Trump campaign talks up prospects of flipping 2 states to GOP (2024)

Two years ago, Joselu Mato was another Real Madrid fan cheering in the stands of the Stade de France as it won a record-extending 14th European Cup. The journeyman striker scored two late goals on Wednesday to achieve another memorable Madrid comeback in a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich and send them back to the Champions League final. Joselu's arrival last summer on loan from the relegated Espanyol was not a typical Real Madrid move. But he has surpassed expectations by perfectly performing his role as Madrid's super sub in attack. Now he will have the chance to play against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in London. Especially if Madrid needs another late rally.

Nissan’s profit for the fiscal year through March has jumped 92% to 426.6 billion yen, or $2.7 billion, as the Japanese automaker’s sales grew in all major global markets except China. Nissan reported Thursday annual sales surged nearly 20%. Quarterly profit edged down slightly, while quarterly sales rose 13%. Nissan hopes to maintain its leadership in electric vehicles in the Japanese market with its Ariya sports-utility vehicle. Nissan sold 3.44 million vehicles globally for the year, up from 3.3 million vehicles the year before. Nissan has said it will mass produce electric vehicles powered by next-generation batteries by early 2029, offering solid-state batteries in a range of models, including pickup trucks.

TSX and OTC: MPVD

TSX and OTC: MPVD

UNDATED (AP) — Two Republican congressmen have introduced a bill that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools with federal protection from legal challenges that undercut their ability to govern college sports. The Protect the Ball Act is sponsored by Reps. Russell Fry …

It has been a challenging season in the Champions League for the 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak and his support officials from Poland. Two stoppage-time decisions by Marciniak and his team have fueled referee controversies that are rare in the elite-level competition. Their decisions affected Bayern Munich going on in the semifinals on Wednesday and Newcastle in a group-stage game in November. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel called their decision “disastrous.” Newcastle coach Eddie Howe says their call was “hugely frustrating." Both times Marciniak and his team’s interventions seemed to go against the widely understood advice UEFA gives match officials for its games.

The Islamic State group says it is responsible for a bombing that killed officers involved in an anti-poppy crop campaign in Afghanistan's northeast. A motorcycle was booby-trapped and exploded, targeting a Taliban patrol in Badakhshan province. The group says the bomb killed or wounded 12 members of the patrol and destroyed a vehicle. The Taliban pledged to wipe out the country’s drug cultivation industry and imposed a formal ban in April 2022, dealing a heavy blow to hundreds of thousands of farmers and day laborers who relied on proceeds from the crop to survive. The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan is a major Taliban rival.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s abortion rate rose last year to its highest level in a decade as state legislation made it easier to get an abortion and thousands of people from states with abortion bans sought medical care here, new data show.

For two years, Serhii and Yulia Marchenko tried to ride out the war in Ukraine. Along with their six children — the youngest now only 7 months old — they hoped to stay in the home they built in central Ukraine. Before the war, Serhii had planted grapes in their front yard, and a large garden…

When doctors began using the drug sotorasib in 2021 with high expectations for its innovative approach to attacking lung cancer, retired medical technician Don Crosslin was an early beneficiary. Crosslin started the drug that July. His tumors shrank, then stabilized.

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard “election integrity,” even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

About a year and a half ago, I became one of Those People who track how many steps they walk each day. I know there’s nothing magical about the daily 10,000-step target, but it’s a fun little pastime, made more fun by the fact that I surpass 10,000 most days without really trying.

The coronavirus pandemic ushered in a wave of anti-Asian hate, but it also lit a flame in the hearts of many Asian Americans who turned to activism and advocacy in the face of racism.

The Boston Bruins host the Florida Panthers in game three of the second round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 1-1.

The Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the NHL Playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series.

An anti-discrimination activist in Tunisia was arrested in a money laundering investigation this week as the dangerous and dire conditions facing migrants and their advocates worsen. Saadia Mosbah was taken into custody as part of an investigation into the funding for the Mnemty association she runs. An offcial at a human rights group said Mosbah was arrested after she posted on social media condemning the racism she faced for her work from people accusing her of helping sub-Saharan African migrants. Tunisia's president said this week that associations that receive substantial foreign funds were “traitors and agents” and shouldn’t supplant the state’s role in managing migration. Fewer migrants have crossed the Mediterranean this year due to weather and beefed-up security.

LOS ANGELES -- In November 2017, days after her daughter Mallory Smith died from a drug-resistant infection at the age of 25, Diane Shader Smith typed a password into Mallory's laptop.

One of the most iconic buildings in Key West, built by Cuban exiles in the 19th century as they fought for independence from Spain and now a Cuban heritage center, is in the midst of a legal battle over its ownership.

The relationship between the United States and Israel has been a tight embrace almost ever since the founding of the Jewish-led state 76 years ago.

LOS ANGELES -- When he got home from work early on a Sunday afternoon in March, Alex Gutierrez called for his youngest daughter and smiled as she popped out of her room to greet him.

I pulled into a gas station near San Francisco, and my eyes popped out of my head: $6 a gallon!

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is calling for an end to “antisemitic abuse” at U.K. universities as protests against the war in Gaza expand and the government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks. The comments came as Sunak and his education secretary prepared to meet with university leaders on Thursday at the prime minister's offices. About a dozen encampments have been built at universities including Oxford and Cambridge in recent days. The demonstrations so far have been relatively small and peaceful, but some Jewish students have expressed concerns about antisemitism.

President Joe Biden spent his Earth Day in a national forest this year with an explicit pitch to young people: a climate jobs corps intended to excite Gen Z the way John F. Kennedy's Peace Corps inspired their grandparents.

The Minnesota Twins play the Seattle Mariners, leading the series 2-1.

The Milwaukee Brewers open a four-game series at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will attempt to build upon a three-game win streak with a victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The New York Yankees, on a five-game home winning streak, host the Houston Astros.

The Chicago White Sox play the Cleveland Guardians looking to end a three-game home skid.

The Los Angeles Angels host the Kansas City Royals to begin a four-game series.

The Colorado Rockies will try to end a four-game slide when they take on the San Francisco Giants.

The U.N. World Health Organization says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, and shortages have already forced one of three hospitals in the city of Rafah to shut down. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been closed since Israel’s military took control of the Palestinian side early Tuesday, blocking the entry of vital humanitarian aid. Israel said it reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, the other main aid entry point, on Wednesday. However, the U.N. World Food Program says no aid has entered, and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side. The U.N. says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine.”

Scores of musicians, hundreds of journalists and thousands of music fans are gathering in the Swedish city of Malmo, where the Eurovision Song Contest is building towards Saturday’s exuberant, glitter-drenched final. Thirty-seven countries are participating in the contest, whose motto is “united by music.” The favorites include Swiss singer Nemo, Ireland's Bambie Thug and the bookies' favorite, Croatian performer Baby Lasagna. Even Eurovision can’t escape the world’s divisions, however. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are also expected in the city for demonstrations urging a cease-fire in the Gaza war and criticizing Israel’s participation in the contest. Israeli singer Eden Golan is due to perform Thursday night.

Asian shares are mixed after Wall Street’s lull stretched into a second day. China reported better than expected trade figures for April. U.S. futures were slightly lower and oil prices rose. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 closed little changed after a big three-day winning streak gave way to a slight gain the prior day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%. Uber Technologies slumped after reporting worse results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Shopify tumbled after giving a forecast for slowing revenue growth. Lyft and Arista Networks revved higher after topping expectations for profit and revenue. Treasury yields ticked higher in the bond market.

UNDATED (AP) — Two Republican congressmen have introduced a bill that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools with federal protection from legal challenges that undercut their ability to govern college sports. The Protect the Ball Act is sponsored by Reps. Russell Fry …

UNDATED (AP) — Two Republican congressmen have introduced a bill that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools with federal protection from legal challenges that undercut their ability to govern college sports. The Protect the Ball Act is sponsored by Reps. Russell Fry …

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Star sports columnist Gregg Doyel will not cover the Indiana Fever in person this season after an awkward interaction with No. 1 WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark. Gannett, the newspaper’s parent company, made the announcement. Doyel made a heart gesture with his…

UNDATED (AP) — Two Republican congressmen have introduced a bill that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools with federal protection from legal challenges that undercut their ability to govern college sports. The Protect the Ball Act is sponsored by Reps. Russell Fry …

Vanderson Chaves has faced many challenges in more than a decade as a Paralympic fencer but none as fearsome as the massive floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. The waters washed away his equipment, dozens of medals, his passport and might have even thwarted his chances of reaching the Paris Games in September. His ground-floor apartment is in an elevated region of state capital Porto Alegre but that didn’t spare him from becoming one of the 230,000 people displaced by the floodwaters. Days later, his home remains submerged and his few remaining belongings fit in a car. It's affecting his mental health ahead of two key competitions for him to qualify for the Paralympics.

South Korea’s president has dismissed calls for independent investigations into allegations involving his wife and top officials. President Yoon Suk Yeol's move drew strong rebukes from his rivals Thurday. After suffering a heavy loss in the recent April 10 parliamentary elections, Yoon faces what appears to be his biggest political challenge yet as opposition parties extend their control of the National Assembly to 2028. The main opposition Democratic Party has called for independent investigations to examine suspicions surrounding the 2023 death of a solider who drowned during a search operation for flood victims and other scandals involving first lady Kim Keon Hee's luxury gifts and allegations of stock price manipulation.

Norfolk Southern shareholders will decide Thursday morning whether to back an activist investor’s bid to take over the railroad’s board and replace management. Ancora Holdings picked up significant support during the campaign from major investors like EdgePoint Investment Group, two major rail unions and some customers. But the rest of rail labor, several key regulators and a number of other customers backed management. If all seven of Ancora’s nominees are elected, that would give them the votes they need to move forward with their plan to fire the CEO and overhaul the railroad’s operations. If shareholders only support some of their board candidates, then Ancora won’t be able to make sweeping changes right away.