Salem News Channel

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday. Timothy Hudson was initially charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2, but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he would be prosecuted as an adult. Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

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Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said Monday he will retire from Congress amid bipartisan calls to expel him. Gonzales had already said he would not seek reelection after admitting to an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. House Republican leaders had called on the three-term Gonzales to not seek reelection.

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The Truth about Trump

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Eric Swalwell Drops Out of Race

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Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell’s abrupt exit from the race for California governor — then his announcement he would leave Congress — left his rivals scrambling to lock down his former supporters in a crowded contest with no clear leader, injecting more turmoil into the campaign to lead the nation’s most populous state. Swalwell’s decision to suspend his campaign Sunday followed allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, that were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. While pulling out of the race he remained defiant in a post on the social platform X, saying, “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.” On Monday, he posted a statement on the social platform X, saying he planned to resign from Congress but did not provide a date for his departure. He wrote it was unfair for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties. For rival candidates in a wide-open race, the key issue is where Swalwell’s supporters will go. He was among the most prominent Democrats in the contest, with mail ballots scheduled to go to voters in early May in advance of the June 2 primary election. All of the well-known candidates are expected to appear on stage together Tuesday during a forum in Sacramento. Katie Porter, one of the leading Democrats, posted a line from a San Francisco Chronicle column on X, "Democrats can pull victory from the jaws of defeat by coalescing around Porter.” Billionaire hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist Tom Steyer said he secured the support of Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat whose coastal district runs north of San Francisco, not far from Swalwell's home turf. Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, pitched a new ad promising to lower gas and grocery costs in a state known for its punishing cost of living. With seven established Democrats and two leading Republicans on a primary ballot with more than 50 candidates, the race remains fluid. While Swalwell has suspended his campaign, his name cannot be removed from the ballot.

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When Do Oil Companies Flood the Market?

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A suspect was arrested Monday after a North Carolina woman with serious burns told authorities a man had doused her with gasoline at her home and set her on fire, authorities said. The suspect was located in a wooded area behind a residence and was taken into custody without incident, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The man was served with warrants on several charges including attempted murder and first-degree arson, the statement said. Firefighters and deputies were called to a structure fire Saturday night in the town of Roseboro and found a woman with burns over about two-thirds of her body, the sheriff's office said in a previous statement. The woman said a man had forced his way into her home, and that the suspect left the scene on a bicycle, according to the sheriff's statement. The woman was taken to a trauma center for treatment. Her condition wasn’t disclosed. Roseboro is a small community about 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of the state capital of Raleigh.

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Iran Showed the World What We've Already Known

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President Donald Trump had McDonald's food delivered to the Oval Office on Monday in a bid to promote his lowering of taxes on tips, and handed the driver what appeared to be a $100 bill when asked if White House staff were good tippers. Wearing a red "DoorDash Grandma" T-shirt, Sharon Simmons - from Arkansas - knocked on the door carrying two bags of fast food as the media watched. Trump answered and then took questions from reporters on a variety of topics, flanked by Simmons, who said she has saved a substantial amount of money after taxes on tips were scrapped in January. With control of Congress up for grabs in November's midterm elections, Trump aides entered the year hoping to focus on promoting the strength of the U.S. economy. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has stymied those efforts, particularly as surging oil prices have driven fuel costs higher, offsetting the effects of cuts to taxes on tips, Social Security retirement payments, overtime pay, car loan interest and state and local tax bills that were part of last year's Republican-backed tax-cut legislation. Indeed, last month, DoorDash and other companies whose business models depend on independent delivery drivers rolled out measures to try to cope with rising gas prices. When a journalist asked Simmons if the White House were good tippers, she said: "Ummm, potentially." Trump interjected, "wait," as he stuck his hand in his pocket and handed her what appeared to be a $100 bill. "Thank you, you reminded me," he said. When asked about the tip later on Fox News, Simmons said: "He took good care of me." But she did not disclose how much she was given: "I don't talk money." Simmons also diplomatically batted away questions from Trump in front of reporters. Trump asked her: "Do you think that men should play in women's sports?" To which she replied: "I really don't have an opinion on that ... I'm here about tax on tips." He also asked if she voted for him. With a smile, Simmons said: "Ummm, maybe."

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The Future of Israel and Iran

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President Donald Trump said on Monday (April 13) that Iran wants to make a deal and that he will not come to any agreement that allows Tehran to have a nuclear weapon. "We've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal very badly. Very badly," said Trump. A reporter asked: "What was the sticking point over? You said it was over nuclear." Trump responded with: "It was over nuclear. Very similar. Yeah. Very good. I guess you're listening. It's over. The fact that they will never have a nuclear weapon. Iran. You marking it down? Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And we agreed to a lot of things, but they didn't agree to that. And I think they will agree to it. I'm almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it. If they don't agree there's no deal. There will never be a deal. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And we're going to get the dust back. We'll get it back. Either we'll get it back from them or we'll take it." When asked about the end goal of the blockade, Trump responded with: "We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world because that's what they're doing. They're really blackmailing the world. We're not going to let that happen." Trump said that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and that a "blockade" of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz had begun. He said that Iran had "called this morning" and that "they'd like to work a deal." Reuters could not immediately verify the claim.

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she’s actively considering another presidential bid. She made the comments on Friday during the National Action Network’s annual convention, where more than a half-dozen Democratic 2028 presidential prospects appeared hoping to make inroads among Black voters. Host Al Sharpton asked Harris directly if she was gong to run again for president in 2028. Harris responded, “I might. I'm thinking about it." The Democrats’ next presidential primary season won’t really begin until after November’s midterm elections, but this week’s conference is showcasing a collection of Democrats already jockeying for position in what should be a crowded competition. Harris drew a standing ovation and the largest crowd of any other 2028 prospect at this week's convention.

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The House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into whether Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, the panel announced Monday. The announcement comes one day after Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor after the emergence of allegations that he continues to deny.

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The Trump administration has agreed to keep flying a rainbow Pride flag on a federal flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument, reversing course after removing the banner in February. The government revealed the decision on Monday as it seeks to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups who had sought to block the removal. A judge must still approve the agreement. According to court papers, the Interior Department and National Park Service “have confirmed their intention to maintain a Pride flag at Stonewall.” It won’t be removed, except for “maintenance or other practical purposes.”

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Iran is Bleeding Out

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A dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barreling toward a group of remote U.S. islands. Super Typhoon Sinlaku is expected to make landfall Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said Monday. Power outages on the islands could be lengthy, forecasters warned. Guam, a U.S. territory with American military installations and about 170,000 residents, also could see damaging winds and is under a tropical storm warning. The U.S. Coast Guard issued flood and high wind warnings over the weekend. The tropical typhoon — the strongest on Earth so far this year — was producing sustained winds of 173 mph (278 kph) on Monday as it neared the islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. While it's expected to weaken slightly over the next few days, Sinlaku should cross near the islands as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon. About 50,000 people live on the three islands, with most on Saipan, known for its laid-back resorts, snorkeling, and golf as well as the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan was the site of one of World War II’s bloodiest battles in the Pacific, in which more than 50,000 Japanese and American soldiers and local civilians died. In Guam, where Typhoon Mawar knocked out power for days in 2023, U.S. military officials warned personnel to prepare for the storm and shelter in place. The military controls about one-third of the land on the island, a critical hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. President Donald Trump on Saturday approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, allowing for additional help with emergency services. A super typhoon is a name given to the strongest tropical cyclones that brew in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, where Earth’s most intense storms usually form. Monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam, super typhoons are the equivalent of category 4 or 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic, with winds of at least 150 mph (240 kph). There have been more than 300 super typhoons identified since the warning center started using that name nearly 80 year ago.

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Eric Swalwell Drops Out Of CA Governor's Race

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Trump Imposes Naval Blockade Of Iranian Ports In Strait Of Hormuz

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Mayor Mamdani: 100 Days Later

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Mark Davis fills in for Josh and breaks down the latest Iran developments following the ceasefire talks over the weekend. He also discusses Eric Swalwell suspending his run for California governor and the reaction from fellow Democrats, plus the pope’s recent comments and what the return of Artemis means for the future of space exploration.

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