'Gorilla hail' hits parts of Kansas and Missouri; not all countries bouncing back from pandemic; Dollar Tree to close nearly 1,000 stores

Episode Description

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted March 14 at 7:15 a.m. CT:

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Massive chunks of hail has pelted parts of Kansas and Missouri and brought traffic to a standstill along Interstate 70. Meteorologists issued thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches Wednesday into Thursday. Alex Sosnowski of AccuWeather said some were calling it “gorilla hail” because of its potential to be so big. Descriptions of hail ranged from the size of golf balls and apples, to softballs and baseballs. There were three unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Wabaunsee and Shawnee counties. The National Weather Service in Topeka said quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph were expected across northern Kansas overnight until 6 a.m. on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell. Lawmakers are concerned the company’s current ownership structure is beholden to the Chinese government and poses a U.S. national security threat. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman accuses Washington of resorting to political tools when U.S. businesses fail to compete. The House bill now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok has more than 170 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. A TikTok spokesman is criticizing Congress for being too secretive.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge is set to hear arguments on whether to dismiss the classified documents prosecution of Donald Trump. His lawyers say the former president was entitled under the Presidential Records Act to keep the sensitive documents with him when he left the White House and headed to Florida. Special counsel Jack Smith’s team, by contrast, says the files Trump is charged with possessing are presidential records, not personal ones, and that the statute does not apply to classified and top-secret documents like those kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. It's unclear when U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon might rule.

ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia 2020 election interference case has dismissed some of the charges against ex-President Donald Trump, but others remain. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote Wednesday in an order that six of the charges in the indictment must be quashed, including three against Trump. The order leaves intact many other charges in the indictment. The judge wrote that prosecutors could seek a new indictment on the charges he dismissed. The six charges in question have to do with soliciting elected officials to violate their oaths of office. One of the counts stems from a phone call Trump made to fellow Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021. Trump denies wrongdoing.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. report says many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing their conditions deteriorate. The U.N. Development Program issued the report Wednesday. Agency head Achim Steiner says that after two decades during which rich and poor countries were coming closer in terms of development, they are now drifting apart. The report says the Human Development Index that UNDP has been producing since 1990 is projected to reach record highs in 2023 after steep declines during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. But it says development in half of the world’s poorest countries remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

In other headlines:

The U.S. has its first presidential rematch since 1956, and other facts about the Biden-Trump sequel.

Hunter Biden gun case could go to trial as soon as June — if judge refuses motions to dismiss.

Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says.

Dollar Tree to close nearly 1,000 stores, posts surprise fourth quarter loss.

Judge schedules sentencing for movie armorer in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin.

Free agents continue to move freely around the NFL, the Nuggets win a rematch of the NBA Finals, three more teams earn NCAA men's tournament berths, a busy night out west for the NHL and Dylan Cease ceases to be on the White Sox. Also, the Chiefs restructure Patrick Mahomes' contract for salary cap relief and Louisville fires Payne after going 12-52 in two seasons.

—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.