Hot Off The Wire

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Feb. 29 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have announced a tentative agreement to prevent a government shutdown, for now. Wednesday's deal comes days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations. Under the plan, Congress would temporarily extend funding for one set of federal agencies through March 8 and for another through March 22. In the meantime, Congress will try to draft and pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year. Notably missing is a $95 billion emergency package for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies, which remains stubbornly stalled. Hard-right Republicans want steeper spending reductions. Voting in the House is expected Thursday, right before Friday's deadline when some federal monies run out.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Witnesses say Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City. According to healthy officials, more than 100 people were killed, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both heading to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. On Thursday, the two will be there and have chosen optimal locations from which to make their respective points.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's decision to consider whether Donald Trump can face prosecution in his federal 2020 election interference case injects immediate uncertainty into the legal and political calendar over the next several months. Wednesday's decision raises the potential that a trial could collide with the final stretch of the 2024 election — but also the potential that a trial that had initially been set for March might not take place this year at all. The Supreme Court will decide a legally untested question: whether former presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts they take in office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will investigate potential national security risks posed by Chinese-made “smart cars” that can gather sensitive information about Americans driving them.

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Lewis, an acclaimed comedian known for exploring his neuroses in frantic, stream-of-consciousness diatribes while dressed in all-black, leading to his nickname “The Prince of Pain,” has died. He was 76. A regular performer in clubs and on late-night TV for decades, Lewis also played Marty Gold, the romantic co-lead opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, in the ABC series “Anything But Love” and the reliably neurotic Prince John in “Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.” He re-introduced himself to a new generation opposite Larry David in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” kvetching regularly.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell says he'll step down as Senate Republican leader in November. The 82-year-old Kentucky lawmaker is the longest-serving Senate leader in history. He's maintained his power in the face of dramatic changes in the Republican Party. He made the announcement Wednesday on the Senate floor.

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 Feb. 28 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

A series of wildfires are sweeping across the Texas Panhandle, prompting evacuations, cutting off power to thousands, and forcing the brief shutdown of a nuclear weapons facility. Strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest blaze burned nearly 470 square miles. The fire tore through sparsely populated counties surrounded by rolling plains.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump have won their party’s primaries in Michigan. However, Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to win the swing state in November. An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. Support for Trump rival Nikki Haley once again showed that some Republican voters may have misgivings about giving the former president another four years in the general election.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is signing an executive order aiming to better protect Americans’ personal data on everything from biometrics and health records to finances and geolocation from foreign adversaries like China and Russia.

The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died earlier this month in a remote Arctic penal colony, will take place on Friday in Moscow after several locations declined to host the service, his spokesperson says. Kira Yarmysh says the funeral will be held at a church in Moscow’s southeast Maryino district on Friday afternoon. The burial is to be at a nearby cemetery. 

In other news:

San Francisco apologizes to Black residents for decades of racist policies.

UK's Prince William pulls out of memorial service for his godfather because of "personal matter."

—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 Feb. 27 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump are marching toward their respective presidential nominations. But Michigan’s primary on Tuesday could reveal significant political perils for both of them. Trump faces a bloc of stubbornly persistent GOP voters who favor his lone remaining rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Biden is confronting an energized movement of disillusioned voters upset with his handling of the war in Gaza. Michigan is the last major primary state before Super Tuesday and a critical swing state in November’s general election. Even if Biden and Trump post dominant victories on Tuesday, both campaigns will be looking at the margins for signs of weakness.

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden has signaled that a cease-fire in Gaza could be at hand. He said that Israel has agreed to pause its offensive during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some hostages held by Hamas. But both Israel and Hamas downplayed on Tuesday the idea that a breakthrough was imminent. In the wake of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, Israel’s air, sea and ground campaign in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people, obliterated large swaths of the urban landscape, and displaced 80% of the battered enclave’s population. Now, the prospect of an invasion of Rafah has prompted global alarm over the fate of civilians trapped there. Talks to pause the fighting have gained momentum recently and were underway Tuesday.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European heavyweights Germany and Poland insist that they will not send troops to Ukraine. That's after reports said some Western countries may be considering sending troops. NATO's chief also says the U.S.-led military alliance has no plans to send troops to Ukraine. The Kremlin, meanwhile, is warning of the “inevitability” of direct conflict between NATO and Russia if the alliance sends them. French President Emmanuel Macron says that sending in Western troops should not be “ruled out” in the future. Slovakia’s Prime Minister says some countries are weighing whether to do it.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge has set a trial date for Alec Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from a deadly shooting on the set of the movie “Rust.” Jury selection is scheduled to begin July 9, with the trial starting the following day. The proceedings are expected to last eight days. Baldwin, the lead actor and a co-producer on the film, pleaded not guilty in January. He was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director. The movie's armorer also was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Her trial is underway.

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 Feb. 26 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Human Rights Watch says Israel is not complying with an order issued by the United Nations’ top court because it is failing to provide urgently needed aid to desperate people in the Gaza Strip. The rights group's accusation comes one month after a landmark ruling in The Hague ordered Israel to moderate its war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force was critically injured after setting himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., while declaring that he “will no longer be complicit in genocide."

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has canceled his engagements Monday morning due to persistent but mild flu symptoms. The Vatican press office made the announcement in a short statement on Monday, adding that the pontiff did not have a fever.

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Vigils took place across the nation for Oklahoma teenager Nex Benedict, who died the day after a fight in a high school bathroom. Benedict was a nonbinary student who said they were the target of bullying. Vigils were held at locations including Boston, New York, Minneapolis and Huntington Beach, California over the weekend. Others were held or planned in several states including Washington, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the emergency aid package for Ukraine and Israel, as well as avoiding a government shutdown next month.

NEW YORK (AP) — This year looks to be a much better one for the U.S. economy than business economists were forecasting just a few months ago. That's according to a survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics. The economy looks set to grow 2.2% this year after adjusting for inflation. That’s up from an earlier forecast of 1.3%.

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.

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 Feb. 24 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 Feb. 23 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is in Ukraine to try to reassure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials that Congress will deliver U.S. aid, even as a package that would provide $60 billion is stalled in the U.S. House. Schumer’s surprise trip comes as Zelenskyy has said that delays in aid from the U.S. and other Western countries are opening a door for Russian battlefield advances. The Senate passed the Ukraine aid last week, but Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet put forward a plan for passing it in the House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department plans to impose more than 500 new sanctions on Russia and its war machine on Friday as the U.S. vows to keep up its financial pressure on Moscow with the war entering its third grueling year. 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The latest figures from the National Police show that more than 30,000 people have been reported missing in Ukraine during two years of war. Among them are military personnel, civilians and children. Tens of thousands of people have disappeared under a variety of circumstances, their whereabouts unknown.

AT&T says the hourslong outage to its U.S. cellphone network appeared to be the result of a technical error, not a malicious attack. The Dallas-based company blamed the outage Thursday on an error in coding while it was expanding its network, without elaborating.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lander has made the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. Intuitive Machines' lander touched down Thursday, but left flight controllers scrambling before gaining better contact. nce communication was improved, the company confirmed the lander was upright and starting to send back data. The landing put the U.S. back on the moon for the first time since NASA's Apollo moonwalkers.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley’s best-case scenario for her home state’s Republican primary might be to do well enough to be competitive on Super Tuesday. An upset in South Carolina, though, is a longshot in a state where Republicans like their former governor but love former President Donald Trump. 

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston has man has pleaded guilty to securities fraud for trading on inside information from his wife's business conversations while both were working from home. 

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 Feb. 22 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “crazy SOB” during a fundraiser for his reelection campaign Wednesday night. Biden also took aim at former President Donald Trump’s comments comparing himself to the Russian opposition leader who died last week in an Arctic prison. Biden is in California on a three-day swing to raise money for his reelection campaign. He has been warning voters what is at stake should Trump, his likely Republican challenger, win in November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is considering using provisions of federal immigration law repeatedly tapped by former President Donald Trump to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown at the southern border. That's according to three people familiar with the deliberations. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing White House deliberations.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A large Alabama hospital has paused in vitro fertilization treatments as health care providers weigh the impact of a state court ruling that frozen embryos are the legal equivalent of children. The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system said in a statement Wednesday that it must evaluate whether its patients or doctors could face criminal charges or punitive damages for undergoing IVF treatments. 

CHICAGO (AP) — Officials say seven people have been hospitalized, including a baby in critical condition, after a fire in a Chicago high-rise building. 

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing says the head of its 737 jetliner program is leaving the company immediately, paving the way for the aircraft maker to appoint new leadership at the troubled division. Ed Clark had been with Boeing for 18 years. Boeing said Wednesday that Katie Ringgold will succeed him as vice president and general manager of the 737 program, and the company's Renton, Washington, site.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé is making history once again: The superstar singer became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart. The singer achieved the feat after her new single “Texas Hold ’Em” reached No. 1 on the country airplay chart this week. She dropped the song on Super Bowl Sunday along with her other single “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 9 on the same chart.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed an executive order and created a federal rule aimed at better securing the nation’s ports from potential cyberattacks. The administration is outlining Wednesday a set of cybersecurity regulations that port operators must comply with across the country, not unlike standardized safety regulations that seek to prevent injury or damage to people and infrastructure. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden's brother has told lawmakers that the president “never had any involvement” in the family’s business dealings. That statement came from James Biden when he appeared for a voluntary private interview Wednesday on Capitol Hill as part of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry. The more than eight-hour interview was the latest in a series that GOP lawmakers have conducted recently as they try to rebuild momentum for an impeachment process surrounding the Biden family’s overseas finances.

Chinese police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor linked to China’s top policing agency and other parts of its government. It's a trove that reveals and catalogs apparent hacking activity and tools to spy on both Chinese and foreigners. Among the apparent targets of tools provided by the impacted company, I-Soon, are ethnicities and dissidents in parts of China that have seen significant anti-government protests like Hong Kong or Xinjiang.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the United States, chronic worker shortages have led many companies to invest in machines to do some of the work they can’t find people to do. They’ve also been training the workers they do have to use advanced technology so they can produce more with less. The result has been an unexpected productivity boom, which helps explain a great economic mystery: How has the world’s largest economy managed to remain so healthy, with brisk growth and low unemployment, despite brutally high interest rates that are intended to tame inflation but that typically cause a recession?

LONDON (AP) — Judges say WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange won’t find out until next month at the earliest whether can appeal extradition to the U.S. on spying charges. If he fails, his long legal battle in Britain will have run out of road. Two High Court judges said Wednesday they will take time to consider their verdict. 

PARIS (AP) — Striking workers have again closed down the Eiffel Tower. It's the third day running that the landmark expected to be at the heart of celebrations for the Paris Olympics has been off-limits to visitors. 

LSU and Penn State score one-point wins over ranked opponent, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews makes NHL history and the MLS season gets off to a great start. Also, Eric Hosmer retires from baseball following a 13-year career and a World Series title and the Chicago Bears add Jennifer King as their first ever female assistant coach.

—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 Feb. 21 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's state TV says an Israeli strike that hit a residential area in the country's capital of Damascus has killed two people. The TV reported that several missiles hit the western neighborhood of Kfar Sousseh on Wednesday morning. The pro-government Sham FM radio station said the strike hit a building near an Iranian-run school. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years. Israel rarely acknowledges its actions in Syria, but it has said that it targets bases of Iran-allied militants, such as Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Prosecutors say a former FBI informant charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company had contacts with officials affiliated with Russian intelligence. Prosecutors said that in a court filing urging a judge to keep Alexander Smirnov behind bars while he awaits trial. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts allowed Smirnov to be released from custody on electronic GPS monitoring. He is charged with falsely reporting to the FBI in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016.

LONDON (AP) — Lawyers for the American government are telling a London court why they think Julian Assange should face espionage charges in the United States. Their statements on Wednesday are in response to a last-ditch bid to stop the WikiLeaks founder's extradition. Assange’s lawyers are asking the High Court to grant him a new appeal in the long-running saga. Lawyers for the U.S. say Assange “committed serious criminal offences” that put lives at risk by publishing classified American documents. Assange’s lawyers argued on the first day of the hearing on Tuesday that American authorities are seeking to punish Assange for WikiLeaks’ exposure of U.S. military wrongdoing. Two judges hearing the case are expected to take several weeks to consider their verdict.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A judge has sentenced parenting advice blogger Ruby Franke to possibly decades in prison after she admitted to physically and emotionally abusing her children. Franke and mental health counselor Jodi Hildebrandt spoke Tuesday during their sentencing hearings after they pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Hildebrandt will also serve up to 30 years in prison. Franke apologized to her children Tuesday but blamed Hildebrandt for brainwashing her. The women were arrested at Hildebrandt’s house last August after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped. Franke and her husband launched the YouTube channel “8 Passengers” in 2015 and amassed a large following as they documented their experiences raising six children.

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — As President Joe Biden pushes House Republicans to pass needed aid for Ukraine, he wants voters to understand that nearly two-thirds would actually be going to U.S. factories, like a munitions plant set to open this summer in a gleaming new industrial park in suburban Dallas. Administration officials combed through the foreign aid in the $95 billion bipartisan supplemental funding bill passed by the Senate. Of the $61 billion for Ukraine, nearly $40 billion would go to U.S. factories that make missiles, munitions and other gear. House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to put the bill up for a vote in the House.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two men have been charged with murder in last week’s shooting after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade. Court documents released Tuesday say the men were strangers who pulled out guns and began firing within seconds of starting an argument. Missouri prosecutors said at a news conference that Lyndell Mays, of Raytown, Missouri, and Dominic Miller, of Kansas City, Missouri, have been charged with second-degree murder and several weapons counts. The shooting left one person dead and roughly two dozen others injured. Mays and Miller were shot in the melee and have been hospitalized since.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created during fertility treatments should be considered children under state law. Justices issued the ruling Friday in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic. Justices said an 1872 state law allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” The ruling brought a rush of warnings from groups and advocates who said it would have sweeping implications for fertility treatments in the state.

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines is raising bag fees and pushing customers to buy tickets directly from the airline if they want to earn frequent-flyer points. American said Tuesday that checking a bag on domestic flights will rise from $30 now to $35 online, and it'll be $40 if purchased at the airport. The fee for a second checked bag will rise from $40 to $45 both online and at the airport. American says it hasn't raised bag fees since 2018. American Airlines also says that most customers will have to buy tickets directly from the airline or partner airlines or approved travel sites if they want to earn frequent-flyer points. Corporate travelers won’t be affected by the change.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. is being added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, joining Apple, Walt Disney, Walmart and other companies that make up the 30-stock average. S&P Dow Jones Indices said Tuesday that the e-commerce giant will replace drugstore operator Walgreens Boots Alliance in the Dow before the open of trading on Monday. The shift was prompted by Walmart’s decision to do a 3-to-1 stock split, which will reduce its stock’s weighting in the index. The Dow is a price-weighted index, so stocks that fetch higher prices are given more weight. Meanwhile, ride-sharing service Uber Technologies will be added to the Dow Jones Transportation Average, replacing JetBlue Airways.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Beatles are getting the big-screen biopic treatment in a Fab Four of movies that will give each band member their own film. All are to be directed by Sam Mendes. For the first time, the Beatles are giving full life and music rights to a movie project. Sony Pictures announced Monday a deal that may dwarf all music biopics that have come before it, with the stories of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr spread out over a quartet of films. The films are expected to roll out theatrically in 2027, with the movies potentially coexisting or intersecting in cinemas.

NEW YORK (AP) — A curious criminal case involving handwritten lyrics to the classic rock megahit “Hotel California” and other Eagles favorites is going to trial in a New York courtroom. Opening statements are set for Wednesday. The three defendants are well-established figures in the collectibles world. They're accused of scheming to thwart band Eagles co-founder Don Henley’s efforts to reclaim the allegedly ill-gotten documents. Rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and various other charges. The trial centers on over 80 pages of draft lyrics to songs from the “Hotel California” album. The 1976 release stands today as the third-biggest selling disc ever in the U.S.

HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush’s speedboat has a new owner. The 38-foot “Fidelity V” sold for $435,000 during the George and Barbara Bush Foundation’s 2024 Presidential Salute auction. Last week's event in Houston benefited the the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. The buyer was anonymous and it’s unclear what will become of the boat. The vessel sports a presidential seal and is powered by three Mercury outboard engines with a combined 900 horsepower. It was used in the waters off Kennebunkport, Maine, which is home to the Texas family's summer retreat.

The top team in college basketball and two other Top 25 teams are upset, Tennessee rallies for a road win, the College Football Playoff modifies its 12-team playoff format, the Nets name an interim head coach, a former Rockets star dies after battling cancer, the Rangers winning streak continues, and Alex Ovechkin scores twice to beat the Devils.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, has signed new legislative district maps into law that he proposed and that the Republicans who control the Legislature passed to avoid having the liberal-leaning state Supreme Court draw the lines. Democrats are hailing it as a major political victory in the swing state where the Legislature has been firmly under Republican control for more than a decade, even as Democrats have won 14 of the past 17 statewide elections. Democrats are almost certain to gain seats in the state Assembly and state Senate under the new maps, which will be in place for the November election.

Divers have recovered the body of an 11-year-old girl from a Texas river days after she went missing, and authorities say they are preparing to file a murder charge against a friend of the girl's father. Sheriff Byron Lyons in Polk County, Texas, said Tuesday that the body of Audrii Cunningham was recovered from the Trinity River north of Houston. The girl's family in Livingston reported her missing last Thursday after she failed to return home after school. Authorities say an arrest warrant is being prepared for Don Steven McDougal on a recommended charge of capital murder. Authorities said he's a friend of the girl’s father and lived in a camper on the family property.

NEW YORK (AP) — A man suspected in the death of a woman who was fatally bludgeoned in a New York City hotel room earlier this month has been arrested in Arizona, where police say he is a suspect in two stabbings in recent days. New York City police officials said Tuesday that they are seeking to extradite and arrest Raad Almansoori, 26, in the killing of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38, whose body was found by staff on the floor of a lower Manhattan hotel room on Feb. 8. He has not yet been charged. Almansoori was arrested on Sunday in Arizona, where he was later booked on suspicion of attempted murder, aggravated assault and theft of means of transportation.

The funeral of a renowned transgender activist in a New York cathedral elicited a denunciation of the event by a senior church official, who called the Mass a scandal within one of the preeminent houses of worship in U.S. Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York condemned the funeral of Cecilia Gentili in Manhattan's St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Thursday. The 52-year-old was a leading advocate for transgender people, sex workers and people with HIV. The pastor of Saint Patrick’s says the cathedral only knew of a request for a Catholic funeral mass and has denounced behavior at the event. Gentili’s family denied that the church had been deceived and said the funeral “brought ... joy to the Cathedral," despite the church's anti-trans views.

—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 Feb. 20 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Another wet winter storm is swamping California with heavy rainfall, flooding the runways at a regional airport and leading to several rescues on swollen rivers and creeks. The Santa Barbara airport closed Monday after nearly 10 inches of rain had fallen in the area by noon. In neighboring San Luis Obispo County, crews helped three people out of the rising Salinas River in the city of Paso Robles. Forecasters say more rain is expected to impact the state through the night and into Tuesday. The storm is expected to move through quicker than the devastating atmospheric river that parked itself over Southern California earlier this month, causing hundreds of landslides and killing at least nine people.

The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin did not see the video in which Alexei Navalny’s widow vowed to continue his fight and dismissed her allegations that Putin had killed the country’s opposition leader as “unfounded” and “insolent.” In the video released Monday, Yulia Navalnaya accused Putin of killing her husband in the remote Artic prison and alleged that officials’ refusal to hand over his body to his mother was part of a cover-up. Russian authorities say the cause of Navalny’s death is still unknown and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an international investigation into Navalny’s death but Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin would not accept any such demand.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — South Africa has argued at the United Nations’ top court that Israel is responsible for apartheid against the Palestinians and that Israel’s occupation of land sought for a Palestinian state is “inherently and fundamentally illegal.” Israel rejects such claims. The South African representatives were speaking on Tuesday — the second day of hearings at the International Court of Justice, based on a request by the General Assembly for a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s policies in the occupied territories. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday that Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the discussions at the world court.

Court records show that a man who died after fatally shooting two police officers and a firefighter in a wooded suburban-Minneapolis neighborhood wasn’t legally allowed to have guns. He also was entangled in a yearslong dispute over the custody and financial support of his three oldest children. Authorities on Monday identified 38-year-old Shannon Gooden as the man who opened fire on police in the affluent suburb of Burnsville after they responded to a domestic disturbance call early Sunday. The caller reported that he had barricaded himself in his home with family members, including seven children aged 2 to 15 years. He was found dead inside the home hours later.

Home Depot’s sales continued to weaken in its fiscal fourth quarter, as the country’s largest home improvement retailer deals with Americans who remain concerned about high mortgage rates and inflation. While its quarterly results topped analysts’ expectations, it provided a soft sales forecast for fiscal 2024. Shares slipped before the market open on Tuesday.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A judge in Haiti responsible for investigating the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse has indicted his widow, Martine Moïse, ex-prime minister Claude Joseph and the former chief of Haiti’s National Police, Léon Charles. The indictments are expected to further destabilize Haiti as it struggles with a surge in gang violence and recovers from a spate of violent protests demanding the resignation of current Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Dozens of suspects were indicted in the 122-page report issued by Walther Wesser Voltaire, who is the fifth judge to lead the investigation after previous ones stepped down for various reasons, including fear of being killed.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Canadian government will dispatch more than 800 drones to Ukraine starting as early as this spring. The Department of National Defence says that drones have become a critical capability for Ukraine in its war with Russia. The government says the drones are important for surveillance and intelligence gathering, and can also be used to move supplies, including munitions. The announcement comes days ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley is using the closing days of the South Carolina GOP primary matchup with Donald Trump to hone her argument that she is the lone remaining candidate who can unite Americans. It’s a tall order for Haley as her home state prepares to vote on Saturday. Trump has remained popular in South Carolina since his 2016 primary win in the state. Haley has maintained that her ability to stick it out in the race thus far means that she’s in it for the long haul. In a new TV ad, Haley argues she's the only choice who can keep America on solid footing abroad.

Republicans have been softening their stance on Russia ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election following Russian hacking of his Democratic opponents. There are several reasons for the shift. For one, Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding himself out as an international champion of conservative Christian values. As well, the GOP is growing increasingly skeptical of international entanglements. Then there's Trump’s own embrace of the Russian leader. Now the GOP’s ambivalence on Russia has stalled additional aid to Ukraine. Many Republicans are openly frustrated that their colleagues don’t see the benefits of helping Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says that the government would provide $1.5 billion to the computer chip company GlobalFoundries to expand its domestic production in New York and Vermont. The announcement is the third award of financial support for a semiconductor company under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. The law enables the government to invest more than $52 billion to revitalize the manufacturing of computer chips in the United States as well as advance research and development. GlobalFoundries intends to use the funding to help pay for the construction of a new advanced chip factory in Malta, New York, increase production at its existing plant in Malta, and revitalize its plant in Burlington, Vermont.

NEW YORK (AP) — Capital One Financial is buying Discover Financial Services for $35 billion, in a deal that would bring together two of the nation’s biggest lenders and credit card issuers. Discover Financial shareholders will receive Capital One shares valued at nearly $140, according to a news release issued by the companies Monday. Discover shares closed Friday trading at $110.49. Virginia-based Capital One was the 12th largest U.S. bank as of the third quarter. Illinois-based Discover was the 33rd biggest. Both banks have benefitted from Americans increasingly using their credit cards, but have also needed to set aside more money to guard against defaults.

NEW YORK (AP) — For many students, the excitement of being accepted into their first-choice college is being tempered this year by a troublesome uncertainty over whether they’ll get the financial aid they need to attend. The financial aid decisions that usually go out with acceptance letters are being delayed because of a later-than-expected rollout of a revised federal financial aid application, the form that schools use to compute financial aid. Schools won’t get the information they need to award financial aid until next month, forcing them to adapt. Some have moved away from the popular May 1 deadline for students to accept their offers of admission.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's Republican-led House has passed a ban on celebratory gunfire in cities less than a week after a deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade. The bipartisan-supported bill passed Monday after a tearful and confrontational debate between Republicans and Democrats over the best way to address last week's shooting. House Democrats earlier that day called for more regulations on guns. Majority Leader Jon Patterson says House Republicans support gun rights. But he says Republicans should be open to talking, including about gun laws. Police have said a dispute may have led to last week's shooting. Authorities have not made any indication that the gunfire was celebratory.

In sports, the rain-delayed Daytona 500 crowns William Byron, the Nets make a coaching change, the Wild and Canucks combine for 17 goals and a battle of top 10 teams meet in college basketball.

In international news, Israel orders new evacuations in Northern Gaza, UN Security council to vote on Gaza ceasefire, Haiti judge indicts several on assassination of President, Russia waits for global support for Ukraine to wither and tribal violence in Papua New Guinea.

—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.