On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April 5 at 6:45 a.m. CT:

LEUVEN, Belgium (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that measures the Israeli government has announced to expand the flow of aid into Gaza are welcome but may not be enough to meet the Biden administration’s demands for dramatic improvements in humanitarian conditions in the territory. Blinken said Friday that opening more border crossings, if fully implemented, has the potential to surge assistance to Palestinians caught in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. However, the U.S. also wants to see tangible steps to bolster the protection of civilians and aid workers. Blinken called for an independent investigation into the killing earlier this week of seven aid workers in Israeli airstrikes, which sparked international outrage.

An early spring nor'easter is hammering the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to 2 feet of snow. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power Thursday night from West Virginia to Maine. 

DALLAS (AP) — Clouds could obscure views of Monday's total solar eclipse in some parts of North America. There is still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but meteorologists predict that a storm front could bring clouds to many locations along the eclipse's path, including parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to get a firsthand look at efforts to clear away the hulking remains of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Cranes, ships and diving crews are working to reopen one of the nation’s main shipping lanes and prepare for eventually erecting a new bridge. Biden's planned visit Friday to the site of a tragedy that killed six bridge workers lays bare the cleanup's high political stakes. 

DETROIT (AP) — New vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 5.1% from January through March, as buyers stayed in the market despite high interest rates. But electric vehicle sales growth slowed to 3.3% during the quarter, with mainstream buyers wary of limited range and a lack of charging stations. Automakers sold nearly 3.8 million vehicles in the first quarter versus a year ago. 

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

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Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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