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In the news today: Lebanon’s deadliest day of conflict since 2006; FBI finds violent crime declined in 2023; and new U.S. obesity rates are revealed. Also, short corn could soon replace towering cornstalks.

Men stand on the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli airstrike in the southern village of Akbieh, Lebanon, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

WORLD NEWS

Israel and Hezbollah renew fire after the deadliest day in Lebanon since 2006

Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes again Tuesday as the death toll from a massive Israeli bombardment climbed to nearly 560 people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Read more.

What to know:

• The renewed exchange came after Monday’s barrages racked up the highest death toll in any single day in Lebanon since Israel and Hezbollah fought a bruising war in 2006. Thousands of Lebanese fled the southern part of the country after the Israeli military ordered people to evacuate areas where it accuses Hezbollah of positioning rocket launchers and other weapons.
  
  
• Nearly a year of cross-border fire had already emptied out communities near the border, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has vowed to do whatever it takes to ensure its citizens can return to their homes in the north, while Hezbollah has said it will keep up its rocket attacks until there is a cease-fire in Gaza, which appears increasingly remote.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• US is sending more troops to the Middle East as violence rises between Israel and Hezbollah
  
  
• World leaders meet under shadow of global divisions, 3 wars and possible Mideast conflict
  
  
• WATCH: Israel’s Iron Dome intercepts missiles fired from Lebanon over Haifa

U.S. NEWS

FBI finds violent crime declined in 2023

Violent crime in the U.S. dropped in 2023, according to FBI statistics that show a continued trend downward after a coronavirus pandemic-era crime spike. Overall violent crime declined an estimated 3% in 2023 from the year before, according to the FBI report Monday. Murders and non-negligent manslaughter dropped nearly 12%. Read more.

Why this matters:

• Crime surged during the coronavirus pandemic, with homicides increasing nearly 30% in 2020 over the previous year — the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records. The rise defied easy explanation, though experts said possible contributors included the massive disruption of the pandemic, gun violence, worries about the economy and intense stress.
  
  

• Violent crime has become a focal point in the 2024 presidential race, with former President Donald Trump recently claiming that crime is “through the roof” under President Joe Biden’s administration. Even with the 2020 pandemic surge, violent crime is down dramatically from the 1990s.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• There are 5 executions set over a week’s span in the US. That’s the most in decades
  
  
• Gunman in Colorado supermarket shooting is the latest to fail with insanity defense
  
  
• US to seek attempted assassination charge against man accused of staking out Trump at golf course

HEALTH

Severe obesity is on the rise in the United States

The obesity rate is high and holding steady in the U.S., but the proportion of those with severe obesity — especially women — has climbed since a decade ago, according to new government research. Read more.

Why this matters:

• The U.S. obesity rate is about 40%, according to a 2021-2023 survey of about 6,000 people. Nearly 1 in 10 of those surveyed reported severe obesity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. Women were nearly twice as likely as men to report severe obesity.
  
  

• All U.S. states and territories posted obesity rates higher than 20%. In 23 states, more than 1 in 3 adults had obesity, the data showed. Before 2013, no state had a rate that high, said Dr. Alyson Goodman, who leads a CDC team focused on population health.
  
  

• The new study also found that obesity rates varied by education. Almost 32% of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported having obesity, compared with about 45% of those with some college or a high school diploma or less.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Weight-loss drug Saxenda effective for kids as young as 6, study shows
  
  
• Ultraprocessed foods are everywhere. How bad are they?
  
  
• Jill Biden reveals $500 million plan that focuses on women’s health at Clinton Global Initiative

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WATCH

Beer festival: Alcohol-free beer is gaining popularity, even at Oktoberfest

Corn size: Short corn could replace towering 12-foot stalks as farmers adjust to changing climate

Flash floods: Deluge of overnight rainfall brings flooding to southern England

Trump rally: Donald Trump calls Kamala Harris ‘one-woman economic wrecking ball’

‘The West Wing’: Stars visit the White House for 25th anniversary

A CHANGE OF PACE

A recipe for cauliflower steaks with pickled peppers, capers and Parmesan. (Milk Street via AP)

Nutty Parmesan turns cauliflower steaks into a satisfying main
Cauliflower can be bland and boring if not treated correctly, but browning the vegetable in the oven coaxes out deep, almost meaty flavors that transform it into a satisfying vegetarian main.

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