Top Stories — Sunday, April 12, 2026
What is trending in the USA today? Here is Breaking News:
- What Now? Vance Leaves Iran Talks Without a Deal. — nyt News
- Mass Stampede at Haitian Tourist Site Leaves Dozens Dead — nyt News
- Eric Swalwell accused of paying nanny with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization — Fox News
What Now? Vance Leaves Iran Talks Without a Deal.
Source: nyt News • Published: 4/12/2026, 9:56:12 AM
Vice President JD Vance’s failure to win the concessions the United States sought from Iran in a single, marathon negotiating session over its nuclear program was no surprise.
The failure leaves the Trump administration facing several unpalatable options: A lengthy negotiation with Tehran over the future of its nuclear program, or a resumption of a war that has already created the largest energy disruption in modern times, and the prospect of a long struggle over who controls the Strait of Hormuz.
White House officials said they would defer to President Trump, who traveled to Florida for the weekend to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship match, to announce the administration’s next move. But each of those paths carries significant strategic and political downsides.
Mr. Vance said little about what took place during more than 21 hours of negotiations, suggesting he had handed the Iranians a take-it-or-leave-it proposal to forever terminate their nuclear program, and they left it.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are,” Mr. Vance told reporters, “what things we’re willing to accommodate them on.” He added, “They have chosen not to accept our terms.”
In that respect, this negotiation appears to have differed little from the one that ended in deadlock in Geneva in late February, leading Mr. Trump to order what became 38 days of missile and bombing attacks across Iran, aimed at its missile stockpiles, its military bases and the industrial base inside Iran that produces new weaponry.
But Mr. Trump’s bet, one he described several times over the past month, was that Iran would change its mind once faced a huge demonstration of American military prowess, with more than 13,000 targets hit, according to the Pentagon. The Iranians, for their part, were determined to show that no amount of American ordnance would force them to give way.
“The heavy loss of our great elders, dear ones, and fellow countrymen has made our response to pursue the Iranian nation’s interests and rights firmer than every before,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement as Mr. Vance headed to a military airfield to leave for home, empty-handed for now.
Perhaps that will change. But the administration’s fear of being sucked into a complex, lengthy conversation with Iran is palpable. Mr. Trump believes that he emerged the victor of the conflict, and therefore, as the special envoy Steve Witkoff puts it, Iran should simply “capitulate.”
That is not how it happened in the past. The last major agreement between Tehran and Washington, reached during the Obama administration, took two years to negotiate. And it was full of compromises, including allowing Iran to retain a small amount of its nuclear stockpile, and gradually lifting the restrictions on its nuclear activities until 2030, when Iran would be permitted to conduct any nuclear activity permissible under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
But the deadlock Mr. Vance ran into was essentially the same as the ones that derailed negotiations in late February, and prompted Mr. Trump to order the attack. (That negotiation was run by Mr. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who were present in Islamabad during the more than 20 hours of negotiations.)
Back then, the Iranians offered to “suspend” their nuclear operations for a few years, but not to give up their stockpiles of near-bomb-grade uranium or permanently surrender the capability to enrich uranium on their own soil. To the Iranians, that is their right as a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits them to never making a nuclear weapon. To the Americans, it is what Mr. Witkoff called “a tell” that Iran always wants a ready option to build a nuclear weapon, even if it never exercises that option.
Thirty-eight days of war appear to have hardened that view, not loosened it.
Mr. Trump’s chief leverage now comes in his ability to threaten to resume major combat operations. After all, the fragile two-week cease-fire ends on April 21. But while the threat of resuming combat operations may be invoked in coming days, it not a particularly viable political choice for Mr. Trump — and the Iranians know it.
Mr. Trump declared the cease-fire last week in large part to stem the pain from the loss of 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies, which was sending the price of gasoline soaring, and creating shortages of fertilizer and, among other critical supplies, helium for the production of semiconductors. Markets rose on the prospect of an agreement, even an incomplete or unsatisfactory one. Should the war resume, the markets would most likely decline, the shortages would worsen and inflation — already up to 3.3 percent — would almost inevitably rise.
And that leaves the most urgent issue: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians, in their own description of the meeting, put it first among their list of issues discussed. “In the past 24 hours, discussions were held on various dimensions of the main topics, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, lifting of sanctions and the complete end to the war against Iran,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
It was a notable list, since the closing of the strait was not an issue until after the war started and the Iranians decided to make use of their most potent weapon of economic chaos.
Now control of the waterway is wrapped in Iran’s other demands, including that the United States pay for damage done to Iran in the course of the bombing and missile strikes, and that it lift more than two decades of sanctions against the country. The United States has rejected the first idea, and said the second could happen only slowly, as the Iranians put in place their part of a deal.
What Mr. Vance’s trip made clear is that both sides think they emerged as the victor of the first round: the United States by dropping so much ordnance on Iran, the Iranians by surviving. Neither seems in the mood for compromise.
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
David E. Sanger covers the Trump administration and a range of national security issues. He has been a Times journalist for more than four decades and has written four books on foreign policy and national security challenges.
Read the full story at nyt News.
Mass Stampede at Haitian Tourist Site Leaves Dozens Dead
Source: nyt News • Published: 4/12/2026, 9:51:44 AM
A tourist outing on Saturday at one of Haiti’s most historic and famous fortresses turned into chaos and then terror, after a stampeding crowd crushed dozens of tourists to death, the authorities said.
Haitian officials estimated that at least 30 people had died during the stampede and that the toll was expected to rise.
The stampede took place at the Citadelle Laferrière, a large 19th-century fortress in northern Haiti. Despite security threats elsewhere in the country, the region surrounding the fortress is considered one of the most stable and popular tourist destinations, mostly among Haitian nationals.
“National authorities express their deep sorrow and immense sadness,” the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement. “All relevant authorities are fully mobilized and on high alert to provide immediate assistance, care and support to those affected and their families.”
Many young people, the statement added, were on the site, apparently to commemorate the fortress’s anniversary.
Many in the country widely regard the Citadelle Laferrière as a symbol of sovereignty and resistance against French colonialism. The massive building was commissioned by Henri Christophe, Haiti’s first and longest reigning king, to defend the nation from another possible invasion, and it is sometimes known as Citadelle Henri Christophe.
The fortress is such a national icon that it appears on Haitian currency, postage stamps and tourism promotions.
Haitian officials started an investigation to determine the exact circumstances under which the stampede took place, the minister of culture and communication, Emmanuel Ménard, said in an audio message, “so everyone knows what happened.”
Preliminary reports, he said, suggested that as rain started to fall on Saturday, chaos broke out at the entrance of the fortress.
“While some people wanted to leave, others were trying to enter,” Mr. Ménard said. “People began pushing. Some fell, and others trampled over them. Consequently, some people died from suffocation.”
At least 13 bodies remained at the fortress, while another 17 had been transported to a hospital in a nearby town, according to Mr. Ménard, who said that all visits to the fortress have been suspended until further notice. More people were receiving care at the hospital, he added.
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Mexico City, covering Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Read the full story at nyt News.
Eric Swalwell accused of paying nanny with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization
Source: Fox News • Published: 4/12/2026, 9:46:08 AM
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing allegations he violated immigration and employment laws to keep a live-in nanny in the U.S., including claims he paid her with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization, according to two recently filed complaints.
A complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor alleges that Swalwell and his wife, Brittany Swalwell, lied to keep their babysitter, Amanda Barbosa, employed, according to The New York Post.
In a separate complaint filed in February with the Department of Homeland Security by California filmmaker and political activist Joel Gilbert, first reported by The Post, Swalwell is accused of paying his nanny with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly did not have valid work authorization.
"Barbosa appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization," the DHS complaint states.
Rep. Eric Swalwell spoke during a press conference on committee assignments for the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Barbosa was first hired by Swalwell — who is running for California governor — in 2021 after coming to the U.S. from Brazil on an au pair visa, according to The Post.
Barbosa was paid $3,914 in campaign funds in 2021 and received $46,930 in 2022, according to Federal Election Commission data.
According to a labor certification application reviewed by The Post, Swalwell began the process of sponsoring Barbosa for a green card in December 2022 as her visa was set to expire.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., delivers a speech as he attends the SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW)'s Gubernatorial Candidate Worker Forum at Meruelo Studios in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 10, 2026. (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
Barbosa later enrolled at a community college and was not allowed to work off campus under student visa rules, The Post reported. However, social media photos appear to show her interacting with Swalwell’s children at family events throughout 2023 and 2024.
FEC records reviewed by the outlet show that $52,262 in campaign expenses for "childcare" were reimbursed to Swalwell, which the complaint alleges was a workaround to keep Barbosa employed while she was not authorized to work in the U.S.
The Department of Labor told The Post the labor certification was approved in 2024. In 2025, Barbosa received $38,905 in campaign funds from Swalwell, according to FEC data.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel in the Rayburn House Office Building on Sept. 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The complaints surfaced as Swalwell faces separate allegations of sexual assault.
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported allegations from a former staffer, and three additional women later spoke to CNN with misconduct claims.
Swalwell has denied the allegations and faced calls to drop his gubernatorial bid.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif, wears a protective mask while speaking during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on April 15, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images)
"A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat-out false," Swalwell said in a video posted Friday.
"They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Swalwell's congressional office for comment, as well as the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Election Commission.
Fox News Digital's Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Michael Sinkewicz is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
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