World
Swing-state Democrat Casey walks a fine line between his own campaign and turmoil surrounding Biden
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey has a fine line to walk.
He and other Democrats fighting to hang on to hotly contested Senate seats have seemed jittery about the turmoil surrounding President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance. In many cases they’re trying to minimize any damage to their own races by saying as little as possible about it in public.
But with control of the Senate on the line, the drama is an unavoidable and unwelcome development for Democrats. They are defending far more Senate seats than Republicans this year, including in the presidential swing states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona.
Incumbents in Republican-leaning Montana and Ohio appear nervous, too, and there’s an unexpected challenge in the Democratic stronghold of Maryland from former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
The turmoil surrounding Biden is especially delicate for Casey, long seen as one of the safest Democratic bets in battleground races. He has defended Biden, but in the halls of the Capitol this week, even Casey brushed aside questions about how Biden’s predicament might affect his race.
“I’ve got work I got to do as a senator and as a candidate,” he told The Associated Press. “I’m not going to be a pundit or an analyst. Obviously voters can make up their own minds.”
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Casey grew up on the same street as Biden in Scranton. Their families have known each other for decades, and he’s campaigned with Biden countless times, including this year. Biden — a Delaware resident but a Pennsylvania native, as is first lady Jill Biden — has long claimed Pennsylvania as his own.
When Casey’s mother died last year, Biden came to Scranton to pay his respects.
On Sunday, Casey greeted Biden in Philadelphia on the president’s campaign swing through Pennsylvania, attending worship services with him at a predominantly Black church there. Answering reporters’ questions during his own campaign events, Casey has maintained that he supports Biden and was not concerned about his debate flop.
Still, Casey’s backing has lacked the gusto of Pennsylvania’s other Democratic senator, John Fetterman, who told Biden supporters in Pennsylvania that Biden is “the only person that’s ever kicked Trump’s ass in an election.”
Other Democratic incumbents have been less hesitant to set themselves apart from Biden, before and after the debate. Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio have offered little public support for the president since the debate.
Tester and Brown — prime GOP targets in states that Republicans have dominated in recent years — have been distancing themselves from Biden for quite some time.
For Tester, a centrist lawmaker representing a fossil fuel-friendly state, steering clear of national Democrats has long been crucial to his political survival. Most recently, he pushed back against the administration over new pollution rules that could hurt Montana’s energy industry.
Yet Tester has also said that the president himself was doing a good job — comments that his opponent, Republican Tim Sheehy, resurrected in an online campaign ad after Biden’s shaky debate performance.
In a statement this week, Tester adopted a more skeptical stance. He said Biden must “prove to the American people — including me — that he’s up to the job.”
Montana voter Kathryn Natzel, a self-described moderate Democrat, supports Tester for his position on women’s reproductive rights and is clear about her reasoning.
“Don’t tell me what to do with my family,” she said.
But the 29-year-old stay-at-home mother from Billings worries younger voters who cringe at Biden’s age could also turn against Tester as he seeks a fourth term.
“It’s kind of a point against him for younger people,” Natzel said, noting that Tester’s political career spans almost her whole life.
Brown, the Ohio incumbent, was asked repeatedly about Biden on a conference call with reporters Wednesday. The subject of the call was federal rules for hydrogen hubs, but the questions focused heavily on Biden.
Brown acknowledged there are “legitimate questions” about whether Biden should continue his campaign. The senator wouldn’t answer when asked what he told colleagues privately about Biden or if he thought having Biden on the ballot hurts other Democrats, including him. He even refused to answer directly when asked if he supported the president.
“I’m not talking about politics on this call,” Brown said. “I’ve said enough.”
On a campaign swing through Wisconsin, Baldwin told reporters that the “bottom line” is that it’s Biden’s decision on whether to run and that she’s heard a lot from voters and “passed those onto the White House.”
In Pennsylvania, for the most part, Casey has brushed aside questions about how Biden’s predicament might impact his race. But his opponent, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, is highlighting Casey’s support for Biden. In digital ads, McCormick’s campaign calls Casey the “one man who will never leave Biden.” Clips of Biden calling Casey “one of my best buddies,” “one of my closest friends” and “Bobby Casey” drive home the point.
When he has talked about it, Casey has acknowledged that Biden had a bad night. But at a recent appearance with Biden in Harrisburg, e asserted that voters would ultimately side with Democrats, even in the race for the presidency. He said it comes down to whether candidates support reproductive rights for women, working families rather than billionaires, and voting rights over an insurrection.
“I do think people across the country, they have real a sense of what’s at stake in this race,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
World
Mexico pyramid shooter who took hostages and killed 1 is identified
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
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The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Appetite among NATO members to join Iran war ‘very limited’, says Eide
Norway has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump over what he described as “zero” European support in the conflict with Iran.
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“NATO is a defensive alliance. It is not an attack alliance,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Euronews’ Europe Today flagship morning show.
Eide said NATO members are focused on safeguarding key global trade routes, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “NATO countries are doing something, but it’s not as a party to a conflict,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing Washington in the Iran conflict. He raised the issue again during a White House meeting earlier this month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Eide argued that there had been no prior preparation or consensus within the alliance. As a result, there is “very limited appetite” among member states to join the war.
He said that while both the US and Iran may have reasons to end the conflict, “the sides are far apart”, with negotiations hindered by opposing demands.
On Monday, Trump said the United States would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
Still, Eide pointed to signs of “some progress”, noting the broader global impact of the conflict. “This is not only an issue for the two sides, but it affects the whole world economy,” he said.
Addressing a European diplomatic push to establish a Palestinian state, Eide reiterated support for a two-state solution based on long-standing United Nations principles. However, he acknowledged that such an outcome is “not around the corner”.
He added that a two-state solution is also in Israel’s interest, describing it as “the only viable solution for real peace in a very troubled region”.
Norway, alongside Spain and Ireland, recognised the State of Palestine in 2024.
World
Iran War Live Updates: Trump Officials and Iran Plan New Talks Despite Mixed Messages
The United States military last week extended its blockade on vessels coming in and out of Iranian ports to the waters of the wider world, declaring that it would pursue any ship aiding Iran, regardless of location on the high seas or flag.
The U.S. “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday, noting that the American troops beyond the Middle East will engage in operations to thwart Iranian shipping.
The extension of the blockade comes as the economically vital Strait of Hormuz remains all but closed to commercial traffic and the two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran nears an end. The move aligns longstanding American economic policies targeting Iran with the current military campaign against it, maritime and military law experts say.
But it raises a host of legal and practical questions.
“War is a messy thing not just on the combat side but under national and international law,” said James R. Holmes, chair of maritime strategy at the Naval War College.
“From a legal standpoint, a blockade is an act of war, so the blockade probably is legal to the extent Operation Epic Fury is,” he said using the name of the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
Since Congress has not declared war against Iran, no formal state of war exists between the United States and the Islamic Republic. But Mr. Holmes noted that “undeclared wars are more the rule than the exception in U.S. history,” with joint resolutions of Congress, United Nations Security Council resolutions and NATO decisions invoked to justify fighting.
“This campaign may be more unilateral than most, but it is not without precedent,” he said.
Under international law, the legality of the blockade is “more ambiguous,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank in Washington.
For a blockade to be legal, Ms. Kavanagh said, it must be “effective,” meaning that it is both enforceable and enforced. Some would argue that a “‘global blockade’ is not permissible in conception” because it is overly broad, she said.
Still, expansive blockades have taken place throughout history, including during World War II, when states enforced naval blockades worldwide other than in neutral territorial seas. Over the centuries before that, the British blockaded France throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and during the War of American Independence, the colonies and their allies raided British shipping as far away as the Indian Ocean.
Enforcing expansive blockades is difficult, however.
“The seven seas are a big place, and the largest navy or coast guard is tiny by comparison,” Mr. Holmes said. Whether the U.S. blockade ultimately is deemed “effective,” legally speaking, will depend on whether the U.S. has enough assets like ships, aircraft, boarding crews and intelligence gathering to enforce it.
The blockade does not have to be “airtight” to meet the legal test, Mr. Holmes said, and assessing its effectiveness will be tough for outside observers in any case.
Enforcement may also have to be somewhat selective, he suggested.
“Now, it is possible our leadership might quietly let a ship proceed when it suits the national interest,” Mr. Holmes said. “For instance, with a summit coming up between President Trump and General Secretary Xi” — Mr. Trump is to meet with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in May — “Washington might not want to ruffle feathers by obstructing China’s oil imports.”
The expanded blockade is part of a longstanding economic campaign against Iran, but it represents something of a tactical change for the Trump administration.
Earlier in the war, the United States temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea to ease the pressure on global energy prices. And before imposing a blockade on Iranian ports last week, the U.S. allowed Iranian tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz for the same reason.
Now Washington seems to be returning its focus to keeping pressure on Iran.
“The blockade is a wartime extension of existing U.S. economic sanctions against the Iranian regime,” said James Kraska, professor of international maritime law and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. In peacetime, he said, the sanctions were a “powerful tool to weaken the Iranian economy.” Now, he said, the blockade serves as a “kinetic expansion.”
General Caine’s announcement about the expanded naval blockade came one day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Fury,” an effort he called the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign. It includes secondary sanctions on institutions internationally, like banks, that have dealings with Iran.
The expanded blockade “marks a notable escalation by the United States,” said Ms. Kavanagh.
Still, she said, it is unlikely to significantly change Iranian calculations.
“For Iran, this war is existential and it is not going to cave easily or quickly,” she said. “Economic pressure may work over the very long term, but Trump seems too impatient for a deal to wait it out.”
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