The Evening: Hundreds of pagers explode in Lebanon

Plus, how a rate cut could affect you.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 17, 2024 By Justin Porter Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Exploding pagers in Lebanon Instagram changes to teen accounts Plus, how a rate cut could affect you Lebanese army soldiers in the streets of Beirut today.  Anwar Amro/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel hid explosives in pagers for Hezbollah, officials said Hundreds of pagers blew up at the same time across Lebanon today in an apparent operation against Hezbollah. Israel hid small amounts of explosives within Taiwanese-made pagers before they were imported into Lebanon, U.S. and other officials said. At 3:30 p.m. in Lebanon, the pagers received a message that appeared as though it was coming from Hezbollah's leadership. Instead, the message activated the explosives. We have live updates. At least nine people, including a young girl, were killed, and more than 2,700 were injured, the country's health minister said. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was also wounded, and Hezbollah said that six of the people killed were fighters. The Israeli military has not commented or claimed responsibility. Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from people's pockets, followed by small blasts that sounded like fireworks or gunshots. Videos showed people being knocked off their feet and others with gruesome injuries. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be considering firing his defense minister, Yoav Gallant. Anthony Gerace Instagram revealed changes to teen accounts Instagram said today that the accounts of users younger than 18 would be made private by default in the coming weeks. The app also plans to introduce more supervision tools for adults and stop notifications to minors from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to promote sleep. The changes are part of an effort to beef up privacy and limit social media's intrusive effects on younger users. The app has been facing intensifying pressure over children's safety online. Here's what else to know. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Spending $500 million in state-targeted campaign ads The presidential candidates and their backers plan to spend more than half a billion dollars on television and radio advertising over the final seven weeks of the campaign. Groups backing Vice President Kamala Harris have reserved $332 million worth of airtime. Just about $194 million in ads will come from groups backing Donald Trump. The biggest spender by far is Future Forward, the main Harris super PAC, which is scheduled to spend $186 million on television and radio over the final 49 days. The candidates and their allies are spending $133 million in Pennsylvania alone, the most of any state. On the campaign trail The presidential election is 49 days away. Ryan Routh, the suspect charged in the apparent Trump assassination attempt, could eventually face more serious charges. The Secret Service told Trump that significantly more security arrangements would be needed if he wanted to continue safely playing golf. This second apparent assassination attempt has the rest of the world worried that the election won't end well and that American democracy is near a breaking point. Harris slammed Trump and JD Vance over their "hateful" rhetoric about Ohio migrants during a discussion with Black journalists. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Willy Sanjuan/Invision, via Associated Press Sean Combs was charged with sex trafficking The hip-hop mogul Sean Combs was indicted today on charges that include three counts of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal prosecutors described Combs as the boss of a criminal enterprise that threatened and abused women, coercing them to participate against their will in drug-fueled orgies with male prostitutes. In order to commit these acts, Combs and his employees engaged in kidnapping, forced labor, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said. Combs was arrested in Manhattan yesterday. More top news France: Dominique Pelicot, who is accused of inviting strangers to rape his wife while she was drugged, testified at his trial: "She didn't deserve this," he said. Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's party has lost a seat it had held for decades in Montreal, a defeat that is likely to increase pressure on him to resign. Ukraine: U.S. and European officials are struggling to honor their pledge to use Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Mali: An Islamist group tied to Al Qaeda said it was responsible for an assault on two military sites in the capital, Bamako. Portugal: More than 5,000 personnel are battling wildfires that began over the weekend. At least four people have died. E.U.: Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, announced her new team as she navigates challenges, including the rise of nationalist forces. Olympics: Jordan Chiles filed an appeal with Switzerland's Supreme Court in an effort to get her bronze medal back. Ohio: Schools across Springfield have been hit with a rash of bomb threats after Donald Trump spread a debunked rumor about the city's Haitian immigrants. Education: Jonathan Holloway, Rutgers' first Black president, will be stepping down at the end of this academic year. TIME TO UNWIND Kyle Ellingson How the rate cut could affect you The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its key interest rate this week, a move that should give consumers some relief, whether they are buying a home or struggling with credit card debt. The interest rates you pay on any credit card balances that you carry should fall after the Fed has acted, though it may not be instant and it will vary by card issuer. Mortgage rates have already fallen to their lowest level since February 2023, but housing prices remain high, in large part because there simply aren't enough homes to meet demand. Here's what the Fed's decision could mean in five key financial areas of your life. Ralph Fiennes in "Conclave." Focus Features, via Associated Press An early look at Oscar season Now that film festivals in Venice, Telluride and Toronto have concluded and all but a few of this year's contenders have had their first public peek-out, a few front-runners are starting to emerge, Kyle Buchanan, our awards season columnist, writes. "Conclave," about sneaky cardinals plotting to pick a new pope, is a handsomely mounted thriller. "The Brutalist" is an ambitious chronicle of a Jewish architect, played by Adrien Brody, after World War II. Daniel Craig looks likely to earn his first Oscar nomination, for "Queer," in which he plays an American expat besotted with a young man in Mexico City. Dinner table topics Ozempic dupes: Kourtney Kardashian's new "GLP-1 Daily" pill is the latest product to capitalize on the weight loss drug craze. A D.I.Y. wonderland: How a collective of artists turned a crumbling Brussels building into their own creative playground. More grown up: London Fashion Week just turned 40. What happens when a wild child of dress hits middle age? Luxury self help: Tony Robbins is investing in a chain of luxury resorts, aiming for a slice of the $5.6 trillion wellness industry. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times Food Stylist: Judy Kim. Cook: A sheet-pan bibimbap is a fun way to prepare every component of this traditional Korean rice dish at once. Socialize: After quitting drinking, connecting with friends without alcohol can be much harder. Groom: These are the best nail clippers for older adults, those with disabilities and everybody else. Exercise: To prevent injury, train your tendons. Travel: Where should you go to get your autumnal fix of fiery golds and reds this year? Stargaze: There's a partial lunar eclipse during a supermoon tonight. Here's how to watch. Play: Today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Noah Verrier The Cézanne of peanut butter and jelly Where others might have seen a regular Smucker's Uncrustables sandwich, Noah Verrier saw his muse. And so what if it was one of the snacks he buys for his children? A moody oil painting of the sandwich sold at auction on Sunday for just under $5,000. The artist has carved out a lucrative niche on social media with his still life paintings of junk food. He's even caught the attention of chains like Popeyes and Wendy's, which have requested paintings of their menu items. Commissions like those now cost "in the tens of thousands" of dollars, Verrier said. Have a well-composed evening. Thanks for reading. — Justin Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at evening@nytimes.com. And follow The New York Times on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok at @nytimes. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018