Swalwell accuser reveals details of sexual assault charges
Rep. Rona Drews accused Rep. Eric Swalwell of sexual misconduct days after he announced his resignation from Congress.
Sex scandal rocks Congress
Scandal gripped the Capitol after Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) were accused of multiple counts of sexual assault and misconduct, and as Rep. Swalwell and Rep. Gonzalez, who admitted to having an affair with a staffer who later committed suicide, resigned from Congress. (Mr. Swalwell, who called the accusations “completely false,” also withdrew from the California gubernatorial race.) The flurry of resignations within hours came just seven months before the high-stakes midterm elections that will decide who governs Washington. Swalwell’s decline was particularly rapid. His 16-year political career collapsed in a single weekend.
President Trump’s wish: No Powell
President Donald Trump still wants a new Federal Reserve Chairman and seems a little impatient. Jerome Powell, who has long been labeled as “Powell Too Late” for arguing that Trump is too slow to cut interest rates and revitalize the economy, has indicated he intends to remain at the Fed beyond May 15, when his term expires, unless a candidate to replace Trump has been confirmed by then. If Powell remains in office, “then we’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business. “I’ve been holding back on firing him. I wanted to fire him. But I don’t like being controversial. I want to be uncontroversial.”
Americans “celebrate” Tax Day
While restaurant chains like Krispy Kreme, Subway, Wendy’s, Potbelly and Popeyes joined in the frenzy by offering Tax Day giveaways and discounts, Tax Day came and went as millions of Americans scrambled to file their taxes by midnight April 15, filed for extensions, or waited for (or had already collected) their refunds. Many Americans realized they had more cash to spend on those treats. The IRS said taxpayers received an average refund of $3,800, an increase of more than 11% from a year ago. The largest refund was in Florida, averaging $4,433, according to a study by travel rewards research firm Upgrade Points. The lightest checks averaged $3,057 and were in Maine.
8 artists achieve rock and roll royalties
The eight new inductees will live forever in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland: Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. The Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, Mariah Carey, Melissa Ethridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, Pink, Shakira and New Edition were among the hopefuls for better luck next time, but it came as a disappointment to the more than one million people who placed the iconic R&B group at the top of their fan votes. The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 14th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on ABC and Disney+ in December.
Rory McIlroy named head of Masters class
The green jacket “still fits,” Rory McIlroy said. And that’s a good thing. Because he had just donned it for the second year in a row after making history by winning back-to-back Masters Tournaments, becoming only the fourth golfer in history to accomplish that feat. McIlroy finished at 12 under at Augusta National on April 12, holding off Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose, who held the lead until midway through the final round. This was McIlroy’s sixth major, still in his prime at age 36. “I don’t want to put a number on it,” he said. “But I don’t want to end here.” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
