Hot Off The Wire

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted May 8 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S. That's according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

ISTANBUL (AP) — A cargo aircraft has made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. A video on social media showed the Boeing 767 belonging to FedEx Express using the back landing gear and then dipping its nose with the front portion of the fuselage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is racing into yet another battleground state. Biden on Wednesday is traveling to Racine, Wisconsin, where he’ll highlight a decision by Microsoft to build a $3.3 billion data center that's expected to create roughly 2,000 jobs.

NEW YORK (AP) — Porn actor Stormy Daniels has testified at Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial about a sexual encounter she says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election a decade later. Daniels’ testimony Tuesday included a detailed and at times graphic accounting of an encounter Trump has denied. 

In other news:

• The judge in Trump's classified documents case cancels May trial date.
• President Joe Biden condemns current antisemitism in Holocaust remembrance during college protests and Gaza war.
• Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woes.
• US seeks information from Tesla on how it developed and verified whether Autopilot recall worked.
• TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform.
• Police investigating shooting outside Drake's mansion that left security guard wounded.
• Fans are following Taylor Swift to Europe after finding Eras Tour tickets less costly there.
• Taylor Swift bill is signed into Minnesota law, boosting protections for online ticket buyers.
• Inside the Met Gala: A fairytale forest, woodland creatures, and some starstuck first-timers.
• Conference semi final playoff games in both the NBA and NHL with lots of news off the court and ice and the ball was jumping out of the park in major league baseball. The WNBA to begin full-time charter flights this season.

—The Associated Press

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

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — An American English-language tutor has been arrested in Moscow on hooliganism charges for reportedly breaking into a children’s library while intoxicated and has been sentenced to 10 days in jail. State news agency RIA-Novosti says William Nycum was found in the library on Friday after breaking a window to gain entry.

Israeli forces have taken control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the Gaza Strip, pressing on with an offensive in the southern city as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain precarious. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Witness testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to move forward again and all eyes are on who will be called next. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer's disease. Most cases of the mind-robbing disease occur after age 65. A gene called APOE4 has long been considered a key risk factor.

BEIJING (AP) — A knife attack at a hospital in southwestern China has killed two people and injured 21 others. No motive was given for Tuesday's attack at Zhenxiong County People’s Hospital in Yunnan province. 

In other news:

• Trump fined $1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as ex-employee recounts reimbursements.
• Sen. Bernie Sanders says Gaza may be President Joe Biden's Vietnam. But he's ready to battle for Biden over Trump.
• House Republicans are ready to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt over Biden audio.
• The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records.
• Boeing calls off its first astronaut launch because of valve issue on rocket.
• An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, US officials say.
• Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book.
• With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here's how his first song post-stroke came to be.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves move up 2-0 in their series against the Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks get another huge performance from Jalen Brunson in their playoff win, the Boston Bruins take their Stanley Cup playoff series second round opener, and the Minnesota Twins win again.
• 155 police officers injured at German soccer match, most from tear-gas use.

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted May 6 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April May 4 at 6 a.m. CT:

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

• For ex-Derby winner Silver Charm, it's a life of leisure and Old Friends at Kentucky retirement farm.
• Fraudsters target small businesses with scams. Here are some to watch out for
• Less alcohol, or none at all, is one path to better health.
• Utah cat with a fondness for cardboard takes surprise trip to California in an Amazon box.
• A wild orangutan used a medicinal plant to treat a wound, scientists say.
• America's Catholic Church sees an immense shift toward the old ways.
• At time of rising antisemitism, Holocaust survivors take on denial and hate in new digital campaign.
• News organizations have trust issues as they gear up to cover another election, a poll finds.
• US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say.
• Mammograms should start at 40 to address rising breast cancer rates at younger ages, panel says.
• Pregnancy-related deaths have fallen to pre-pandemic levels, new US data says.
• The USDA is testing ground beef for bird flu. Experts are confident the meat supply is safe.
• The botched FAFSA rollout leaves students in limbo. Some wonder if their college dreams will survive.
• To fend off tourists, a town in Japan is building a big screen blocking the view of Mount Fuji.
• Want to spend the night in a Paris museum or a house owned by Prince Airbnb plans to list them.
• Five takeaways from the global negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution.

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted May 3 at 6:45 a.m. CT:

BEIRUT (AP) — Hamas says it's sending a delegation to Egypt as soon as possible to continue talks in the latest sign of progress in the fragile cease-fire process. The group’s supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday he had spoken to Egypt’s intelligence chief and Hamas negotiators would travel to Cairo "to complete the ongoing discussions with the aim of working forward for an agreement.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings.

Torrential rain is causing flooding in the Houston area. Officials on Thursday ordered some residents along a river to leave and are telling others they may wind up stranded. 

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the major traffic artery linking New England with New York will be closed for days around the area where a tanker fire damaged a bridge over Interstate 95. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump will return to court as his hush money trial enters its 11th day. Friday will cap a frenzied second week of witness testimony. Lawyer Keith Davidson concluded his testimony Thursday after more than six hours on the stand over two days.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS says it's taken steps to address a wide disparity in audit rates between Black taxpayers and others filers. And the agency is more closely examining the returns of larger numbers of wealthy people and major companies. 

In other news:

• President Joe Biden says 'order must prevail' during campus protests over Gaza.
• Student journalists are covering their own campuses in convulsion. Here's what they have to say.
• Arizona's Democratic governor signs a bill to repeal 1864 ban on most abortions.
• Body of 5th missing worker found more than a month after Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say.
• Judge declares mistrial after jury deadlocks in lawsuit filed by former Abu Ghraib prisoners.
• Man who bragged that he 'fed' an officer to the mob of Capitol rioters gets nearly 5 years in prison.
• Maui sues cell carriers over wildfire warning alerts that were never received during service outages.
• Average long-term US mortgage rate rises for again, reaching highest level more than five months.
• Number of Americans applying for jobless claims remains historically low.
• Artists from Universal Music Group are heading back to TikTok as new licensing deal reached.
• Mary J. Blige enlists Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin and more for women's summit in New York.
• Halle Berry shouts from the Capitol, 'I'm in menopause' as she seeks to end a stigma and win funding.
• The Knicks and Pacers win their opening round series in six games, the Maple Leafs force a Game 7 without their star center Auston Matthews, Mike Yastrzemski homers in the ballpark his Hall of Fame grandfather called home for more than two decades, Tiger Woods will have a chance to win another major, and Kirby Smart cashes in. Former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías pleads no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery charge.
• Death toll jumps to at least 48 as a search continues in southern China highway collapse.

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted May 2 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police have removed barricades and begun dismantling a pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles. Thursday morning’s law enforcement action comes after officers spent hours threatening arrests over loud speakers if people did not disperse. 

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is following through on promises to undo a long-dormant law that bans all abortions except those done to save a patient’s life. A signing ceremony was scheduled for Thursday on a bill to repeal the state's near-total abortion ban.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump faces the prospect of additional sanctions in his hush money trial as he returns to court for another contempt hearing followed by testimony from a lawyer who represented two women who have said they had sexual encounters with the former president.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Ukrainian military official says the situation on the front line in eastern Ukraine is worsening but local defenders are so far holding firm against a concerted push by Russia’s bigger and better-equipped forces.

NEW YORK (AP) — Duane Eddy, a pioneering guitar hero whose reverberating electric sound on instrumentals such as “Rebel Rouser,” “Forty Miles of Bad Road" and “Cannonball” helped put the twang in early rock ‘n’ roll and influenced George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and countless other musicians, has died at age 86. 

ROME (AP) — A European court has upheld Italy’s right to seize a prized Greek statue from the J. Paul Getty Museum in California. The European Court of Human Rights rejecting the museum’s appeal on Thursday and ruled that Italy was right to try to reclaim an important part of its cultural heritage. The court determined that Italy’s years-long efforts to recover the “Victorious Youth” statue were not disproportionate. 

In other headlines:

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken presses Hamas to seal cease-fire with Israel, says "the time is now" for a deal.
• The Federal Reserve says interest rates will stay at two-decade high until inflation further cools.
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike Johnson.
• Prosecutors seek September retrial for Harvey Weinstein after rape conviction was tossed.
• Ford recalls Maverick pickups in US because tail lights can go dark, increasing the risk of a crash.
• Florida's 6-week abortion ban takes effect as doctors worry women will lose access to health care.
• Some North Carolina abortion pill restrictions are unlawful, federal judge says.
• Police killed student outside Wisconsin school after reports of someone with a weapon, official says.
• United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy.
• Lebron James faces an uncertain futures with the Lakers after being eliminated from playoffs by Nuggets again.
• Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during first few weeks in Russian jail.
• Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe was suspended for six games and starter Freddy Peralta for five for their roles in a brawl during a Brewers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay outfielder Jose Siri was suspended for three games, a penalty later cut to two, and Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy for two. 
• Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England.

—The Associated Press

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

Dueling groups of protesters have clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school. 

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Israeli leaders in his push for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas to impress on them that “the time is now" for an agreement that would free hostages and bring a pause in the nearly seven months of war.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has gone into effect, and some doctors are concerned that women in the state will no longer have access to needed health care. 

A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson is now proposing paying approximately $6.48 billion over 25 years as part of a settlement in the U.S. to cover allegations that its baby powder containing talc caused ovarian cancer. 

WESTMORELAND, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say one person died when a tornado ripped through the small northeastern Kansas city of Westmoreland and destroyed houses, RVs and outbuildings. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is challenging patents on 20 brand-name drugs, including the blockbuster weight-loss injection Ozempic. Tuesday's announcement is part of a wider effort by the Biden administration targeting pharmaceutical industry practices that contribute to high prices. 

In other news:

• The ship that brought down a Baltimore bridge to be removed from collapse site in the coming weeks.
• The Fed's Jerome Powell will likely to signal that lower inflation is needed before Fed would cut rates.
• Four law officers serving warrant are killed, four wounded in shootout at North Carolina home, police say.
• Judge finds Donald Trump violated gag order in hush money trial nine times, fines him $9,000.
• US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah "with or without a deal" as cease-fire talks with Hamas continue.
• McDonald's plans to step up deals, marketing to combat slower fast food traffic.
• Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest.
• "Hell's Kitchen" and "Stereophonic" lead Tony Award nominations, shows honoring creativity's spark.
• Late heroics in NBA playoff action, big goals in NHL playoffs, a long win streak in major league baseball continues and a star player will be sidelined again. 

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April 30 at 7 a.m. CT:

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University in New York has limited campus access to students and essential employees after dozens of protesters took over a building. They barricaded the entrances and unfurled a Palestinian flag out of a window in the latest escalation of demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war. 

Israel and Hamas are negotiating a cease-fire agreement meant to free hostages and bring some relief to the Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Four officers trying to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout in North Carolina. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the officers killed the suspect outside the Charlotte home Monday after he fired on them. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s hush money trial will resume with testimony from the third prosecution witness, Gary Farro, a banker who helped Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen open accounts.

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III is returning to public duties with a visit to a cancer treatment charity, beginning his carefully managed comeback after the monarch’s own cancer diagnosis sidelined him for three months. 

SHANGHAI (AP) — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility. It's a sign of the Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab. 

LONDON (AP) — London police say a man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on Tuesday in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested. 

In other headlines:

• A massive Powerball win draws attention to a little-known immigrant culture in the US.
• Politicians and dog experts vilify South Dakota governor after she writes about killing her dog
• How Columbia University's complex history with the student protest movement echoes into today.
• West Virginia's and North Carolina's transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule.
• Supreme Court rejects Musk appeal over tweets that must be approved by Tesla.
• Philips will pay $1.1 billion to resolve US lawsuits over breathing machines that expel debris.
• Supreme Court will hear case claiming CBD product got trucker fired.
• Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' hits No. 1, experiences largest streaming week ever.
• Britney and Jamie Spears settlement avoids long, potentially ugly and revealing trial.
• Two teams advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, Florida puts away Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup playoffs,the top two teams in the AL East meet in baseball, the Cubs get a 9th inning homer to beat the Mets. The Seattle Kraken fire coach Dave Hakstol. The Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott are reuniting.
• Ahead of the Paris Olympics, police clear a migrant camp near City Hall.

—The Associated Press

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On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April 29 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April 27 at 6 a.m. CT:

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

• Cyberattacks are on the rise, and that includes small businesses. Here's what to know.
• Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They're banning the book ban.
• More than 1 in 4 US adults over age 50 say they expect to never retire, an AARP study finds.
• The Fed's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures stayed elevated last month.
• Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police.
• Work starts on bullet train rail line from Sin City to the City of Angels.
• Chicago's "rat hole" removed after city determines sidewalk with animal impression was damaged.
• Cicadas are so noisy in a South Carolina county that residents are calling the police.
• Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson pledged $10M for Maui wildfire survivors. They gave much more.
• UN report says 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023, with the worst famine in Gaza.
• Haiti health system nears collapse as medicine dwindles, gangs attack hospitals and ports stay shut.
• US health officials warn of counterfeit Botox injections.
• Andrew Tate's trial on charges of rape and human trafficking can start, a Romanian court rules.
• European Space Agency adds 5 new astronauts in only fourth class since 1978. Over 20,000 applied.

—The Associated Press

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