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‘Smart decision’: Swalwell’s resignation spurs praise from both parties after bombshell allegations emerge
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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he was planning to resign from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision.
Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday with Swalwell’s resignation, which came just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign.
Swalwell said Monday that he was «deeply sorry» to his family, staff and constituents for his «mistakes,» but stood headstrong in calling the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him «false.»
«I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,» Swalwell said in his announcement. «Expelling anyone from Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But, it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.»
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, Jan. 14, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«It was a good decision,» added Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., when asked about Swalwell’s resignation. «You don’t have to be a rocket science to figure that out. It’s terrible – what has been alleged.»
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., reportedly told CNN that he thought Swalwell made the right decision.
Swalwell’s decision to resign keeps Democrats from having to vote on a contentious resolution to expel Swalwell, which was expected to happen if he had not resigned.
«With a criminal investigation in the works, the move will avoid the need to answer questions immediately in an ethics investigation that might present legal dangers,» George Washington University professor and Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley pointed out. «Few defense attorneys would relish a client responding to an open-ended ethics investigation when the outcome seems likely expulsion.»
When asked whether she had requested Swalwell resign, Pelosi reportedly responded, «Oh, I think that was his decision. I think it’s a smart decision to make,» according to Politico reporter Riley Rogerson.
Furthermore, when asked whether she had any previous idea about the sexual misconduct allegations, Pelosi responded, «none whatsoever,» Rogerson also noted. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend and colleague of Arizona who faced heat for defending him, said minutes before Swalwell’s resignation that he «had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell.»
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Warren, who ran against Swalwell during the pairs’ bids for the presidency, said she is «glad that [Swalwell] will be gone,» adding that «people who are in positions of power and authority over others need to be held accountable when they take advantage of that position.»
Within an hour after Swalwell’s announcement that he would resign, one of Swalwell’s colleagues in the House of Representatives, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, followed suit and resigned as well amid similar allegations of sexual improprieties.
«There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,» Gonzales said.
Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., have both been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations from accusers. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images )
Gonzalez last month said he would not run for reelection, so it is uncertain what may change. If Gonzalez and Swalwell left tomorrow, the slim margin in the House between Republicans and Democrats would not change.
Republican reactions to Swalwell’s resignation Monday mirrored the praise from Democrats. Republican frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race Steve Hilton also slammed «career politicians» for letting Swalwell «get away with it.»
«Of course Eric Swalwell had to drop out of the California governor’s race. The question is, why was he ever in it, knowing he had all this going on?» Hilton told Fox News Digital.
«First smart thing he’s done,» said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who added that Gonzales «needs to follow his lead» right before he actually did.
«Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. However, don’t you dare say there weren’t grounds for your expulsion, because there absolutely were,» Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said after Swalwell’s announcement he would be resigning. «He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation. Based on what I’m hearing, he may go to jail.»
Rep Swalwell plays basketball in pool during 2025 government shutdown. (Eric Swalwell via X)
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Other Republicans questioned how much Democrats knew before the allegations of sexual misconduct became public against Swalwell.
«The mainstream media doesn’t attack a Democrat unless it helps a separate Democrat. It’s axiomatic. The Swalwell episode proves that in technicolor,» John Ashbrook, a co-host of the «Ruthless» podcast told Fox News Digital. «If he wasn’t jeopardizing their party’s ability to hold the California Governor’s mansion, none of them would have said a word.»
«Eric Swalwell should’ve been removed from Congress long ago, yet Democrats rallied around him over and over even after it was shown he was compromised by a Chinese spy,» added Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who has worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy. «The real questions for Democrats close to him are what did they know, when did they know it, and will they question then-Speaker Pelosi’s judgment regarding Swalwell’s committee assignments?»
Hilton echoed Bednar’s questions about how much top Democrats knew.
«Machine politicians and unions that endorsed Swalwell and threw money at him — they knew about his past. It was an open secret on Capitol Hill and Sacramento. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, the teacher unions, SEIU — they are all totally full of it with their fake outrage and condemnation,» Hilton told Fox News Digital. «California is ruled by a corrupt Democrat elite that is collapsing into chaos, sleaze and scandal. That’s why the Swalwell stand-ins that they send to run against me in the general election, whether it’s Katie Porter or Tom Steyer, will be no better.»
eric swalwell, congress, house of representatives politics, democrats senate, democratic party, politics
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Un experimento con gusanos busca pistas para proteger la salud de astronautas en futuras misiones a la Luna
Un equipo de científicos del Reino Unido envió gusanos microscópicos a la Estación Espacial Internacional para investigar cómo los organismos vivos responden a la hostilidad del espacio.
El experimento, desarrollado por la Universidad Exeter, busca identificar mecanismos biológicos que permitan proteger la salud humana en misiones de larga duración a la Luna y más allá.
La misión partió desde el Centro Espacial Kennedy como parte del lanzamiento de la Northrop Grumman CRS-24 de la NASA.
El experimento viaja encapsulado en el laboratorio miniaturizado Petri Pod, con un tamaño de apenas 10 x 10 x 30 centímetros y un peso de 3 kilogramos.
Según los responsables del proyecto, este sistema mantiene temperatura, presión y una atmósfera respirable para sus habitantes, incluso durante la exposición al vacío y a la radiación espacial en el exterior de la Estación Espacial Internacional (EEI, por sus siglas en inglés ISS) por hasta 15 semanas.
Los investigadores en tierra controlan de forma remota el dispositivo, que alberga docenas de nematodos C. elegans de un milímetro.
Ampliaron la escala de los experimentos biológicos complejos viables en el espacio con costos significativamente más bajos.
La misión es coordinada por la Universidad Leicester en colaboración con la empresa aeroespacial británica Voyager Space Technologies.
Liz Lloyd, ministra del Espacio del Reino Unido, sostuvo en diálogo con la agencia AP: “Estos diminutos gusanos podrían desempeñar un papel muy relevante en el futuro de los vuelos espaciales humanos”.
Esta misión -agregó- “demuestra la creatividad y el empuje de la ciencia espacial británica, que apuesta por un pequeño experimento para abordar uno de los desafíos más complejos: proteger la salud humana en vuelos de larga duración”.
Durante la fase operativa, los científicos monitorizarán el bienestar de los organismos empleando señales fluorescentes y ópticas captadas en video y fotografías de alta resolución.
Los sensores del sistema documentarán temperatura, presión y radiación, transmitiendo los datos a los laboratorios en el Reino Unido.
El ensayo representa el primer gran proyecto de ciencias biológicas de microgravedad liderado por Leicester, según explicó el profesor Mark Sims.
“El proyecto ha sido interesante y difícil de desarrollar y construir. Esperamos que los primeros resultados ayuden a comprender mejor el entorno de microgravedad y permitan continuar con la evolución del instrumento”, opinó.
Por qué estudiar nematodos en el espacio
El doctor Tim Etheridge, experto en fisiología en Exeter, contextualizó la importancia del estudio en los planes de la NASA para instalar una base en la Luna.
“El programa Artemis abre una nueva etapa de exploración. Los astronautas vivirán y trabajarán en la Luna durante periodos prolongados”, señaló.
Para lograrlo con seguridad, es imprescindible conocer cómo responde el cuerpo humano a las condiciones extremas del espacio profundo.
“Estudiar cómo estos gusanos sobreviven y se adaptan en órbita permitirá identificar mecanismos que acaben protegiendo a los humanos en viajes largos y nos acerca un paso más a la vida lunar”, resaltó.
El experimento Petri Pod alberga 12 cámaras separadas, cuatro de ellas preparadas para registrar imágenes luminosas y fluorescentes en tiempo real.
Cada cámara ofrece un microsistema de soporte vital con alimento, agua y aire suficiente, facilitando la supervivencia incluso ante el vacío exterior.
Construido sobre el diseño previo de un laboratorio espacial miniaturizado, el dispositivo permite realizar estudios biológicos avanzados en módulos pequeños y accesibles financieramente.
La salud de los astronautas enfrenta múltiples desafíos durante las misiones espaciales. La exposición prolongada a la microgravedad causa pérdida de masa ósea y muscular, ya que la ausencia de gravedad disminuye la carga sobre huesos y músculos.
Además, la microgravedad altera la distribución de los fluidos corporales y puede provocar problemas en la visión. La radiación espacial incrementa el riesgo de daños en el ADN y el desarrollo de cáncer.
El envío de C. elegans busca acelerar la obtención de datos precisos sobre estos fenómenos, anticipando posibles soluciones para la vida humana fuera de la Tierra.
international space station (iss),northern cascades national park,partial solar eclipse,places,ross lake,sun,transit,washington
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Embattled Rep Tony Gonzales announces plans to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations
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Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, abruptly announced his decision to resign from Congress Monday evening amid calls for him to step aside after admitting to sexual misconduct with a staffer earlier this year.
The embattled lawmaker is facing an anticipated expulsion vote that could occur as early as this week.
«There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,» Gonzales wrote on social media. «It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.»
It is currently unclear when Gonzales will formally resign. A spokesperson for Gonzales did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is seen in the U.S. Capitol before the House voted to keep the government funded into March, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
SWALWELL ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FROM CONGRESS AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS TORPEDOED GUBERNATORIAL BID
Gonzales has come under bipartisan pressure to immediately step aside or face expulsion following his acknowledgment of an affair with his former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who later died by setting herself on fire.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., has vowed to move forward with her expulsion resolution if Gonzales does not quickly resign.
«He has until 2PM tomorrow—when we will file his expulsion. He better write that resignation «effective immediately,» Leger Fernandez wrote on social media.
He first admitted to an affair with Santos-Aviles during a radio interview in March after repeatedly denying the existence of a sexual relationship.
«I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,» Gonzales told conservative radio host Joe Pags during the interview. «Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.»
Gonzales, who is married and has six children, has not acknowledged a second accusation of sexual misconduct with a former aide reported by The San Antonio-Express News.
Lawmakers are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with staffers, per House rules.
His announcement came just an hour after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said he planned to resign from the lower chamber amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct and rape. The California Democrat has not specified the particular day he plans to leave office.
REP TONY GONZALES ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION AMID HOUSE ETHICS INVESTIGATION INTO AFFAIR
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D- CA), left, listens to former Special Counsel Jack Smith testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on January 22, 2026. Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his prosecution of Donald Trump accusing him of engaging in a «criminal scheme» to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Swalwell, too, was facing a potential expulsion vote that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., was pressuring House GOP leadership to bring to the floor by Wednesday.
«The actions of these two Members reflect poorly on every single one of us,» Luna wrote in a letter to colleagues on Monday that was reviewed by Fox News Digital. «We as Members of Congress need to stand together in publicly condemning this behavior and restore the trust we have lost with the American people.
«We are the company we keep,» she added.
It takes a two-thirds majority to expel a lawmaker from Congress.
Gonzales, a three-term lawmaker, suspended his reelection campaign in March after House GOP leadership called on him to exit the race.
President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., then switched their endorsements to conservative activist Brandon Herrera, who was competing in a run-off against Gonzales for the GOP nomination.
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President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Both Gonzales and Swalwell were under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. However, the committee is expected to suspend its investigation into both members when they officially step aside.
Johnson had urged lawmakers to allow the ethics panel’s investigation into Gonzales to be completed before the consideration of drastic measures, such as expulsion.
The dual resignation announcements could impact House Republicans’ razor-thin majority. If the lawmakers both officially resign tomorrow, then each party will have one fewer lawmaker.
However, Congressman-elect Clay Fuller, R-Ga., who won a special election last week to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat, R-Ga., is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday.
eric swalwell, republicans, sex crimes, house of representatives politics
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