National editor's pick of the top news stories in the nation and world at this hour:

Boehner on sequester: Senate should get 'off their ass'

House Speaker John Boehner wasn't taking the blame Tuesday for the looming spending cuts known as the sequester, saying the House had twice passed alternatives and ending a news conference by saying, "We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their ass and begins to do something." Senate Democrats have unveiled a package that would replace the sequester with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases, but the Senate has not yet acted on it and it's unlikely to

survive GOP opposition to tax hikes. President Barack Obama stood in the shadow of aircraft carriers at a shipyard in Newport News, Va., and told workers that the $85 billion in spending cuts would threaten their jobs and hurt the economy. "So these cuts are wrong," he said. "They're not smart. They're not fair. They're a self-inflicted wound that doesn't have to happen."

19 tourists killed in hot-air balloon crash in Egypt

In one of the worst hot-air balloon accidents ever, 19 tourists in Egypt were killed Tuesday when a landing cable got caught around a helium tube and a fire erupted in their balloon, which then shot into the air and exploded. Some passengers tried to escape by jumping as the balloon plunged 1,000 feet to the ground. "I saw tourists catching fire and they were jumping from the balloon," said Hassan Abdel-Rasoul, a farmer in al-Dhabaa. "They were trying to flee the fire but it was on their bodies." He said one of those he saw on fire was a visibly pregnant woman. The tourists were from France, Britain, Belgium, Hungary, Japan and Hong Kong. One British tourist and the Egyptian pilot survived with severe burns and were

flown to Cairo for treatment. The tourists had been on an early-morning flight over the southern city of Luxor. Egyptian officials suspended hot-air balloon flights, a popular tourist attraction in a country where tourism has suffered tremendously because of unrest since the 2011 fall of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

'Emeritus pope' is retiring his red shoes

He'll be known as the "emeritus pope," or if you prefer "emeritus Roman pontiff," and he'll still wear a white cassock, but he's putting away the most famous red shoes since "The Wizard of Oz." And the former Joseph Ratzinger will still be called "Your Holiness Benedict XVI" after he retires

Thursday, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said. To avoid a conflict between a retired pope and the one who will be chosen next month to succeed him, Vatican officials had suggested earlier that Benedict would wear a cleric's traditional black garb and use the title "emeritus bishop of Rome." Lombardi was on the defensive about questions on the potential conflict, saying, "I believe it was well thought out" and stressing that Benedict has made it clear he is retiring to a lifetime of prayer and meditation "hidden from the world." And while he will no longer wear his red shoes, he will wear a pair of brown loafers made for him by artisans in Leon, Mexico, and given to him during his 2012 visit, Lombardi said. On Wednesday, Benedict will hold his final public general audience in St. Peter's Square, an event for which 50,000 people have requested tickets.

Senate clears the way for confirmation of Hagel

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel was expected to be confirmed as defense secretary Tuesday after the Senate defeated a Republican filibuster, voting 71-27 to move forward on the nomination. Eighteen Republicans joined the Democratic majority on the vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked what Republicans had gained by the filibuster. "Twelve days later, nothing. Nothing has changed," Reid said. "Sen. Hagel's exemplary record of service to his country remains untarnished." Reid said

Hagel must be confirmed before the automatic spending cuts of the sequester start kicking in Friday. "The Pentagon needs a seasoned leader to implement those cuts," Reid said.

Chicago Bulls No. 91 to meet N. Korea's No. Un

Dennis Rodman, the former NBA star known for his bleached hair, nose studs and wedding dress, seems an unlikely ambassador to North Korea, where dress is universally drab and facial hair is forbidden. Yet the Chicago Bulls' former power forward landed in Pyongyang on Tuesday with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters, and they were expected to meet with reputed Bulls fan Kim Jong Un, the country's leader. "Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to the DPRK strange? In a word, yes," said Vice Media founder Shane Smith, who is host of an upcoming production on the visit that will air on HBO. "But finding common ground on the basketball court is a beautiful thing." The Americans planned to run a basketball camp for children, play pickup games with locals and compete alongside some of the country's top athletes. Rodman's agent, Darren Prince , said: "When I discussed with Dennis the invite to go to North Korea and meet with Kim Jong and the Korean national basketball team as part of a documentary for HBO, he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a fun shoot-around playing basketball and would give him the chance to speak directly to Kim Jong that the only way to go is with peace, not war."

The Wire, a summary of top national and world news stories from the Associated Press and other wire services, moves weekdays. Contact Karl Kahler at 408-920-5023; follow him at twitter.com/karl_kahler.