Good morning. Here are some of the stories we're following today:
1. Mistaken Identity Keeps Man at Gitmo for 13 Years
A militant who fought for the Taliban in Afghanistan and has been held without charge at Guantanamo Bay for 13 years was largely the victim of mistaken identity, U.S. defense officials said. The man was believed to be an al Qaeda courier and trainer, but documents show that while he may have been "supportive of fighting to protect other Muslims," he did not want to wage global jihad. Read more in NEWS.
2. Is Chicago’s Mayor Next in Line to Get Fired?
Rahm Emanuel axed the city's top cop on Tuesday and appointed a new police reform panel after acknowledging that he'd fallen short when a long-delayed release of a dashcam video showing a police officer fatally shooting 17-year-old raised suspicions of a cover up. But asked repeatedly Tuesday about whether he'd resign, Emanuel — who has more than three years left in his second term — ignored the question. Read more in NEWS.
3. Special Ops Forces to Join Fight Against ISIS in Iraq
The U.S. military will deploy a specialized expeditionary targeting force to Iraq to launch unilateral raids and "put even more pressure" on ISIS, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday, telling members of Congress: "We're at war." Read more in NEWS.
4. Suspect Targeted Planned Parenthood Before: Ex-Wife
The ex-wife of Robert Dear, who was charged with killing three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last week, once put glue in the locks of a Planned Parenthood clinic near where they once lived. Dear "used to be a very smart man," but at some point, he became mercurial, unpredictable and violent, she added. Read more in NEWS.
5. Zuckerberg to Give Away $45B Facebook Fortune
Mark Zuckerberg's exuberance over the birth of his first child may have put him in a giving mood. In a Facebook post announcing that his wife, Priscilla Chan, had given birth to a girl, the Facebook founder also said the couple would be giving away 99 percent of their shares in the company — currently worth about $45 billion — over their lifetimes. Read more in TECH.
6. Pakistan Hangs 4 Convicted in Taliban School Massacre
The hangings were the first execution of civilians convicted by Pakistan's military courts, which were set up after last year's horrific slaughter an army-run school through a constitutional amendment. More than 130 children were killed during the massacre. Read more in NEWS.
7. What Cops in the Tamir Rice Killing told Grand Jury
Two Cleveland police officers involved in the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice have given statements to investigators in which they say they thought the pellet gun he was carrying was a real firearm. Read more in NEWS.
... What's trending today?
It isn't the holidays without the sparkling splendor of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York. NBC's telecast kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, with several musical performances, including from Sting, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli.