Oil Prices Drop As Hormuz Strait Opens; Ceasefire in Lebanon - What You Need To Know - April 17

[0:05] This is what you need to know. [0:07] A ceasefire now in effect between Israel and Hezbollah. [0:13] President Trump says this on the war in Iran. [0:15] It should be ending pretty soon. [0:17] European airlines cancel flights over rising fuel prices and warn of short supplies. [0:22] We have maybe six weeks or so of jet fuel left. [0:26] Singer David arrested over the death of a 14-year-old girl. [0:30] Her body found in a car registered to him. [0:33] Flooding and evacuations in the upper Midwest and more storms on the way. [0:37] And punch the monkey. [0:39] Does the Internet's most popular monkey now have a girlfriend? [0:42] We have much more of what you need to know now. [0:45] I'm James Longman from ABC News. [0:47] It's Friday, April 17th, and this is what you need to know. [0:50] I'm in Paris, where European leaders are meeting to discuss how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. [0:56] Let's get right to the big story. [0:58] A 10-day ceasefire is now in place between Israel and Iran-backed proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. [1:04] There was a major exchange of fire in the 24 hours leading up to the truce, with some reported violations in the hour after it came into effect. [1:12] As part of the agreement, Israel says it reserves the right to what it calls defensive strikes, which have derailed previous ceasefires. [1:19] And Hezbollah has not disarmed, which causes ongoing security concerns for Israel. [1:23] Israeli troops still occupy southern Lebanon. [1:26] Meantime, the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continues. [1:30] The Pentagon says they've turned back more than a dozen ships, a tactic intended to force Iran back to negotiations. [1:36] The president messaging optimism both on the war and the economy. [1:40] I will say the war in Iran is going along swimmingly. [1:44] We can do whatever we want. [1:48] And it should be ending pretty soon. [1:51] It was perfect. [1:52] Rachel has more from the White House. [1:55] James, the president says a second round of talks with Iran could take place as early as this weekend, with the ceasefire set to expire in just a matter of days. [2:03] I asked the president whether he would be open to extending that ceasefire deadline. [2:08] If there's no deal, would you be willing to extend the ceasefire or will the fighting result? [2:12] I would say the fighting. [2:13] If there's no deal, fighting resumed. [2:15] He gave a different answer to another reporter, saying that he might be willing to extend the ceasefire after all. [2:20] If we need to, I would do that. [2:22] I also asked the president just how long Americans will continue to see those high gas prices across the country, now averaging more than $4 a gallon. [2:30] Take a listen to what the president told me. [2:31] How much longer will Americans continue to see these high gas prices? [2:35] Well, they're not very high. [2:36] If you look at what they were supposed to be in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon with the danger that entails. [2:41] So the gas prices have come down very much over the last three, four days. [2:46] I know, you know, and that's what ABC says. [2:49] But the fact is that if you look at the stock markets up, everything is doing really well. [2:55] And the big thing we have to do is we have to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, [3:00] because if they do, you want to talk about problems, you'd have problems. [3:04] Despite the president's optimism, European airlines are feeling the strain. [3:08] KLM says they're cutting some flights because of rising fuel prices. [3:12] Lufthansa has announced it will be grounding some planes, [3:15] and officials are warning that airlines in Europe could run out of jet fuel by June. [3:19] We have maybe six weeks or so jet fuel left. [3:24] If we are not able to open the Strait of Hormus. [3:28] President Trump is not letting up on his criticism of Pope Leo. [3:32] I'm not fighting with him. The Pope made a statement. He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. [3:37] I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. [3:39] But Pope Leo, of course, never said that and has been clear on his opposition to the war, [3:44] saying this on his trip to Africa. [3:46] The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants. [3:50] It is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters. [3:55] Rachel pressed the president on his riff with the Pope. [3:58] Because there was a group of bishops that did put out a statement saying the Pope isn't nearly exercising his opinion. [4:03] He's preaching the gospel. I mean, what do you say to people about Jesus? [4:06] Well, I want him to preach the gospel. I'm all about the gospel. [4:09] But I also know that you cannot let a certain country, which is a very mean-spirited country, have a nuclear weapon. [4:16] And in Illinois, an investigation is underway following a false bomb threat aimed at one of Pope Leo's brothers. [4:22] Police responded to the threat at a suburban Chicago home of John Prevost, [4:26] evacuating several homes, but no explosive devices were found. [4:30] The singer David has been arrested in connection with the death of a teenage girl. [4:35] He's seen here taken into custody in video obtained by TMZ. [4:39] In September, 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found dead inside the trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to him. [4:46] The singer, whose full name is David Burke, is being held without bail. [4:49] Officials tell ABC News Burke's arrest is based on evidence and probable cause compiled after a lengthy investigation. [4:55] David's family says they believe in his innocence. [4:58] And Burke's attorneys say there has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. [5:05] David has only been detained under suspicion. [5:07] We will vigorously defend David's innocence. [5:10] Several rivers in the upper Midwest are now at or near major flood stage. [5:15] It's a result of heavy rain this week and melting snow, prompting evacuations along rivers in Michigan and Wisconsin. [5:21] One river near Green Bay burst its banks. [5:24] Fish were seen swimming through a parking lot. [5:26] A Wisconsin man was also killed in a lightning strike. [5:29] In Ohio, damaging hail rained down. [5:32] More storms are expected from Texas up to Michigan. [5:35] The FBI is using new technology to analyze potentially critical DNA recovered months ago from Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson. [5:42] Sources tell ABC the FBI received the sample from a private lab in Florida that works with the sheriff's department leading the investigation. [5:50] Several other labs are also working on the case. [5:53] Savannah Guthrie's mother has been missing since February. [5:57] And it was a wild scene in New York City. [5:59] An officer on horseback chasing down a woman accused of stealing a purse. [6:04] This happened near Central Park where the officer was on duty. [6:07] The woman was arrested and now faces several charges. [6:10] And we have much more what you need to know. [6:25] Now to take three, the stories that you'll be talking about today. [6:28] Number three, Defense Secretary Pete Hegsteth's religious rhetoric at the Pentagon has raised concerns about the separation of church and state. [6:35] But his reading at the Pentagon's monthly worship service on Wednesday raised eyebrows for a different reason. [6:42] For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. [6:48] And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. [6:51] That reading closely mimics Samuel L. Jackson's famous speech in the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction. [6:58] For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. [7:03] And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. [7:10] When I lay my vengeance upon thee. [7:13] When I lay my vengeance upon thee. [7:16] Hegsteth says he was given the verse by the combat search and rescue team that saved the two USM and shot down over Iran last month. [7:23] A Pentagon spokesman says the prayer was obviously inspired by the movie's dialogue, but does reflect the actual Bible verse in Ezekiel 25.17. [7:33] Number two, the AI safety and research company Anthropic has rolled out a new version of its AI software Claude Opus 4.7. [7:40] The company says the model is less risky than an earlier system called Claude Mythos, which Anthropic warned could be dangerous in the wrong hands. [7:47] Mythos was never released to the public. [7:49] It was instead shared with select big tech companies to help identify cyber security risks. [7:54] And number one, social media's favorite monkey is making new friends and has possibly even started dating. [8:00] Japan's Punch the Monkey went viral for clutching a stuffed orangutan after he'd been rejected by his mother. [8:05] Now, zoo staff say Punch is gaining confidence every day, playing, socializing and no longer needing his stuffed animal. [8:13] His caretakers say one of his new friends could be a romantic interest, but it's too soon to tell. [8:20] New today, a major development in the NBA gambling scandal. [8:24] Court documents say former player and coach Damon Jones will change his plea to guilty. [8:29] He's accused of selling inside information about injured players to gamblers and playing in poker games organized by the mafia. [8:34] No comment yet from his attorney. [8:37] And now, one more thing before you go. [8:39] Three people have been convicted after an alleged scheme that involved dressing up in a bear suit and damaging luxury cars. [8:46] Insurance investigators were suspicious after the claims were filed. [8:49] They'd been sentenced to a grizzly six months in prison, with one additional suspect's case still pending. [8:56] And that is what you need to know. [8:58] For breaking news and live updates throughout the day, check out ABC News streaming on Disney+. [9:02] New episodes streaming every day only on Disney+. [9:07] We'll be right back.