Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Russia probe due to Jeff Sessions' recusal, released an unorthodox statement Thursday night:

"Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories attributed to anonymous 'officials,' particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated. Americans should be skeptical about anonymous allegations.

The general reaction, summed up by the NY Times' Maggie Haberman, "Have literally never seen a statement like this."

What to watch, via Bloomberg's Jennifer Epstein, "If this statement is preemptive: oh, boy, is the story going to be explosive."