HACKING AMERICA
Yahoo (YHOO) has identified a new breach from August 2013, involving data associated with more than 1 billion accounts, double the number affected in a different breach disclosed in September. (Reuters)
The new revelation from Yahoo puts its $4.8 billion sale with Verizon (VZ) under more pressure. Verizon said it plans to review "this new development before reaching any final conclusions." (MarketWatch)
Joshua Samuel Aaron, who had been living in Moscow, has surrendered in New York in connection with a 2014 hack that exposed the records of more than 83 million JPMorgan Chase customers. (NBC News)
U.S. intelligence officials now believe with "a high level of confidence" that Russian President Vladimir Putin became personally involved in the covert effort to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. (NBC News)
TRUMP TRANSITION
President-elect Donald Trump brings his post-election "thank you tour" of gratitude to Hershey, Pennsylvania today, after meeting with tech titans to mend-fences in New York City on Wednesday. (CNBC)
Trump declined to invite Twitter, a platform Trump himself uses with impunity, to the tech summit because of the social network's refusal to approve a "Crooked Hillary" emoji during the campaign. (Politico)
Elon Musk is joining Trump's policy advisory council, despite his comments before the election that Trump "doesn't seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States." (Recode)
With Exxon Mobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson picked as Trump's secretary of State, the U.S. oil giant said company president Darren Woods would take over in both roles. (NY Times)
In continued fallout from Trump's questioning of the One China policy that's been a cornerstone of U.S. policy, a Chinese state-run newspaper said Beijing should consider force as a means to conquer Taiwan. (CNBC)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
Shares of Mondelez (MDLZ) spiked as much as 12 percent in premarket trading before tempering some of those gains, after a report surfaced that Kraft-Heinz (HNZ) was planning to acquire the snack giant. (Bilanz)
The Senate Aging Committee has asked Pfizer (PFE) for information about soaring prices for the generic drug naloxone, used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. (CNBC)
Nintendo shares closed lower in Tokyo, as investors struck a note of caution as "Super Mario Run" was released on Apple's iOS, a game that's seen as risky but crucial for the Japanese tech firm. (CNBC)
Uber rolled out its self-driving car fleet in its hometown of San Francisco on Wednesday, but faced a backlash from state regulators who said the company needs a permit to keep the vehicles on the road. (Reuters)
Dangerously cold temperatures gripped the Upper Midwest in advance of a storm that's expected to bring several inches of snow in coming days, while residents in the Northeast braced for their own wintry blast. (AP)
More Americans than ever before plan to travel by planes, trains, and automobiles this holiday season. AAA projects 103 million will travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, a 1.5 percent increase over 2015. (USA Today)
The U.S. Postal Service's deadline for standard ground packages for guaranteed Christmas Day delivery is today. FedEx's is tomorrow, and UPS's is Monday. Most Amazon users have until Saturday, with Prime giving a little extra cushion. (USA Today)
The deadline to enroll in Obamacare for coverage beginning to Jan. 1 is today. Signups gained steam earlier this month with more than 4 million people choosing 2017 plans on the federal exchange. (USA Today)
BY THE NUMBERS
As investors continue to get used to the Fed rate hike, there's a pair of economic reports out this morning, including jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET and December homebuilder sentiment at 10 a.m. ET. Oracle (ORCL) and Adobe Systems (ADBE) issue earnings after the bell.
Fidelity Investments is removing short-term trading fees for 75 funds, according to the Wall Street Journal, the latest move by the mutual-fund firm to adapt to the growing popularity of low-cost exchange-traded funds.
STOCKS TO WATCH
Pier One Imports shares were up 20 percent in the premarket, after reporting better than expected quarterly earnings and revenue. The home furnishings chain also raised current quarter guidance.
Dow component United Technologies (UTX) warned on 2017 earnings and revenue, as the company struggles with a new jet engine. The stock was up nearly 14 percent for the year.
General Electric (GE), another Dow stock, is putting its $3 billion industrial solutions business with 30 plants and 13,000 workers up for sale. The sale is part of GE's broader effort to focus on its core businesses.
Toyota expects to sell more than 10.2 million cars and trucks worldwide next year, a 1 percent increase from 2016. The automaker also plans a separate unit to develop compact cars for emerging markets.
Network infrastructure provider Nokia (NOK) has agreed to buy U.S.-based big data analytics firm Deepfield, for an undisclosed sum, looking to help customers gain better insight into their networks and apps.
WATERCOOLER
Ahead of tonight's release of "Rouge One: A Star Wars Story," here's a rundown of what viewers might want to know, including which Star Wars movie of the past would be good to see to better understand the spinoff. (CNET)