Thursday Briefing: A proposed Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire

Plus, 3,600-year-old cheese.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 26, 2024 By Justin Porter Good morning. We're covering the push to pause fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and Trump's fading edge in the Electoral College. Plus, 3,600-year-old cheese. The rubble of a damaged building after an Israeli strike in Sidon, Lebanon. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times U.S. and its allies proposed a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah The U.S., its allies in Europe and several Arab nations yesterday unveiled a joint cease-fire proposal to temporarily end the recent deadly fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. A statement called for "an immediate 21-day cease-fire" to provide space for further negotiations. "It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes," President Biden said in a joint statement with President Emmanuel Macron of France. The diplomatic push comes after the Israeli military said it had shot down a Hezbollah missile fired at Tel Aviv, the first time that the group took direct aim at the city. Israel's military also told its soldiers to prepare for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon as it continued its barrage of attacks on the country yesterday. At least 51 people were killed and 223 others wounded in airstrikes, the Lebanese health minister said. The immediate goal is to reduce the risk of a wider conflict. But American officials also hope that finding a way to de-escalate the threat of war with Hezbollah could put pressure on Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader, to agree to a deal that would end nearly a year of fighting in Gaza and lead to the release of the remaining hostages captured during the group's Oct. 7 attacks. West Bank: Videos from Tulkarm and Jenin show bulldozers destroying infrastructure and businesses, as well as soldiers impeding local emergency responders. A rally for the Harris campaign in Glendale, Ariz. Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times Trump's Electoral College edge appears to be fading In 2016, Donald Trump lost the popular vote by almost three million votes. But, with more than 300 electoral votes, he still won the presidential election, leaving many to believe that Republicans hold an intractable advantage in the Electoral College. But there is growing evidence that Trump's once formidable advantage in the Electoral College is shrinking, according to my colleague, Nate Cohn, our chief political analyst. And it does not seem that Vice President Kamala Harris will necessarily need to win the popular vote by much to prevail. In his latest newsletter, Nate explains why. More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than six weeks. Politicians often lean toward hyperbole, but Trump's frequent use of the word "love" in the former president's fund-raising notes is an increasingly common tactic for him. President Biden told the hosts of a talk show on ABC that "there's not a lot of redeeming value" to Trump. Asked if he would have won if he stayed in the presidential race, Biden replied: "Yes. I was confident I would beat Trump. He's a loser." Trump complained about the pace of the F.B.I.'s investigation into the two assassination attempts against him and said they might have been tied to Iran — even as officials have said there is no evidence to suggest it. Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Stay up to date: See our poll tracker. Listen to "The Run-Up" podcast. Sign up for the On Politics newsletter. Mayor Eric Adams earlier this month. Karsten Moran for The New York Times The mayor of New York City was indicted Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal criminal charges, according to people with knowledge of the matter. He is the first mayor in modern New York City history to be charged while in office. The indictment was sealed, and it was unclear what charges he will face. Prosecutors are expected to announce the details today. "I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became," Adams, 64, said yesterday and made clear he has no intention of resigning. The indictment comes a little less than a year after federal agents seized the mayor's electronic devices. His inner circle has been engulfed by federal investigations that have targeted the highest ranks of city government. What's next: If Adams resigned, the city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, would become the acting mayor and set a date for a special election. Gov. Kathy Hochul has the power to remove Adams from office. He is up for re-election next year. MORE TOP NEWS A wedding ceremony at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo. Androniki Christodoulou/Reuters Japan: The country's next prime minister could reverse a law that requires married couples to share a family name. Senegal: President Bassirou Diomaye Faye went from prisoner to president-elect in 10 days. In his first interview with a Western news outlet, he made the case for a world order that would give more weight to Africa. U.S.: The House passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the November elections. Russia: President Vladimir Putin said his country should be able to deploy nuclear weapons if it was attacked by a nation supported by a nuclear power. OpenAI: Mira Murati, the company's chief technology officer, said she would leave the company after working there for more than six years. China: Beijing said that it had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean, its first such public announcement in 44 years. Taiwan: The island held trade talks with American officials and companies in hopes of making itself a bigger player in the supply chain for drones for allied countries. Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a vote of no confidence yesterday. Here's how Canada fell out of love with him. France: Gisèle Pelicot waived anonymity to make public the rape trial of her former husband and 50 other men. Her poise has made her a hero. SPORTS NEWS Premier League: Who's the most valuable player in the English soccer league? Defeat rate is one way to determine it. Baseball: Shohei Ohtani's season began with injury and scandal. It's finishing as one of the greatest ever. MORNING READ A dairy sample found on a mummy in northwestern China. Wanjing Ping/Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Humanity's love affair with cheese goes back millenniums. About 3,600 years ago, chunks of cheese were laid out like a necklace in a young woman's grave in China — and now they are considered the oldest in the world. A study published yesterday sheds light on the ancient cheese and offers insight into the origins of the dairy product known as kefir. CONVERSATION STARTERS A rogue plan: Silicon Valley's latest hot idea involves releasing pollutants into the sky to help cool the planet. A pedestrian utopia: Pontevedra, a small city in northwest Spain, has been a pioneer in prioritizing people over cars for more than 20 years. Dream home, dark legacy: When a Berlin couple discovered who had once lived in the house they were touring, they still wanted to make the place their own. ARTS AND IDEAS The new Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan. Shiho Fukada for The New York Times How Nintendo went from playing cards to Super Mario How did a local storefront selling handmade playing cards in the 1880s turn into the Nintendo we know today? The Times spoke with Shigeru Miyamoto, an executive at Nintendo who created mascots like Super Mario, Princess Zelda and Donkey Kong, to discuss its transformation from a video game company into a global entertainment brand. Following a path of originality has defined Miyamoto's work at Nintendo and the company's counterintuitive approach. This arc of the company's journey will be on display at the Nintendo Museum, which opens next month in Kyoto. "It might seem like we are just going the opposite direction for the sake of going in the opposite direction, but it really is trying to find what makes Nintendo special," Miyamoto said. "There is a lot of talk about A.I., for example. When that happens, everyone starts to go in the same direction, but that is where Nintendo would rather go in a different direction." We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Cook: This pantry pasta recipe transforms a whole jar of sun-dried tomatoes into a perfectly easy pasta sauce. Listen: Can we stop eating microplastics? Wirecutter's sustainability editor discusses how to minimize our exposure to them. Read: An admirer of the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky retraced the path he once took through three German spa towns. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Justin Reach Justin and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. 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