On this version of Hot off the Wire:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died, his consulting firm says. He was 100. Kissinger dominated foreign policy as the United States extricated itself from Vietnam and broke down barriers with China. He exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both harsh criticism and the Nobel Peace Prize. The German-born diplomat got the U.S. out of Vietnam after bloody, costly years of delay and into China in a sudden burst of secret diplomacy. Decades later, his name still provoked impassioned debate over foreign policy actions long past. He stands among the 20th century’s commanding figures in U.S. foreign policy.
TOKYO (AP) — Global leaders are paying tribute to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, but there is also sharp criticism of the man who remained an influential figure decades after his official service as one of the most powerful diplomats in American history. Kissinger, who died Wednesday at 100, drew praise as a skilled defender of U.S. interests. On social media, though, he was widely called a war criminal who left lasting damage throughout the world. Kissinger dominated foreign policy as the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam and established ties with China. Current Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “few people were better students of history” and “even fewer people did more to shape history than Henry Kissinger.”
PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — With her frail husband as a silent witness, Rosalynn Carter was celebrated by her family and closest friends at her funeral in Plains, Georgia, the same tiny town where she and Jimmy Carter were born. The former president attended the intimate gathering at Maranatha Baptist Church. She and her husband spent decades there welcoming guests. Maranatha Pastor Tony Lowden gave tribute to what he called “the life and legacy of the greatest first lady" and said that as a humanitarian, she "served every nation around the world.” Hundreds watched her motorcade through town. Her burial plot is in view of the front porch of the home where the 39th American president still lives.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s her, hi — Taylor Swift is Spotify’s 2023 most-played artist. According to Spotify Wrapped, Swift was 2023’s most-streamed artist globally, raking in more than 26.1 billion global streams since January. That means the pop superstar has dethroned Puerto Rican reggaetonero Bad Bunny, who held the coveted title for three years in a row since 2020. He’s in the second slot in 2023, followed by The Weeknd in third, Drake in fourth, and regional Mexican musician Peso Pluma in fifth. Bad Bunny's 2022 album “Un Verano Sin Ti” was Spotify’s most-streamed album for the second year in a row, raking in 4.5 billion global streams since the start of the year.
LONDON (AP) — Elton John has urged British lawmakers to do more to fight HIV and AIDS. He says the U.K. can be the first country in the world “to defeat this awful virus.” The British star spoke to dozens of lawmakers and campaigners in the grand Speaker’s House of Parliament on Wednesday evening at an event honoring his dedication to fighting HIV. He told lawmakers: “I implore you not to waste your allotted time as political leaders." John set up his AIDS Foundation in 1992 and has helped raise millions of dollars to prevent HIV infections and reduce stigma. The Parliament reception for John came ahead of World AIDS Day, which takes place on Friday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Daryl Hall has filed a court declaration that accuses his longtime music partner John Oates of committing the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by planning to sell his share of the Hall & Oates duo’s joint venture without the other’s permission. In the declaration filed Wednesday in a Nashville chancery court, Hall also lamented the deterioration of his relationship with and trust in his musical partner of more than a half-century. The court filing says the joint venture, named Whole Oats Enterprises LLP, includes Hall & Oates trademarks, personal name and likeness rights, record royalty income and website and social media assets. Oates responded in court that Hall had been trying to stand alone outside of the group for years.
NEW YORK (AP) — Frances Sternhagen, the veteran character actor who won two Tony Awards and became a familiar maternal face to TV viewers later in life in such shows as “Cheers,” “ER,” “Sex and the City” and “The Closer,” has died. She was 93. Sternhagen won a Tony for best featured actress in a play in 1974 for her role in Neil Simon’s “The Good Doctor” and a second one in 1995 for a revival of “The Heiress.” She was nominated for Tonys four other times, for starring or featured roles in “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window,” “Equus,” “Angel” and “Morning’s at Seven.”
In sports: Big nights for Zion Williamson and Nikola Jokic in the NBA, a few upsets in men’s college basketball and another win for the Rangers in the NHL.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets opened the 21-day practice window for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The move Wednesday is the next step in the four-time NFL MVP’s rehabilitation from a torn Achilles tendon. Coach Robert Saleh said Rodgers, who turns 40 on Saturday, was cleared for some football activities but was limited at practice and isn't cleared for contact. Saleh emphasized it’s not necessarily a signal Rodgers will play again this season as it is the next step of the quarterback’s rehabilitation process. At the end of the 21-day period, the Jets will decide whether to activate him or he’ll spend the rest of this season on injured reserve.
The family that runs the Las Vegas Sands casino company says it has entered agreements to buy the majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks from team owner Mark Cuban. The agreement would be in the valuation range of $3.5 billion, according to an AP source, and will take weeks for the league to process. Cuban would retain control of basketball operations in the deal. The family of Miriam Adelson, widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, has announced it is selling $2 billion of her shares to buy the team.
The Newport Beach, California, Police Department say its detectives are conducting an investigation into an accusation that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an improper relationship with an underage girl. In a since-deleted post, an anonymous social media user said a girl who is seen with Giddey in videos and photographs was a high school junior at the time. The social media account has since been deactivated. Giddey is an Australian who turned 21 in October. The NBA said last week that it is investigating. Giddey has declined to comment.
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