President Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the U.S.

German police said at least 12 people were killed and at least 48 people were injured after a truck barreled into a packed Christmas market in Berlin. The truck was driven into the crowd on a sidewalk, bringing down Christmas lights and smashing stalls at the festive market near the Gedaechtniskirche, or Memorial Church, in western Berlin. The black truck had Polish license plates. Dozens of ambulances and hundreds of rescue workers were on the scene, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported.

Donald Stolworthy works for the U.S. State Department, and oversaw the construction of five prisons in Iraq.  He replaces the retiring S.A. "Tony" Godinez.