WEATHER
*Partly cloudy high 55
LOCAL
*Pinnacle Entertainment was sold to Penn National Gaming which means several St. Louis casinos will now have new owners including Ameristar & River City Casinos. The sale cost $2.8 billion.
St. Louis County Police are selling some super cute calendars for 2018. There's Pits & Police along with Cops & Kittens...A portion of each calendar goes to the Police Welfar Assoc and 10 local pet shelters like the Gateway Pet Guardians & St. Louis Pet Rescue!
*Thank you to "Wreaths Across America" they place wreaths on the grave sits of fallen service members. They were out this weekend at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery laying them on 10,000 graves.
NATIONAL
*Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the country's busiest airport, but not on Sunday. As a result of a power failure, about 100 planes were left on the tarmac and more than 1,500 flights were canceled.
The power went out at about 1 p.m. local time due to a fire. Georgia Power staffers, Atlanta Fire and Rescue officials and airport staffers all worked to restore service, and they were finally successful just before midnight local time. However, about 30,000 travelers were affected by the blackout.
Delta, which is one of the major carriers to serve Atlanta, canceled about 900 flights on Sunday and another 300 on Monday.
*President Trump says he's not looking to fire special counsel Robert Mueller right now.
Over the weekend, news broke that Mueller's group had acquired E-mails from the Trump transition team, and many Republicans have said that's illegal. However, the General Services Administration -- which furnished the E-mails -- has noted that they were all on government accounts and thus public records.
Last night (Sunday), Trump told reporters he wouldn't fire Mueller over the issue, but said, "Not looking good. It’s not looking good. It’s quite sad to see that. My people were very upset to see that. A lot of lawyers thought that was pretty sad.”
Trump Talks National Security In Address Today-
President Trump is explaining his first national security strategy this afternoon.
National Security Adviser HR McMaster said Trump's speech will cover four vital national interests, including protecting the homeland, preserving peace through strength, advancing prosperity and strengthening U.S. influence abroad. The president is expected to address the North Korean nuclear crisis, ongoing terrorism threats and U.S. immigration policies.
The speech will rely heavily on the “America First” approach and calls China a “competitor.” Trump has been urging Congress to end chain migration, where people from other countries use family ties to get into the U.S.
Source: Reuters
Manhattan DA Looks At Embezzlement Charges For Weinstein-
The Manhattan DA is reportedly working up a potential embezzlement case against Harvey Weinstein.
Cy Vance Jr. has been taking heat for failing to prosecute the Hollywood heavyweight when an Italian model gathered incriminating evidence on tape as part of an NYPD sting operation. Sources tell "The New York Post" Vance's office is now investigating whether Weinstein improperly used money from his movie companies to pay off his accusers.
He's also still keeping focus on Weinstein's alleged sex crimes, reportedly serving some two dozen subpoenas and hearing from several current and former Weinstein employees.
Source: New York Post
The Thomas Fire Is California’s Third Largest Ever-
Evacuations are being lifted for portions of Ventura County, as firefighters continue to battle the Thomas Fire.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office has lifted the evacuation order for Highway 150 between Santa Ana and Highway 192. Authorities are still urging residents to remain vigilant and adhere to road closures. The Thomas Fire is 45-percent contained, but it has grown to 269-thousand acres and is now the third-largest fire in California state history.
This morning, the San Fernando Valley was being hit with wind gusts topping 70-miles-per-hour in some regions. The conditions could make it become the largest blaze in California records. Some 18-thousand structures are still threatened by the flames.
Strong Santa Ana winds continue to be a challenge for firefighters as they battle the blaze. Firefighters have now completely contained the Drum Fire, off Drum Canyon Road and south of Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County.
Source: VC Star
Extra Security Surrounds NJ Senator-
Newark, New Jersey police are continuing to provide increased protection for New Jersey Senator Corey Booker following a death threat.
U.S. Capitol Police told local authorities about the issue after Booker received a Christmas card threatening to lynch him and his family. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka released a statement Saturday detailing the city's response. Recently Booker campaigned for Democratic Senator-elect Doug Jones in the race against Republican Roy Moore.
The senator’s office hasn’t addressed the issue.
Source: New York Daily News
SPORTS
*St. Louis lost to the Jets 4-0, they are off until Wednesday