President Joe Biden hopes to use his visit to Asia to confirm his belief that long-standing friendships can afford to become even friendlier — and pay dividends.

He opens the trip in South Korea on Friday and ends in Japan next week at a time when world events are resetting the foundations of the global order.

Among the issues on the table for Biden are seeking ways to show tighter relationships, rethinking national security aims, launching a new trade framework and improving the availability of computer chips after a debilitating shortage.

Ukrainian authorities say their troops repelled a Russian attack in the east, as Moscow struggled to gain ground in the region that is now the focus of the war even as it intensified its campaign there.

Battered by their monthslong siege of the vital port city of Mariupol, Russian troops need time to regroup. But Britain’s Defense Ministry said in an assessment they may not get it.

The city and the steelworks where Ukrainian fighters have held off the Russian assault for weeks have become a symbol of Ukraine’s stoic resistance. With the battle for the steel plant winding down, Russia has already started deploying troops away from the site.

But the British assessment Friday indicated Russian commanders are under pressure to quickly send them elsewhere.

Authorities say two people are dead and another eight wounded following a shooting in Chicago. The shooting happened about 10:40 p.m. Thursday near a McDonald’s restaurant on the city’s Near North Side. 

A church service was held Thursday night to remember the victims of the 10 killed in Buffalo.

In sports, the Celtics blow out the Heat to even their series, The Lightning strikes late to go up 2-0 on the Panthers, a roaring start for Rory at the PGA, and walkoff homers for the Mets and Orioles. 

Oklahoma’s Legislature has given final approval to another Texas-style anti-abortion bill.

Abortion providers say once the bill is signed, it would be the most restrictive abortion ban in effect in the country.

Its passage is part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights.

The bill would prohibit all abortions, except to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. It now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it.

A $40 billion infusion of military and economic aid for Ukraine and its allies has cleared the Senate and will head to President Joe Biden for his signature.

All Democrats and most Republicans rallied behind the latest, and possibly not last, U.S. financial salvo against Russia’s invasion.

Approval comes three weeks after Biden requested a smaller $33 billion version. Though the margins in both chambers were overwhelming, many of the “no” votes in the House and Senate came from supporters of former President Donald Trump's isolationist agenda.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before Thursday's vote that it was “beyond troubling” that some Republicans were adopting Trump's “soft-on-Putin playbook.”

Meanwhile, Biden hosted leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House for a meeting as the two nations seek to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The white man accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket appeared briefly in court Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge.

Assistant district attorney Gary Hackbush said the indictment of 18-year-old Payton Gendron was handed up Wednesday.

He was silent throughout the proceeding and sent back to jail. Someone shouted “Payton you’re a coward!” as he was led out.

Ten people were killed and three others wounded in the Saturday shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the possibility of hate crime and terrorism charges.

Testimony continued as Johnny Depp is suing Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax, Virginia, over a 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”

More Americans applied for jobless aid last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits is at a 53-year low.

Applications for unemployment benefits rose by 21,000 to 218,000 for the week ending May 14, the Labor Department reported Thursday. 

Former President George W. Bush is facing criticism after mistakenly describing the invasion of Iraq — which he led as commander in chief — as “brutal” and “wholly unjustified.”

Bush then corrected himself to say he meant to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 75-year-old former president made the comment during a speech Wednesday night in Dallas, and jokingly blamed the mistake on his age.

U.S. health advisers are urging a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly signed off on the advice. The decision opens a third COVID-19 shot to healthy elementary-age kids, just like what is already recommended for everybody 12 and older.

Regulators this week authorized the extra dose to be given at least five months after youngsters' last shot. CDC's advisers endorsed it during a public meeting on Thursday.

The Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, documentaries and TV series, has died.

The composer known as Vangelis was 79. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other officials expressed their condolences Thursday. Greek media reported that Vangelis died in a French hospital late Tuesday.

Vangelis started playing the piano at age 4, although he claimed he never learned to read notes. His big breakthrough came with the score for “Chariots of Fire,” a 1981 film that told the story of two British runners in the 1924 Olympics. Vangelis’ score received one of the four Academy Awards the film won, including best picture.

The Food and Drug Administration's commissioner says a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running by next week.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faced congressional anger Thursday for not answering questions about whether his agency should have intervened earlier at the Michigan plant tied to a national formula shortage.

Members of a House subcommittee questioned Califf about why the FDA didn’t step in when there were signs of problems at Abbott Nutrition's plant last fall before it was closed.

The shortage has rattled parents and become a political headwind for President Joe Biden, who’s invoked the Defense Production Act to ease supply. Califf asked lawmakers for new food safety funding.

The Oscars are getting back to normal, eligibility-wise. After two years of tweaking rules because of the pandemic, including allowing films to debut on a streaming service, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that Oscar hopefuls will once again have to launch in movie theaters.

—The Associated Press

President Joe Biden hopes to use his visit to Asia to confirm his belief that long-standing friendships can afford to become even friendlier &mdash; and pay dividends.
He opens the trip in South Korea on Friday and ends in Japan next week at a time when world events are resetting the foundations of the global order.
Among the issues on the table for Biden are seeking ways to show tighter relationships, rethinking national security aims, launching a new trade framework and improving the availability of computer chips after a debilitating shortage.
Ukrainian authorities say their troops repelled a Russian attack in the east, as Moscow struggled to gain ground in the region that is now the focus of the war even as it intensified its campaign there.
Battered by their monthslong siege of the vital port city of Mariupol, Russian troops need time to regroup. But Britain&rsquo;s Defense Ministry said in an assessment they may not get it.
The city and the steelworks where Ukrainian fighters have held off the Russian assault for weeks have become a symbol of Ukraine&rsquo;s stoic resistance. With the battle for the steel plant winding down, Russia has already started deploying troops away from the site.
But the British assessment Friday indicated Russian commanders are under pressure to quickly send them elsewhere.
Authorities say two people are dead and another eight wounded following a shooting in Chicago. The shooting happened about 10:40 p.m. Thursday near a McDonald&rsquo;s restaurant on the city&rsquo;s Near North Side.&nbsp;
A church service was held Thursday night to remember the victims of the 10 killed in Buffalo.
In sports, the Celtics blow out the Heat to even their series, The Lightning strikes late to go up 2-0 on the Panthers, a roaring start for Rory at the PGA, and walkoff homers for the Mets and Orioles.&nbsp;
Oklahoma&rsquo;s Legislature has given final approval to another Texas-style anti-abortion bill.
Abortion providers say once the bill is signed, it would be the most restrictive abortion ban in effect in the country.
Its passage is part of an aggressive push in Republican-led states across the country to scale back abortion rights.
The bill would prohibit all abortions, except to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. It now heads to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it.
A $40 billion infusion of military and economic aid for Ukraine and its allies has cleared the Senate and will head to President Joe Biden for his signature.
All Democrats and most Republicans rallied behind the latest, and possibly not last, U.S. financial salvo against Russia&rsquo;s invasion.
Approval comes three weeks after Biden requested a smaller $33 billion version. Though the margins in both chambers were overwhelming, many of the &ldquo;no&rdquo; votes in the House and Senate came from supporters of former President Donald Trump's isolationist agenda.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before Thursday's vote that it was &ldquo;beyond troubling&rdquo; that some Republicans were adopting Trump's &ldquo;soft-on-Putin playbook.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Biden hosted leaders of Sweden and Finland at the White House for a meeting as the two nations seek to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The white man accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket appeared briefly in court Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge.
Assistant district attorney Gary Hackbush said the indictment of 18-year-old Payton Gendron was handed up Wednesday.
He was silent throughout the proceeding and sent back to jail. Someone shouted &ldquo;Payton you&rsquo;re a coward!&rdquo; as he was led out.
Ten people were killed and three others wounded in the Saturday shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the possibility of hate crime and terrorism charges.
Testimony continued as Johnny Depp is suing Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax, Virginia, over a 2018 op-ed she wrote describing herself as &ldquo;a public figure representing domestic abuse.&rdquo;
More Americans applied for jobless aid last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits is at a 53-year low.
Applications for unemployment benefits rose by 21,000 to 218,000 for the week ending May 14, the Labor Department reported Thursday.&nbsp;
Former President George W. Bush is facing criticism after mistakenly describing the invasion of Iraq &mdash; which he led as commander in chief &mdash; as &ldquo;brutal&rdquo; and &ldquo;wholly unjustified.&rdquo;
Bush then corrected himself to say he meant to refer to Russia&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine. The 75-year-old former president made the comment during a speech Wednesday night in Dallas, and jokingly blamed the mistake on his age.
U.S. health advisers are urging a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly signed off on the advice. The decision opens a third COVID-19 shot to healthy elementary-age kids, just like what is already recommended for everybody 12 and older.
Regulators this week authorized the extra dose to be given at least five months after youngsters' last shot. CDC's advisers endorsed it during a public meeting on Thursday.
The Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for &ldquo;Chariots of Fire&rdquo; and music for dozens of other movies, documentaries and TV series, has died.
The composer known as Vangelis was 79. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other officials expressed their condolences Thursday. Greek media reported that Vangelis died in a French hospital late Tuesday.
Vangelis started playing the piano at age 4, although he claimed he never learned to read notes. His big breakthrough came with the score for &ldquo;Chariots of Fire,&rdquo; a 1981 film that told the story of two British runners in the 1924 Olympics. Vangelis&rsquo; score received one of the four Academy Awards the film won, including best picture.
The Food and Drug Administration's commissioner says a shuttered baby formula factory could be up and running by next week.
FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faced congressional anger Thursday for not answering questions about whether his agency should have intervened earlier at the Michigan plant tied to a national formula shortage.
Members of a House subcommittee questioned Califf about why the FDA didn&rsquo;t step in when there were signs of problems at Abbott Nutrition's plant last fall before it was closed.
The shortage has rattled parents and become a political headwind for President Joe Biden, who&rsquo;s invoked the Defense Production Act to ease supply. Califf asked lawmakers for new food safety funding.
The Oscars are getting back to normal, eligibility-wise. After two years of tweaking rules because of the pandemic, including allowing films to debut on a streaming service, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday that Oscar hopefuls will once again have to launch in movie theaters.
&mdash;The Associated Press

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. 

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.&nbsp;

Hot Off The Wire

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

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

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