On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Dec. 18 at 6:30 a.m. CT:
GEORGETOWN, S.C. (AP) — A late-year storm has unleashed heavy rain and gusty winds as it barrels up the East Coast. The storm has flooded streets, forced water rescues and caused the cancellation of holiday celebrations. In the waterfront community of Georgetown, South Carolina, authorities say dozens of rescues occurred after motorists were stranded by floodwaters. The town is situated between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Media outlets are reporting water rescues on Kiawah and Seabrook islands. The tide gauge at Charleston, South Carolina, peaked at the city’s highest nontropical tide on record. The storm dumped up to five inches of rain across Florida.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A car plowed into a parked SUV that was guarding President Joe Biden’s motorcade Sunday night while the president was leaving a visit to his campaign headquarters. The president and first lady Jill Biden were unharmed. While Biden was walking from the campaign office to his waiting armored SUV, a sedan hit a U.S. Secret Service vehicle that was being used to close off intersections near the headquarters for the president’s departure. The sedan then tried to continue into a closed-off intersection, before Secret Service personnel surrounded the vehicle with weapons drawn and instructed the driver to put his hands up. The Secret Service did not immediately comment on the incident.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to press Israel to wind down major combat operations in Gaza on a visit to the region Monday. It is the latest test of whether the U.S. can leverage its unwavering support for the offensive to blunt its devastating impact on Palestinian civilians. France, the U.K. and Germany joined global calls for a cease-fire over the weekend, and Israeli protesters have demanded the government relaunch talks with Hamas on releasing more hostages after three were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will keep fighting until it removes Hamas from power, crushes its still-formidable military capabilities and returns the dozens of hostages still held by the group after its Oct. 7 attack.
DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is paying a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement with the government over a meltdown last holiday season. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday the settlement shows his department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to treat customers properly. The airline canceled nearly 17,000 flights as a winter storm paralyzed operations in Denver and Chicago and then snowballed when a crew rescheduling system couldn’t keep up. Southwest says it didn't violate consumer protection laws but is striking the agreement to settle the matter. The carrier will pay the $35 million fine and get $33 million in credit for compensation already given to customers. Southwest also gets a $72 million credit for vouchers to future travelers through 2027.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s highest court just gave Democrats a chance to redraw the state’s congressional districts, a major victory as the party tries to flip seats in the state to win control of the U.S. House next year. Now the question is how far the state’s Democrat-dominated Legislature will try to push the boundaries in crucial battleground districts to give their party an advantage — and how far the courts will let them. The process will be closely watched for any sign of partisan gerrymandering, which is forbidden by state law. But experts say it’s unclear where the state’s highest court will land on determining what’s too partisan.
The 49ers clinch their division, the Ravens clinch a playoff spot, Bills produce a statement win against the Cowboys, the Celtics remain perfect at home and the Golden Knights pick up a win.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An autopsy report on “Friends” star Matthew Perry says he died from the acute effects of the drug ketamine. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report released Friday that Perry also drowned in the heated end of his pool, but said that was a secondary factor in his death deemed an accident. The report says coronary artery disease also contributed. Perry was declared dead at age 54 after being found unresponsive at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Oct. 28. Investigators performed an autopsy the following day.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “General Hospital” has won six trophies, including four for acting, at the Daytime Emmy Awards. The late Sonya Eddy won for her role as no-nonsense head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the venerable ABC show. She died last December at age 55. Robert Gossett claimed the supporting actor trophy for his role as Marshall Ashford. Eden McCoy won outstanding younger performer in a daytime drama. Alley Mills won for guest performance on “General Hospital.” The soap won outstanding daytime drama to cap a dominant night at the 50th annual awards. Susan Lucci of “All My Children” received a Lifetime Achievement Honor.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mayim Bialik won’t be giving answers as a host of “Jeopardy!” anymore. “The Big Bang Theory” actor has posted news of her departure on Instagram. Bialik says show producer Sony Pictures Television informed her that she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version. Former show champion Ken Jennings has been hosting season 40 of “Jeopardy!” by himself. Sony Pictures says in a statement that it decided to have a single host to maintain continuity for viewers. Bialik and Jennings had split hosting duties, but Bialik was the solo host for season 1 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” In May, Bialik declared her support for the Hollywood writers' strike and declined to appear on the game show.
NEW YORK (AP) — “Wonka” debuted with $39 million in box office sales in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend. It's a strong start for the musical starring Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, and underscores Chalamet's drawing power. Musicals have been tough sells in theaters in recent years, so much so that Warner Bros. downplayed the song and dance elements of “Wonka” in trailers. Instead, the studio emphasized Chalamet, the 27-year-old actor. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” again ranked second with $5.8 million in its fifth week of release. Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” dipped to third with $5.1 million.
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A Confederate memorial's days at Arlington National Cemetery are numbered. A cemetery official says the memorial is to be removed from the northern Virginia cemetery in the coming days. It's part of the push to remove symbols that commemorate the Confederacy from military facilities. The decision ignores a demand from some Republican congressmen that the Pentagon suspend efforts to remove the monument. A cemetery spokesperson says safety fencing has been installed and officials anticipate completing the removal by Dec. 22. A spokeswoman for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he plans to move the monument to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park in the Shenandoah Valley.
A growing number of Black Americans see the struggle of Palestinians reflected in their own struggles for racial equality and civil rights. In recent years, the rise of protest movements against police brutality in the U.S., where structural racism plagues nearly every facet of life, has connected Black and Palestinian activists under a common cause. But that kinship sometimes strains the more than century-long alliance between Black and Jewish activists. Some Jewish Americans are concerned that Black support for the Palestinians could escalate the threat of antisemitism and weaken Jewish-Black ties fortified during the Civil Rights Movement.
PARIS (AP) — Notre Dame Cathedral has gotten its rooster back, in a pivotal moment for the Paris landmark’s restoration. The installation by a crane of a new golden rooster, reimagined as a dramatic phoenix with licking, flamed feathers, goes beyond being just a weathervane atop the cathedral spire. It symbolizes resilience amid destruction and marks a key step in the monument’s revival after the devastating April 2019 fire — as restoration officials also revealed the the monument is being kitted out with an anti-fire misting system under its roof. The rooster replaces the original that was destroyed in the blaze and will stand over 96 meters high on the spire.
—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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