海角大神

2026
April
18
Saturday

Monitor Daily Podcast

April 18, 2026
Loading the player...
Clayton Collins
Director of Innovation

Welcome, Saturday readers.

This week, controversy widened over a presidential social media post. Negotiators put a decadeslong conflict between Israel and Lebanon, reignited by the Iran war, on pause, to mixed early reactions.聽A U.S. surveillance program got a short-term extension.

The civil war in Sudan entered its fourth year. The cost to civilians has been steep. Still, our reporter found a sliver of hope at an orphanage in the Nuba Mountains. A Monitor archive dive can broaden perspective: Our 2024 series on Sudan puts faces to a humanitarian crisis through personal accounts. You can .

There鈥檚 more on the Iran war below. Then a gentle landing, with butterflies.


We also have a short video to share. Jingnan Peng probes 鈥渟heltered workshops,鈥 where people with disabilities can find work. It鈥檚 a nuanced story, one of subminimum wages but also dignity and agency. It took time and care to produce. You can view it here.

Find the latest news, including on the status of the Strait of Hormuz, on our homepage or app.


You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.

Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

Vahid Salemi/AP
Pro-government demonstrators burn U.S. and Israeli flags after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, in Tehran, April 8, 2026.

For decades, perceptions of U.S. power did not rely on the use of America鈥檚 unrivaled military might. In the Iran war, a militarily inferior adversary used asymmetric warfare to resist that might, and allies whom President Donald Trump did not consult are voicing concern over the state of U.S. strategic thinking and planning.

Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters
Civilians displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war make their way homeward, crossing a damaged bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, after a 10-day ceasefire went into effect, near Qasmiyeh, Lebanon, April 17, 2026.

The ceasefire in Lebanon left northern Israeli residents saying they felt betrayed, and that Hezbollah was still a threat. Opposition leaders blamed the Netanyahu government for the lack of a clear strategy that meant decisions were taken out of Israel鈥檚 hands.

The Explainer

Hampshire College stood out for its nontraditional style, with no grades or majors. The recent announcement of its upcoming closure underscores the financial and demographic pressures facing many small liberal arts colleges.

Courtesy of Focus Features
Lorne Michaels stars in director Morgan Neville's documentary "Lorne," a Focus Features release.

鈥淟orne,鈥 a new documentary about Lorne Michaels, the creator and producer of 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥 promises unprecedented access to the legendary TV figure. Director Morgan Neville reveals how the long-running show comes together each week, even as Michaels largely remains an enigma.

Essay

Illustrations by Linda Bleck

A lone volunteer's effort to save monarch butterflies creates a caring community, one rock and seed packet at a time.


Viewfinder

Yves Herman/Reuters
Wild bluebells color the forest floor as they form a living carpet in the Hallerbos, also known as the Blue Forest, in Halle, Belgium, April 14, 2026. Historical references to the forest date to the year 686, according to an official website, which welcomes visitors with this plea for special care: 鈥淏luebells are delicate and easily damaged,鈥 the site notes, 鈥渆specially if they鈥檙e trodden on.鈥
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte. )

More issues

2026
April
18
Saturday

Give us your feedback

We want to hear, did we miss an angle we should have covered? Should we come back to this topic? Or just give us a rating for this story. We want to hear from you.