Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables, all while continuing to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. That’s the advice released Tuesday by a panel of nutrition experts charged with counseling the U.S. government about the 2025 edition of the dietary guidelines that will form the cornerstone of federal food programs and policy. But the 20-member panel didn’t weigh in on the growing role of ultraprocessed foods that have been linked to health problems, saying there’s not enough evidence to tell people to avoid them. And the group steered clear of updating controversial guidance on alcohol consumption, leaving that analysis to two outside reports expected to be released soon.

The City of Cape Town and South African police are investigating a suspected explosive device found near the city’s Jewish community center, local authorities said Tuesday. The incident occurred last Friday when an improvised bomb-like object was discovered near the center, according to a statement from the Cape Town branch of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD). The device did not detonate, and no injuries or damage were reported. Initial media reports erroneously claimed that no device had been found, but Daniel Bloch, executive director of the Cape SAJBD, said that the discovery was legitimate and has prompted an investigation by the South African Police Service’s serious crimes unit, known as the Hawks.

A shooting targeting a bus south of Jerusalem has left several people injured, including a 12-year-old boy who is in critical condition, according to Magen David Adom emergency services. It occurred in Gush Etzion near the Al-Khader Junction. The bus, which was making its way from the Gush Etzion area to Jerusalem, continued its journey to the Tunnels Checkpoint, where the injured were treated by rescue forces. Medics report that a woman in her 40s sustained light injuries, while two others with minor wounds were also transported for medical care. All injured individuals have been taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center for treatment. The terrorist fled the scene and the IDF is searching for him. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. wildlife officials announced a decision Tuesday to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies after years of warnings from environmentalists that populations are shrinking and the beloved pollinator may not survive climate change. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to add the butterfly to the threatened species list by the end of next year following an extensive public comment period. “The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America, captivating children and adults throughout its fascinating life cycle,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a news release.

General Motors said Tuesday it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit. Instead the Detroit automaker will focus on development of partially automated driver-assist systems for personal vehicles like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. GM said it would get out of robotaxis “given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market.” The company said it will combine Cruise’s technical team with its own to work on advanced systems to assist drivers. GM bought control of San Francisco-based Cruise automation in 2016 with high hopes of developing a profitable fleet of robotaxis.

Federal authorities unsealed a complaint Monday detailing charges against Jack Danaher Molloy, a 24-year-old dual Irish-American citizen, alleging that he attempted to join the Hezbollah terrorist organization and promoted antisemitic violence. Molloy, a former U.S. military member, reportedly traveled to Lebanon in August 2024 and Syria in October 2024 in efforts to join Hezbollah. According to the complaint, he was told by individuals in Lebanon that the time was “not right” to join the organization and was advised to take additional steps. Undeterred, Molloy traveled to Syria to pursue his goal.

Boeing is resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. The company said Tuesday that plane-building resumed at its plant in Renton, Washington, after going through a process of training workers and identifying and fixing potential problems. Boeing shares rose 4.5%, their best single-day percentage gain in nearly four months. Production and deliveries of Max jets and another airline plane, the 787 Dreamliner, have been stopped several times in recent years to fix manufacturing flaws. “Our team has worked methodically to restart factory operations in the Pacific Northwest.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told the bureau workforce Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” three years short of the completion of a 10-year term marked by high-profile and politically charged investigations, including that led to two separate indictments of Trump last year. Wray’s intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Trump had settled on Patel to be director and had repeatedly aired his ire at Wray, including in a television interview broadcast Sunday.

Two Department of Homeland Security agents in Utah sold drugs that were previously seized as evidence through an informant in an illegal scheme that brought in up to $300,000, according to court documents. The agents sold an illicit synthetic drug commonly known as “bath salts” to a confidential informant once or twice a week beginning last spring through early December, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case. The transactions typically involved one ounce (28 grams) of the drug for $5,000 that would then be sold by the informant at a higher cost. The informant, who has a lengthy criminal history, had been recruited while in prison by federal agents to work for them upon his release.

Albertsons is giving up on its merger with Kroger and it is suing the grocery chain, saying it didn’t do enough to secure regulatory approval for the $24.6 billion agreement. The move came the day after two judges halted the merger in separate court cases. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction blocking the merger Tuesday after holding a three-week hearing in Portland, Oregon. An hour later, Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in Washington after concluding it would lessen competition in the state and violate consumer-protection laws. Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S.