Plus: Record-Breaking Category 5 Hurricane Makes Landfall In Jamaica & Gaza Ceasefire Unraveling

Good evening,

The obesity rate is falling in the U.S., spurred by the rise of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. The share of U.S. adults classified as obese dropped to 37% in 2025, according to new Gallup data, down from a record high of nearly 40% three years ago — that’s about 8 million fewer people.

The number of Americans using weight-loss injections has more than doubled since early 2024, now topping 12% of adults.
- The biggest drops are among middle-aged adults — especially women — who are also the largest users of these injectables.
Gallup uses people’s self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI), which does not account for body composition (fat vs. muscle) — just weight vs height. Obesity is typically defined by a BMI of 30 or higher.

Experts warn that weight loss injectables aren’t a cure-all and should be paired with lifestyle changes. Diabetes rates reached an all-time high of 13.8% in 2025, the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index found. While weight loss can impact obesity rates, diabetes is a lifelong disease and can be managed, but not cured.

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

U.S. Expands Anti-Drug Strikes, Killing 14 People On 4 Alleged Drug Boats In The Pacific

The U.S. military struck four more vessels in the eastern Pacific on Monday, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday on X.

The boats were accused of trafficking narcotics — marking the first time since the campaign began in September that multiple strikes were confirmed in a single day.

BY THE NUMBERS
So far, the 13 strikes have killed at least 57 people in the Caribbean and Pacific in recent weeks. Hegseth said Mexican authorities “assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue” of the lone survivor on Monday, but did not clarify whether that person would remain in Mexican or be handed over to U.S. custody. Two survivors from earlier military strikes were returned to their home countries, Colombia and Ecuador.

Bigger picture: President Trump has said land strikes against Venezuela could follow. The campaign is targeting “narco-terrorists” and comes as the U.S. continues to put pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to step down from power. He is accused of having deep ties to the drug trade and ignoring last year’s election results to remain in power.

Nearly one-quarter of all U.S. global naval assets are now being deployed to the Caribbean — the largest buildup since the 1980s.

WHAT’S THE AIM?
Trump appears to be using the show of force to pressure Maduro into stepping down from power or getting allies and top Venezuelan officials to push him out.

“The White House is clearly interested in signaling to disaffected elements of the regime that now is the time to rise up against Maduro,” Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela analyst with the Atlantic Council, told the Wall Street Journal. He notes, “The problem with this approach is that US-backed operations have failed to produce such cracks inside the Venezuelan government over the past twenty years.”

Lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes. After Al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the U.S., Congress authorized the use of military force against the terrorist group. Congress has not approved such action against Latin American drug cartels. However, Trump administration officials have argued that designating a drug cartel as a terrorist organization gives them the authority to use military force against it.

Look out for things to escalate further as the USS Gerald R Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest and newest aircraft carrier, and several thousand more sailors arrive in the region in the coming days.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

Israel Launches Gaza Strikes After It Says Hamas Violated Ceasefire & Failed To Return Hostage Remains

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears to be unraveling. On Tuesday, the Israeli military launched what Prime Minister Netanyahu called “powerful” strikes in response to what officials say were multiple ceasefire violations by Hamas, including attacks on Israeli troops.

Hamas has also continued to delay the return of the bodies of 13 deceased Israeli hostages, including two Americans, that were supposed to be returned as of two weeks ago.
The truce, in place for just over two weeks, had already been strained by a series of shooting incidents.

Israeli and U.S. officials accuse Hamas of deliberately stalling the return of all hostage remains — stretching what the agreed-upon 72-hour process into weeks. The new strikes come after President Trump warned Hamas on Saturday that it had 48 hours to return the remaining hostages. That deadline has now passed.

ON THE GROUND
Tensions escalated further Monday after drone footage showed Hamas staging the discovery of the body of an Israeli hostage. The Israeli video shows militants throwing remains into a shallow grave, covering them with dirt, and then pretending to uncover them for the cameras in front of Red Cross representatives.

Israeli officials say the remains were those of Ofir Tzarfati, whose partial body had already been recovered by Israeli forces in 2023 — not one of the 13 still-unreturned hostages.

Both Washington and Jerusalem now contend Hamas knows the locations of nearly all the deceased hostages’ bodies but is using the issue for leverage and for time to regroup.

🚨 ONE THING THAT’S UNFOLDING

Record-Breaking Category 5 Hurricane Makes Landfall In Jamaica

Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica’s southwestern coast Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, battering the island with 185 mph winds, gusts over 200 mph and torrential rain. It is tied with a hurricane from 1935 as the strongest Atlantic hurricane to ever make landfall. The storm’s sustained winds are stronger than Hurricane Katrina’s at its peak.

Officials warned of catastrophic flash flooding, storm surge, and landslides as the hurricane pushes north across the island throughout the day.
The National Hurricane Center said winds within Melissa’s eye wall were so powerful they could cause “total structural failure” and widespread power and communication outages.

The storm will continue to pound Jamaica through Tuesday before moving toward Haiti and Cuba.

MELISSA’S STRENGTH
Ocean temperatures in the Caribbean, where Melissa traveled, are about 2.5°F warmer than usual, fueling the storm’s rapid intensification. Scientists say the hotter waters likely boosted the storm’s top winds by 10 mph — increasing its potential damage by up to 50%, according to the nonprofit Climate Central.

📲 We’ll be following the latest from Hurricane Melissa on the Mo News Instagram

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Texas attorney general sues Tylenol company over autism claims (TEXAS TRIBUNE)
California Republicans retreat as anti-Prop 50 campaign collapses (POLITICO)
Trump appeals criminal conviction in New York “hush money” case (CBS)
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino to testify in federal court over using tear gas on Chicago residents (FOX)
Judge rules that Charlie Kirk murder suspect can wear civilian clothes in court but must remain restrained (ABC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Mass killings reported in Sudanese city seized by paramilitary group (THE GUARDIAN)
Moscow adopts law on year-round conscription (KYIV POST)
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s accused killer pleads guilty during Trump visit (FOX)
Plane crashes while flying tourists to Kenya’s Maasai Mara, killing 11 people (AP)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Amazon lays off about 14,000 corporate workers as it spends big on AI (NPR)
UPS cuts 48,000 jobs in the year to date as its turnaround continues (AP)
Neutrogena makeup wipes recalled across four states after bacteria found in product testing (FOX)
More than a million people every week show suicidal intent when chatting with ChatGPT, OpenAI estimates (GUARDIAN)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Americans divided on Bad Bunny Super Bowl performance, new poll shows (THE HILL)
‘One Battle After Another’ leads 2025 Gotham Film Awards nominees (INDIE WIRE)
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is scheduled to be released from prison in May 2028 (NBC)
A newly discovered Dr. Seuss manuscript will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary (AP)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… After a six-hour, 39-minute marathon of a baseball game, the Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in 18 innings to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series.

It was only the second World Series game in history to reach 18 innings, matching the Dodgers’ 2018 showdown with the Red Sox.
Game 4 starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani set multiple records.
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th, securing the W — watch ⬆️.

Up next: The teams play again at 8 pm ET tonight.