Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Turkey and Russia probe slaying of envoy in gallery
ANKARA, Turkey
Investigators from Turkey and Russia hunted for clues Tuesday in the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey in front of stunned onlookers at a photo exhibition in Ankara.
A team of 18 Russian investigators and foreign ministry officials arrived in Turkey and began inspecting the art gallery where the shooting of Andrei Karlov took place.
Central to the joint Turkish-Russian investigation is whether Mevlut Mert Altintas, a member of Ankara’s riot police squad, planned the attack alone.
One senior Turkish government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details to the press, said it was unlikely Altintas acted alone.
McConnell rejects calls for panel on Russian meddling
WASHINGTON
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is rejecting bipartisan calls for a special committee to investigate Russian interference in the U.S. election, which American intelligence says was aimed in part at helping Republican Donald Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The likely meddling by Russia “is a serious issue, but it doesn’t require a select committee,” said McConnell, R-Ky. The Senate intelligence committee is able to investigate the matter, he added.
CIA Director John Brennan has said the intelligence community is in agreement that Russia tried to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, although there’s no evidence Moscow succeeded in helping Trump win.
Palin didn’t criticize mall’s black Santa
MINNEAPOLIS
A story claiming former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called for boycotting the Mall of America in Minnesota over its black Santa Claus is false.
The story, posted by Newslo and some affiliated websites, claims Palin told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, “Santa was always white in the Bible.” It’s been widely shared on Facebook.
But the Star Tribune never ran such a story. And the newspaper’s managing editor, Suki Dardarian, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that none of her reporters ever spoke with Palin about the mall’s recent hiring of its black Santa.
Newsweek reporter seeks ID of Twitter user after seizure
DALLAS
A Newsweek reporter who has epilepsy said he had a seizure after being sent a message on Twitter intended to trigger such an episode and is seeking information from the social media company to identify the person responsible for the tweet.
The image in question, which included a strobe effect and the words, “You deserve a seizure for your posts,” was apparently sent in response to Kurt Eichenwald’s outspoken criticism of President-elect Donald Trump. Eichenwald, who has a home in Texas, said in court documents that the image triggered a seizure.
Eichenwald posted a signed copy of a Dallas County District Court order to Twitter on Tuesday that allows him to depose Twitter executives and orders the company to preserve any information or documents regarding the person who sent the image. Eichenwald wrote that “Twitter agreed to an expedited order,” meaning the company won’t challenge the request for information. Eichenwald is seeking the information for a potential lawsuit.
Associated Press