Senate target of hackers, firm reports

PARIS — A cybersecurity firm says that the same Russian government-aligned hackers who penetrated the Democratic Party have spent the past few months laying the groundwork for an espionage campaign against the U.S. Senate.

The revelation in a report published Friday by Trend Micro Inc. suggests the group often nicknamed Fancy Bear, whose hacking campaign scrambled the 2016 U.S. electoral contest, is still busy trying to gather the emails of America’s political elite.

The Senate Sergeant at Arms office, which is responsible for the upper house’s security, declined to comment.

Arizona race heats up

TUCSON, Ariz. — Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally called on the national GOP to “grow a pair of ovaries” as she launched her Senate bid Friday, joining the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake by embracing President Donald Trump and his outsider playbook in one of the nation’s premier contests.

The 51-year-old retired Air Force combat pilot cast herself as a toughtalking outsider as she vowed to work closely with the Republican president to combat illegal immigration.

Porn star settlement

NEWYORK — A lawyer for President Donald Trump arranged a $130,000 payment to a former porn star a month before the 2016 election — part of an agreement to keep her quiet about an extramarital affair she had with the president, according to a report Friday.

Attorney Michael Cohen arranged the payment to Stephanie Clifford in October 2016 after her lawyer negotiated a nondisclosure agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Ms. Clifford, who has made dozens of movies under the name Stormy Daniels, has privately alleged the encounter with Mr. Trump took place after they met at a July 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, people familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

Mr. Trump has denied several allegations of sexual misconduct in the past.

Suspect charged

WICHITA ,Kan. — The man accused of making a false report to Wichita police that ended with an officer fatally shooting a 28-year-old man was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reporting a false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer in his first court appearance in Wichita.

His bond was set at $500,000.

Tyler Barriss, 25, was arrested in South Los Angeles on Dec. 29, less than 24 hours after he called Wichita police claiming a homicide and hostage situation was underway in Wichita.

Mr. Barriss was in Los Angeles when he made the call, and a man inside the home — identified by his family as Andrew Finch — opened the door to see why police were outside and was shot by an officer who was in a driveway across the street.

Mr. Barriss waived extradition to Kansas last week and was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on Thursday afternoon.