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Trump’s 250-foot arch receives early design approval as public pans it

April 16, 2026 at 12:49 p.m. EDT / The Washington Post

The Commission of Fine Arts asked the architect for revisions, with one member suggesting the project could be downsized by leaving out gold-plated statues.

A model of President Donald Trump’s proposed arch to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary sits next to models of the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol at a public meeting of the Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

By Dan Diamond

A federal panel approved early designs for President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, even as members of the public urged Trump-appointed arts commissioners to block the project — and one commissioner suggested shrinking it.

Sex crimes could cost lawmakers taxpayer-funded pensions under Hawley’s new proposal

April 16, 2026 3:00pm EDT / Fox News

Current law requires pension forfeiture for fraud and treason but not for felony sexual abuse convictions

By Alex Miller Fox News

FIRST ON FOX – A Senate Republican wants to prevent lawmakers convicted of sex crimes from receiving their taxpayer-funded retirements after leaving office.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing new legislation, first obtained by Fox News Digital, to close a gap in federal law that strips pensions for some felonies, but not sexual abuse.

It comes as Congress is having another reckoning over their members’ actions after sexual misconduct and rape allegations this month against two House lawmakers resulted in their back-to-back resignations.

SENATOR GALLEGO SAYS LONGTIME FRIENDSHIP WITH SWALWELL ‘CLOUDED MY JUDGMENT’ AS RUMORS SWIRLED IN DC

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is introducing a bill to strip pensions from lawmakers convicted of felony sex crimes.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Lawmakers are required to forfeit their pensions if convicted of a spate of felonies, including fraud, treason, bribery and perjury. But there is no such law that would require a lawmaker convicted of felony sexual abuse to forfeit a pension.

Hawley’s bill, the “No Pensions for Congressional Predators Act,” seeks to fix that inconsistency.

“Right now, a member of Congress can be convicted of sexual abuse and still receive a taxpayer-funded pension. That is unacceptable,”Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. “I’m introducing legislation to end this loophole and ensure that lawmakers are never compensated with taxpayer dollars after such a breach of trust. The only thing the government should be paying for for these people is a jail cell.”

His legislation comes on the heels of bombshell allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who resigned from Congress on Tuesday. Five women, including a former member of Swalwell’s staff, have accused the ex-lawmaker of sexual misconduct and rape.

SWALWELL OUT AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS AFTER 13 YEARS IN CONGRESS

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress this week after five women came forward accusing him of sexual misconduct and rape.(ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP via Getty Images)

While no charges have been filed against him, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department opened an investigation into Swalwell following allegations from Lonna Drewes that he drugged and raped her.

And, even if convicted, Swalwell would still be eligible for his pension, given that he met the minimum five-year requirement to earn a pension after having served in the House for over a decade. He could earn $22,000 per year in taxpayer funding starting at age 62.

Former Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who resigned from Congress just moments before Swalwell after admitting to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide, is also eligible for his congressional pension. He’s similarly been accused by another former aide of sexual misconduct that he has not acknowledged.

Like Swalwell, Gonzales currently faces no charges.

PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: ‘INDEFENSIBLE’

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, also resigned from Congress ami da House Ethics investigation into an admitted affair with a former staffer, who later took her own life.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

Gonzales hit the minimum time-served threshold earlier this year and could earn over $8,000 annually when he turns 62.

Hawley’s legislation also comes as misconduct allegations have made their way to the Senate. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said on X on Wednesday that “the Senate has its own trash to take out.”

Luna told Senate Majority Leader John Thune, “You need to look into the allegations against one of your Senators, it’s very disturbing. My chief will be contacting your chief.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The South Dakota Republican confirmed that his office received the information Thursday morning.

“I don’t know what the particulars are about this,” Thune said. “All I know is that we referred it to the proper authorities, which, in this case, would be the Senate Ethics Committee.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

US Senate narrowly overturns Minnesota mining ban, sending bill to Trump

2026-04-16 16:27:33 UTC / Reuters

By Ernest Scheyder

April 16, 2026 4:27 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

Antofagasta Plc logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Senate votes 51-49 to overturn Biden-era mining ban
• Antofagasta aims to build copper, nickel and cobalt mine
• Trump supports project; expected to sign bill
• Conservationists worry mine would pollute Boundary Waters

April 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Thursday narrowly voted ​to overturn former President Joe Biden’s mining ban in northern Minnesota, agreeing with the House of Representatives and sending ​the bill to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The move reverses Biden’s 20-year block on mining across 225,504 minerals-rich acres (91,200 hectares) in the Superior National Forest and gives a major boost to Antofagasta’s Twin Metals copper, cobalt and nickel project, as well as other proposed ​mines in the region bordering Canada.

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Environmentalists have long worried that the mine could damage the water-rich region, which is ​visited by more than 200,000 hikers and canoeists each year. Miners have said they believe minerals ⁠can be extracted safely.

The Senate voted 51-49 to send the measure to Trump, who campaigned in 2024 on overturning the ​ban. The House approvedthe bill in January.

Should Trump sign the bill, a future president could not replicate Biden’s ban because of a provision ​in the 1996 Congressional Review Act. The White House was not immediately available to comment.

Reuters first reported in January that Trump officials and legislators had launched a complex plan to reverse the ban using the novel claim that Biden had not properly informed Congress, a claim that conservationists have ​rejected.

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Trump officials would still need to reissue mining leases to Chile-focused Antofagasta, which has been trying to develop the mine for decades ​on land controlled by the federal government. The mine would also need to undergo an environmental review and obtain permits.

MINERALS DEMAND CLASHES WITH ‌CONSERVATION

Thursday’s vote ⁠is almost certain to escalate tension over where and how to procure minerals crucial for the electrified economy and national defense.

Copper, nickel and cobalt are used to build electric vehicles, AI data centers, weapons and myriad other devices, yet the U.S. imports far more of these minerals than it produces.

Congressman Pete Stauber, a Republican who represents northern Minnesota and sponsored the legislation, called Thursday’s vote ​a “major victory for America” and ​said it “simply returns the decision (on ⁠whether to mine) to established permitting processes, where science, not politics, guides the outcome.”

Save the Boundary Waters, a conservation group, called the vote “a dark day for America’s most beloved wilderness area” ​and vowed to fight the project.

“Minnesotans and the American public writ large have been loud ​and clear: this ⁠iconic place needs to be protected,” said Ingrid Lyons, the group’s executive director.

Earthjustice, The Wilderness Society, the Center for Western Priorities, Friends of the Boundary Water Wilderness and other conservation groups echoed their disapproval of the Senate’s vote, which was largely along party lines.

Antofagasta’s Twin ⁠Metals subsidiary ​said the bill’s passage reflects a “critical moment for our nation’s ability to ​strengthen our mineral supply chains.”

“The Twin Metals team looks forward to a robust discussion and engagement with our communities through any future regulatory processes,” said spokeswoman ​Kathy Graul.

Antofagasta has said it likely will export the mine’s critical minerals for processing overseas.

Reporting by Ernest Scheyder, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien

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Democratic Congressman lashes out at his party over vote to restrict weapon sales to Israel

Published 1:34 PM EDT, Thu April 16, 2026 / CNN

By Dana Bash, CNN

Democratic Congressman lashes out at his party over vote to restrict weapon sales to Israel

Inside Politics

The Democratic split over whether to fund Israeli weapons is getting bigger. Yesterday 40 Senate Democrats voted to block sales of military bulldozers and some bombs to Israel. Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz joins Inside Politics to explain why he thinks his fellow Democrats are dead wrong.

7:37 • Source: CNN

Cuba will “be ready” for possible U.S. attack amid Trump threats, president says

April 16, 2026 / 3:49 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that his country will “be ready” for a possible attack from the United States as President Trump’s rhetoric against Cuba continues to escalate.

Earlier this week, Mr. Trump said his administration could focus on Cuba after the war in Iran ends.

With Cuba’s crisis deepening as a result of a U.S. energy blockade, Díaz-Canel said that he does not want U.S. military aggression to come to Cuba. He said that the country will be prepared to fight back if it happens.

“The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,” Díaz-Canel said.

He spoke as tensions remain high between the two countries, at a rally commemorating the 65th anniversary of a historic speech by the late leader, Fidel Castro during a crisis with the United States.

Threats against Cuba continue

Mr. Trump said earlier this week, “We may stop by Cuba after we finish with this,” he said. He described the island as a “failing nation” and asserted that it’s “been a terribly run country for a long time.”

The president previously has threatened to intervene in Cuba. At a news conference about the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Mr. Trump warned that Cuba should be “concerned.” His rhetoric escalated following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in U.S. strikes on Iran.

He told reporters in March at the White House that he believed he would have “the honor of taking Cuba” in some form or another.

Mr. Trump has also threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.

People attend a celebration marking the 65th anniversary of the proclamation declaring the Cuban Revolution socialist, in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, April 16, 2026. Ramon Espinosa / AP

Both Mr. Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — whose parents emigrated from Cuba in the 1950s before the revolution — described the island’s government as ineffective and abusive.

Díaz-Canel accused them of trying to construct a “narrative” that has no justification.

“Cuba is not a failed state. Cuba is a besieged state. Cuba is a state facing multidimensional aggression: economic warfare, an intensified blockade and an energy blockade,” said Díaz-Canel, the main speaker at Thursday’s rally.

“Cuba is a threatened state that does not surrender. And despite everything. And thanks to socialism. Cuba is a state that resists, creates, and make no mistake, a state that will prevail,” Díaz-Canel added.

A possible humanitarian crisis

Both Cuba and the U.S. have acknowledged talks to resolve the tension, but no details have been disclosed.

The Cuban president recalled the achievements made possible by the revolution and its social welfare system, which allows for free education that has trained thousands of professionals, many of whom have now been forced to emigrate due to the crisis.

The oil embargo imposed by Trump worsened the already harsh conditions brought on by an economic crisis that has lasted for five years and was triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and a tightening of U.S. sanctions aimed at pressuring for a change in the island’s political model.

Experts have warned of a humanitarian crisis.

Measures to prevent the island from acquiring oil from its Venezuelan, Mexican and Russian suppliers are exacerbating the already poor living conditions of the population, including prolonged blackouts and fuel shortages.

The rally commemorated the 65th anniversary of a historic speech by the late leader, Fidel Castro, during a crisis with the United States. That moment marked the ideological course the Caribbean nation would take and its opposition to Washington’s continental hegemony.

Caitlin Yilek contributed to this report.

House narrowly rejects resolution directing Trump to end ‘hostilities’ in Iran

2026-04-16T16:08:35.039Z / The Washington Post

The Senate turned back a similar measure Wednesday seeking to rein in the president as the unpopular war approaches the two-month mark.

Updated

April 16, 2026 at 1:49 p.m. EDT today at 1:49 p.m. EDT

(Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

By Mariana Alfaro

and

Noah Robertson

The Republican-led House narrowly rejected a Democratic push Thursday to block President Donald Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran, a day after the Senate turned back a similar measure seeking to rein in the president as the unpopular war approaches the two-month mark.

继阿尔巴尼斯访新后 澳洲两部长接力来访深化合作

2026年4月16日 23:36 / 联合早报

继澳大利亚总理阿尔巴尼斯后，澳洲外交部长黄英贤，以及贸易和旅游部长唐方睿，星期四（4月16日）起到我国展开为期三天的正式访问。

我国外交部16日发文告说，黄英贤和唐方睿（Don Farrell）到访期间，将同外长维文医生，以及主管能源与科技事务的人力部长陈诗龙医生会面，并共进晚餐。他们也将参访裕廊岛。

黄英贤也会同国务资政李显龙会晤。

外交部指出，两位澳洲部长来访，体现新澳双边关系极佳。两国已于去年10月共同启动“新澳升级版全面战略伙伴关系”。

阿尔巴尼斯上星期四（9日）访问新加坡，并逗留三天。

其间，他与黄循财总理签署联合声明，并宣布两国计划制定具法律约束力的议定书，保障两国经济往来，同时确保能源等关键物资，能长期且稳定地在两地流通。这包括澳洲供应给我国的液化天然气，以及我国提供给澳洲的柴油等精炼石油产品。

陈诗龙：有其他国家联系新加坡 要求协助取得能源供应

在全球能源供应趋紧的背景下，新加坡在区域能源贸易中的角色也受到关注。

陈诗龙日前接受澳洲特别广播服务公司（Special Broadcasting Service）的新闻节目访问时透露，有其他国家已联系新加坡，寻求获取液化石油气等特定物资。

特别广播服务公司星期三（15日）发布相关访问音频。陈诗龙星期四在脸书发文说，他在节目中谈及新澳能源合作，以及在当前局势不确定性加剧下，两国如何加强供应韧性。

节目主持人提问，是否有澳洲以外国家接触新加坡，讨论供应保障的问题。陈诗龙说，确实有国家与我国联系，寻求协助获取液化石油气等特定物资。

他重申，新加坡的一贯立场，是保持港口与贸易通道畅通，即使在危机中也不会实施出口限制，而是通过拓展来源，分散上游供应风险。

陈诗龙也说，新澳接下来将召开首个能源部长对话，为双方下一阶段合作制定方向，涵盖碳捕集与封存，以及亚细安电网等课题。

东南亚青少年乒乓球锦标赛 新加坡包揽U19男女团冠军

2026年4月16日 23:40 / 联合早报

我国女队在东南亚青少年乒乓球锦标赛U19女团决赛中，以3比0打败泰国队夺冠。 （新加坡乒乓球总会提供）

新加坡乒乓球队星期四（4月16日）在2026年东南亚青少年乒乓球锦标赛上表现出色，他们在19岁以下（U19）的男团和女团都获得冠军，15岁以下（U15）拿下男女团亚军。

在这四场决赛中，U15和U19男队以及U15女队的对手都是邻国马来西亚，U19女队的对手是泰国队。

我国男队在U19男团决赛中以3比1战胜马来西亚，同样获得冠军。（新加坡乒乓球总会提供）

在U19男团决赛中，黎定龙、陈尼克和黎行耀轮流上场，最终以3比1打败马国。由黎明映、黎嬣萱和李英祈组成的女队，则在对垒泰国队的U19女团决赛中以3比0完胜。

U15团体决赛的对手都是马国，我国男队（李奕泽、劳意喜、王泓元）1比3输球，女队（索尼娅·再努丁、徐乐萱、陈昱嘉）2比3惜败。

我国女队副总教练郝安林接受《联合早报》采访时说：“我认为他们在这次比赛中表现得非常出色，每一场比赛都展现了他们的潜力。我对他们的表现感到非常满意，这支队伍的未来一片光明。”

U19赛事也将作为6月的亚洲青少年乒乓球锦标赛的资格赛。

本届东南亚青少年锦标赛从4月14日进行至4月19日，地点在ActiveSG白沙体育馆。星期五（17日）将开始进行单打和双打比赛。

特朗普政府对伊朗战争花费三缄其口 共和党人开始不安

2026年4月16日 23:28 / 联合早报

4月15日，美国管理和预算办公室（OMB）主任沃特在国会举行的众议院预算委员会听证会上发表讲话。 （彭博社）

当美国众议院民主党人追问美国总统特朗普的预算主管，伊朗战争究竟让纳税人付出了多少代价时，他拒绝正面回应。

特朗普的预算主管沃特（Russ Vought）星期三（4月15日）在一场听证会上说：“我没法给你一个大致的数字。”

这是特朗普政府高级官员少有的几次在公开场合就伊朗战争接受国会质询。这一回答也反映出，政府在这场冲突问题上与国会议员沟通甚少，共和党占多数的国会也几乎没有在政府的目标、战略、终局以及代价等问题上，要求它作出公开说明。

已经举行的通报大多都在闭门的涉密场合进行，而且常常引发议员抱怨，称得到的答复少得可怜，甚至几乎没有任何答案。

彭博社引述参议员达克沃斯（Tammy Duckworth）说：“如果美国民众知道这场战争此前做了多么少的规划，他们一定会极为震惊。”她是众多呼吁举行公开听证会的民主党人之一。

参议员布卢门撒尔（Richard Blumenthal）对彭博电视的记者说：“有人告诉我们，成本是每天20亿美元（25.42亿新元）。我认为这个数字偏低了。”

共和党人则辩称，公开听证可能危及驻外美军、不利特朗普实现目标，有几名议员认为这场行动进展顺利。他们表示（或者希望）这场冲突可以很快结束。

问及国会是否应发挥更大作用时，参议院军事委员会主席威克（Roger Wicker）说：“我支持总统正在做的事”。

不过，有迹象显示，一些共和党人正对这场战争给美国经济和财政部带来的代价感到不安。

财政立场鹰派的共和党参议员约翰逊（Ron Johnson）在彭博电视上说：“我们在击落造价只有几千美元的无人机时，使用的是每枚成本百万美元以上的导弹。”

共和党参议员乔什·霍利（Josh Hawley）本周说：“我们需要一个退出战略，尽快压低这个国家的能源价格。”

共和党人寄望，在特朗普依法必须向国会提供更多信息之前，这场冲突能够结束。这一期限是从战争开始算起60天，将在本月底到来。不过，现实中，民主共和两党的总统都曾拉长这一法律期限，而他们在国会中的盟友也往往给予相当大的回旋空间。

看来，纳税人为这场战争支付多少账单的问题，恐怕还要过一段时间才能真正算清。

彭博社涉诽谤案 5月22日进行结案陈词

2026年4月16日 23:43 / 联合早报 郭培贤

彭博社涉诽谤案 5月22日进行结案陈词

撰写文章的记者罗德蔚，是本案第二答辩人。 （档案照片）

美国媒体机构彭博社被指诽谤我国两位部长的诉讼，将于5月22日（星期五）进行结案陈词。

审讯于上星期二（4月7日）在高庭开审，星期三（15日）暂告一段落。高庭星期四（16日）答复《联合早报》询问时说，诉辩双方将于5月22日回到庭上进行结案陈词。法官将择日发表裁决。

彭博社因在2024年12月12日，发表报道《新加坡豪宅交易愈发隐秘》（Singapore Mansion Deals Are Increasing Shrouded in Secrecy），被国家安全统筹部长兼内政部长尚穆根，及人力部长陈诗龙医生告上法庭。

文章被指含有多项不实陈述，并且提及尚穆根和陈诗龙个别买卖洋房的交易。撰写文章的记者罗德蔚，是本案第二答辩人。

审讯期间，共有四人出庭供证——尚穆根、陈诗龙、彭博社高级执行编辑林玛德琳（Madeleine Lim），以及罗德蔚。

过程中，诉辩双方围绕报道内容的解读各执一词，并就报道是否影射两名部长涉及洗钱或其他不当行为，以及彭博社刊登报道的动机等，展开多次攻防。

罗德蔚是辩方最后一名证人，他星期三下午完成供证。诉辩双方与法官遂于星期四在内堂，商讨提交结案陈词的日期。

根据诉方今年1月提呈给法院的索赔书，诉方并未列明索讨的赔偿金额。但在高庭审理的民事诉讼索偿金额，一般从25万元起跳。