Obama Launches Russian Hacking Investigation and 4 Other Stories to Know Dec. 9

There's been a new development in the Russian email hack scandal. Following the intelligence community's claims that Russian hackers infiltrated the computers of Democratic political operatives [1], President Obama has ordered an investigation into Russia's alleged meddling [2] in the presidential election. Obama is supported by leading Republicans [3], like John McCain, who also called for an investigation.
Another species now faces extinction. Giraffes are reportedly dying at an alarming rate [4] and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature listed the giraffe as a "vulnerable species" for the first time.
South Korea says so long. The country's parliament voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye [5], the nation's first female leader. Her involvement in a scandal involving extortion and abuse of power sparked nationwide protests and caused her approval rating to plummet to a dismal four percent.
Directioners turn to Louis Tomlinson. The One Direction singer lost his mother [6], Johannah Deakin, after her yearlong battle with leukemia. She was 43. Louis has received a lot of support online from his fans and his former bandmate Zayn Malik also expressed his condolences [7].
In an unprecedented move, the National Park Service and the Presidential Inauguration Committee will prevent protests from taking place [8] at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Pennsylvania Avenue, and most of the National Mall in the weeks surrounding Donald Trump [9]'s inauguration. The NPS filed a permit that will block protesters from the area, once the site of historical civil rights rallies.

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Obama Launches Russian Hacking Investigation and 4 Other Stories to Know Dec. 9