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New California Sen. Adam Schiff wants to be more than a Trump antagonist
Read full article: New California Sen. Adam Schiff wants to be more than a Trump antagonistAs California’s newest senator, Democrat Adam Schiff says he’s not going to shy away from familiar territory — opposing Donald Trump when he feels it is necessary.
New Jersey interim Sen. George Helmy stepping down for Andy Kim to be sworn in early
Read full article: New Jersey interim Sen. George Helmy stepping down for Andy Kim to be sworn in earlyNew Jersey interim Sen. George Helmy, a Democrat appointed when Bob Menendez resigned after a federal corruption conviction, is stepping down this weekend.
Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial
Read full article: Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trialFederal prosecutors say some evidence that a judge had excluded from the bribery trial of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was inadvertently put on a computer given to jurors, but they say it should not affect the Democrat's conviction.
Indicted New York City mayor adopts familiar defense: He was targeted for his politics
Read full article: Indicted New York City mayor adopts familiar defense: He was targeted for his politicsFor months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams refused to criticize the federal authorities investigating his administration.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New Jersey's special congressional election
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New Jersey's special congressional electionVoters in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District will choose a successor on Wednesday to the late Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. In the race, Democratic Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver, Republican small business owner Carmen Bucco and two minor-party candidates are running to serve out the remaining 15 weeks of Payne’s unexpired term.
New Jersey governor's former chief of staff to replace Menendez, but only until November election
Read full article: New Jersey governor's former chief of staff to replace Menendez, but only until November electionNew Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has tapped his former chief of staff to serve temporarily as a U.S. senator to replace convicted Sen. Bob Menendez.
Bob Menendez to be replaced by New Jersey governor's former top aide, AP source says
Read full article: Bob Menendez to be replaced by New Jersey governor's former top aide, AP source saysNew Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy will name his former chief of staff George Helmy to serve as interim senator when Bob Menendez resigns later this month after his conviction on federal bribery charges.
US Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is resigning from office following his corruption conviction
Read full article: US Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is resigning from office following his corruption convictionU.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey says he is resigning from office Aug. 20 following his conviction for taking bribes for corrupt acts including acting as an agent of the Egyptian government.
Senate Ethics Committee starts review of Sen. Bob Menendez's conduct following bribery conviction
Read full article: Senate Ethics Committee starts review of Sen. Bob Menendez's conduct following bribery convictionThe Senate Ethics Committee has voted unanimously to review allegations that Sen. Bob Menendez violated Senate rules.
Democrats consider expelling Menendez from the Senate after conviction in bribery trial
Read full article: Democrats consider expelling Menendez from the Senate after conviction in bribery trialSen. Bob Menendez has shown no sign he will voluntarily resign from the Senate following his conviction on bribery charges.
Sen. Bob Menendez guilty of taking bribes in cash and gold and acting as Egypt's foreign agent
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez guilty of taking bribes in cash and gold and acting as Egypt's foreign agentSen. Bob Menendez has been convicted of all charges at his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
Jury finishes 2nd day of deliberations without a verdict at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial
Read full article: Jury finishes 2nd day of deliberations without a verdict at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trialThe jury at the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez finished its second day of deliberations without a verdict.
Jury ends first day of deliberations in US Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial without a verdict
Read full article: Jury ends first day of deliberations in US Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial without a verdictA jury has gone home after deliberating for three hours at the trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who is accused of taking bribes and being a foreign agent.
Sen. Bob Menendez's lawyer tells jury in closing that prosecutors failed to prove a single charge
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez's lawyer tells jury in closing that prosecutors failed to prove a single chargeA lawyer for Sen. Bob Menendez at the Democrat's bribery trial has urged jurors to acquit him of every charge, saying prosecutors had failed to prove a single count beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutor tells New York City jury at bribery trial that Sen. Bob Menendez put power 'up for sale'
Read full article: Prosecutor tells New York City jury at bribery trial that Sen. Bob Menendez put power 'up for sale'Closing arguments have started at the bribery trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, with a federal prosecutor telling jurors that Menendez put his power up for sale in return for bribes.
Prosecutors in Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial rest; Judge rejects defense request for acquittals
Read full article: Prosecutors in Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial rest; Judge rejects defense request for acquittalsAfter prosecutors finished presenting their bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez, lawyers were poised to call witnesses starting Monday to defend the Democrat and two New Jersey businessmen against multiple federal charges.
Gold bars and Sen. Bob Menendez’s curiosity about their price takes central role at bribery trial
Read full article: Gold bars and Sen. Bob Menendez’s curiosity about their price takes central role at bribery trialProsecutors have shown jurors at Sen. Bob Menendez's trial multiple instances when he researched the value of gold as he tried to help a New Jersey businessman who authorities say bribed him with gold and cash.
New Jersey power broker is charged with racketeering in waterfront redevelopment case
Read full article: New Jersey power broker is charged with racketeering in waterfront redevelopment caseNew Jersey’s attorney general has charged Democratic power broker George Norcross with racketeering and other crimes in connection with government issued tax credits.
New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testifies for government in Sen. Bob Menendez prosecution
Read full article: New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testifies for government in Sen. Bob Menendez prosecutionNew Jersey's top federal prosecutor says Sen. Bob Menendez sought to discuss the prosecution of a New Jersey real estate developer with him before recommending him to be nominated as U.S. attorney after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
New Jersey businessman testifies he promised up to $250,000 in bribes for Sen. Bob Menendez's help
Read full article: New Jersey businessman testifies he promised up to $250,000 in bribes for Sen. Bob Menendez's helpA New Jersey businessman who pleaded guilty and cooperated in the bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez has testified that he believed he had a deal worth $200,000 to $250,000 for the Democrat to make criminal probes of his friends and family vanish.
Republican Curtis Bashaw's nomination fueling GOP hope in deeply Democratic New Jersey
Read full article: Republican Curtis Bashaw's nomination fueling GOP hope in deeply Democratic New JerseyCurtis Bashaw’s Senate nomination over Donald Trump’s preferred candidate in the New Jersey Republican Senate primary and the chance that Sen. Bob Menendez’s independent campaign could split Democrats is fueling GOP hopes they can put a reliably Democratic Senate seat in play this fall.
Kim, Bashaw win New Jersey primaries for Senate seat held by embattled Menendez
Read full article: Kim, Bashaw win New Jersey primaries for Senate seat held by embattled MenendezDemocratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican Curtis Bashaw have won their New Jersey U.S. Senate primaries for the seat currently held by embattled Sen. Bob Menendez.
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to seek independent reelection bid amid federal corruption trial
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to seek independent reelection bid amid federal corruption trialU.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has filed to run for reelection as an independent even as he is on trial on federal bribery charges.
At bribery trial, ex-US official casts Sen. Bob Menendez as a villain in Egyptian meat controversy
Read full article: At bribery trial, ex-US official casts Sen. Bob Menendez as a villain in Egyptian meat controversyAt a bribery trial, a former top U.S. agricultural official has cast Sen. Bob Menendez as a villain who tried to stop him from disrupting an unusual sudden monopoly that developed five years ago over the certification of meat exported to Egypt.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the final presidential primaries and caucuses of 2024
Read full article: AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the final presidential primaries and caucuses of 2024The 2024 presidential primary calendar is drawing to a close with a handful of primaries on Tuesday and two Democratic caucuses in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands on June 8.
Trial of Sen. Bob Menendez takes a weeklong break after jurors get stuck in elevator
Read full article: Trial of Sen. Bob Menendez takes a weeklong break after jurors get stuck in elevatorThe New York trial of Sen. Bob Menendez grinded to a weeklong break after Manhattan federal court jurors were treated to a brick-by-brick build of the prosecution’s bribery case before getting stuck in an elevator.
Witness at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial says meat-export monopoly made costs soar
Read full article: Witness at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial says meat-export monopoly made costs soarA witness at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial says the cost of certifying that meat sent to Egypt follows Islamic dietary requirements skyrocketed after a single U.S. company was given a monopoly in a cozy deal prosecutors say Menendez arranged.
Sen. Bob Menendez reveals his wife has breast cancer as his trial focuses on FBI raid of his home
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez reveals his wife has breast cancer as his trial focuses on FBI raid of his homeSen. Bob Menendez says his wife has breast cancer and will require a mastectomy, a revelation made just as the presentation of evidence began at his New York bribery trial.
Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial begins, his second in the last decade
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial begins, his second in the last decadeThe corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez has begun in Manhattan federal court as dozens of prospective jurors who claimed jury service would be a hardship were questioned one by one over a six-hour stretch.
For a second time, Sen. Bob Menendez faces a corruption trial. This time, it involves gold bars
Read full article: For a second time, Sen. Bob Menendez faces a corruption trial. This time, it involves gold barsFor the second time in a decade, Sen. Bob Menendez is finding his political career and freedom on the line in a federal criminal case that already has forced him out of one of the Senate's most powerful posts.
Start of Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial is delayed a week to mid-May
Read full article: Start of Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial is delayed a week to mid-MayA federal judge has agreed to delay the start of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial by a week after lawyers said extra days would aid trial preparation.
Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife will have separate bribery trials, judge rules
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife will have separate bribery trials, judge rulesA federal judge has ruled that Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife will be tried separately on allegations that they participated in a bribery scheme.
Prosecutors recommend delaying the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez from May to a summer date
Read full article: Prosecutors recommend delaying the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez from May to a summer dateFederal prosecutors say the May bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez should be postponed until July or August after it was learned that the New Jersey Democrat's wife, who's a co-defendant, has a serious medical issue.
Sen. Bob Menendez's wife cites need for surgery in request to delay her trial
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez's wife cites need for surgery in request to delay her trialThe wife of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is seeking a delay to her criminal trial next month, saying a newly diagnosed and serious medical condition requires surgery within six weeks.
Sen. Bob Menendez decides not to delay May trial with appeal of judge's ruling
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez decides not to delay May trial with appeal of judge's rulingNew Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez has decided not to appeal a judge's ruling on Constitutional grounds that would have delayed his May trial.
In New Jersey, some see old-school politics giving way to 'spring' amid corruption scandal
Read full article: In New Jersey, some see old-school politics giving way to 'spring' amid corruption scandalNew Jersey has a well-earned reputation as a home to backroom political dealing, but some advocates see that as changing.
New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends her Senate campaign to replace indicted Sen. Menendez
Read full article: New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends her Senate campaign to replace indicted Sen. MenendezNew Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy has suspended her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez as he faces federal corruption charges.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez says he won't run in Democratic primary
Read full article: New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez says he won't run in Democratic primaryU.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey says he will not run in the Democratic primary as he faces federal corruption charges, but he is leaving open the possibility that he would reenter the race as an independent later this year if he is exonerated at a trial.
Judge rejects Sen. Menendez's claims that legislative immunity protects him from bribery charges
Read full article: Judge rejects Sen. Menendez's claims that legislative immunity protects him from bribery chargesA New York judge has rejected Sen. Bob Menendez's attempt to toss out four charges against him on grounds that he has legislative immunity.
Judge rejects Sen. Bob Menendez's claims that search warrants in bribery case were unconstitutional
Read full article: Judge rejects Sen. Bob Menendez's claims that search warrants in bribery case were unconstitutionalA federal judge has rejected U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's claims that search warrants leading to corruption charges and the discovery of gold bars and cash at his New Jersey home were unconstitutional.
New Jersey businessman pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption case
Read full article: New Jersey businessman pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption caseA New Jersey businessman has pleaded guilty to trying to bribe U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez admitting that he gave a car to the senator's wife to influence the lawmaker.
How a congressman’s challenge to New Jersey’s first lady is shaking up a key Senate race
Read full article: How a congressman’s challenge to New Jersey’s first lady is shaking up a key Senate raceIn New Jersey, the Senate seat held by Democrat Bob Menendez has become competitive because he was indicted last year on federal corruption charges.
Sen. Bob Menendez says gold bars and cash at his residence were illegally found and seized
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez says gold bars and cash at his residence were illegally found and seizedNew Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is asking a judge to toss out much of the evidence in the prosecution against him, saying investigators illegally searched his residence to get back at him for defeating a prior prosecution.
Fetterman backs Andy Kim as Democrats scramble to keep Menendez's Senate seat in New Jersey
Read full article: Fetterman backs Andy Kim as Democrats scramble to keep Menendez's Senate seat in New JerseyPennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has endorsed Rep. Andy Kim in the congressman’s bid to win a contested primary for New Jersey’s Senate seat.
Sen. Bob Menendez seeks dismissal of criminal charges. His lawyers say prosecutors 'distort reality'
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez seeks dismissal of criminal charges. His lawyers say prosecutors 'distort reality'Sen_ Bob Menendez is seeking dismissal of bribery charges, saying through lawyers that New York federal prosecutors are making claims that are “outrageously false, and indeed distort reality.”.
Prosecutors say Sen. Menendez cashed in by linking Qatari royal family member with NJ businessman
Read full article: Prosecutors say Sen. Menendez cashed in by linking Qatari royal family member with NJ businessmanFederal authorities say U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez used his international clout to help a friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, partly by taking actions favorable to Qatar’s government.
Judge turns down Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez's request to delay his May bribery trial for two months
Read full article: Judge turns down Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez's request to delay his May bribery trial for two monthsA federal judge has rejected U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's request to delay his bribery trial by two months.
Prosecutors oppose Sen. Bob Menendez's effort to delay May bribery trial until July
Read full article: Prosecutors oppose Sen. Bob Menendez's effort to delay May bribery trial until JulyFederal prosecutors say a judge should reject U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's request to delay his bribery trial by two months.
What about Bob? Some NJ Democrats want Menendez to move on so they can fight for his Senate seat
Read full article: What about Bob? Some NJ Democrats want Menendez to move on so they can fight for his Senate seatSen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has vowed he's not going anywhere amid a federal corruption case against him, but the party he once held considerable sway over is looking beyond him.
Latino Democrats shift from quiet concern to open opposition to Biden's concessions in border talks
Read full article: Latino Democrats shift from quiet concern to open opposition to Biden's concessions in border talksProminent Democratic Latinos in Congress quietly raised concerns at first about negotiations between the Biden administration and a group of senators over border security and asylum restrictions.
Sen. Menendez enters not guilty plea to a new conspiracy charge
Read full article: Sen. Menendez enters not guilty plea to a new conspiracy chargeU.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has returned to a New York City federal court and entered a not guilty plea to a charge alleging he conspired to act as an agent of the Egyptian government.
Sen. Bob Menendez's co-defendants, including his wife, plead not guilty to revised bribery charges
Read full article: Sen. Bob Menendez's co-defendants, including his wife, plead not guilty to revised bribery chargesFour defendants in the criminal bribery case against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, including his wife, have pleaded not guilty in New York City to a revised indictment.
Internal conflicts and power struggles have become hallmarks of the modern GOP
Read full article: Internal conflicts and power struggles have become hallmarks of the modern GOPDysfunction within the Republican Party isn’t limited to the leadership chaos in the House of Representatives playing out in the nation’s capital.
NJ attorney general looking into 2018 investigation of crash involving Nadine Menendez
Read full article: NJ attorney general looking into 2018 investigation of crash involving Nadine MenendezThe New Jersey attorney general’s office has opened an inquiry into how local law enforcement handled an investigation into a December 2018 car crash that involved Sen. Robert Menendez’s wife Nadine, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the situation.
Report of fatal New Jersey car crash fills in key gap in Menendez federal bribery investigation
Read full article: Report of fatal New Jersey car crash fills in key gap in Menendez federal bribery investigationNadine Menendez, now the wife of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, killed a man with her car in December 2018 and left the scene without being charged.
Cardin eyes changes on Egypt, Turkey and around the world as he takes powerful Senate foreign post
Read full article: Cardin eyes changes on Egypt, Turkey and around the world as he takes powerful Senate foreign postThe new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says he's considering policy changes toward Egypt, Turkey and other countries as he took over the powerful leadership of the panel.
Menendez tells Senate colleagues he won't resign, remains defiant amid bribery charges
Read full article: Menendez tells Senate colleagues he won't resign, remains defiant amid bribery chargesNew Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez remains defiant in the face of federal bribery charges, telling a room full of his Senate Democratic colleagues that he has no plans to resign.
US Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to pocketing bribes in a wide-ranging corruption case
Read full article: US Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to pocketing bribes in a wide-ranging corruption caseSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey will address his Democratic colleagues on Thursday as calls grow for Menendez to resign over federal bribery charges.
Calls are mounting for Menendez to resign as Democrats grapple with 'shocking' bribery allegations
Read full article: Calls are mounting for Menendez to resign as Democrats grapple with 'shocking' bribery allegationsSen. Bob Menendez is coming under heavy pressure to resign from office as he faces federal bribery allegations.
Democratic Sen. Menendez rejects calls to resign and says cash found in home was not bribe proceeds
Read full article: Democratic Sen. Menendez rejects calls to resign and says cash found in home was not bribe proceedsDemocratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is rejecting calls to resign, saying that nearly half a million dollars in cash found in his home was from personal savings, not from bribes.
Menendez gains a primary opponent as calls for his resignation grow after indictment
Read full article: Menendez gains a primary opponent as calls for his resignation grow after indictmentRep. Andy Kim of New Jersey has announced that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the state’s Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges.
Biden faces foreign policy trouble spots as he aims to highlight his experience on the global stage
Read full article: Biden faces foreign policy trouble spots as he aims to highlight his experience on the global stageIt probably wasn’t how President Joe Biden envisioned his big foreign policy week ending.
Bribery case against Sen. Menendez shines light on powerful NJ developer accused of corruption
Read full article: Bribery case against Sen. Menendez shines light on powerful NJ developer accused of corruptionThe sweeping bribery case brought against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez includes allegations that he took cash and gold in exchange for interfering in a criminal case against a New Jersey real estate developer.
Takeaways from investigation that turned up gold bars, a luxury car and cash at a US senator's home
Read full article: Takeaways from investigation that turned up gold bars, a luxury car and cash at a US senator's homeDemocratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car and cash in exchange for using his outsized sway in foreign affairs to help the authoritarian government of Egypt as well as others.
Gold bars, cash-stuffed envelopes: New indictment of Sen. Menendez alleges vast corruption
Read full article: Gold bars, cash-stuffed envelopes: New indictment of Sen. Menendez alleges vast corruptionDemocratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has been indicted, accused of using his foreign affairs influence to help Egypt in return for bribes from the authoritarian regime.
Foreign Relations chair seeks answers from US oil firms on Russia business after Ukraine invasion
Read full article: Foreign Relations chair seeks answers from US oil firms on Russia business after Ukraine invasionThe head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has asked America's top three oilfield services companies to explain why they continued doing business in Russia after it invaded Ukraine.
Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions
Read full article: Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensionsSenior lawmakers from the United States and Europe are calling for a change in the Western diplomatic approach toward Serbia and Kosovo.
Lawmakers press for more scrutiny over China's 'malign influence' at development bank
Read full article: Lawmakers press for more scrutiny over China's 'malign influence' at development bankLawmakers intent on reducing China’s influence on the U.S. economy are seeking to push the Treasury Department to reduce the scale of Beijing’s influence at the Inter-American Development Bank, which supports economic and social development in Latin America and Caribbean.
Biden eases Venezuela sanctions as opposition talks resume
Read full article: Biden eases Venezuela sanctions as opposition talks resumeThe Biden administration is easing some oil sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to support newly restarted negotiations between the Venezuelan government and its opposition.
Fed tackles inflation with its most diverse leadership ever
Read full article: Fed tackles inflation with its most diverse leadership everWhen Diane Swonk first attended the Federal Reserve’s annual economic conference in Jackson Hole in the late 1990s, there was a happy hour for women who attended the event.
Trump's Ukraine impeachment shadows war, risks GOP response
Read full article: Trump's Ukraine impeachment shadows war, risks GOP responseEven the staunchest defense hawks in the Republican Party stood virtually united by Donald Trump’s side when the then-president was impeached in late 2019 after pressuring Ukraine’s leader for “a favor” and withholding $400 million in military aid.
Yellen trip to Capitol detours into tense abortion debate
Read full article: Yellen trip to Capitol detours into tense abortion debateTreasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s appearance before a Senate committee took an unexpected and tense detour into the abortion debate Tuesday when senators questioned her about the potential impact of an abortion ban on the American economy.
US lawmakers affirm Japan alliance eyeing China, North Korea
Read full article: US lawmakers affirm Japan alliance eyeing China, North KoreaJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and visiting U.S. lawmakers have reaffirmed their commitment to working together under a longstanding alliance at a time of heightened global tensions and threats from China and North Korea.
China stages military exercises as US lawmakers visit Taiwan
Read full article: China stages military exercises as US lawmakers visit TaiwanChina says its military has staged exercises to reinforce its threat to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, as U.S. lawmakers visiting Taiwan made a pointed and public declaration of support for the self-governing island democracy while issuing a warning to China.