Pamela Getz 
Raven Payne 
SPLASH! News
FBI Not Convinced of Russian Election Tampering
Reuters – Though it has not come to the point of complete disagreement at this time, the FBI has different standards before standing behind a claim as serious as Russian hacking with the intent to tamper with U.S. elections. Rumors of Russians interfering with the election and that President-Elect Donald J. Trump were in collusion plagued Trump’s campaign. It seems now there is a bipartisan push to investigate the claims, with the threat of the U.S. imposing sanctions against Russia if evidence of tampering is found.
Validity of Election Results Still Under Investigation
Bipartisan Report – An Audit has been requested by Michigan’s Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson, due to voting irregularities in over 300 precincts. The recount, initiated by the Green Party’s Jill Stein and financed by individual donors, brought to light sizeable discrepancies in ballot counts.
Fighting Ended in Aleppo, Then Began Again
NBC News – Stories of families, many with small children, starving, being injured, and killed amid the bombings have been pouring through social media for many weeks now. Fighting that began in Aleppo back in 2012 has ended as a ceasefire has been reached. This is the respite many Syrians have needed in order to attempt to flee the war-torn city safely.
Buses have been sent to evacuate rebels from the city. At this time there will not be any assistance for civilians as Vitaly Churkin feels that the city is secure and stated that aid would be provided in the city for those left to deal with the damages.
However, the good news was short-lived as artillery shelling began again early Wednesday. It seems no one wanted to evacuate as the buses that were intended to transport people out of the city left empty after hours of waiting. The lack of evacuation seems to have hinged on Iran’s fighters, who were not included in the deal’s negotiation. Witnesses also say that pro-government forces prevented 70 wounded people from leaving.
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Rosa Parks’ Arrested
The Washington Post – Though unnamed in the official report of her arrest, Malak al-Shehri used social media to show her defiance of laws of the country by going out in public without the traditional head covering and loose fitting clothing.
Her actions cause many fundamentalists to call for her to be arrested, some even requested that she be beheaded because of her stance, forcing the world to look into the rights of women in a country where they remain under strict moral regulations.
73 Year Old Man with Dementia Shot by Authorities
USA Today – Francisco Serna was killed by Officer Reagan Selman in Bakersfield, California on Monday. After a 911 call was placed because of the unusual actions of Mr. Serna, a neighbor thought he had a gun. When officers responded, they fired a reported seven shots into Mr. Serna after he did not comply with officer directives to show his hands. No gun was found on the victim of the shooting, only a crucifix.
OH Gov. John Kasich Signs One Abortion Bill, Vetoes Another
Bustle – In a previous Splash!, we reported on the Ohio legislature’s passage of the so-called
“heartbeat” bill, which banned abortion from the moment a heartbeat can be detected in the fetus (as early as 6 weeks). While Gov. Kasich vetoed the heartbeat bill, he did pass a 20-week abortion ban bill.
Iran to Develop Nuclear-Powered Vessels After it Claimed the US Violated Nuclear Deal
Reuters – According to Iran, the U.S. violated the nuclear deal when Congress decided last month to extend some sanctions on Iran. Now, Iran’s scientists will begin development of nuclear-powered vessels. Nuclear experts say that this process will require Iran to enrich uranium beyond the limit set by the nuclear deal, but Iran President Hassan Rouhani says the development of the vessels will be within the confines of the deal. The U.S. State Department seems to agree that the International Atomic Energy Agency should be able to ensure that Iran maintains compliance.
Rick Perry to be Trump’s Energy Secretary
The New York Times – President-Elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rick Perry as his Energy Secretary. Many people have immediately recalled Perry’s infamous “oops” moment, in which he forgot the name of the third department he wanted to cut from the U.S. Government, which happened to be the Energy Department.
Others have pointed out that Rick Perry sits on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company that owns the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). On Wednesday, Trump confirmed the pick, saying, “As the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry created created a business climate that produced millions of new jobs and lower energy prices in his state, and he will bring that same approach to our entire country as Secretary of Energy.”
