Schumer spoke after top House Democrat called for immediate vote on Donald Trump’s ‘reckless war of choice’Sign up for the Breaking News US emailPete Hegseth repeated Donald Trump’s social media comments that Iran will cease uranium enrichment – a condition that Tehran has previously refused to budge on.“Any material they should not have, will be removed right now,” Hegseth said. “The president has been clear from the beginning, there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons.” Continue reading...

Senate Democrats will force war powers vote, says minority leader Chuck Schumer – US politics live
Schumer spoke after top House Democrat called for immediate vote on Donald Trump’s ‘reckless war of choice’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email Pete Hegseth repeated Donald Trump’s social media comments that Iran will cease uranium enrichment – a condition that Tehran has previously refused to budge on. “Any material they should not have, will be removed right now,” Hegseth said. “The president has been clear from the beginning, there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons.” Continue reading...
Related Stories

Middle East crisis live: strait of Hormuz appears to remain closed amid conflicting US and Iran briefings
White House denies vital waterway is closed after Iranian state media say shipping halted over Israeli attacks on Lebanon Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers Will shipping in the strait of Hormuz – and oil prices – return to normal? A genocidal threat, and then the US president, Donald Trump, blinked – without any apparently meaningful concessions from Iran. As in so much concerning the second Trump administration, the two week ceasefire “deal” that will see the strait of Hormuz reopened – if it can be described as such – is maddeningly vague and short on detail, apparently kicking the can on key issues down the road. Iran’s nuclear issue, Trump said, would be solved “perfectly.” “It was a big day for world peace”, Trump posted on Truth Social. “Iran can start reconstruction” he added. “Big money” could be made. Yada. Yada. Yada. Continue reading...

California sheriff who seized ballots ordered to halt election investigation
Attorney general says court ruling against Chad Bianco ‘reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue sheriff’ The California supreme court on Wednesday ordered a county sheriff and gubernatorial candidate who seized more than half a million 2025 election ballots to pause his investigation into election fraud allegations while the judges review the legal challenge against it. The order came after the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, last month asked the court to step in, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials. A voting rights group is also challenging the ballot seizure. Continue reading...

Pam Bondi will not appear at scheduled House hearing on Epstein files, DoJ says
Justice department says Bondi will not appear for House deposition since she was ousted as US attorney general Pam Bondi, the former US attorney general, will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition before the House oversight and government reform committee to answer questions about the justice department’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and its release of the Epstein files, the committee said. In a statement on Wednesday morning shared with the Guardian, a spokesperson for the House oversight committee said “the Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General”. Continue reading...

Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers
Inclusion of Lebanon is significant difference in interpretation of truce agreed at 11th hour on Tuesday Middle East crisis – live updates The fate of the two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict looked uncertain on Wednesday as both sides gave divergent versions of what had been agreed, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran halted the passage of oil tankers because of an alleged Israeli ceasefire breach. Iran and Pakistan, which brokered the 11th-hour truce, both asserted that the ceasefire included Lebanon. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, disagreed and Israeli forces unleashed their heaviest attack of the war so far on more than 100 targets and killing at least 254 people. Donald Trump, after initially remaining silent, said Lebanon was “a separate skirmish” and not part of the deal. Continue reading...