Read Online  |  April 14, 2026  |  E-Paper  | 🎧 Listen

“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

— Thomas Edison

Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor

Good morning, it’s Tuesday. Here are today’s top stories:

• Two lawmakers call it quits: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said he will resign from Congress after the House ethics panel announced it opened a probe into sexual misconduct allegations against the congressman, which he has denied. A day earlier, Swalwell dropped out of the race for California governor. 
• Hours after Swalwell’s announcement, another embattled lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), said he would retire from office. This came after a second staff member came forward claiming that she received sexually explicit text messages while working for the married congressman. Earlier, Gonzales admitted to having an affair with another former staffer, who took her own life. 
• Blockade begins: With the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz taking effect on Monday, President Donald Trump warned that Iranian vessels approaching the waterway would be eliminated. In response to the blockade, the Iranian regime threatened ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. 
• Frank Bisignano, recognized for his successful business turnarounds, is now leading major modernization efforts at Social Security and the IRS. In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times, Bisignano shares how his father and his time on Wall Street have shaped his approach in Washington. 
• ▶️ With Congress back from Easter break, senior reporter Nathan Worcester goes through the top items on lawmakers’ to-do list in this video.
• 🍵 Health: This type of sitting protects your brain, new research shows.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said he will resign from Congress, one day after he withdrew from the California gubernatorial race. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Rep. Swalwell to Resign From Congress Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is resigning from Congress just a day after ending his campaign for California governor amid sexual assault allegations.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The move came after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the congressman over the sexual misconduct claims. 

Swalwell has consistently denied the allegations, which were first reported on April 10 by the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman who made the allegations told the Chronicle—which didn’t name her—that Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions, including once while she was employed by him and heavily intoxicated. The Epoch Times has not verified the allegations made against Swalwell in the report.

The congressman subsequently faced pressure from fellow Democrats to withdraw from the California gubernatorial race. Swalwell did so on April 12, acceding to pressure from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a kingmaker in California politics, to leave the race.

“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made—but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X on the evening of April 12.

On April 10, House Democratic leaders—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.)—issued a joint statement calling for an investigation into the allegations.

Since then, lawmakers raised the prospect of taking a vote to expel Swalwell from Congress, an extreme penalty for conduct considered grossly immoral. It was last exercised against Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in December 2023. (More)

IRAN WAR

• Trump said that he does not carewhether Iran returns to the negotiating table after peace talks between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan concluded without a deal.
• The president said that China could face a 50 percent tariff on its exports to the United States if the country is found to be arming Iran.
• The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned that ships with agricultural products must be allowed to transit through the disputed Strait of Hormuz, saying a protracted closure could trigger spikes in inflation later in 2026.
• Multiple water providers have lowered the amount of fluoride they add to water for millions of Americans, amid shortages stemming from the U.S.–Iran war.

POLITICS

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has changed the charter for the influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel. Here’s what to know about the updates. 
• New York City’s first city-run grocery store is set to open sometime next year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced at a rally celebrating his 100 days in office. City-run bodegas were one of his key campaign promises. 
• As Congress returns from its Easter break, lawmakers are preparing to navigate the renewal of a controversial surveillance law. The spy power is set to expire on April 20. 

LATEST NEWS

• The IRS issued its final list of occupations that don’t have to pay tax on tips, per a provision enacted in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 
• Commercial salmon fishing along the California coast will return for the first time since 2022 after a federal fishery council found that some Chinook salmon populations have rebounded.
• More than 1,000 Hollywood figures have signed a letter opposing the proposed merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. 

Sponsored by NativePath

Waking Up to Pee? The Cause Most Doctors Miss*

If nighttime bathroom trips are disrupting your sleep, it may not be age – and it’s not something you have to live with. A new report uncovers the overlooked cause behind frequent nighttime urination and explains a simple, practical way adults are using to support bladder control, reduce urgency, and sleep through the night again. Get the facts and decide for yourself.Read More ➜

WORLD

A China Coast Guard ship is seen as residents ride a motorcycle on Thitu Island in the South China Sea on February 21, 2026. (Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)

• Chinese boats dropped bottles containing cyanide in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippines said, calling it an act of “sabotage” that threatened the lives of military personnel and fishermen.
• Chinese state media outlets have recently touted a modest “spring bounce” in the country’s property market. Yet behind the optimistic messaging, both official data and firsthand accounts suggest the recovery is fragile, short-lived, and driven more by falling prices than renewed demand.
• The recent high-profile meeting between Taiwanese opposition figure Cheng Li-wen and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing triggered a wave of criticism in Taiwan, after Cheng publicly praised China’s development under Xi, using language closely associated with Chinese Communist Party propaganda.
• A massive typhoon strengthened to a Category 5 as it headed toward the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands, remote islands in the western Pacific Ocean, while barely missing Guam on Monday.

 

OPINION

• By Defeating China’s Rogue States, the US Rolls Back the CCP—By Anders Corr (Read)
• Artemis II Mission Offers Inspiring Unity for a Deeply Divided Nation—by Josh Hammer (Read)
• A Case for Taking UFOs Seriously—by Evan Mantyk (Read)
• Why Do the Arts Signify High Civilization?—by Jeffrey A. Tucker (Read)
• Argentina Is Booming—Capitalism Remains Undefeated—by David Harsanyi (Read)

Lowland Gorilla lady Fatou at the Zoologischer Garten zoo, as her 69th birthday is celebrated in Berlin on April 13, 2026. Fatou, born in the wild in West Africa, was brought to the Berlin zoo in 1959, as her age then was estimated to be two years. She is believed to be the oldest living gorilla in the world. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images)

📸 Day in Photos: Uganda Trial, ‘Le Constellation’ Investigation, and Gorilla Turns 69 (Look)

🎙️ Podcast: The education divide behind the U.S.–China tech race—China Watchhas the full analysis. (Listen)

💛 Inspiration: The Courage to Face Death—and Live Fully. Acknowledging mortality doesn’t just liberate us; it shapes our values. (Read)

🎵 Music: An intriguing look at Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and his joyful “Festive Overture.” (Read & Listen)

ARTS & CULTURE

Fanny Crosby as a young woman. (Originally from The Christian Herald)

‘Don’t Waste Sympathy on Me, I’m the Happiest Person Alive’ 

Fanny Crosby (1820–1915) composed approximately 8,000 hymns published under her name and over 200 pseudonyms during her long life. In addition to her lyrical compositions, she published four books of poetry. She also spent her early adult years as a teacher, then devoted decades to mission work on behalf of the poor, immigrants, and prisoners.

In 1843, Crosby became the first woman in U.S. history to testify before the U.S. Senate, speaking on the need to help people with disabilities, and in 1844 she read one of her poems to a joint session of Congress, where John Quincy Adams complimented her verse. 

She was acquainted with several presidents, including Grover Cleveland, who had worked for her as a secretary and assistant when he was 15. By the time of her death, Crosby had become a household name among Americans.

Published in 1844, her first book of poetry was titled “The Blind Girl, and Other Poems.” The title was appropriate. Fanny Crosby had been blind since she was 6 weeks old.

Accounts vary as to the cause of her blindness. Doctors today believe that her affliction was congenital, that Crosby was blind from birth. Others, including Crosby, said that mistreatment of an eye infection had stolen her sight. Before she was a year old, her father died, and she was left to the care of her mother and maternal grandmother.

The influence of these two womenand a neighbor, Mrs. Hawley, on Crosby can scarcely be overestimated. Her grandmother, in particular, undertook to become the girl’s eyes, describing her surroundings and reading aloud to her. Later, when Crosby and her mother moved away from the grandmother on account of work, Mrs. Hawley stepped up and undertook her education. (More)

🎲 Games

Spot the Difference is our readers’ favorite. Play it here.

Play more games at Epoch Fun ➞

♥️ Support our mission and donate.

🎧 Prefer to listen? Get the Morning Brief podcast.

💬 Feedback? Reply to this email or write to ivanmb@epochtimes.nyc

👋 New to Morning Brief? Subscribe.

💡 Got a news tip? Connect with us confidentially.

▶️ Follow The Epoch Times on Facebook, X, Instagram, or Truth Social

📫 Forward this email to a friend and tell them to subscribe. (Here)

☕ Show us your love with coffee, mugs, stickers, and clothes. Check out the shop.

💼 Own a business? Reach millions of engaged readers by advertising in our newsletters.

Thanks for reading 🙏

Have a wonderful day!

—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li.

Copyright © 2026 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. 

Our mailing address is: The Epoch Times, 129 West 29th Street, Fl 8, New York, NY 10001 | Contact Us

Our Morning Brief newsletter is one of the best ways to catch up with the news. Manage your email preferences here or unsubscribe from Morning Brief here.

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this advertisement are exclusively those of the advertiser and do not represent our views or positions. This material is promotional in nature and should not be mistaken for news, research or editorial content.