Swalwell departure helps Democrats narrow field in California race

April 15, 2026 10:06 AM UTC / Reuters

By Daniel Trotta

节点运行失败

California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco, California, U.S., February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo

• Summary

• Tom Steyer and Katie Porter may benefit most
• Consolidation could decrease Republicans’ best chance
• Remaining field to pursue available labor support, donor money

April 15 (Reuters) – The departure of California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell helps Democrats narrow the field in a June primary election, which could hurt Republicans who had been leading the race to succeed Gavin Newsom.

Swalwell, 45, left the race and the U.S. Congress after reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN that a former staffer accused Swalwell of sexual assault and three other women came forward with allegations of sexual impropriety. A fifth woman later accused him of sexual assault. Swalwell has denied the allegations.

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In a field of 61 candidates, including 24 Democrats and 12 Republicans, Swalwell led or was near the top among the Democrats ahead of the June 2 primary and was among the five candidates to meet the polling threshold to qualify for the first televised debate scheduled next Wednesday.

In California’s “jungle primary,” the top two vote-getters advance to the runoff in November, even if they are from the same party. In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1, polls have shown two Republican candidates leading the pack overall – former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The long list of marquee name Democrats has fragmented support.

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“This horrible scandal may have the effect of solving the problems that the Democratic Party leaders couldn’t solve for themselves by narrowing the field, concentrating support on just a few candidates and thus increasing the chances that one Democrat makes it through to November,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California San Diego.

Analysts say the two Democrats best-placed to pick up Swalwell voters may be fellow front-runners Tom Steyer and Katie Porter.

Steyer is a hedge fund billionaire who has spent $100 million of his own money running for governor.

Porter, a former U.S. representative, gained a national following with her questioning of witnesses in congressional hearings. She would pull out a white board in front of wealthy executives to illustrate the affordability difficulties for average Americans.

ALL PREVIOUS CALIFORNIA GOVERNORS HAVE BEEN WHITE MEN

Nearly a decade after the “Me Too” movement rose to prominence and with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal still making headlines, five political analysts told Reuters it was a plausible but untested hypothesis that Porter, as a woman, might stand to gain by Swalwell’s fall.

But they also said Swalwell’s departure could help raise the profile of minority candidates such as Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and cabinet secretary; former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; and former State Controller Betty Yee.

A debate previously scheduled for March 25 was canceled because it triggered an uproar over race representation as the six candidates to qualify – Hilton, Bianco, Steyer, Porter, Swalwell and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan – were all white. Organizers have to yet to say if Swalwell will be replaced on the debate stage next week.

In a liberal state where 30% of eligible voters are Latino, California has only elected white men as governor.

“On the Democratic side, it is really causing voters to take a harder look and engage now and really be thoughtful about this process, which hopefully is going to lead to greater participation and more voter turnout,” said Christy Smith, who trains women to run for office as executive director of the nonprofit Emerge California.

Smith said many voters felt betrayed by an electoral process that fails to properly vet candidates’ character.

“We still do not have a system that supports survivors, and what’s happening with the women who are victims of Epstein and others is just the perfect example,” Smith said.

The remaining field will be pursuing Swalwell’s financial backers and the endorsement of two of the most powerful labor organizations in California – the Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association – both of which supported Swalwell and have yet to endorse anyone else.

Newsom, term-limited from the governor’s race, is widely seen as pursuing a 2028 bid for president.

Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Donna Bryson and Raju Gopalakrishnan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

伊朗将使用替代港口绕开美国对霍尔木兹海峡的封锁

2026年4月15日 16:20 / 联合早报

美国中央司令部星期二（4月14日）发布消息说，美军对伊朗港口的封锁已全面实施。 （路透社）

伊朗将使用南部港口以外的港口作为供应必需品的“战略替代港口”，以绕过美国对霍尔木兹海峡的封锁。

新华社引述伊朗迈赫尔通讯社报道，根据伊朗财长的指示，伊朗各地的自由贸易区在进口必需品方面发挥了新的作用，这可能成为维持贸易和突破“敌方海上封锁”的新途径。

伊朗运输和物流联合会顾问迈赫尔杰尔迪则称，伊朗北方港口运力可以满足国家需求。目前伊朗南部港口仍处于活跃状态，装卸作业仍在继续，尽管部分运力可能有所下降，但不会对货物供应造成干扰。

美国中央司令部星期二（4月14日）发布消息说，美军对伊朗港口的封锁已全面生效。“伊朗经济约90%依赖海上国际贸易。封锁实施不到36小时，美军已完全切断伊朗海上进出口贸易。”

据日前报道，美国和伊朗上周末在伊斯兰堡进行的谈判无果而终。随后，美国中央司令部在社媒宣布，将于星期一（13日）开始封锁伊朗海湾港口。

美军也说，它在霍尔木兹海峡的封锁范围将向东延伸至阿曼湾和阿拉伯海，不过包括粮食、医药品和其他基本必需品的人道援助物资的运输在接受检查后将获放行。

伊朗将使用替代港口绕开美国对霍尔木兹海峡的封锁

2026年4月15日 / 联合早报

美国中央司令部星期二（4月14日）发布消息说，美军对伊朗港口的封锁已全面实施。 （路透社）

伊朗将使用南部港口以外的港口作为供应必需品的“战略替代港口”，以绕过美国对霍尔木兹海峡的封锁。

新华社引述伊朗迈赫尔通讯社报道，根据伊朗财长的指示，伊朗各地的自由贸易区在进口必需品方面发挥了新的作用，这可能成为维持贸易和突破“敌方海上封锁”的新途径。

伊朗运输和物流联合会顾问迈赫尔杰尔迪则称，伊朗北方港口运力可以满足国家需求。目前伊朗南部港口仍处于活跃状态，装卸作业仍在继续，尽管部分运力可能有所下降，但不会对货物供应造成干扰。

美国中央司令部星期二（4月14日）发布消息说，美军对伊朗港口的封锁已全面生效。“伊朗经济约90%依赖海上国际贸易。封锁实施不到36小时，美军已完全切断伊朗海上进出口贸易。”

据日前报道，美国和伊朗上周末在伊斯兰堡进行的谈判无果而终。随后，美国中央司令部在社媒宣布，将于星期一（13日）开始封锁伊朗海湾港口。

美军也说，它在霍尔木兹海峡的封锁范围将向东延伸至阿曼湾和阿拉伯海，不过包括粮食、医药品和其他基本必需品的人道援助物资的运输在接受检查后将获放行。

受野火热浪等自然威胁 希腊更重视保护古迹

2026年4月15日 16:38 / 联合早报

希腊已经缩短了深受欢迎的考古遗址雅典卫城（Acropolis）的参观时间，以保护游客在一天中最热的时段免受热浪侵袭。 （路透社）

（雅典法新电）面对日益严重的野火、肆虐的热浪和不断上涨水位等自然威胁，希腊更加重视对考古古迹的保护。经过顶尖科研机构三年的研究，希腊文化部已确定了19处最需要保护以抵御自然威胁的古迹，并计划在2030年前将保护网扩大到40处古迹。

这些散布在全国各地的古迹多位于乡村地区，希腊官员认为，需要有更好的规划，以便在出现紧急情况时，能将大批游客安全疏散。

受审查的古迹包括受林火威胁的古奥林匹亚遗址（Olympia）、受滑坡和岩石崩落威胁的德尔斐考古遗址（Delphi）、易发洪水的迪奥古城（Dion）。

2007年，奥林匹亚市发生野火，火势蔓延至古奥林匹亚遗址周边的林地，其所处的伊利斯区逾40人丧命。伊利斯区首席林务官指出，近年来该区曾于2021年、2022年和2024年发生大火，而今年雨量充沛导致城市和农业地区植被增多，必须在野火季节到来之前清理干净。

希腊已经缩短了深受欢迎的考古遗址雅典卫城（Acropolis）的参观时间，以保护游客在一天中最热的时段免受热浪侵袭。但极端天气事件日益频繁，需要采取更广泛的措施。

希腊在德尔斐考古遗址（Delphi）山崖铺设了金属丝网以防山石滑落伤人，附近农村也开通了一条道路，在发生紧急情况时可供小型车辆通行。（法新社）

文化部说，今年内将在21处古迹安置新的火灾传感器，逾60各考古遗址将制定消防安全计划。在德尔斐考古遗址，山崖铺设了金属丝网以防山石滑落伤人，附近农村也开通了一条道路，在发生紧急情况时可供小型车辆通行。

希腊文化部长门佐尼指出，希腊的户外古迹长期暴露于气温波动、湿度增加、暴雨和强风的影响之下，而气候变化往往会加剧这些已存在的风险，包括增加其发生频率和严重程度。

希腊已经缩短了深受欢迎的考古遗址雅典卫城（Acropolis）的参观时间，以保护游客在一天中最热的时段免受热浪侵袭。 （路透社）

（雅典法新电）面对日益严重的野火、肆虐的热浪和不断上涨水位等自然威胁，希腊更加重视对考古古迹的保护。经过顶尖科研机构三年的研究，希腊文化部已确定了19处最需要保护以抵御自然威胁的古迹，并计划在2030年前将保护网扩大到40处古迹。

这些散布在全国各地的古迹多位于乡村地区，希腊官员认为，需要有更好的规划，以便在出现紧急情况时，能将大批游客安全疏散。

受审查的古迹包括受林火威胁的古奥林匹亚遗址（Olympia）、受滑坡和岩石崩落威胁的德尔斐考古遗址（Delphi）、易发洪水的迪奥古城（Dion）。

2007年，奥林匹亚市发生野火，火势蔓延至古奥林匹亚遗址周边的林地，其所处的伊利斯区逾40人丧命。伊利斯区首席林务官指出，近年来该区曾于2021年、2022年和2024年发生大火，而今年雨量充沛导致城市和农业地区植被增多，必须在野火季节到来之前清理干净。

希腊已经缩短了深受欢迎的考古遗址雅典卫城（Acropolis）的参观时间，以保护游客在一天中最热的时段免受热浪侵袭。但极端天气事件日益频繁，需要采取更广泛的措施。

希腊在德尔斐考古遗址（Delphi）山崖铺设了金属丝网以防山石滑落伤人，附近农村也开通了一条道路，在发生紧急情况时可供小型车辆通行。（法新社）

文化部说，今年内将在21处古迹安置新的火灾传感器，逾60各考古遗址将制定消防安全计划。在德尔斐考古遗址，山崖铺设了金属丝网以防山石滑落伤人，附近农村也开通了一条道路，在发生紧急情况时可供小型车辆通行。

希腊文化部长门佐尼指出，希腊的户外古迹长期暴露于气温波动、湿度增加、暴雨和强风的影响之下，而气候变化往往会加剧这些已存在的风险，包括增加其发生频率和严重程度。

日本拟放宽武器出口 吸引多国探讨军购与研发合作

2026年4月15日 17:24 / 联合早报

日本国防部3月中在九州熊本市的军营推介由三菱重工研制的12型地对舰诱导弹系统。 （法新社）

（东京路透电）由于美国总统特朗普对盟友的安全承诺摇摆不定，加上中东战争导致华盛顿的武器供应自顾不暇，日本政府即将放宽军备出口限制，据知已吸引了美国盟友如菲律宾和波兰的注意力，积极与日本国防工业探讨购买或合作研制武器，降低对美国的依赖。

日本执政的自民党本周批准修改“防卫装备转移三原则”，路透社星期三（4月15日）引述日本官员报道，高市早苗政府最快会在本月内正式推动国会修法，取消以往军备出口只限于救援、运输、警戒、监视和扫雷五大类的规定，允许外销杀伤性武器，从而扩大本身的国防工业基础。

日本官员透露，高市政府首先可能批准的军备交易将是出售二手护卫舰给在南中国海与中国陷入长期纷争的菲律宾，过后再售卖导弹防空系统。

波兰驻日本副大使博古斯泽维斯基（Mariusz Boguszewski）受访时说，华沙与东京可在反无人机和电子作战系统方面合作，互补各自的军备缺口。

欧洲最大军火制造商之一的波兰WB集团去年透露，已跟日本战机制造商新明和工业株式会社签署初步的无人机协议。博古斯泽维斯基说：“有了日本加入，我们就可突破目前存在的一些瓶颈。”

乌克兰驻日商会也透露，将配合政策改变成立新的工业小组，让两国无人机公司合作推动科技发展。

分析：日本拟打造亚洲军火供应链 扮演更吃重角色

欧洲外交官告诉路透社，特朗普的安全政策难以预测，例如威胁退出北约及入侵格陵兰岛，都让盟友更有动机降低对美国的依赖，日本放宽出口限制正好为各国带来空间，分散依赖美国的风险。

分析也称，美国军火商经常延迟交货，不断抬高要价，对科技的严控更是让盟友受挫。日本改变政策，目的也是要在亚洲构建不依赖美国的军备供应链。以它的经济体量，发展潜力完全不输目前暂得头筹的韩国。

国防工业咨询顾问Nexus Pacific创办人柯克（Andrew Koch）说：“因为二战的缘故，日本一直待在场边。但他们无可避免将回到更靠近全球政治舞台的中心位置。”

对于日本最新政策变动，白宫发言人凯利未直接回应，仅表示在特朗普和高市执政下，美日关系比以往更紧密。

中国外交部未立即回复日本可能售卖护卫舰给菲律宾的询问。外交部发言人毛宁在4月7日的例行记者会上表示，中方对日方计划于近期修改“防卫装备转移三原则”表示严重关切，坚决抵制日本“新型军国主义”妄动。

日企大肆扩充抓紧军备出口商机

日本作为二战战败国，一些大型企业虽然长期经营军火生意，但一直谨慎处理和武器沾上边，可能对其他消费品业务声誉造成的影响，例如丰田汽车子公司就在2023年婉拒出售引擎给一家拉脱维亚公司制造军车。

不过，如今风向似乎已有所转变。东芝的国防部门副总裁小林健二说：“军火对声誉的风险已不同于以往，与其继续担忧，我们专注推动业务发展的使命。”

东芝的主要国防业务为防空系统，它计划在未来三年增聘500人，并兴建新的测试和制造设施，也设立了新部门负责军备出口。三菱电机旗下的国防工业单位也已在伦敦和新加坡的办事处增加人手处理军备出口业务。

U.S. sanctions cartel-linked Mexican casinos, alleged “gatekeeper” of human smuggling routes

April 15, 2026 / 6:49 AM EDT / CBS/AP

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday issued sanctions against three individuals and two casinos for their alleged links to Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste, one of several criminal groups designated last year as terrorist organizations by the Trump administration.

Washington has intensified its crackdown on the Cartel del Noreste – heir to the former Zetas – which has been accused of trafficking weapons, drugs and people, and is characterized by its violent practices and extortion. Its base is Nuevo Laredo, the busiest commercial port on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Among the entities sanctioned is Casino Centenario, a gambling venue in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, which the U.S. claims functions as a drug storage hub and a mechanism for laundering money through gambling activities.

The Treasury also sanctioned Diamante Casino, headquartered in the northern city of Tampico – also in Tamaulipas – which operates an online betting site.

Sanctions were also leveled against high-profile enablers, including Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez – the alleged “gatekeeper” of the cartel’s human smuggling routes into Texas – and attorney Juan Pablo Penilla Rodríguez, cited for providing illicit support.

Notably, the list includes activist Jesús Reymundo Ramos, whom the Treasury Department identified as a paid operative responsible for spreading cartel disinformation under the guise of human rights advocacy.

The U.S. sanctions block assets the targeted people have in the United States and prohibit people from doing business with them in the U.S.

Ramos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. has sanctioned three individuals and two casinos over alleged links to Mexico’s Cartel del Noreste. U.S. Treasury Department

In March 2023, Ramos alleged that the Mexican army and government orchestrated accusations linking him to the cartel, which he denied. An independent investigation later confirmed that his phone had been compromised by Pegasus spyware in 2020.

According to U.S. authorities, Penilla Rodríguez assisted one of the leaders of Los Zetas – Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, alias Z-40 – who was extradited to the U.S. last year along with his brother and the organization’s ringleader, Omar Treviño Morales, and 27 other people.

Two individuals and the popular Mexican rapper Ricardo Hernández Medrano – known as El Makabelico, or Comando Exclusivo – were sanctioned in August for alleged ties to the criminal organization.

“Campaign of terror on the border”

According to the Treasury Department, Cartel del Noreste (CDN) is involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs along the border, including fentanyl, crystal meth, heroin and cocaine, and has waged a “campaign of terror on the border.”

“CDN is involved in violent criminal activity on both sides of the border, including the kidnapping and killing of individuals that threaten their criminal enterprise on the southern border,” the department says. “CDN uses its terror-fueled influence in the region to control drug trafficking and human smuggling routes, bribe politicians and journalists, and extort local businesses and shipments flowing to and from the United States at the busiest inland point of entry for trade in the United States.”

In November 2024, two high ranking cartel members were sentenced to prison in the U.S. for their roles in an extensive human smuggling conspiracy involving Cartel del Noreste.

“By degrading CDN’s revenue streams and safe havens, the United States is acting to protect lawful cross-border commerce, safeguard American border communities, stop the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs killing Americans, and strengthen our shared efforts with Mexico to degrade and dismantle narco-terrorist organizations,” State Department Thomas Pigott said in a statement Tuesday.

日本国防部3月中在九州熊本市的军营推介由三菱重工研制的12型地对舰诱导弹系统。 （法新社）

（东京路透电）由于美国总统特朗普对盟友的安全承诺摇摆不定，加上中东战争导致华盛顿的武器供应自顾不暇，日本政府即将放宽军备出口限制，据知已吸引了美国盟友如菲律宾和波兰的注意力，积极与日本国防工业探讨购买或合作研制武器，降低对美国的依赖。

日本执政的自民党本周批准修改“防卫装备转移三原则”，路透社星期三（4月15日）引述日本官员报道，高市早苗政府最快会在本月内正式推动国会修法，取消以往军备出口只限于救援、运输、警戒、监视和扫雷五大类的规定，允许外销杀伤性武器，从而扩大本身的国防工业基础。

日本官员透露，高市政府首先可能批准的军备交易将是出售二手护卫舰给在南中国海与中国陷入长期纷争的菲律宾，过后再售卖导弹防空系统。

波兰驻日本副大使博古斯泽维斯基（Mariusz Boguszewski）受访时说，华沙与东京可在反无人机和电子作战系统方面合作，互补各自的军备缺口。

欧洲最大军火制造商之一的波兰WB集团去年透露，已跟日本战机制造商新明和工业株式会社签署初步的无人机协议。博古斯泽维斯基说：“有了日本加入，我们就可突破目前存在的一些瓶颈。”

乌克兰驻日商会也透露，将配合政策改变成立新的工业小组，让两国无人机公司合作推动科技发展。

分析：日本拟打造亚洲军火供应链 扮演更吃重角色

欧洲外交官告诉路透社，特朗普的安全政策难以预测，例如威胁退出北约及入侵格陵兰岛，都让盟友更有动机降低对美国的依赖，日本放宽出口限制正好为各国带来空间，分散依赖美国的风险。

分析也称，美国军火商经常延迟交货，不断抬高要价，对科技的严控更是让盟友受挫。日本改变政策，目的也是要在亚洲构建不依赖美国的军备供应链。以它的经济体量，发展潜力完全不输目前暂得头筹的韩国。

国防工业咨询顾问Nexus Pacific创办人柯克（Andrew Koch）说：“因为二战的缘故，日本一直待在场边。但他们无可避免将回到更靠近全球政治舞台的中心位置。”

对于日本最新政策变动，白宫发言人凯利未直接回应，仅表示在特朗普和高市执政下，美日关系比以往更紧密。

中国外交部未立即回复日本可能售卖护卫舰给菲律宾的询问。外交部发言人毛宁在4月7日的例行记者会上表示，中方对日方计划于近期修改“防卫装备转移三原则”表示严重关切，坚决抵制日本“新型军国主义”妄动。

日企大肆扩充抓紧军备出口商机

日本作为二战战败国，一些大型企业虽然长期经营军火生意，但一直谨慎处理和武器沾上边，可能对其他消费品业务声誉造成的影响，例如丰田汽车子公司就在2023年婉拒出售引擎给一家拉脱维亚公司制造军车。

不过，如今风向似乎已有所转变。东芝的国防部门副总裁小林健二说：“军火对声誉的风险已不同于以往，与其继续担忧，我们专注推动业务发展的使命。”

东芝的主要国防业务为防空系统，它计划在未来三年增聘500人，并兴建新的测试和制造设施，也设立了新部门负责军备出口。三菱电机旗下的国防工业单位也已在伦敦和新加坡的办事处增加人手处理军备出口业务。

Fed’s regional banks may be key front in battle for independence

2026-04-15 10:05:02 UTC / Reuters

By Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir

April 15, 2026 10:05 AM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

节点运行失败

Renovations continue at the Federal Reserve Board building in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 14, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Supreme Court case, political disputes test Fed’s independence
• Calls for more presidential control simmer alongside Fed independence debate
• Powell may stay on as Fed governor after Warsh becomes central bank chief

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO, April 15 (Reuters) – San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly wasn’t elected by popular vote, wasn’t chosen by an elected official, didn’t compete against a publicly revealed slate of applicants and didn’t undergo any public vetting before her bank’s board of directors gave her a job that helps ​shape the U.S. economy.

Still, Daly says she regards herself and the 11 other Fed regional bank presidents as mainstays of the U.S. central bank’s democratic legitimacy.

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That standing now faces a historic test from a U.S. Supreme Court case over whether President Donald Trump can fire a Fed governor, the muddled transition between Fed Chair Jerome Powell and Trump’s pick to succeed him and reforms that may still be in the wings from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has been critical of the Fed generally and some reserve bank practices in particular.

“Look back to the original act … You create these regional Feds and you make the selection of those policymakers different than the selection of the ones in D.C.,” Daly recently told Reuters, referring to the Federal Reserve Act’s effort to balance the centralized power of the Washington-based ​and presidentially appointed Board of Governors with 12 regional leaders meant to bring local insight to policymaking.

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Five of the 12 vote on monetary policy on a rotating basis, representing important votes a Fed chief needs to sway in setting policy.

Collectively, ​they often speak of the time spent talking to local executives and workers as central to the Fed’s mission and say their distance from appointment or confirmation by elected officials frees ⁠them to be objective.

With the Senate-confirmed Fed governors signing off on reserve bank hires in the first place, “you have the checks and balances that I think are part of a democratic institution,” Daly said. “Other people can disagree, but this has stood the ​test of time.”

WIDER DEBATE OVER FED INDEPENDENCE

Whether the arrangement can withstand the political and legal pressures that have developed recently, however, is an issue related to both the battle over Trump’s attempted firing of Fed Governor Lisa Cook and to Powell’s decision over whether to ​serve out a board term that lasts until 2028. Powell could stay on the board even if the president’s nominee Kevin Warsh is confirmed by the U.S. Senate to succeed Powell as Fed chief after his term expires on May 15.

Warsh’s confirmation has been held up by at least one key Republican senator who says he won’t confirm Warsh until a Trump administration investigation of Powell is dropped, viewing the probe as part of a broader effort to whittle away the Fed’s independence.

Powell has called that probe out as well and said he would decide whether to hold onto his board seat “based on what I ​think is best for the institution and for the people we serve.” It is a rationale that could see Powell continue at a Warsh-led Fed as an ongoing vote against changes he sees as going too far.

Though hired locally through a process that traditionally ​has minimal influence from Washington, the regional Fed presidents could be fired by a majority of the board, whose members also have authority over important Fed staff, budgeting and regulatory decisions. Three of the current Fed governors were appointed by former President Joe Biden and three by Trump. Powell, meanwhile, ‌was brought to ⁠the Fed’s board by former President Barack Obama, promoted to the top position by Trump and reappointed by Biden.

Trump has shown no public interest in the makeup of the Fed’s reserve banks, and the administration has not formally proposed changes that might boost White House influence over them.

Yet debate about where they fit is enmeshed in a broader discussion about how to square the Federal Reserve Act’s intent for central bank independence over monetary policy, a broadly accepted principle, with democratic governance and the U.S. constitutional system, with lots of disagreement over whether the current arrangement is adequately accountable.

At a recent event sponsored by the Shadow Open Market Committee, an independent group of economists who are often critical of the Fed, Columbia Law School Professor Kathryn Judge said she thought challenges brought by the Trump administration, even if unsuccessful, meant a ​period of “disruption” ahead that “is likely to dramatically weaken the ground ​upon which Fed independence has stood, and that independence ⁠is going to remain fragile.”

‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’

It is not clear what’s to come.

Warsh has made a generic call for big changes at the Fed, while offering few details. Bessent has published an extensive essay criticizing what he sees as the Fed’s excessive influence in the economy, and suggested a residency requirement for the hiring of its regional bank presidents. Stephen Miran, before becoming a ​Fed governor, co-authored a research paper, opens new tab for the Manhattan Institute that argued U.S. presidents should be free to fire Fed board members and regional reserve bank leaders because the current system was “in some ​degree of tension” with the U.S. ⁠Constitution.

Miran, who was a top Trump economic adviser before being elevated to the Fed’s board, would not comment on whether he still holds that view.

The idea, however, was echoed by former Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randall Quarles, a Trump appointee who told the Shadow Open Market Committee that it would be “both wrong and unnecessary” for the Supreme Court in its pending decision on Cook to insulate Fed officials from being fired by the president.

“The right answer is to say … the president can, in fact, dismiss anyone on the Federal Reserve ⁠Board because he ​disagrees with their views on policy,” while trusting that the process of Senate confirmation for new board nominees and the role played by regional reserve bank ​leaders would still prevent monetary policy from being hijacked by immediate political demands, Quarles said.

A response came quickly.

“You’re absolutely playing with fire,” said former St. Louis Fed President James Bullard. “Do you not think that if you fire all the governors at will, they will just turn around and fire all the (Fed bank) ​presidents? … One party or another has swept into power and what do they want? They want low interest rates because they don’t want to have to pay a lot for their deficit spending.”

Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Dan Burns and Paul Simao

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被指含致癌和不孕物质 Lululemon被查引中国社媒热议

2026年4月15日 19:02 / 联合早报

Lululemon在美国受调查的消息，也在中国社交媒体上引发热议。图为星期三（4月15日）消费者走过Lululemon在北京的一家门店。 （法新社）

加拿大运动品牌露露乐蒙（Lululemon）被指可能含有导致不孕不育、癌症及其他健康问题的化学物质，在美国接受调查。消息在中国社交媒体上引发热议，凸显出该品牌中国市场面临的风险。

美国德州检察官星期一（4月13日）宣布，已向Lululemon的美国公司发布调查令，将调查其产品是否含有“永久性化学物质”全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）。这些物质可能与内分泌紊乱、不孕不育、癌症及其他健康问题有关联。调查旨在查明Lululemon是否在产品安全性、质量及对健康的影响方面误导消费者。

据21世纪经济报道，Lululemon中国星期二（4月14日）晚就这一指控回应：“始终将客人的健康与安全置于首位。Lululemon目前国内所有在售产品均不含全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS），且符合相关法律法规及国家和行业标准。”

不过，这一消息仍然在星期三（15日）登上微博热搜，许多网民认为产品价格偏高、品质把控不严还不严格，不如买国产品牌；还有网民调侃：“是贫穷保护了我”。

彭博社报道指出，即使公司最终被证明没有问题，这一事件仍显示，在中国高度敏感的消费市场，市场情绪可能迅速逆转。自冠病疫情以来，Lululemon一直是少数几个能在中国持续保持强劲增长势头的西方品牌之一，因此任何声誉受损都显得格外危险。

受后疫情时代户外运动和健身热潮推动，过去两年Lululemon线上销售额在多数月份都维持双位数增长，表现超过耐克、阿迪达斯以及本土巨头安踏。

报道称，随着北美市场增速放缓，Lululemon在截至今年2月的财年中，中国市场销售额仍录得约30%的增长。