Nation, world briefs

Hezbollah missiles kill 2 Israeli troops

SHEAR YASHUV, Israel -- The Lebanese militant Hezbollah fired a salvo of missiles at an Israeli military convoy in a disputed border area Wednesday, killing two soldiers and triggering a deadly response that marked the most serious escalation since the sides' 2006 war. The flare-up, which also left a U.N. peacekeeper dead and seven soldiers wounded, adds to the regional chaos brought on by neighboring Syria's civil war. Hezbollah indicated the attack was in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on its fighters inside Syria earlier this month. The violence sparked fears of yet another crippling war between the two foes. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel would respond "forcefully," and the military fired artillery shell barrages that struck border villages in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded with rocket fire on Israeli military positions.

Census: 1 in 5 kids on food stamps

WASHINGTON -- Sixteen million children were on food stamps as of last year, the highest number since the nation's economy tumbled in 2008. Numbers released by the Census Bureau on Wednesday as part of its annual look at children and families show that one in five children were on food stamp assistance in 2014. The survey was taken last spring. The number of people receiving food stamps -- called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP -- spiked through the recession and has stayed at a high level since. In the 2007 Census survey, 9 million children received SNAP assistance. Participation and spending appear to be going down, though. The Congressional Budget Office said this week the government spent $76 billion on SNAP last year, down 8 percent from the year before.

E-cigarettes declared threat by California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California health officials Wednesday declared electronic cigarettes a health threat that should be regulated like tobacco products, joining other states and health advocates across the U.S. in seeking tighter controls as "vaping" grows in popularity. The California Department of Public Health report says e-cigarettes emit cancer-causing chemicals and get users hooked on nicotine but acknowledges more research is needed to determine immediate and long-term health effects. New generations of young people will become nicotine addicts if the products remain largely unregulated, California health officer Ron Chapman said. Last year, 17 percent of high school seniors reported using e-cigarettes.

-- Associated Press