Adding to businesses’ concerns is Beijing’s increased belligerence toward Taiwan and its stepped-up surveillance of foreign firms operating in China.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/miltonezrati/2023/11/23/more-money-is-leaving-china/

More emphasis is being placed on time in the weight room and a stepped-up strength and conditioning program.

Source: https://thehudsonindependent.com/first-year-coach-has-masters-school-boys-basketball-team-thinking-big/

On Sunday state media reported that Kim led a ruling party meeting to discuss and decide on "important, practical measures" to boost the country's war deterrence in the midst of stepped-up actions by the United States and South Korea.

Source: https://www.news24.com/news24/World/News/watch-north-korea-launches-missiles-from-submarine-as-us-south-korean-drills-begin-20230313

The Labor Department that nearly half the agricultural work force is undocumented, but the population in the 2010s because of increased border enforcement and stepped-up deportations.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/business/economy/immigration-labor.html

This year would have been the eighth year for the race, but it was canceled due to stepped-up security for local races.

Source: https://www.arlnow.com/2023/03/22/organizers-cancel-fairlington-5k-over-policy-requiring-course-to-be-cleared-of-cars/

U.S. health officials are calling for stepped-up prevention measures, including encouraging millions of women of childbearing age and their partners to get tested for the sexually transmitted disease.

Source: https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/7/23950893/newborn-syphilis-cases-reach-dire-levels-us-cdc-sexually-transmitted-disease

With the stepped-up inflation, this is not entirely surprising but still a price that may slow demand a bit.

Source: https://www.drovers.com/news/beef-production/cab-insider-seasonal-quality-grade-highs-likely-already-posted