On this version of Hot off the Wire:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days but no travel has been finalized, a senior administration official said Sunday. It would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support following the brutal attack by Hamas.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians in besieged Gaza are crowding into hospitals and schools. They are seeking shelter and running low on food and water ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive following more than a week of punishing airstrikes launched in response to a deadly Hamas rampage. More than a million Palestinians have fled their homes in Gaza in the past week. As the enclave’s food, water and medicine supplies dwindled, all eyes were on the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, where trucks carrying badly needed aid have been waiting for days as mediators press for a cease-fire that would allow them enter Gaza and allow foreigners to leave.
CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities say a 71-year-old Illinois man has been charged with a hate crime, accused of fatally stabbing a young boy and seriously wounded a woman because of their Islamic faith and the Israel-Hamas war. The Will County Sheriff’s Office says in a statement that the man was in custody Sunday and is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Authorities say they found the woman and child repeatedly stabbed Saturday morning at a home southwest of Chicago. The sheriff's office says the woman was hospitalized with multiple stab wounds and is expected to survive.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors and lawyers for former President Donald Trump are heading to court to argue over a proposed gag order aimed at reining in his diatribes on likely witnesses and others in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has accused Trump of using increasingly incendiary rhetoric to try to undermine the public’s confidence in the justice system and taint the jury pool. Trump’s defense has called the gag order proposal an unconstitutional effort to “silence” his political speech as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. It's unclear whether U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will issue a ruling Monday.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Major U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid says it has filed for bankruptcy and obtained $3.45 billion in fresh financing as it carries out a restructuring plan while coping with falling sales and opioid-related lawsuits. Rite Aid said it would also close “underperforming” stores. Rite Aid, which owns Bartell Drug, is among the companies that has faced lawsuits over the opioid epidemic. It said the head of a financial advisory firm, Jeffrey Stein, was appointed CEO as of Sunday, replacing interim CEO Elizabeth Burr. In 2022, Rite Aid settled for up to $30 million to resolve lawsuits alleging its pharmacies contributed to an oversupply of prescription opioids.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan becoming House speaker would help cement the far right’s takeover of the Republican Party and trigger conflict with Democrats over the size and scope of government. A Jordan speakership would also come with political baggage heading into next year’s election. The Ohio congressman has such a reputation as a political brawler that former House Speaker John Boehner once said he’d never met someone “who spent more time tearing things apart.” Jordan is a favorite of former President Donald Trump. But Jordan's path to the speakership is by no means certain. Jordan will need support from nearly every House Republican in a chamber they narrowly control.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than $71 million for his reelection in the three months ending Sept. 30, a strong indication that party donors remain united behind him going into a 2024 race that may feature a rematch with Donald Trump. Sunday’s announcement follows the president’s campaign and party saying they’d raised slightly more, $72-plus million in the 10 weeks between the official announcement he was seeking reelection on April 25 and the end of the second quarter on June 30. The campaign also said Democrats have $91 million in cash on hand, the highest-ever total by a Democrat at this point in an election cycle.
Actor Suzanne Somers, who's best known for playing Chrissy Snow on the U.S. TV sitcom “Three’s Company,” has died. She was 76. Her family said in statement that Somers had breast cancer for over 23 years and died Sunday morning. Her immediate family members were with her in Palm Springs, California, and had been planning to celebrate her 77th birthday on Monday. Somer's most famous acting role came with “Three’s Company.” That ABC network sitcom aired from 1977 to 1984, though Somers' participation ended in 1981. On “Three’s Company,” she played the ditzy blonde opposite John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt.
Unbeatens are no longer in the NFL as the last two teams with unblemished records tasted defeat for the first time, a placekicker had a field day over in London, Baseball's post season resumed with game one of the American League Championship Series and the WNBA Championship series will continue into next week.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fran Drescher said Thursday that she is baffled and disappointed that Hollywood studios abruptly broke off talks this week with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The actors guild president told The Associated Press that she did not understand why negotiations collapsed but that these bargaining tactics will not weaken the actors guild’s resolve. The studios announced Wednesday that they had suspended contract negotiations, saying the gap between the two sides was too great to make continuing worth it, despite an offer they said was as good as the one that recently ended the writers strike.
Piper Laurie, the strong-willed, Oscar-nominated actor who performed in acclaimed roles despite at one point abandoning acting altogether in search of a “more meaningful” life, has died. She was 91. She received Academy Award nominations for three very different films: The 1961 poolroom drama “The Hustler”; the film version of Stephen King’s horror classic “Carrie,” in 1976; and the romantic drama “Children of a Lesser God,” in 1986. She also appeared in several acclaimed roles on television and the stage, including in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” in the 1990s.
Movie theaters turned into concert venues this weekend as Swifties brought their dance moves and friendship bracelets to multiplexes across the country. The unparalleled enthusiasm helped propel “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” to a massive, first place debut between $95 million and $97 million in North America, AMC Theaters said Sunday. In just three days, it’s already surpassed the total $73 million in domestic earnings of “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.” And if it comes in on the higher end of projections when totals are released Monday, it could be the biggest October film opening ever.
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