WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his closely watched anticipated news conference Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years. Biden says: “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started.” He made one notable flub when he bobbled a reference to Vice President Kamala Harris. But for an hour he largely held his own under intense questioning, eschewing any suggestion that he was in decline, no longer capable of leading the nation and too old to serve another term. A growing number of Democratic lawmakers, donors and celebrities have called on him to step aside.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities in Western states are warning of the rising risk of wildfires as hot conditions and low humidity dry out the landscape amid a protracted heat wave.

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas authorities say a suspect has been charged with the fatal shooting of a Houston-area sheriff’s deputy while police were conducting a manhunt following an assault at a pizzeria. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says Ronald Palmer Jr. was arrested around 7 p.m. Thursday and later charged with capital murder. 

A security breach in 2022 compromised the data of nearly all of AT&T’s cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators using AT&T’s wireless network, as well as landline customers who interacted with those cellular numbers. 

In other news:

• 1 dead and 2 missing after helicopter crashes in the ocean off the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
• Donald Trump's lawyers press judge to overturn hush money conviction after Supreme Court immunity ruling.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says for Ukraine to win the war, US needs to lift limits on striking military targets inside Russia.
• US inflation cools again, potentially paving way for Fed to cut interest rates soon.
• Marathon Oil reaches $241 million settlement with EPA for environmental violations in North Dakota.
• Alec Baldwin's lawyer grills crime scene tech over search for live ammo at his shooting trial.
• Shelley Duvall, star of 'The Shining,' 'Nashville,' dies at 75.
• Lawsuit filed in case of teen who died after eating spicy chip as part of online challenge.
• Hurricane Beryl's remnants flood Vermont a year after the state was hit by catastrophic rainfall.
• A stegosaurus nicknamed Apex will be auctioned in New York. Its remains show signs of arthritis.
• Paul Skenes is unhittable, the Phillies finish a sweep of the Dodgers while the Orioles are swept for the first time since 2021, Jasmine Paolini advances to her second straight Grand Slam final, and Bill Belichick has another job this fall.
• Iranian court orders US to pay $6.7 billion after sanctions allegedly stopped special bandage supply.

—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.