Israel strikes Gaza's second-largest city; explosion levels Virginia home; Prince Harry challenges security decision | Hot off the Wire podcast

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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel is intensifying its bombardment in and around Gaza’s second-largest city, sending ambulances and private cars racing into a local hospital carrying people wounded in a bloody new phase of the war. Under U.S. pressure to prevent further mass casualties in the conflict with Hamas, Israel says it is being more precise as it widens its offensive into southern Gaza after obliterating much of the north. But Palestinians say there are no areas where they feel safe, and many fear that if they leave their homes they will never be allowed to return. Aerial bombardment and the ground offensive have already driven three-fourths of the territory’s 2.3 million people from their homes.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding a massive explosion that destroyed a duplex and shook a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. Police said early Tuesday that a suspect in the home fired a flare gun 30 to 40 times into the neighborhood on Monday afternoon, drawing a large police response. Arlington County, Virginia, police say they obtained a search warrant and tried to contact the suspect, but he remained inside his home. When police attempted to execute a warrant, the suspect fired several rounds inside the home and the house subsequently exploded. Police say all officers escaped serious injury, but it was unclear what happened to the suspect.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's emergency services agency says more than 80 people are confirmed dead after military drones “mistakenly” bombed a religious gathering in the northwest. Some 60 people were injured in the attack Sunday in Kaduna state. The president ordered a probe into the incident, the latest of a series of failed aerial assaults in the conflict zone. Since 2017, some 400 civilians have been killed by airstrikes the military said were targeting armed groups, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm. Rights groups and analysts say such mistakes have continued to happen because of the failure to hold the security agencies accountable.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study finds that students around the world suffered historic setbacks in reading during the pandemic and even deeper losses in math, with test score decreases so wide that the United States climbed in global rankings simply by falling behind less sharply. The state of global education was given a bleak appraisal in the Program for International Student Assessment, the first study to examine academic progress in dozens of countries during the pandemic. Released Tuesday, it finds that average math scores fell by the equivalent of three-quarters of a year’s worth of learning. Reading scores fell by the equivalent of half a year.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — George Santos already has a new gig. Fresh off his historic expulsion, the former congressman has opened a Cameo account where the public can pay $200 for a personalized video message. Screenshots of his account with the bio "Former congressional ‘Icon’!” started to spread online Monday and by the afternoon, users were posting clips of Santos offering advice, blowing kisses and making jokes about Botox. Santos was expelled from the House on Friday following a scandal-plagued tenure in Congress and a looming criminal trial. He is only the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.

MIAMI (AP) — The Justice Department says a former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with serving as a covert agent for Cuba’s intelligence services since at least 1981. Newly unsealed court papers allege that Manuel Rocha engaged in “clandestine activity” on Cuba’s behalf for decades, including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives. The complaint was filed in federal court in Miami, and includes charges of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and other crimes. He appeared in court Monday afternoon and will remain held until a bond hearing Wednesday.

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry is challenging the British government's decision to strip him of his security detail after he gave up his status as a working member of the royal family and moved to the United States. A three-day hearing began Tuesday in London’s High Court over the Duke of Sussex's claim that he deserves protection when he visits home. His lawyer claims Harry was treated unfairly by a committee that deviated from its own standards and failed to evaluate risks to him. A different judge previously rejected Harry's petition to privately pay for security in the United Kingdom.

The Jaguars lose the game and their starting quarterback against the Bengals on Monday Night Football, a Steelers quarterback is out indefinitely after surgery, college football’s Heisman Trophy finalists are announced, the Pacers and Pelicans punch their tickets to Las Vegas, Zach Edey carries Purdue men’s hoops to victory and the Lightning cruise past the Stars.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have signed manager Rob Thomson to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season after he led the team to two straight trips to the NL Championship Series. The 60-year-old Thomson has a 155-118 record since the veteran bench coach replaced Joe Girardi as Phillies manager on June 3, 2022. Thomson led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series, where they lost in six games to the Houston Astros. The Phillies returned to the NLCS this season but blew series leads of 2-0 and 3-2 with Games 6 and 7 at home against Arizona.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles have signed three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard to a contract for the rest of the season. Leonard should be available to play for the Eagles on Sunday night against Dallas. Leonard visited with both the Eagles and Cowboys after the Colts waived him late last month. He complained publicly about decreased playing time this season with the Colts. Leonard made three All-Pro teams and three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons with the Colts.

LONDON (AP) — Oxford University Press has named “rizz″ as its word of the year to highlight the popularity of a term used by Generation Z to describe someone’s ability to attract or seduce another person. It topped “Swiftie” or an enthusiastic fan of Taylor Swift, “situationship” which means an informal romantic or sexual relationship and “prompt” which is an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program. The annual decision was announced on Monday. It was made by experts at the publisher of the multivolume Oxford English Dictionary. The four finalists were selected by a public vote. The publisher said that rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma and can be used as a verb as in to “rizz up” or chat someone up.

SEATTLE (AP) — Alaska Air Group has agreed to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal including debt. The airlines announced the agreement Sunday. Alaska will pay $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian, whose stock closed Friday at $4.86. The deal includes $900 million in Hawaiian debt. The acquisition still needs the blessing of U.S. regulators, which have shown resistance to more consolidation within the airline industry out of fear it could lead to higher airfares. Alaska and Hawaiian are both leading carriers between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland, which could raise worries about the combination hurting competition.

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer 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 producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.