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April 18, 2026 
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Welcome back to The Weekender, where you’ll find a batch of the week’s top stories about culture and the way we live today.
It’s hard to keep a good banana around. One minute, it’s perfect and yellow, the next it’s bruised, goopy and waiting to be turned into a banana bread that may never get made. But in the New York Times newsroom, they never even get that far. Bananas seemingly disappear from our pantries because they’re in such high demand. So many people were talking about the banana scarcity (“Did you get a banana today?” “Did you see we got new bananas this morning?”) that a “banana fairy” stepped up. When fresh bunches arrive, an anonymous benefactor notices and leaves gift bananas on our desks! As for what to do about bananas that do get the chance to turn brown, Wirecutter has practical advice to extend their life span. No magic required. That’s below.
Also in this edition, get recommendations for free streaming movies, read our recap of the season finale of “The Pitt,” and tell us what you thought of it, too. But first, find out what makes oats a healthy food — with or without bananas. I’ll see you next weekend(er).
— Farah
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This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore. Reach our team at weekender@nytimes.com.
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