Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include:

• Cutting food waste would lower emissions, but so far only one state has done it.
• Taxpayers in 24 states will be able to file their returns directly with the IRS in 2025.
• Marketing plans are key for small businesses ahead of a tough holiday shopping season.
• Awareness of 'Latinx' increases among US Latinos, and 'Latine' emerges as an alternative.
• Civilization 7 makers work with Shawnee to bring sincere representation of the tribe to the game.
• Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see Israel as a US ally, according to an AP-NORC poll.
• How one preschool uses 'PAW Patrol' to teach democracy.
• Helene’s powerful storm surge killed 12 near Tampa. They didn't have to die.
• Southerners stay in touch the old-fashioned way after Helene cuts roads, power, phones.
• Toilet paper makers say US port strike didn't cause shortages.
• Thousands of shipping containers have been lost at sea. What happens when they burst open.
• Google's search engine's latest AI injection will answer voiced questions about images.
• The fate of Nibi the beaver lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wild.
• Spider lovers scurry to Colorado town in search of mating tarantulas and community.
• Peru celebrates 2 decades of a fast-growing breed of guinea pigs eaten as a delicacy.
• On this week's AP Religion Roundup, New York steps up security for the Jewish High Holy Days, and the Vatican veers away from ordination for women.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

• Dockworkers' union suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract.
• President Joe Biden is pledging support to those recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
• Hurricane Kirk could cause dangerous surf conditions along the US East Coast.
• Melania Trump says she supports abortion rights, putting her at odds with the GOP.
• Liz Cheney campaigns with Harris in Wisconsin while Trump holds a rally in Michigan.
• Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme.
• Jobs report is likely to show another month of modest but steady hiring gains.
• More Americans file for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low.
• Mixed verdict for 3 Memphis officers convicted in Tyre Nichols' fatal beating.
• Los Angeles prosecutors to review new evidence in Menendez brothers' 1996 murder conviction.
• A 5th recall for Tesla Cybertruck within a year, the latest due to rearview display.
• The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat was on display in Major League Baseball Thursday night, a two time world champion is returning to the dugout, it was a passing display on the NFL's Thursday night game, and Caitlin Clark gathers more laurels.
• Augusta chairman confident Masters will go on as club focuses on community recovery from Helene.
• Chiefs put WR Rashee Rice on injured reserve after hurting his knee in a win over the Chargers.
• Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut off a key crossing into Syria.
• Israel extends evacuation warnings in Lebanon, signaling a wider offensive.
• New NATO chief Mark Rutte visits Ukraine in his first trip since taking office.
• A small town in central Thailand is mourning the 23 who died in a school bus fire.
• Dozens of zoo tigers die after contracting bird flu in southern Vietnam.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

• Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild.
• Mayorkas warns FEMA doesn't have enough funding to last through hurricane season.
• The president could invoke a 1947 law to try to suspend the dockworkers' strike. Here's how.
• Dockworkers may have the negotiating advantage in their strike against US ports.
• Prosecutors Trump 'resorted to crimes' after losing 2020 election in failed bid to cling to power.
• Cybersecurity head says there's no chance a foreign adversary can change US election results.
• Doctor who helped supply Matthew Perry ketamine pleads guilty to drug charge.
• Prosecutors say they may bring additional charges against New York City mayor and indict others.
• NYC stepping up security as High Holy Days and Oct. 7 anniversary coincide.
• NASA's Webb telescope detects traces of carbon dioxide on the surface of Pluto's largest moon.
• The Tigers and Royals reach the ALDS, the Padres play their way into the NLDS, the Brewers force a Game 3 in their wild-card series, the NFL gets ready to kick off Week 5, Luka Doncic suffers an injury in practice, another WNBA coach gets fired, and a racing team owned by a Hall-of-Famer sues NASCAR.
• Middle East latest Israeli strike in Beirut killed 7 health and rescue workers.
• Typhoon Krathon makes landfall on Taiwan, packing fierce winds and torrential rain.
• Two boats carrying migrants sink in the Red Sea off Djibouti's coast killing 45, UN says.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

• Tim Walz and JD Vance go in depth on policy while attacking each other’s running mates in VP debate.
• Donald Trump won't participate in interview for '60 Minutes' election special.
• 11 workers at a Tennessee factory were swept away in Hurricane Helene flooding. Only 5 were rescued.
• Hurricane Helene's death toll passes 150 as crews search for survivors.
• Kirk becomes a hurricane as North Carolina reels from Helene.
• US job openings rise to 8 million as labor market remains sturdy.
• Watchdog blasts DEA for not reporting waterboarding, torture by Latin American partners.
• US job openings rise to 8 million as labor market remains sturdy.
• Another top aide to New York City mayor quits in wake of corruption indictment.
• Justice Department finds Georgia is 'deliberately indifferent' to unchecked abuses at its prisons.
• Montana man gets 6 months in prison for cloning giant sheep and breeding it.
• John Amos, patriarch on 'Good Times' and an Emmy nominee for the blockbuster 'Roots,' dies at 84.
• Doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death is expected to plead guilty.
• Attorney says 120 accusers allege sexual misconduct against Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
• The Tigers, Royals, Mets and Padres begin MLB's Wild Card round with victories, a Bills defensive standout is suspended, Gonzaga is moving to the Pac-12 conference and the WNBA's two-time defending champs are on the brink of elimination from the playoffs.
• Bills' Von Miller suspended by NFL for 4 games for violating personal conduct policy.
• Canadiens winger Patrik Laine expected to be out 2 to 3 months with knee sprain.
• Ukraine's military says it is pulling out of Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine after more than two years of intense fighting.
• Iran fires at least 180 missiles into Israel as regionwide conflict grows.
• Palestinian officials say 32 killed in Israeli strikes on southern Gaza.
• Claudia Sheinbaum sworn in as 1st female president of Mexico.
• Nigeria’s independence anniversary is marked by protests and frustration over economic hardship.
• Thai police arrest driver and work to identify victims of the school bus fire that killed 23.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

The Israeli military has warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after announcing the start of ground operations against the Hezbollah militant group. Hezbollah on Tuesday denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon but said it was ready to battle them.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas have started walking picket lines in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks. The contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight, and even though progress was reported in talks on Monday, the workers went on strike early Tuesday.

BANGKOK (AP) — Officials and rescuers say a school bus carrying young students and their teachers on a school trip caught fire in suburban Bangkok, leaving more than 20 feared dead. The bus with 45 passengers — six teachers and 39 elementary and junior high school students — was traveling from the central Uthai Thani province.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Walz and JD Vance will meet for their first and possibly only vice presidential debate Tuesday. It may also be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before the election.

NEW YORK (AP) — Another top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams has resigned. Timothy Pearson, one of the mayor's closest advisers, submitted his resignation Monday evening. The resignation comes weeks after his attorney says federal agents seized cellphones, documents and cash from his Long Island home.

In other news:

• Former President Donald Trump injects politics into the hurricane recovery effort.
• A long recovery is ahead for hurricane victims in westen North Carolina.
• Pete Rose, baseball’s banned hits leader, has died at age 83.
• Fed Chair Powell says the US economy is in 'solid shape' with gradual rate cuts coming.
• A concert and 30 new homes mark Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday and long legacy of giving.
• Movie armorer's conviction upheld in fatal ‘Rust’ set shooting by Alec Baldwin.
• FBI to pay $22M to settle claims of sexual discrimination at training academy.
• DirecTV buys rival Dish as satellite mainstays hunker down against onslaught of streaming services.
• Judge strikes down Georgia ban on abortions, allowing them to resume beyond 6 weeks into pregnancy.
• Arkansas sues YouTube over claims that the site is fueling a mental health crisis.
• Baseball's Pete Rose and NBA's Dikembe Mutombo pass away, the Mets and Braves both get into the Wild Card playoffs, the Lions win behind Jared Goff, the Titans score a win behind backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, and partial owner Buster Posey takes a front office job with the San Francisco Giants.
• NATO's long-time chief hands over to a former Dutch premier.
• WikiLeaks' Julian Assange says he pleaded 'guilty to journalism' in order to be freed.
• Along Mexico's Pacific coast, flooding from Hurricane John left devastated towns and 17 dead.
• Hunger in Haiti reaches famine levels as gangs squeeze life out of the capital and beyond.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court has sentenced a man convicted over a car bombing that seriously wounded nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin to life in prison. Prosecutors said the May 2023 bombing in the Nizhny Novogorod region was conducted at the direction of Ukraine’s security services.

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah’s acting leader has vowed to continue battling Israel and said the Lebanese militant group was prepared for a long fight even after much of its top command was wiped out, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Israeli strikes have killed Nasrallah and six of his top commanders and officials in the last 10 days, and have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon.

DirecTV is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years, as the company seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant. DirecTV said Monday that it will acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that includes a payment of $1, plus the assumption of debt.

A crisis is unfolding in Asheville as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas that still lack power and cellular service days after Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm topped 90 people across several states. Authorities have struggled to get supplies to isolated areas. Massive rains brought by Helene left many people stranded or homeless around the region.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar who became a superstar songwriter, singer and actor, has died. A family spokeswoman says Kristofferson died at his home in Hawaii on Saturday. He was 88.

In other news:

• Biden says he'll speak with Israeli leader, vowing all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.
• US retailers brace for potential pain from a longshoremen's strike.
• Why Tuesday's vice presidential debate could matter more than history suggests.
• Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson treated for burns received at appearance, campaign says.
• SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year.
• Titan implosion testimony paints a picture of reckless greed and explorer passion.
• Minnesota reports rare human death from rabies.
• October's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse will dazzle parts of South America and the Pacific.
• 'Megalopolis' flops, 'Wild Robot' soars at box office.
• Maggie Smith, scene-stealing actor famed for Harry Potter and 'Downton Abbey,' dies at 89.
• Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces new sex assault allegations in woman's lawsuit.
• Nail biters and blowouts in Week 4 of the NFL, MLB's National Leagues wild-card chase will be decided in overtime and the U.S wins another President's Cup.
• Pope wraps troubled visit to Belgium by praising victims and demanding abusers be judged.
• Russia invokes its nuclear capacity in a UN speech that's full of bile toward the West.
• China, at UN, warns against 'expansion of the battlefield' in the Ukraine war.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include:

• FBI finds violent crime declined in 2023. Here's what to know about the report.
• Here's how to avoid getting pressured into signing up for store credit cards.
• Almost all small businesses are using a software tool that is enabled by AI.
• Severe obesity is on the rise in the US.
• How colorful, personalized patches bring joy to young cancer patients.
• It's time to roll up sleeves for new COVID, flu shots.
• Funds are cutting aid for women seeking abortions as costs rise.
• Brewing a cold beer on a warming planet is hard. Germany uses education to fight climate change.
• Hotter summers are making high school football a fatal game for some players.
• Harris owns a gun Trump wants to cap credit card rates Party lines blur in campaign's last stretch.
• Harris is more popular than Trump among AAPI voters, a new APIA VoteAAPI Data survey finds.
• Are Trump and Harris particularly Christian That's not what most Americans would say AP-NORC poll.
• Americans are more likely to see Harris' gender as a hurdle than they were for Clinton AP-NORC poll.
• A new mystery firm enters Trump's orbit, rekindling criticism of his presidential campaign spending.
• A Pennsylvania bakery known for its election cookie poll is swamped with orders.
• Takeaways from an AP and Texas Tribune report on 24 hours along the US-Mexico border.
• Tyreek Hill's traffic stop can be a reminder for drivers' constitutional rights.
• The number of rhinos is slightly up but poaching has increased too.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Authorities are rescuing people trapped by floodwaters and more than 3 million customers are in the dark across much of the southeastern U.S. as Hurricane Helene weakens to a tropical storm over Georgia early Friday. The storm made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm overnight amid warnings from the National Hurricane Center that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge. There were at least three storm-related deaths. Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extend far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams could make his initial court appearance on charges that he accepted illegal campaign contributions and free overseas trips from people looking to buy his influence in city government.

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines executives have unveiled their vision for turning the carrier into an airline that gives passengers assigned seats, charges them extra for more legroom and offers red-eye flights but bags still fly free. The airline announced on Thursday that it plans to end the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and start flights with assigned seats in early 2026.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s prime minister has blasted Pope Francis for the Catholic Church’s horrific legacy of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups. Alexander De Croo demanded “concrete steps” to come clean with the past and put victims’ interests over those of the institution as he delivered a blistering welcome Friday at the start of Francis’ visit.

In other news:

• Harris blasts Trump proposals for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia during Zelenskyy meeting.
• Harris says the right to be safe is a civil right, as Biden signs order on gun technology.
• Appeals court signals it might be open to altering Donald Trump's $489 million civil fraud penalty.
• Prosecutors file sealed brief detailing allegations against Trump in election interference case.
• Rudy Giuliani disbarred in DC after pushing Trump's false 2020 election claims.
• Top Haitian official denounces false claim, repeated by Trump, that immigrants are eating pets.
• Free COVID tests are back. Here's how to order a test to your home.
• NASA, Boeing describe limited roles despite Titan's owner touting aerospace ties.
• Police in small Mississippi city discriminate against Black residents, Justice Department finds.
• Average rate on a 30-year mortgage slips to 6.08%, lowest level in two years.
• Oklahoma executes a man for a 1992 killing despite board recommending his life be spared.
• X requests it be reinstated in Brazil after complying with judge's orders, source says.
• Hoda Kotb is leaving NBC's 'Today' show early next year.
• Judge hears arguments on possible retrial of movie armorer in fatal set shooting by Alec Baldwin.
• Memphis man gets life sentence for killing rapper Young Dolph.
• The Cowboys win Thursday night, two MLB teams clinch division titles, a former NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP retires, a Major League Baseball player is facing a criminal trial, the Athletics play their last game in Oakland, and the United States gets off to a great start at the Presidents Cup.
• Japan's soon-to-be prime minister faces big challenge as he tries to move past ruling party scandals.
• Families of 43 missing students in Mexico are still demanding justice 10 years later.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.