"Live from MPR News, I'm Jial Snyder.
from Congress as he faces growing backlash over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
“His decision comes just one day after he suspended his campaign for Governor of California”
and in the face of a potential vote to expel him from the House. Here's him. Here's a later more reporting." Swallwell has been at the center of controversy since last Friday. Here at least four women spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN about experiences
ranging from unwanted sexual advances by Swallwell to allegations of rape. NPR has not independently verified the allegations, and Swallwell has forcefully denied them. He repeats that in his latest statement, but goes on to say it's "wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties."
Just one week ago, the seven-term Democrat was seen as a front-runner in the California
Governor's race. A late-more NPR news Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez is also bowing to pressure
“following sexual misconduct allegations.”
He says he will file to retire tomorrow when the House returns from its two-week Easter recess. Gonzalez has acknowledged an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. He was also facing renewed calls for expulsion. U.S. military now blockcating Iranian ports as a Trump administration seeks to force
Iran to open the straight-of-port moves and accept a deal to end the war after talks broke down over the weekend. And his lava bot here's, in Piers Tom Bowman. It's possible if fighting could start again if Iran starts hitting U.S. warships or commercial ships trying to transit through the straight-of-port moves or attacking the energy sector
of Gulf allies. The Iranians have said they have major untouched levers to pull and response to the block cable. We don't know what that means.
“At this point, it's an economic war trying to get Iran back to negotiating table.”
Iran is threatening to retaliate against Gulf ports and neighboring countries. Crude oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel as markets continue to watch what's happening in the straight-of-port moves. In Piers Camilla Dominozki reports that last week sees fire deal brought prices down, but President Trump's blockade sent them back up today.
This past weekend, 14 vessels per day passed through the straight-of-port moves, according to the trade data platform Kepler. That's down sharply from the pre-war average of 100 a day and that's before any U.S. blockade was imposed. Because ships take a long time to travel by sea, the world had a bit of a buffer insulating
reporters from shortages, but that's gone now. The last ship carrying jet fuel from the Persian Gulf to Europe arrived last week reports the commodity intelligence group Argus. There are no more on the way right now. The oil cartel OPEC remains optimistic that this supply crisis won't tank the global economy,
holding forecasts for economic growth and global oil demand unchanged. Camilla Dominozki and Pianus. And you're listening to NPR News. President Trump is refusing to apologize for Sunday night social media posed attacking Pope Leo and proposing a now-deleted AI-generated image that appears to depict him as a
Jesus-like figure, healing the sick. Trump says he thought the photo showed him as a doctor. More than a thousand Hollywood players have signed a letter protesting the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery impairs ManDelito Barko reports. The letter was signed by Hollywood directors and actors among them JJ Abramson didn't
even move, Brian Kranston, Glenn Close, and Jane Fonda. As founder of the relaunched committee for the first amendment, Fonda has posted videos
opposing the $110 million deal by media mogul David Ellison backed by his billionaire
father Larry Ellison. The idea of the whole entertainment industry being run by one company doesn't seem good. The letter argues the deal would not only consolidate the media, it would shrink competition independence and diversity of the entertainment industry. In a response, Paramount pictures reiterates its support of talent and promises to release
a minimum of 30 feature films a year with both theatrical runs. Warner Bros. shareholders will vote on the deal on April 23. Fundalite Del Barco and P yarnies former UConn star AZ Bud is on her way to Dallas. She was the number one pick and tonight's WMBA draft, the Dallas Wing selected foot at the outset of the draft in New York, fresh off winning the National Championship.
UCLA had five players drafted in the first round, breaking the record held by the 2002 UConn team. I'm Joel Snyder, the NPR News.
