American released from Syrian prison; Bill Belichick has a new coaching job

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 Gaza and expressing support for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. 

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is back in his hometown of New York where he's been honored as Time magazine’s Person of the Year and will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. 

The gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson matches shell casings found at the crime scene, New York’s police commissioner said Wednesday. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and protein bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. 

ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — More than 600,000 people annually visit Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park in the small town of Rovaniemi in Finland. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride or even meet Saint Nick himself. 

GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children for Eastern Europe has willingly returned to the U.S. Ryan Borgwardt is charged with obstruction, a misdemeanor. A not-guilty plea was entered by a judge Wednesday, a day after Borgwardt's return.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats failed in their bid to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after the Senate rejected a razor-thin vote that hinged on the pivotal rejections of independent Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. 

In other news:

• Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency.
• Blinken faces GOP critics in Congress who say Afghanistan withdrawal 'lit the world on fire.'
• House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minors.
• Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New Jersey.
• Supreme Court allows investors' class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia.
• US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days.'
• Stock market today Wall Street gets back to climbing, and the Nasdaq tops 20,000.
• US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent.
• Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger.
• Luxury real estate brokers charged with sex trafficking in NYC.
• Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe.
• George Kresge Jr., who wowed talk show audiences as the The Amazing Kreskin, dies at age 89.
• Bill Belichick has a new coaching job, the NBA Cup completes its Final Four, the Rangers and Senators win the only two NHL games, and Garret Crochet is changing Sox in a big trade.
• FIFA names Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host; Spain, Portugal and Morocco to co-host 2030 edition.
• South Korea's Yoon defends martial law as an act of governance and vows to 'fight to the end.'

—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.

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Hot Off The Wire is a collection of news, sports and entertainment reports. The program is produced by Lee Enterprises with audio provided by The Associated Press.