On this version of Hot off the Wire:
» Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday praised NATO’s decision to simplify Ukraine’s path to eventual membership and hailed new security guarantees and military aid for his country emerging from the alliance summit.
» The Kremlin considers plans by G7 nations to offer Ukraine security guarantees “extremely ill-judged and potentially very dangerous,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
» Even desert residents accustomed to scorching summers are feeling the grip of an extreme heat wave smacking the Southwest this week. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California are getting hit with 100-degree-plus temps and excessive heat warnings.
» New England may get even more rain this week.
» Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature has passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy.
» The National League finally beats the American League in the All-Star Game, Novak Djokovic advances to another major semifinal, the women's top-ranked player is ousted at Wimbledon and the NBA makes a couple of rule changes.
» Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten has been released from a California prison after serving more than 50 years of a life sentence for two infamous killings.
» Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was to meet with NATO leaders Wednesday, had expressed deep frustration that the alliance was providing no firm timetable for when his country could join, calling that “absurd.”
» A storm that dumped two months of rain in two days is bringing more flooding across Vermont.
» A federal judge has handed Microsoft a major victory by declining to block its looming $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard.
» Bank of America must reimburse customers more than $100 million and pay $150 million in fines for “double-dipping” on overdraft fees, withholding reward bonuses on credit cards and opening accounts without customer consent.
» Mikala Jones, a surfer from Hawaii known for shooting awe-inspiring photos and videos from the inside of massive, curling waves, has died after a surfing accident in Indonesia.
» A German surgeon has been ordered to pay a fine of $7,900 for parachuting into the stadium before a European Championship match in Munich two years ago as part of a botched climate protest.
» The Environmental Protection Agency is enforcing stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners that contribute to global warming.
» Few Republicans have high confidence that votes will be tallied accurately in next year’s presidential contest, suggesting years of sustained attacks against elections by former President Donald Trump and his allies have taken a toll.
» The fossilized skeletons of an aerial predator with a 20-foot wingspan and an aquatic reptile with a snake-like neck will be auctioned in New York this month. The two ancient creatures will be sold July 26 at Sotheby's.
Volcano erupts near Icelandic capital, and more of today's top videos
A volcano in southwestern Iceland began erupting Monday following heightened seismic activity in the area, bottles of Sriracha sauce are selling for over $60 after a shortage, and more of today's top videos.
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