Senate panel backs assessment that Russia interfered in 2016

(AP) — A bipartisan Senate report affirms the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a far-ranging influence campaign approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin and aimed at helping Donald Trump. The report rejects Trump’s claims that the intelligence community was biased against him when it concluded that Russia had interfered on his behalf in the election. It says instead that intelligence officials had specific information that Russia preferred Trump in the election. In releasing the report Tuesday, senators warned that the interference could happen again this presidential election year.