Celebratio celebrations. We will tell you what new steps are taken. Welcome to early start. Im alison kosik. Im joe johns. It is friday, december 30th. 4 00 in the morning. Christine and john are off. This morning, we are waiting to see what steps the russians plan to take. Planning to retaliate today for the sanctions president obama just laid down punishing russia for election hacking. The white house announcing measures against four individuals and five entities and expelling dozens of diplomats drawing condemnation from the russian government and the president elect. President elect donald trump downplaying the hack but with a new twist. It is time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. In the interest of the country, i will meet with leaders of the Intelligence Community to be updated on the facts of the situation. A top trump aide is dismissing the sanctions and limiting the president elects options. Here is Kellyanne Conway on cnn. These retaliations put forward by president obama and his administration, some seem largely symbolic. Even those sympathetic are saying part of the reason he did this today was to quote box in donald trump. That would be unfortunate if that were the motivating factor here. We cant help but think that is true. Cnns athena jones is with president obama in hawaii. She has more on the sanctions. Reporter good morning, joe and alison. The president is calling the steps necessary and appropriate. Said they are coming after repeated private and public warnings to the russian government. He said all americans should be alarmed by russias actions. He repeated the assertion that the activities could be coming from the highest levels of the russian government. The Treasury Department named nine individuals who will be subject to expanded sanctions. Those include the military unit and its chief and domestic security service. The state department is declaring 35 russian operatives pers pers persona non grata. The government is shutting down two russian government compoun compounds. One in new york and one on the Eastern Shore of maryland not far from washington, d. C. The white house is stressing the announced moves are not quote the sum total of our response. The u. S. Is taking covert measures aimed at delivering one message to russia. There are consequences to the actions. Russia is vowing to take reciprical measures. The Foreign Ministry saying russia will announce retialiatin measures on friday. Tomorrow is the official counter measures. Tomorrow is being today, of course. Athena jones. Thank you. It includes two Russian Hackers on the fbi most wanted list for years. The two are both wanted for large scale theft of money. Both men are fugitives. Whereabouts unknown. The administration backing up the sanctions with the release of a report from the fbi and department of Homeland Security. It lays out unclassified Technical Details explains how investigators linked russian agencies to the hack of the Democratic National convention and Clinton Campaign manager john podesta. The russian Cyber Attacks have been code named grizzly step. As we wait for word of the retaliation, russia has launched a few early actions. Including the insult via twitter. President obama expels 35 Russian Diplomats in cold war deja vu as everybody will be glad to see the last of the Hapless Administration go. You can see the cute picture of a duckling. For the latest from moscow, lets bring in matthew chance. Good morning, matthew. Reporter alison, thats right. Theres been a scathing response so far from russian officials. You mentioned the tweet from the Russian Embassy. Other embassies tweeted the same things very critical of the Obama Administration. The russian Foreign Ministry posted something on facebook as well. She does comments of her own Facebook Page dismissing the Obama Administration a group of vindictive Foreign Policy failures with the exception of the secretary of state john kerry who she has worked with extensively. In terms of the substantial response to the sanctions from the United States and expulsions of Russian Diplomats, we are in the dark of the concrete measures the government will take. The russian spokesperson said there will be reciprocity in the there this. Indicating a titfortat. The russian president is in no hurry, the kremlin says, to make that happen. What that means president putin is thinking of holding off on strong action because he knows in three weeks or less than that, donald trump is going to be talkiking his place in the o office. Donald trump is seen here as more friendly toward the Russian Point of view. He is someone the russians can do a deal with on a range of issues that divided moscow and the United States over the last few years. We will see. Again, as the previous reports mentioned, an announcements on the concrete steps the russians take to the sanctions and expulsions. It will be interesting to hear what the kremlin says. Matthew chance. The big question now, could president elect donald trump reverse the u. S. Sanctions imposed on russia . Here is what Homeland Security secretary said to jake tapper. A reversal of sanctions would be highly unusual. Indeed the sanctions usually remain in place until the activity and the reasons for them imposed in the first place has been removed. Meanwhile, a senior Obama Administration official tells cnn if a future president decided he wanted to allow in a large tranche of russian intel tense agents, presumably a future president would do that. The sanctions are met with a mixed response. Most lawmakers are happy to see action, but republicans say it doesnt go far enough. John mccain and Lindsey Graham overseas on a trip to the baltic nations. The retaliatory measures by the Obama Administration are long overdue, but they are a small price to pay. We intend to lead the efforts in the new consciogress. House Speaker Paul Ryan says russia does not share americas interests. It has consistently sought to undermine then. Todays action by the administration is overdue, it is appropriate to end eight years of failed policy with russia. It is a prime example of the ineffective Foreign Policy that left america weaker in the eyes of the world. Senate leader Chuck Schumer strongly supports the Obama Administrations work to fight back against russias interference in the election. We need to punch back and punch back hard. Turning to politics. A buffalo, New York School board looking to oust Carl Paladino who co chaired the new York Campaign for trump. He wanted to see the president die from mad cow disease and the first lady living with a gorilla in africa. The school board giving him 24 hours to resign. If he doesnt, it will ask the state education commissioner to do so. He is vowing not do go giving in to progressive haters. Can the latest ceasefire hold in syria long enough to allow real talks to stop the civil war . More from the middle east next. A new ceasefire now under way in syria. It is part of a deal brokered by turkey and russia including a return to peace talks after more than five years of war. Turkeys president calling the deal historic opportunity that shouldnt be squandered. But russian president Vladimir Putin acknowledging the pact is fragile. For the latest on the ground in syria is cnns ian lee. Ian. Reporter good morning, joe. We are hearing from people on the ground that the ceasefire is holding. It is relatively calm. Although there have been reports of some fighting. This is a threepart ceasefire. The goal between turkey and rebels and russia and Syrian Regime is to stop the fighting. The second step is create a mechanism so there are violations to hash it out and talk it over so fighting doesnt resume. The third step is they have peace negotiations next month. Both sides have said that this is quite fragile. There is a long time between now and the negotiations in kazakhstan. Ian, president assad made more news yesterday talking about president elect donald trump saying there is optimism on his end about a trump presidency. What more do you know about that . Reporter let me read you the statement that he said. It is part of the optimism related to better relations to the United States and russia. If there is good relations between these two great powers, most of the world, including syria, will be the beneficiary of the relationship. It is no secret that donald trump has expressed warm views toward russia. It seems like things will get better under a Trump Administration. Although there is a lot of factors at play in the United States and russian politics. When it plays out on the ground in syria, Bashar Al Assad is hopeful that once donald trump is in Office Russia has invited the Trump Administration to the peace talks and there could be more pressure from the United States on different factions in syria for a peace deal. Thank you, ian lee. The United Kingdom criticizing secretary of state john kerry or his comments on israel this week. A spokeswoman for theresa may said it is not appropriate to go after the ally. May goes on to say while it considers the settlements construction illegal, it is far from the only conflict with the palestinians. Kerry went after israels government as the most right wing in the States History and portrayed the settlements as the biggest obstacle standing in the way of peace. France is raising the terror tax. Citizens will pay almost 1. 70 more on the property. It will go to a fund for terror attacks recently. More than 200 people have died over the last 20 months in terror attacks. 86 people died in nice while 120 People Killed in november in the 2015 attacks in paris. Security stepped up in a big way ahead of the big new years eve festivities in times square. The steps taken to protect millions of partiers next. Time for an early start on your money. Global stacocks mixed as we tur the last day of 2016. Dow probably wont hit 20,000 today. Futures are higher after the close yesterday. Stocks have enjoyed a great run in 2016. Markets recovered from one of the worst ever starts to the year to hit a series of record highs. The dow, nasdaq and s p are all on track for solid annual gains with the dow up almost 14 this year. Could twitter be getting an edit button . After jack dorsey asked followers how the company could improve. An edit option was the biggest request. Others improve how conversations appear and better ways to cut down on harassment. The new York City Police department ramping up security in times square this saturday for new years eve. At least 2 Million People are expected to pack the cross roads of the world and Authorities Say they are pulling out all the stops to keep revelers safe. Brynn gingras has more. Reporter 2 Million People expected to ring in the new year on times square. It takes an armory to propy to city. No Credible Threats against the ball drop at this point. Every precaution is taking place. We are told by the nypd, they prepare for this once the ball drops earlier this year. It is a multilayer level of security. Two things to note we have not seen in previous years at this event. That is 65 sand trucks and 100 barrier trucks which are Department Vehicles will form a perimeter around times square area. That is in direct response to the truckstyle attacks we saw in nice and berlin. We know within the last few weeks, authorities have been visiting truck rental centers and parking garages and hotel owners to make sure keeping every precaution for the security for the new year. Joe and alison. Brynn, thank you. Everybody wants to know the weather. Especially all the people who stand out in times square. They dont care. The party is getting started. You have been there this morning . Mild temperatures for the festivities in times square are expected. It will be a snowy white new year for new england. Lets get to meteorologist pedram javaheri. Good morning. Good morning. Plenty of snow around parts of gun new england. Look at the uniformity. A trio of 20s in sioux falls to minneapolis. 14 in burlington to boston. 35 here. Shows you little disparity in the air mass. It is conducive of heavy snowshowers. This is an area with blizzard conditions and avalanche threat in places. Heavy snowfall confined to the northern portion of the new england and the major metro areas of boston and philly. It is all rain for the higher populations. Up to 2 feet has come down in 12 hours in new england. There goes the center of circulation and the lake enhanced snowshowers left in place. Should see additional heavy snow through the commute an considers porti across maine. We have the avalanche threat in place and a blustery friday shaping up and blustery saturday night. The rains will hold off and temperatures will be mild, relatively speaking, for saturday night for the northeast. Thank you. A South Carolina judge ordering dylann roof to undergo a second competency hearing. It comes a day after roof who represents himself in the trials penalty phase said he would give an opening statement, but not call witnesses or submit evidence. The hearing is scheduled for monday. Roof faces the Death Penalty for killing nine black parishioners last year. North Charleston Police officer Michael Slager facing a retrial in march in the murder of walter scott. Mistrial was declared after jurors said they were unable to come to unanimous decision. Slager is accused of gunning down scott, unarmed, during a traffic stop last april. Video of the incident appears to show the moment slager killed scott as he ran away. That footage garnered national attention. 2016 was the deadliest year for Police Officers since 2011. A report by the Law EnforcementMemorial Fund reports 135 officers died in 2016. Nearly half were shot to death. That is a 56 increase over the previous year. Of the 64 shot in the line of duty, 21 killed in ambush attacks. A mother daughter funeral is prepared for Carrie Fisher and debbie reynolds. The two will be honored side by side. Todd fisher says at the moment there is no set date or location. Debbie reynolds died one day after fisher passed away at the age of 60. Heartbreaking. We are watching moscow where officials are weighing retaliation following u. S. Sanctions over the election hacks. It could come down at anytime. We are live in moscow next. Asmy family tree,ing i discovered a woman named marianne gaspard. It was her french name. Then she came to louisiana as a slave. I became curious where in africa she was from. So i took the ancestry dna test to find out more about my african roots. The ancestry dna results were really specific. They told me all of these places in west africa. I feel really proud of my lineage, and i feel really proud of my ancestry. Ancestry has many paths to discovering your story, get started for free at ancestry. Com happening now, russia is putting together a retaliatory response to new sanctions leveled by the white house over the election hacking. What does moscow have in mind . In syria, the early hours of the ceasefire with the assad regime and rebel groups. After more than five years of bloodshed, is it enough to get the two sides talking . Less than 24 hour s from th big ball drop. We will tell you the steps being taken for security. Welcome back to early start. Im joe johns. Im alison kosik. John and christine are off. We are waiting to see the steps russia plans to take. Vowing to retaliate likely today for the sanctions president obama laid down. Punishing russia for elections hacking. The white house announcing measures against four individuals and five entities all connected to russian intelligence and expelling dozens of diplomats. U. S. Sanctions drawing condemnation from the russian government and the president elect. Donald trump downplaying the election hack, but with a new twist. His statement, it is time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. In the interest of the country, i will meet with leaders of the Intelligence Community next week to be updated on the facts of the situation. A top trump aide is dismissing the sanctions as toothless and aimed at limiting the president elects options in punishing russia. Here is Kellyanne Conway on cnn. The retaliations, san