Twitter suspends journalists; big storm moves north; Senate passes bill to fund government; sports highlights | Hot off the Wire podcast

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On this version of Hot off the Wire:

» Twitter suspended the accounts of several journalists who cover the social media platform, the latest battle over what can and cannot be said on the site since billionaire Elon Musk took control of it.

» Heavy snow and high winds meant more blizzards in the northern Midwest from the Dakotas through Michigan, with ice and snow causing trouble in places from the Appalachians through New England.

» A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense has passed the Senate and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

» Officials in Ukraine say Russian forces launched at least 60 missiles across the country. They reported blasts in at least four cities on Friday, including Kyiv.

» The Senate has passed legislation to fund the government for an additional week as lawmakers race to finish work on a full-year spending package before they head home for the holidays and a new Congress is sworn in.

» In sports, the 49ers are NFC champions, the Grizzlies dominated the Bucks and the Yankees signed a big name free agent.

Included from the earlier version:

» The House committee investigating the Capitol riot will hold its final meeting Monday, wrapping up its year-and-a-half-long inquiry by asking the Justice Department to investigate potential crimes.

» President Joe Biden on Thursday said he will soon make a visit to sub-Saharan Africa, announcing bare details of his travels plans as he wrapped up the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

» The Department of Homeland Security says more migrants may be released into the United States to pursue immigration cases when Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week.

» Russia’s Foreign Ministry is warning that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be a “provocative move” that could prompt a response from Moscow.

» A storm system that spawned dozens of reported tornadoes from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle was all but done with the South on Thursday after killing at least three people and uprooting families across Louisiana, where some homes were blown into pieces.

» German tennis legend Boris Becker has returned to Germany after serving eight months in prison. Becker’s lawyer said Thursday afternoon that the 55-year-old, who has lived in Britain since 2012, was released on Thursday morning ahead of his deportation.

» Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has banned TikTok and two popular messaging applications from all computer devices controlled by Georgia’s state government.

» A judge has handed down the longest prison terms so far in the plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar were not charged with having a direct role in the conspiracy. But they were members of a paramilitary group that trained with Adam Fox, the leader of the scheme.

» Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, vent their grievances against the British monarchy in the second half of their Netflix documentary series. In the final three episodes, Harry talks about a growing rift between him and William.

» Americans cut back their retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season began amid high prices and rising interest rates that are forcing some families, particularly those with lower incomes, curtail their consumption.