Debt limit talks in standstill; bill would require AM radio in new cars; Florida beach tops annual ranking | Hot off the Wire podcast

On this version of Hot off the Wire:

» Debt limit talks came to an abrupt standstill after Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said it’s time to “pause” negotiations. A White House official acknowledged there are “real differences” that are making talks difficult.

» President Joe Biden has approved plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, according to two people familiar with the matter.

» A Tennessee judge has continued to temporarily block the release of more video footage and records in the Tyre Nichols investigation. But during a court hearing Friday, he said he does want to make public as much information as possible that would not interfere with the rights to a fair trial for five Memphis police officers charged in Nichols’ death.

» The Mideast-based chiefs of the U.S., British and French navies have transited the Strait of Hormuz aboard an American warship. They say it is a sign of their unified approach to keep the crucial waterway open after Iran seized two oil tankers.

» Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina made it official Friday: He’s running for president. The Senate’s only Black Republican has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Committee declaring his intention to seek his party’s nomination.

» Direct flights have resumed between Russia and Georgia amid protests and sharp criticism from the South Caucasus nation’s president.

» A new poll finds that most U.S. adults say they are highly concerned about how the nation’s economy would be affected if the debt limit isn’t increased and the government can’t pay its debts.

» Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to keep AM radio in the nation’s cars. A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced the “AM for Every Vehicle Act.” It would require automakers to keep AM radio in new cars at no additional cost.

» A 9-mile stretch on on St. George Island in Florida sugar-white is the nation’s best beach for 2023. That’s according to an annual ranking released by a university professor known as “Dr. Beach.”

» A tiff over Taco Tuesday is heating up, with Taco Bell asking U.S. regulators to force Taco John’s to abandon its longstanding claim to “Taco Tuesday” as a trademark.