Biden and Trump clinch nominations for November rematch; new AI tools for doctors; IRS launches Direct File

Episode Description

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 13 at 7:45 a.m. CT:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have clinched their parties' presidential nominations with decisive victories in a slate of low-profile primaries, setting up a general election rematch that many voters do not want. The outcome of contests Tuesday in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington state and Hawaii was never in doubt. Neither Biden, a Democrat, nor Trump, a Republican, faced major opposition. But the magnitude of their wins gave each man the delegate majority he needed to claim his party’s nomination at the summertime national conventions. There is no longer any doubt that the fall election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. It will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that could lead to a ban of the popular video app TikTok is expected to pass the House as lawmakers act on concerns the company’s ownership structure is a threat to American national security. The bill would require the Chinese firm ByteDance to divest from TikTok and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment or those apps will be prohibited. The lawmakers contend ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which can demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. TikTok denies it could be used as a Chinese government tool. The bill is likely to pass Wednesday but still has a long way to go in the Senate.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food set sail for Gaza on Tuesday in a pilot program for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the 5-month Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.

New artificial intelligence tools are helping doctors communicate with their patients. Some tools answer messages and others take notes during exams. It’s been just 15 months since OpenAI released ChatGPT. Already thousands of doctors are using products based on similar large language models. Enthusiasts say these AI tools save doctors’ time and prevent burnout. They’re also shaking up the doctor-patient relationship, raising questions of trust, transparency, privacy and the future of human connection. AI tools can be prompted to be friendly, empathetic and informative. They can also make mistakes, so it's important that the human doctor stay in the loop.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Labor strife remains an issue in Hollywood after two major strikes were resolved, and the Academy Awards didn’t sidestep that. Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel devoted part of his opening monologue toward vowing to union members and those working behind the scenes that Hollywood’s stars would stand with them as repayment for those workers supporting actors during the strike that brought much of the entertainment industry to a standstill last year. Those crew members are resuming contract talks with studios next week. And video game actors may be going on strike within weeks.

In other headlines:
Congressional hearing on the Biden classified documents probe turns into a proxy campaign battle.
House GOP launch new probe of Jan. 6 and try shifting blame for the Capitol attack away from Trump.
The IRS launches Direct File, a pilot program for free online tax filing available in 12 states.
US inflation up again in February in latest sign that price pressures remain elevated.
Free-agent musical chairs continues apace in the NFL, the Timberwolves come from way back to top the Clippers, the Bucks conclude a lousy Western trip with a loss to Sacramento and the Rangers get the game's only goal in at a win at Carolina.
Eric Carmen, the Raspberries frontman and "All by Myself" and "Hungry Eyes" singer, dies at 74.
Kate's "photogate" scandal shows that relations between royals and the press rarely run smooth.
Commercial rocket trying to put a satellite into orbit explodes moments after liftoff in Japan.

—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.