- The Syria conflict has worsened. A much-needed ceasefire between the military and rebels in Aleppo has reportedly fallen apart [1]. There are conflicting accounts of who first violated the deal, which would have let civilians safely flee the city that's been overtaken by pro-government forces. Instead, bombings and murders continue on the spot. NPR estimates that tens of thousands of civilians remain in Aleppo.
- In US news, the federal government said Donald Trump must give up stakes in his Washington DC hotel [2] before the inauguration due to a conflict of interest. The General Services Administration told House Democrats that Trump will be in violation of his lease once he becomes president because the hotel sits on federal property. In 2013, Trump signed a 60-year lease with the GSA that prevents elected officials from being on the lease or benefiting from it in any way.
- Celebrities are mourning the death of Alan Thicke [3], who suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter, on Tuesday. The 69-year-old actor was best known for his role as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains and more recently as Mike on Fuller House. Leonardo DiCaprio [4], who appeared with him on Growing Pains, wrote a Facebook post saying Thicke "taught me and so many others the valuable lessons about humility and gratitude," while many other former costars have also expressed sympathy. Thicke is survived by wife Tanya and three sons, Robin, Brennan, and Carter.
- The Screen Actors Guild Award nominees [5] were announced this morning. In the film categories, Manchester by the Sea led with four nominations, followed by Fences and Moonlight with three. On the TV side, Netflix's Stranger Things [6], The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Westworld, and The Crown each received three nods. With supporting actress nominations going to women like Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, and Octavia Spencer, this marks the first time since 2008 that most of the category's nominees are people of color [7].
- The future is hitting the road. Ride-sharing company Uber rolled out its self-driving car service to San Francisco [8] on Wednesday. Now, SF riders who request an UberX may be matched with a self-driving car. The fleet will feature Volvo SUVs and isn't entirely autonomous yet — each vehicle will have a safety driver and test engineer on board to monitor for any mishaps. Despite this precaution, the California DMV is arguing that Uber lacks the proper permit to test self-driving cars. The company already has practice, though; it rolled out a similar program in Pittsburgh this Fall with Ford Focus cars.