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Today's top news
The Gaza border crossings authority released this morning new names of people who are next on the list to leave the war-torn Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing. All of them are either foreign nationals or dual-national Palestinians. Roughly 400 Americans were included. It's unclear how many people on the list will be able to do so.
- Despite a slight uptick in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza from Egypt, International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Alyona Synenko tells Morning Edition the current number of trucks is not enough to solve the massive problems her team is seeing. She adds it's also a priority for her team to access the hostages taken by Hamas, but can't unless they're given humanitarian space and access. "We cannot force our way through bombs," she says.
- Meanwhile, Israel's military is pushing further into Gaza and has reached the outskirts of Gaza City. On Up First, NPR's Elissa Nadworny says Israel believes Hamas is operating in tunnels beneath densely populated areas and will continue to go after what they believe are "legitimate targets" despite international outrage over civilian deaths.
- Growing frustrations in the U.S. over the country's response to Israel's military assault on Hamas have led to a decline in President Biden's support among Arab voters, according to new polling. The president is expected to announce plans to develop a national strategy to combat Islamophobia in the U.S. today. NPR's Asma Khalid says people she spoke to are skeptical and feel the announcement is a distraction from the Palestinian civilians being killed.
Check out npr.org/mideastupdates for more coverage, differing views and analysis of this conflict.
New York GOP Rep. George Santos survived a second attempt to expel him from the House last night. His fellow New York Republicans led an effort to oust him as he faces multiple federal fraud charges. But most Republicans and 31 Democrats voted to withhold punishment.
- GOP House members want to focus on legislating, NPR's Eric McDaniels says. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, another Republican from New York, tells McDaniels that "At least on the surface, it seems like everyone's getting along."
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has expanded its guidelines for who should get screened for lung cancer. The age range has been expanded to 50 to 80 years, from 55 to 74. People who quit smoking up to 40 years ago can be eligible for screenings expanded from 15 years. Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the U.S. Around 5 million more Americans will be eligible for screenings under the new guidelines.
Deep dive
Weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, a compound that reduces hunger by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone our bodies make when we eat. Eating fiber can help your body produce more GLP-1 — but not all fiber is the same.
- GLP-1 stimulates the release of insulin and slows down how quickly food moves from the stomach to the small intestine. The hormone degrades quickly.
- Because it's harder to break down, high-fiber food remains relatively unchanged in our bodies until it reaches the large intestine. There, bacteria break it down, releasing another round of GLP-1 hours after you've eaten.
- The extra GLP-1 boost can curb cravings and affect how much you eat at your next meal.
- You can get this effect by eating fermentable fibers. Examples include the beta-glucan in grains like barley, the oligosaccharides in some legumes and the pectin in fruits like apples.
Today's listen
"Louie Louie," recorded by the Kingsmen, turns 60 this year. The song's rhythm — similar to the calypso music popular at the time — made it a big hit with teenagers. It's remained a classic for six decades, partially because of its dramatic history.
Listen to the song and learn about its rise to fame, as well as how it was entangled in an FBI investigation and a Supreme Court case. Read the story here.
3 things to know before you go
- 'Tis the season! Rockefeller Center has chosen its Christmas tree. This year's tree is from Vestal, N.Y., is 80 to 85 years old, weighs 12 tons, and is about 80 feet tall and 43 feet wide.
- Two United Airlines flight attendants are suing the company. They allege they were excluded from working charter flights for the LA Dodgers because of their race, age, religion and appearance.
- AI facial recognition is coming for geese. A tech team has written a program that can identify geese with 97% accuracy.
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
