Israel says Gaza has been cut in half by its troops. Donald Trump prepares to testify in his civil fraud trial. And eight ways to slow your biological aging.
Here’s what to know today.
Israeli troops reach Gaza’s coastline
Israel said its troops had reached Gaza’s coastline and split the enclave in two between “north Gaza” and “south Gaza” in its ground operation against Hamas. An intense weekend of airstrikes saw dozens reported killed at a refugee camp and communications down once again before being restored this morning.
Israel has rebuffed mounting calls for a cease-fire, saying any deal would require the release of all hostages held by Hamas. The U.S. is pushing for a humanitarian pause in fighting, with the CIA chief and President Joe Biden’s top diplomat both in the region amid growing anger at the civilian suffering.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to the occupied West Bank yesteday, where he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and made it clear “Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced,” a State Department spokesperson said.
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More on the Israel-Hamas war
Trump set to testify in $250 million civil fraud trial
Former President Donald Trump is set to take the witness stand in a New York courtroom today, testifying in a high-stakes civil fraud trial that could lead to the dismantling of his sprawling business.
Following testimony last week from his eldest sons, Trump will be grilled under oath by a lawyer from state Attorney General Letitia James’ office in front of Judge Arthur Engoron, who he has repeatedly mocked online in recent days.
James’ bombshell lawsuit alleges that Trump and his company inflated their assets to the tune of billions of dollars to get more favorable rates from banks and insurers. The former president’s previous sworn testimony related to the case has already been problematic for him, with the judge citing his deposition in his summary judgment finding Trump liable for fraud before the trial.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine-Russia war not a ‘stalemate’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an exclusive interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” rejected the notion that his country’s war with Russia had reached a stalemate. He stressed that Kyiv needs more air defense systems and declared that his military has not wavered in its fight.
“I don’t think that this is a stalemate, this attack on the part of the Russian army,” he told Kristen Welker. “They thought they would checkmate us, but this didn’t happen.”
Zelenskyy reiterated a plea for the U.S. to provide more weapons, but the country’s willingness to do so appears to be waning amid rising opposition in the Republican-led House and a diversion of attention to the war between Israel and Hamas.
The ‘essential 8’ ways to slow biological aging
A new analysis suggests biological aging may be slowed significantly when people adopt eight behaviors, dubbed “Life’s Essential 8,” a report from Columbia University researchers found.
If you incorporate all eight reccomendations, which are as follows: Eat better, be more active, quit tobacco, get a healthy amount of sleep, manage your weight, control cholestorol levels, and manage blood sugar and blood pressure, you could cut up to five years off your phenotypical age.
Phenotypical age is calculated by combining a person’s actual age with the levels of nine markers in the blood collected as part of a typical annual physical. Previous research has shown that phenotypical age correlates well with a person’s risk for premature death.
U.S. service members’ data is easy to buy online, study finds
Personal information about active-duty U.S. service members is cheap, easy to buy and widely advertised by data brokers, a new study published Monday finds.
Duke University researchers said they purchased a variety of data including names, phone numbers and addresses, buying nearly 50,000 service members’ records for a little over $10,000.
The research has prompted fears that a lack of major regulation in the data brokerage sector may constitute a national security risk, because it could be used by foreign spies to identify and court Americans with access to state secrets.
NCAA president addresses ‘surprise’ Pac-12 collapse
NCAA president and former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker admits in an exclusive interview with NBC News that the sudden news in August that virtually the entire membership of the Pac-12 would be jumping to other conferences “was an enormous surprise to everybody.” He says the NCAA is preparing for more conference consolidation while trying to figure out how best to mitigate its effects on student-athletes.
Politics in Brief
A coveted endorsement: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president at a Des Moines rally on Monday, sources close to both governors tell NBC News.
The ‘Bidenomics’ problem: President Joe Biden has made the state of the nation’s economy a central rationale of his re-election pitch. But many voters are mystified by what “Bidenomics” actually is.
Swing state trouble: A new survey conducted by one of Biden’s former pollsters showsthe president’s support has crateredamong Muslim and Arab Democrats in Michigan.
Staff Pick: A mental health crisis after tragedy
West Maui is officially reopening to tourists this month, but residents who lost families in the deadly wildfires and witnessed the land they love destroyed still feel profound trauma. The eyes of the world may no longer be on Hawaii, but this story is an important look at residents’ mental health needs and the ways communities are still grieving. — Josh Feldman, platforms editor
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