Senior Hamas officials announced today that they had agreed to a cease-fire deal drawn up by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. But the proposal — which officials said included Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza during three 42-day phases of cease-fire — failed to meet Israeli demands.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said it would send a delegation to negotiate with Hamas, but that the war cabinet had decided unanimously to “continue with its action in Rafah in order to exert military pressure on Hamas.”
Earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes pounded targets in the southern Gaza city and the Israeli military dropped leaflets telling people to move to a designated humanitarian zone to the north. Many people began to leave, fearing that Israel was moving ahead with its long-planned invasion of Rafah despite stiff international pressure. By night, Israel carried out another round of what it called “targeted strikes” in Rafah. Here’s the latest.
The main disagreement during negotiations has been the length of the cease-fire. Hamas has called for a permanent cease-fire, effectively ending the seven-month war; Israel wants a temporary halt in fighting to allow for the exchange of hostages. The two sides also disagree over the continued presence of Israeli troops in Gaza. We took a look at their demands.
A potential genetic cause for some Alzheimer’s cases
People with two copies of a specific gene variant, called APOE4, are almost certain to get Alzheimer’s, according to a study published today. That would mean up to a fifth of patients would be considered to have a genetically caused form of the disease.
The new designation could broaden the scope of efforts to develop treatments, including gene therapy — and could also allow hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. alone to receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s before developing symptoms.
Putin ordered up nuclear weapon drills
The Russian military said today that it would hold exercises with troops based near Ukraine to practice for the possible use of nuclear weapons. The announcement was the most explicit warning by Russia in the two years since it invaded Ukraine of the potential use of “tactical” nuclear weapons, which are smaller than “strategic” nuclear weapons but still potentially devastating.
Russian officials claimed that the exercises were in response to comments from European leaders who raised the prospect of becoming more directly involved in the war. But analysts cast doubt on the efficacy of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Intense tornadoes are expected in Oklahoma and Kansas
The National Weather Service issued a high-level risk warning for tornadoes this afternoon and evening across central Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City and portions of Kansas. The warning was at the highest level since March 31, 2023, when 131 tornadoes formed across 11 states, killing dozens of people.
Kelly Butler, a meteorologist in the Wichita, Kan., office of the National Weather Service, said there was a chance for “large to giant hail, baseball-and softball-size.” Butler added: “Anybody in the affected areas should have a safety plan.”
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Fashion’s biggest night of the year
It’s the first Monday in May, which means it’s time for the Met Gala. The event, a major fund-raiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has become — under the meticulous stewardship of Anna Wintour — the Super Bowl of the fashion world.
“It’s the most condensed time when we get to see public figures dress up in the wildest outfits and peacock around for the entire world to see,” Vanessa Friedman, our fashion critic, said.
This year’s dress code is “The Garden of Time,” a reference to a 1962 short story by J.G. Ballard. Check out our live coverage of what Vanessa calls “the greatest fashion show on earth.”
Kendrick versus Drake
A long-brewing beef between the hip-hop superstars Kendrick Lamar and Drake exploded into acrimony over the weekend. They released song after song, attacking each other over race, appropriation, abuse, body image, misogyny, hypocrisy and more.
The back-and-forth appears to be good for business: Each song racked up millions of streams, and their feud has become the biggest topic on the minds of many rap fans. For those of you just hearing about it, my colleague Joe Coscarelli has a breakdown to get you up to speed.
The cicadas are arriving just in time for dinner
Over the next six weeks or so, a trillion cicadas will emerge across the Midwest and Southeast. For some people, the insects will be a noisy nuisance. Others view the bugs as a culinary opportunity.
They can be fried to make tempura, sautéed into tortillas or baked into a cheesy casserole. One enthusiast compared the texture of a cicada to that of soft-shell crab and described a mildly woody flavor. In fact, cicadas are so closely related to beloved foods like lobster and shrimp that health officials recommend you avoid them if you have a shellfish allergy.
Have an appetizing evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
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