South Carolina sweeps Mizzou in battle of SEC bottom dwellers

JD Vance had two jobs last week: get an Iran deal and keep Hungary's Viktor Orban in power. Neither happened for the US vice president.

The 41-year-old Vance looked exhausted as he left Pakistan on Sunday after 21 hours that failed to produce an agreement with Tehran to end a war he had never wanted to begin with.

At a terse press conference in Islamabad, Vance delivered the "bad news" and took just three questions before getting on a plane for the long flight back home. 

But just before landing there was more bad news.

Days after he rallied with Orban on stage in Budapest, the long-serving Hungarian prime minister had conceded defeat in elections despite an all-out effort by Donald Trump's administration to save him.

It was a double reality check for the ambitious Vance, who is widely tipped as a frontrunner in the race to being named heir to Trump in the 2028 US presidential election.

On Hungary, Vance insisted that it was still worth the Trump administration backing a man it views as its MAGA disciple in Europe.

"It wasn't a bad trip at all, because it's worth standing by people even though you don't win every race," Vance told Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" on Monday.

"We didn't go because we expected him to cruise to an election victory. We went because we thought it was the right thing to do."

As one of the administration's most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe, Vance was the ideal person to go and support Orban, on paper.

In Budapest, Vance hailed Orban, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as to Trump, as a "model" for Europe.

But Vance's appearance alongside Orban means the White House effectively owned the defeat of one of its closest allies -- and the first major setback for its official national security strategy of backing European anti-immigration parties.

- 'Things went wrong' -

In Pakistan, Vance faced a very different, and arguably even tougher, challenge.

The former Ohio senator built his political brand around his anti-interventionism, and was among the most vocal opponents of the Iran war in Trump's cabinet behind the scenes.

Yet Vance then found himself leading the delegation in the highest-level talks with Tehran for half a century, as he sought to negotiate a way out of one of the foreign wars he had long railed against.

Vance's frustration was clear as he addressed the media after the marathon talks that went through the night in Islamabad but failed to produce a deal to turn a two-week ceasefire into lasting peace.

"We go back to the United States having not gone come to an agreement," he told reporters in the Pakistani capital on Sunday morning.

But a day later, Vance was casting things in a more positive light.

"I wouldn't just say that things went wrong, I also think things went right," Vance told Fox. "We made a lot of progress." 

The fate of the US-Iran talks remains up in the air, with Trump saying that Iranian representatives had called and still wanted to make a deal -- even as Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iran's ports.

Vance said the "ball is in Iran's court" when it comes to further talks but did not rule them out.

The effect on Vance's political ambitions also remains unclear.

The battle for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination will begin in earnest after November's US midterm elections, with Vance expected to face off against Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

But while a vice president's role provides increased visibility for a potential candidate, it can also tie them to the outgoing president's policies -- which in Trump's case are increasingly unpopular.

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(The Center Square) - Nevada has prepared a lawsuit to combat the voter ID legislation Congress is considering, the Nevada secretary of state told The Center Square.

Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar and other Democratic leaders in Nevada have spoken out against the potential law. They plan to sue the Trump administration if the bill is passed.

The SAVE America Act would aim to further block noncitizens from voting by mandating in-person voter registration and requiring most citizens to present a passport or birth certificate upon registration.

“I think it's a false perspective. Noncitizens voting in Nevada is not an issue,” Aguilar told The Center Square. “It’s a message developed by the [Trump] administration to create fear in voters, but also to intimidate people not to participate in our democratic process.”

The Silver State received three individual votes found to have been illegally cast by noncitizens out of 1.1 million in the 2016 election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Similar findings have been reproduced across many states in recent years. A January 2026 statewide citizenship review by the state of Utah found one noncitizen in the voter database – 99.9% of Utah voters were verifiable U.S. citizens.

But many voters have backed the effort to further prevent noncitizen voting, with a February Harvard survey of 1,999 registered voters finding 71% of registered voters supported the SAVE America Act, including 50% of Democrats.

“This is about restoring trust in our elections, not disenfranchising voters,” Arizona state Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, previously told The Center Square, answering questions by email. “This is an 80/20 issue with overwhelming public support. There is no excuse it has not passed.”

Aguilar said Nevada regularly does voter roll maintenance to check if voters are active and accurate, including a recent inactivation of over 100,000 voters who did not respond to a state notice. “The voter registration process does have proof of identity in it. You have to prove who you are to register to vote in Nevada.”

Two Nevada Democrats - U.S. Reps. Steven Horsford and Susie Lee - hosted a public discussion with Aguilar last week on the SAVE America Act, election security and a recent executive order by President Donald Trump to restrict mail-in voting. Nevada and 22 other states and the District of Columbia have since sued to block Trump's order.

“We're going to fight it. We're already preparing for litigation against the bill , which will delay the implementation of the bill,” Aguilar said. “The intent of that is really to push it past the election cycle so we can get through this cycle of elections in a way that is fair, that is consistent, and that also gives confidence to voters to know that they can participate without fear of penalty.”

The bill passed 218-213 in February by the U.S. House, with just one Democrat voting with Republicans. It now goes to the Senate, with only months before midterm elections in November. The Senate needs 60 votes. Assuming the entire 53 Republican-member majority votes for the SAVE America Act, the legislation wouldn't pass unless seven Democrats or independents also voted for it.

Aguilar expressed doubt the bill would ultimately pass, but argued many Latino voters would already have been discouraged to vote by the news of the bill. 

“The damage has already been done,” added Aguilar. “The myths and disinformation have been circling around this bill to create chaos among voters, because now voters are asking a bunch of questions like, 'Do I need to reregister?' 'What do I need to do to be able to participate?'”

President Donald Trump said in late March that the bill had little chance of passing the Senate, but has continued to press on the issue since.

Aguilar told The Center Square he had spoken with Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo about the SAVE America Act and the planned lawsuit if it were passed. He did not elaborate on their conversations, and the Republican governor's office has not responded to questions from The Center Square.

Aguilar added that the bill could spur a special legislative session.

“If it does pass, there are probably some things that will have to be changed legislatively,” said Aguilar. “So we'll have to potentially look at a special session, which I don't think is ideal.”

Nevadans will next cast ballots in the June 9 primary.

(The Center Square) - U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said on Monday he will file documents to retire from Congress Tuesday amid allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staffer. 

"There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all," Gonzales wrote on social media, announcing his retirement. "It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas."

Lawmakers have increasingly called on Gonzales to resign amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer who committed suicide. 

"The American people deserve someone worthy of their trust," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote. 

Gonzales' retirement would further narrow Republicans' majority in the U.S. House. Republicans hold a 219-214 majority after Clay Fuller won the seat vacated by Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

However, with Gonzales' departure, the majority would slim to 218. At the same time, though, House Democrats will lose a representative after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he would resign amid sexual assault allegations. 

Texas law requires the governor to call a special election in the wake of a vacancy, but does not specify a certain time frame for the election. Once the governor calls for an election, it must occur within 36 days of the order. 

Mizzou men's basketball secured its first acquisition of the transfer portal season with the commitment of forward Jaylen Carey from Tennessee. 

After dealing with a number of departures through both graduation and entry into the transfer portal, the Tigers have made their first addition for next season with Carey. 

He comes to the Tigers having spent each of his first three seasons in college basketball with three different teams, making stops at James Madison and Vanderbilt before playing for Tennessee this past season. 

Carey, a 6-foot-8 junior, appeared in 37 games for the Volunteers last season. He averaged 7.4 points, 6 rebounds and 1.3 assists, coming off the bench in all but eight games. 

He is the first acquisition of what will surely be a busy offseason for coach Dennis Gates. Carey now joins a roster of just six returners and three incoming freshman. Gates will have several roster spots to fill via the portal as the offseason continues. 

(The Center Square) - U.S. Rep. Eric Swallwell, D-Calif., said Monday he will resign from Congress after multiple allegations of sexual assault. 

Swalwell dropped out of California's gubernatorial race, in which he was regarded as a front runner. A former member of Swalwell's staff told the San Francisco Chronicle that the congressman sexually asssaulted her. Three more women accused Swalwell of making sexual advances and sending explicit photos. 

"I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past," Swalwell wrote in a statement. "I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility for the mistakes I did make."

The U.S. House Ethics Committee announced Monday it opened an investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell. 

"The mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred," committee leaders wrote in a statement. 

Swalwell cited efforts to begin an "immediate expulsion vote" against him in Congress. He criticized House leadership for attempting a vote without due process. 

"It's wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties," Swalwell wrote in the statement. 

California's 14th Congressional District, where Swalwell represents in the East Bay Area near San Francisco, will hold a special election in his place. In California, the governor is responsible for calling a special election within 14 days of a vacancy. 

Swalwell won his last election, in 2024, by 30 points in a traditionally Democratic district. The candidate to replace Swalwell would need to run again in California's June 2 primary and Nov. 3 general election. 

"I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district," Swalwell wrote. 

Swalwell was among leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates. A recent University of California, Berkeley poll showed him tied with former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County, with each at 13% of the support. Republican candidates Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, led the poll with 17% and 16% respectively. Tom Steyer, a Democratic billionaire who funded the successful campaign to pass congressional redistricting in California, has 10%, according to the poll, which listed 5% or less for each of the five other Democratic candidates.

Swalwell's name will remain on the June 2 gubernatorial primary ballot, despite the fact he quit the race. The deadline has already passed to withdraw a name from the ballot.

Southwest Regional Editor Dave Mason contributed to this story.

(The Center Square) – A strike could happen Tuesday in the Los Angeles Unified School District unless an agreement is reached with all three unions.

The unions currently on board with a tentative agreement are United Teachers Los Angeles and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Teamsters.

LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district, was still negotiating with Service Employees International Union Local 99 as of Monday afternoon.

“Members are hoping to avert a strike. But after two years of negotiations with no movement from the district, they are ready to take strong action to improve their livelihoods and the student services they provide,” said Blanca Gallegos, communications director for SEIU Local 99.

“SEIU Local 99 members are asking for wages that will lift them above poverty, increased hours to ensure students have the services they need, more staffing for student services, and an end to the subcontracting of work to for-profit corporations that have no accountability to the district or community," Gallegos told The Center Square on Monday.

Gina Gray, a high school English teacher and UTLA member, said if SEIU Local 99 does not reach a tentative agreement, her union will stand in solidarity with their “brothers and sisters” at Local 99.

“We will not cross their lines,” Gray told The Center Square.

The tentative agreement reached with UTLA would increase their members’ salary scales by 11.65%. The tentative agreement would also increase the beginning salary for a teacher to $77,00 per year.

Gray called it a step in the right direction, adding that UTLA is "happy with the tentative agreement."

In March, Gray told The Center Square that unions were “demanding” that the district invest in schools, salaries, students, and communities. According to Gray, LAUSD has the money, but schools have been “suffering” due to underinvestment.

“We have evidence that shows where our district has been investing in private equity and in tech,” said Gray. “We know our district has the funds. It’s just about the priorities now.”

Gray said more staff support would mean a lot amid the affordability crisis in Los Angeles. 

She noted 21% of full-time faculty and staff would qualify for affordable housing in California.

“We have many teachers, new teachers who can’t afford to live and work in the communities they serve,” said Gray in March.

Pointing to the tentative agreement with LAUSD, Gray said Monday that UTLA has been sharing it in area meetings. She applauded union officials for their hard work.

“The bargaining team was at it until the wee hours of the morning,” Gray said Monday. “It was a hard battle, but we're happy.’ 

After being contacted by The Center Square, LAUSD pointed to a statement on its website saying that it will continue to meet with labor partners “with the intent to reach additional agreements” that would allow schools to remain open on Tuesday.

(The Center Square) – An unusually large number of crude oil tankers on the open seas has the American Gulf coast as a destination as the ships are redirected to load cargoes bound for markets around the world already experiencing shortages.

Second-term Republican President Donald Trump said Saturday on social media that "massive numbers" of "completely empty" oil tankers are en route to the United States to purchase American energy.

“Foreign buyers are voting with their ships: American energy means stability, strength, and freedom from Middle East blackmail,” the president posted on Monday.

Shipping data posted by maritime intelligence company Windward shows 171 crude tankers are bound for the U.S. Gulf to load crude oil cargoes, which compares with about 110 in a typical month.

The surging vessel traffic comes as nations throughout Europe and Asia grapple to secure energy supplies and regional prices skyrocket. Germany is providing emergency fuel relief to its citizens while officials in the Philippines recently declared a national energy emergency as the world looks increasingly to the U.S. to replenish war-starved oil and gas markets.

On Monday, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures advanced 2.6% to settle at $99.08 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude settled at $99.36 a barrel, up 4.37% on the day.

Oil markets research firm Kpler estimates U.S. crude oil exports in April will reach 5.2 million barrels per day, up about one-third from 3.9 million barrels a day in March, the Financial Times reported last week.

North Carolina-based Kpler analyst Matt Smith described the great volume of incoming ships as an "armada of tankers heading this way."

Trump on Saturday remarked that the U.S. oil output is more than the combined total of Saudi Arabia and Russia, the next two largest producers, and the president promised a "quick turnaround" for the arriving fleet.

Shipping data shows approximately 28 very large crude carriers, which can hold about 2 million barrels of oil, have been contracted to load U.S. crude in May compared to a monthly average of just five in a typical month, according to Kpler.

Trump shared a post on Saturday by oil market researcher Rory Johnston that read “very cool seeing the wave of empty tankers heading to the U.S. to pick up some desperately needed crude for Hormuz-starved markets,” to which the president responded, "Great!!!"

America and Israel on Feb. 28 launched military strikes against Iran. The Iranians, with control of the Strait of Hormuz, has stymied an otherwise one-sided confrontation. An 11th-hour ceasefire to last two weeks was announced Tuesday.

As the shipping logjam continues, Windward’s daily intelligence report on Monday shows 732 vessels carrying oil, gas, refined fuels, and other fossil fuels-based products await transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

To avoid the volatile region, many of these vessels are now rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa – a detour that bypasses the Suez Canal but adds up to 15 days of travel time to reach American docks.

In March, Port of Houston officials announced completion of the Project 11 channel widening project, which eliminated longstanding nighttime vessel movement restrictions in place for more than a century, allowing large vessels to safely transit the channel without waiting for daylight.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, has been formally charged with corruption after a years-long criminal investigation, according to a court ruling published Monday.

The probe is one of several corruption cases that have embroiled the Socialist leader’s family and former allies, putting pressure on his minority coalition government.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado opened the investigation in April 2024 to determine whether Gomez had exploited her position as Sanchez’s wife for private gain, which she and the prime minister deny.

The case centers on the creation and management of a chair at Madrid’s Complutense University that was co-directed by Gomez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to advance private interests.

Peinado said his investigation had found sufficient indications of criminal conduct by Gomez, 55, according to a ruling dated April 11 that was made public on Monday.

He formally charged Gomez with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds, the ruling added.

"The chair served as a means of private professional development for the person under investigation," the judge wrote.

It is now up to the courts to decide whether Gómez will stand trial.

Gomez, who is on an official visit to China with Sanchez, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Sanchez has dismissed the allegations against his wife as an attempt by the right wing to undermine his government. Opposition parties have called for his resignation.

The case originated from a complaint filed by an anti-corruption group with far-right ties.

The prime minister’s brother, David Sanchez, has also been indicted in a separate investigation into alleged influence peddling tied to his hiring by a regional government.

Sanchez’s former right-hand man and former transport minister, Jose Luis Abalos, went on trial this month over alleged kickbacks linked to public contracts.

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US immigration officers on Monday detained Brazil's former intelligence chief, who fled to the United States after being convicted for his role in a coup plot.

The fugitive Alexandre Ramagem was sentenced in September to 16 years in prison over the failed scheme to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after winning the 2022 election over far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Ramagem sneaked out of the country before he could be arrested.

Brazilian police said in a statement that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained "a fugitive from Brazilian justice following his conviction for the crimes of armed criminal association, attempted coup d'etat, and the attempted violent abolition of the rule of law."

A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that the detainee was Ramagem -- who is listed as being in ICE custody on the website of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Ramagem, 53, is a former police officer who commanded Brazil's main intelligence agency, ABIN, under Bolsonaro.

He was later elected a federal lawmaker, but lost his seat after his conviction.

Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year jail term over the conspiracy, which prosecutors said failed only because of a lack of support from military top brass.

Local media reported that Ramagem left Brazil via the border with Guyana, bypassing immigration controls, and entered the United States on a diplomatic passport.

Brazil formally requested the extradition of Ramagem in December.

The police statement said the arrest was the result of "international police cooperation between the Federal Police and US law enforcement authorities."

Bolsonaro ally and influencer Paulo Renato Figueiredo, who lives in the United States, wrote on X that Ramagem had been detained for a "minor traffic infraction."

Figueiredo -- grandson of the last general to preside over Brazil during the 1964-1985 dictatorship -- said that Ramagem's immigration status was legal, and that he has a pending asylum application.

"We expect him to be released as quickly as possible, at this time, we see no risk of deportation."

In a separate case, Ramagem is under investigation for allegedly leading a criminal group which carried out illegal spying on behalf of the far-right leader and his inner circle using Israeli surveillance software.

Federal police have recommended that charges be brought against Ramagem and around 30 others, including the former president's son Carlos Bolsonaro, in connection with this probe.

Ex-president Bolsonaro has been serving his sentence under house arrest for health reasons since last month, when he was rushed from prison to hospital with bronchopneumonia.

He has chosen his eldest son, the senator Flavio Bolsonaro, to face off against Lula in October elections.

The latest poll by the Datafolha Institute published Sunday showed Flavio Bolsonaro with 46 percent of voter intentions compared to 45 percent for Lula in a potential runoff.

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The head of the French energy giant TotalEnergies said Monday that reopening the Strait of Hormuz -- even with a toll -- was critical for global markets.

"It's clear that reopening and the free circulation through the Strait of Hormuz, even if you have to pay to anybody, is fundamental for the freedom of markets and global markets," Patrick Pouyanne, the company's CEO, said at an event on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.

Since the start of the war in the Middle East on February 28, shipping across the strait -- through which some 20 percent of the world's oil and gas is transported -- has been largely paralyzed.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump further ordered a naval blockade of Iranian ports -- another obstacle for passage through the strait.

This move will add a "layer of less liquidity in the market," Pouyanne said at the Semafor World Economy Conference.

The energy CEO said that Western countries had largely been buffered from the worst economic effects of the war through their stockpiles of oil and gas.

He warned, however, that "if this war and this blockade last more than three months, we'll begin to face some serious supply issues," notably in jet fuel and diesel.

He also pointed to fertilizer -- derived from petroleum products -- being "almost a system risk," as shortages could lead to higher food prices and thus inflation.

Pouyanne noted that fees are paid by ships transiting the Panama and Suez canals.

"The real problem is the threat" of sudden closure of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, explaining that the uncertainty will drive up prices.

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