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

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

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

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

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

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

In other headlines:

—The Associated Press

About this program

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

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