A temporary cease-fire paired with the release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails could begin as early as Friday, Israeli officials said this evening, but negotiators continued to hammer out details of an agreement.
Earlier in the day, a senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that his group had agreed to a temporary cease-fire starting at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow, and an Israeli official had set out the same timing. The new information underscored the fluidity of the negotiations.
The deal calls for the release of at least 150 Palestinian women and teenagers jailed by Israel in exchange for at least 50 women and minors taken hostage during the Hamas assault in Israel on Oct. 7. The two sides have not announced specific plans for an exchange.
But as if to highlight that there was no lull in the war yet, the Israeli military said today that it “continued to fight in the Gaza Strip,” and Hamas said it had agreed to a truce but “our hands will remain on the trigger.”
In an atmosphere of deep mutual mistrust, both Palestinians and Israelis worried that the deal might yet fall through. In Gaza, residents expressed hope, but doubted that the deal would bring an end to the war.
At the White House, news of the deal was met with relief. President Biden and his aides were using the agreement to push the Israeli government to take broad measures aimed at lessening harm to Palestinian civilians.
Two people died in a car blast at the U.S.-Canada border
A vehicle exploded today at the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, killing two people and injuring a border officer. The car was speeding from the U.S. side, but the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.
A law enforcement official said investigators believed the explosion resulted from the impact of a crash. No explosive devices were found, and Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said an initial investigation had found no evidence that the crash was related to terrorism. At the request of the U.S., all four bridges between Canada and the U.S. in the Niagara area were closed. Here’s the latest.
Sam Altman returned to OpenAI
First he was fired, then he found another job and now he’s back: Sam Altman was reinstated as the chief executive of OpenAI late last night. His return coincided with the departure of several board members who had pushed him out last week.
The debacle illustrates how the creation of artificial intelligence systems is testing whether businesspeople, who want to make money from A.I., can work in sync with researchers, who worry that it could potentially become a threat to jobs or humanity.
Long-term care insurance often falls short
Private long-term care insurance is designed to prevent people from entering financial ruin because of the accelerating costs of care, but it has largely proved inadequate for most of the millions of older Americans who might need assistance with daily living.
For decades, the industry severely underestimated how many policyholders would use their coverage and how long they would live, leaving many older people without the financial security they thought they were insuring. Here’s what to know if you’re considering long-term care insurance.
Embrace connections over the holidays
Family friction is a Thanksgiving tradition about as old as the holiday itself. But it doesn’t have to be.
We asked readers for the strategies they turn to when family relations get spicy. Hundreds wrote in offering tips, tricks and solidarity. Readers explained how controlling the setting, connecting with those who were struggling or even bringing a guitar and singing with loved ones helped their families avoid old grudges and political disagreements.
As for cleaning advice, we have that, too. Here’s a guide to getting a handle on the cleaning that comes with cooking a big meal.
After turkey, head to the movies
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, maintains a ubiquity 200 years after his death that far exceeds the other influential figures of his time. That’s rarely been more obvious than today, as Ridley Scott releases his latest movie, “Napoleon.”
Our critic, Manohla Dargis, wrote that the film was “consistently surprising partly because it doesn’t conform to the conventions of mainstream historical epics, which is especially true of its startling, adamantly unromanticized title character.” Read her review.
Also in theaters today: Bradley Cooper’s biopic on Leonard Bernstein, which is a New York Times critic’s pick.
The juicy secrets behind food styling
For most Americans, the upcoming holidays are the most ambitious cooking and baking season of the year. That means it’s time to perfect your recipe for pecan pie or macaroni and cheese; and it’s also time for mouthwatering food photos.
We asked three food stylists for advice on preparing and arranging dishes to make them as attractive as possible. One tip: Embrace the mess. “A little bit of a mess, a couple of drips, goes a long way to make something feel more approachable,” one stylist said.
Have a happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be off tomorrow and Friday for Thanksgiving. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew
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