作者： root

澳大利亚不介入美伊冲突 排除部署部队 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月2日 17:18

澳大利亚不介入美伊冲突 排除部署部队

澳外交部长黄英贤明确表态，澳洲并非中东问题的核心国家，不会参与针对伊朗的任何打击行动，并排除在冲突升级情况下向中东部署部队的可能性。 （路透社）

澳大利亚称，不会参与针对伊朗的任何军事行动，并排除在冲突升级情况下向中东部署部队的可能性。此前，以色列对德黑兰发动新一轮空袭，伊朗则以更多导弹袭击作为回应。

伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊于2月28日在袭击中身亡，美国方面也报告在这场战争中首次出现美军伤亡。美国总统特朗普暗示，冲突可能还将持续四周。

澳大利亚外交部长黄英贤星期一（3月2日）表明，堪培拉不会介入。

她对澳洲媒体第九频道（Channel Nine）说：“澳大利亚并非中东问题的核心国家。我们没有参与这些打击行动，也不预计未来会参与。”

黄英贤称，澳洲政府正与航空公司商讨，协助滞留在中东地区的澳大利亚人，但她承认，在中东地区大部分空域关闭的情况下，撤离计划将面临困难。

延伸阅读

伊朗报复波及周边国家 迪拜等国际机场遇袭
美伊冲突各国表态疾呼克制 全球和平再增变数

她指出，约有11万5000名澳洲人身处中东，最可行的回国方式仍是在商业航班恢复运行之后。她拒绝透露政府是否正计划安排包机撤侨。

中东是澳洲人前往亚洲和欧洲的重要航空枢纽。3月2日，当地空中交通依然受阻，阿提哈德航空（Etihad Airways）和阿联酋航空（Emirates Airline）已取消部分自澳洲出发的航班。

伊朗：美以袭击致555伊朗人死亡

2026-03-02T09:19:06.000Z / 来源：新明日报

伊朗红新月会星期一（3月2日）发布公告说，555名伊朗人在美国和以色列的袭击中遇难。

伊朗首都德黑兰时间2月28日上午，美国和以色列联手对伊朗发起大规模军事行动。伊朗随后对美国在海湾地区的军事基地和以色列发起还击，一些中东国家遭到波及。

美国总统特朗普星期一宣布，针对伊朗的军事行动可能还将持续四周左右。

Eight US Senate races to watch in the 2026 midterm elections

March 2, 2026 11:04 AM UTC / Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) – Democrats face an uphill battle to capture the U.S. Senate in the November midterm elections, as Republicans are defending just two seats seen as competitive by nonpartisan analysts and hold a 53-47 majority. Democrats are defending four competitive seats and would need to pick up another four to take the majority. Elections will be held for 35 of the chamber’s 100 seats this year.

TEXAS
—–

Texas has been a Republican stronghold for generations, but a messy primary could put a Senate seat at risk. Incumbent Senator John Cornyn, a traditional establishment conservative, is trailing populist Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in opinion polls, and the presence of a third candidate, Representative Wesley Hunt, could push Tuesday’s primary to a May 26 runoff if no candidate wins an outright majority.

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Paxton has a loyal following among conservative activists, thanks to his attacks on Texas immigration groups and what he calls illegal voting, and he appears to be the frontrunner despite a series of personal and professional scandals. He has won three statewide elections, most recently in 2022, but analysts say a primary victory could make the state more open to a Democratic upset.

The Democratic primary faces a marquee matchup between Representative Jasmine Crockett, a partisan warrior with an in-your-face style, and state Representative James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who is aiming to appeal to more moderate voters. Analysts say Crockett could appeal more to Democratic primary voters but would have a harder time winning a general election.

NORTH CAROLINA
————–

Democrats have an opportunity to pick up an open seat in North Carolina, where Republican Senator Thom Tillis is opting to retire after clashing with Trump over immigration, the Federal Reserve and fiscal matters.

The state’s moderate former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is favored to win Tuesday’s primary, while Republicans have lined up behind Michael Whatley, who previously led the party’s political arm as chairman of the Republican National Committee. Trump has endorsed him.

Analysts see the race as one of the most competitive this year.

ALASKA
——

Though this northern outpost usually elects Republicans, this year’s Senate race could be competitive as former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola seeks to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

Sullivan has held the seat since 2015 and should be favored to secure another term in a state that Trump won by 14 points in the 2024 election.

While Sullivan is a mainstream conservative Republican, Alaskans have also repeatedly shown a willingness to back more moderate candidates, such as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Peltola, another moderate, has demonstrated the ability to win a statewide race. She became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress in 2022 and narrowly lost her seat in 2024.

MAINE
—–

Five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is no stranger to a competitive election. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she oversees government spending levels, a job that has also led to clashes with the Trump administration this year.

A party moderate, she is deemed the Republicans’ best chance at holding the seat. Her challenger is likely to be either the state’s current Democratic governor, Janet Mills, or the progressive rival, Graham Platner, who will face off in a June 9 primary.

Mills, 77, is older than Collins, 72, and would be the oldest senator ever elected to a first term. The Democratic base cheered Mills when she stood up to Trump in defense of transgender rights. Platner is an oysterman and Marine Corps veteran running on a populist message, though controversies over past online comments and a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol have highlighted his political inexperience.

GEORGIA
——-

In the four competitive Senate races that Democrats need to defend, two are in states with Republican governors, underscoring the political challenge. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is running for reelection in Georgia after flipping the seat in an early 2021 runoff.

Ossoff, 38, is the youngest current senator. He has focused on issues relevant to his state, such as leading the fight against cuts to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Trump has not endorsed anyone ahead of the May 19 Republican primary, extending the three-way competition between U.S. Representatives Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and the Republican governor’s pick Derek Dooley, an attorney and former college football coach.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
————-

Democrats will need to defend an open seat here as three-term Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring. The New Hampshire race’s three main contenders are familiar to the state’s electorate, famous for civic engagement.

Both Republican candidates in the September 8 primary have already served in the Senate. John E. Sununu represented the state for one term until he lost in 2008, and Scott Brown served between 2010 and 2013, representing neighboring Massachusetts. Trump has endorsed Sununu.

On the Democratic side, Representative Chris Pappas, a four-term centrist, would be the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.

OHIO
—-

Formerly a swing state, Ohio has steadily trended to the right over the past decade, ousting long-serving Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in 2024.

Brown is running again, hoping he will fare better in a year when Trump is not on the ballot.

But he faces a tough opponent in incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted, who served as secretary of state and lieutenant governor before he was appointed to the Senate to fill Vice President JD Vance’s seat.

MICHIGAN
——–

With Senator Gary Peters retiring, both parties have a chance to win a Senate seat in this midwestern battleground state.

Multiple Democrats, spanning the party’s ideological spectrum, are running in the August 4 primary. Four-term Representative Haley Stevens is courting her party’s leadership, as Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive activist, try to show they can break the establishment mold.

Trump endorsed former longtime U.S. Representative Mike Rogers for his second Senate campaign. The Republican served in the Army, worked in the FBI and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2024.

Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Bo Erickson; Editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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美以空袭伊朗 东京股市重挫

发布/2026年3月2日 17:57

受美以空袭伊朗事件影响，日本东京股市两大股指星期一（3月2日）显著下跌，日经股指一度跌超1500点，市场普遍担忧国际油价飙升将拖累全球经济增长。 （彭博社）

日本东京股市两大股指星期一（3月2日）显著下跌。日经225种股票平均价格指数收盘下跌1.35%，东京证券交易所股票价格指数下跌1.02%。

新华社报道，受上周最后一个交易日纽约股市三大股指下跌及美以军事打击伊朗影响，东京股市两大股指2日低开。上午交易时段，日经股指一度跌超1500点。随后跌幅有所收窄，大盘呈现涨跌互现的拉锯态势。一些市场分析人士认为，由于市场担忧国际油价飙升拖累世界经济增长，投资者普遍持观望态度。

至收盘时，日经股指下跌793.03点，收于58057.24点；东证股指下跌40.26点，收于3898.42点。

从板块看，东京证券交易所33个行业板块多数下跌，航空运输业、证券及商品期货交易业、银行业等板块跌幅靠前；矿业、有色金属、海洋运输业等板块上涨。

伊媒：伊朗导弹袭击以色列总理办公室

发布时间：2026年3月2日 18:30
来源：联合早报

据伊朗迈赫尔通讯社星期一（3月2日）报道，伊朗武装部队使用“霍拉姆沙赫尔-4”导弹袭击了以色列总理的办公室和以色列空军司令部，“造成严重破坏”。

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Trump presses ahead with Iran war despite warnings of political risk for midterms

2026-03-02 / Reuters

By Nandita Bose, Gram Slattery and Bo Erickson

March 2, 2026 11:05 AM UTC Updated 9 mins ago

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U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., March 1, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• White House sources said there was extensive debate about how the Iran operation could impact Republicans’ midterm hopes
• Advisers want Trump focus on domestic affairs, not foreign policy
• Anticipated messaging pivot to focus on healthcare, affordability before midterms delayed once again
• Long-term political impact of attack will depend on how conflict plays out in coming weeks

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump pressed ahead with military strikes against Iran despite private warnings from senior aides that the escalation could be difficult to contain and carry political risks for Republicans in November’s midterm elections, according to two senior White House officials and a Republican close to the administration.

The large-scale attack has drawn near-unanimous praise from foreign policy hawks in Washington, who have long dreamed of toppling the authoritarian regime in Tehran. But some White House officials worry the foreign policy gamble may derail Republican chances of holding onto control of Congress at a time when war-wary voters are more concerned with the cost of living than conflicts abroad.

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Before the strikes, Trump repeatedly sought briefings on how the military action could allow him to project strength domestically, the senior White House officials said. Top aides cautioned that U.S. intelligence did not provide a clear guarantee that escalation could be avoided once strikes began and that the administration risked tying its political fortunes to an unpredictable aftermath.

Trump ultimately sided with those who believed decisive action would show him as a strong leader, even if it carried long-term risks, the officials said.

None of those officials expect immediate political fallout. Instead, they expect what one described as a “slow‑burn effect,” driven by the duration of the conflict, scope of retaliation, number of American casualties and impact on gas prices.

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A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday showed only one in four Americans approved of the U.S. strikes that killed Iran’s leader. About half of the respondents — including one in four Republicans — said they believe Trump is too willing to use military force. The poll closed before the U.S. military announced the first American casualties in the operation.

“The President’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury is one that presidents of both parties have contemplated for more than fifty years, but none had the courage to execute,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “Right now, the White House’s main priority is working alongside the Pentagon and the interagencies to ensure the continued and ultimate success of the operation.”

FOCUS ON ECONOMY AGAIN DEFIED

With public sentiment in mind ahead of the midterms, White House officials and Trump advisers had been urging the president to focus on the topics that are top of mind for Americans, like healthcare and affordability, as he did in the State of the Union address four days before the attack.

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The weekend strikes underscored how quickly that strategy has failed, at least for now. The president said in Sunday interviews the Iran operations are expected to be a four- to five-week process, and he continued to brace the country for more American deaths after the U.S. military announced three service members had been killed.

“The juxtaposition between a successful State of the Union address that focused on affordability and the economic issues that voters care about and going to war in the Middle East days later is not just whiplash-inducing, it’s head-spinning,” said Rob Godfrey, a Republican strategist.

“Making midterm voters comfortable with that juxtaposition will be one of the most important things that the White House needs to undertake in the next few weeks.”

One informal Trump adviser, who has been to the White House in recent days, argued that the main electoral danger lies not with middle-of-the-road or independent voters, but with members of Trump’s MAGA movement, for whom non-interventionism was a key part of the president’s pitch during the 2024 campaign.

Many of those voters could simply stay home during the midterms, during which voter turnout already tends to be low, the adviser said.

With 58% of Americans disapproving of Trump’s performance in office, according to a February Reuters/Ipsos poll, Republicans will need heavy turnout among core supporters to fend off Democratic gains that could flip control of the U.S. House of Representatives and maybe even endanger the Republican stronghold in the Senate.

COMPETITIVE HOUSE RACES MORE VULNERABLE

---

White House aides are modeling how a prolonged military engagement in Iran, casualties and higher fuel costs could erode public support in competitive congressional districts, the White House officials said.

The White House believes competitive races in the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority, are far more at risk from fallout from Iran than the Senate map, the sources said.

The White House political models show dozens of swing districts where even modest voter skepticism could prove decisive, or at least force vulnerable Republican representatives – such as Colorado’s Gabe Evans, Wisconsin’s Derrick Van Orden and Pennsylvania’s Rob Bresnahan – to vote on thorny war-powers resolutions and answer questions about a widening conflict abroad when they want to be focused on domestic issues like the cost of living.

A senior Republican operative working to hold onto the party’s congressional majorities said foreign intervention carries more political risk than upside for Trump. Foreign policy victories oftentimes do not register with voters, though foreign policy quagmires typically do.

“Unless this operation goes bad, voters, especially for the midterms, don’t care about foreign policy,” the operative said.

Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a raid last month prompted little political blowback and resulted in no American deaths. However, since that operation in early January, Trump’s approval rating dropped from 42% to 39%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Analysts said a short-lived war that results in Iran giving up its nuclear program and installing new leaders would be received more positively than a protracted conflagration in which many Americans die.

Interviews with Trump supporters show that – even as a sizeable minority are wary of his growing penchant for foreign intervention – many are willing to go along with his transformation from self-declared “peacemaker” to aggressive military tactician.

“This totally blindsided me, I didn’t even know this was even being thought about,” said BJ Moore, an 83-year-old Trump voter from Atlanta, Georgia, about the Iran operation. “No one wants to be involved in a war, but Iran just killed thousands of their own people, so I’m fine with what Trump did.”

Reporting by Gram Slattery in Murren, Switzerland, Bo Erickson in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Stephen Coates

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Photos showing last moments of men executed by Nazis acquired by Greece after appearing on eBay

March 2, 2026 / 6:12 AM EST / CBS/AFP

Greece has acquired a trove of World War II photographs showing the last moments of 200 men executed by German soldiers following the assassination of a Nazi general, the culture minister said Saturday.

The collection includes 262 photographs, 16 documents and four contemporary banknotes. The photographs are believed to have been taken by a German soldier who had also served in Belgium and France.

“The transfer of ownership of the photographic collection… has been completed,” Lina Mendoni said in a statement.

The ministry had previously said they showed “the last moments” of 200 communists executed at an Athens shooting range on May 1, 1944.

Twelve of the photographs had appeared on the eBay site Crain’s Militaria earlier this month before being taken down.

They had provoked strong emotions in Greece, especially among relatives of the victims.

Greece acquired a trove of World War II photographs showing the last moments of 200 men executed by German soldiers. Greece Culture Ministry

Ministry officials then traveled to Belgium to meet the collector who put them for sale and verify their authenticity.

Some of the images had received bids worth more than $2,000 before Belgian collector Tim de Craen took them down, France 24 reported.

“I fully understand that these photographs are of a particularly sensitive historical nature,” he told Greek newspaper I Kathimerini.

The executions followed the killing of a German general and his staff by communist guerrillas a few days earlier.

Greece was under Nazi occupation from 1941 until 1944.

Most of the executed men had been arrested years earlier during anti-communist raids by the police of Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas.

Until now, the only testimony of the 200 victims’ final moments were from handwritten notes they threw out of the trucks taking them to the execution site.

One of the pictures shows the men marching through a field. Others show them standing against a wall at the shooting range.

Greece acquired a trove of World War II photographs showing the last moments of 200 men executed by German soldiers. Greece Culture Ministry

The most dramatic photograph shows several of them looking defiantly into the camera. Two of them appear to be singing.

“The photographs shocked me,” Polymeris Voglis, a university professor in social history in Greece, told France 24. “Although the execution of 200 resistance fighters is a well-known historical event, until now there has been no photographic evidence of it.”

“Some of the photographs show the faces of the men, reflecting their determination as they walk proudly towards the firing squad,” Voglis told the outlet.

Ten US House races to watch in 2026

By Andy Sullivan
March 2, 2026 11:06 AM UTC Updated 19 mins ago

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A view of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 29, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will defend a narrow majority in the November midterm elections, while Democrats hope to pick up enough seats to win control of the chamber, which would give them the power to investigate President Donald Trump’s administration.

Voters will select candidates in party primary elections over the next several months. Some of these races could provide clues about the direction of each party and the competitiveness of the overall election.

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Here are some races to watch in the coming months:

TEXAS 23RD DISTRICT: A SCANDAL-TARRED INCUMBENT VS. A RIGHT-WING INFLUENCER (MARCH 3)

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales is battling a late-breaking scandal as he tries to hold off a challenge from right-wing YouTube personality Brandon Herrera.

Local media have published text messages indicating Gonzales had an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year. Gonzales faces an ethics investigation in Congress and several of his colleagues have called on him to resign. He has denied wrongdoing, but the allegations will not help his primary battle with Herrera, who came within 350 votes of unseating him in the 2024 primary.

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Herrera, a gun company owner who calls himself “the AK Guy,” has joked about veteran suicide and the Holocaust on his YouTube channel. The sprawling district, which stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, is solidly Republican, but analysts say it could potentially become competitive in November.

TEXAS 2ND DISTRICT: THE RIGHT TARGETS A VETERAN (MARCH 3)

Republican Representative Dan Crenshaw, a combat veteran who lost an eye in Afghanistan, has a solidly conservative track record but has been targeted by right-wing media for his support of Ukraine and his vote to certify Trump’s 2020 election defeat. He is the only Republican House incumbent in Texas not to win Trump’s endorsement this time.

Crenshaw is being challenged by Steve Toth, an ordained pastor who is one of the most conservative members of the Texas Legislature. If he unseats Crenshaw, that would send a warning to other Republicans who occasionally break with Trump.

TEXAS 21ST DISTRICT: TEIXEIRA AT THE PLATE (MARCH 3)

Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira is the front-runner in a crowded field to fill an empty seat representing the Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. Teixeira won a World Series ring with the New York Yankees but has never held elected office. He is backed by Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and several senior House Republicans. But with more than 10 candidates vying for the Republican nomination, Teixeira may not clear 50%, setting up a May 26 runoff.

TEXAS 15TH DISTRICT: THE SINGER VERSUS THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR (MARCH 3)

Democrats are excited about the candidacy of Bobby Pulido, a Tejano music star hoping to oust incumbent Republican Representative Monica De La Cruz. But he faces a tough challenge from fellow Democrat Ada Cuellar, an emergency-room doctor who is arguing that Pulido does not support abortion rights strongly enough. Pulido says he is personally opposed to abortion but thinks it should be legal.

TEXAS 18TH DISTRICT: AL GREEN’S SWAN SONG? (MARCH 3)

Democratic Representative Al Green has served in Congress since 2005, but he’s perhaps best known for literally standing up to Trump – most recently during last week’s State of the Union speech, when he was escorted out of the chamber for holding a sign that said “Black people aren’t apes” in a protest of a racist video Trump’s White House had posted.

Green’s career might soon come to an end, as Democratic voters have pressured aging leaders to step aside after former President Joe Biden’s ill-fated 2024 reelection bid.

After a Republican-led redistricting, Green now must win a primary against fellow Democratic Representative Christian Menefee in the same downtown Houston district. Polls show Menefee, 37, leading by a wide margin.

NORTH CAROLINA 1ST DISTRICT: REPUBLICANS VIE FOR A COMPETITIVE SEAT (MARCH 3)

Republicans in North Carolina redrew their districts last year to make it easier to defeat Democratic Representative Don Davis, who represents the only competitive House district in the swing state.

Retired Army Colonel Laurie Buckhout, who lost to Davis by less than 2 points in 2024, leads a field of five Republicans who are squaring off for the chance to take on Davis in the fall. A Buckhout victory would point toward a competitive general election race, while an upset by one of the lesser-known candidates could help Davis hang on.

NORTH CAROLINA 4TH DISTRICT: A DEMOCRATIC REMATCH (MARCH 3)

A rematch in North Carolina’s Research Triangle could provide a clue about whether the Democratic Party is shifting left. Incumbent Representative Valerie Foushee faces a challenge from Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, the first Muslim elected official in the state, who is backed by progressive groups like Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party. Those groups are also mounting challenges to other sitting Democrats who they say are not doing enough to fight Trump.

Foushee defeated Allam by 9 percentage points in 2022.

GEORGIA 14TH DISTRICT: FILLING MTG’S SHOES (MARCH 10)

The race to fill the seat vacated by former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has exposed divisions in Trump’s base. Some 15 candidates are running for the seat in this deeply conservative northern corner of Georgia, and Trump’s endorsement of former district attorney Clay Fuller has failed to clear the field. Fuller has vowed to move past Greene’s combative style and focus on economic development, but other candidates like former state Senator Colton Moore have portrayed themselves as more loyal supporters of the president.

ILLINOIS 9TH DISTRICT: A CROWDED FIELD FOR DEMOCRATS (MARCH 17)

Sixteen Democrats are running to fill an empty seat in a district that includes the northern reaches of Chicago and several nearby suburbs. Leading candidates include Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive Palestinian-American social media influencer who faces criminal charges stemming from an immigration protest in October; Evanston Mayor Dan Biss, who is endorsed by the retiring incumbent Jan Schakowsky; and state Senator Laura Fine.

KENTUCKY 4TH DISTRICT: TRUMP TRIES TO OUST A REPUBLICAN DISSIDENT (MAY 19)

Trump hopes to oust one of his most prominent Republican critics in Congress, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who voted against Trump’s signature tax and spending bill last year and led the drive to release millions of government files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump encouraged retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein to run for the seat last year and endorsed him even before he entered the race. Massie, an MIT-trained libertarian, has represented the northern Kentucky district since 2012 and has won every primary by lopsided margins since then.

Reporting by Andy Sullivan; editing by Scott Malone

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Former President Bill Clinton deposed in Epstein probe in potential first for Congress

March 1, 2026 11:47pm EST | Updated March 2, 2026 5:38am EST | Fox News

Former President Bill Clinton testified under subpoena before the House Oversight Committee as part of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation

Most congressional precedents emanate from Capitol Hill.

Most presidential precedents emerge from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

But a precedent which may echo around the halls of Congress and the White House for years materialized in recent days in the snow-covered, wooded village of Chappaqua, New York.

That’s where former President Bill Clinton testified under subpoena to the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Lawmakers said the panel’s ability to compel testimony from a former president could establish a new precedent going forward — including in matters involving President Trump and the Epstein files.

According to congressional historians, never before has a congressional committee deposed a former president. It was rare enough to have former first lady and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testify the day before. Republicans noted that former President Clinton had previously acknowledged knowing Epstein and traveling on trips that included him.

“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices,” said Hillary Clinton after nearly six hours of closed-door testimony before the panel.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Hillary Clinton declared “‘You’ll have to ask my husband,’” more than “a dozen” times during her deposition ahead of Bill Clinton’s the following day.

There are no accusations of wrongdoing against either of the Clintons in connection with Epstein. But the former president’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein have spurred questions from lawmakers.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: BONDI’S BINDER STRATEGY TURNS HOUSE HEARING INTO POLITICAL FIRESTORM

“It’s very difficult to get people in for these depositions of great power and great wealth,” said Comer. “It took seven months, seven months to get the Clintons in here. But we’ve got them in here.”

“Here” was Chappaqua, about an hour north of New York City. The Clintons have resided in Chappaqua since President Clinton left office in 2001 and when Hillary Clinton ran for Senate from New York in 2000. Hillary Clinton served as a senator from New York from 2001 until 2009, when she became President Obama’s first secretary of state.

More specifically, the “here” for the Clintons’ testimony was not a bland office in the Rayburn House Office Building. House members questioned the Clintons at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, known locally as “ChappPAC,” a white structure with simple arcades and Greek columns atop a hillside above the Saw Mill River.

The Epstein inquiry is serious, and the unusual venue underscored the extraordinary nature of the proceeding.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., appeared to snap a photo of Hillary Clinton during the deposition, then shared it with conservative media outlets.

“I admire (Hillary Clinton’s) blue suit. So I wanted to capture that for everyone,” said Boebert outside the venue.

“Why did you send the picture?” asked a reporter.

“Why not?” retorted Boebert.

“We are sitting through an incredibly unserious, clown show of a deposition, where Members of Congress and the Republican Party are more concerned about getting their photo op of Secretary Clinton than actually getting to the truth and actually holding anyone accountable,” charged Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz.

BILL CLINTON SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WOMAN IN INFAMOUS JACUZZI PHOTO DURING CLOSED-DOOR EPSTEIN TESTIMONY

After concluding her testimony, Hillary Clinton told reporters she found the “end” of the deposition to be “quite unusual because I started being asked about UFOs and a series of questions about Pizzagate, one of the most vile, bogus conspiracy theories that was propagated on the internet.”

That is a reference to a conspiracy theory that emerged during the 2016 presidential campaign between Hillary Clinton and President Trump. Proponents falsely claimed Democrats operated a child sex trafficking ring out of the Comet Ping Pong pizza shop in Washington. A North Carolina man later drove to Washington, D.C., and fired shots inside the restaurant, telling authorities he was there to rescue children.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-N.C., asserted that Hillary Clinton was “screaming” at lawmakers during the deposition.

“She was unhinged,” said Mace. “And I hope that President Clinton is less unhinged today than his wife was yesterday.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., emerged from the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center about 90 minutes into former President Clinton’s deposition to speculate about what may have been behind Epstein and his sex trafficking operation. Luna noted she was speaking only for herself and not other members of the committee.

“It has become very evident even in the last 24 hours in lines of questioning that Jeffrey Epstein was running an intelligence gathering operation,” said Luna. “I do believe it was a honey pot operation.”

Luna added that it was possible a U.S. intelligence ally was involved, though she provided no evidence for the claim.

One of the five agreed-upon areas of questioning for the Clintons was how Epstein used his connections with powerful figures to hide his crimes. That is why individuals such as former President Clinton and President Trump have surfaced in previously released Epstein-related documents.

The presidency is a unique office, and even President Trump expressed some sympathy for Bill Clinton’s appearance before the Oversight Committee.

“I don’t like seeing him deposed. But they certainly went after me a lot more than that,” said the president.

When pressed on Friday, President Trump said he was unfamiliar with the Epstein files.

“I don’t know anything about the Epstein files. I’ve been totally exonerated,” said President Trump.

Oversight Committee Republicans were asked whether they agreed with that claim.

“From all the evidence I’ve seen he’s been exonerated for a long time,” replied Comer.

“The Epstein victims have exonerated President Trump. This is a trope that you guys are — a rabbit hole you guys are going down. But he’s been exonerated over and over again by Epstein victims,” said Mace.

But Democrats questioned why the committee sought testimony from former President Clinton and not President Trump.

“There is a lot of email correspondence that included President Clinton,” said Comer.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, argued the move set a broader standard.

“There’s a precedent now,” said Garcia. “We now want President Trump to come in and to testify under oath in front of the Oversight Committee. We want the first lady, who we know had a relationship as well with Jeffrey Epstein, to come under oath and testify to the Oversight Committee. That is the new precedent that Republicans wanted to set here.”

Garcia added that President Trump “has not been exonerated, and we have serious questions for President Trump.”

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., argued that the committee spoke “to the wrong president.”

It is unclear whether the panel will seek testimony from President Trump. Democrats have indicated they would consider doing so if they gain control of the House in the fall midterm elections.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Separation of powers is a key component of America’s constitutional system. Only a handful of presidents have ever testified before Congress — and none had previously been deposed as a former president.

The nation’s history includes small communities that have taken on outsized political significance. Lawmakers and legal observers say Chappaqua could now join that list if presidential testimony before Congress becomes more common.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6390118130112

FBI调查得州大规模枪击案是否与伊朗冲突有关

发布/2026年3月2日 18:46

3月1日，美国得州奥斯汀市中心布福德酒吧外发生枪击案，联邦调查局和当地执法人员正在展开调查。 （法新社）

（奥斯汀综合电）美国一个监控极端组织活动的情报组织说，星期天（3月1日）凌晨在得克萨斯州首府奥斯汀枪杀两人的嫌凶，曾在社交媒体表达“亲伊朗政权情绪”。

情报组织赛德情报集团（SITE）说，嫌凶是塞内加尔裔美国公民。早在2017年，他就曾在脸书表达对以色列和美国领导人的仇恨，并发布一张他手持疑似突击步枪的照片。

警方说，枪击事件星期天凌晨约2时在奥斯汀知名夜生活区域的西第六街，52岁的枪手驾着车子从车窗向一家酒吧前的行人射击，他之后下车向众人开枪扫射，最后被赶到的警方击毙。此案也造成14人受伤。

美国联邦调查局（FBI）说，目前还不清楚枪手的袭击动机，但查案人员在嫌凶身上和车上发现一些可能与恐怖主义相关的迹象，FBI联合反恐特遣队已介入调查是否与伊朗冲突有关。

知情人士披露，警方在嫌凶的车内找到了一本《古兰经》，他在作案时穿着一件印有“真主的财产”字样的连帽衫。据悉，嫌凶有精神病史。

美国和以色列上周对伊朗发动空袭，击毙伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊后，连日来美国许多城市都处于高度警戒状态。得州州长阿博特说，他将加强能源设施、港口以及美墨边境沿线的安保措施。

他在一份声明中说：“任何企图利用当前中东冲突威胁得州民众或关键基础设施的人，请务必明白：得州将以果断而压倒性的力量予以回应，以捍卫本州安全。”