NPR News: 04-23-2026 4PM EDT

Peace talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to take place at the White House today, even as Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least five people, including a Lebanese journalist. That development anchors a wide-ranging NPR News Now episode that also covers a federal judge ordering the release of a family detained for nearly a year after a firebombing in Colorado, fast-spreading wildfires in Florida, a resumption of Russian oil flows to Hungary, and a preview of the NFL draft.

Israel-Lebanon Talks Amid Ongoing Strikes

A White House official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that ambassador-level peace talks between Israel and Lebanon will occur at the White House today. A ceasefire between the two countries is currently in place. However, a spokesperson for Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, told NPR that the group does not agree with direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, though it would accept Israel withdrawing from the country. The talks follow a Trump administration extension of a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran this week, though a senior Iranian official dismissed that last-minute extension, saying it "means nothing."

Judge Orders Release of Firebombing Suspect's Family