The Intel: The Washington Post reports that US intelligence intercepts found Russian leaders celebrating Donald Trump’s election win over Hillary Clinton as a geopolitical victory for Moscow. The Post also reports that intelligence agencies identified “actors” who turned over hacked computer information to WikiLeaks, which released it on the internet.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hacking and the motive will be revealed next week.

A 50-page classified document giving those details and more were delivered to President Obama yesterday. The same details will be shared today with President-elect Trump in a scheduled briefing by the heads of US intelligence.

US intelligence chiefs told the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday that they are certain Russian hackers tried to influence the election and they’re still attacking American computer systems. Clapper said, “our assessment now is even more resolute.” He also said, the Russians also disseminated “classical propaganda, disinformation, fake news.”

Contrary to the statements of President-elect Trump, the intelligence chiefs and the members of the Senate committee all affirmed that they believe the Russians committed the hacking. In response to a question about Trump’s doubts and derision of the intelligence conclusions, Clapper said, “There’s a difference between skepticism and disparagement.”

Trump tweeted, “The media lies to make it look like I am against “Intelligence” when in fact I am a big fan!”

The Wall: The Trump transition team has signaled to Congressional leaders that he wants them to appropriate money to build his promised wall on the border with Mexico, contrary to his campaign promise that Mexico would pay for it. Trump tweeted, “The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!”

We’ll report it when they do it.

Tweeter-in-Chief: Toyota stock dropped by $1.2 billion in value within five minutes yesterday after Trump tweeted his unhappiness about the company’s plans to build a plant in Baja, Mexico, for making cars to be sold in the US. Trump: “Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.”

In Transition: The Trump transition team has ordered all politically-appointed ambassadors to foreign countries to leave their posts by inauguration day. The Trump order is unusually hostile. It’s been the custom to give ambassadors a grace period, or in the case of critical countries, leave them where they are until they are replaced.

Nation: Four young black Chicago residents have been charged with a hate crime after they were arrested in the kidnapping and torture of an 18-year-old mentally-impaired white man. The suspects, two 18-year-old men, an 18-year-old woman, and her 24-year-old sister, actually live-streamed some of their abuse on Facebook, showing them beating the young man, threatening him with a knife, and cutting his clothes. Police pressed charges hate crime charges because of comments the attackers made about the victim’s race and mental condition.

— The federal government’s Annual Energy Outlook 2017 predicts that the US will become a net exporter of energy sometime after 2050. It’s more likely to be natural gas than oil.

Measured Diagonally: Tucker Carlson, a bow-tied Washington conservative talking head, will be taking over for Megyn Kelly at 9 pm on Fox News. Consider him the first replacement.

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