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Eric Swalwell exits California governor race apologizing for past judgment while denying claims
Rep. Eric Swalwell said he is suspending his campaign for California governor, citing personal issues and ongoing allegations in a statement posted on X.
“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell wrote. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.
“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he added.
The decision comes as pressure mounted over sexual assault allegations published in a bombshell report from the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday, with lawmakers from both parties calling on him to drop out of the race and resign from Congress.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLANS MOTION TO OUST SWALWELL FROM CONGRESS AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
Figures calling on Swalwell to step aside included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Pelosi urged that consideration of the accusations against Swalwell take place outside the context of his campaign.
“The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard. This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that this is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign,” Pelosi said in a statement given to NBC.
MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE
A number of other Democrats soon joined the former speaker’s calls, with a handful rescinding previous endorsements of the campaign.
“I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting, and I take it seriously,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a post to X.
“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” he added.
Rep. Ted Lieu, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, also said he would pull his endorsement.
“In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor,” Lieu said in his own post.
In its Friday report, the San Francisco Chronicle detailed graphic accounts from a woman accusing Swalwell of pursuing intoxicated women, pressuring employees into intimate situations and asking for explicit images from female contacts.
Rumblings of misconduct from Swalwell first emerged earlier this month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.
“The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media.
Despite initially remaining moot on the allegations, Swalwell’s office broke its silence on the matter in comments made to the New York Post earlier this week.
“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said.
With Swalwell exiting the race, the battle to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom becomes even more uncertain and turbulent ahead of the June 2 primary. Early voting will begin on May 4.
Public opinion surveys indicated that Swalwell was the top polling Democrat in the race, ahead of former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, who’s flooded the airwaves with ads since declaring his candidacy in November. Both Porter and Steyer on Friday had called on Swalwell to suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress.
The crowded field of Democrats also includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
There are two major Republicans in the race: conservative commentator and former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
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NYC mayor touts ‘socialist’ wins in first 100 days alongside Bernie Sanders
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his first 100 days in office Sunday alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist, touting what he described as sweeping achievements driven by government intervention.
Mamdani cited key wins, including securing $1.2 billion for universal child care, advancing plans for five publicly owned grocery stores, pursuing legal action against landlords, and boosting investment in services such as sanitation and infrastructure.
In a reference to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her critique that socialists “eventually run out of other people’s money,” Mamdani defended his administration’s approach.
“I have thought often of the Margaret Thatcher’s quote, the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money,” he said. “If anything, my friends, it seems that you eventually need a socialist to clean up the mess,”
AOC, MAMDANI URGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT PARENTS TO SIGN KIDS UP FOR FREE PRE-K
Sanders also praised the mayor’s agenda, calling it an inspiration for strengthening communities.
“This is the first time I was ever introduced by someone who talked proudly about democratic socialism,” Sanders said. “And it feels great.”
Mamdani highlighted additional policy priorities during his first three months in office.
To address rising food costs, he proposed opening five publicly owned, affordable grocery stores — one in each borough — by the end of his first term, a proposal critics say represents a departure from free-market principles. Critics say the plan departs from free-market principles. He added that the first location is expected to open next year.
MAMDANI CLARIFIES NYC WON’T CHECK IMMIGRATION STATUS FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE ENROLLEES
The mayor also pointed to universal child care as a major early win, though critics say the program relies on heavy taxation and could disrupt existing private daycare providers. Mamdani noted the initiative was fulfilled by his eighth day in office through a $1.2 billion partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The administration has intensified enforcement in the housing sector, with Mamdani saying it issued more than 195,000 violations against landlords and secured more than $34 million in settlements, judgments , and repairs for tenants.
With murders at record lows, officials said the city has removed more than 1,000 guns from the streets and established its first Office of Community Safety to address gun violence and mental health.
In addition, city workers also have filled more than 102,000 potholes in 100 days and are on track to repave more than 1,000 lane miles of streets by the end of the fiscal year.
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Heidi Klum unrecognizable in dramatic Coachella disguise as ‘Techno Hexen’
Heidi Klum loves a theme.
The supermodel looked barely recognizable as she frolicked around the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival over the weekend in Indio, Calif.
Klum, 52, smiled widely as she raised arms while walking the grounds at the Empire Polo Field wearing a jet black wig with mirrored sunglasses over her eyes.
“Coachella day 2 ‘Techno Hexen,'” the “Germany’s Next Topmodel” host wrote with a social media clip shared Saturday.
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Klum sported a sheer white gown with layers of fabric cascading down her chest and tucked into the back of a lacy pair of bottoms.
She slung a black leather bag across her shoulder and trekked through the dusty venue wearing fishnets with black-and-white leather cowboy boots.
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The mother-of-four made an equally impressive fashion statement the night before to kick off the festival.
JUSTIN BIEBER’S $10M COACHELLA COMEBACK DRAWS BACKLASH AFTER HE PLAYS YOUTUBE VIDEOS DURING HIS SET
Dressed in a white cut-out bodysuit with oversized jeans and a white beanie to match, Klum danced to a Disclosure song on social media before catching the DJ’s closing set on the Outdoor stage.
The Victoria’s Secret angel was in good company throughout the star-studded weekend.
Katy Perry and boyfriend Justin Trudeau are quite literally heating things up in the desert.
KATY PERRY SHARES PDA-FILLED COACHELLA PHOTOS WITH BOYFRIEND JUSTIN TRUDEAU DURING WEEKEND FESTIVAL
In a series of photos posted on the pop star’s Instagram, Perry and Trudeau put their budding romance on full display at Coachella.
In one snapshot, the duo walked hand-in-hand throughout the fairgrounds, and in another, Perry cozied up to Trudeau as the pair enjoyed a snack break.
They later caught Justin Bieber‘s return after a years-long hiatus.
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The 32-year-old singer — who was reportedly paid $10 million for his return — took the stage for a headlining performance, only to be met with a wave of criticism from online trolls.
For the first half of the set, Bieber focused on his latest tracks from “Swag” and “Swag ll” before diving into a YouTube-heavy track list.
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“Tonight is such a special night,” Bieber told the crowd while sitting on a stool behind a table that held his laptop. “I feel like we gotta take you guys on a bit of a journey. Do you guys remember this song?”
Bieber played hit songs like “Baby,” “Never Say Never” and “Beauty and the Beat” on YouTube, while singing along to the music videos playing in the background.
At one point, Katy Perry poked fun at the moments in between YouTube searches. “Thank God he has Premium,” the Grammy nominee, 41, said in a video posted to her Instagram. “I don’t want to see no ads.”
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
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‘Gate of Tears’ at risk: Iran threatens major new global chokepoint if US moves on Hormuz
Iran could retaliate against a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by directing its Houthi allies to disrupt another critical global shipping route, a senior Middle East analyst warned Sunday.
The Bab al-Mandeb — a narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — carries roughly 12% of global oil shipments and serves as a vital trade corridor between Asia and Europe, making it a strategic target for escalation that could further strain global energy markets.
“If the U.S. proceeds with its plan to blockade the strait, Iran’s escalation strategy could dictate that it ensures Gulf countries can’t export, either,” Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser at the Middle East Program, told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP VOWS US WILL STRIKE IRAN’S POWER PLANTS, BRIDGES IF STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS NOT REOPENED
“This could translate to further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure or even deploying the Houthis to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb,” Yacoubian added.
Yacoubian’s remarks came after Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser on international affairs to Iran’s Supreme Leader, signaled Tehran’s view of the Bab al-Mandeb in light of potential U.S. action to block the Strait of Hormuz.
“Today, the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz,” he said in a post on X.
WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN
“If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move.”
U.S. Central Command released a statement Sunday saying the naval blockade would begin Monday and be “enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.”
President Donald Trump also said the U.S. Navy would block “any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz” in a post on Truth Social.
In March, the U.S. warned ships at the Red Sea chokepoint of Houthi attacks
“The Houthis continue to pose a threat to U.S. assets, including commercial vessels, in this region,” a maritime advisory said of the Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen.
TRUMP GIVES IRAN 48-HOUR ULTIMATUM TO REOPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ OR FACE STRIKES ON POWER PLANTS
“Potential hostile actions include one-way unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks; unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attacks; unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) attacks; ballistic and cruise missile attacks; small arms fire from small boats; explosive boat attacks; and illegal boardings, detentions, and/or seizures,” it said.
“U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating in these areas are strongly advised to turn off their AIS transponders,” the advisory stated.
Yacoubian also determined in a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report that Iran was threatening to expand the conflict further to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb compounding global market disruptions.
“It could leverage the Houthis, its Yemeni proxy, to once again wage attacks on the strategic waterway, depriving Saudi Arabia of its key workaround for oil shipments given the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz,” she added.
The Houthis joined Iran’s war against the U.S. and Israel on March 28 when the organization launched two ballistic missiles at southern Israel. Both were intercepted.
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