Israel, Lebanon Enter 10-Day Ceasefire; House Votes to Extend Spy Powers for 10 Days | NTD Good Morning (April 17)

The ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to be holding on April 17. U.S. President Donald Trump said the pause in violence began after conversations with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was the first time in 34 years that leaders from neighboring countries met in person at the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. State Department says Lebanon, with international support, is expected to take steps to prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from launching attacks on Israel.

Overnight, House lawmakers voted to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial surveillance powers act, until April 30. The bill cleared the House by unanimous consent, after Republicans pushed for a longer, five-year ​reauthorization, which was not approved.

FISA is a surveillance law that allows the government to gather foreign intelligence, but several lawmakers have raised concerns that it doesn’t have guardrails to protect Americans’ privacy. The bill will now go to the Senate, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying he’s optimistic a deal will be reached.

Democrat Analilia Mejia has won a special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. She will now fill the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Mejia defeated Republican Joe Hathaway by roughly 40 points. Mejia’s victory narrows the Republican majority in the House from 217–213 to 217–214. The special election fills the remainder of Sherrill’s term, and voters will return to the polls in June for a primary, followed by a general election in November.