Thursday, April 4, 2024

4/4 WAKE-UP CALL: Trump Leading Biden In Swing States


Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in six of the seven battleground states in the 2024 election, according to a WSJ poll. Dissatisfaction with the U.S. economy and doubts about Biden’s capabilities and job performance are driving the divide. The former president holds leads of 2 to 8 percentage points in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina on a test ballot with third-party and independent candidates. His leads are similar when voters are asked to choose between him and Biden. In Wisconsin, the president leads by 3 points on the multiple-candidate ballot, and the two candidates are tied in a head-to-head matchup. Black, Latino and young voters who have been crucial to electing Democrats are withholding support from Biden or shifting toward Trump, the poll finds.


➤ISRAEL CLAIMS VEHICLES WRONGLY TARTGETED: The Israeli military said an initial investigation into a strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza found its forces had wrongly identified their vehicles as hostile targets. The flow of food into the hunger-stricken enclave risks further squeezing as aid groups fear for their staffs’ safety. The Monday night strike that hit workers with celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen—a vital food-assistance organization in Gaza—came amid rising international concerns about Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas. Meanwhile, families of hostages abducted by the militant group and frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war have revived Israel’s antigovernment protest movement. Demonstrations stopped after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the current conflict between Israel and the U.S.-designated terror organization.

CONVOY WAS SYSTEMATICALLY TARGETED: Chef José Andrés said Wednesday that Israeli forces had targeted a World Central Kitchen convoy in the Gaza Strip "systematically, car by car," killing seven aid workers, including one American, as the White House said it wanted to see “accountability” for the attack.  The deaths of the World Central Kitchen staffers on Monday wasn't the first time humanitarians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. But this attack killed foreigners, provoking a notable response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized in a video, promising an independent investigation, and Israel's military expressed “severe sorrow.” President Joe Biden placed a condolence phone call to Andrés, and the White House said he was “outraged” by the attack.

➤JUDGE DENIES TRUMP REQUEST: The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s New York hush money case denied on Wednesday his bid to delay the case based on presidential immunity. Judge Juan Merchant denied the entirety of Trump’s motion as “untimely,” declining to consider whether presidential immunity “precludes the introduction of evidence of purported official presidential acts in a criminal proceeding.” Trump had asked the judge to delay the trial until the Supreme Court issued a decision on his presidential immunity appeal in a separate case and to limit some evidence relating to “official acts” at trial.

➤AS AFTERSHOCKS RUMBLE, RESCUES UNDERWAY IN TAIWAN: The death toll rose to nine and scores of people were missing or trapped in rubble Wednesday after a massive earthquake struck Taiwan − and authorities warned that dangerous aftershocks could rock the densely populated island nation for several more days. Massive quake: Taiwan's National Fire Agency said at least 946 people were injured when the earthquake, measured as 7.2 magnitude by Taiwan officials and 7.4 by the U.S. Geological Survey, struck near the east coast city of Hualien at about 8 a.m. local time. A series of aftershocks followed, reaching up to 6.4 magnitude. 

➤BLOOD CLOT REMOVED FROM LAWMAKER:  Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) was hospitalized and underwent surgery this week after doctors discovered a blood clot in her leg. Boebert was admitted to the UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Monday afternoon due to severe swelling her leg, her campaign said in a release. She was diagnosed with May-Thurner syndrome, which causes blood clots in the leg due to pelvic artery swelling. Doctors removed the clot and inserted a stent in a Tuesday morning surgery, the release stated.


➤TRUMP SUES TRUMP MEDIA FOUNDERS: Donald Trump is suing two co-founders of Trump Media & Technology Group, the newly public parent company of his Truth Social platform, arguing that they should forfeit their stock in the company because they set it up improperly. The former U.S. president's lawsuit, which was filed on March 24 in Florida state court, follows a complaint filed in February by those co-founders, Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss. Their lawsuit sought to prevent Trump from taking steps the two said would sharply reduce their combined 8.6% stake in Trump Media. The pair filed their lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

➤DISNEY SHAREHOLDERS RETAIN CURRENT BOARD:  Shareholders voted to elect Disney’s entire slate of board nominees, while Peltz, who has argued the company needs a fresh voice to hold management accountable, lost his bid to become a director. The showdown was expected to be the priciest proxy fight ever. Of Peltz’s many criticisms of Disney’s operations, the point that most resonated with investors was the board’s failure to find a successor to CEO Bob Iger. The hotly contested fight could serve as a warning to corporate America that shareholders won’t tolerate bungled succession planning. The company’s shareholders on Wednesday voted “by a substantial margin” to elect Disney’s full slate of nominees to the board, according to chief legal and compliance officer Horacio Gutierrez. The decision, made at Disney’s annual meeting Wednesday, ends a months-long proxy campaign by activist investors to replace some Disney board members and push Iger to accelerate initiatives to improve Disney’s stock price and overall financial performance.

⚾OHTANI HITS FIRST HR OF NEW SEASON: After eight games on two continents without a home run, Shohei Ohtani the $700-million man — the one who led the American League in home runs last year — hit his first home run Wednesday, in the seventh inning, in his 37th at-bat this season. Not to say Los Angeles had been anxious or anything, but Miguel Rojas had hit his second home run of the season earlier in the game. The home runs — the 430-foot one from the designated slugger, and the one from the light-hitting shortstop — highlighted the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

 ⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Red 4 Phillies 1
  • Yankees 6 D-Backs 5
  • Rangers 4 Rays 1
  • Dodgers 5 Giants 4
  • Astros 8 Blue Jays 0
  • Cubs 9 Rockies 8
  • Nationals 5 Pirates 3
  • Guardians 8 Mariners 0
  • Padres 3 Cardinals 2
  • red Sox 1 Athletics 0
  • Twins 7 Brewers 3
  • Angels 10 Marlins 2
  • Orioles 4 Royals 3
  • Braves at White Sox PP
  • Tigers at MetsPP


➤STORM IN N-E:

➤THURSDAY'S WEATHER MAP:




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