Firefighters continue to battle wildfires around Los Angeles as discussions about recovery aid continue; Stewart Rhodes returns to the Capitol after his release from prison; there was a shooting in San Antonio; and Saudi Arabia plans to invest in the U.S. Trump's perceived enemies worry about losing pensions, getting audited and paying steep legal bills. Trump to meet with more Republicans as they hash out legislative roadmap. Justice Department directs prosecutors to probe local efforts to obst...
Jan 23, 2025•17 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Stewart Rhodes speaks out after he and others were pardoned by President Donald Trump, the future of federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs, weather updates and TV ratings for the inauguration. US throws out policies limiting arrests of migrants at sensitive locations like schools, churches. Sagar Meghani reports President Trump heard a plea at a church service wrapping up four days of inauguration-related events. Haya Panjwani reports on states suing the Trump administration over orde...
Jan 22, 2025•18 min•Season 4Ep. 17
President Donald Trump has a busy first day in office, a border patrol officer is killed in Vermont, the latest from the Middle East and former Vice President Kamala Harris returns to California and the wildfires. Sequel to Prince Harry's feud with British tabloids begins in high-stakes trial. Trump suspends US foreign assistance for 90 days pending reviews. Canada relieved Trump doesn't impose tariffs on the major American trading partner on the first day. Trump seeks to remake border security ...
Jan 21, 2025•15 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Outgoing President Joe Biden issues a final set of pardons to protect against potential retribution from incoming President Donald Trump. The Chinese president's envoy meets with Vance and Musk on the eve of Trump's inauguration. Chicago prepares for deportation arrests targeting hundreds next week after Trump takes office. TikTok says it's in the process of restoring service to US users. Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will succeed JD Vance in the US Senate. Biden says the Equal Rights Amendment shoul...
Jan 20, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In this episode of The Story Behind the AP Story, hear from AP Washington radio correspondent, Sagar Meghani and White House correspondent Darlene Superville. They'll help us peel back the curtain and share what we can expect during a presidential inauguration. And in other inauguration news: Trump swearing-in will move inside Capitol Rotunda because of intense cold. Biden got an Oval Office letter from Trump and may leave one in the desk himself. It’d be a first. Michelle Obama will skip Trump ...
Jan 18, 2025•15 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Biden sets record by commuting sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted on nonviolent drug charges. Biden won't enforce TikTok ban, official says, leaving fate of app to Trump. Former Vice President Pence calls on Trump to renew US support for Taiwan. Many Americans doubt Trump will be able to lower prices in his first year, an AP-NORC poll shows. Giuliani settles legal fight with former Georgia election workers, agrees to stop defaming them. Texas judge says states can revive challenge to abo...
Jan 17, 2025•22 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Biden warns of dangers of 'oligarchy' of ultra-rich, 'tech-industrial complex' running country. Trump adviser says president-elect is exploring options to 'preserve' TikTok. Trump and Biden both claim credit for Gaza ceasefire deal. Trump's outsider Cabinet picks are rapidly gaining support for confirmation. Transportation secretary pick vows to buck any pressure to help Elon Musk in agency probes of Tesla. Bondi in her confirmation hearing says Trump was 'targeted' by Justice Department investi...
Jan 16, 2025•20 min•Season 4Ep. 12
In today's edition, we look at the Los Angeles-area wildfires, the latest on President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks, public confidence in the Department of Justice, the situation in South Korea, an SEC lawsuiet brought against Elon Musk over Twitter and obesity guidelines. In other news: Top DC prosecutor Trump pardons couldn't erase impact of Capitol riot convictions. Special counsel report says Trump would've been convicted for Jan. 6 'unprecedented criminal effort.' Sen. Adam Schiff tal...
Jan 15, 2025•17 min•Season 4Ep. 11
CAIRO (AP) — Officials say Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. Mediator Qatar said the negotiations were at the “closest point” yet to sealing a deal. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. An Israeli official said progress has been made, but the details are being finalized. The plan would need to be submitted to the Israeli ...
Jan 14, 2025•17 min•Season 4Ep. 10
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters are preparing for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area. Crews made some progress battling the flames this weekend. The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Blue Origin has called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket because of technical trouble. The 320-foot rocke...
Jan 13, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Jimmy Carter lauded for his humility and service in Washington before his return to Georgia. Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to delay sentencing in his New York hush money case. Judge scraps Biden's Title IX rules, reversing expansion of protections for LGBTQ+ students. The Biden administration succeeds in temporarily blocking a plea deal for accused 911 mastermind. New Mexico is a go-to state for women seeking abortions. A new court ruling helps it stay that way. South Carolina statue honorin...
Jan 10, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 8
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters are battling to control major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to frantically flee their homes. Ferocious winds that drove the flames and prompted chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and are not expected to be as powerful Thursday. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has canceled the final overseas trip of his presidency just hours before he was ...
Jan 09, 2025•25 min•Season 4Ep. 7
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wildfire whipped up by extreme winds is sweeping through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity residences. Homes have burned and tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders, some of whom abandoned cars and fled on foot due to clogged roads. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says many structures have already been destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire. NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The plunging polar vortex is bringing subfreezing temperatures to some of the southern...
Jan 08, 2025•12 min•Season 4Ep. 6
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jimmy Carter's state funeral moves to Washington after observances in his native Georgia. The 39th president's remains will leave the Carter Presidential Center on Tuesday morning and fly to Washington aboard Special Air Mission 39. The Carter family and former president will arrive at Joint Base Andrews, with a motorcade following to the U.S. Navy Memorial. Carter's flag-draped casket will be transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for his final journey to the Capitol. ANNAPOLIS,...
Jan 07, 2025•23 min•Season 4Ep. 5
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel are filing a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s decision to block a proposed nearly $15 billion deal for Nippon to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, alleges that it was a political decision and violated the companies’ due process. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to New Orleans as the city reels from the deadly New Year’s attack in...
Jan 06, 2025•13 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include: Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban. A data company has figured out which airlines fly on time most often. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out. Republicans' trust in accuracy of US elections jumps after Trump's win, AP-NORC poll finds. 5 things we know and still don't kno...
Jan 04, 2025•22 min•Season 4Ep. 3
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A mix of law enforcement, street performers and football fans is filling New Orleans’ blocks as the city inches back to normalcy. A deadly New Year’s truck attack along Bourbon Street killed 14 people, along with the driver. Shamsud-Din Jabbar was fatally shot in a firefight with police after steering his speeding truck around a barricade and plowing into a crowd of revelers. About 30 people were injured. LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities say the highly decorated soldier inside a T...
Jan 03, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 2
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden says the U.S. Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans had posted videos to social media hours before the carnage saying he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressing a desire to kill. The driver killed 15 people as he steered around a police blockade and slammed into revelers before being shot dead by police. LAS VEGAS (AP) — Firework mortars and camp fuel canisters were found stuffed into the bac...
Jan 02, 2025•19 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include: How to avoid financial stress during the holiday season. 2024 was big for bitcoin. States could see a crypto policy blitz in 2025 in spite of the risks. Americans end 2024 with grim economic outlook, but Republicans are optimistic for 2025: AP-NORC poll. Business owners should not forget anti-money laundering rule currently in legal limbo. 'Dirty Dancing,' 'Beverly Hills...
Dec 21, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 291
Workers at Starbucks stores plan to go on a five-day strike starting Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes are scheduled to start in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. A debate over the debt ceiling is at the center of a dispute over funding that is pushing the possibility of a federal government shutdown to the brink in Washington. President-elect Donald Trump has propos...
Dec 20, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 290
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — The suspect charged with shooting to death a health insurance company chief executive on a Manhattan street is being taken to hearings on related Pennsylvania criminal charges and efforts to extradite him to New York. Luigi Mangione faces a preliminary hearing on forgery and firearms charges and consideration of a fugitive from justice complaint on Thursday. Workers at seven Amazon facilities are on strike. The union said that the workers are joining the picket line Thu...
Dec 19, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 289
Two people were killed and others were injured Monday in a shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. Police said a student who opened fire, identified as a 15-year-old girl, was also dead. The girl also wounded six others in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition. Police were still unsure of what motivated the shooter. NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO is charged with murder as an a...
Dec 18, 2024•27 min•Season 3Ep. 288
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police say a 15-year-old student opened fire inside a study hall at a small Christian school in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and a teenager. Monday's shooting prompted a swarm of police officers to descend on the school in response to a second grader’s 911 call. Police say the girl also wounded six others in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition. Police say the shooter was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wou...
Dec 17, 2024•21 min•Season 3Ep. 287
BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy advanced drone-tracking technology following weeks of reported drone sightings in parts of New York and New Jersey that have stirred fear and bewilderment. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to use the technology to track drones back to their landing spots. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Health officials in the Gaza Strip say the death toll from the 14-month war between Israel ...
Dec 16, 2024•25 min•Season 3Ep. 286
Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include: Working Well When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace. Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season. Turning dusty attic treasures into cash can yield millions for some and disappointment for others. ‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year. McDonald's emplo...
Dec 14, 2024•14 min•Season 3Ep. 285
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are...
Dec 13, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 284
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An American who turned up in Syria says he was detained after crossing into the country by foot on a Christian pilgrimage seven months ago. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from the country’s notorious prisons after rebels reached Damascus over the weekend, overthrowing President Bashar Assad and ending his family’s 54-year rule. The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaz...
Dec 12, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 283
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The man charged with murder in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has made it clear he isn't going to make things easy for authorities. Luigi Mangione shouted unintelligibly and writhed in the grip of sheriff’s deputies as he was led into court Tuesday. And he objected to being taken to New York to face trial. MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Weather conditions are forecast to improve this week in Southern California and aid firefighters in their battle against a wildfire that’s...
Dec 11, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 282
ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — Court records show New York prosecutors have charged a man with murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Luigi Nicholas Mangione is currently being held without bail in Pennsylvania after he was arrested and arraigned on gun, forgery and other charges on Monday. He’s expected to be extradited to New York eventually. TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at media during testimony at his corruption trial, which involves media mog...
Dec 10, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 281
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but that it's “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Speaking at the White House on Sunday, Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria's backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum fro...
Dec 09, 2024•21 min•Season 3Ep. 280
