Hot Off The Wire Lee Enterprises Podcasts

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Aug. 10 at 6 a.m. CT:

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


July ends 13-month streak of global heat records as El Nino ebbs, but experts warn against relief.
Extreme heat is impacting most Americans' electricity bills, AP-NORC poll finds.
High schoolers' mental health shows small improvement in a US government survey.
The Small Business Administration expands clean energy loan program.
US abortion numbers have risen slightly since Roe was overturned, study finds.
Meet America's newest giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.
No drinking and only Christian music during Sunday Gospel Hour at Nashville's most iconic honky tonk.
New York City's freewheeling era of outdoor dining has come to end.
Veteran human rights advocate freed in swap says Russia is sliding back toward Stalinist times.
Human remains found inside a crocodile in Australia believed to be that of a 40-year-old tourist.

—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.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Aug. 9 at 7:30 a.m. CT:


PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump has recommitted to debating Vice President Kamala Harris after recently backing out. The Republican presidential nominee held a lengthy news conference Thursday in which he taunted his new rival, boasted of his crowd on Jan. 6, 2021, and lashed out at questions about the enthusiasm her campaign has been generating. As he addressed reporters at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, ABC announced that Trump and Harris have agreed to a Sept. 10 presidential debate.



LUCAMA, N.C. (AP) — Debby's final chapter involves moving north and northeast from the Carolinas at a faster clip with soaking rains, flash flooding and the threat of tornadoes into the weekend. Accuweather’s chief meteorologist Jon Porter said the mid-Atlantic states and parts of New York and New England will see significant rainfall that could cause dangerous flooding into the weekend. 

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian authorities have announced a third arrest in connection with the foiled conspiracy to attack three now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts even as disappointed fans charmed Vienna by trading friendship bracelets and singing the pop star’s songs in the streets. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar are jointly demanding that Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza. The three leaders issued a statement Thursday saying “only the details” remain to get a cease-fire deal and hostage release.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a message to local governments: clear homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year. The governor said Thursday that he will start taking state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments and into shelters.

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors say rapper Travis Scott has been arrested at a Paris hotel after an altercation with a security guard. Prosecutors say the arrest occurred early Friday after police were called to the Georges V hotel to arrest a man “nicknamed Travis Scott for violence against a security guard.”

In other news:


Third person dies in listeria outbreak tied to Boar's Head deli meats.
After baby's death, Kentucky parents sue infant formula maker at center of 2022 crisis.
Officials say suspects in foiled plot at Taylor Swift shows hoped to kill as many people as possible.
Case that could keep RFK Jr. off New York's presidential ballot ends.
Hunter Biden was hired by Romanian businessman trying to 'influence' US agencies, prosecutors say.
Average rate on a 30-year mortgage falls to 6.47%, lowest level in more than a year
Fewer Americans file for jobless benefits last week, but applications remain slightly elevated.
Philippe Petit recreates high-wire walk between World Trade Center's twin towers on 50th anniversary.
Water woes linger in New Orleans after wayward balloon causes power glitch, pressure drop.
15 states sue to block Biden's effort to help migrants in US illegally get health coverage.
Rapper Nelly is arrested and accused of having illegal drugs. His lawyer says the case will die.
Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hall of Fame golfer known for antics on the greens, dies at 88.
Team USA's track and field team racked up more medals, the men's basketball team survived a scare, the White Sox made a long-awaited move, and a pair of rookie quarterbacks made their NFL preseason debut.
Britain remains on alert for further unrest, even after anti-racism campaigners face down far right.
Carles Puigdemont, ex-Catalan leader, returns to Spain after nearly 7 years as a fugitive.
Three suspected Houthi attacks target a ship off Yemen, authorities say.
A powerful earthquake hits off southern Japan; tsunami advisory issued.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Aug. 8 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian authorities say both suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. They said Thursday that investigators found bomb-making materials at one of their homes. Officials said one of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”

HUGER, S.C. (AP) — Tropical Storm Debby has made a second landfall in South Carolina on its way up the East Coast, where residents as far north as Vermont could get several inches of rain this weekend. The National Hurricane Center says Debby came ashore early Thursday near Bulls Bay, South Carolina. The storm is expected to spread heavy rain and possible flooding as it moves inland through the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. 

TOKYO (AP) — A powerful earthquake has struck off Japan’s southern coast, triggering a tsunami advisory. Residents were urged to stay away from the coastline. 

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has declared herself and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “joyful warriors” as they spent their first full day as running mates rallying Democrats across the Midwest. But they got an idea of just how hotly contested the region would be when they overlapped on a Wisconsin tarmac with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. 

NEW YORK (AP) — A poll shows that most Americans believe this year's presidential race will be crucial for the future of the country's democracy. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs survey finds that they see the threat differently based on their political leanings. Nearly 6 in 10 Democrats say the November election is “extremely important” to the future of U.S. democracy, compared to about 4 in 10 independents and Republicans. Many Democrats continue to view former President Donald Trump as a threat to democracy after he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But the results also suggest that many of Trump’s supporters agree with him that President Joe Biden is the real threat to democracy.

In other news:


NASA says chances are growing that astronauts may switch from Boeing to a SpaceX ride back to Earth.
RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot; in court over NY ballot.
US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas.
Tropical Storm Debby churns up the East Coast, and affects weather as far away as the Great Lakes.
Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. But the Spanish translation wasn't great.
Putin accuses Ukraine of a ‘large-scale provocation’ with its raid in southwestern Russia.
Gold for the United States on the track, United States women's basketball team advances,NCAA gives Harbaugh a penalty, Schwarber homers three times in the Phillies win.

—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.

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


Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, looking to strengthen the Democratic ticket in Midwestern states. She'll introduce Walz at a rally Tuesday evening in Philadelphia. Harris was the only candidate eligible to receive votes after no other candidate qualified by a deadline last week. She officially claimed the nomination Monday night when the DNC released final results.



In other news:


Tropical Storm Debby drenches Southeast with rain, high water as it drifts along the Atlantic coast.
Wesley Bell defeats ‘Squad’ member Cori Bush. A pro-Israel group spent $8.5 million to help oust her.
Judge in Trump's hush money case delays date for ruling on presidential immunity.
Weak spots in metal may have led to fatal Osprey crash off Japan, documents obtained by AP reveal.
US sends ship-based Navy fighter jets to a base in the Middle East to help protect Israel.
Pakistani man with ties to Iran is charged in plot to carry out political assassinations on US soil.
Man known as pro-democracy activist convicted in US of giving China intel on dissidents.
9 killed when an overloaded SUV flips into a canal in rural South Florida, authorities say.
Pitbull Stadium is the new home of FIU football. The artist has bought the naming rights.
The U.S. Mens basketball team is two wins away from a gold medal plus all the other happenings at the Olympics, a nightmare losing streak is over in baseball and big individual performances on the diamond.
At the Paris Olympics, it will no longer be personal for Ukraine's athletes. This time, it's war.
French museum network hit by ransomware attack, but no disruptions are reported at Olympic events.
Israeli athletes receive threats in Paris as tensions simmer over Gaza.
Ultra-Orthodox Israelis rally at miltary base, and scuffle with police.
Nobel laureate Yunus will head Bangladesh's interim government after unrest ousted Hasina.

—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.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Aug. 6 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ coronation as the Democrats' standard-bearer for the 2024 presidential election is now official after the Democratic National Committee announced the formal results of the online voting by delegates on Monday night. It caps a tumultuous period for the party prompted by President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance and his subsequent withdrawal from the race. 

HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Debby has moved menacingly into some of America’s most historic Southern cities in what is expected to be a prolonged event of torrential downpours and flooding after slamming into Florida with heavy rain and high winds. Record-setting rain from the storm that killed at least five people on Monday was causing flash flooding in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, among other areas of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. 

The National Transportation Safety Board is about to hold a two-day hearing into the blowout of a panel from the side of a Boeing 737 Max airliner. The safety board's hearing starts Tuesday in Washington, D.C. 

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Chicago White Sox lost their 21st straight game, tying the American League record with a 5-1 defeat to the Oakland Athletics as Max Schuemann hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the fourth inning. Chicago is on the longest losing streak since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles lost 21 in a row. The NL record since 1900 is held by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 23 straight. The major league low belongs to the 1889 Louisville Colonels, an American Association team that lost 26 consecutive games during a 27-111 season.

In other news:


Rally dates are set. Venues are chosen. The only thing missing for Harris' blitz is her VP choice.
Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to cooperate in Arizona fake electors case, charges to be dropped.
Justice Clarence Thomas took undisclosed 2010 trip with GOP megadonor, Democratic senator finds.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank.
Google loses massive antitrust case over its search dominance.
Pope Francis' close ally, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, retires as archbishop of Boston at age 80.
Japan's share benchmark soars nearly 11% a day after massive sell-offs that shook Wall Street.
Families whose loved ones were left rotting in Colorado funeral home owed $950M, payout unlikely.
Venezuela's top prosecutor announces criminal probe against opposition leaders González, Machado.
A rebuilt bronze Jackie Robinson statue will be unveiled 6 months after the original was stolen.
Snoop Dogg has exploded on the Olympics' global stage. He's just being himself.
Olympics security means minorities and others flagged as potential terror threats can’t move freely.
Two more medals for the US on the final day of gymnastics competition, the White Sox lose an AL record 21st straight game, the Dodgers win a battle of NL division leaders and the Chiefs will get their kicks out of Harrison Butker for four additional years.

—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.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Aug. 5 at 7:15 a.m. CT:


TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Debby is expected to bring potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge to the Big Bend coast of Florida before it moves slowly across the northern part of the state and stalls over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center of Miami says Debby is located about 60 miles northwest of Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm is moving northeast at 10 mph. The hurricane center says Debby is expected to make landfall Monday morning. A tornado watch also was in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia on Monday.

BANGKOK (AP) — Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index has lost 12.4% in the latest bout of sell-offs that are jolting world markets. European markets opened lower and U.S. futures fell more than 2%. Oil prices also declined. The Nikkei's decline was the worst since a 14.9% drop in October 1987 that was dubbed “Black Monday.” World stocks tumbled Friday on worries the U.S. economy could be cracking under the weight of high interest rates meant to tame inflation. 

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops and set off a fire. The violence on Monday came as fears of an all-out regional war mount following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. It's a rejoinder to Republican Donald Trump’s effort to woo restaurant and hotel workers by promising to make their tips tax-free. 

PARIS (AP) — Olympic triathletes plunged into the Seine River as the mixed relay event got underway after organizers said the bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels. 

In other news:


VP campaign launches 'Republicans for Harris' in push to win over GOP voters put off by Trump.
Some activists step up criticism of Shapiro and Kelly as Harris closes in on naming a running mate.
Trump says he'll skip an ABC debate with Harris in September and wants them to face off on Fox News.
Few Americans trust the Secret Service after a gunman nearly killed Trump, an AP-NORC poll finds.
Justice Dept. says it's committed to sharing info about foreign election threats with tech companies.
Justice Department sues TikTok, accusing the company of illegally collecting children's data.
Warren Buffett surprises by slashing Berkshire Hathaway's longtime Apple stake in second quarter.
Firefighters continue battling massive wildfire in California ahead of thunderstorms, lightning.
1 child killed after wind gust sends bounce house airborne at baseball game.
With a $97M second weekend, 'Deadpool & Wolverine' sets a new high mark for R-rated films.
Lots of American heroics Sunday at the Paris Games, the Phillies break a losing streak, while the White Sox continue theirs.
IOC leader says 'hate speech' directed at Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting at Olympics is unacceptable.
UK leader Starmer condemns attack on asylum-seeker hotel as far-right violence spreads.
On this week's AP Religion Roundup, an ongoing firestorm over the olympic opening cerenony, and Liberty University settles with Jerry Falwell Jr.

—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.