Hot Off The Wire

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

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A shooting at a Waffle House restaurant in Indianapolis has killed a woman and wounded five other victims. the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says officers responded to a report of a shooting at the restaurant on Lynhurst Drive around 12:30 a.m. Monday. Police found five victims with gunshot wounds who were transported to a hospital, including a woman who was in critical condition and died at the hospital. The wounded victims included a woman and three men, who all were listed in stable condition. Police say a sixth man traveled separately to a hospital with a gunshot wound from the shooting and was listed in critical condition. Investigators believe an altercation between two groups of people at the restaurant escalated to gunfire. There were no immediate arrests.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (AP) — A suburban Minneapolis community was in mourning after authorities said two police officers and a firefighter were killed by a heavily armed man who shot at them from inside a home that was filled with children. Officials say the suspect in the shooting also died. The shooting in Burnsville also wounded a third officer. Seven children were inside the home, but officials say the family was able to leave the home safely. Hundreds of people gathered in front of Burnsville City Hall on Sunday night for a candlelit vigil to remember the victims.

BERLIN (AP) — An American man is on trial Kempten, Southern Germany for murder and other offenses after he allegedly pushed two women from the U.S. into a ravine near Neuschwanstein castle in June last year, fatally injuring one of them. The German news agency dpa reported Monday that the 31-year-old defendant admitted to the charges against him. Defendants in the German legal system do not formally enter pleas to charges. Prosecutors said the defendant raped one of the women and pushed her down the ravine, killing her. He also pushed the other woman down the ravine but she survived. Murder charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison in Germany.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels damaged a Belize-flagged ship traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, forcing the crew to abandon the ship. The ship targeted in the Houthi attack on Sunday reported sustaining damage after “an explosion in close proximity to the vessel." That's according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which said its crew had survived unscathed in the attack. Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree issued a statement claiming the attack, saying the vessel was “now at risk of potentially sinking.”

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said on Monday that 107 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. That brings the total number of fatalities to 29,092 since the start of the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its records, but says most of those killed were women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The latest in a series of wet winter storms is gaining strength in California. Forecasters warned Monday of possible flooding, hail, strong winds and even brief tornadoes as the system moves south over the next few days. The National Weather Service says the central coast is at risk of “significant flooding.” Up to 5 inches of rain is predicted for many areas. Isolated rain totals of 10 inches are possible in the Santa Lucia and Santa Ynez mountain ranges. Flood watches and warnings have been issued in coastal and mountain areas up and down the state.

MENTON, France (AP) — As most of Europe moves into the solemn weeks before Easter, the party is just getting started on the French Rivera. The Mediterranean town of Menton showcased its lush citrus and celebrated the upcoming Olympics in Paris during its Carnival parade on Sunday. Sculptures of athletes assembled from lemons and oranges decorated the streets and rode on giant floats. Nice, the Rivera’s capital, kicked off its annual Carnival season on Saturday night with a pop culture-themed parade that featured “Star Wars” character Luke Skywalker as king and Marilyn Monroe, clad in a Superwoman costume, as his queen. Modern versions of Carnival over the past century mocked politicians and ridiculed public figures.

ATLANTA (AP) — Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Rosalynn Carter died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis. She lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside. Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As he closes in on the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump made a highly unusual stop. On Saturday he hawked new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show On Earth.” Trump was met with loud boos as well as cheers at the Philadelphia Convention Center as he introduced what he called the first official Trump footwear. The shoes are shiny gold high tops with an American flag detail on the back. They are being sold as “Never Surrender High-Tops” for $399 on a new website that also sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle.

In sports, the NBA stars put on a show, a pair of men's basketball top 25 teams lose, the top ranked team in women's college basketball records a record setting victory, it was a light schedule in the NHL, the PGA Tour sees a come from behind winner, and the Daytona 500 is pushed by a day due to weather.

In entertainment, Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” outperformed expectations to debut at No. 1 at the box office with a $27.7 million opening weekend. But Sony’s “Madame Web” flopped with one of the lowest debuts for a movie centered on a Marvel character. Former Rep. George Santos is suiing Jimmy Kimmel, concerns over Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney's famous bass has been returned.

In this week's small business monitor, a look at positive job growth.

In this week's religion roundup, there are many unanswered questions after a shooting at Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch.

—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. 17 at 6 a.m. CT:

CHICAGO (AP) — Abortion rights advocates are trying to get initiatives to protect reproductive health on the ballot in several states this year. And one major difference has emerged in their proposed language: whether to include mental health as an exception. A Missouri proposal would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions after a fetus is considered viable, except if an abortion “is needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.” A similar measure has been proposed in Arizona, but proposals in Florida, Montana and Nebraska do not explicitly mention mental health. The CDC says mental health conditions were the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths from 2017 to 2019.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Doctors in states with strict abortion restrictions say an increasing number of pregnant women are seeking early prenatal testing. They're hoping to detect serious problems while they still have time to choose whether to continue the pregnancy or have an abortion. But early ultrasounds show far less about the condition of a fetus than later ones. And genetic screenings may be inaccurate. Since Roe v. Wade, about half the states have put in abortion bans or restrictions. And that's started the clock ticking. Many health care providers say more patients are deciding the fate of their pregnancies based on whatever information they can gather before state bans kick in.

Officials in central Oregon this week reported a case of bubonic plague in a resident who likely got the disease from a sick pet cat. The infected resident and the resident’s close contacts have all been provided medication, public health officials say, and people in the community are not believed to be at risk. The cat was treated but did not survive. Plague isn’t common, but it also isn’t unheard of in the western United States, where a handful of cases occur every year. Here are a few things to know about what the plague is, who is at risk and how a disease that was once a harbinger of death became a treatable illness.

NEW YORK (AP) — A recent death has brought new attention to the so-called Alaskapox virus. The bug belongs to a family of brick-shaped viruses that can infect animals and humans. Smallpox is perhaps the most famous of the group. But other family members include cowpox, horsepox and mpox — formerly known as monkeypox. An elderly man who died last month is believed to be the first known death from Alaskapox. He lived in the Kenai Peninsula and had a suppressed immune system because of cancer treatment. There have been fewer than 10 cases, all in Alaska, since the virus was discovered nine years ago.

Nearly two-thirds of American Jews feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago. That’s according to the latest annual survey from the American Jewish Committee. The AJC — a prominent Jewish advocacy organization — conducted the survey last fall, just as the Israel-Hamas war began. The survey released Tuesday found almost half of American Jews have altered their behavior during the past year to avoid being perceived as Jewish. AJC began its annual survey five years ago, after the Tree of Life synagogue massacre, the deadliest antisemitic attack on American soil. Since then, most Jews and more than half of Americans say they think antisemitism has increased.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Scientists say the back-to-back storms that lashed the Northeast in January were more of a sign of things to come than an anomaly. Many scientists who study the intersection of climate change, flooding, winter storms and sea level say such storms will arrive with increased frequency and ferocity, and the damage they leave behind will worsen as sea levels rise. They say the January storms that destroyed wharfs in Maine, eroded sand dunes in New Hampshire and destroyed houses in Rhode Island are becoming more the norm than the exception, and the time to prepare for them is now.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief is warning that climate chaos and food crises are increasing threats to global peace. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a high-level U,N. meeting Tuesday that climate disasters imperil food production and “empty bellies fuel unrest.” He urged the U.N. Security Council to address the impact of food shortages and rising temperatures on international peace and security — a view echoed by many countries but not Russia. Guterres said: “Climate and conflict are two leading drivers of (our) global food crisis” and “where wars rage, hunger reigns." Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said climate and food should be discussed elsewhere in the U.N., and blamed former Western colonial powers and the U.S. for current crises in the developing world.

CHICAGO (AP) — Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicago isn't renewing its ShotSpotter contract and will stop using the controversial gunshot detection system later this year. The system relies on an artificial intelligence algorithm and microphones to identify gunshots. But it has been criticized for inaccuracy, racial bias and law enforcement misuse. Chicago’s $49 million contract with SoundThinking expires Friday. The city plans to wind down its use of ShotSpotter technology by late September. Johnson, a first-term mayor, campaigned on a promise to end the use of ShotSpotter, putting him at odds with law enforcement. Police say the technology puts officers on the scene of shootings much faster than waiting for 911 calls.

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — The family of a teen murdered at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is launching a campaign where re-created voices of gun violence victims will call federal lawmakers. The parents of 17-year-old Joaquin Oliver launched the project on Wednesday, the massacre's sixth anniversary. Oliver and 16 others died in the shooting. The recordings re-creating voices of victims from around the country are being robocalled to U.S. senators and House members who oppose stricter gun laws. Manuel and Patricia Oliver say they hope the calls will pressure the lawmakers to shift their positions. The Olivers want the sale of military-style semi-automatic rifles like the one that killed their son banned.

WHITEFISH POINT, Mich. (AP) — Shipwreck hunters have discovered a merchant ship that sank in Lake Superior in 1940, taking its captain with it during a storm off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain announced Monday the discovery of the 244-foot bulk carrier Arlington just north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The Arlington was fully loaded with wheat and headed to Owen Sound, Ontario, when it sank on May 1, 1940. All crew members survived, but Captain Frederick “Tatey Bug” Burke went down with his ship after ordering it onto the open lake during the storm.

—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. 16 at 6:15 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI informant has been charged with lying to authorities about a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme between President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company. The claim is central to a Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Prosecutors say Alexander Smirnov falsely told FBI agents in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016.

NEW YORK (AP) — A verdict is expected Friday in Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial, adding to a monumental week on the former president’s legal calendar. Trump could be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties and other sanctions for allegedly inflating his wealth on financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to make deals and secure loans.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge says former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will go ahead as scheduled with jury selection starting on March 25. Judge Juan Manuel Merchan said Thursday he made the decision after speaking with the judge in Trump’s now-delayed federal election interference case in the nation's capital.

ATLANTA (AP) — Allegations of misconduct have taken center stage in the case charging Donald Trump with interfering in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, thrusting top prosecutors’ private lives into the spotlight. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to return to the witness stand Friday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Police say the shooting that left one person dead and nearly two dozen injured after the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade appeared to stem from a dispute between several people. Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday that the 22 injured people ranged in age from 8 to 47 years old, with half of them were under the age of 16. A mother of two was killed.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark becomes the all-time scoring leader for NCAA women's basketball, the Timberwolves hit the All-Star break atop the west, the Lightning strike down the Avalanche, Tiger Woods makes his 2024 PGA debut and Jimmie Johnson qualifies for the Daytona 500.

—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. 15 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl celebration has become the latest backdrop for a mass shooting as gunfire sent fans scrambling for cover and left 21 people wounded and one woman dead. At least eight children are among those who were shot. Wednesday’s shooting outside the city's historic Union Station happened despite the presence of more than 800 police officers on hand for the parade. Police say three people were taken into custody and firearms were recovered. But no details have been given about those who were detained or possible motive.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has gathered highly sensitive intelligence about Russian anti-satellite weapons that has been shared in recent weeks with the upper echelons of government. That's according to four people who have been briefed on the intelligence but were not authorized to comment publicly. Administration officials declined to publicly address the nature of the threat. House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned against being overly alarmed.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say a missile strike on the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukraine border has killed five people, including a child, and injured 18 others, in what appears to be the latest exchange of long-range missile and rocket fire between the two countries. Hours earlier, Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles at a broad area of Ukraine, hitting multiple regions after a midnight strike in Ukraine’s northeast killed four people in an apartment building.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces have stormed the main hospital in southern Gaza in what the army says is a limited operation seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. Thursday's raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

NABATIYEH, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanon's state-run news agency says the civilian death toll from two Israeli strikes in Lebanon the day before has now risen to 10, making it the single deadliest day since in more than four months of near-daily cross-border exchanges. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for Wednesday's strikes, which hit in the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon just hours after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier and wounded eight.

ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump is set to hear arguments on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the case.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A trial is scheduled to begin Thursday in North Dakota's years-old lawsuit seeking $38 million from the federal government for policing protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016-17. The state filed the lawsuit in 2019, followed by years of legal wrangling before a judge set the trial date in December.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is giving airports $970 million for improvements in terminals including things like wider concourses, new baggage-handling systems, and more gates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden avoided criminal charges around his handling of classified documents in part because of his answers during a lengthy interview with the special counsel investigating him. But the sit-down has also opened Biden to scrutiny over his age and memory. Now, the public release of a transcript of that discussion is being sought by both Biden's allies and critics, both sides looking for a political edge.

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. 14 at 8:45 a.m. CT:

New York Democrat Tom Suozzi has won a special election for the House seat formerly held by George Santos. Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip in a contest to represent a district that includes parts of Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens. The win narrows an already-thin margin held by Republicans in the House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration's handling of the U.S-Mexico border. In a historic rebuke of a sitting Cabinet secretary, the Republican majority was determined to try again to impeach Mayorkas after having failed last week.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A driver car crashed into a Texas hospital’s emergency room, killing the driver and injuring five others, including a child with life-threatening injuries. The car smashed into the lobby of the ER at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center shortly after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said at a news briefing.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A quick-moving winter storm that hit the Northeast on Tuesday has brought significant snowfall to some areas while others got less than expected.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military says it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea using naval drones, a report that has not been confirmed by Russian forces. Ukraine’s General Staff says the Caesar Kunikov large landing ship sank near Alupka, a city on the Crimean Peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014.

The United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel, has been working with Qatar and Egypt to try and broker a cease-fire and the return of the remaining 130 hostages held by Hamas, around a fourth of whom are believed to be dead.

LONDON (AP) — TikTok is taking measures to combat misinformation about the upcoming European Union elections including setting up fact-checking hubs inside the app. The video-sharing platform said Wednesday that it will launch local language in-app “election centers” next month for each of the 27 EU countries so that “people can easily separate fact from fiction.”

Thousands of U.S. ride-hailing workers plan to park their cars and picket at major U.S. airports in what organizers say is their largest strike yet in a drive for better pay and benefits. Uber and Lyft drivers plan daylong strikes Wednesday in Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Miami and other cities.

Downtown Kansas City is turning into a sea of red for Valentine’s Day as Chiefs fans prepare to celebrate their third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says Donald Trump’s comments calling into question the U.S. commitment to defend its NATO allies from attack were “dangerous” and “un-American.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is calling urgently for House Republicans to get behind a supplemental spending bill that would send $60 billion to Ukraine for its fight against Russia. He warned that opposing it would play into “Putin’s hands.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Authorities say arrests for illegal crossings on the U.S. border with Mexico fell by half in January from record highs in December to the third lowest month of Joe Biden’s presidency.

A major league baseball broadcast booth is the site of an historic hire, Shaquille O'Neil gets his number retired in Orlando, an AP top ten men's basketball team goes on the road to bite the dust, and an NHL player gets a lengthy suspension after his team allowed an empty net goal. Also, slugging free agent Jorge Soler agrees to a $42M, three-year deal with the Giants.

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 Feb. 13 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Parts of the Northeast are preparing for a coastal storm that's expected to dump a foot or more of snow and pack 60 mph winds in some areas. Hazardous driving conditions, school closings and flight cancellations are predicted for when the storm hits Tuesday, along with possible power outages. The nation’s largest school system in New York City said it was switching classes to remote learning and closing its buildings for the day. Boston schools will be closed. Non-essential Massachusetts state employees were told not to go to their workplaces. Some of the highest snowfall totals, 12 to 15 inches, were forecast for the northern New York City suburbs and southwestern Connecticut.

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say one person was killed and five others wounded following a dispute between two groups of teenagers at a New York City subway station Monday at the start of the evening rush hour. The gunfire broke out on an elevated train platform in the Bronx at around 4:30 p.m. Monday, a time when stations throughout the city are filled with kids coming home from school and many workers are beginning their evening commute. Officials say a 34-year-old man was killed. The wounded included a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, and three adults, ages 28, 29 and 71. Authorities said some of the victims were believed involved in the dispute and others were waiting for the train.

ATLANTA (AP) — Family and friends are gathering in Georgia this week as funerals begin for three Army Reserve soldiers killed in a recent drone attack in Jordan. A funeral is scheduled Tuesday for 46-year-old Staff Sgt. William Jerome Rivers at a church in Carrollton, west of Atlanta. Services for Sgt. Breonna Moffett of Savannah and Sgt. Kennedy Sanders of Waycross, Georgia, are planned for Saturday. The three citizen-soldiers received posthumous promotions after they were were killed in a Jan. 28 drone attack on a U.S. base near Jordon's border with Syria. They were assigned to the Army Reserve's 926th Engineer Battalion based at Fort Moore, Georgia.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police have fired tear gas and detained some farmers who tried to break barricades blocking their way to New Delhi in a protest march. The farmers want assured crop prices, in a repeat of 2021 protests when they camped on New Delhi's outskirts for more than a year. The protests forced the government to repeal agriculture laws that farmers said would harm their incomes. The government said at that time that it would set up a panel of farmers and government officials to find ways to ensure support prices for all farm produce. Multiple meetings since then have made no progress. The march comes months before a national election in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a third term.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is calling for a leadership change at the Republican National Committee in an attempt to install a new slate of loyalists — including his daughter-in-law — at the top of the GOP’s political machine even before he formally secures the party’s next presidential nomination. Trump outlined his plans on social media Monday night. They carry no official weight until he is the party’s presumed presidential nominee. Current RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says she has no plans to leave the committee until at least after South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary election. Still, Trump is calling for McDaniel to be replaced by Michael Whatley, the North Carolina GOP chairman. The new co-chair, Trump said, should be his daughter-in-law Lara Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has launched a task force aimed at addressing the "systemic” problem of mishandling classified information during presidential transitions. Monday's action comes days after a Justice Department special counsel’s sharply critical report said he had done just that. The Presidential Records Transition Task Force will study past transitions to determine best practices for safeguarding classified information from an outgoing administration. It will also assess the need for changes to existing policies to prevent the removal of sensitive information that by law should be kept with the National Archives and Records Administration. Special counsel Robert Hur's report listed dozens of sensitive documents found at Biden’s home in Delaware, and at his former Washington office.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Donald Trump says he once warned that he would allow Russia to do whatever it wants to NATO member nations that are “delinquent” in devoting 2% of their gross domestic product to defense. Trump’s comment on Saturday represented the latest instance in which the former president and Republican front-runner seemed to side with an authoritarian state over America’s democratic allies. NATO members don’t pay to belong and don’t owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund. Trump's frequent complaint has been how much NATO countries put into their own military budgets. The 2% is a voluntary benchmark and no debt or “delinquency” is involved.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is defending its new TikTok account as a vital way to boost its appeal with young voters. It's doing so even as the Biden administration continues to raise security concerns about whether the popular social media app might be sharing user data with China’s communist government. The campaign says the president’s debut on TikTok on Sunday night has drawn more than 5 million views and counting. White House national security spokesman John Kirby says there are still national security concerns about the use of TikTok on government devices.

Super Bowl ratings skyrocket, the Dallas Cowboys name their defensive coordinator, UCLA tabs its next head coach, the Rockets hang on to beat the Knicks, Jen Pawol is about to make baseball history. Correspondent Chuck Freimund reports.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A leading Democratic Virginia legislator says proposed legislation to help pave the way for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to relocate to northern Virginia is dead. Sen. L. Louise Lucas holds great sway in the General Assembly as chair of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee. She told reporters Monday morning that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin had made a series of mistakes in trying to advance the deal through a General Assembly now in full Democratic control after November’s elections. She outlined concerns about the financing structure and said Youngkin had not been negotiating in good faith. A bill is still alive in the House of Delegates but Lucas' remarks are a major setback for the deal.

NEW YORK (AP) — Bob Edwards, the news anchor many Americans woke up to as founding host of National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, has died. NPR said he died Saturday at age 76, but it had no other details. Edwards joined NPR in 1974, and was the founding voice on “Morning Edition” in 1979. His authoritative baritone made many listeners feel he was older than he was. For 12 years, his interviews with sportscasting legend Red Barber were a regular feature, and they provided the foundation for Edwards' book “Friday with Red: A Radio Friendship.” He was pulled from “Morning Edition” in 2004 just before celebrating a quarter-century on the show, a move that led some listeners to protest.

Robert Kennedy Jr.’s presidential ambitions resulted in public family drama after a political action committee aired a Super Bowl ad invoking the Democratic family’s legacy to implicitly compare the independent candidate to his assassinated uncle, President John F. Kennedy. The 30-second spot was financed by the American Values 2024 Super PAC that is backing Kennedy. The ad featured a shortened version of a campaign song that the 35th president used in his 1960 campaign. The spot also mimicked cartoon and newsreel effects using black-and-white pictures of Robert Kennedy Jr. similar to his uncle. One of Robert Kennedy's cousins blasted him for the spot. In a statement on social media, Kennedy apologized to any of his family members who were upset by the ad.

NEW YORK (AP) — Plenty of retailers and suppliers are reducing the variety of their offerings to focus instead on what they think will sell best. Stew Leonard’s, a supermarket chain, now has 24 cereal flavors or types, down from 49 in 2019. Coca-Cola has discontinued half its drink brands to 200. Many businesses have decided less is better, justifying their limited selection by asserting shoppers don’t want so much choice. It’s also more profitable for companies because they’re not carrying over as many leftovers that need to be discounted.

HOUSTON (AP) — Police say a woman in a trenchcoat opened fire with a long gun inside celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Texas megachurch before being gunned down by two off-duty officers who confronted her. The afternoon shooting at the Houston megachurch sent worshippers scrambling out of the building between busy Sunday services. Authorities say the woman was dead and a 5-year-old boy with her was critically wounded by gunfire. They also say a 57-year-old man was wounded. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner praised the officers for their quick actions. Osteen says the shooting could have been much worse if it had happened during the larger 11 a.m. service.

WOODBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut pastor has been arrested on allegations that he sold crystal meth out of his church’s rectory. Police say the reverend of a United Methodist Church in Woodbury was taken into custody Friday after authorities received a tip about the drugs. The pastor was arrested on drug and motor vehicle charges after police say a cooperating witness tipped them off and set up a purported drug deal with the reverend. The pastor was released on $10,000 bail and was ordered to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Feb. 23. Phone and email messages were left Monday for the pastor and the church.

—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. 12 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid have made the Kansas City Chiefs a dynasty. They’re already thinking three-peat. First, they had to become the NFL’s first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years. Mahomes made sure of it, leading another super comeback on the NFL’s biggest stage in America’s showcase capital. Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, becoming the NFL’s ninth repeat Super Bowl champs. With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a suite, the Chiefs captured their third title in five years and joined some of the league’s greatest franchises.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces have rescued two hostages, storming a heavily guarded apartment in the Gaza Strip and extracting the captives under fire in a dramatic raid. It was a small but symbolically significant success for Israel. Health officials said that heavy airstrikes that provided cover for Monday's operation killed at least 67 Palestinians. The plight of the hostages has profoundly shaken Israelis, and the rescue lifted the spirits of a nation still reeling from Hamas’ cross-border raid last year. In Gaza, the operation unleashed another tragedy in a war that has killed 28,340 Palestinians in the territory, displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a California helicopter crash that killed the CEO of one of Nigeria’s largest banks. Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe died along with his wife and son on Friday evening when a helicopter they were riding in went down in the Mojave Desert. Also killed was Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former chair of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange. Officials say two pilots also died. The crash happened shortly after 10 p.m. south of Interstate 15 near Halloran Springs Road. A preliminary report is expected from the NTSB within 30 days.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just a quarter of business economists and analysts expect the United States to fall into recession this year. And any downturn would likely result from an external shock — such as a conflict involving China — rather than from domestic economic factors such as higher interest rates. But respondents to a National Association of Business Economics survey released Monday still expect year-over-year inflation to exceed 2.5% — above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target — through 2024.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized again following symptoms pointing to an “emergent bladder issue." In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. Sunday. Austin has now transferred authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and remains in the hospital. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and continues to deal with complications from his treatment.

LONDON (AP) — As chances rise of a Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch in the U.S. presidential election race, America’s allies are bracing for a bumpy ride. Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake. But tremors already abound and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. With a divided electorate and gridlock in Congress, the next American president could easily become consumed by manifold challenges at home. That's before even beginning to address flashpoints around the world from Ukraine to the Middle East. Analyst Thomas Gift said that whoever wins the presidential race, the world is headed toward one where the United States is no longer the undisputed superpower.

In sports: The Chiefs claim another Lombardi Trophy, the Celtics and Thunder win, the Canucks earn a victory in Washington and the all-time scoring record in women's basketball is safe for a few more days.

In entertainment: "Lisa Frankenstein" fails to revive North American box offices on a very slow Super Bowl weekend, Christopher Nolan wins the top prize at the Directors Guild Awards and Ozzy Osbourne is among the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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. 10 at 6 a.m. CT:

Millions of Americans will find something to be excited about when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday. That’s before even factoring in the influence of Taylor Swift. Four in 10 U.S. adults are extremely or very excited for at least one part of the Super Bowl day’s festivities. That could be the game, commercials, halftime show or the Puppy Bowl, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

A total solar eclipse is coming to North America. On April 8, the sun will pull another disappearing act across parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada, turning day into night for as much as 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That's twice as long as the total solar eclipse that darkened U.S. skies in 2017. This eclipse will take a different and more populated route, entering over Mexico's Pacific coast, dashing up through Texas and Oklahoma, crisscrossing the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England, before exiting over eastern Canada into the Atlantic. There won’t be another U.S. eclipse, spanning coast to coast, until 2045.

NEW YORK (AP) — Noticeable pockets of Americans — renters, and lower- and middle-income borrowers — are running up their credit cards balances, and increasing numbers are falling behind on their debts. It’s the latest sign that while the U.S. economy is broadly healthy, the last two years of inflation have sapped much of the savings of vulnerable Americans, possibly leading to further deterioration of their financial health this year. The credit rating company Moody’s says credit card delinquency and charge-off rates are well above 2019 levels. They're expected to keep climbing. Americans held more than $1.05 trillion on their credit cards in the third quarter, a historic high, and the average credit card rate is the highest it's ever been since the Fed started tracking the data.

PHOENIX (AP) — For months after George Floyd was killed by police in May 2020, people from around the world traveled to the site of his murder in Minneapolis and left signs, paintings and poems to memorialize the man whose death reignited a movement against systemic racism. Now hundreds of those artifacts are being displayed at an exhibit at the Arizona State University Art Museum. It’s the first time the work is on public display outside of Minnesota. Paintings of Floyd and poems written about him stand on easels throughout the exhibit, while protest signs made from paper plates and reused cardboard cover the walls. Some visitors were moved to tears as they moved through the exhibit.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business acquisitions were up and down last year, reflecting the increase in interest rates that threw a chill into the market. But a strong fourth quarter, helped by a signal from the Federal Reserve that it was done raising interest rates, could bode well for 2024. Overall, the number of small business acquisitions were largely unchanged in 2023, according to business marketplace BizBuySell’s Insight Data, which tracks and analyzes U.S. business-for-sale transactions. A total of 9,093 businesses were reported sold on BizBuySell in 2023, up less than 1% from the 9,054 businesses sold in 2022.

People do not need to wear lead aprons or thyroid collars when getting X-rays at the dentist. That's according to the American Dental Association. The new recommendation is just that, however. State rules may dictate if people have to wear the aprons, and some states still require them. Experts say there needs to be more education on the safety and risks of X-rays to broadly change minds about the aprons.

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine (AP) — A family with an audacious plan to build the world’s tallest flagpole as a centerpiece for a billion-dollar project honoring veterans is abandoning the idea. An attorney said Friday that the Worcester family won’t pursue the flagpole project in Washington County or elsewhere. Instead they will look for other ways to honor veterans. The plan has divided the town of Columbia Falls, population 485. Residents are preparing to vote next month on proposed ordinances governing large-scale developments. A town select board member says a flagpole stretching 1,461 feet skyward wouldn’t meet the proposed ordinances’ height restrictions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers are reporting the best evidence yet of a vast, young ocean beneath the icy exterior of Saturn's Death Star-looking mini moon. The French-led team based its findings Wednesday on observations by NASA's former Cassini spacecraft. By analyzing changes in Mimas' orbit and rotation, the scientists have concluded that the frozen crust hides an ocean that's only 5 million to 15 million years old. The findings open up the possibility of water — and life — at seemingly sterile moons.

COOKE CITY, Mont. (AP) — The day after a Minnesota man survived an avalanche while snowmobiling in Montana's backcountry, government forecasters posted details of the near-tragedy as yet another cautionary tale. Avalanche safety specialists say their job has become more difficult in recent years as the number of skiers and snowmobilers visiting backcountry areas surges after the pandemic. Shifting weather patterns due to climate change further complicate safety efforts, and four people already have died this year in snowslides in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and California. Despite the growing risks, the U.S. avalanche death rate has stayed relatively constant in recent years. Experts attribute that to better forecasting and more people educating themselves about the dangers in the mountains.

—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.