China enters Iran talks as diplomacy grows; Trump refuses apology to pope

More players are stepping up for talks with Iran

China jumps in as the U.S. and Iran clash over how far a nuclear deal should last

Plus, Eric Swalwell is out, accused by multiple women. The California congressman resigns, and he's not the only one leaving this morning

And deadly flooding plus missed warnings. Now Camp Mystic wants to reopen, while families are still demanding answers

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. This morning, diplomatic efforts are picking up

as the U.S. blockades the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple countries are now stepping in

trying to jumpstart talks before the current ceasefire runs out. China is openly pushing back

on the U.S. blockade. A foreign ministry spokesperson called it dangerous and irresponsible

And President Xi Jinping says Beijing will play what he calls a constructive role

laying out a four-point plan focused on sovereignty, security, and regional stability

Pakistan is also moving to host another round of talks between the United States and Iran

before the ceasefire expires next week. The first round in Islamabad ran 21 hours and ended without

a deal. Vice President J.D. Vance said on Fox News Channel's special report there was some progress

but Iran is still not agreeing to give up its nuclear program. President of the United States has said he would be very happy if Iran was treated like a normal

country, if it had a normal economy, if its people were able to prosper and thrive. But in order for

Iran to be a normal country economically, it's going to have to be a normal country from the

perspective of not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and it's going to have to be a normal country

from not pursuing terrorism. The U.S. has proposed a long-term pause on uranium enrichment

reportedly at least 20 years. The New York Times says Iran countered with a shorter window

up to five years, and that offer was rejected. Meanwhile, oil prices are easing as markets watch

for signs these talks could move forward. U.S. crude fell about 1.7 percent early Tuesday

to around $97 a barrel. Brent crude dropped just under 1% to about $98

California Democrat Eric Swalwell says he will resign from Congress following allegations of sexual misconduct by at least four women including a former staffer

The decision comes just days after the allegations first surfaced last week

Swalwell denies any wrongdoing, but dropped his bid for California governor on Sunday

Now, after growing calls from lawmakers in both parties to step down, he says he will give up his House seat

Swalwell said, quote, expelling anyone in Congress without due process is wrong

but it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties

He did not say when he will resign. Not long before that announcement, his longtime ally, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego

publicly called on him to step down. In a statement, Gallego wrote, quote, I trusted someone who I believed was a friend

but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew. And in a post late last night, FBI Director Kash Patel jumped in

writing that Swalwell, quote, has maintained that none of the allegations against him are true

And now that he's resigned, we would welcome him to sit down with the FBI and share any information he has

Attorney Lisa Bloom says a Swalwell accuser will hold a press conference this morning in Beverly Hills

In a similar topic, another member of Congress is stepping down, and this one plans to make it official today

Texas Republican Tony Gonzalez says he will resign from the House when Congress returns this morning after weeks of pressure from both parties

He had already said he would not run for reelection after admitting to having an affair with a staff member, a violation of House rules

Gonzalez was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and facing a possible expulsion vote later this week

Instead, he announced on social media he would, quote, file my retirement from office, calling it a privilege to serve Texas

The staff member involved later died by suicide. It is not yet clear exactly when Gonzalez's resignation will take effect

President Trump is refusing to apologize to Pope Leo XIV, doubling down on his criticism of the pontiff's opposition to the war in Iran

Trump says he's responding to the pope speaking out first, arguing his approach is about preventing a nuclear-armed Iran

The dispute grew after Trump posted and then deleted an image of himself in a robe, laying hands on a sick man

The image drew backlash from religious and political figures including conservative Christians who called it blasphemous and a comparison to Jesus Trump dismissed that criticism I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor

and had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support

And only the fake news could come up with that one. So I had, I had, I just heard about it

And I said, how did they come up with that? It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people

better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better. Vice President J.D. Vance

called the post a joke and said it was taken down after people didn't see it that way. Before that

Pope Leo said the Vatican's calls for peace come from the gospel, blessed are the peacemakers

and that he will keep speaking out against the war. New testimony is putting a spotlight on what

camp mystic leaders knew before the floods that killed 27 campers and counselors last year in the

Texas Hill Country. The camp director, Edward Eastland, testified Monday as part of an ongoing

court fight over lawsuits from victims' families and whether parts of the camp must be preserved

as evidence. He told the court he did not see multiple flood warnings issued in the days

leading up to the July 4th disaster. According to the AP, Eastland said there were no meetings

with staff about the incoming weather threat before the storm and torrential flooding hit

He said he never saw a flash flood warning sent overnight and slept through another alert on his phone

Attorneys for the families pushed back in court, pointing to warnings from the National Weather Service in the days before the floods

Eastland also confirmed the camp has already taken deposits from more than 800 families to return this summer

That's according to CBS in Austin. The hearing is expected to continue through the week

Camp operators are trying to reopen part of the property later this summer, even as the legal fight continues

The pride flag is going back up at Stonewall after the Trump administration reversed course

Government agreed Monday to restore the rainbow flag to the federal flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument in New York

The move settles a lawsuit filed after the flag was removed in February under new federal guidance limiting which flags could fly at national park sites

The deal requires the pride flag to fly permanently alongside the American flag and the National Park Service flag

The removal triggered backlash nationwide and protests at the site. Local leaders raised their own flag days later and it stayed up even as the legal fight moved forward Let be clear Trump backed down And because of that the flag is going to continue to fly

here at Stonewall. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani called the agreement a victory for the

LGBTQ plus community and the city, writing on X that the reversal is a reminder that New Yorkers

won't let our history be rewritten. Finally this morning, a special delivery to the Oval Office

President Trump had McDonald's dropped off right at his door on Monday. Watch this

McDonald's. Nice to see you. Nice to meet you. I have your door bash for you

That's right, look at this. This doesn't look staged, does it? It was a staged moment built around his push to eliminate taxes on tips

How about that? DoorDash right at his fingertips. Under his new tax law, some workers can deduct up to $25,000 in tips

The driver, Sharon Simmons, an Arkansas grandmother of 10, says she saved about $11,000 this year

And are the White House contributors, do you know? Um, wait. Yes, very

$100. Not bad for the effort, right? That's got to be more than 20%. By the way, I want to know

what was in those McDonald's bags, right? Maybe a Big Mac? Geez, I haven't had a Big Mac in so

long, and now I'm hungry. All right, a busy Tuesday. Here's what we're tracking today

New inflation data drops this morning. The producer price index out at 830, a key read

on wholesale prices and where inflation might be heading next. At 1030, Speaker Mike Johnson

delivers remarks at the Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of the National Days of Remembrance

Tonight on Capitol Hill, Republican Clay Fuller of Georgia is sworn into the House

filling the remainder of Marjorie Taylor Greene's term. Also, Vice President J.D. Vance appears with

Erica Kirk at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia. No noise, no sides

just the story. NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability. All sides gives us a

Center rating with balance certification. We give you facts first and the news straight. Those

who run by us to update support this Tuesday. We'll see you back here tomorrow. For all of us

at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day