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Pakistan’s army chief to meet Iranian officials in Tehran to push new US-Iran talks

(AP) — Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. Meanwhile, China’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart that reopening of the Strait Hormuz was an international demand. Wang Yi told Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that Iran’s sovereignty, security and legitimate rights should be respected as a littoral state of the Strait of Hormuz, but freedom of navigation and safety through the strait should be ensured. “Working to resume normal passage of the strait is a unanimous call from the international community,” Wang was quoted as saying in a government statement late Wednesday. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports continued as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would ramp up economic pain on Iran with new economic sanctions on countries doing business with it, calling the move the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign. The White House said any further talks with Iran would likely take place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, though no decision had been made on whether to resume negotiations. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator after it hosted direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad. In a development in the war’s other front, Trump wrote late Wednesday on Truth Social that leaders from Israel and Lebanon would speak the next day in a renewed effort to broker a ceasefire after the countries’ first direct talks in decades ended the previous day in Washington without a deal. It was not clear what leaders Trump was referring to. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to the comment. Here is the latest: Pakistan PM Sharif visits Qatar on regional visit Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Qatar as part of a regional visit aimed at discussions on the ongoing U.S.-Iran peace process and efforts to promote stability in the Middle East. According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi received Sharif upon his arrival in Doha on Thursday. Sharif is scheduled to meet Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and his spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi. From Qatar, Sharif will travel to Turkey before returning home on Saturday. Israeli strikes intensify over southern Lebanon The latest Israeli operations are focused around the coastal city of Tyre and the hilltop town of Nabatieh, where intense clashes are continuing, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says. Israeli ground troops appeared to have moved overnight towards the village of Dibbine to the east. Lebanese official unaware of high-level talks with Israel A Lebanese official says they are unaware of high-level talks with Israel. Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s post saying the leaders of Lebanon and Israel would be speaking Thursday, a Lebanese official told The Associated Press there is “no information” regarding high-level talks between the two countries. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Israeli minister says Netanyahu and Aoun to speak Thursday Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology Gila Gamliel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, the first time the leaders of the two countries have spoken directly in more than 30 years. The Prime Minister’s Office and the Lebanese government did not immediately comment. “Today the Prime Minister will speak for the first time with the president of Lebanon after so many years of a complete disconnection in the dialogue between the two countries,” Gamliel, a member of Israel’s security cabinet, told Army Radio Thursday morning. Gamliel, who was at a cabinet meeting late Wednesday about negotiations with Lebanon, said the move “will hopefully ultimately lead to prosperity and flourishing” between the two countries. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Pakistan says trips by prime minister and field marshal part of peace efforts Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to countries including Saudi Arabia and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s trip to Iran are part of “collective efforts” aimed at promoting regional peace and de-escalation, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. “Pakistan is being recognized for its constructive diplomatic engagement in supporting de-escalation, ceasefire efforts and a broader pursuit of stability between the United States and Iran,” ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said. Pakistan has encouraged dialogue, facilitated message exchanges and helped create a peaceful space for meaningful negotiations such as the recent talks between the U.S. and Iran, Andrabi said. Australia underwrites diesel shipments from Asia Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has underwritten the first of two shipments of diesel fuel at prices inflated by the Iran war. Viva Energy is shipping more than 570,000 barrels of diesel from Brunei and South Korea, Albanese said Thursday at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He said it was “the first of many expected shipments” under his government’s new strategic reserve powers. Under terms announced last week with Australia’s only refinery operators, Viva Energy and Ampol, the government will underwrite diesel and gasoline import contracts with prices that could prove commercially unviable. Smaller fuel companies Park Fuels and IOR have since struck similar deals. Australia has sufficient fuel contracted to last into May, but there are concerns about later shortages. Trump says leaders of Lebanon and Israel to speak Trump wrote late Wednesday on Truth Social that leaders from Israel and Lebanon would speak the next day in a renewed effort to broker a ceasefire after the countries’ first direct talks in decades ended the previous day in Washington without a deal. It was not clear what leaders Trump was referring to. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond for comment, which was posted before dawn in Israel and Lebanon. Chinese foreign minister says reopening of Hormuz an international demand Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a unanimous demand from the international community. Wang Yi told Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that Iran’s sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights should be respected as a littoral state of the Strait of Hormuz, but freedom of navigation and safety through the strait should be ensured. “Working to resume normal passage of the strait is a unanimous call from the international community,” Wang was quoted as saying in a government statement late Wednesday. Wang noted that the current situation had reached a critical juncture between war and peace and also said that the window of peace was opening. Consecutive Israeli strikes kill 4 Lebanese medics Paramedic groups say a fourth Lebanese rescue worker has died after three consecutive, targeted strikes by the Israeli military Wednesday that also wounded six others. The back-to-back Israeli attacks on the southern village of Mayfadoun, near the bigger town of Nabatiyeh, hit the first group of medics responding to a distress call from wounded civilians, a second group trying to assist their wounded colleagues and a third group rushing to aid the first two teams that had been targeted. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the strikes beyond saying it was “looking into” what happened. It has previously accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group of using ambulances as cover for militant activities, without offering evidence. Read more Fire damages Australian oil refinery, further reducing nation’s fuel supply threatened by the Iran war Officials say there were no suspicious circumstances behind the blaze that broke out late Wednesday at the Viva Energy Geelong refinery southwest of Melbourne, and no one was injured. The facility is one of two refineries in Australia and provides 10% of the nation’s gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Australia has agreed to underwrite two companies buying fuel at prices inflated by the war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned last week that supply disruptions would “have a long tail” even if the Iran ceasefire holds. The government had agreed to terms with Australia’s largest suppliers Ampol and Viva Energy to underwrite contracts for gasoline and diesel bought on the spot market for prices above normal commercial rates, Albanese said. Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday it was too early to tell the extent of the fire’s impact on gasoline production. “The refinery is still producing diesel and jet fuel at reduced levels as a safety precaution,” Bowen told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. On gasoline, Bowen said, “It’s not a positive development. It will have an impact.” Firefighters said the blaze had been contained to the gasoline plant. Sharif praises Saudi restraint According to the statement, Sharif assured the Kingdom of Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support” and praised what he described as Saudi Arabia’s restraint under the crown prince’s leadership. Pakistan has a defense agreement with the Kingdom, which has faced retaliatory attacks from Iran in recent weeks, causing damage. Pakistan’s prime minister briefs Saudi crown prince on efforts to ease US-Iran tensions Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to the Kingdom, briefing him on Pakistan’s efforts to ease U.S.-Iran tensions and assuring him of Islamabad’s “full support,” his office said before dawn Thursday. Wednesday’s meeting lasted more than two hours, and Sharif was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The statement said the crown prince praised what it described as the constructive role played by Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in the peace process. Sharif dispatched Munir to Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders. Pakistan has long maintained close ties with Saudi Arabia while also keeping relations with Iran. Military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader says he does not support extending ceasefire, according to state media “We are subject to the decisions of the relevant officials, but personally I do not agree to extend the ceasefire,” said Mohsen Rezaei, formerly a commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps who now advises Mojtaba Khamenei on military affairs, Iranian state media reported. Rezaei also urged officials to be more cautious than they had been before in negotiations over economic matters with the U.S. He said Iran was setting the preconditions in the next round of talks, not the U.S. “Unlike the Americans who are afraid of continuous war, we are fully prepared and familiar with a long war,” he said, according to the report. Blockade ‘has been fully implemented,’ US admiral says That’s according to Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, who says: “U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea.” The command said Wednesday that no vessels have made it past its forces during the blockade’s first 48 hours. The blockade began Monday. Central Command noted that 10 vessels have complied with directions to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area. The blockade is being enforced “impartially against all vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran,” the Command said. Vessels avoiding Iranian ports are not affected. The action could put serious pressure on the Iranian economy, while Tehran’s earlier cutoff of the waterway crucial to oil and gas supplies has sent energy prices higher. Read more Wall Street hits a record on hopes for an end to the Iran war The U.S. stock market hit a record Wednesday after adding to its two-week rally built on hopes the war won’t create a worst-case scenario for the global economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% and eclipsed its prior all-time high set in January. After falling nearly 10% below its record in late March, the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts has since roared more than 10% higher. Much of the rally was due to expectations for calming tensions in the war and a resumption of the full flow of oil from the Persian Gulf. Hopes remained high as regional officials told The Associated Press that the U.S. and Iran had an “in principle agreement” to extend a ceasefire to allow for more diplomacy. Read more US aircraft carrier sets deployment record The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, broke the U.S. record Wednesday for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, a nearly 10-month span that saw it take part in both the military raid that captured Venezuela’s leader and the Iran war. The ship’s 295th day at sea surpassed the previous longest modern deployment by an aircraft carrier, when the USS Abraham Lincoln was sent out for 294 days in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by U.S. Naval Institute News, a news outlet run by the nonprofit U.S. Naval Institute. Sen. Tim Kaine said the record-breaking deployment has taken “a serious toll” on the mental health and well-being of the crew. “They should be home with their loved ones, not sent around the world by a President who acts like the U.S. military is his palace guard,” the Virginia Democrat said. Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate in ‘critical’ condition after heart attack Narges Mohammadi ’s family and lawyers visited her in Zanjan prison twice in the last month, a statement by the Narges Mohammadi Foundation said on X Wednesday, finding that her health condition was dire. She is weak, pale and has lost weight, said the statement. The report comes after Mohammadi had a heart attack in the prison on March 24, according to a cardiologist she saw soon after, according to the statement. The statement said that following the heart attack Mohammadi was unconscious without anyone resuscitating her for over an hour. Mohammadi is a rights lawyer who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while in prison. She was arrested in December during a visit to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad and sentenced to seven more years in prison. Iranian state media says Iran-Pakistan talks have started Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi took part in a preliminary meeting with the Pakistani Army Chief of Staff, Asim Munir, in Tehran Wednesday, according to a report on IRIB, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The report said more extensive talks would continue Thursday to discuss latest communications with the US. Pakistan is mediating talks between Washington and Tehran. US official says Trump would welcome an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict A U.S. official says President Donald Trump would welcome an end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict as part of a broader peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon but has not specifically asked for one. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Trump administration’s position during closed-door talks between Israel and Lebanon, said an Israel-Hezbollah truce is not part of peace negotiations the U.S. is having with Iran. Iran has demanded a truce between Israel and its proxy Hezbollah as a condition to return to talks with the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday hosted the first talks in decades between high-level Israeli and Lebanese officials. Israeli prime minister says forces will continue push in south Lebanon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the current fighting is concentrated in the strategic south Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil, where Israeli troops are about to “eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah.” Netanyahu, in a video address Wednesday evening, said he has given instructions for the military to continue to widen the security zone in south Lebanon — a reference to areas close to the border that the Israeli army now occupies — and to spread it eastward. He said Israel is concurrently negotiating with Lebanon, with two central goals: disarming Hezbollah and a sustainable peace. “Peace through strength,” he added. He also said the U.S. was updating Israel on the talks with Iran and that Israel was prepared for any scenario, should the fighting with Iran resume. Treasury sanctions Ali Shamkhani-linked network, warns of secondary sanctions The U.S. is imposing sanctions targeting an Iranian oil smuggling network tied to the deceased senior Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani. Sanctions include dozens of individuals and companies accused of transporting and selling Iranian and Russian oil through front companies, many of which are in the UAE. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, that banks “should be on notice that Treasury will leverage all tools and authorities, including secondary sanctions, against those that continue to support Tehran’s terrorist activities.” US ready to hit Iran with economic pain equivalent to bombings, top Trump official says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing to ramp up economic pain on Iran, saying the Republican administration is preparing action that will be the “financial equivalent” of the bombing campaign. Bessent said the administration has “told companies, we have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure. And the Iranians should know that this is going to be the financial equivalent of what we saw in the kinetic activities.” The warning comes the day after Treasury Department sent a letter to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, threatening to levy secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran. Bessent ‘optimistic’ that gasoline prices going back to $3 a gallon this summer Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that he believes gasoline prices will be closer to $3 gallon this summer, saying pumping oil can resume within a week of the Strait of Hormuz opening. “I’m optimistic that sometime between June 20th and September 20th that we can have $3 gas again,” said Bessent. Gas prices are averaging $4.11 a gallon, up from $3.17 a year ago, according to AAA. U.S. Navy says it will use force to compel compliance with Iran blockade U.S. Navy warships are telling merchant ships in and around Iran that they are ready to board them and use force to compel compliance with the blockade on ships trading with Iran. “Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian port,” a Navy radio message, posted to social media by U.S. Central Command, said. A military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation, confirmed the message is currently being broadcast to all ships in the region. “If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force,” the radio message added. —- Konstantin Toropin Iranian and Emirati officials discuss de-escalation efforts UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed regional developments on a phone call and ways to de-escalate tensions, UAE state-run news agency WAM reported, without further details. U.N. allocates $12M for Iran aid U.N. Relief Chief Tom Fletcher said $12 million has been allocated for humanitarian support in Iran. “Thousands of civilians killed. Infrastructure destroyed. Essential services disrupted. This funding will help our partners deliver life-saving assistance at scale,” he wrote on X. Israel to convene security cabinet to discuss developments with Lebanon An Israeli official said the meeting would be held Wednesday evening. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The meeting comes a day after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington, following more than a month of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. —- Melanie Lidman No ships have made it past U.S. naval blockade, military says U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that no vessels have made it past U.S. naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports. Central Command also said nine vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area. First crude tanker passes Strait of Hormuz since US blockade A Malta-flagged vessel is the first crude oil carrier to head west through Strait of Hormuz since the United States blocked Iranian ports, according to a global shipping tracking monitor. The Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I is expected to arrive on Thursday in Basra, Iraq, where ports are not under U.S. blockade. Marine Traffic said the vessel attempted again a transit after anchoring in the Gulf of Oman for nearly two days. Categories: Associated Press, Associated Press, News, Top Stories, US, US, World, World Tags: Iran war, Middle East, Pakistan, Peace Talks, U.S. strikes on Iran

Apr 16, 202610 votes

Pakistan’s army chief to meet Iranian officials in Tehran to push new US-Iran talks

Apr 16, 202618 votes

Sexual abuse allegations are spurring calls for a broader reckoning in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Resignations came quickly this week from two congressmen accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet for many of the women of Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was years in the making — and far from enough. Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, both announced within hours of each other Monday that they were leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House returned to Washington and as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by their colleagues. It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations took too long and proved what they’ve long been saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation. “Today was an important turning point,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “That it should — that abuse of power — should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an important resetting point for the institution.” A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and Gonzales. Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her. The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024; they were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behavior made by other women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct but acknowledged mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted calls for his resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. “Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse women, and we’re going to do more of it,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus. House rules forbid relationships with staff It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual relationship with their staff members. Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they’re required to make. Former Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement for reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that problems still persist after those reforms. “What we do in Congress is basically look the other way,” she said, adding that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to “really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for these women to report.” While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they announced their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had played out “appropriately.” “This is the right thing for the institution,” he said. How the push for accountability has grown Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican women, mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial roles in forcing Congress to take up the issue. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, alongside Rep. Lauren Boebert and then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump and Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on a bill mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein. Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has continued an outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual assault. She and Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign. Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and violence against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the allegations. Meanwhile, Mace and Luna are also calling for the resignation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. The House Ethics Committee found evidence that she broke campaign finance law related to a mistaken overpayment of $5 million from the state of Florida to her family’s health care business. She has said she did nothing wrong. “Clean house. Expel them. Hold every last one accountable,” Mace said on social media. “The American people are watching.” At the same time, Mace herself is under investigation by the ethics panel for allegations she improperly claimed housing reimbursements. She has denied wrongdoing. Swalwell allies are facing close scrutiny As accusations of sexual abuse continued to land against Swalwell, some Democrats found themselves in a moment of reflection and contrition, especially those who kept close company with him. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell’s who chaired his presidential campaign, called reporters to his office on Tuesday for an emotional press conference. “I messed up. I’m human. I trusted this man,” a teary-eyed Gallego said. Under intense questioning from reporters, Gallego acknowledged that he had heard rumors about Swalwell being “flirty,” but contended that he trusted him as a close family friend. “I definitely look at the world in a different way now,” Gallego said. “I personally am going to make sure that I’m going to take personal steps and office steps to make sure that we don’t even get close to a gray line.” Policing behavior in Congress presents challenges Speier, who entered politics by first working as a congressional aide and experienced harassment from a supervisor, said that part of the problem in Congress is that members are given wide latitude to run their offices. All 535 lawmakers are bosses of their own hand-selected staff. “There’s really no one overseeing you,” Speier said. “There’s a sense of entitlement that kind of overtakes many of these members.” Speier, alongside then-Rep. Bradley Byrne, led the effort to pass legislation to make it easier to report sexual harassment and discrimination, including banning nondisclosure agreements to protect members of Congress. Since the 2018 reforms began requiring the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to report awards and settlements related to formal complaints, there have been eight payments made by House members’ offices, totaling just over $400,000. Those payments cover all types of violations of workplace rights, not just sexual harassment, and the violations could have been committed by other congressional staff in the office. Speier said that it was crucial to keep making it easier for survivors to report sexual abuse. “Unless someone comes forward, you know the conduct continues,” she said. ___ Associated Press Chief Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Categories: Associated Press, News, Top Stories Tags: News, Politics, us congress

Apr 15, 202618 votes

Fellow Democrats urge Swalwell to quit California governor’s race and resign from Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fellow Democrats are abandoning Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor in droves after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a former staffer, with a growing number urging the congressman both to quit the race and resign his seat in Congress. Swalwell has denied the allegations, which he has said “are absolutely false.” They surfaced after he became a leading contender in the race for California governor to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Over the weekend, with Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign already teetering, Democrats in Congress began to call for his resignation from the House. Some even said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside. Fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. “This is not a partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday. “This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.” Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who has already seen his most prominent supporters, including Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions, pull their endorsements and call for his exit from the race. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who helped run Swalwell’s campaign, said he was immediately ending his role. With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process. Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct. Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernández said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who is running his own campaign for governor, said both Swalwell and Gonzales “need to go home” and that he would vote to expel them both. Khanna also indicated support for congressional action against both lawmakers. “So, it depends on if it’s worded in a fair way,” Khanna said. “But this shouldn’t be about politics. Anyone who abuses young girls and staffers should not be in the United States Congress.” The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday about allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman in 2019 and 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed. The woman worked for Swalwell when the first alleged assault occurred in 2019, while the 2024 assault allegedly occurred at a charity gala, the Chronicle reported. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex. The paper didn’t name the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment. The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it was investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division. After the allegations surfaced, Swalwell said Friday in a video on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update “very soon.” He is not running for reelection for his House seat. “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They’re absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have,” the congressman said. Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who remains a dominant force in California politics, said the “serious allegations” must be investigated. She said she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done “outside of a gubernatorial campaign.” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and his leadership team also called for an investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor. Jayapal and Donalds appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Khanna was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday.” Categories: Associated Press, News, Top Stories, US Tags: California, Democrats, Eric Swalwell, US

Apr 12, 202620 votes

A Build America, Buy America law is causing construction delays amid the US housing crisis

(AP)– It has a catchy name — Build America, Buy America — and the lauded goal of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States. But the law has spurred a bottleneck for affordable housing. Nearly everything from HVACs and lighting to sink hooks and ceiling fans in affordable housing projects that get federal dollars must carry the Made in the USA label. But, developers say, numerous products do not, as they have long been imported from overseas markets with cheaper labor costs. Although builders can apply for waivers, the process has been at a near standstill as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which has had its staff slashed by the Trump administration, has only greenlit a handful of projects. The waiver process has caused construction delays and hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs as the country faces an affordable housing crisis. “They need to be treating this like the fire that it is,” said Tyler Norod, president of Westbrook Development Corporation, which builds affordable housing in Maine. “We’ve sort of resigned ourselves that we’re just gonna build less units across the entire country during a housing crisis.” Facing a standstill Diana Lene has been on affordable housing waitlists for the past five years. The 75-year-old loves living close to her daughter and grandchildren in Fargo, North Dakota, but her apartment is too expensive on her Social Security income. “It’s just maxing my budget down to pennies,” she said. To save money, she avoids driving often and buys food on sale. “I’m just trying to keep a roof over my head, but it’s getting more and more difficult,” Lene said. “I don’t like to live in fear, and yet sometimes it jumps in there.” Lene is on a waitlist for one of nonprofit developer Beyond Shelter’s apartments. CEO Dan Madler is building a 36-unit building for people like Lene, but he had to postpone lumber orders to verify they comply with the law and can’t find ceiling fans made in America. He doesn’t know when HUD will approve a waiver. U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Build America, Buy America Act as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, building on longstanding efforts to boost American manufacturing at a time when the U.S. economy was emerging from a pandemic-era recession. Known as BABA, it applies to infrastructure projects funded by federal agencies, not just affordable housing. Denver developer Julie Hoebel says she has spent over $60,000 just on a consultant to comb through websites and call suppliers to try to find American-made materials, not to mention the additional labor costs involved. But the waivers she submitted to HUD in November for around 125 materials in an 85-unit building haven’t been approved. “If they take much longer then we’ll come to a standstill,” she said. A cumbersome process HUD is taking at least six months to approve many waivers. Even BABA advocates agree HUD must grant waivers more quickly and give the industry clearer instructions on how to prepare them, which they note other federal agencies are doing. HUD did not address questions from The Associated Press about waiver approval delays developers say increase costs, as well as concerns about making the process more transparent. In a statement it said it’s committed to “ensuring that federal spending supports America’s industrial base” while “closely monitoring how compliance with these policies impact costs for builders.” Asked in January about whether the delays and cost increases mean affordable housing should be exempt from BABA rules, HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the agency was looking into the issue, but did not provide details. “We are looking at this … with BABA as it pertains to HUD to provide flexibility to certain projects in certain places around our country,” Turner said, adding that HUD is committed to assuring developers get “the flexibility they need as it pertains to building.” The law itself isn’t the problem, supporters say. Unions representing the steel and manufacturing industries say taxpayer dollars should fund American-made materials and suppliers will adjust to meet demand for products that aren’t available. “You’ve got a system in place that leans heavily on using imported materials to make a better profit,” said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. “I don’t know if that serves the public good.” Jennifer Schwartz, director of tax and housing advocacy at the National Council of State Housing Agencies, said there’s no national data on how much BABA is increasing costs. But the waiver process is “failing,” she said, because requirements were put in place before assessment of domestic manufacturing capacity. It won’t be as challenging for suppliers to produce more raw materials in the U.S., but it will take time for manufactured products — such as appliances and elevators — to become available, said Kaitlyn Snyder, managing director of the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association, an affordable housing industry group. “I don’t know that it economically, financially makes sense for people to be producing door hinges,” Snyder said. “We are an advanced country and we’ve outsourced a lot of that stuff.” The housing bill that passed the Senate in March did not require HUD to address problems with implementing BABA. “The process isn’t working for affordable housing,” said Jessie Handforth Kome, who spent nearly 40 years working at HUD until 2024. “People want to comply, but it’s unclear how to.” Vermont-based Developer Jessica Neubelt estimates she spent an additional $150,000 just to verify iron and steel she used in a project was American-made. She’s just as frustrated over the hundreds of hours that takes, which, she said, could be spent on another project. “I would like every member of Congress to sit in on a construction meeting,” Neubelt said. “The amount of detail that goes into figuring out if a specific thing is compliant or not is enormous.” Debates over solutions U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, a Nebraska Republican, has advocated to exempt some HUD funding from BABA. “Owning a home is the American dream, but it’s out of reach in a very big way and anything that adds cost to that isn’t allowing hardworking Americans to achieve the dream,” Flood told the AP. Roy Houseman, legislative director at United Steelworkers, said complaints about cost increases are overblown. “A lot of developers seem to have tried to throw things in and make statutory changes to policies that have been in place for basically five years now instead of making a good-faith effort to really push HUD,” Houseman said. Union leaders note the law offers some leeway. Developers can get exemptions for an American-made product if it increases the project’s overall cost by more than 25%. A very small percentage of a project’s total material cost is also exempt. But most developers say that percentage isn’t enough to cover all items not made in the U.S. Some developers are looking for ways to avoid federal funds altogether. But that is challenging. Even though federal dollars often make up a small portion of funding for affordable housing projects, that sliver can make or break whether there’s enough money to build them. Kentucky developer Scott McReynolds says that instead of applying for a federal grant to build 20 to 30 affordable homes, he plans to build two four-unit projects, small enough so that they aren’t subject to BABA. American-made materials are especially hard to find near the rural areas McReynolds serves. “It’s a nightmare,” he said. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Categories: Associated Press, News, Top Stories, US Tags: Affordable Housing Crisis, Build America, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Mar 27, 202614 votes

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