The New York Times: The Evening Newsletter

"An Israeli-Lebanon cease-fire, Measles spreads in Utah, and six strong storage units."

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April 16, 2026

	By Matthew Cullen

Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

A 10-day truce begins in Lebanon Measles spreads in Utah Plus, a look inside six storage units

Residents of central Beirut on Tuesday, near the site of Israeli air strikes. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Lebanon cease-fire goes into effect

The governments of Israel and Lebanon said today that they had agreed to a 10-day cease-fire. The truce was designed to pause fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, potentially removing a major hurdle in the broader peace talks between the U.S. and Iran.

The cease-fire went into effect at 5 p.m. Eastern, according to President Trump, who announced the deal. He also said he would invite the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House for peace talks. However, it is still too soon to know if the truce will hold. The Lebanese government does not control Hezbollah, and Israel and Hezbollah had continued to trade strikes earlier this afternoon.

One point of contention could be Israel’s plans to keep its troops in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said in a statement that the cease-fire must not allow Israeli forces “any freedom of movement,” without directly saying whether the group planned to abide by the truce.

Iran has described peace in Lebanon as a crucial part of any long-term deal with the U.S. This afternoon, Trump seemed optimistic. He said that the next in-person negotiations could occur this weekend, and that he might travel to Pakistan if a deal were signed there.

For more:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth renewed U.S. threats to attack Iran’s power plants and other energy sites if its leaders did not agree to a peace deal. Despite the cease-fire, Iran’s hackers have remained active on the digital battlefield. Stocks may be soaring again, but the war has strained the U.S. economy in other ways. Look at how traffic has changed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Marco Hernandez/The New York Times

Trump’s triumphal arch has preliminary approval

A fine arts commission full of Trump appointees granted initial approval today of the president’s plans to build an enormous arch in the nation’s capital. However, the panel’s vice chairman suggested major changes, including the removal of statues that make up the final third of the 250-foot height Trump desired to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday and to “top” the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The vice chairman, who was the original architect for Trump’s ballroom, also recommended against the statues of gold lions at the base. “They’re not of this continent,” he said. See how the proposed arch compares to other monuments across the world.

In other news from Washington:

A judge ordered above-ground construction of the White House ballroom to be halted, and suggested that the president appeared intent on skirting a previous order. Trump picked Erica Schwartz, a doctor and former deputy surgeon general who has publicly backed vaccines, to be the next director of the C.D.C. The Senate voted to allow mining in Minnesota upstream from one of the largest areas of federally protected wilderness and lakes in the U.S.

Mary Conlon/Associated Press

Utah is now the epicenter of U.S. measles cases

Nearly 600 people, mostly children, have been sickened with measles across Utah since last summer. And unlike other recent outbreaks the virus appears to be spreading through the broader population.

The rise comes as Utah has seen an increase in vaccine exemptions among young children. Since measles is one of the most contagious diseases, health officials say that vaccination rates need to be about 95 percent or higher to stem an outbreak.

A data center under construction in Vernon, Calif. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Maine could be the first state to halt data center construction

Officials across the country have raised concerns about the rapid construction of data centers — which are crucial for the development of artificial intelligence tools, but often require massive amounts of electricity and water. Maine is now on the verge of becoming the first state to formally halt their expansion.

Lawmakers approved an 18-month statewide moratorium on larger data centers, while officials assess their potential effects. The fate of the ban now rests with Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who is in the middle of a tough primary race for a U.S. Senate seat.

More top news

Virginia: Police said that Justin Fairfax, a former lieutenant governor, fatally shot his wife and then killed himself at their home, and that their son reported it. Business: Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder who turned a scrappy DVD service into a Hollywood colossus, said he would step down. Ukraine: Russia ramped up missile and drone attacks on civilian targets, killing at least 18 people overnight. Faith: A poll found a sharp rise in the share of young men who say that religion was “very important” to them. Immigration: A Frenchwoman in her 80s reconnected with a military veteran and moved to Alabama. After he died, ICE arrested her. A judge blamed his son for spurring the arrest. Politics: Fund-raising filings paint a rosy picture for Democrats, especially the Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. As the R.N.C.’s finance chair, JD Vance is in a prime spot for 2028. Sudan: The country’s civil war entered its fourth year and remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis — an “atrocities laboratory,” as a U.N. coordinator put it. Sports: Taking the train to a World Cup match could cost $150. Aviation: The F.A.A. said that it was investigating why two pilots were captured on an Air Traffic Control frequency meowing at each other.

TIME TO UNWIND

A scene from “Witch Hat Atelier.” Crunchyroll

Anime season is back, again

For anyone who misses the pre-streaming era when new television seasons would arrive every fall, consider anime. Like clockwork, the Japanese animation industry puts out new seasons four times a year.

In the latest batch, our critic Mike Hale sees two standouts: the Ghibli-like “Witch Hat Atelier,” about a young girl learning to practice forbidden magic, and the samurai saga “Nippon Sangoku,” which he describes as “a bit like an Akira Kurosawa epic crossed with ‘Mad Max.’”

Clement Pascal for The New York Times

Kendrick Lamar’s protégé tells his story

Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., the 25-year-old rapper who goes by Baby Keem, tried to avoid focusing too much on narrative in his early work. He didn’t want to seem like he was copying his cousin, Kendrick Lamar, who is one of the industry’s biggest stars. But he’s no longer concerned about that perception.

His latest album, “Casino,” is an autobiographical tale of hardship, perseverance and extraordinary opportunity. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and starting this week, he’s taking it on the road. But he’s still out to impress one person: his cousin.

Esé Azénabor’s new collection at Rockefeller Center. Esé Azénabor

Dinner table topics

Bridal fashion is always changing. The latest trends include slip dresses, mini dresses and gothic romance. See the designs here. These seniors are using V.R. to counter social isolation. A star reporter left ESPN to save his alma mater’s basketball team. Some locals aren’t sold. Tennis vs. pickleball: Which is a better workout?

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Cook: This deeply satisfying gratin swaps potatoes for white beans.

Try a black-and-white video game.

Listen to Elizabeth Banks reflect on 33 years of marriage on the latest episode of “Modern Love.”

Plan a vacation with help from our guide to Amsterdam.

Consider buying products with longevity in mind.

Hunt: Which Brooklyn apartment would you buy with a budget around $1.25 million?

Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.

ONE LAST THING

Jonathan Jacobs’s storage unit holds dozens of reels of family films. Vincent Alban/The New York Times

Storage units are windows into the things we cherish

Nearly all of us hold on to meaningful objects that we don’t use often, whether it’s a family memento or a quirky collection. Some people use their attics or basements. But many New Yorkers, whose tiny apartments don’t have extra space, rent out storage lockers instead.

We toured six lockers to see what people pay to hold on to. In one, a retired librarian keeps about 1,500 license plates (even though he doesn’t have a car). In another, an inventor stores his mother’s “fabulous” cake plates. Take a look inside.

Have an significant evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow — Matthew

David Poller was our photo editor.

We welcome your feedback. Reach us at evening@nytimes.com.

Writer: Matthew Cullen Editor: Whet Moser

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