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“Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office showed up unannounced Tuesday at the construction site for the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation, a new provocation in their investigation of the central bank,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“After speaking with construction workers, two of Pirro’s deputies were advised they couldn’t access the site without preclearance, and they were given the contact information for the Fed’s legal staff.”
Politico: “As Jackson has upended the governor’s race, he’s also taking up so much of voters’ attention that Georgia Republicans in other races are worried about their own chances of breaking through.”
“Voters and strategists alike say they just can’t avoid Jackson’s presence anywhere, not even at home. His media blitz is alarming fellow Republicans, half a dozen of whom told Politico that Jackson is endangering Republicans in down ballot races — and a critical Senate contest — that will likely be decided by razor-thin margins.”
“Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) ended the first quarter of 2026 with a massive $22.3 million cash on hand in his campaign account,” Politico reports.
“The sum — likely to only stir more speculation about his presidential ambitions — comes after raising more than $13 million during the same period.”
“President Donald Trump played down the prospect of renewed fighting in the war with Iran, even as questions remain over Tehran’s nuclear program and access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Bloomberg reports.
“Speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, Trump said extending a ceasefire that expires next week may not be necessary, hinting at near-term progress toward a deal to end the near seven-week conflict. In a Fox Business interview, he said the war is ‘close to over.’”
CNBC: Iran war “very close to over,” Trump says — and the stock market “is going to boom.”
Washington Post: “Swalwell’s career took off like a meteor at the same time women allege he was harassing them. His political trajectory — described here with the help of interviews with more than a dozen former staffers and political operatives, some of whom who spoke on the condition of anonymity to recount private discussions — suggests a Democratic Party enamored with a young congressman’s talent for sound bites and landing blows against President Donald Trump.”
“Rumors that Swalwell, 45, had affairs in Washington followed him, but there is no evidence that the more serious allegations of sexual assault were circulating among Democrats while his career took off.”
NPR: Eric Swalwell faces new sexual assault allegations.
“One of the sleepiest governor’s races in recent California history has turned into a mad scramble after the sudden departure of Eric Swalwell amid sexual assault allegations,” the New York Times reports.
“As soon as the first accusations hit Friday afternoon, Democratic candidates and potential donors blew up phones across California with text messages and phone calls. Social media users hyped their new favorites online.”
“And in a turbulent race that has grabbed the attention of voters thanks to Mr. Swalwell’s implosion, longshot candidates have newfound reason to believe they can still mount a last-minute comeback.”
CNN: Gavin Newsom faces growing pressure to intervene in a scrambled California governor’s race.
“Republicans hoped that last year’s tax cuts would offer giant political benefits, with taxpayers receiving super-sized refunds and then rewarding them at the ballot box,” Politico reports.
“That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”
“Refunds haven’t jumped as much as Republicans as hoped, which underscores a broader problem for the party. Many taxpayers remain unaware of last year’s tax cuts and aren’t feeling much relief, even though their ‘big, beautiful bill’ offered substantial benefits to a good portion of them.”
The Guardian: Republicans struggle to highlight Trump’s cuts as Americans see little effect on Tax Day.
Bloomberg: Tax refunds are up but many Americans aren’t feeling it.
Politico: “The pressure on Reps. Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell to resign Tuesday amid serious sexual assault accusations from former staffers have shown there are limits to what lawmakers will tolerate from their colleagues. And Mills, a Florida Republican, has for months been under scrutiny for allegedly breaking campaign finance rules and threatening to release nude videos of an ex.”
“But key leaders and several rank-and-file members from both parties signaled this week they will wait for the conclusion of an active House Ethics Committee investigation into Mills before moving to punish him. That will include House Republicans protecting Mills from being expelled — a lawmaker could force an expulsion vote as soon as next week — until the panel releases a final report into its findings — which could come at any time.”
Wall Street Journal: “The growing disorder in world politics is an opportunity for the Catholic Church to repair its standing as a moral authority, which has suffered in recent decades from the long-running scandals over clerical sexual abuse, say some observers of the Vatican.”
“Leo is also considerably more popular in the U.S. than Trump, enjoying a 34 percentage point net-positive rating among registered voters, compared with a 12 percentage point net-negative rating for the president.”
“Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill Monday that adds the state to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement among states to award their presidential electoral votes to the nationwide popular vote winner,” NPR reports.
“With Virginia, the total number of states signed on to the interstate compact is now 18, plus the District of Columbia, for a total of 222 electoral votes.”
“The compact doesn’t go into effect, though, until there are enough states signed up to reach the required 270 electoral votes to elect a president.”
“Federal prosecutors are seeking to wipe out the seditious conspiracy convictions of 12 members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who helped plan the Jan. 6, 2021, riots and led the charge into the U.S. Capitol,” the Washington Post reports.
“European countries are putting together a plan for a broad coalition of countries to help free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, including sending mine-clearing and other military vessels,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“But the plan would only come after the war and may exclude one country in particular: the U.S.”
“A fallback plan to ensure Europe can defend itself using NATO’s existing military structures if the U.S. departs is gaining traction after getting buy-in from Germany, a long-term opponent of a go-it-alone approach,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The plans—advancing informally through side discussions and over dinner meetings in and around the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—aren’t intended to rival the current alliance, participants said. European officials are aiming to preserve deterrence against Russia, operational continuity and nuclear credibility even if Washington withdraws forces from Europe or refuses to come to its defense, as President Trump has threatened.”
“The plans, first conceived last year, underscore the depth of European anxiety over U.S. reliability.”
New York Times: “As the war in Iran stretches into its seventh week, a survey from Ipsos and Reuters, released on Tuesday, has found that few Americans — 24 percent — think the war has been worth the costs and benefits.”
“Even among the president’s core supporters, there is a divide: 55 percent of Republicans said they thought the war was worth the costs and benefits, a far cry from the vast majority of his base who support Mr. Trump on most other issues. Instead, 20 percent of Republicans said they thought the war had not been worth the cost, and another 24 percent were not sure.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that Republicans would quickly fill a Supreme Court vacancy if one opens up before the midterms, Politico reports.
Said Thune: “That’s a contingency I think around here you always have to be prepared for. And if that were to happen, yes, we would be prepared to confirm.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters he asked that President Trump take down an AI-generated image he’d posted on social media depicting himself as Jesus, Politico reports.
Said Johnson: “I did ask him to delete it.”
Associated Press: “The family real estate business is undergoing the fastest overseas expansion since its founding a century ago, each deal potentially shaping everything from tariffs to military aid.”
“Led by Eric, and his brother, Donald Jr., the family business has expanded into cryptocurrencies with ventures that brought in billions of dollars but raised questions about whether some big investors received favorable treatment in return.”
“The brothers have also joined or invested in a number of companies that aim to do business with the government their father runs. Last month, they struck a deal giving them stakes worth millions in an armed drone maker seeking contracts with the Pentagon and with Gulf states under attack by Iran and dependent on the U.S. military led by their father.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “is considering delaying the state’s April 20 special session for redistricting,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Florida state lawmakers are scheduled to head to Tallahassee next week to pass a new congressional map for the Sunshine State. DeSantis is expected to redraw the Florida congressional map to add between two and five new red seats, a huge plus for Republicans in the national redistricting battle.”
“Now, DeSantis is mulling whether to push the special session back until after the results of the April 21 redistricting referendum in Virginia.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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