On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Dec. 19 at 7 a.m. CT:
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese media say at least 126 people have been killed in a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in the country’s northwest. The official People's Daily says 113 died in the province of Gansu and another 14 in neighboring Qinghai province. The quake struck just before midnight on Monday. More than 700 people have been injured. Emergency workers are searching for the missing in collapsed buildings and at least one landslide. People who lost their homes are preparing to spend a cold winter night in tents at hastily erected evacuation sites. Emergency authorities in Gansu issued an appeal for 300 additional workers for search and rescue operations, and Qinghai officials reported 20 people missing in a landslide.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has approved sweeping new powers that allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the U.S. border and give local judges authority to order them to leave the country. The new law signed Monday tests the limits of how far a state can go to enforce immigration laws. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and Texas’ law is likely to face swift legal challenges. Opponents have called it the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law that was largely struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will be laid to rest with funeral services Tuesday. President Joe Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts are scheduled to speak at the funeral for the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor was an Arizona native who served as an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism on the high court for more than two decades. The rancher’s daughter was nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and came to wield considerable influence on the nine-member court. O’Connor retired at age 75 and died Dec. 1 in Phoenix.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces raided one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza’s north and bombarded the south with airstrikes that killed at least 28 Palestinians. They are pressing ahead with their offensive Tuesday with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm. The air and ground war was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel. It has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, displaced some 1.9 million, demolished much of northern Gaza and sparked attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets across the region. But after meeting with Israeli officials Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was not there to dictate a timeline for the war.
U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh steel producer that played a key role in the nation’s industrialization, is being acquired by Nippon Steel in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $14.1 billion. The transaction is worth about $14.9 billion when including the assumption of debt. Nippon, which will pay $55 per share for U.S. Steel, said Monday that the deal will bolster its manufacturing and technology capabilities. It will also expand Nippon’s production in the U.S. and add to its positions in Japan, India and the ASEAN region.
NEW YORK (AP) — Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. have dropped actor Jonathan Majors after his conviction on charges of assaulting his former girlfriend in New York City earlier this year. A Manhattan jury convicted the “Creed III” star Monday of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. A person familiar with the studio tells The Associated Press that Marvel and Disney immediately dropped Majors from all upcoming projects following the conviction. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Majors' sentencing is set for Feb. 6. He faces the possibility of up to a year in jail, though probation or other non-jail sentences also are possible.
Back up quarterback Drew Lock leads the Seahawks to a win over the Eagles, the Timberwolves move their record to 20 and 5, the Pistons creep closer to NBA futility, and the Iowa Senators fire their coach.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee without pay for the remainder of the season for what the league described as “repeated violations” of rules designed to protect player safety. The ruling means Kazee will miss Pittsburgh’s final three regular-season games and any potential playoff games if the Steelers (7-7) advance to the postseason. Kazee was ejected from Pittsburgh’s 30-13 loss to Indianapolis after hitting diving Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the second quarter. Pittman laid out to try and catch a pass and Kazee made contact with Pittman’s head. Pittman left the game and went into the concussion protocol. The league ruled contact could have been avoided.
A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for physically and emotionally abusing two of her children. Ruby Franke's attorney said she did so while under the influence of a relationship counselor who led her to a “distorted sense of morality.” The judge accepted the guilty pleas on Monday and scheduled sentencing for Feb. 20. Franke pleaded guilty to trying to convince her children they were evil and possessed and that their physical punishments were needed for them to repent. The children were also denied adequate food and water. Co-defendant Jodi Hildebrandt is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 27.
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is gearing up for a subdued Christmas without the festive lights and customary Christmas tree towering over Manger Square. Officials in Jesus’ traditional birthplace have decided to forgo celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war. The cancellation of Christmas festivities, which typically draw thousands of visitors, is a severe blow to the town’s tourism-dependent economy. But the mayor and church leaders say joyous revelry is untenable at a time of immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. They say religious ceremonies, including Midnight Mass in the Church of the Nativity, will be held with a special emphasis on prayers for peace.
—The Associated Press
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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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