Hot Off The Wire

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. CT:

CHICAGO (AP) — Brunch dates and flag football games might be a little easier to get to this Sunday, when phones grace early-risers with an extra hour of rest before alarm clocks go off. Come Nov. 5, daylight saving time is out and standard time is in, and will last until March 10, 2024. The sun will be setting next week well before many folks step foot out of the office. But besides scheduling stumbles and sleep habit disruptions, experts say the twice-yearly ritual can have more serious effects on human health. Northwestern Medicine sleep researcher Dr. Phyllis Zee says that one hour can change the quality and quantity of sleep.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers slowed their hiring in October, adding a modest but still decent 150,000 jobs, a sign that the labor market may be cooling but remains resilient despite high interest rates that have made borrowing much costlier for companies and consumers. Last month’s job growth, though down sharply from a robust 297,000 gain in September, was solid enough to suggest that many companies still want to hire and that the economy remains sturdy. And job growth would have been higher in October if not for the now-settled United Auto Workers’ strikes against Detroit’s automakers. The strikes likely shrank last month’s job gain by at least 30,000, economists say.

NEW YORK (AP) — A new government report shows fewer high school students are vaping. About 10% of high school students said they had used electronic cigarettes in the previous month. That's down from 14% from the same survey conducted last year. Fewer high schools students also smoked cigarettes and cigars. The use of e-cigarettes among middle school students was about the same as last year. The report was released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC considers the annual survey its best measure of youth smoking trends.

FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Legal settlements could provide local and state governments $50 billion to fight the deadly U.S. opioid overdose crisis. What could that look like? One Ohio community is already doing many of the things advocates say should be considered. Hancock County funds harm reduction efforts such as a needle exchange and naloxone distribution. It also has a recovery community center, a drug court intended to get people into treatment rather than jail, housing for some people in recovery and aggressive outreach to help people with substance use disorder navigate their options for help.

In a country shadowed by the threat of mass shootings and neighborhood violence, courts have embraced an increasingly absolute reading of the right to guns. That raises difficult questions about how to protect the full range of freedoms Americans cherish. With nearly 400 million guns in civilian hands, the violence they enable feels to many like a threat to their right to worship in peace, go to school and be safe at home. To many others, an unfettered right to own and carry guns is essential to protecting those liberties.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gallaudet University and AT&T developed a football helmet for Deaf and hard-of-hearing players that they hope can make the sport more accessible. The innovation is the latest example of the private university being an incubator for technology that can have much wider applications beyond the Deaf community. Experts and advocates hope the tech can one day help firefighters, construction workers and first responders while giving the Deaf and hard of hearing better access to jobs and everyday activities.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia will try to control its population of more than 100 hippopotamuses, descendants of animals illegally brought to the country by late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, through surgical sterilization, the transfer of hippos to other countries and possibly euthanasia. The hippos, which spread from Escobar’s estate into nearby rivers, have no natural predators in Colombia and have been declared an invasive species. Authorities estimate there are 169 hippos in Colombia, especially in the Magdalena River basin, and that if no measures are taken, there could be 1,000 by 2035. Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said the plan's first stage will be the sterilization of 40 hippos per year.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 3 at 6 a.m. CT:

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel to press for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into besieged Gaza. His visit comes while Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City, the focus of Israel’s campaign to crush the enclave’s ruling Hamas group. Blinken's trip Friday follows President Joe Biden’s suggestion for a humanitarian pause in the fighting. On the northern border with Lebanon, tensions escalated ahead of a speech planned for later Friday by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He is making his first public comments since Hamas launched its attack on Israel in the south nearly a month ago, stoking fears the conflict could become a regional one.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state media say a court has sentenced a woman to death for adultery. The IRAN newspaper says the woman worked as a trainer in a gym for females. It says her husband contacted police in 2022 when he found her with another man at their home. Under Iranian law, she can appeal. Iran is under international pressure for its extensive use of the death penalty. The U.N. says it executed at least 419 people in the first seven months of this year, up 30% from the same period last year.

BLETCHLEY PARK, England (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says achievements at the first international AI Safety Summit will “tip the balance in favor of humanity” in the race to contain the risks from rapid advances in cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Sunak said agreements struck at the meeting of politicians, researchers and business leaders “show that we have both the political will and the capability to control this technology, and secure its benefits for the long term.” Sunak organized the summit as a forum for officials, experts and the tech industry to better understand “frontier” AI that some scientists warn could pose a risk to humanity’s very existence. The meeting was held at Bletchley Park, a former codebreaking spy base near London.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York jury has convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried of fraud charges. The 31-year-old California man was convicted Thursday in Manhattan federal court by jurors who rejected his testimony that he didn’t defraud thousands of customers worldwide who counted on him to safeguard the billions of dollars they deposited in accounts. Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August, when a judge concluded he’d tried to influence prospective trial witnesses. He was extradited to the United States last December from the Bahamas, where he had operated the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and a hedge fund, among other businesses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. has imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions target 130 firms and people from Turkey, China and the United Arab Emirates. The sanctions, imposed by the Treasury Department on Thursday, target third-party firms and people alleged to assist Moscow in procuring equipment needed on the battlefield, including suppliers and shippers. In addition, the State Department has imposed diplomatic sanctions targeting Russian energy production and its metals and mining sector. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Russia “is dependent on willing third-country individuals and entities to resupply its military."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a nearly $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel, but without humanitarian assistance for Gaza. The partisan approach by new Speaker Mike Johnson poses a direct challenge to Democrats and President Joe Biden. Biden has said he'd veto the bill. Next steps are uncertain, since Democrats say the GOP bill will go nowhere in the Senate. Johnson's approach requires the emergency aid be offset with spending cuts at the IRS, taking money intended to be used to go after tax dodgers. Biden instead wants nearly $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, U.S. border security and other needs. The House also approved a resolution condemning support on college campuses for Hamas.

The Steelers hold off the Titans, the Sixers use a balanced attack to defeat the Raptors, the Golden Knights and Bruins are still without a regulation loss, and Big Ten football coaches are mad at Michigan.

Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell head to free agency one day after the end of the World Series. And in other baseball news, slugger Nelson Cruz retired at age 43 after hitting 464 homers over 19 seasons.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says that 74 more U.S. citizens have left the Gaza Strip He announced the development as he dispatched his top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to the Mideast for talks with Israeli and Jordanian officials as the nearly four-week old Israel-Hamas war rages on with no end in sight. Biden said those who evacuated were dual citizens. The White House has previously said some 500 to 600 U.S. citizens had been trapped in Gaza since the start of the Oct. 7 Israel-Hamas war. The administration said earlier this week that a handful of Americans were among dozens of dual citizens who were able to get out of the Strip where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City lawmaker has been arraigned on a gun charge after prosecutors say she brought a firearm to a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Authorities say Republican City Council member Inna Vernikov was seen in photos and videos with the butt of a gun jutting out from her waistband while attending an Oct. 13 protest at Brooklyn College. She was charged in Brooklyn criminal court with one count of possessing a gun in a sensitive location. Vernikov’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, said images appearing to show his client bringing a gun to the protest could have been altered.

NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Trump has testified that he never involved himself with financial statements that New York state lawyers say fraudulently puffed up the ex-president’s wealth and the worth of their family business. He clarified his answer Wednesday after he was shown decade-old emails from a fellow Trump executive asking him for information for the financial statement. Eric Trump testified: “We’re a major organization, a massive real estate organization — yes, I’m fairly sure I understand that we have financial statements.” But, he insisted: “I had no involvement and never worked on" Donald Trump’s financial statement. Eric Trump followed brother and co-executive Donald Trump Jr. to the witness stand at the family’s New York civil fraud trial. Their father is scheduled to testify Monday.

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — An unarmed U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile was intentionally destroyed when something went wrong during a test launch from California. The Air Force Global Strike Command says the flight of the Minuteman 3 was “safely terminated” over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday due to an anomaly during launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. An investigative group is being formed to determine the cause. The Minuteman system is one of the main pillars of U.S. nuclear strength but it is decades old. The Air Force says test launches are conducted to gather data to keep the system effective and to identify and correct any issues.

PARIS (AP) — Recording-breaking winds in France and across much of western Europe left at least seven people dead and injured others. Storm Ciarán charged through the continent overnight and into Thursday. Vast numbers of people were plunged into darkness, homes were devastated and travel was disrupted in several countries. Roofs were torn from homes on the Channel Islands where gusts of more than 160 kph (100 mph) were reported amid severe travel disruption in several countries. The storm blew out windows and left 1.2 million French households without electricity on Thursday. A truck driver was killed when a tree hit his vehicle in northern France and emergency workers hurt. Hundreds of schools stayed closed in the English coastal communities of Cornwall and Devon.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Walter Davis, a five-time NBA All-Star and standout at North Carolina for the late Dean Smith, has died. North Carolina released news of Davis' death and said he died of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, North Carolina. Davis' nephew, Hubert Davis, is the current Tar Heels coach. Davis helped his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament title game in 1977 before losing to Marquette. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns and became NBA rookie of the year. He played 11 of his 16 pro seasons with the Suns, who retired his No. 6.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate has circumvented holds by Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville and confirmed the nominations of two senior military leaders, including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Adm. Lisa Franchetti was confirmed Thursday by a vote of 95-1 to lead the Navy, making her the first woman to serve as a Pentagon service chief and hold a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. David Allvin was also confirmed by a vote of 95-1 to be chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Tuberville has drawn bipartisan criticism for holding up almost 400 military nominations. Tuberville says he's protesting Pentagon abortion policy.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Southern California street gang leader has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating a 1996 drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired and the only person to be charged with a crime in the case. The 60-year-old had attorneys appointed Thursday to his defense and the judge acknowledged that prosecutors won't seek the death penalty. Davis remains jailed pending another court appearance next Tuesday. He's originally from Compton, California, and was arrested Sept. 29 near his home in suburban Henderson.

DETROIT (AP) — Autoworkers at the first Ford factory to go on strike have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a tentative contract agreement reached with the company. Members of Local 900 at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, west of Detroit voted 81% in favor of the four year-and-eight month deal, according to Facebook postings by local members on Thursday. Two union officials confirmed the accuracy of the percentage. Neither wanted to be identified because the vote totals had not been made public. About 3,300 UAW members went on strike at the plant Sept. 15 after the union’s contract with Ford expired. They remained on the picket lines until Oct. 25, when the union announced the tentative deal with Ford. Voting at Ford will continue until Nov. 17.

Beyond Meat is cutting 19% of its non-production workforce after a weaker-than-expected third quarter. The plant-based meat company said Thursday that the reduction of about 65 employees is part of a broader corporate review. It is also considering exiting some product lines, changing pricing, shifting its manufacturing and restructuring its Chinese operations. Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown says the company had anticipated a return to sales growth in the July-September period that didn't happen. The company plans to release its third quarter earnings next week, but said revenue is expected to be down 8.5% for the quarter.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The host of a weekend family lunch at her Australian country home has been charged with murdering her ex-husband's parents and aunt with poisonous mushrooms and attempting to murder a fourth guest. Police said Erin Patterson was arrested Thursday at her home in Victoria state, where her former in-law's, Gail and Don Patterson, and Gail Patterson’s sister and brother-in-law were invited for lunch in July. All four guests were hospitalized the next day and only one survived. Patterson has also been charged with three counts of attempting to murder her former husband. She publicly denied wrongdoing when police started investigating.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 2 at 6:40 a.m. CT:

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Joe Biden says he thinks there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the Israel-Hamas war. Biden was talking to a roomful of supporters gathered in Minneapolis for a reelection fundraiser when he was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire. The call for a pause was a subtle departure for Biden and top White House aides. Throughout the Mideast crisis they have been steadfast in stating they would not dictate how the Israelis carry out their military operations in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. has testified that he never worked on his father’s business financial statements. He was questioned Wednesday in court about the documents that now are at the heart of the civil fraud trial that threatens former President Donald Trump’s real estate empire. The lawsuit filed by New York state's attorney general centers on whether the former president and his business misled banks and insurers by inflating his net worth on the financial statements. The Trumps deny wrongdoing.

PARIS (AP) — Winds up to 180 kilometers per hour (108 mph) have slammed the French Atlantic coast as Storm Ciaran lashes western Europe. The storm blew out windows overnight and left 1.2 million French households without electricity on Thursday. A truck driver was killed when a tree hit his vehicle in northern France. Strong winds and rain also battered southern England and the Channel Islands, where gusts of more than 160 kph (100 mph) were reported. Hundreds of schools stayed closed in the coastal communities of Cornwall and Devon. Dutch airline KLM scrapped all flights in and out of the Netherlands from the early afternoon until the end of the day,

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says armed forces will boost security at some of the country's most important airports, ports and along its international borders to tackle organized crime. The decision comes days after members of a criminal gang set fire to dozens of buses in Rio de Janeiro, apparently in retaliation for the police killing their leader’s nephew. The deployment is part of a broader plan that includes increasing the number of federal police forces in Rio, improving cooperation between law enforcement entities and boosting investment in technology for intelligence gathering.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's Lucy spacecraft has encountered the first of 10 asteroids on its long journey out to Jupiter. The spacecraft on Wednesday zoomed past the pint-sized Dinkinesh in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. Lucy came within 270 miles of the asteroid, testing its instruments in a dry run for the bigger and more alluring asteroids ahead. The asteroid is just a half-mile across, quite possibly the smallest of the space rocks on Lucy's tour. Wednesday's flyby caps what NASA is calling Asteroid Autumn. NASA returned its first asteroid samples in September. Then in October, it launched a spacecraft to a metal-rich asteroid named Psyche.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. George Santos has easily survived a vote to expel him from the House as most Republicans opted to withhold punishment as both his criminal trial and a House Ethics Committee investigation proceed. The effort to kick Santos out of the House was led by his fellow New York Republicans, who are anxious to distance themselves from a colleague infamous for fabricating his life story and accused of stealing from donors, lying to Congress and receiving unemployment benefits he did not deserve. But the vast majority of Republicans and more than 30 Democrats have voted against expelling Santos. The final vote was 179 for expulsion and 213 against.

The Major League Baseball season comes to an end as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamonds in five games. Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight died. There was also a lot of NBA action and a couple of rookie quarterbacks will start in the NFL's Week 9.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The death of American hockey player Adam Johnson from a skate blade to the neck has led officials in the NHL and other leagues to continue discussions about cut-resistant protection. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Players' Association executive director Marty Walsh have already touched base. More talks are planned between the league and union on the topic of skate blade safety. The American Hockey League and ECHL last summer mandated cut-resistant wrist and foot and ankle protection. At least one minor league team is mandating neck guards immediately in response to Johnson's death.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key short-term interest rate unchanged for a second straight time but left the door open to further rate hikes if inflation pressures should accelerate in the months ahead. The Fed said in a statement after its latest meeting that it would keep its benchmark rate at about 5.4%, its highest level in 22 years. Since launching the most aggressive series of rate hikes in four decades in March 2022 to fight inflation, the Fed has pulled back and has now raised rates only once since May. The statement noted that recent tumult in the financial markets has sent longer-term interest rates up to near 16-year highs and contributed to higher borrowing rates across the economy.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — After more than three weeks of siege, the first Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza. They were hundreds of dual passport holders and dozens of seriously injured people. Israeli airstrikes pounded a densely populated area for the second day in a row. And Jordan, a key U.S. ally, recalled its ambassador from Israel. Jordan also told Israel’s ambassador to remain out of its country in protest over the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. has taken the witness stand at the civil fraud trial over whether his father overstated his wealth to banks and insurers. The former president’s eldest son began testifying Wednesday. His testimony is kicking off a blockbuster stretch as the trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit enters its second month. She says Donald Trump, his company and top executives, including Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric, overstated his wealth to banks and insurers. The Trumps deny wrongdoing and are fighting to keep their Trump Organization intact.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York are pressing to meet with President Joe Biden about the migrants arriving in their cities. The Democratic leader want to discuss getting federal help in managing the surge of migrants they say are arriving with little to no coordination, support or resources from the president's administration. The Democratic leaders say in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday that while they appreciate Biden’s efforts so far, much more needs to be done to ease the burden on their cities. Biden is increasingly under fire on this issue from members of his own party. And Republicans claim he's soft on border security.

Prosecutors have dropped charges against a Louisiana state trooper accused of withholding graphic body-camera footage that shows another officer dragging Black motorist Ronald Greene by his ankle shackles during his deadly 2019 arrest. A district attorney said this week that Lt. John Clary has agreed to take the stand in the trial of Master Trooper Kory York, a former colleague charged with negligent homicide in the case. York is accused of forcing the heavyset Greene to lie facedown and handcuffed for more than nine minutes. Use-of-force experts said that likely restricted Greene's breathing.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A murder trial in Texas is underway in the fatal shooting of pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson. Kaitlin Armstrong faces up to 99 years in prison in the May 2022 slaying. Prosecutors told jurors Wednesday that the last thing Wilson did was “scream in terror.” Armstrong has pleaded not guilty. In a short opening statement, defense attorney Geoffrey Puryear said Armstrong was caught in a “web of circumstantial evidence.” Police have said Wilson previously dated Armstrong’s boyfriend, Colin Strickland, and had gone swimming with him that day. Strickland and Wilson were both competitive gravel racers. Wilson was a 25-year-old Vermont native who was also a mountain bike racer.

Former President Donald Trump is fighting to stay on the 2024 ballot in Colorado and Michigan. Section Three of the 14th Amendment bars anyone who “engaged in insurrection” against the Constitution from holding higher office.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has signaled that it would rule against a man who wants to trademark the suggestive phrase “Trump too small.” The dispute is over the government’s decision to deny a trademark to Steve Elster, a California man seeking exclusive use of the phrase on T-shirts and potentially other merchandise. It is the latest case relating to former President Donald Trump to reach the Supreme Court, following arguments Tuesday in social media cases with echoes of Trump. The justices repeatedly invoked the phrase Wednesday as they questioned whether the government was justified in denying the trademark. Elster’s lawyers argue that the decision violated his free speech rights, and a federal appeals court agreed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is privately developing a national strategy to combat Islamophobia. That word comes from three people familiar with the matter. But the effort is being met with skepticism from many Muslim Americans because of the administration's staunch support of Israel’s military assault in Gaza. The White House originally was expected to announce its plans to develop the strategy when Biden met last week with Muslim leaders. The people familiar with the matter said the delay was due partly to concerns from Muslim Americans that the administration lacked credibility on the issue given its robust backing of Israel’s military. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the White House plans.

NEW YORK (AP) — An 80-foot-tall (24-meter) Norway spruce from the Binghamton area has been selected as this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and will be cut down and trucked to New York City next week. Rockefeller Center officials say the tree will be cut on Nov. 9 in Vestal, New York, and will arrive at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan on Nov. 11. After it’s wrapped in more than 50,000 lights and crowned with a star, the tree will be lighted during a live television broadcast on Nov. 29. It will be on display until Jan. 13, 2024.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Nov. 1 at 7 a.m. CT:

The Hamas-run government in Gaza says Israeli airstrikes have hit a refugee camp near Gaza City for a second day in a row, causing many deaths and injuries. Meanwhile, dozens of people with foreign passports were allowed to enter the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt. Communications and internet services were gradually being restored Wednesday after the second major cut in five days. The Palestinian death toll in the war has surpassed 8,500, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 120 Palestinians have been killed. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the initial Hamas rampage.

BLETCHLEY PARK, England (AP) — Digital officials, tech company bosses and researchers are converging on a historic estate near London to discuss what to do about extreme risks posed by cutting-edge artificial intelligence. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is convening the two-day AI Safety Summit that’s focused on so-called frontier AI. The term frontier AI refers to the latest and most powerful systems that take the technology right up to its limits, but could come with as-yet-unknown dangers. One of the most high-profile delegates is U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s scheduled to attend the summit’s second day after making a separate speech on AI in London on Wednesday.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A senior U.N. official says Russian strikes are inflicting unimaginable suffering on the people of Ukraine and that more than 40% of them need humanitarian assistance. Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination in the U.N. humanitarian office, says thousands of civilians have been killed in strikes on homes, schools, fields and markets since Russia’s invasion in February 20022. The U.N. human rights office has formally verified 9,900 civilians killed, but Rajasingham says the actual number is likely to be higher. He told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that about 18 million Ukrainians — more than 40% of the population — need some form of humanitarian assistance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maryland doctors say the second person to receive a transplanted heart from a pig has died. Lawrence Faucette was dying from heart failure and ineligible for a traditional heart transplant when he received the genetically modified pig heart in September. According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the heart had seemed healthy for the first month after the highly experimental surgery. But doctors say it began showing signs of rejection in recent days and he died on Monday. The team last year performed the world’s first transplant of a pig heart into another dying man who survived two months.

The Rangers take Game 4 of the World Series, an NFL coach and GM are fired, the NFL trade deadline passes, three games in the NBA and two in the NHL, and the first College Football Playoff rankings are out.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. CT:

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that multiple foreign extremist groups have called for attacks against Americans and the West in the past few weeks and suggested Hamas’ attack on Israel could inspire threats like those motivated by the Islamic State group years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are urging an increasingly divided Congress to immediately send major aid to both Israel and Ukraine. They said at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that in addition to helping the two countries in their fights against Hamas and Russia, broad support for the foreign aid would send a vital signal of strength to U.S. adversaries worldwide. The leaders' testimony comes as the administration’s massive $105 billion emergency aid request for conflicts in those countries and others has hit roadblocks. There is bipartisan support in the Democratic-led Senate for sending aid to both countries. But in the Republican-led House, new Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed focusing on Israel alone.

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who beat a 66-year-old Sikh man to death after a fender bender in New York City has been charged with manslaughter as a hate crime. Prosecutors said Tuesday that 30-year-old Gilbert Augustin also faces charges including assault as a hate crime and unlicensed driving in the Oct. 19 death of Jasmer Singh. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Augustin called Singh “turban man” during the argument that followed their crash on an expressway in the borough of Queens. Singh's family had pushed for hate crimes charges to be filed against Augustin. A message seeking comment was left with Augustin’s attorney.

RUMFORD, Maine (AP) — Law enforcement officers in Maine have killed a man who confronted officers outside a police station with a rifle. Twenty-three-year-old Sean Dyment of Canton, Maine was shot by two officers from Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Monday night. Dyment was transported to Rumford Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities said they were talking to a resident outside the Rumford station about a vehicle that had been following the person. As they talked, police said a vehicle matching the person's description drove up to the station. Dyment then allegedly confronted officers with a rifle and was shot.

CHICAGO (AP) — A pair of recent reports from the Environmental Protection Agency put striking numbers on America's problem with food waste. One-third of the food produced in the U.S. is never eaten, and 58% of planet-warming methane emitted from U.S. landfills comes from decomposing food. That’s why over 50 local lawmakers wrote to the EPA on Tuesday to ask the agency to scale up programs that help cities divert food from landfills. The EPA says these reports represent an important step in defining the problem, but that the U.S. is still a long way off from its goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030. That's a benchmark that will require a significant shift in mindset from producers and consumers alike.

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Children have returned to school and plan to go trick-or-treating in Lewiston, Maine, after the deadliest mass shooting in state history. Area residents spent days locked in their homes last week while police searched for the man who fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar. He was found dead on Friday. On Tuesday, hundreds of students returned to a high school that had recently been transformed into a law enforcement command post. Inside, students petted therapy dogs and were signing a large banner that read “Lewiston Strong,” the community’s new motto.

WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers are feeling increasingly less confident these days as fears of an oncoming recession remain elevated. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 102.6 from 104.3 in September. The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The index measuring Americans short-term outlook for income, business and job market declined again, to 75.6 in October from 76.4 in September. Readings below 80 for future expectations historically signal a recession within a year. Consumer spending accounts for around 70% of U.S. economic activity, so economists pay close attention to the mood of consumers.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The stars of “Friends” say they are mourning the “unfathomable” death of Matthew Perry. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer say in a joint statement to People magazine that they "utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew.” Perry was found dead at his Los Angeles home Saturday, and investigation is ongoing. The “Friends” actors say they “were more than just cast mates” with Perry. They say they “are a family.” Perry, who played Chandler Bing throughout the show’s 10 seasons, is being mourned worldwide. Fans are placing flowers and heartfelt tributes outside the New York building that served as an exterior for the show.

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A person familiar with the trade says the Philadelphia 76ers have traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers sent Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrušev to LA for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, K.J. Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 draft-pick swap and additional first-rounder from a third team. The third team is not yet specified, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the final details of the trade are not yet official.

Patrick Mahomes stands alone at the top. The two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP again was the unanimous choice by The Associated Press for No. 1 quarterback at the midpoint of the season. A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at QB, making their selections based on current status through Week 8. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. Mahomes also received all nine first-place votes in the preseason poll. Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts each received second-place votes.

Andy Reid again was a near-unanimous choice by The Associated Press for the top spot among NFL head coaches, receiving eight of nine first-place votes. A panel of nine AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five head coaches, making their selections based on current status through Week 8. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. Reid also received eight of nine first-place votes in the preseason poll. Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick again got the other first-place vote. Doug Pederson, Kyle Shanahan, Mike Tomlin and Nick Sirianni each got second-place votes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The COVID-19 treatments millions of have taken for free from the federal government will enter the private market next week with a hefty price tag. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is setting the price for a five-day treatment of Paxlovid at $1,390, but Americans can still access the pills at no cost -- for now. Millions of free, taxpayer-funded courses of the pills will remain at pharmacies, hospitals and doctor’s offices across the country, U.S. Health and Human Services officials said Friday. Many Americans won't face copays for the treatment until those pills run out.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was a focal point of a deadly white nationalist protest in 2017 has been melted down and will be repurposed into new works of art. The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, a Charlottesville-based Black history museum, said Thursday that the statue had been destroyed. The Charlottesville City Council voted in 2021 to donate the statue to the heritage center, after it proposed a Swords into Plowshares project that would melt the statue and repurpose it into public art. The statue was taken down in 2021 after years of debate and delay. Lawsuits that sought to block the statue's destruction were unsuccessful.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 31 at 6:30 a.m. CT:

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops are battling Hamas militants and attacking underground compounds with a focus on northern Gaza. An estimated 800,000 Palestinians have fled south despite continued Israeli bombardment across the besieged enclave. Buoyed by the first successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a cease-fire and again vowed to crush Hamas’ ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel following its bloody Oct. 7 rampage. That attack ignited the war. More than half the territory’s 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes, with hundreds of thousands sheltering in packed U.N.-run schools-turned-shelters or in hospitals alongside thousands of wounded patients.

PARIS (AP) — Paris police have opened fire on a woman who allegedly made threatening remarks on a train. The shooting Tuesday is the latest security incident in the country that has been on heightened anti-terror alert since a fatal stabbing at a school. Police said they had no immediate information on the woman’s condition. Police said officers opened fire after she didn’t respond to their warnings. Police responded after several train passengers phoned the emergency services and reported that a woman who was wearing a face and head covering was making threats. A Metro and suburban train station that serves the Francois Mitterrand national library in eastern Paris has been evacuated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is poised to leave its key interest rate unchanged at a time when the Fed faces an economy that has proved resilient but is nevertheless under pressure from surging interest rates, overseas turmoil and anxious investors. U.S. economic growth surged in the July-September quarter on the back of robust consumer spending, and inflation showed signs last month of staying uncomfortably high. Chair Jerome Powell will want to make sure that the economy cools and that inflation resumes its descent before signaling any let-up in the Fed’s drive to slow inflation to its 2% target level.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — An east-moving snowstorm, the first major one of the season, continued Thursday into North Dakota. Northwestern North Dakota was impacted by the first of two waves of the storm, which left more than 7 inches of snow in some areas. As much as 11 inches of snow piled up near Stanley, North Dakota. The heaviest snowfall was still forecast for later Thursday afternoon in central and southwestern North Dakota. Below-normal cold temperatures are expected to follow into next week, as low as single digits or below zero in some areas.

NEW YORK (AP) — A little-known New York City jail believed to be the last operating prison ship in the country is set to shutter the week. The barge first arrived in the South Bronx in 1992 and was one of several floating jails used by the city at the time. But while it was meant to be a temporary solution, the jail has remained operational — even as detainees and their advocates have repeatedly condemned its dank, cramped conditions and extreme isolation. Most of the roughly 500 people incarcerated in the jail earlier this month will be moved to Rikers Island, the city's main jail complex.

The Rangers have taken a 2-1 lead in the World Series, Craig Counsell interviews with the Guardians, Lions plow through the Raiders, and Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is out for season. 

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed a sweeping executive order to guide the development of artificial intelligence. Monday's order requires industry to develop safety and security standards, introduces new consumer protections and gives federal agencies an extensive to-do list to oversee the rapidly progressing technology. AI has been a source of deep personal curiosity for Biden, given its potential impact on the economy and national security. Biden had directed his staff to move with urgency on a policy that could maximize AI's possibilities and contain its perils. The Democratic president's order requires leading AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors and the United Auto Workers union have reached a tentative contract agreement that could end a six-week-old strike against Detroit automakers, three people briefed on the deal said. The agreement follows the pattern set with Ford last week and Jeep maker Stellantis over the weekend. The deals will last four years and eight months and include 25% general pay raises and cost of living adjustments. Combined they bring the wage increase to over 30% over the life of the contract. The people briefed on the matter didn't want to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the deal. It was to be announced later Monday.

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Maine's authorities are trying to piece together the events that led to the worst mass shooting in the state’s history. Those same authorities are also facing growing scrutiny over how the shooter was able to keep his guns and remain on the street despite exhibiting signs that he might commit violent acts. The gunman's record of interaction with police and warning signs involving mental illness and violent threats emerged as key threads. Officials say that the shooter underwent a mental health evaluation after he began acting erratically at an Army training facility in New York last summer.

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Cornell University administrators have dispatched campus police to a Jewish center after threatening statements against Jewish students appeared on an online discussion board. Cornell President Martha E. Pollack says there was a series of “horrendous, antisemitic messages” over the weekend threatening violence against the university’s Jewish community and specifically naming the address of the Center for Jewish Living. The website is unaffiliated with the school in Ithaca. The Cornell University Police Department is investigating and has notified the FBI of a potential hate crime. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says authorities aren't sure if the threats are credible but state police are taking steps to ensure student safety.

JERUSALEM — Israel says a female soldier captured by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 incursion has been released during Israel's ground operations in Gaza. The military provided few details, but she appears to be the first captive to be freed since Israel stepped up its ground war. The military says Private Ori Megidish “was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family.”

HUDSON, Colo. (AP) — Some pumpkin farmers in the West, particularly wholesalers in places like Colorado and New Mexico, are feeling the pinching effects of drought. Farmers have had to rely on dwindling water for irrigation while battling wacky weather to get their crops planted on time. Some have cut back on other crops they grow because pumpkins bring in the most money, while others have described lower yields of smaller gourds. Still, pumpkins in major-producing places like Illinois are doing okay. Issues in the West are a reminder that all crops suffer when water becomes more scarce -- and that other challenges, like labor and inflation, are stymieing farmers across the board, resulting in higher prices at the grocery store or pumpkin patch.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shootings across the U.S. over the weekend before Halloween have left at least 11 people dead and more than 70 injured. Authorities say the deaths between Friday and Sunday included two in Tampa, Florida, three in Texarkana, Texas, and two each in Dodge City, Kansas; San Antonio, Texas; and Mansfield, Ohio. Many involved altercations arising from Halloween celebrations, including a Florida mass shooting early Sunday as bars were closing and scores of people in costumes spilled out on the streets. The violence unfolded after 18 people were killed last week by a gunman in Lewiston, Maine. More than 1,000 people turned out Sunday for a vigil.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A flow of recent data from the U.S. government has made one thing strikingly clear: A surge in consumer spending is fueling strong growth, demonstrating a resilience that has confounded economists, Federal Reserve officials and even the sour sentiments that Americans themselves have expressed in opinion polls. Spending by consumers rose by a brisk 0.4% in September — even after adjusting for inflation and even as they face ever-higher borrowing costs. Economists caution that such vigorous spending isn’t likely to continue in coming months. Many households have been pulling money from a shrinking pool of savings. Others have been turning increasingly to credit cards. And the additional savings that typical households amassed during the pandemic are nearly depleted.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators are warning consumers not to use more than two dozen varieties of over-the-counter eyedrops due to the risk of infections that could lead to blindness. The advisory from the Food and Drug Administration applies to lubricating drops sold by six companies, including CVS Health, Rite Aid and Target. The agency says consumers should stop using the products immediately and avoid purchasing any found in pharmacies and other stores. The agency recommended recalling the products last week after FDA inspectors found unsanitary conditions at the factory that produced the drops.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series “Friends,” has died. He was 54. Coroner's records show the Emmy-nominated actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. An investigation into how Perry died is ongoing and it may take weeks before his cause of death is determined. Several media outlets reported Perry was found dead in a hot tub. Perry’s 10 seasons on “Friends” made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.

GENEVA (AP) — The Spanish soccer official who provoked a players’ rebellion and a reckoning on gender when he kissed an unwilling star player on the lips is banned for three years by the sport’s global governing body. Luis Rubiales is excluded from working anywhere in soccer until after the men’s 2026 World Cup. His ban will expire before the next women’s tournament in 2027. His bigger problem is a criminal investigation in Spain for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the team’s 1-0 victory over England in Sydney at the Women’s World Cup final trophy ceremony. Spanish state prosecutors have formally accused Rubiales of sexual assault and an act of coercion. According to Hermoso, Rubiales pressured her to speak out in his defense as the post-match incidents became a global furor.

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. Candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% in October. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. Weather is the main culprit. Cocoa prices are trading at 44-year highs after heavy rains in West Africa caused limited production in the season that began last fall. Now, El Nino conditions are making the region drier and are likely to linger well into the spring. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs.

On this week's AP Religion Roundup, the Christian right cheers new House speaker Mike Johnson as one of their own.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 30 at 6:45 a.m. CT:

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Monday afternoon on Israel’s ground incursion in Gaza and the dire humanitarian plight of Palestinians at the request of the United Arab Emirates. Relief workers said the largest convoy of humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza still fell far short of needs.

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Residents of Lewiston are returning to work the morning after coming together to mourn those lost in Maine’s worst mass shooting. More than 1,000 people gathered for an evening vigil Sunday. The names of the 18 killed were read aloud at Sunday’s event. Authorities say 40-year-old Robert Card opened fire Wednesday at a bowling alley and then a bar, leaving 18 dead and 13 injured. He was found dead Friday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Rev Todd Little from the First United Pentecostal Church of Lewiston spoke at Sunday’s vigil of how that diverse community is now sharing “brokenness, worry, fear and loss” because of the shooting. But he vowed the community is bigger than the tragedy and will emerge stronger.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is signing a sweeping executive order to guide the development of artificial intelligence. Monday's order will require industry to develop safety and security standards, introduce new consumer protections and give federal agencies an extensive to-do list to oversee the rapidly progressing technology. AI has been a source of deep personal curiosity for Biden, given its potential impact on the economy and national security. Biden had directed his staff to move with urgency on a policy that could maximize AI's possibilities and contain its perils. The Democratic president's order will require leading AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Around 2,000 Ukrainians have taken part in a one-kilometer race in Kyiv, wearing bibs displaying the name of a person instead of a number. Each runner chose one person to whom they dedicated the run. Spouses, children, friends, siblings, neighbors, and colleagues ran for someone they knew who either was killed, taken captive or injured during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The organizers of Sunday's event called it the world’s longest marathon “because no race has lasted as long as Ukraine has been fighting for its freedom.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence is dropping his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls. He made the announcement in Las Vegas on Saturday at the annual gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition. Pence said, “It’s become clear to me: This is not my time." Pence becomes the first major candidate to leave a race that has been dominated by his former boss-turned-rival, Donald Trump. Pence did not immediately endorse any of his rivals, but continued to echo language he has used to criticize Trump.

A prolific day for NFL quarterbacks Sunday with three of them throwing for four touchdown passes and four others throwing three aerial strikes, an apparent season ending injury for another quarterback and action on both the hardcourt and on the ice

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series “Friends,” has died. He was 54. Coroner's records show the Emmy-nominated actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Saturday. An investigation into how Perry died is ongoing and it may take weeks before his cause of death is determined. Several media outlets reported Perry was found dead in a hot tub. Perry’s 10 seasons on “Friends” made him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.

NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Moll, a character actor who found lasting fame as an eccentric but gentle giant bailiff on the original sitcom “Night Court,” has died. He was 80. Moll died Thursday at his home in Big Bear Lake, California, according to publicist Jeff Sanderson. Moll played “Bull” Shannon on NBC’s “Night Court” from 1984 to 1992 alongside stars Harry Anderson and John Larroquette. His character formed a close friendship with the court’s other bailiff, Roz Russell, played by Marsha Warfield. Bull was known for his catchphrase, “Ohh-kay,” and a dim but sweet world view.

Fans flocked to movie theaters across the country to see the scary video game adaptation “Five Nights at Freddy's” on the big screen, which made $78 million to top the North American box office. That is according to studio estimates Sunday. The movie also opened in more than 60 markets internationally, where it’s expected to gross $52.6 million, giving the film a $130.6 million global launch — the biggest of any horror movie released this year. Universal Pictures bet on a day-and-date release on the weekend before Halloween, sending it to 3,675 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, while also making it available for Peacock subscribers.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. 

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

This week Bruce Miller and I discuss new projects from Sting and Billie Jean King, the actors strike and Christmas movies.

Listen to the latest episode of Streamed & Screened here. 

This week’s top headlines include:

Those stories and more from The Associated Press. But first, Bruce Miller and I talk about Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel on the latest episode of Streamed & Screened. 

— Compiled and narrated by Terry Lipshetz from Associated Press reports

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. CT:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hospitals and health care systems are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to help summarize doctors’ notes and analyze health records. But a new study led by Stanford School of Medicine researchers cautions that popular chatbots are also perpetuating racist, debunked medical ideas. That is prompting concerns the tools could worsen health disparities for Black patients. Powered by AI models trained on troves of text pulled from the internet, chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard responded to the researchers’ questions with a range of misconceptions and falsehoods about Black patients, according to the study published Friday in the academic journal Digital Medicine.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A novel program in Tennessee aims to interest more Black and other minority medical students in organ transplants, to help ease troubling disparities. Six students from Meharry Medical College spent the summer shadowing specialists at Tennessee Donor Services for hands-on lessons in recovering organs, matching them to recipients — and the empathy needed to work with grieving families. Thousands die awaiting a transplant because there aren't enough donated organs and some don’t get a fair chance, including Black Americans. Whatever their career paths, the students say they plan to educate others about organ donation.

Air conditioning has made life in many hot places possible, but the special fluids that make it work are extremely hazardous to the climate. Refrigerants used in fridges, freezers, and cars change from a fluid to gas to transport heat away from the place you want cooled. They can absorb several thousand times more heat than water or other common fluids, making them great for cooling systems, but bad for climate change when they escape. In 2016, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol phased down the use of one damaging group of refrigerants 85% by 2036. According to the most recent report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it will meaningfully prevent some warming of the Earth if fully enforced.

A pediatricians' group is warning powdered drink mixes known as “toddler milks” are unregulated, unnecessary and nutritionally incomplete. The drinks are marketed for older babies and toddlers up to age 3. The American Academy of Pediatrics says the products often contain high amounts of added sugar and salt. A trade group for the manufacturers of the products say the drinks could fill nutritional gaps. Experts say babies and toddlers older than age 1 should eat a balanced diet of solid foods and drink breast milk, fortified whole cow's milk and water.

PARIS (AP) — Bedbugs go wherever people go, and they have become a nightmare haunting France for weeks. The government has been forced to step in to calm an anxious nation that will host the Olympic Games in almost nine months — a prime venue for infestations of the crowd-loving insects. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called a meeting of ministers for Friday to tackle the bedbug crisis. The country’s transport minister, Clement Beaune, met this week with transportation companies to draw up a plan for monitoring and disinfecting — and to try to ease what some have called a national psychosis inflamed by the media.

PARIS (AP) — The “Mona Lisa” has given up a secret. Scientists used X-rays to peer into the chemical structure of a tiny speck of the celebrated work of art. They came up with a new insight into the techniques used by Leonardo da Vinci when he painted his portrait of the woman with the enigmatic smile. Research published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society says the oil-paint recipe he used as his base layer had a distinctive chemical signature. A rare compound in Leonardo’s first layer of paint suggests the famously inventive Italian Renaissance master may have been in an experimental mood when he started the “Mona Lisa” early in the 16th century.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. CT:

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Authorities have launched a multistate search on land and water for a U.S. Army reservist who they say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine. The shootings in the city of Lewiston on Wednesday night sent panicked patrons scrambling under tables and behind bowling pins. Police identified the suspect as 40-year-old Robert Card. He was still at large Thursday afternoon, sparking a massive search and prompting schools and businesses to shut down and residents to shelter in place. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that Card was taken by police for a mental evaluation in July after he was acting erratically during training. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the information and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Authorities say a man suspected of killing a Maryland judge last week has been found dead in a heavily wooded area about a mile from where authorities had earlier spotted the his abandoned SUV. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the body of 49-year-old Pedro Argote was found Thursday in Williamsport. Authorities believe Argote was angry about losing custody of his children when he shot Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson outside the judge's home. Law enforcement launched a search for Argote almost immediately after the shooting. Authorities had searched the area near where his SUV was found over the weekend, but a more thorough search turned up his body.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops and tanks launched an hourslong ground raid into northern Gaza overnight. The military said troops struck several militant targets in Thursday's raid in order to “prepare the battlefield” ahead of a widely expected ground invasion. The raid came after the U.N. warned it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the besieged territory. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources. The war, sparked by Hamas' bloody incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, is already the deadliest of five fought between Israel and Hamas in the last 15 years.

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Survivors of the Pacific hurricane that killed at least 27 people as it devastated Acapulco spent Thursday searching for acquaintances and necessities. They hope that aid arrives quickly in the wake of Hurricane Otis. Resentment grew in impoverished neighborhoods. Residents worried that Mexican government attention will go to repairing tourism infrastructure, not helping the neediest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s economy expanded at a robust 4.9% annual rate from July through September as Americans defied higher prices, rising interest rates and widespread forecasts of a recession to spend at a brisk pace. The economy expanded last quarter at the fastest pace in more than two years — and more than twice the 2.1% annual rate of the previous quarter. Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals.

Wall Street fell in mixed trading after some big-name companies warned about an uncertain global economy hitting their upcoming profits. R

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have strongly condemned what they call North Korea’s supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia. A joint statement issued Thursday by the top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan said such weapons shipments will sharply increase the human toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last week, Russia’s foreign minister scoffed at a recent U.S. claim that his country received munitions from North Korea. The U.S., South Korea and others believe North Korea seeks to receive sophisticated weapons technologies to enhance its nuclear program in exchange for its munitions supply.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Norfolk Southern has installed the first of what will be more than a dozen of a new generation of automated inspection portals on its tracks in Ohio — not far from where one of its trains derailed in February and spilled hazardous chemicals that caught fire. The new portals are equipped with high-speed cameras that will take hundreds of pictures of every passing rail car to help quickly identify defects on moving trains. The pictures are analyzed by artificial intelligence software. Other major railroads have invested in similar inspection technology to supplement — and where regulators approve it, replace — human inspections. University of Delaware railroad safety expert Allan Zarembski said it’s significant that Norfolk Southern is investing in so many of these portals.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson said “prayer is appropriate” as a response to the mass shootings in Maine. “This is a dark time in America,” Johnson said at the Capitol. He added: "Prayer is appropriate at a time like this, that the evil can end and the senseless violence can stop.”

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge says some of Georgia’s congressional, state Senate and state House districts are racially discriminatory, ordering the state to draw an additional Black-majority congressional district. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones on Thursday also ordered the state to draw two new Black-majority state Senate districts and five new Black-majority state House districts. Jones ordered the state to redraw maps before Dec. 8. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is responding by setting a Nov. 29 special session. One of Georgia’s 14 congressional seats could shift from Republican to Democratic control. The Georgia case is part of a wave of litigation after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year stood behind its interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

NEW YORK (AP) — This is it — the last “new” Beatles song. Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania, the surviving members of the quartet are releasing the song “Now And Then.” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr got a little help from artificial intelligence. The song was written and recorded in sketch form by the late John Lennon in the late 1970s. McCartney, Starr and the late George Harrison worked on it in the 1990s but were stymied by technical limitations. AI was used last year to clean up Lennon's vocals, and McCartney and Starr added backing voices and instrumentation. It will be released next week.

In sports: Baseball's new rules are having an impact in the postseason, Pacers keeping coach Rick Carlisle on board with multiyear contract extension, and Ottawa's Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games, becomes the 1st modern NHL player banned for gambling.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — It ain’t the Olympics, but a group of Floridians plan to host competitions themed according to the collective antics of the beer-loving, gator-possessing, rap-sheet heavy, mullet-wearing social media phenomenon known as “Florida Man.” The games will poke fun at Florida’s reputation for producing strange news stories involving guns, drugs, booze and reptiles — or some combination of the four. Organizers say the contests planned for next February in St. Augustine, Florida, includes the the self-explanatory beer-belly wrestling contest, as well as the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course. Contestants will be asked to jump over fences and through yards while being chased by real police officers.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. CT:

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Officials say at least 16 people are dead after a man opened fire at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, and police are searching for a person of interest who is a trained firearms instructor. Hundreds of law enforcement officers are seeking Robert Card after Wednesday night's shooting, and a shelter-in-place advisory is in place in an area that includes Maine's second-largest city and nearby Lisbon. A police bulletin says Card was a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops and tanks launched an hourslong ground raid into northern Gaza overnight. The military said troops struck several militant targets in Thursday's raid in order to “prepare the battlefield” ahead of a widely expected ground invasion. The raid came after the U.N. warned it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the besieged territory. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to treat masses of wounded with dwindling resources. The war, sparked by Hamas' bloody incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, is already the deadliest of five fought between Israel and Hamas in the last 15 years.

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — A day after Hurricane Otis roared ashore in Acapulco, unleashing massive floods and setting off looting, the resort city of nearly 1 million descended into chaos, leaving residents without electricity or internet service as the toll remained uncertain. The early images and witness accounts were of extensive devastation, toppled trees and power lines lying in brown floodwaters that in some areas extended for miles. The resulting destruction delayed a comprehensive response by the government, which was still assessing the damage along Mexico’s Pacific coast, and made residents desperate. Many of the once sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like toothless, shattered hulks after the storm blew out hundreds — possibly thousands — of windows.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Ford that could be a breakthrough to end the nearly 6-week-old strikes against Detroit automakers. The four-year deal still has to be approved by 57,000 union members at the company. It could bring a close to the union’s series of strikes at targeted factories run by Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis. The Ford deal could set the pattern for agreements with the other two automakers, although no other agreements were announced Wednesday.

Cleveland and Boston with tight wins in the NBA, Doncic powers Dallas past San Antonio, a full night of NBA results, the Capitals skate past New Jersey, and Dusty Baker retires.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. CT:

NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial has fined the former president $10,000. The judge says Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers. The fine was issued Wednesday after Trump complained outside court about what he called “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside” the judge in the case, Arthur Engoron. Weeks ago, Engoron ordered all participants in the case not to comment publicly about his staff. The Oct. 3. gag order came after Trump made a social media post maligning the judge’s principal law clerk, who sits beside him in court. Trump said his comment Wednesday was about witness Michael Cohen. Engoron said Trump’s claim was “not credible."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been elected House speaker. Republicans eagerly gave Johnson the gavel on Wednesday by a vote of 220-209, with a few absences. Johnson picked up an important nod of support from Donald Trump. Johnson was the fourth candidate Republicans nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy. The Republican majority has been desperate to end the chaos after ousting Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month. Johnson was quickly sworn into office. He said Republicans would “restore the people's faith” in the House. President Joe Biden congratulated the new speaker saying it's time for all to “act responsibly” addressing the nation's challenges.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday said there is no going back to the “status quo” in Israel and the region following the deadly attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. “When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next,” Biden said during a press conference at the White House with the Prime Minister of Australia. “And in our view, it has to be a two-state solution.”

The U.S. Postal Service says law enforcement officials have charged more than 600 people with postal crimes since launching a crackdown in May. The so-called “Operation Safe Delivery” follows a surge in robberies. The Postal Service also deployed over 10,000 high-security boxes in high-risk areas to prevent mail theft. To reduce robberies of mail carriers, the agency is replacing tens of thousands of antiquated “arrow keys” that make them a target for criminals. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says it’s important to protect what he calls the “sanctity of the nation’s mail.” But he says his primary concern is the safety of postal carriers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Officials say a man was trapped inside a steel-reinforced concrete jewelry vault in New York City overnight after firefighters had to abandon an attempt to rescue him for safety reasons. Fortunately, the vault was on a timer and opened on its own Wednesday morning. Assistant Fire Chief John Sarrocco says the fire department was called to the midtown Manhattan building on Tuesday evening but did not explain how the man became trapped. After about 10 hours of drilling, firefighters stopped fearing their attempts to breach the vault could harm the man trapped inside. Sarrocco says the doors opened as scheduled around 7 a.m. and the man was freed unharmed.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators have revoked the license of a robotaxi service owned by General Motors after determining its driverless cars that recently began transporting passengers throughout San Francisco are a dangerous menace. The California Department of Motor Vehicles' indefinite suspension of the Cruise robotaxi service comes just two months after another state regulator, the Public Utilities Commission, approved an expansion that authorized around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco. That approval came over a chorus of protests, including some lodged by police and fire officials who asserted the driverless vehicles had been impeding traffic in emergencies.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Three people with direct knowledge of the situation say the San Francisco Giants have hired manager Bob Melvin away from the division rival San Diego Padres. Melvin will be returning to the Bay Area where he grew up, played for the Giants and then managed the Oakland Athletics from 2011-21. He leaves San Diego with a year on his contract amid reports of friction with general manager A.J. Preller.

For the second consecutive year, Caitlin Clark of Iowa is a unanimous pick for The Associated Press preseason All-America team in women's basketball. Clark led Iowa to the NCAA championship game for the first time in school history where the Hawkeyes lost to Angel Reese and LSU. Reese is also on the team along with Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech, Cameron Brink of Stanford, Paige Bueckers of UConn and Mackenzie Holmes of Indiana.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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