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1. President Trump

Donald Trump was in the room during an August 2015 meeting at which federal prosecutors believe a criminal scheme to violate campaign finance laws to help Trump win the presidency was discussed, a source says. Trump, his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, and David Pecker, chairman of the parent company of the National Enquirer, talked about a plan to shield Trump from potentially damaging stories and pay hush money to women who claimed they'd had affairs with him. Prosecutors say this amounted to illegal donations to his 2016 campaign. The Wall Street Journal first wrote about this last month, and it just popped up again, as the feds announced they weren't charging Pecker's company for campaign finance violations in exchange for its cooperation.

But that wasn't the day's only bad news for Trump. Federal prosecutors are also investigating his 2017 inaugural committee for possible financial abuses connected to more than $100 million in donations raised for the event, a source says. Prosecutors want to know whether the committee took donations from people looking to gain access or influence with the new administration. The committee said the event was in "full compliance" with the law.

2. Email bomb threats

Who sent all those email bomb threats yesterday? Authorities in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are working to find out. The threats -- sent to schools, businesses, courthouses and media organizations -- caused evacuations, business disruptions and a whole lot of anxiety, but there was no reported violence. The (poorly worded) emails told recipients there was a hidden bomb in the building that would explode unless the sender got a ransom in Bitcoins. In the last three months, colleges, law enforcement agencies, gun stores and municipal offices in more than a dozen states have received emailed threats that were later deemed to be hoaxes.

JUST WATCHED Bomb threats reported across the US Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bomb threats reported across the US 01:29

3. US Senate

In a rebuke to President Trump, the Senate passed a resolution condemning Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has refused to condemn Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi's death. The Senate also passed a resolution to end US military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which has pushed millions of civilians to the brink of starvation . But the resolutions may not go anywhere in the House, where Republicans leaders may ultimately side with the President.

JUST WATCHED Jamal Khashoggi's last words Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jamal Khashoggi's last words 04:38

4. France shooting suspect

The suspect in the Strasbourg Christmas market shooting is dead. Cherif Chekatt, 29, was shot by police on a street not far from the market. Police recognized him as he walked down the street, so they approached him. He opened fire, and they fired back. In the attack this week on the Christmas market, three people were killed and 13 others hurt. Five people are in custody in the investigation so far.

JUST WATCHED Official: Strasbourg shooting suspect killed Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Official: Strasbourg shooting suspect killed 01:08

5. Gun deaths

JUST WATCHED By the numbers: Gun deaths in America Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH By the numbers: Gun deaths in America 00:47

THIS JUST IN

A sweet song ends

Nancy Wilson, the three-time Grammy-winning singer known for her jazz ballads and torch songs, has died . She was 81.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Out of this world

South Africa will launch the continent's first private satellite -- designed by a group of teen girls -- into space in March.

Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – In March 2019, South Africa will launch the continent's first private satellite into space. It's been designed by school girls, within a STEM program. Pictured: Ayesha Salie, Sesam Mngqengqiswa, and Bhanekazi Tandwa on a learning boot camp with fellow teammates in Worcester, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – "Our first pilot will be to monitor crops," says 17-year-old Brittany Bull. "Where our food is growing, where we can plant more trees and vegetation and also how we can monitor remote areas." Pictured: Bull engages with her team mates during the design stage in Cape Town, South Africa. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – "We expect to get a good signal which will allow us to receive reliable data and be able to make future decisions on what we need to do to prevent these things [drought]," said Sesam Mngqengqiswa, aged 16. It's part of a project by South Africa's Meta Economic Development Organization. Pictured: The girls perform altitude tests using helium balloons in Cape Town, South Africa. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – "In South Africa we have experienced some of the worst floods and droughts and it has really affected the farmers very badly," adds Mngqengqiswa. Pictured: Mngqengqiswa observes the data coming in from her weather satellite. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – In this photo initial trials involved the girls programming and launching small CricketSat satellites using high-altitude weather balloons, before eventually helping to configure the satellite payloads.

Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – In this photo Dr. Benjamin Malphrus from Morehead State University (Kentucky, USA) and Siphelele Mzongwana, a student from Manyano High School, receiving and analyzing data from a cricket satellite. It had been launched using a helium weather balloon in Worcester, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Searching for South Africa's drought solution in space Giant leap for Africa's young scientists – Information received twice a day will go towards disaster prevention. "We can try to stop it from happening from the data that we collect -- we can form responses," Bull says. Pictured here: Girls study launch procedure during a boot camp session in Cape Town, South Africa. Hide Caption 7 of 7

Hot tips

Facebook tried to put its most scandalous year behind it by handing out free hot chocolate -- and security tips.

The real spirit of Christmas

This Santa Claus crawled on the floor of a sporting goods store, all to help a blind boy with autism feel more comfortable.

'Please, please listen ...'

School kids in Lordstown, Ohio, wrote to GM, trying to save their town's auto plant. Read the heartbreaking letters here.

Gayle's got game

Gayle King flirted like crazy with Lenny Kravitz on a talk show, and social media was (mostly) all for it.

TODAY'S NUMBERS

$5 million

That's how much hitmakers Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke must pay Marvin Gaye's family in the copyright lawsuit over the song, "Blurred Lines."

JUST WATCHED Did 'Blurred Lines' cross the line? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Did 'Blurred Lines' cross the line? 04:33

15 minutes

No, it's not how fast you can save on car insurance but how fast you'll be able to recharge the electric cars of the future.

JUST WATCHED Audi shows off its electric future in the E-Tron GT concept Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Audi shows off its electric future in the E-Tron GT concept 01:03

TODAY'S QUOTE

"We just found a stream in the mine, just started drinking and hoping and praying to God that it was not contaminated."

Cody Beverly, one of three people rescued after being trapped for days in an abandoned mine in West Virginia. The trio is suspected of entering the mine to steal copper and could face charges.

JUST WATCHED 3 freed from West Virginia mine after 5 days Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 3 freed from West Virginia mine after 5 days 02:43

TOTAL RECALL

Quiz time

The "Fearless Girl" statue has been moved to a new home in New York City. Where is she now?

A. Central Park

B. New York Stock Exchange

C. Times Square

D. Bowling Green Park

Play " Total Recall: The CNN news quiz " to see if you're right. And don't forget, you can also find a version of the quiz on your Amazon devices! Just say, "Alexa, ask CNN for a quiz."

IT'S THE WEEKEND, BABY

A couple of big movies come out today. You can swing into the dazzling but goofy " Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse " or dance along with Emily Blunt in " Mary Poppins Returns ."

AND FINALLY

Train like a samurai