土耳其歌星、记者因政变未遂受审
土耳其流行音乐歌星阿提拉·塔斯和另外28人，其中大多数是新闻记者，在伊斯坦布尔因恐怖主义指控受审，罪名是涉嫌和参与了去年未遂政变的一位美国穆斯林牧师有关联。
如果被定为“武装恐怖组织”成员而获罪，这些人面临长达十年的监禁。政府在政变未遂后发动大规模镇压，已有100多家媒体关闭，自去年7月份以来有41,000多人被捕。
土耳其国家媒体说，塔斯和其他几个人负责管理一个推特帐户，代表美国的穆斯林阿訇法土拉•葛兰（Fethullah Gulen）作传播宣传。葛兰被控策划了这次未遂的政变。葛兰否认对这一阴谋知情。
人权团体说，土耳其已关押约一百五十名记者，其中许多记者是在政变之前被捕的，罪名是被控与打击土耳其政府的库尔德反叛分子有关。记者无国界组织去年将土耳其在新闻自由指数排行榜上排在180个国家中的第151位。
埃尔多安总统的政府坚持认为镇压对于国家的稳定至关重要。但批评人士说，这种拘留显示，土耳其在这位伊斯兰教领导人之下变得越来越专制。
这次审判在土耳其受到密切关注。土耳其将于4月16日举行公投，决定是否扩大总统职权。
Turkish Singer, Journalists on Trial Over Failed Coup
Turkish pop star Atilla Tas and 28 others, most of them journalists, are being tried in Istanbul on terrorism charges over alleged links to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric blamed for last year's failed coup attempt in Turkey.
They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of membership in "an armed terrorist organization,'' in a massive government crackdown that has seen more than 100 media outlets closed and more than 41,000 people arrested since July.
Turkish state media said Tas and several others are charged with managing a Twitter account that spread propaganda on behalf of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of masterminding the coup attempt. Gulen has denied any knowledge of the plot.
Human rights groups say Turkey has jailed about 150 journalists, many of whom were arrested before the botched insurrection, for alleged ties to Kurdish rebels who are fighting the Turkish state. The Reporters without Borders group ranked Turkey at 151st out of 180 countries on its press freedom index last year.
The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists the crackdown was essential for the stability of the country. But critics say the detentions show Turkey is becoming more authoritarian under the Islamist leader.
This trial is being closely watched in Turkey, which holds a referendum on April 16 on whether to expand the powers of the presidency.
川普女婿主导白宫“美国创新办公室”工作
美国总统川普让他的女婿负责将联邦政府转型为一个有效率的企业。
与川普的女儿伊万卡结婚的第二代房地产投资商贾里德·库什纳将领导白宫新成立的“美国创新办公室”。
在星期一的白宫例行简报会上，新闻秘书没有理会媒体对36岁的库什纳，一名政府管理的新人，是否有资格领导转型的问题所提出的质疑。
库什纳已经在负责的其他重要事项包括中东和平进程，以及担任他的岳父在中国和墨西哥等国家问题上的重要顾问。
白宫官员说，新办公室的成员将包括以前的商业公司主管，他们将在西厅工作。
两位白宫高级助手将成为办公室的主要人员，他们分别是前微软公司和通用汽车公司执行长克里斯·利德尔，以及房地产开发商雷德·科迪什，他的家庭与川普一家交往密切。
此外，该团队还有国家经济委员会主任加里·科恩，他是前高盛银行的高管，以及最近被任命为国家安全顾问的迪娜·哈比卜·鲍威尔。她也是总统的资深顾问。
奥巴马政府在2008年推出过类似但影响面较小的举措。
Trump Son-in-Law to Lead New White House 'Office of American Innovation'
U.S. President Donald Trump is putting his son-in-law in charge of an effort to make the federal government run more like an efficient business.
Jared Kushner, a second-generation real estate investor who is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is to lead the new White House Office of American Innovation.
At Monday's daily White House briefing, the press secretary brushed off questions about whether the 36-year-old Kushner, a newcomer to government, is qualified to lead the transformation.
Other weighty matters already are assigned to Kushner, including the Middle East peace process and being his father-in-law’s lead advisor on countries such as China and Mexico.
The office is to be staffed with former business executives operating out of the West Wing, according to White House officials.
Two White House senior aides are set to be the office’s key personnel -- a former Microsoft and General Motors executive, Chris Liddell, and real estate developer Reed Cordish, whose family is close to the Trumps.
Also on the team are National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, who is a former Goldman Sachs executive, and Dina Habib Powell, recently named as deputy national security advisor. She is also a senior counselor to the president.
The Obama White House launched a similar, but more narrowly-focused, initiative in 2008.
