- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that Russia did not assist WikiLeaks [1] in releasing hacked DNC emails. Assange made the announcement in an interview with FOX News's Sean Hannity that aired on Tuesday. His statement directly conflicts with the FBI's official conclusion that Russia supplied hacked DNC documents to WikiLeaks and interfered in the US election. Donald Trump [2] suggested on Twitter that he believed Assange over American intelligence reports. Assange has been living in the British Ecuadorian Embassy since 2012 and hopes to seek asylum in the country.
- A train crash in Brooklyn's Atlantic Terminal injured 103 people on Wednesday morning in New York City. The Long Island Railroad train was heading into the station at a slower speed when it crashed into a bumper block [3], reports NPR. None of the injuries are life threatening.
- An HBO documentary about Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Fisher will be released on Jan. 7 [4]. The trailer for Bright Lights was released Wednesday, and the emotional two-minute preview [5] shows their close bond. The mother-daughter duo, who died within one day of one another in December, were best friends and neighbors.
- President Obama is using his final days in office to fight for the Affordable Care Act. After the Senate took the first steps to repealing Obama's seminal healthcare legislation on Wednesday morning, the president met with Congressional Democrats to discuss how to prevent the repeal. While walking to the meeting, Obama told reporters [6] he intended to encourage members of Congress to "look out for the American people." Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer pledged to resist the repeal [7], according to The New York Times.
- Tool will perform at New York City's Governors Ball in June. The '90s rock band will make an appearance alongside Chance the Rapper and Lorde [8], the festival announced Wednesday morning, a day after Coachella released its lineup [9]. Tool has not played a show in New York City since 2007.