On this version of Hot off the Wire:
» Extreme heat and severe weather are in the forecast for much of the nation on Friday.
» The US is trying to determine the motivation for Pvt. Travis King to cross the border into North Korea.
» A knife-wielding man has stabbed at least four pedestrians on a street in the South Korean capital, Seoul. One person has died.
» Poland's Defense Ministry says a U.S. military drone crashed in the woods in the southwest of the country after contact was lost during training.
» Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other technology companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology have agreed to meet a set of AI safeguards brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration.
» The search for an elusive and potentially dangerous animal sighted on the edge of Berlin and suspected to be a lioness has stretched into a second day.
» Some unlikely names top the leaderboard at the British Open, the Orioles go ten innings to beat the Rays in a battle for the AL East top spot, and the Washington Commanders will soon be under new management.
» The White House is deeply concerned about the well-being of a U.S. soldier who bolted across the heavily armed North Korea border earlier this week. Administration officials say North Korea has yet to respond to U.S. requests for basic information about the AWOL soldier, Pvt. Travis King.
» A tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles near Skid Row has sold the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion.
» A South Florida jury awarded $800,000 in damages to a little girl who received second-degree burns when a hot Chicken McNugget fell on her leg as her mother pulled away from the drive-thru of a McDonald’s restaurant.
» Miami police say an 18-year-old mother tried to hire a hitman to kill her 3-year-old son, who was living with his grandmother at the time.
» A sea otter launched into the national spotlight after social media images circulated of her aggressively wresting surfboards away from surfers off the coast of Santa Cruz, California is building a fan club as she continues to evade capture.
» Country music star Jason Aldean has released a controversial music video for his latest single, “Try That In A Small Town." Country Music Television removed it Monday from rotation, three days after its release.
» Pop star Shakira is facing more trouble from Spain’s tax office after a court near Barcelona agreed to open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud by the Colombian singer.
» A row of tightly trimmed ficus trees along a stretch of sidewalk outside Universal Studios has become a hot spot in the face-off between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters and actors.
» Security was heightened ahead of Thursday night’s opening Women’s World Cup game after a gunman killed two people at a downtown construction site in Auckland, roughly 12 hours ahead of co-host New Zealand’s match against Norway.
Scientists work to save rare caterpillar species in Oregon, and more of today's top videos
Oregon Zoo butterfly specialists have released thousands of rare larvae into the Oregon mountains, firefighters in Greece are still battling wildfires near Athens, and more of today's top videos.