Hot Off The Wire

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 20 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court has again prevented Texas from arresting and deporting migrants accused of entering the U.S. illegally, hours after the the law briefly took effect. Before a divided U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday let the state law take effect while a legal challenge plays out, some sheriffs were ready to relish an unprecedented state expansion into border enforcement, while others were reluctant. Hours later, an order by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the law again on hold.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has reached an agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans for computer chip plants in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico and Oregon. President Joe Biden plans to talk up the investment on Wednesday as he visits Intel’s facility in Chandler, Arizona, which could be a decisive swing state in November’s election. He often says that not enough voters know about his economic policies and that they would support him if they did. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the deal would put the United States in a position to produce 20% of the world’s most advanced chips by 2030 — up from the current level of zero.

TEMPE, Arizona (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump are moving closer to a November rematch, as primary voters around the country urge their favored candidate to keep up the fight and worry about what might happen if their side loses this fall. Both candidates are already their parties’ presumptive nominees. Trump easily won Republican primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio. Biden did the same except in Florida, where Democrats had canceled their primary and opted to award all 224 of their delegates to Biden. Both Biden's and Trump’s campaigns are working to fire up their bases by tearing into each other and warning of the perils of the opponent.

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man is scheduled to be put to death in what would be the state’s first execution in more than four years. Willie James Pye was convicted of killing his former girlfriend Alicia Lynn Yarbrough three decades ago. The planned lethal injection using the sedative pentobarbital is set to happen at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the state prison in Jackson. Pye, who’s 59, would be the first person executed in Georgia since January 2020.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. The winning numbers drawn on Tuesday were 24, 46, 49, 62, 66 and the gold Mega Ball was 7. The estimated jackpot was $893 million with a cash prize of $421.4 million. The cash prize for Friday’s drawing is $461 million. Four people won $1 million each in California, Texas, Virginia and Florida.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached $977 million for Friday night’s drawing after no tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Tuesday night. The winning numbers drawn on Tuesday were 24, 46, 49, 62, 66 and the gold Mega Ball was 7. The estimated jackpot was $893 million with a cash prize of $421.4 million. The cash prize for Friday’s drawing is $461 million. Four people won $1 million each in California, Texas, Virginia and Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel says in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press the federal tax collector will expand its pursuit of high-wealth tax dodgers with new initiatives in the coming months.

In other news:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 19 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to a long list of state and federal charges for torturing two Black men will be sentenced by a federal judge starting Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee will sentence two defendants each day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Each faces the potential of decades behind bars. The former law officers have admitted to subjecting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker to numerous acts of racially motivated torture. In a January 2023 episode, the group of six burst into a Rankin County home without a warrant and assaulted the men with stun guns, a sex toy and other objects.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has extended its block, for now, on a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. while the legal battle it sparked over immigration authority plays out. Opponents have called the law, known as Senate Bill 4, the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago, portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court. The Texas Attorney General has said the state’s law mirrored federal law and “was adopted to address the ongoing crisis at the southern border, which hurts Texans more than anyone else.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion,” igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders. Trump, in an interview, had been asked about Democrats’ growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza as the civilian death toll continues to mount. He responded, “I actually think they hate Israel." He went on to say that: “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”

LONDON (AP) — A British newspaper says Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home. It's the first reported footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago. The Sun published a short clip late Monday that appeared to show the couple smiling as they walked together, carrying shopping bags. It said the footage was taken on Saturday. The couple’s Kensington Palace office did not comment. The palace has said Kate will return to official duties after Easter, likely once her children go back to school on April 17. Feverish and at times fantastical speculation has swirled about Kate’s condition during her absence.

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (AP) — The California Lottery has revealed the name of one of the winners of the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot, last October’s $1.765 billion Powerball bonanza. The lottery says Theodorus Struyck represents a group of winners who bought the ticket at a store in the small Kern County mountain town of Frazier Park. Kern County TV station KGET found no one home at Struyck’s house after his name was released Friday but did interview two neighbors. One describes him as adoring his grandchildren and pleasant to have around. The jackpot was won on the 36th draw in that Powerball sequence, a long run that allowed the sum to grow enormously.

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — The family of boxing great Roberto Durán says he has received a pacemaker after being hospitalized in Panama City on the weekend. Durán's family has posted on his social media that "the surgery in our champion, a pacemaker implant, was totally successful.” The 72-year-old Durán suffered health issues on Saturday due to an atrioventricular blockage. One of his sons, Robin Durán, says his father needed the pacemaker because his heartbeats were “a bit irregular due to the obstruction of the artery.” Robin Durán says his father was well when he arrived at the hospital, where exams detected the blockage. Roberto Durán was a world champion at four different weights and retired in 2002 at age 50.

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 18 at 9:45 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a former New Mexico county commissioner banished from public office for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. The court’s order Monday means Republican former Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin remains disqualified from public office under a constitutional provision designed to prevent ex-Confederates from serving in government after the Civil War. The outcome of Griffin’s case could bolster efforts to hold other state and local elected officials accountable for their involvement in the attack by a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters. Griffin is a cowboy pastor who supported Trump in horseback caravans. The Jan. 6 attack delayed certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over the Republican president.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up a dispute between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security. The justices are hearing arguments Monday in a lawsuit filed by Louisiana, Missouri and other parties accusing officials in the Democratic administration of leaning on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view. The administration says none of the actions the states complain about come close to problematic coercion. Lower courts have sided with the states. The Supreme Court blocked those rulings while it considers the issue. The case involves posts on Facebook, X and other media platforms.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. food agency says “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger. It says a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation. The alarming report came as Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and open more crossings. The European Union’s top diplomat said the impending famine was “entirely man-made” as “starvation is used as a weapon of war.” Israeli forces, meanwhile, launched another raid on the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital, saying it killed a Hamas commander who was hiding there.

President Vladimir Putin extends his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose outcome was never in doubt, declaring his determination to advance deeper into Ukraine and dangling new threats against the West. After the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times, it was clear from the earliest returns that Putin's nearly quarter-century rule would continue with a fifth term that grants him six more years in power. Still, Russians heeded a call to protest Putin’s repression and his war in Ukraine by showing up at polling stations at noon on Sunday. With nearly all the precincts counted Monday, election officials said Putin had secured a record number of votes.

The CEO of United Airlines is trying to reassure travelers that the airline is safe despite a series of recent incidents ranging from a panel falling off a plane to an engine fire. CEO Scott Kirby said Monday that United will review safety training for all employees. Kirby says the airline was already planning an extra day of training for pilots starting in May and changes in training curriculum for new mechanics. In a message to customers, Kirby says the recent incidents are reminders of the importance of safety. He says the flight issues are all unrelated, but they have grabbed United's attention.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill that would ban the use of any public funds for gender-affirming care, including for state employees using work health insurance and for adults covered by Medicaid. The legislation already has passed the House and only needs to clear the Senate this week before being sent to Gov. Brad Little’s desk, where it would likely be signed into law. The Republican governor has said repeatedly he does not believe public funds should be used for gender-affirming care. If the legislation is enacted, the Movement Advancement Project says Idaho would become at least the 10th state to ban Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for people of all ages.

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan is shutting all its schools and warning of an extreme heat wave that's expected to last two weeks. The health and education ministries advised parents to keep all children indoors as temperatures are expected to soar to 45 Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit. All schools were to close starting Monday but the ministries did not say how long the closure will last. They warned that any school that opens during the warning time would have its registration withdrawn. A resident in the capital said schools should be connected to the power grid so they could install air conditioners. Extreme heat is common in South Sudan but temperatures rarely exceed 40 C, which is 104 F.

In other headlines: 

In religion news, there were peaceful Friday prayers in Jerusalem for Ramadan and evangelicals flock to Israel to support the war.

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

Welcome to the weekly bonus episode of Hot off the Wire, where we look back at some of the top headlines from the week in the world of sports and entertainment. 

I’m Terry Lipshetz, Managing Editor of the National Newsroom at Lee Enterprises and your host. Subscribe to Hot Off The Wire through Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss daily news updates.

As always, be sure to check out our latest episode of Streamed & Screened, a podcast dedicated to movies and television. 

Listen to the latest episode of Streamed & Screened here. 

This week’s top headlines include:

Those stories and more from The Associated Press.

— Compiled and narrated by Terry Lipshetz from Associated Press reports

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 16 at 6 a.m. CT:

Each Saturday Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 15 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

WINCHESTER, Ind. (AP) — Police in Ohio confirmed two deaths resulting from a fierce storm system that unleashed suspected twisters and damaged homes and businesses in parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Chief Deputy Joe Kopus of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio has confirmed the fatalities and says there likely will be more fatalities discovered following the Thursday storm, noting there was heavy damage in area communities. The Indiana State Police say there are “many significant injuries” after a tornado tore through the community of Winchester and say they are investigating reports of deaths. At a Thursday night news conference the state police said there were “no known fatalities” at the time. Forecasters plan to survey the affected areas Friday to confirm the tornado.

LONDON (AP) — System failures at McDonald’s have been reported worldwide, shuttering some restaurants for hours and leading to social media complaints. The fast food chain called the problems Friday a “technology outage” that is being fixed and apologized for the inconvenience. The Chicago-based burger giant said the problems aren't related to a cybersecurity issue. McDonald’s in Japan posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “operations are temporarily out at many of our stores nationwide.” The website Downdetector also reported a spike in problems with the McDonald’s app in the last few hours. Some McDonald’s restaurants are working normally again, with people ordering and getting their food at locations in Bangkok, Milan and London.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza is accusing Israeli forces of launching an attack near an aid distribution point in war-wracked northern Gaza, killing 20 people and wounding 155 others. The Israeli military said on Friday that Palestinian gunmen were the ones to open fire and that none of its forces had fired toward the waiting crowd or the convoy in the violence the previous night. Meanwhile, a ship loaded with some 200 tons of aid is nearing the enclave where hundreds of thousands have been driven to the brink of starvation. The aid ship left Cyprus earlier this week towing a barge laden with food. It could be seen off Gaza’s coast on Friday morning.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a bid by Donald Trump to throw out out his classified documents criminal case, and appeared skeptical during hours of arguments of a separate effort to scuttle the prosecution ahead of trial. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon issued a two-page order Thursday saying that though the Trump team had raised “various arguments warranting serious consideration,” a dismissal of charges was not merited. Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, is presiding over one of the four criminal cases against the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee. This case involves records, some highly classified, he took with him from the White House.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A dozen countries across Africa have suffered a major internet outage as multiple undersea telecommunication cables reported failures. Network disruptions caused by cable damage have occurred in Africa in recent years, but “today’s disruption points to something larger (and) this is amongst the most severe,” said Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, a group that documents internet disruptions around the world. Internet firm Cloudflare reported a pattern in the timing of the disruptions that heavily impacted at least 10 countries in West Africa, including Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso. The cause of the failure was not immediately clear.

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 14 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Massive chunks of hail has pelted parts of Kansas and Missouri and brought traffic to a standstill along Interstate 70. Meteorologists issued thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches Wednesday into Thursday. Alex Sosnowski of AccuWeather said some were calling it “gorilla hail” because of its potential to be so big. Descriptions of hail ranged from the size of golf balls and apples, to softballs and baseballs. There were three unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties. The National Weather Service in Topeka said quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected across northern Kansas overnight until 6 a.m. on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell. Lawmakers are concerned the company’s current ownership structure is beholden to the Chinese government and poses a U.S. national security threat. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman accuses Washington of resorting to political tools when U.S. businesses fail to compete. The House bill now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok has more than 170 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. A TikTok spokesman is criticizing Congress for being too secretive.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge is set to hear arguments on whether to dismiss the classified documents prosecution of Donald Trump. His lawyers say the former president was entitled under the Presidential Records Act to keep the sensitive documents with him when he left the White House and headed to Florida. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team, by contrast, says the files Trump is charged with possessing are presidential records, not personal ones, and that the statute does not apply to classified and top-secret documents like those kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. It's unclear when U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon might rule.

ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia 2020 election interference case has dismissed some of the charges against ex-President Donald Trump, but others remain. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote Wednesday in an order that six of the charges in the indictment must be quashed, including three against Trump. The order leaves intact many other charges in the indictment. The judge wrote that prosecutors could seek a new indictment on the charges he dismissed. The six charges in question have to do with soliciting elected officials to violate their oaths of office. One of the counts stems from a phone call Trump made to fellow Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021. Trump denies wrongdoing.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. report says many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing their conditions deteriorate. The U.N. Development Program issued the report Wednesday. Agency head Achim Steiner says that after two decades during which rich and poor countries were coming closer in terms of development, they are now drifting apart. The report says the Human Development Index that UNDP has been producing since 1990 is projected to reach record highs in 2023 after steep declines during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. But it says development in half of the world’s poorest countries remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

In other headlines:

The U.S. has its first presidential rematch since 1956, and other facts about the Biden-Trump sequel.

Hunter Biden gun case could go to trial as soon as June — if judge refuses motions to dismiss.

Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says.

Dollar Tree to close nearly 1,000 stores, posts surprise fourth quarter loss.

Judge schedules sentencing for movie armorer in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin.

Free agents continue to move freely around the NFL, the Nuggets win a rematch of the NBA Finals, three more teams earn NCAA men's tournament berths, a busy night out west for the NHL and Dylan Cease ceases to be on the White Sox. Also, the Chiefs restructure Patrick Mahomes' contract for salary cap relief and Louisville fires Payne after going 12-52 in two seasons.

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 13 at 7:45 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have clinched their parties' presidential nominations with decisive victories in a slate of low-profile primaries, setting up a general election rematch that many voters do not want. The outcome of contests Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington state and Hawaii was never in doubt. Neither Biden, a Democrat, nor Trump, a Republican, faced major opposition. But the magnitude of their wins gave each man the delegate majority he needed to claim his party’s nomination at the summertime national conventions. There is no longer any doubt that the fall election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. It will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that could lead to a ban of the popular video app TikTok is expected to pass the House as lawmakers act on concerns the company’s ownership structure is a threat to American national security. The bill would require the Chinese firm ByteDance to divest from TikTok and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment or those apps will be prohibited. The lawmakers contend ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which can demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. TikTok denies it could be used as a Chinese government tool. The bill is likely to pass Wednesday but still has a long way to go in the Senate.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food set sail for Gaza on Tuesday in a pilot program for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the 5-month Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.

New artificial intelligence tools are helping doctors communicate with their patients. Some tools answer messages and others take notes during exams. It’s been just 15 months since OpenAI released ChatGPT. Already thousands of doctors are using products based on similar large language models. Enthusiasts say these AI tools save doctors’ time and prevent burnout. They’re also shaking up the doctor-patient relationship, raising questions of trust, transparency, privacy and the future of human connection. AI tools can be prompted to be friendly, empathetic and informative. They can also make mistakes, so it's important that the human doctor stay in the loop.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Labor strife remains an issue in Hollywood after two major strikes were resolved, and the Academy Awards didn’t sidestep that. Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel devoted part of his opening monologue toward vowing to union members and those working behind the scenes that Hollywood’s stars would stand with them as repayment for those workers supporting actors during the strike that brought much of the entertainment industry to a standstill last year. Those crew members are resuming contract talks with studios next week. And video game actors may be going on strike within weeks.

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 12 at 7:45 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden repeatedly told a special counsel he never meant to retain classified information after he left the vice presidency but was at times fuzzy about dates and the paper trail for sensitive documents. That's from a transcript of Biden’s interviews with special counsel Robert Hur that The Associated Press has reviewed before they were turned over to Congress by the Department of Justice. Hur is set to testify Tuesday before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into the handling of classified documents by the Democratic president. Hur concluded in his report Biden should not face criminal charges over his mishandling of documents but also impugned his age and competence.

A ship carrying 200 tons of food is on its way to the embattled Gaza Strip from Cyprus to test the opening of a sea corridor to the besieged territory where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are on the brink of starvation. The food was gathered by World Food Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and is being carried on a barge attached to a ship belonging to the Spanish aid group Open Arms. It's expected to arrive at an undisclosed location on the Gaza coastline in two to three days. The Israeli military meanwhile said about 100 projectiles were launched from Lebanon on Tuesday, some of the heaviest fire emanating from Israel’s northern neighbor since the start of the war in Gaza.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has announced he will resign once a transitional presidential council is created, bowing to international pressure that seeks to save the country overwhelmed by violent gangs that some experts say have unleashed a low-scale civil war. Henry served the longest single term as prime minister since Haiti’s 1987 constitution was approved. Henry made the announcement early Tuesday, hours after officials including Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Jamaica to urgently discuss a solution to halt Haiti’s spiraling crisis. Henry has been unable to enter Haiti because the violence closed its main international airports.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts from four countries are back on Earth after catching a ride from the International Space Station with SpaceX. Their capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Tuesday. NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli led the returning crew. She was joined by astronauts from Denmark, Japan and Russia. The four moved into the space station last August for what turned out to be a 199-day mission. Their replacements arrived last week.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Students and teachers can discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it's not part of instruction. That's according to a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms following passage two years ago of the law prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Opponents said the law had created confusion about whether teachers could identity themselves as LGBTQ. Gov. Ron DeSantis' office described the settlement as a win since the law remains intact.

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 11 at 8:15 a.m. CT:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was crowed best picture at a 96th Academy Awards that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan. The most closely watched contest of the Academy Awards went to Emma Stone, who won best best actress for her performance as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy have won their first Oscars. Robert Downey Jr. won best supporting actor at the Academy Awards, notching his first Oscar and handing the 58-year-old actor a crowning moment in an up-and-down career.

LONDON (AP) — The Princess of Wales has apologized for “confusion” caused by her editing of a family photo released by the palace. The image of Kate and her children was intended to calm concern and speculation about the princess’s health, but had the opposite effect. Several news agencies that initially published the photo, including The Associated Press, withdrew the image over concerns about digital manipulation.

GENEVA (AP) — Police said five cross-country skiers — including members of the same Swiss family — were found dead along a high Alpine ridge after going missing over the weekend near Switzerland’s famed Matterhorn.

OLIVETTE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man has been charged with shooting and killing his mother as she tried to enter the back door of their home. Jaylen Johnson’s attorney, William Goldstein, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Johnson believed his mother was an intruder when she tried to enter the home in the St. Louis suburb of Olivette around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.