- Hillary Clinton has broken her silence about reports that Russia hacked the US election to help Donald Trump [1] win. At a private event on Thursday night for a group of donors, Clinton said Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to influence the outcome [2] because he had "personal beef" with her, according to The New York Times. What caused the tension? Comments she made as secretary of state that the 2011 Russian parliamentary election was rigged. Clinton called Putin's actions "an attack on our country" and blamed the hacks, as well as FBI Director James Comey's renewed call for an investigation into her private email server, for her loss. President Obama also addressed the Russian hacks [3] in a new interview with NPR, saying the US will "take action" at an appropriate time.
- In other US news, the case involving Dylann Roof isn't over yet. On Thursday, the 22-year-old was convicted of 33 counts of federal hate crimes [4], including the killing of nine black church members during a Charleston massacre in June 2015. A South Carolina jury deliberated for about two hours before delivering their decision. That same jury will meet on Jan. 3 to determine whether Roof should be sentenced to the death penalty.
- The sports world is mourning the death of Craig Sager, an NBA reporter [5] for Turner Sports best known for his colorful suits and fun-spirited personality. Just four days ago, he was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his work that spanned more than 40 years. Sager had been diagnosed with leukemia in 2014 and was 65 years old when he died on Thursday.
- Cue the DuckTales theme song — the cast of Disney's upcoming classic reboot was announced this morning [6]. David Tennant‬ of Doctor Who fame is set to voice Scrooge McDuck, while the lovable but trouble-making grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie will be voiced by Danny Pudi, known for his work on NBC's Community, Ben Schwartz, and Bobby Moynihan, respectively. The new DuckTales series will premiere in the Summer of 2017 on Disney XD. For those old enough to remember, the original aired from 1987 to 1990.
- Is anyone surprised? Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premieres today, but the film is already on track to break records. The standalone Star Wars story, which features mostly new characters, brought in $29 million in Thursday night preview screenings [7] alone, making it the biggest preview of the year ahead of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with $27.7 million. It's expected to make at least $150 million over opening weekend.