Names and faces

■ Former vice presidential nominee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is accusing The New York Times of defamation over an editorial that linked one of her political action committee ads to the mass shooting that severely wounded then-U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, Palin’s lawyers say the Times “violated the law and its own policies” when it accused her of inciting the January 2011 attack that killed six people. The lawsuit refers to a June editorial in the Times on the June 14 shooting of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana. The Times later issued a correction, saying that there was no established link between political statements and the Giffords shooting and that the map circulated by Palin’s PAC had depicted electoral districts, not individual Democratic lawmakers, beneath the stylized cross hairs. The NYT Opinion Twitter account also sent out the correction about the lack of a link, apologizing and saying that it appreciated that readers had pointed out the mistake. In her suit, Palin, who is seeking damages to be determined by a jury, said in the lawsuit that the Times’ response “did not approach the degree of the retraction and apology necessary and warranted by The Times’ false assertion that Mrs. Palin incited murder.” A spokesman for the Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, said officials haven’t seen the lawsuit but will vigorously defend against any claims.

■ The home of Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki has been destroyed in a wildfire in California. Nicole Perna, a spokesman for the 42- year- old actor, said his home was on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area on the state’s central coast. Fire officials confirmed that the wildfire destroyed one building and provided no details. The full extent of damage by wildfires often can’t be assessed until the blazes have been mostly contained. About 250 residents were ordered from their homes in the area of Santa Margarita after the blaze started Monday, but on Tuesday night they were told they could return home. Galecki plays Dr. Leonard Hofstadter on the show, one of the most popular on TV. He also was a regular on the sitcom Roseanne. The actor was not home when the wildfire engulfed the home. His representative told Variety that he had not yet seen the property but would return to assess the damage when the fire is completely contained. “My heart goes out to all in the area who are also experiencing loss from this vicious fire, the threat of which we live with constantly, which may seem crazy to some but we do so because living in our beautiful, rural area makes it worthwhile,” Galecki said in a statement to TMZ.

Galecki

Palin