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On this version of Hot off the Wire:

Republican presidential candidates used the third debate of the GOP primary campaign to show their support for Israel and display at least some willingness to criticize Donald Trump, the front-runner in the race. Some of the most notable criticism of Trump came from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Trump’s debate counterprogramming tour continued in South Florida before a friendly crowd about a half-hour’s drive from where his rivals gathered.

Negotiations are being held for a three-day humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of about a dozen hostages held by Hamas. That is according to two officials from Egypt, one from the United Nations and a Western diplomat. They were speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic efforts. The Israel-Hamas war, now in its second month, was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half of Democrats disapprove of how President Joe Biden is handling the Israel-Hamas conflict. That's according to a new Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. Taken over five days in November, the poll shows a deep divide in the Democratic Party over the war. The poll found 50% of Democrats approve of how Biden has navigated the conflict while 46% disapprove. The two groups diverge substantially in their views of U.S. support for Israel. The war could complicate Biden’s reelection effort. He faces having to balance factions of his party with very different views on the conflict and who is ultimately responsible.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood's actors union has reached a deal with studios to end its strike. The contract agreement reached Wednesday must still be approved by the union's board and its members, but the leadership said actors will be allowed to return to work starting Thursday. They can rejoin writers, whose own long strike ended in late September. For the first times since spring, all the parts of Hollywood production will be back in action. The actors chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland tells The Associated Press that they reached a deal that was worth the cost on issues including pay and the use of artificial intelligence in production.

Lainey Wilson took home five trophies including entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards. The 31-year-old Louisiana singer also won album of the year and female vocalist of the year at the Wednesday night ceremony at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Rapper-turned-singer Jelly Roll both opened and closed the show with performances, and was named best new artist during the ceremony. Luke Combs won single of the year for his cover of Tracy Chapman's “Fast Car,� and Chapman won song of the year for the tune, 35 years after she wrote it.

The 12 months ending in October were the hottest ever recorded on Earth and likely the planet’s hottest 12-month period ever recorded, according to a report from the nonprofit science research group Climate Central. The report said burning gasoline, coal and natural gas along with other human activities are to blame for the unnatural warming.

The Celtics, Knicks and Nuggets are among the NBA’s big winners, the Panthers beat the Capitals in one of the NHL’s three games and the Angels have a new manager.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters have thrown their support behind abortion rights in races in Ohio, Virginia and elsewhere. And now, Democrats look to springboard off those wins by using the issue to drive turnout and shape next year’s races for the White House, Congress and other elections. Ohio sent the clearest sign of the issue’s importance more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion.

Calls continue for a humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

NEW YORK (AP) — Ivanka Trump is testifying that she had no role in her father’s personal financial statements — the documents central to the civil fraud trial that could reshape former President Donald Trump’s family business. Trump's elder daughter took the witness stand Wednesday at the New York trial. Her father and her brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump testified earlier. Ivanka Trump has been in her father's inner circle in both business and politics. But unlike him and her brothers, she was dismissed as a defendant in the New York attorney general's lawsuit. It alleges that Donald Trump’s asset values were fraudulently pumped up for years on financial statements that helped him get loans and insurance. He and other defendants deny wrongdoing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden's attorney says subpoenas issued by House Republicans to members of President Joe Biden’s family are a “political stunt." Wednesday's subpoenas are the most aggressive step yet by Republicans in an impeachment inquiry bitterly opposed by Democrats. The move by House Oversight Committee chair James Comer to subpoena the Democratic president’s son Hunter and brother James comes as Republicans look to gain ground in their nearly yearlong investigation. The Republicans have thus far failed to uncover evidence directly implicating the president in any wrongdoing. The White House and the family's lawyers say the investigation has been a political ploy but Hunter's attorney indicated that he could be inclined to appear “at the right time.�

HOUSTON (AP) — A fire at a chemical plant in rural Texas had sent a massive plume of black smoke into the sky Wednesday morning but was contained by the afternoon. Officials ordered residents around Shepherd, Texas, to take shelter. They also closed an adjacent highway that connects the community to Livingston. Livingston and Shepherd are northeast of Houston. Officials say the explosion took place at Sound Resource Solutions and one employee suffered minor burns but was in stable condition. They say the fire was contained Wednesday afternoon. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the plume could be heading toward the nearby Livingston area.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are moving forward in their quests to join the European Union. But countries in the volatile Balkans that have waited years longer to become members appeared to slip back in the queue. The European Commission recommended Wednesday in a series of reports that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks soon once it’s addressed some shortfalls. Neighboring Moldova was told the same thing. Georgia was granted official status as a candidate to join. The recommendations provide technical guidance to the 27 EU member states about how much progress countries have made in aligning their laws and standards with those of the bloc. EU leaders will weigh those recommendations on Dec. 14-15.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four California men linked to the “Three Percenters� militia movement have been convicted on charges including conspiracy and obstruction for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Erik Scott Warner, Felipe Antonio Martinez, Derek Kinnison, and Ronald Mele were found guilty on Tuesday after a trial in Washington’s federal court. Attorneys for Martinez and Warner declined to comment, and emails seeking comment were sent to an attorney for Mele. Kinnison’s lawyer said he is disappointed with the verdict and they are considering all available legal options.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Adidas says it may write off the remaining 300 million euros ($320 million) worth of Yeezy shoes left unsold after it cut ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The company said Wednesday that it will decide in the coming weeks whether to sell them next year to generate more donations to groups fighting antisemitism. The shoe and sports clothing company, which cut ties with Ye in October 2022 after he made antisemitic remarks online, has sold 750 million euros worth of the shoes in two stages earlier this year through Adidas smartphone apps and its website. Part of the profits went to groups like the Anti-Defamation League.

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo is developing a live-action film based on its hit video game “The Legend of Zelda.� The Japanese maker behind the Super Mario franchise said Wednesday said it's financing the movie with Sony Pictures Entertainment. It will be directed by Wes Ball, the American director of the upcoming “Planet of the Apes� film. It’s being co-produced by Nintendo and Arad Productions Inc., which is behind the live-action Spider-Man films and headed by Avi Arad. The move highlights Nintendo’s strategy to leverage various aspects of its business, including theme parks and merchandising to boost machine and software sales, and vice versa.

DETROIT (AP) — GM's Cruise autonomous vehicle unit is recalling all 950 of its cars to update its software after one dragged a pedestrian to the side of a San Francisco street last month. The company says in documents posted by U.S. safety regulators Wednesday that with the updated software, Cruise vehicles will remain stationary in similar cases. The Oct. 2 crash prompted Cruise to suspend driverless operations nationwide after California regulators found its cars were a safety hazard. The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the license for Cruise, which was transporting passengers without human drivers throughout San Francisco. In the crash, a human-driven vehicle hit a pedestrian, pushing them in front of a Cruise autonomous vehicle.