On this version of Hot off the Wire:
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled his proposal to avoid a partial government shutdown next weekend by extending government funding for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19 and continuing funding for others until Feb. 2. The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Generally, lawmakers extend funding until a certain date for all programs. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers who want to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays, as has often occurred in the past.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the need to destroy Hamas as the path forward to peace on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Israeli forces and Hamas militants continued to fight outside of a hospital in Gaza.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott says he is ending his 2024 bid for president in a move that surprised his donors and stunned his campaign staff. The South Carolina senator made the announcement on Fox News Channel's “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy. Scott says, "I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now, Tim.’” The decision comes as Scott continued to struggle in the polls in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump. Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, entered the race with more cash than any other Republican candidate but couldn’t find a way to break through.
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s lawyers will start calling witnesses in the New York civil fraud trial that threatens the former president’s real estate empire. First up on Monday is Trump’s oldest son Donald Trump Jr. He is a Trump Organization executive vice president and a co-defendant in the case. He'll be returning to the witness stand two weeks after state lawyers quizzed him during a major stretch of the trial that also featured testimony from his father and siblings Eric and Ivanka Trump. Trump Jr. originally testified on Nov. 1 and 2. He said he never worked on the annual financial statements at the heart of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls as crews assess how much damage was caused by a weekend fire that closed a major elevated interstate near downtown. Hazardous materials teams removed burned material from underneath Interstate 10 on Sunday to make way for engineers to see if the columns and deck of the highway can support the normal traffic of about 300,000 vehicles per day. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says officials can’t yet offer a timeline for when the highway might reopen. Commuters are being urged to work from home or take public transportation into downtown Los Angeles.
LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron has made a shock return to high office. He was appointed foreign secretary on Monday in a major shakeup of the Conservative government that also saw the firing of divisive Home Secretary Suella Braverman. It’s rare for a former leader, and a non-lawmaker, to take a senior government post. The government said Cameron will be appointed to Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords. Sunak was under growing pressure to fire Braverman, a divisive figure popular with the authoritarian wing of the governing Conservative Party who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters.
BERLIN (AP) — U.S. officials say five U.S. service members were killed when a military helicopter crashed during training over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The military's European Command said all five crew members were killed when the copter went down “during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.” The military said the cause is under investigation but there are no indications hostile activity was involved. It first reported the crash Saturday and said on Sunday that search and rescue efforts began immediately. The aircraft's branch of service wasn't immediately clear. The Air Force has sent additional squadrons to the region, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has been operating in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Browns, Texans, Seahawks and Lions all win on game-ending field goals, while the Rockets, Sixers and Mavericks each prevail on the NBA hardwood.
NEW YORK (AP) — Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear. The superhero factory hit a new low with the weekend launch of “The Marvels." It opened with $47 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The 33rd installment in the MCU managed less than a third of the $153.4 million its predecessor “Captain Marvel," launched with. Sequels, especially in Marvel Land, aren’t supposed to fall off a cliff. The previous low for a Walt Disney Co.-owned Marvel movie was “Ant-Man,” which bowed with $57.2 million in 2015.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said use of AI was a a key point for striking actors as part of the new contract.
And just like at the box office, “Barbie” will be seen — and heard — at the Grammys. Music from the hit film’s soundtrack earned 11 nominations, including nabbing four of the five slots in the visual media song category.
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