this morning on "world news now," president obama promising retaliation against russia. >> claims vladimir putin ordered interference in the u.s. election now spoerpted by u.s. intelligence. president-elect trump doubting russian's involvement. the story ahead. >> guilty on all koipts. the charston church massacre an a woman who bravely stared down the killer and made it out alive. with half the country stuck in sub freezing temperatures, including in new york, a new warning about leaving your car running, earning yourself a ticket or worse, losing your car. more expert advice for you as you beat the chill out there. >> and the legendary sports broadcaster, craig, remembers by players and fans who knew him

well. the battle with cancer and inspiring message for us on this friday. it is december 16. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> you know, the prompter says welcome in the anchor, but it looks more like marylyn and solid gold. looking glammed and beautiful. >> '80s glammed and beautiful. even better. i had a couple holiday parties -- >> yes, "gma" and "world news tonight," both on the same night. thanks guys. >> carry over into the morning, right? >> yes, exactly. only good thing about holiday parties and you're working, you see the pictures of friends and colleagues still out partying. >> living it up. they are working. >> they are working. exactly. >> thanks, jack. >> let's begin the half hour with

take action after u.s. intelligence officials found that putin was directly linked to hacking aimed at the presidential election. >> the president tells npr there's no doubt that a u.s. response is in order coming at a time and a place of our own choosing, but added, putin is well aware of his feelings because he spoke with him dir t directly. >> as the kremlin denies the hacking claims, donald trump, president-elect trump, casting doubt on any russian effort to sway the election in his favor. abc's brian ross has more. as putin arrived in japan, his spokesperson left reports that the russian president personally directed the hacking attack on the american election, but u.s. officials say they are convinced that the man who came to power as a kgb colonel helped to run the brazen cyber espionage campaign. >> that's not something they say lightly. that's something where they say

putin's bitter dislike, authorities believe, of hillary clinton, and her threats to impose new sanctions against russia. >> she had been critical of the actions putin had taken, and he did not hide hostility towards her. >> from the skyscraper office in new york, president-elect donald trump continues his twitter defense of the kremlin and scorn for anyone speaking ill of the russians. if russia or some other entity was hacking, why did the white house wait so long to act, he wrote? why did they only complain after hillary lost? that's not true. the obama administration acted well before the election with a statement in early october from 17 intelligence agencies including the cia that only russia's senior most officials could have authorized these activities. >> it's pretty obvious. they referring to the senior most governor official in russia. >> reporter: raising the issue again and again in the campaign.

russia has used cyber attacks against all kinds of organizations in our country, and i am deeply concerned about this. i know donald's very praise worthy of vladimir putin, but putin is playing a really -- >> reporter: sending trump into angry denial. >> could be russia. could be china. could be a lot of people. could be somebody sitting on the bed that weighs 400 pounds. >> reporter: in the same line he used days ago as president-elect, even after being briefed by u.s. intelligence officials about the russians. >> it could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace. >> reporter: american authorities say putin and those around him will become targets of the full fledged fbi investigation of the cyber attack. >> if you mess with america, we'll mess with you back. >> reporter: a leading republican senator said the are russians did more than just attack hillary clinton, but they attacked america's democracy and should be punished for it. >> if we don't stand together as

>> tillerson developed a close relationship as the ceo of exxon and unless they notice russia was behind the attack, he'll vote no of the nomination. >> abc news, new york. >> the president-elect did not discuss the hacking claims in pennsylvania last night, but he unleashed on white house press secretary josh ernst calling him foolish. he sharply criticized trump's attitudes towards the u.s. intelligence community prompting this response last night. >> you know, having the right press secretary is so important. he's so bad the way he delivers the message. the president's very positive, but he's not positive, and i mean, maybe he's getting his spoilers from somebody else. >> trump talked about syria for the first time since the election, talking about safe zones to be built to protect refugees in the country, and the

in the meantime, the international red cross says evacuation of rebels and civilians could take several days. 50,000 people led the last sliver of the opposition held city as a smiling president assad called it a historic event comparable to the birth of christ and karan, a u.s. official says it's a black chapter in the history of international relations. dylan roof now a convicted killer. in weeks, we'll learn if he heads to death row. a south carolina jury yesterday took just two hours to convict roof on all counts. in last year massacre of nine parishioners in a historic charleston church. next month, the same jury decides whether the 22-year-old should be executed. sanders survived the night, watching roof kill her aunt and her son. >> he said he didn't have any friend, but he had nine friends sitting i

night. >> strong statement. the penalty phase of the case begins january 3rd. roof has said he'll represent himself. he has until the next phase begins to get himself an attorney, if he chooses. the chattanooga, tennessee school bus case heads to a grand jury. the driver, walker, faces vehicular homicide and other charges. right now, he's held on more than $100,000 bond. six children died when the bus slammed into a tree. investigators say video on board shows walker using a cell phone while driving. moving on to the brutally cold weather in 30 states. can you believe it? all of them, coast to coast, more than 100 million people feel below 0 wind chills, seeing heavy snow, and interstate 80 through central pennsylvania is open yet again after a pileup involving nearly 60 vehicles. other accidents shut the highway at times. another storm system is lashing northern california

roadways to flood. the current advisories stretch from one side of the country straight across with high wind warnings today in the northeast. >> speaking of high winds, they are sparking flames in northern california. a grass fire near fort collins doubled in size in 15 minutes last night. check out the pictures. thanks to winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. so far, no homes are threatened or evacuations ordered. it may have been s.t.a.r.tarted power line. devry settled a lawsuit for $100 million. the illinois based school was accused of misleading students with false advertising about the success of its graduates. half of the settlements includes loans issued to current students or debt owed by students. they denied any wrong doing. from new york, a story of a sanitation worker's trash also being his mom's treasure

form of the mortgage payment. >> we're talking about prishna who works on long island, his mom rushed in, she tossed a bag of trash containing her $5,000 mortgage payment all this cash. well, he and some of coworkers took mom to the dump to search for the needle in the hay stack. amazingly, the envelope was found in 30 minutes, and she gets to keep her home for the holidays. >> amazing. >> amazing -- >> in 30 minutes? >> see the emotion that brought on them, understandably. 30 minutes. >> i want to find $5,000 in the trash can. >> if i knew it was $5,000 in the trash, man, i'd dig all day. >> you'd be there all night. >> yeah. >> just make it a party. in that suit. >> it's my best sunday church suit. >> right. coming up, the arctic freeze giving car thieves a head start. >> if you leave your car running

have, you might be running into some problems. we'll have tips on what to do. >> remember, craig segar, the colorful broadcaster passes after a battle with cancer. emotional and touching tributes to a beloved fan favorite. find us on facebook, wnnfans.com, and on twitter. you're watching "world news now." and on twitter. you're watching "world news now."

but...my doctor recommended prilosec otc 7 years ago, 5 years ago, last week. just 1 pill each morning. 24 hours and zero heartburn, it's been the number 1 doctor recommended brand for 10 straight years, and it's still recommended today. use as directed

because my teeth are yellow. these photos? why don't you use a whitening toothpaste? i'm afraid it's bad for my teeth. try crest 3d white. crest 3d white diamond strong toothpaste and rinse... ...gently whiten... .and fortify weak spots. use together for 2 times stronger enamel. crest 3d white.

as of this morning, there are now two teams qualified for the nfl playoffs. it was the seahawks in those neon green uniforms hosting the other team that you can't see because the neon green uniforms blinded you there. seattle takes the lead, the touchdown pass putting the game out of reach. a 57 yard strike at the start of the fourth. jared racing to the end zone there, and that was richard sherman just saying, no, no, no. >> i'm sure he said it a lot more -- >> yeah. this is a great play. it's a trick play until, oh! he fumbles the ball! it was a nice trick play. the punter -- >> oh. that looked painful. >> he was knocked out on fumbling the ball after running for a first down, but it was a great trick play. he was running, and i got this, i got

the nfc west with a 24-23 win. >> okay. did we mention it's cold outside? that brings christmas music to my ears, but i'll spare you. nfl fans will feel it. >> arrowhead stadium in kansas city against tennessee, they call for clear skies and 6 degrees. in chicago, that 6 degree reading feels like a heat wave. the bears game against the packers is supposed to be 1 below. that would be the coldest game in soldier field's history. that's saying a lot. >> yeah. meantime, tom brady signed three pairs of the old uggs. dudes wear uggs? and hid them in boston. oh, slippers. i was thinking the female version, i apologize. presumably to keep the feet of patriot fans warm. that's really, really nice. >> generous of him. >> that's something. >> tom brady's ug.

>> okay. changing gears completely. heart felt reactions posted honoring legendary sports caster craig sager. in a tweet, vice president biden said he died as he lived with courage, passion, and -- >> he died after battling cancer for two years. here's more from david muir. >> reporter: the colorful suits, and a colorful broadcasting legend. his career beginning in the early '70s, there on the left, interviewing hank aaron after beating the home run record, covering football, olympic curling, but it was basketball he loved most. >> that's a nice suit you got on there. easter already went by. >> you take this and burn it. >> reporter: all in good fun, he was the fun. ask pops, coaching the spurs. >> what's the key? >> i think they were looking at your suit. >> reporter: he would

leukemia with pop who missed him the most. >> welcome back. i was in the hospital for month hoping to do this again. >> reporter: fighting cancer with a smile on his face, earning respect from the giants. >> how in the hell do we go 30 years without doing a finals game, that don't make no sense. >> honored at t eed by the vice president. >> whatever i might have imagined a terminal diagnosis would do to my spirit, it's done the opposite. the greatest appreciation for life itself. >> david muir there with the tribute. one more overnight on the basketball court. these are members of the milwaukee bucks. they held a moment of silence in his honor, and with a very colorful outfit there as well in chicago.

>> paying tribute to his suits with colorful uniforms. >> dennis rodman said it was sager who saved him from committing suicide. it's interesting how this soft, colorful, amazing person touched so many lives. >> over the decades. >> with his battle and with his smile. coming up in the next half hour, long lines in texas. residents told not to use the tap water. details on the chemical leak that has residents outraged. first, cold temperatures mean plenty of you keeping that engine running, but you may invite thieves to drive off. how to stay safe next on "world news now." "world news now"

almost 10th avenue there. wherever it is, it's freezing. drivers are apparently keeping their cars running. >> yes. >> trying to warm them up. >> it's not necessarily a good idea. leaving your car outside is an invitation to get it stolen. >> reporter: watch these car thieves roll up on a vehicle in denver, seeing it's empty, and steal it. moments later, this guy scouts a car parked, approached, and darts to open the door, but it's locked. the hoermt sees what's going on and scares the thief away. here in this parking lot, there's a thief casually walk and speed up to get into a car. the driver comes outs to stop him, but it's too late. cars left running to warm up on cold mornings, cops called them puffers, and bad guys see it a golden opportunity. you are warned not to leave running cars unattended. >> start up the car, less than 60 seconds. >> reporter: all

steal his car, bad enough, but the thieves got the keys to the second car. later that night, they came back to steal that one too. >> you can have my car. >> reporter: you might not realize in many states it's illegal to leave a car idling with the keys inside, and depending on your state and coupe, that could mean in your own driveway, but more people seem to be doing it with more than 57,000 cars stolen in 2015 had the keys inside. >> people leaving cars running everywhere. >> reporter: in lakewood, california, we hit the streets in january with sergeant dave hoover, within minutes, his officer spot dozens idling in 18 degree weather in front of homes and stores. >> you know why i'm bothering you? the car is running unattended inside the store. you can't do that. >> reporter: the driver hit with a $57 ticket. >> i was cold. i wanted a warm car on the way to work. >> reporter: not far away, this car stolen. >> pull out, windows frosty, go back inside, and maybe four

gone. >> reporter: abc news, denver. >> good advice. the mix is next. ♪ i tried hard to quit smoking. ♪ but when we brought our daughter home that was it. ♪ now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. can you say thanks nicoderm cq? every great why needs a great how. but pantene is making my hair practically unbreakable. whenever i try to grow out my hair, strands always break off. the pro-v formula makes every inch stronger. so i can love my hair longer. strong is beautiful. pantene.

that's why i bought six of you... for when you stretch out. i want you to stay this bright blue forever... that's why you will stay in this drawer... forever. i can't live without you. and that's why i will never, ever wash you. protect your clothes from the damage of the wash with downy fabric conditioner. it not only softens and freshens... it helps protect clothes... from stretching, fading and fuzz... so your favorite clothes stay your favorite clothes. downy fabric conditioner wash in the wow. that cough doesn't sound so good. well i think you sound great. move over. easy booger man. take mucinex dm. it'll take care of your cough. fine! i'll text you in 4 hours when your cough returns.

looks like i'm good all night! ah! david, please, listen. still not coughing. not fair you guys! waffles are my favorite! ah! some cough medicines only last 4 hours. but just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. take delsym, the #1 12-hour uncontrolcough medicine. it helps control the impulse to cough for 12 hours. which means, you're controlling your cough on your morning commute. and later when you're joking with beth... even when most cough medicines stop, delsym is still working. ♪ and when your days' over, your cough is still under control. thanks to the #1 12-hour cough medicine.

friday mix, as she gets down. so we love our squirrels, don't we, our canadian -- >> no, listen. this squirrel looks like a cat. wait until you see this. listen to the reporter interviewing the said squirrel. kind of weird. >> if we can just have a minute of your time. if you can just come down and talk to us. >> why? >> damn squirrels. >> why a reporter would attempt to interview a squirrel, you ask, well, according to toronto, the squirrel is likely suspect for damaging the christmas lights display in --

>> oh -- >> in the square. >> that's how brian ross got his start. it is the holiday time. this guy, who is dancing fanatically to help celebrate first day of christmas vacation has a lot of people feeling his groove as we pump into the weekend. >> from christmas in new york christmas village, songful artists presents the mistletoes. ♪ all the weather on the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ if you're an insomniac and a good night's sleep you lack ♪ ♪ it's the world news polka ♪ grab your world news now mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have fun, be a pal, every anchor, guy and gal

♪ do the world news polka ♪ la la la ♪ do the world news polka ♪ la la la la ♪ do the world news polka ♪ just like santa's little elves, but we're not making toys ♪ ♪ we worked all night to bring to to all the girls and boys ♪ ♪ presents beneath the tree if you turn on your tv to the world news polka ♪ ♪ we're here on the overnight ♪ that's okay ♪ when he comes down the chimney, we say hi to santa claus ♪ ♪ from the cast and crew, heres our gift to you ♪ ♪ it's the world news polka ♪ polka time polka time polka all the way ♪

is. this morning on "world news now," extreme weather coast to coast, and if you happen to be in one of the regions not slammed by snow or washed out with flash floods, then you're probably bundled up just trying to stay warm. when it ends? in the accuweather forecast. major new developments as u.s. intelligence agencies present russian involvement in the u.s. election. this morning, president obama is speaking out and vowing to retaliate against vladimir putin. those details including the president's promise just ahead. also this half hour, another city scrambles to deal with toxic water. >> corpus christi, texas residents are outraged after they've been told not to use the tap water. we'll have the latest on the developing story. going rogue, overnight reactions to the brand new star wars film "rogue one"