Author: NOVA Corp

U.S. immigration authorities reportedly detained former Brazilian intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem in Florida on Monday, months after Brazil sentenced him to prison for his role in a plot to keep former President Jair Bolsonaro in power after the 2022 election.

Brazilian authorities said Ramagem fled the country in September 2025, shortly after being sentenced to 16 years in prison. But Ramagem’s supporters argue that he has an active asylum claim in the United States and should not be deported.

In a statement announcing Ramagem’s detention, the Brazilian Federal Police did not name him directly but referenced the crimes he was convicted of.

“The detainee is considered a fugitive from Brazilian justice after convictions to crimes including participation in an armed criminal organization, a coup d’état, and the attempted violent abolition of the rule of law,” the Federal Police said in a statement.

ERIC SWALWELL UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OVER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED NANNY HIRE

Brazilian Senator Jorge Seif, an ally of Bolsonaro, shared on social media that Ramagem was detained by U.S. authorities. Seif is pushing for Ramagem’s release, arguing that he should be granted political asylum.

“The political persecution against President Bolsonaro, his sons and his allies is now hitting an elected lawmaker in foreign soil,” Seif said. “In our document (to the U.S. embassy) we showed all the reasons that justify and defend the concession of political asylum to Ramagem and his family.”

Brazilian authorities said the detention was the result of “international police cooperation,” not directly tied to his conviction.

Brazilian journalist Paulo Figueiredo, a friend of Ramagem, shared on X that he was detained after being stopped by police for a “minor traffic violation.” Authorities then referred Ramagem to ICE. Figueiredo claimed that Ramagem currently has an asylum request with the United States.

BOLSONARO DYNASTY EYES COMEBACK AS BRAZIL’S SOCIALIST PRESIDENT FACES CHALLENGE FROM JAILED RIVAL’S SON

Figueiredo wrote that Immigrex, a visa consulting company where he is a partner, will provide full services to Ramagem.

“Our expectation is that he will be released as quickly as possible, and at this time we see no risk of deportation. The ICE process is also bureaucratic and depends on formal processing within the agency’s system before the next steps can be taken,” Figueiredo wrote on X.

On Monday, The Associated Press reported that Ramagem was listed on ICE’s online detainee database, but a Fox News Digital search on Tuesday found his name was not listed.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.

Brazilian authorities say the coup led by Bolsonaro and his supporters began months before the 2022 election, when they alleged that there was a strong chance that the election was rigged against Bolsonaro. When President Luiz Inácio de Silva won the election, Bolsonaro did not concede. He was later convicted of attempting to overthrow the government and is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in the coup.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke at one of his proposed government-run grocery stores on Tuesday, touting what he described as a “grand experiment” that would reduce the cost of everyday items like bread and eggs.

The socialist mayor, who has promised to open one such store in each borough, said the city will subsidize basic grocery items while a private operator runs the stores under city rules requiring lower prices.

“New York City it is time for a grand experiment once again, just as LaGuardia used government to respond to the challenges of the Great Depression, we will use government to respond to rising prices and unaffordable groceries,” Mamdani said at La Marqueta in East Harlem on Tuesday.

STRAPPED NEW YORKERS SWARM CHAOTIC MAMDANI-INSPIRED FREE GROCERY STORE POP-UP: WE’RE ‘IN PAIN’

The 9,000-square-foot store in East Harlem will be constructed from the ground up on a nearby vacant, city-owned lot and is expected to open by 2029, while the first city-owned grocery store is expected to open in late 2027. Mamdani has allocated $70 million in capital funds for the development of the five sites.

The Harlem grocery store will cost $30 million to build, according to the New York Times.

Mamdani invoked former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, noting the site once housed a city-run market created during the Great Depression to lower food costs.

“Now, here’s how it works. The city will subsidize a core set of staples. A private operator will run the store, but the answer to the standards that the city will set these standards include requirements that at our stores, bread will be cheaper, eggs will be cheaper, grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation, and workers will be treated with dignity,” Mamdani said.

MAMDANI MOVES TO SIDELINE NYC POLICE WITH NEW SAFETY OFFICE UNDER SWEEPING OVERHAUL

Mamdani said grocery prices in New York City have risen nearly 66% over the past decade, significantly outpacing the national average. The city-owned grocery initiative is designed to lower costs on everyday staples by using public ownership to eliminate costs that are currently passed on to consumers, he said.

“The difference in this approach is that we are not hoping for affordability. We’re guaranteeing affordability in the contract we will have with a private operator,” Mamdani said.

“Now, at its peak, La Marqueta serves 25,000 customers per day. We hope to make a similar impact here in this very neighborhood,” Mamdani said. “Continuing Fiorello LaGuardia legacy. This is what we mean by a new era when New Yorkers are being priced out of their groceries. Government will step in and deliver affordability,” he added.

Mamdani said the city-run stores would be part of a broader “ecosystem” and would not replace existing grocers, including bodegas and neighborhood supermarkets, amid questions about their impact on small businesses.

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a long-shot bill in a possible attempt to remove President Trump from office using the 25th Amendment.

The 10-page legislation, introduced by House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., would create a 17-member commission to assess whether the amendment could be used to boot Trump from the White House.

The panel would be composed of several physicians and former high-ranking executive officials appointed by congressional leaders from both parties.

“[T]he Commission shall carry out a medical examination of the President to determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office,” the bill states.

TRUMP’S THREAT TO END IRANIAN ‘CIVILIZATION’ SPARKS UPROAR ON CAPITOL HILL

Democratic and Republican leaders of each chamber of Congress would select four physicians and four psychiatrists to serve on the commission. The 16 appointed members would then vote to select an additional member to chair the body.

Many House and Senate Democrats have called for Trump to be removed from office or impeached after he wrote that a “whole civilization will die tonight” in a social media post regarding the war in Iran. Raskin cited Trump’s “increasingly volatile, incoherent, and alarming public statements” during the ongoing conflict.

“We have a solemn duty to play our defined role under the 25th Amendment by setting up this body to act alongside the Vice President and the Cabinet,” Raskin said in a statement. “Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church, and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ.”

SENATE DEM ACCUSES TRUMP OF BEING ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE,’ JOINS GROWING CALL TO IMPEACH, OUST PRESIDENT

The legislation has 50 Democratic co-sponsors.

The White House pushed back on Raskin’s claims, asserting that Trump’s cognitive ability has not deteriorated, while also criticizing Democrats over former President Joe Biden’s mental lapses during his time in office.

“Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital. “President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration, when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.”

Trump defended his statements, saying he did not follow through with his threats because Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. He noted that his remarks “brought [Iran] to the table, with the exception of the one thing which I believe that they’re going to give up on.”

“Remember, what do they say to us? For years, I’ve had to listen to them say, ‘Death to America,’ right?” Trump said on “Sunday Morning Futures,” referencing Tehran’s rallying cry. “They say, ‘Death to America, death to Israel, America is a Satan, we will destroy America, death to America.’ Now, does anybody ever complain to you when they say that? I think that’s a big step worse—‘Death to America.’”

Rep. Eric Swalwell, who announced he will resign from Congress on Monday, is facing mounting criticism over a series of sexual misconduct allegations, but another, decade-old scandal over the California Democrat’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy has also been revived amid reports the FBI is weighing whether to release documents on the matter.

The sexual misconduct claims, including from a former Swalwell staffer, have renewed scrutiny of the congressman’s past ties to suspected Chinese operative Christine Fang as critics and social media commentators demand the FBI release files related to Fang.

Article III Project President Mike Davis, a vocal Trump ally, said Congress must vote to release the investigative files — similar to how it voted to release Jeffrey Epstein’s case files — saying the FBI was legally barred from doing it without the legislative branch’s approval.

“It’s time for Congress to vote to release Eric Swalwell’s FBI file, which we must presume exists after his affair with a Chinese spy,” Davis wrote on X. “His counter-intelligence risks must be staggering.”

CALIFORNIA REPORTER CLAIMS ERIC SWALWELL’S CONDUCT ‘WAS KNOWN,’ RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL SUPPORT

ERIC SWALWELL ACCUSED OF PAYING NANNY WITH CAMPAIGN FUNDS WHILE SHE LACKED WORK AUTHORIZATION

Right-wing social media influencers with large followings have also piled on in the wake of the new misconduct claims against Swalwell.

“He needs to face legal consequences,” wrote Eric Daugherty. “Removal from public office is the bare minimum. And release the Fang Fang files. Don’t hold back.”

“Release the Fang Fang Files !!!” wrote influencer Catturd.

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS: ‘VERY BAD LOOK’

Swalwell has denied the new sexual misconduct allegations, calling them “absolutely false” in a video statement.

The claims against Swalwell, who was one of the leading Democratic California gubernatorial candidates before ending his campaign, came on the heels of The Washington Post reporting in March that the FBI was mulling releasing redacted investigative files related to Swalwell’s prior ties to Fang. 

Axios reported in 2020 that Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, aimed to develop ties with California politicians, including Swalwell. Fang fled the country and never faced charges.

Swalwell sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel upon news that the FBI was weighing a file release, suggesting it would violate his First Amendment rights, a federal statute about records releases and a Department of Justice internal policy. In response to the legal threat, the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Digital that file reviews were normal.

“This FBI, being the most transparent in history, prepares documents for numerous different reasons, including for release to different agencies and departments to further review investigations that may have been opened under previous administrations,” an FBI spokesperson said.

After Swalwell announced he would resign from Congress, Patel, his longtime political foe, called on the public to submit tips to the bureau about Swalwell and invited the California Democrat to meet for an interview.

Erica Knight, a Patel spokeswoman, suggested Swalwell had a hypocritical view of federal investigative files, alluding to Democrats’ demands for documents related to Epstein’s sex trafficking cases.

“Democrats said releasing files = transparency and accountability. Now Democrats say releasing files = weaponization and smear campaigns,” Knight wrote on X. “The only variable that changed is whose name is in the file.”

SENATE DEMOCRAT AVOIDS ANSWERING WHETHER SWALWELL SHOULD RESIGN FROM CONGRESS

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI for an update on the status of the Fang files and reached out to the DOJ about Swalwell’s legal threat.

Swalwell has been dogged by his past ties with Fang for years despite never facing charges over the matter. Swalwell cut ties with Fang in 2015 after he was alerted by the FBI about her, he has previously said. 

The DOJ brought no charges against him and the House Ethics Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing on Swalwell’s part, according to a published letter the panel wrote to Swalwell in 2023 saying it had concluded a two-year investigation.

The committee announced Monday it opened a new investigation into Swalwell based on what it said were “allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”

Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign on Sunday and announced he would resign from Congress on Monday following a San Francisco Chronicle report detailing allegations from a former staffer who accused him of assaulting her twice while she was allegedly too intoxicated to consent to relations with him. 

When news broke of his alleged misconduct with women, some immediately raised Swalwell’s ties to Fang.

“Wait is this the Fang Fang guy?” asked Barstool Sports President David Portnoy.

Swalwell has defended his association with Fang, saying in a CNN interview in 2020 that he was “shocked” when authorities told him about her. He said he offered to cooperate with the FBI at the time.

In response to the report last month that the FBI was considering releasing the investigative files, Swalwell also put out a public statement accusing the bureau of attempting to interfere with his now-terminated gubernatorial campaign.

“Through great reporting, we now know the outrageous ends the White House will go to target political opponents,” Swalwell had said. “The reason Trump is so desperately trying to stop me is not because I’m running for Governor of California but because now I’m the favorite.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s office for comment.

Anger over the sexual abuse allegations that led to Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., resigning from Congress is reaching a fever pitch as one critic claimed the saga exposes “how politics really works” in the United States.

While maintaining his innocence, Swalwell, a seven-term congressman and former Democratic presidential candidate, announced Monday he would resign from Congress following sexual assault allegations from multiple former staffers. On the same day, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, also announced his resignation from Congress. Their departures have prompted new calls to purge Congress of perpetrators of sexual abuse.

After Swalwell announced his resignation, Dale Stark, a political pundit and veteran, reacted, “The Swalwell saga perfectly shows how politics really works in America. They’ve had this dirt on him for years and sat on it until he stepped out of line.”

Stark added that this “explains why no matter who you vote for, you get the same results,” adding, “One nation under blackmail.”

ERIC SWALWELL ACCUSED OF PAYING NANNY WITH CAMPAIGN FUNDS WHILE SHE LACKED WORK AUTHORIZATION

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a similar line, decrying the Democratic leadership for not taking action against Swalwell sooner.

“The Democrat Party was aware of this guy’s behavior but never said anything until the party was threatened with getting shut out of the governor race,” DeSantis wrote.

Until these allegations surfaced, Swalwell was a frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign for governor on Sunday. His sudden ouster, however, has many speculating that deeper forces are at play.

Conservative pundit and podcaster Michael Knowles suggested Swalwell’s ouster was the result of political maneuvering by the Democrats.  

“So the Dems improve their chances in the CA gov race and also avoid putting their members on record in a vote to expel, and all it cost them was a replaceable congressman, whose seat will now be filled by another Dem,” he wrote. “Gotta give the devils their due: they’re good at the game.”

Kari Lake, a former Republican candidate for both Arizona governor and senator, reacted that she is “glad Eric Swalwell is finally on his way out of Congress,” but cautioned, “He should take the rest of the creeps with him. Washington is infested with them.”

“The American people are fed up with this depraved, disgusting behavior from our so-called leaders,” she wrote on X. “It’s time to restore basic decency, respect, & real accountability in our nation’s capital.”

SWALWELL’S ‘BEST FRIEND’ IN CONGRESS TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS TORPEDO HIS POLITICAL CAREER

Pundit Scott Jennings reacted, “Democrats and people in the media are openly admitting something shameful and horrifying: They ALL KNEW about Eric Swalwell.”

“They said nothing, leaving the victims to suffer in silence. But why? The answer is obvious,” he went on. “To protect this Looney Tunes Eric Swalwell because he was good at going out and attacking Donald Trump. I mean, let’s be honest, that’s why he was under their protection.”

Meanwhile, some suggested that there are more members of Congress who must be ousted.

SWALWELL’S FORMER DEM RIVAL UNLOADS ON HIS ‘LIGHTWEIGHT’ CAREER AS SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS EMERGE

Madison Cawthorn, a former Republican congressman who sparked backlash after alleging he was invited to an orgy by fellow lawmakers and had witnessed cocaine use, wrote a cryptic post that “Swalwell is not the only one.”

“I warned you all about what goes on in Washington. Why is everyone acting surprised?” Cawthorn wrote on X.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, an embattled Florida Democrat facing a pending criminal indictment, could be the next member of Congress to face expulsion.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Tuesday that he would support expelling Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress, citing a bipartisan adjudicatory subcommittee finding her guilty of more than two dozen ethics violations in March.

“The Ethics Committee has gone through all of its processes, and they found some alarming facts,” Johnson said. “I think the facts are indisputable at this point, and so I believe it will be the consensus of this body that she should be expelled.”

The ethics panel’s guilty verdict was the culmination of a yearslong investigation during which the group interviewed hundreds of individuals and reviewed tens of thousands of documents.

LAWMAKERS PUT EXPULSION THREATS ATOP HOUSE AGENDA AS RETURN SETS UP HIGH-STAKES WEEK

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has pledged to introduce an expulsion resolution against Cherfilus-McCormick, but he said he would wait until the ethics panel releases its recommended punishment against the Florida Democrat. The group is scheduled to hold a hearing announcing its suggested sanction for Cherfilus-McCormick next week.

Cherfilus-McCormick has continued to deny any wrongdoing and has not signaled that she is considering resigning. The Florida Democrat is also running for re-election ahead of the state’s August primary.

It takes a two-thirds majority to expel a lawmaker, meaning a significant number of Democrats would have to support ousting Cherfilus-McCormick for Steube’s measure to be successful.

Just a handful of Democrats, including Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, D-Wash., have so far voiced support for Cherfilus-McCormick’s expulsion if she does not step down.

Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced plans to resign Monday after both lawmakers faced potential expulsion votes this week. Both men have been accused of sexual misconduct and are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Johnson said Tuesday it was “the appropriate thing” for both men to resign, citing the allegations against them.

JEFFRIES DECLINES TO BREAK WITH INDICTED DEMOCRAT AFTER ETHICS PANEL’S GUILTY VERDICT

House Democratic leadership has largely stood by Cherfilus-McCormick despite the House Ethics Committee’s findings. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has indicated that he will not comment on Cherfilus-McCormick’s fate until the ethics panel finishes its deliberations.

If Republicans move forward with expelling Cherfilus-McCormick, Democrats could offer a retaliatory measure seeking to oust scandal-ridden Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla.

Mills is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for a range of allegations, including domestic violence and campaign finance violations. He has maintained his innocence and is seeking re-election.

Johnson told reporters Tuesday that he would check the status of the Mills probe.

Cherfilus-McCormick is facing more than five decades in prison for allegedly stealing millions in disaster relief funds to finance her run for Congress and purchase luxury items. She is also accused of participating in a straw donor scheme and conspiring to file a false federal tax return.

Fox News Digital reached out to Cherfilus-McCormick’s office for comment.

A two-month legal battle over an iconic symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement has ended, with a settlement approving its restoration and New York City’s mayor hailing the decision as a “victory.”

The Trump administration agreed under a settlement on Monday to restore the Pride flag to Stonewall National Monument’s federal flagpole within seven days and maintain it there, removing it only for maintenance or other practical purposes. A judge approved the agreement, resolving the dispute over the flag’s removal.

The Stonewall National Monument was first designated by President Barack Obama in 2016, protecting the Stonewall Inn in New York City as a historic site – becoming the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ history. 

FIRED YOSEMITE WORKER SUES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AFTER HANGING MASSIVE TRANSGENDER FLAG ACROSS EL CAPITAN

The ruling reins in the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity-related programs across national parks, after the flag’s removal in February sparked protests from Democratic leaders and activists and escalated into a broader political flashpoint.

“This is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city,” wrote Mayor Zohran Mamdani in an X on Monday. “It’s a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten.”

He added that, “Our administration will keep working to ensure LGBTQ+ New Yorkers can live safely and with dignity in our city.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on Tuesday. 

MASSACHUSETTS DROPS CONTROVERSIAL GENDER IDEOLOGY MANDATE FOR LICENSING FOSTER CARE PARENTS

At the time of the flag removal, Mamdani said he was “outraged,” calling for the country to live up to the legacy the Stonewall Inn represents, while a Department of Interior spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that “city leaders seem more focused on theatrics than solutions.”

“Hundreds of families in New York City went without power during this year’s severe cold weather, people are being found dead on the streets, and trash has piled up so high it towers over city residents. This is Mayor Mamdani and city officials’ New York City,” the spokesperson said at the time.

They added, “it would be a better use of their time to get the trash buildup off city streets, ensure there are no more avoidable deaths, and work to keep the power on for the people of New York City.”

The Washington Litigation Group (WLG), which initiated legal proceedings, announced the agreement through a press release, writing, the decision “confirms that the Pride flag falls within the law and NPS policy.”

JUDGE DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, ORDERS SLAVERY EXHIBIT RESTORED AT ICONIC PHILLY LANDMARK

“The government has acknowledged what we argued from day one: the Pride flag belongs at Stonewall,” wrote WLG lead counsel Alexander Kristofcak. “The flag will be restored and it will fly officially and permanently. And we will remain vigilant to ensure that the government sticks to the deal.”

Fox News Digital reached out to WLG for additional comment. 

“The removal of the Pride flag from Stonewall was an attempt to erase LGBTQ+ history and undermine the rule of law,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation. “This settlement restores both.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated the decision on X, writing, “the administration was forced to settle and heed our demands that the pride flag at Stonewall National Monument will always fly freely and proudly.”

In December, National Park Service (NPS) units were instructed to purge gift stores at parks, removing any items that promote DEI and gender ideological extremism.

Many NPS gift shops are located in visitor centers, which are common in major parks. Some can be found in smaller or remote parks.

Most shops are run by nonprofit partners of the NPS, with funds benefiting visitors and the parks.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Another woman accused Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., of rape Tuesday, just hours before the embattled lawmaker is expected to resign from the House.

“He raped me. And he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness. And I thought I died,” Lonna Drewes said Tuesday, while describing an incident that she alleged took place in Swalwell’s hotel room in 2018.

Drewes said she was working as a model and software engineer in Beverly Hills when she met Swalwell and continued to stay in contact socially. When meeting him the third time, Drewes alleged that Swalwell drugged her drink and proceeded to rape her in his hotel room. 

Drewes came forward after four women alleged Swalwell committed sexual misconduct and rape, including at least one incident involving a former staffer, as reported by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The announcement came during a news conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., organized by the woman’s attorneys, Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali.

Drewes’ attorneys said they would be submitting a report to law enforcement.

Swalwell has repeatedly denied any criminal wrongdoing and has promised to fight “false” accusations.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said he expected Swalwell to offer his resignation letter on Tuesday.

When asked whether he agreed with the decision of Swalwell and scandal-plagued Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, to resign, Jeffries replied, “Yes.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

President Donald Trump is set to meet with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue Tuesday, as the administration prepares for a high-stakes summit between the U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. 

The talks are expected to focus on both escalating tensions in the Middle East and the broader U.S.–China relationship, as Washington weighs its approach to Beijing ahead of the summit.

The meeting comes just after the U.S. launched a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, where China remains the largest buyer of Iranian crude amid the conflict between the U.S., Iran and Israel.

The blockade risks pulling China more directly into the conflict. Any effort to enforce it against shipments bound for China could trigger a confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

US, CHINA AGREE TO OPEN DIRECT MILITARY HOTLINE AFTER XI-TRUMP SUMMIT

“This will only aggravate confrontation, escalate tension, undermine the already fragile ceasefire and further jeopardize safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said of the blockade Tuesday in a daily press conference. “It is a dangerous and irresponsible move.” 

The meeting also comes amid reports that China supplied Iran with weapons, which Chinese officials dismissed as “completely made up.” Trump has threatened China with 50% tariffs if the reports are accurate.

Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing remain locked in a fragile tariff standoff. 

After the 2025 escalation pushed tariffs above 100% on both sides, the two countries agreed to a temporary rollback that lowered U.S. duties on Chinese goods to around 30% and China’s tariffs on American exports to roughly 10%. That truce has held into 2026, but core disputes over technology, market access and national security remain unresolved, with both sides continuing negotiations ahead of the planned summit.

The U.S. has escalated economic pressure beyond tariffs: the Trump administration has moved to eliminate a key loophole that allowed Chinese goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, a step targeting companies like Temu and Shein and affecting millions of shipments.

Despite rising economic tensions, the U.S. military posture toward China remains more restrained. 

The Trump administration’s national security and defense strategies prioritize defending the homeland from overseas conflicts, even as they identify China as the top long-term threat. 

Recent intelligence assessments also have downplayed the likelihood of an imminent Chinese invasion of Taiwan, finding no fixed timeline for military action, suggesting Washington is focused more on deterrence than preparing for direct conflict.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the purpose of the meeting. 

Democratic incumbents and candidates in the House and Senate are facing calls from Republicans to return money they received from disgraced Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, and many of them have rushed to do so in light of the allegations of sexual assault that caused him to drop out of the California governor race and resign from Congress. 

Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign was derailed on Friday evening after several allegations of sexual misconduct against him were published around the same time, prompting several high-profile Democrats, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Adam Schiff, to denounce his campaign.

More than a dozen Democrats have returned money received from Swalwell, Politico reported on Monday, including many running in critical battleground races in the House and Senate. Some of the names who have returned money include North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper, Minnesota Senate candidate Angie Craig and incumbent House Reps. Dan Goldman and Dave Min.

Swalwell’s Remedy PAC has given over $20,000 to Democratic candidates in the 2024 cycle and over $170,000 to current Democrats in Congress, and it appears most, if not all, of that money will ultimately be returned, with many announcing the funds will be donated to charities benefiting sexual assault victims.

CALIFORNIA REPORTER CLAIMS ERIC SWALWELL’S CONDUCT ‘WAS KNOWN,’ RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL SUPPORT

Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., considered one of the more vulnerable Democrat incumbents running in November, is returning the $3,000 he received from Swalwell by donating $1,000 to three different local charitable organizations that support women, survivors and their families, a spokesperson from his office told Fox News Digital Tuesday morning, adding that the checks were sent on Monday.

Republicans have taken issue with the Democrats who have yet to return the money from Swalwell.

“If Democrats had any standards left, this would be an easy call,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. “But when it’s one of their own, accountability gets buried faster than the story. Every single vulnerable House Democrat must return the filthy creep cash or own the rot they’re protecting.”

Additionally, some Republicans have pointed to the amount of time it took for the money to be returned, given rumors that have been circulating around the disgraced congressman for weeks.

“I find it appalling that Rebecca Cooke would wait to renounce the endorsement from the disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell until she received tremendous heat from the media,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican running in a hotly contested primary, told Politico in reference to his Democratic opponent. “This is not leadership, this is political convenience for her.”

Democrats have pushed back, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), who in recent weeks has been calling out Republicans who took money from Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who on Monday announced his intention to resign from Congress after he admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

SWALWELL’S FORMER FEMALE STAFFER DROPS BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, EXPOSING HIMSELF: REPORT

“The hacks at the NRCC who are currently defending Cory Mills and spent six-figures just last month to protect Tony Gonzales should sit this one out,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It’s Democrats who are actually standing up and calling for accountability in Congress — consistently and independent of party.”

Fox News Digital reached out to several Democrats who, as of Tuesday morning, did not appear to have publicly commented on receiving Swalwell money, including Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who received a total of $2,000 from Swalwell’s Remedy PAC since 2023. Suozzi is currently running for re-election in one of the most closely watched House races in the country in New York’s 3rd District which Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean D.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Suozzi’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Alaska’s Mary Peltola, who is running for Senate as a Democrat in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean R,” which could end up deciding the balance of power in the Senate, received a total of $8,000 from Remedy PAC in the past: $2,000 in October 2023, another $2,000 reported in her 2023 year-end filing and $4,000 more in her amended 2024 post-general report.

‘THE VIEW’ HOST SAYS ERIC SWALWELL’S REPUTATION WITH WOMEN WAS ‘OPEN SECRET’ EXPLOITABLE BY ENEMIES

“Peltola has been absolutely SILENT,” Senate Leadership Fund, the top super PAC supporting Republican incumbents and candidates in the Senate, posted on X on Monday. “When will she call for his resignation and return the money?”

On Tuesday morning, a Peltola spokesperson said she has not accepted money from Swalwell during the current cycle and that she will return the money she received from previous campaign cycles in the form of a donation to a charity benefitting victims of domestic violence.

“Alaskans for Mary has not accepted any contributions or endorsement from Swalwell this cycle, and will be donating $8,000 – equivalent to contributions from previous cycles – to the Tundra Women’s Coalition,” the spokesperson said. “Mary was disturbed to learn of these allegations and takes all reports of sexual assault and harassment very seriously. She believes these claims should be thoroughly investigated, and the legal system should hold responsible parties accountable.”

An up-and-coming progressive candidate in the Democratic Party, Ammar Campa-Najjar, is running for Congress in California’s 48th Congressional District, and records show he has taken $6,000 from Remedy PAC since 2020. Campa-Najjar disavowed Swalwell’s endorsement but did not appear to have publicly commented on the funds until Tuesday morning when a spokesperson said the campaign intends to donate the funds to a charitable cause.

Swalwell announced Monday he will officially resign from office after his sexual misconduct allegations triggered a surge of lawmakers calling for his expulsion over the weekend. 

The California lawmaker said he is still firmly denying the serious allegations against him as “false,” but added that his resignation reflects him taking “responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Swalwell amid “allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”