Evening Edition: At least 9 dead as truck rams crowd in Berlin Christmas market

Russia's ambassador assassinated in Turkey ; The electoral college is poised to pick Trump — despite push to dump him; Trump dines with Carlos Slim as relations warm with Mexican leaders; After years on the outside, foes of legal immigration find a louder voice; In Poland, a case study of what happens when populists come to power; Indigenous people are left poor as tech world takes lithium from under their feet ; Obama has granted clemency to a historic number of federal inmates, commuting 153 more sentences today; N.C. governor-elect says lawmakers will call session to repeal 'bathroom bill'; Swiss police: Several injured by gunman at Zurich mosque; Benghazi committee settles lawsuit from ex-investigator who alleged wrongdoing; Jewish activists in Richard Spencer's home town threatened after groups pressure his parents to sell business ; IMF chief Christine Lagarde found guilty for past payout to French tycoon; Obama administration adopts last-minute rule to make the coal industry cleaner; Aleppo evacuation back on track as U.N. calls for international monitors; Pregnancy changes the brain for as long as two years, researchers find; Pollster for presidents and other officeholders dies at 95;   The day's most important stories   DEVELOPING At least 9 dead as truck rams crowd in Berlin Christmas market A massive black truck plowed into a crowded market in Germany's capital, killing nine people and wounding dozens more. German authorities said it remained unclear whether terrorists were involved but that a suspect had been taken into custody. By Anthony Faiola  •  Read more » Russia's ambassador assassinated in Turkey In a video of the attack, the gunman is heard shouting: "Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria!" Russia, which called the attack an act of terror, is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has taken part in attacks on Syrian rebels, who have extensive networks in Turkey. The gunman — said to be an off-duty police officer — was killed as panicked people scattered for cover at a photo exhibit in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where Ambassador Andrei Karlov was a guest speaker. By David Filipov and Brian Murphy  •  Read more »   The electoral college is poised to pick Trump — despite push to dump him Donald Trump's improbable-then-unstoppable run for the presidency takes its last, formal step today as the electoral college meets to officially seal his victory. The usually overlooked, constitutionally obligated gathering of 538 electors in 50 states and the District of Columbia has earned special scrutiny and intense lobbying this year by Trump's opponents, including last-minute weekend protests in cities such as Denver and Los Angeles after the split election. By Ed O'Keefe  •  Read more »   Trump dines with Carlos Slim as relations warm with Mexican leaders The president-elect said he and the fellow billionaire, an adversary during the presidential campaign, had a "lovely dinner" at Mar-a-Lago. By Philip Rucker, Robert Costa and Joshua Partlow  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   After years on the outside, foes of legal immigration find a louder voice In recent weeks, President-elect Donald Trump's early appointments, including the nominee for attorney general, are giving advocates for slashing legal immigration hope that their positions are suddenly front and center at the highest levels of government. By David Nakamura  •  Read more »   In Poland, a case study of what happens when populists come to power Critics see the birth of a neo-Dark Age where anti-intellectualism is king as a harbinger of populism's power to upend a Western society, one that echoes in Washington as Donald Trump prepares to enter the White House. By Anthony Faiola  •  Read more »   Mobile Power, Human Toll Indigenous people are left poor as tech world takes lithium from under their feet The silvery-white metal that is essential in lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles has prompted a land rush in the South American region known as the "Lithium Triangle." But some villages will receive annual payments as small as $9,000 from operations expected generate $250 million, according to previously undisclosed contracts reviewed by The Post. By Todd C. Frankel and Peter Whoriskey  •  Read more »   Obama has granted clemency to a historic number of federal inmates, commuting 153 more sentences today The president also pardoned 78 people, bringing the number of pardons under his administration to 148. He has commuted the sentences of 1,176 federal inmates under the clemency initiative launched two years ago, and administration officials expect him to issue more before he leaves office. By Sari Horwitz  •  Read more »   N.C. governor-elect says lawmakers will call session to repeal 'bathroom bill' The apparent deal followed the Charlotte City Council's decision to scrap the nondiscrimination ordinance that helped spark the controversial statewide measure. By Mark Berman  •  Read more »   Swiss police: Several injured by gunman at Zurich mosque Several people were wounded in a shooting at a mosque frequented largely by Somali immigrants in Switzerland's largest city, and the suspect remains at large, Zurich police said. By Franziska Scheven | AP  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Benghazi committee settles lawsuit from ex-investigator who alleged wrongdoing Bradley Podliska said he was fired for not being willing to go along with the panel's "hyper-focus" on Hillary Clinton and because he took leave for military service. Details of the settlement were not revealed. By Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more »   Jewish activists in Richard Spencer's home town threatened after groups pressure his parents to sell business A neo-Nazi website published the names, photos and contact information for prominent Jewish women in Whitefish, Mont., after some residents there asked the Spencers to publicly distance themselves from their son's philosophy. By Katie Mettler  •  Read more »   IMF chief Christine Lagarde found guilty for past payout to French tycoon A French court said Lagarde will not face punishment for failing to thwart a $297 million government payout to a businessman during her tenure as France's finance minister. By James McAuley  •  Read more »   Obama administration adopts last-minute rule to make the coal industry cleaner The action, coming after seven years of work on new regulations, is likely to anger coal companies, Republican lawmakers and the incoming Trump administration. By Darryl Fears  •  Read more »   Aleppo evacuation back on track as U.N. calls for international monitors The paths out of the besieged Syrian city have been periodically blocked by fighting and disputes between rival factions. The United Nations wants to keep the escape routes open. By Louisa Loveluck  •  Read more »   Pregnancy changes the brain for as long as two years, researchers find The study measured changes in the parts of the brain responsible for social cognition and the ability to understand the thoughts and intentions of others, suggesting a correlation with how well a mother bonds with her baby. By Amy Ellis Nutt  •  Read more »   Lou Harris | 1921-2016 Pollster for presidents and other officeholders dies at 95 He propelled John Kennedy to victory in 1960 and pioneered a range of survey techniques. By Zach C. Cohen  •  Read more »           Share Evening Edition:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Headlines. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. 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