Clouds may spoil eclipse for some crowds; P&G recalls 8.2 million detergent bags; South Carolina tops Iowa for women's NCAA basketball championship

Hot Off The Wire

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted April 8 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

MESQUITE, Texas (AP) — Millions of spectators in the U.S., Mexico and Canada are eagerly anticipating the total solar eclipse. It's expected to be North America's biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path. But cloud cover is threatening to spoil the view for many. Clear skies are only promised in northern New England to Canada. During the eclipse, the moon will pass in front of the sun and obscure it for up to 4 1/2 minutes. The rest of North America will see a partial eclipse, weather permitting.

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has declined to endorse a national abortion ban and says he believes abortion should be left to the states. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee released a video outlining his position on Monday after months of mixed messages and speculation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is traveling to Wisconsin to announce details of a new plan to help millions of people with their student loan debt. The Democratic president will visit Madison, the capital, on Monday, a week after primary voting in the Midwest battleground state highlighted weaknesses for him and Republican challenger Donald Trump.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican has declared that gender-affirming surgeries and surrogacy are grave violations of human dignity. A new document from the doctrine office puts them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God’s plan for human life.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Ukrainian official has denied Russian accusations that his country’s army fired drones at a nuclear reactor at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. The Kremlin’s forces have been occupying and running the plant in southern Ukraine since shortly after the war began more than two years ago.

In entertainment, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher say they filed for divorce last year after more than 20 years as a couple. It has been 21 years since Sean Paul’s dancehall anthem “Get Busy” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced new audiences to his Jamaican genres. Fans are celebrating 50 years since ABBA won a major battle with “Waterloo.”

In other headlines:

• An Oregon Powerball player wins a $1.3 billion jackpot, ending more than 3 months without a grand prize.
• Sen. Bernie Sanders's office in Vermont caught fire. Arson is suspected, but the motive is unclear.
• New York City's skyscrapers are built to withstand most earthquakes.
• Christiania, Copenhagen’s hippie oasis, wants to rebuild without its illegal hashish market.
• P&G recalls 8.2 million bags of Tide, Gain and other laundry detergents over packaging defect.
• "Godzilla x Kong" maintains box-office dominion in its second weekend.
• South Carolina denies Caitlin Clark a national championship in her collegiate finale, Jalen Brunson powers the Knicks past the Bucks, Zion Williamson and Paul George have clutch performances, the Braves slug three homers to complete a sweep, the Red Wings and Capitals jockey for playoff position, and more.
• In relgion, Palestinians pray in Jerusalem on the last Friday of Ramadan, while a Bronx mosque supports migrants flowing into New York.

—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.

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