Saturday, April 18, 2026

Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

Also, did Hegseth reference 'Pulp Fiction' at a Pentagon prayer? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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On Politics

Thu Apr 16 2026

 

Kathryn Palmer Politics Reporter

@KathrynPlmr

Hello readers and welcome to Thursday's On Politics. Kathryn Palmer here. We're running a bit later today due to election coverage. Here's what to know today.

Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, President Donald Trump announced today. The cessation in fighting, which has killed thousands in Lebanon, could temporarily ease a conflict that threatened the two-week truce between the United States and Iran.

Trump said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a temporary ceasefire. It is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET.

The announcement left many questions unanswered, including what was expected of Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group whose strikes in support of Iran led to an Israeli military campaign that killed more than 2,100 people and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Hezbollah attacks have killed two ⁠Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon since March 2, Israel says.

The president added that he will invite the two leaders to the White House for "the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983."

Usa Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, as he departs the White House for Las Vegas, Nevada, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2026.

Jessica Koscielniak, REUTERS

A politics roundup:

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presto_giveaway.jpeg

Enter to win a signed copy of Susan Page's latest book "The Queen and Her Presidents."

Alan Nguyen

👑Call from Buckingham Palace: USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page's new book “The Queen and Her Presidents" explores the Queen's relationship with U.S. presidents, from the time she was a nervous young princess visiting President Harry Truman to the final state dinner of her seven-decade reign, in honor of President Donald Trump. Readers like you can enter to win a signed copy of Susan's book here! 

Did Hegseth reference 'Pulp Fiction' at Pentagon prayer?

A prayer delivered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Pentagon worship service yesterday has viewers wondering whether he referenced the Bible — or a line made famous by a Quentin Tarantino movie

Hegseth, who previously prayed for "overwhelming violence of action" during a prayer service, appeared to paraphrase a line better known from "Pulp Fiction" than from scripture.

While the section of his prayer echoes scripture, part of its final line does not appear in the Bible, but it may sound familiar to film buffs. Instead of the biblical "I am the Lord," Hegseth said, "my call sign is Sandy One" – a line not found in scripture. The rest of Hegseth's quote closely mirrors the fictionalized Ezekiel 25:17 that Samuel L. Jackson's character, Jules Winnfield, cited before killing a character in "Pulp Fiction."

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and wife found dead

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and his wife were found fatally shot inside their home today, in what detectives are investigating as an apparent murder-suicide.

Fairfax County Police Department Chief Ken Davis said that sometime after midnight, they believe, Justin Fairfax shot his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, a dentist, in an unfinished basement in the home, then ran upstairs to the home's primary bedroom before shooting himself.

Justin Fairfax was the 41st lieutenant governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. He was a former federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, in a post on X, asked Virginians to pray for the family, calling the case "a horrific tragedy."

Thanks for reading! Scroll down for more stories. You can reach me at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @ KathrynPlmr.

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Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, USA TODAY’s tracker shows at least 48 people have died in ICE detention facilities.

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HHS ended Miami Catholic Charities grant. Trump, pope feud continues

The Trump administration ended funding for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami used for an unaccompanied immigrant minor program.

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Mamdani moves to tax rich for pricey second homes; what to know

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Pope Leo XIV holds a bird next to Archbishop of Bamenda Andrew Fuanya Nkea and other officials after a meeting for peace with the community of Bamenda in Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026.
 

'Tyrants.' Pope blasts 'those who manipulate religion' as Trump feud escalates

Pope Leo, on tour in Africa, delivered a speech that could escalate his feud with Trump. It comes a day after the president shared a fresh AI Jesus image.

A Pakistani official stands during the arrival of the U.S. Vice President JD Vance for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
 

Iran won't stop enriching uranium to end war, Iranian official says

U.S. and Iranian officials so far have been unable to reach a deal to end the war. Uranium enrichment is a key sticking point.

 

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