On this version of Hot off the Wire:
» Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday to trying to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss, answering for the first time to federal charges that accuse him of orchestrating a brazen and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to block the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
» Ukrainian drones have attacked a major Russian port on the Black Sea.
» Two U.S. Navy sailors were charged Thursday with providing sensitive military information to China — including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material.
The two sailors, both based in California, were charged with similar moves to provide sensitive intelligence to the Chinese. But they were separate cases, and it wasn’t clear if the two were courted or paid by the same Chinese intelligence officer as part of a larger scheme. Federal officials at a news conference in San Diego declined to specify whether the sailors were aware of each other’s actions.
» Phoenix rises to 113F again.
Phoenix’s iconic saguaros, a towering trademark of the Sonoran Desert landscape, were already stressed; this summer's historic heat turned out to be the cactus needle that broke the camel’s back.
» Mega Millions jackpot tops $1.2 Billion.
» Expelled Tennessee lawmakers win back their seats.
» PAC12 may be getting thinner as 3 of the 9 remaining schools have expressed interest in other conferences.
More movement could be coming to the Pac-12 Conference. Regents who oversee Arizona, Arizona State and the University of Washington have scheduled special meetings for Thursday night. Southern California and UCLA are already leaving for the Big Ten next year. Colorado decided last week it will leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12 next year, too. That leaves the Pac-12 with nine schools and no media rights deal beyond the upcoming school year.
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