Biden visits Israel, shiitake dermatitis, and solar eclipse photos.

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** One of our readers pointed out a mistake in Saturday’s edition. The new national monument honoring freed enslaved Black people in Montgomery, AL. will be built by the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative and not the state of Alabama.

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U.S. News, Politics, & Government

Biden to visit Israel on Wednesday in major show of solidarity

President Biden will visit Tel Aviv on Wednesday to show support as Israel prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza. Biden will be the first U.S. president to travel to Israel while the country is actively at war. The visit also aims to discourage Iran and Hezbollah from joining the fighting. During his visit, Biden will reaffirm U.S. support for Israel's security and assess their needs in the conflict with Hamas. The U.S. and Israel will develop a plan to allow international aid to reach civilians in Gaza and create areas in the enclave that will protect those civilians from harm. Biden will also meet with leaders in Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt. (More)

U.S. violent crimes fell in 2022, FBI says — but property crime is up

Violent crimes in the U.S. decreased in 2022, but property crimes rose significantly, according to the FBI's annual crime report. Reported murders fell by 6.1%, rapes by 5.4%, and aggravated assaults by 1.1%. However, property crimes saw a substantial increase, with larceny-theft cases rising, notably retail theft. Motor theft also spiked by 20%. Hate crimes increased by 6.9% from 2021 to 2022, with underreporting in some states. This was the second year in a row that the FBI reported drops in violent crimes following a steady increase. (More)

Supreme Court tells Fifth Circuit to stop its defiance in ghost gun case

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the federal ban on "ghost guns," unassembled firearms that can be purchased online and assembled into working weapons. In August 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives issued regulations requiring serial numbers on unassembled gun parts and background checks for buyers. Gun manufacturers challenged the rules in court, leading to nationwide injunctions from Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas. However, the Supreme Court has now voided those lower court orders, allowing the ATF regulations to take effect. (More)

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World

Daniel Noboa elected Ecuador's youngest president

Thirty-five-year-old Businessman Daniel Noboa has won the Ecuadorian presidential election, becoming the youngest president in the country's history. Noboa has a four-percentage-point lead over his left-wing rival, Luisa González with 97% of the vote counted. His victory followed an election campaign marred by violence, with one candidate assassinated just days before the first round of voting. Noboa has limited political experience and faces challenges like Ecuador's security issues and a struggling economy. He will serve out the term begun by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso until May 2025. (More)

Jerusalem Catholic Patriarch offers to be exchanged for Gaza hostages

Pope Francis’ representative in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has offered to exchange himself for Israeli children held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. About 200 people were taken hostage and nearly a dozen are thought to be children. However, he and his office haven’t had any direct contact with Hamas because they are purposefully difficult to reach. He also mentioned that about 1,000 Christians were seeking shelter in church buildings in northern Gaza due to the destruction of their homes during Israeli strikes. (More)

Afghanistan is hit by fourth 6.3-magnitude quake in just over a week

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan just over a week after deadly quakes and aftershocks devastated the same province. Save the Children reported four deaths and 153 injuries. The previous earthquakes killed over 2,000 people, with more than 90% being women and children. The affected region is now mostly rubble. And in many places, living residents are outnumbered by volunteers helping search for missing people. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +1.06%, Nasdaq +1.20%, Dow +0.93%) ~ Stocks finished in the green despite rising treasury yields and uncertainty over the conflict in the Middle East. (More)

Rite Aid Files for Bankruptcy

U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid has filed for bankruptcy to address lawsuits linked to the opioid crisis, rework its debt load of around $4 billion, and close unprofitable stores. The company also plans to sell its business called Elixir in bankruptcy for $575 million in cash plus certain liabilities, pending court approval. Rite Aid has been dealing with claims about its role in the opioid epidemic which include filing hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled drugs. (More)

LinkedIn to lay off hundreds of people amid broader restructuring

LinkedIn will let go of 660 employees in its engineering, product, talent, and finance teams. This is the second round of layoffs this year following its cutting of 716 jobs in May. LinkedIn is eliminating the job positions as part of broader efforts to develop its artificial intelligence offerings. Earlier this month the company released a bunch of new AI products, including recruiting and coaching tools. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Texas Rangers outlast Houston Astros, take 2-0 ALCS lead

The Texas Rangers are rolling in the postseason. They are 7-0 in the playoffs, including six wins on the road. Texas swept the Rays in the Wild Card Series and the Orioles in the Division Series, and have now beaten the Houston Astros in the first two games of the ALCS. The Rangers are just two wins away from the World Series. (More)

Kansas clear No. 1 in AP preseason hoops poll

Kansas topped the AP Top 25 preseason men's college basketball poll, receiving 46 of 63 first-place votes. Duke and Purdue followed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Kansas, led by coach Bill Self, is aiming for its third national title in the 75th anniversary season of the AP poll, returning with a strong lineup and a renewed focus after a disappointing previous season. (More)

Georgia's Brock Bowers having surgery for high ankle sprain

Georgia's All-American tight end, Brock Bowers, will undergo surgery on his injured left ankle, suffering from a high ankle sprain. A full recovery is expected, but the exact timeline remains unclear. He is the third Georgia player this season to undergo TightRope surgery, which involves using surgical thread instead of metal screws and is designed to accelerate recovery. The typical recovery time for the TightRope surgery is four to six weeks. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Maternity units closing in Alabama

Three maternity units are set to close in Alabama, leaving some women without access to birthing units. The closures compound existing issues with limited maternity care access, with some women having to travel up to 100 miles for care. The state also faces high maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women, with over 100 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. The closures, attributed to staffing shortages and lack of funds, come as abortion restrictions are expected to increase the demand for obstetrics care. (More)

Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies

Minecraft, already the best-selling video game ever, reached a new milestone with 300 million copies sold. This announcement came during Minecraft Live 2023, an event featuring community updates and a voting event for adding new creatures to the game. Minecraft has outsold other major entertainment media, such as the best selling album of all time, Thriller (70 million copies) and the PS2 console (155 million units), making it an industry giant. (More)

Man gets rare 'shiitake dermatitis' from undercooked mushrooms

A man went to the ER with a painful whip-like rash across his entire back after eating shiitake mushrooms. The doctors eventually diagnosed him with shiitake dermatitis, a reaction caused by the carbohydrate lentinan in shiitake mushrooms. The reaction occurs when people eat raw or undercooked shiitake mushrooms but doesn't happen when mushrooms are fully cooked. The patient was prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and the symptoms lessened after two weeks, however he did have darker patches left on his skin. (More)

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Bonus Material

TikTok’s hottest food trends for fall.

The most captivating photos from this weekend’s solar eclipse.

How to pick a career that actually fits you.

Teen breaks Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik's Cube while skydiving.