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. two days before Trump’s inauguration. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking into whether the Trump inaugural committee misspent funds and if donors tried to buy influence in the White House. Mueller is also looking at the meeting as part of his investigation into whether foreigners contributed money to the Trump inaugural fund and PAC through American intermediaries. (Daily Beast)

Trump’s inaugural committee spent more than $1.5 million at the Trump International Hotel for the 2017 swearing-in ceremony. The expenses included $10,000 on makeup, $30,000 in per diem payments for contract staffers, $130,000 on customized seat cushions, and $2.7 million on a Broadway-style rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.� In the 72 days leading up to the inauguration, the committee spent a total of about $100 million. Inaugural committees are required to document every donation with the Federal Election Commission and those donations are now facing legal scrutiny over who funded them. (

1/ The FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump had been working on behalf of Russia after he fired Comey in May 2017. Law enforcement officials became concerned that if Trump had fired Comey to stop the Russia investigation, his behavior would have constituted a threat to national security. Counterintelligence agents were also investigating why Trump was acting in ways that seemed to benefit Russia. No evidence has publicly emerged – yet – that Trump was secretly taking direction from Russian government officials. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the report “absurd� and claimed that, compared to Obama, “Trump has actually been tough on Russia.� (New York Times / CNN)

2/ Trump concealed details about his conversations with Putin from administration officials. On at least one occasion in 2017, Trump confiscated the notes from his interpreter and told the interpreter not to discuss the details of his Putin conversation with other administration officials. As a result, there is no record of Trump’s face-to-face interactions with Putin at five locations from the past two years. U.S. officials only learned about Trump’s actions when a White House adviser and a senior State Department official requested additional information about the meeting beyond what Rex Tillerson had provided. (Washington Post)

3/ Fox News asked Trump if he is a Russian agent – he refused to directly answer. Instead, he called the question from Jeanine Pirro “the most insulting thing I’ve ever been asked.� When asked about concealing the details of his private meetings with Putin, Trump replied: “We had a great conversation.� Later, Trump said he “never worked for Russia� and called the report that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation “a whole big fat hoax� while labeling the FBI officials “known scoundrels� and “dirty cops.� (New York Times / CNBC / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / CNN /

1/ The government shutdown entered day 21 as Congress left for the weekend following another round of stalled negotiations to end the shutdown – ensuring that the partial government shutdown will become the longest in history. The House and Senate, however, both passed a measure to ensure that federal workers who are furloughed receive back pay once the government reopens, which now goes to Trump for his signature. The House also passed another bill to reopen more government departments, but is likely DOA in the Senate because of a veto threat from Trump. The second-longest shutdown stretched for 21 days from December 1995 until January 1996, due to a dispute between Bill Clinton and the Republican-led Congress at the time. (CNN / Politico / Washington Post / Associated Press)

2/ An estimated 800,000 federal employees missed their first paycheck due to the shutdown. In particular, more than 24,000 FAA employees, including air traffic controllers, are working without pay, since their positions are considered vital for “life and safety,� and more than 17,000 other have been furloughed – told to stop doing their jobs. (NBC News / CNN / Washington Post / New York Times)

Federal crop payments have stopped flowing to farmers, who say they cannot get federally-backed operating loans to buy seed for their spring planting, or feed for their livestock because of the shutdown. Farmers also can’t look up government data about beef prices or soybean yields to make decisions about planting and selling their goods. Some farmers have said the loss of loans, payments and other services has pushed them to a breaking point. (New York Times)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has curtailed inspections due to the shutdown, while the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has suspended health exposure assessments. Cash assistance to buy groceries are funded through February. (The Guardian)

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett compared the shutdown to getting a free “vacation� for furloughed workers and that they might be “better off� after they return to work. (Politico)

3/ The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to declare a national emergency and possibly using a portion of the Army’s $13.9 billion disaster fund to pay for his border wall. The money is meant to fund civil works projects, including repairing storm-damaged areas of Puerto Rico through 2020. Jared Kushner, meanwhile, has urged Trump to try to find other approaches than declar...

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)

1/ Trump abruptly walked out of a closed-door meeting with congressional leaders, who were at the White House to discuss the partial government shutdown. He reportedly left after Nancy Pelosi reiterated she wouldn’t fund his border wall. In a tweet, Trump called the meeting “a total waste of time,� writing: “I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!� (NBC News / BBC / CNN)

2/ The Supreme Court refused to intervene in a case believed to involve Robert Mueller and an unidentified foreign-owned company. According to court filings, Mueller subpoenaed “Company A,� but the company insists it has immunity and that complying with the subpoena would violate the laws of its home country. The court offered no explanation as to why it declined to intervene in the case. The company is believed to be a foreign financial institution. (Politico / Washington Post)

3/ A law firm that has represented both Russian interests and the Republican National Committee is involved in the subpoena case presumed to be between Mueller and “Company A.� Alston & Bird previous represented Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, as well as the RNC in its efforts to obtain some of Hillary Clinton’s emails. It is unclear whether the firm is currently representing “Company A,� the country that owns “Company A,� or the regulators of that country. (CNBC / CNN)

4/ Seven House committees called on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to explain why the United States decided to ease sanctions on companies linked to Oleg Deripaska, including an aluminum manufacturing giant. Mnuchin has argued the move keeps Deripaska on a blacklist of sanctioned oligarchs, but Democrats say the deal allows Deripaska to maintain “significant ownership� of one of the companies. (Associated Press / Washington Post)

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will leave the Justice Department in the coming weeks. He will likely remain on the job until Mueller completes his investigation or after a new attorney general is confirmed. There has been no indication that Rosenstein is being forced out by the Trump administration. (

1/ Most major TV networks will broadcast Trump’s national address tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, during which he will discuss the ongoing partial government shutdown and the southern U.S. border. ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and Fox Business have all confirmed they will air Trump’s remarks. A response from Congressional Democrats will follow. Trump has made 1,130 false statements about immigration since taking office. (Politico / NBC News)

2/ Paul Manafort gave 2016 polling data to a former employee with ties to Russian intelligence services. The exchange was inadvertently revealed when Manafort’s lawyers failed to fully redact Manafort’s interview with Robert Mueller in a court filing. Manafort’s attorneys meant for Mueller’s line of questioning to remain private, but the text in question was easily readable when opened with a word processor. (Washington Post / CNBC / Daily Beast)

3/ Natalia Veselnitskaya worked secretly with the Russia prosecutor general to draft the Russian response to a U.S. money-laundering case. Veselnitskaya is the Russian lawyer who met with top Trump campaign officials at Trump Tower in 2016. The case in question isn’t directly related to the Trump Tower meeting and instead involves a scheme to launder dirty money through New York real-estate purchases. The indictment says Veselnitskaya covertly drafted an “intentionally misleading� response, which constitutes obstruction of justice. (New York Times)

U.S. carbon emissions increased by 3.4% in 2018, the largest jump in eight years. While more coal plants are shutting down, demand for electricity is on the rise—and the Trump administration continues to roll back environmental regulations meant to speed the growth of renewable energy. (The Guardian / New York Times)

The Trump administration quietly downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation last year without formally announcing the decision or informing the E.U. about the change. The classification was temporarily reversed after Brussels scheduled a meeting with the administration to discuss the move. (New York Times)

The Justice Department is attempting to delay the testimony of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker until next month, ...

1/ The White House will order the IRS to pay out income-tax refunds, despite 90 percent of its workforce not working. A little over 10 percent of IRS employees are still on the clock through the partial government shutdown attempting to implement the sweeping Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The effort adds to bureaucratic backlog as the shutdown drags into its 17th day. (ABC News / New York Times)

2/ The Department of Agriculture wouldn’t say for how long it will continue to pay out food stamps during the shutdown to the nearly 39 million people who depend on the service each month. Senior officials said the program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has enough funding to cover the rest of January—but not enough for February. Congress has never let SNAP funding run out. (Politico / Washington Post)

3/ Trump’s latest offer to end the shutdown includes a demand for $5.7 billion in funding “for construction of a steel barrier for the Southwest border,� plus another $800 million to address “urgent humanitarian needs� related to unaccompanied minors arriving at the border. The White House refused to detail how the requested funding would be spent or why the amount is larger than what the administration requested a few months ago. Members of Congress made no progress in negotiations over the weekend. (Washington Post)

4/ Trump wants to deliver a prime-time address Tuesday night to discuss the government shutdown and what he calls “the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border.� All major networks—ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC—confirmed they had received requests to air the broadcast during the 9 p.m. Eastern slot, but producers have not yet decided whether or not they will do so. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)

5/ The president of the World Bank resigned and will leave his post at the end of the month, three years before his ...

1/ House Democrats approved a series of spending bills to reopen the federal government without Trump’s border wall money, but the legislative spending package is expected to be dead on arrival in the Senate where Mitch McConnell has vowed to not “waste its time� with proposals that Trump will veto. Congressional Republicans called the effort pointless political theater. (CNN / CNBC / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / USA Today)

2/ Trump is reportedly considering declaring a national emergency in order to use $4 billion in Department of Defense funds to build his wall. The move would sidestep Congress if he doesn’t get money for his border wall. During his press conference, Trump acknowledged that he was considering using national emergency powers to get the wall built “for the security of our country.� He likened it to “the military version of eminent domain,� which is not a real thing. [This story is developing…] (ABC News / Washington Post / NBC News)

3/ Trump threatened to keep the government partially shutdown for “months or even years� following what Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi described as a “lengthy� and “sometimes contentious� meeting at the White House. Trump, however, characterized it as a “very, very productive meeting,� during a Rose Garden press conference. “I think we’ve come a long way� as he defended the shutdown, adding: “I’m very proud of doing what I’m doing. I don’t call it a shutdown. I call it doing what you have to do.� The shutdown, which entered its 14th day, has left about 800,000 workers without pay, limited several federal agencies, and slowed the court system. (New York Times / Washington Post)

4/ Hundreds of senior Trump administration officials are scheduled to receive a $10,000 raise tomorrow as some 800,000 federal employees are currently unpaid due to the partial government shutdown. (Washington Post / CNN)

5/ Shortly after being sworn in, freshman Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib told supporters: “We’re gonna go in there and we’re going to impeach the motherfucker.� House Democratic leaders immediately tried to quell the impeachment talk, saying they should wait for Robert Mueller to file a report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Republicans, meanwhile, seized on the comments, saying it’s proof...