2024 – Page 915 – Wealth World News

Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance summed up the ongoing NY v. Trump trial as a Democratic effort to distract that ‘the world is on fire’ under the Biden administration.

‘This is about the fact that President Joe Biden has a failed record as commander in chief and leader of this country, and the Democrats can’t talk about that. So what they’re doing is putting these trials out there and saying, ‘Focus on this, not on the fact that the world is on fire and the fact that you’ve gotten poor under the presidency of Joe Biden,” Vance said Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’ His comments come as war continues raging in the Mideast and Ukraine, and anti-Israel agitators stage protests on college campuses nationwide.

Donald Trump’s trial will hold its 16th day in court on Monday, when the 45th president’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is anticipated to take the stand.

The case revolves around the alleged falsification of business records. Prosecutors say Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to quiet her claims of the alleged extramarital sexual encounter with Trump. Prosecutors allege the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses, and are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Daniels took the stand last week, where she detailed that she met Trump in 2006 at Lake Tahoe during a celebrity golf tournament. She alleged that the pair had sex in Trump’s hotel room during the event, which Trump has repeatedly denied in public comments. Daniels’ testimony also included describing to the court how she got into the pornography business after working as an exotic dancer as a teenager.

Legal experts have sounded off that Daniels’ testimony was irrelevant to the case and that it should not have been admitted into the record. The Trump legal team twice motioned for a mistrial, but were denied by presiding Judge Juan Merchan.

Vance reiterated on CNN that Trump is not on trial for sexual indiscretions, despite the focus on the salacious details stemming from Daniels’ testimony.

‘Donald Trump is not on trial for sexual indiscretions. This is a sham trial, where they’re saying his misdeed is that he violated the law. That he committed a crime. You can’t throw somebody in prison in the middle of a presidential election because you think that he did something bad 10 years ago. So I think we have to separate these arguments from the actual criminal trial that’s attempting to – in my view, Dana – interfere in a presidential election,’ he told host Dana Bash.

Vance, who had previously criticized Trump after the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ video was unearthed ahead of the 2016 election, said Trump should not be treated differently amid the trial because he’s a former president. He did argue that Trump ‘is being treated differently.’

‘The only thing that Alvin Bragg, the New York prosecutors’ team, thinks Donald Trump did wrong is that he ran for president in 2024, and he looks to be on the cusp of victory,’ he said. ‘That is the only thing that this is ultimately about. If you look at the underlying argument of the case, they can’t even identify what it is that Donald Trump did. They said he committed a paperwork violation in the service of a crime, but they won’t even specify the crime that he allegedly committed. And I think that when you look at all of these attacks on Donald Trump, you have to be honest with yourself and say, ‘This is not about law. And this is not about justice.’’

Meanwhile, Trump has spoken to the media and continued posting on Truth Social amid the trial, where he has addressed a bevy of issues, including ongoing anti-Israel protests on college campuses, and slammed the trial as a ‘scam’ promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.

’This Witch Hunt is FALSE ANCIENT HISTORY that was fully adjudicated by the Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election. It only has to do with Election Interference, and trying to help Crooked Joe Biden get elected because he can’t do it by himself. It is a vicious attack by the Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, in strict coordination with the D.O.J. and the White House, on Biden’s Political Opponent, ME. IT IS ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND STRICTLY THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!’ he wrote on Truth Social last week.

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Politics

US offers Israel intel on Hamas leaders for pledge to hold back on Rafah

The Biden administration has been in tense talks with Israel in a bid to avoid a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the last city in Gaza to be spared the Israeli military’s offensive campaign.

The U.S. has offered Israel sensitive intelligence and supplies if the country agrees to scale back a planned invasion of Rafah, according to a report from the Washington Post.

The intelligence the U.S. is offering would allow Israel to better pinpoint Hamas leaders hidden in tunnels around the city, making it possible for the Israeli military to engage in a more precise campaign that could avoid the devastation seen in other areas of Gaza throughout the conflict.

The U.S. is also offering to provide thousands of shelters that would allow Israel to build tent cities, the report notes, and help create the delivery systems for food, medicine and water that would be needed to give the thousands of refugees that would flee the city more livable conditions.

The report comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to invade Rafah with ‘extreme force,’ a situation the U.S. would like to see avoided as President Biden balances support for the longtime U.S. ally with domestic pressure to draw a red line regarding Israel’s current conduct in the conflict.

Rafah is the last city in Gaza that has not faced the devastation of the war, with Israel arguing an invasion is needed to finish off the last pockets of resistance from Hamas. But destroying the city’s complex system of tunnels would likely put thousands of civilians in danger, causing the U.S. to push for Israel to implement an evacuation plan of the city before launching its campaign.

‘We have serious concerns about how Israel has prosecuted this campaign, and that could all come to a head in Rafah,’ a senior administration official told the Washington Post.

The U.S. has also been working behind the scenes with Egypt to find and cut off tunnels between Gaza and the neighboring country, which Hamas has used to replenish its supplies, administration officials told the Washington Post.

A Biden administration assessment of the situation found that Hamas is likely to welcome an extended and bloody conflict in Rafah, the reports notes, which the terrorist organization hopes would only further isolate the Jewish state from an international community that has grown increasingly inpatient with Israeli tactics in the war.

While it remains unclear if Israel has heeded the U.S. warnings in the lead-up to a potential invasion, the report notes that private discussions between officials have resulted in assurances from Israel that its forces would not launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah before evacuating roughly 800,000 civilians from the city. On Sunday, the U.N. said that roughly 300,00 people had evacuated Rafah in the previous week.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a U.S. official stressed that the U.S. was not holding back information on the locations of Hamas leaders, noting that the U.S. has been helping Israel target the locations of Hamas leaders.

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Politics

Graham: Biden threat to pull military aid for Israel ‘rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk’

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said should the Biden administration follow through on its threat to stall U.S. military aid for Israel, the White House would be ‘rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.’

During an appearance on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ Graham said ‘it’s impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields.’

‘I’ve never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy, Hamas, to put civilians at risk. And the last thing you want to do is reward this behavior. They put weapons in mosques. They fire artillery rounds from apartment buildings. They put command centers under hospitals to maximize civilian casualties as Israel tries to destroy the terrorist group,’ Graham told host Kristen Welker.

‘Americans should be all in and helping Israel against an existential threat. The one thing Israel and America has in common,’ Graham continued ‘Hamas would attack us if they could. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism that shouts ‘Death to America, ’and Hezbollah is in the same camp. I’ve never heard anybody in Israel chant ‘Death to America.’ The people Israel is fighting are bent on destroying all of the Jews. This is Holocaust Remembrance Month, for God’s sake. We should unequivocally support Israel. Yes. Work with them to limit civilian casualties. They want to do that. I know they do. They have a whole battalion dedicated to that. But this idea of worth holding weapons to Israel is rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.’

In a message to the Biden administration, Graham said ‘sit down with Israel, keep the weapons flowing and work out a plan, if you can.’

‘I talked with Israel this morning. They are discussing with the Biden administration a way forward. I am somewhat hopeful we can jump over this impasse, but do not let Bernie Sanders run this war. Bernie Sanders and the Squad are insane when it comes to how to defend Israel, he just said on national television – cut off every nickel of military aid to the Jewish state who’s being threatened with oblivion. Shut these people down. This decision was political. He’s trying to appease the radical left, Biden is.’

Earlier on the same program, Sanders had argued ‘Israel should not be receiving another nickel in U.S. military aid,’ pointing to a recent State Department report suggesting Israel could be violating internation law in the way it’s conducting its war against Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel.

Graham also attempted to make a comparison to the United States’ actions to end World War II in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to justify the Israel Defense Forces’ actions against Hamas.

‘Here’s what I would say about fighting an enemy who wants to kill you and your family. Why do we drop two bombs, nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? To end a war that we couldn’t afford to lose. You don’t understand. Apparently, what Israel is facing. They’re facing three groups. Iran, who has received $80 billion in aid. When Trump left office, they were exporting 300 barrels of oil a day. Now they’re 1.3 million a day. They’ve been enriched by Biden. They’re taking that money to kill all the Jews,’ Graham said. ‘Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war. They can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties.’

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Politics

Israel-Hamas war would ‘probably already been over’ if Trump were president, Sen. Tom Cotton says

The Republican senator from Arkansas says the Israel-Hamas war ‘would have probably already been over’ if Donald Trump were president.

Tom Cotton appeared on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ Sunday when he made the remarks.

‘President Trump said just last night that he would absolutely provide Israel with the weapons they need to finish the job,’ Cotton said. ‘This would have never happened on President Trump. Trump’s watch. It didn’t happen on his watch. And if he were president, this war would have probably already been over with much less civilian suffering in Gaza because he would have backed Israel to the hilt from the beginning.’

Last week, the GOP senator renewed the call to impeach President Biden following reports of aid to Israel being delayed during its war with the terrorist organization Hamas.

A recently passed $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package included roughly $26 billion for both Israel and humanitarian aid for areas including Gaza. The aid was encouraged by the Biden administration, which had proposed it nearly six months prior.

Cotton suggested that Biden should be impeached for delaying an aid shipment to Israel, which he claimed had to do with the president’s re-election bid as he balances a divided Democratic Party on the Israel war.

Last month, Cotton called on the Biden administration to deport any foreign student engaging in disruptive demonstrations on college campuses.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Kristine Parks, Liz Friden and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

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Sports

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan to run in the Preakness Stakes

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will run in the Preakness Stakes to continue his pursuit of the Triple Crown, his trainer announced Saturday.

‘All systems go,’ trainer Kenny McPeek said. ‘The horse is doing fantastic.’

McPeek said he consulted with the horse’s owners because of the short turnaround between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

Mystik Dan won a thrilling Kentucky Derby, beating Sierra Leone and Forever Young after securing a spot on the rail to win the 1 ¼-mile race. Officials had to go to photos to determine the winner.

The Preakness recently upped the incentives for horses to run in the race, increasing the purse to $2 million from $1.5 million in 2023 after last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage was the only horse to compete in the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Justify, in 2018, was the last horse to win the Derby and the Preakness and went on to win the Triple Crown weeks later in the Belmont Stakes.

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Sports

Palou again dominates on IMS road course to kick off May

INDIANAPOLIS – It wasn’t his 16.8-second thumping of the field from a year ago that sparked a five-race run that included four victories and an Indianapolis 500 pole, but Alex Palou looked no less unstoppable in Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

After a late-race restart with 17 laps to go, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver drove away from the field for a 6.6-second pad by the checkered flag, securing his first points-paying victory of 2024 and second overall race-win (including the $1 Million Challenge) to take a 12-point lead in the championship as part of his early title defense.

Here’s how he did it:

Palou loses lead on Lap 1, doesn’t panic

Palou’s race-winning move, in essence, came off the racing surface in his second of three pitstops on the day. Just short of the halfway point, Saturday’s polesitter was running in third place behind the pair of drivers who started just behind him as the green flag fell Saturday afternoon.

Christian Lundgaard, who qualified second and snatched the lead from Palou three turns into the 85-lap race Saturday, held a 1.4-second cushion on Will Power (who started third) by Lap 36 as the leaders began thinking about making their second stops. As the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver crept up onto nearly-lapped traffic, Palou’s gap to the front sat at 3.4 seconds.

With Lundgaard slowed as he navigated slower cars in front, Power’s deficit dipped to just a half-second. His stand-in strategist and full-time race engineer David Faustino gave Power a last-minute call into the pits on Lap 39, in hopes of being able to find clean air on his out lap and eventually jump Lundgaard in the pit sequence.

Lundgaard dove in the following lap, but not without giving up more of his advantage to Palou first. The Ganassi driver followed suit and pitted the lap after Lundgaard (Lap 41). The RLL driver maintained his advantage on Power on the pair’s blend on-track coming out of Turn 1, with the help of Marcus Ericsson running just ahead of Power to give Lundgaard a buffer.

Palou then popped out ahead of them both after his stop to take the lead of the race back after losing it on Lap 1 from pole.

Palou survives late-race restart

Lundgaard and Power both keyed off the front-running Palou for their final pitstops, diving in just as the Ganassi driver did at the end of Lap 62 facing five-plus second deficits to the No. 10 Honda. Power managed to leapfrog Lundgaard in the pits to eventually secure second place.

“We took what was available to us today, but you do get sick of (not winning),” said Power, who failed to pick up a win for the first time in well over a decade in 2023. “I’m racing very tough people, and if you aren’t exactly perfect, you won’t win. I wasn’t exactly perfect in qualifying, and we didn’t win.

“But I’m driving really well, and my crew is the best on pit-lane. Every time we stop, we have a chance to jump someone, and that’s what happened to get us second.”

And then, a potential saving grace nearly came for both he and Lundgaard.

With 20 laps to go, Dale Coyne Racing’s Luca Ghiotto stalled just off-track, forcing the race’s only full-course caution.

With 17 laps to go, though, any hope of Power and Lundgaard making a move on the eventual race-winner was erased. One lap after the green flag restart, Palou had already built a 1.1-second lead on Power, one that would only grow from there.

“I made a mistake on that start and lost that lead we fought so hard for in qualifying, but everyone on the crew did an amazing job in the pits to give me the lead back, and then we held onto it,” Palou said on Peacock post-race. “That’s an amazing win to repeat back-to-back after last year, and we’re going to try and continue this May.’

His focus, though, shifts quickly to Indy 500 practice that starts Tuesday.

“This afternoon,” he said of his attention shift. “As soon as we get some champagne.”

Though he admitted the No. 45 Honda crew in general lacked what it would’ve taken to battle for Saturday’s win, Lundgaard came away frustrated in yet another race that had him fighting near the front that included costly time lost on pit-lane.

“We needed a lot today. I think we did everything we could on the first two stints to make sure we had a shot,” he said. “But we struggled a bit (on pit-lane) when we’re head-to-head (like he was with Power on the final stop). But at the same time, I don’t want to overstep too much. It was a good day for the team, and we need to be proud of our first podium in May.”

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Sports

Rangers lose in playoffs for first time as Hurricanes fight off sweep

Brady Skjei’s power-play goal broke a tie late in the third period to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday night, extending their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

With teammate Seth Jarvis screening New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin, Skjei broke a 3-3 deadlock at 16:49 of the third with a blast from the blue line. It was the Hurricanes’ first power-play goal of the series, ending an 0-for-16 drought.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Aho also scored for the Hurricanes. Teuvo Teravainen finished with two assists.

Frederik Andersen made 22 saves for Carolina in his return to net after not starting Game 3.

Will Cuylle, Barclay Goodrow and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers, whose seven-game winning streak to start the playoffs was snapped. Shesterkin made 27 saves.

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead at 1:51 of the first period. Kuznetsov intercepted a Goodrow clearing pass in the neutral zone and took it to the top of the left circle before firing a wrist shot that went bar down blocker side on Shesterkin.

Noesen put the hosts ahead 2-0 at 6:33. Shesterkin saved a Teravainen shot from the left wall, but the rebound bounced into the slot, and Noesen, fresh off the bench, was there to backhand it into the net.

Cuylle cut the Rangers’ deficit in half at 8:06. Kaapo Kakko spotted him behind the Hurricanes’ defense for a breakaway, and he beat Andersen with a snap shot glove side.

Aho scored for the first time since Game 3 of the first round to re-establish the two-goal lead at 15:29. Brent Burns rimmed a pass along the right wall to Jake Guentzel behind the net, and Guentzel sent a short feed to Aho at the left hashmarks, where Aho snapped it over Shesterkin’s glove.

Goodrow pulled New York within one at 12:43 of the second period. After a failed clearing attempt by the Hurricanes, Jimmy Vesey fed Braden Schneider at the point, and Schneider fired a shot that Goodrow tipped past Andersen.

Lafreniere tied things at 3-3 at 2:04 of the third. Mika Zibanejad sent a cross-ice pass from the left side to Lafreniere, who took it to the goal line before banking it off Andersen.

Stars 4, Avalanche 1

Tyler Seguin scored a go-ahead goal late in the second period and iced it with one into an empty net as the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series in Denver on Saturday night.

Logan Stankoven also had two goals and Jake Oettinger made 28 saves for Dallas, which leads the best-of-7 series 2-1 and regained home ice from Colorado. The Avalanche’s only lead in the series was Miles Wood’s overtime goal in Game 1.

The Stars can put Colorado on the brink of elimination with a win in Game 4 in Denver on Monday night.

The game Saturday was tied 1-1 when Dallas broke out on an odd-man rush. Evgenii Dadonov stickhandled into the left circle and sent a pass to Seguin on the other side of the net, and he redirected it by Alexandar Georgiev at 15:13.

Georgiev came off for an extra skater with 1:50 left and Seguin scored his third of the playoffs at 18:23. Stankoven scored another empty-netter, his second goal of the night, at 19:32.

Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avalanche and Georgiev turned away 19 shots.

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Sports

Mets slugger breaks up Braves’ no-hit bid with homer with two outs in 9th

NEW YORK — The Mets were one out away from being no-hit for the first time since 2015.

J.D. Martinez ensured that they would not suffer that fate.

After being held hitless for the first 8⅔ innings, the Mets designated hitter ripped a first-pitch fastball from Braves closer Raisel Iglesias over the right-center field wall to break up the no-hit bid. Harrison Bader added another single but the Mets fell short, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.

Before Martinez’s first long ball as a member of the Mets, there had been times where they hit the ball hard against the Braves’ Max Fried. There were other at-bats where the Mets looked completely flummoxed by the 30-year-old right-hander.

For seven innings, nearly all of the Mets’ results in their at-bats were the same.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Fried opened his start against the Mets with seven hitless innings while he only allowed a trio of walks — two in the third to Brandon Nimmo and Tomas Nido, and another to Pete Alonso in the seventh. He was removed after needing 109 pitches to get through the seven innings.

However, it was the second outing in three games in which Fried has not allowed a hit after he held the Mariners without a hit across six innings on April 29 in Seattle.

Joe Jimenez allowed a pair of walks to Harrison Bader and DJ Stewart in the eighth, but ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts of Tyrone Taylor and Starling Marte. The Mets trailed the Braves, 3-0, after eight innings despite rookie Christian Scott’s second straight quality start in as many starts.

The Braves have not completed a no-hitter since Kent Mercker threw one against the Dodgers on April 8, 1994. The Mets, meanwhile, have not been no-hit since Max Scherzer did it as a member of the Nationals back on Oct. 3, 2015, at Citi Field.

Michael Harris II saved the no-hit effort in the bottom of the seventh inning when J.D. Martinez launched a deep flyball to straightaway center field. The Braves outfielder made the catch on the run before colliding with the wall.

It was one of five balls that exited a Mets player’s bat at more than 101 mph but were converted for outs through eight innings.

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Sports

Key information for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington

The track known as “The Lady in Black” will be celebrating Mother’s Day with NASCAR, as the Cup Series hits Darlington Raceway Sunday for the first of two races this season.

Following an incredible race at Kansas Speedway last weekend, which saw Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher in overtime by the smallest margin of victory in series history, fans should be in for another spectacular race at one of NASCAR’s oldest and most-loved tracks.

In another bit of welcome news, Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones will return to the No. 43 Toyota after missing the races at Kansas and Dover to recover from a fractured back he sustained in a crash at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21. And the return couldn’t have happened at a better time for Jones. Two of his three career Cup Series wins have come at Darlington (the fall races in 2019 and 2022), and his five top-five finishes at the South Carolina oval are tied for his most at any track (along with Pocono Raceway).

How will Jones and the rest of the field fare on Sunday? Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the Goodyear 400:

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington start?

The Goodyear 400 starts at 3 p.m. ET at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington on?

Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is broadcasting the Goodyear 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?

The Goodyear 400 can be live streamed on the FoxSports website and on the FoxSports app.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Darlington?

The Goodyear 400 is 293 laps around the 1.366-mile track for a total of 400.24 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 90 laps; Stage 2: 95 laps; Stage 3: 108 laps.

Who won the most recent races at Darlington?

Kyle Larson led the final 55 laps in the playoff opener on Sept. 3, 2023 and held off Tyler Reddick by 0.447 seconds to clinch a berth in the second round.

And one year ago, William Byron led seven of the final eight laps, including both overtime laps, before pulling away from Kevin Harvick by 0.781 seconds on May 14, 2023.

What is the lineup for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington?

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota

2. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford

3. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota

5. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet

6. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

7. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota

8. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

9. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

10. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota

11. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

12. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota

13. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford

14. (22) Joey Logano, Ford

15. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

16. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

17. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford

18. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet

19. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet

20. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

21. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

22. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

23. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

24. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

25. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford

26. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

27. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

28. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

29. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

30. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

31. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet

32. (16) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet

33. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

34. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford

35. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford

36. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

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Sports

Messi avoids leg injury, Inter Miami storms back to beat CF Montreal

How good is Inter Miami? Lionel Messi’s club erased a 2-0 deficit in a matter of two minutes right before halftime, with one goal coming as he rested on the sideline.

Messi was held scoreless and without an assist in his first career match in Canada, missing two free kick opportunities and two late charges to the net in the second half. His streak of eight straight games with multiple goal contributions ended, and he lost the MLS scoring lead to his teammate.

More important, Messi avoided a significant injury to his legendary left leg – about five weeks ahead of Copa America – and went the distance in Inter Miami’s 3-2 road win over CF Montreal on Saturday night.

Matias Rojas scored in the 44th minute, and Luis Suárez scored in first half extra time to tie the match, and Benjamin Cremaschi’s goal in the 58th minute helped Inter Miami win its fifth straight match for the first time in its four-year franchise history.

“Not being able to close out the first half mentally was a heartbreaker,” Montreal coach Laurent Courtois said.

“Yeah, it was a good game. I understand the people cheering for Messi. For me as a head coach when I’m losing, hearing my stadium cheering the other guy when we’re losing, it’s tough.”

Inter Miami vs CF Montreal highlights

Will Messi play vs. Orlando City? Messi not a fan of MLS injury rule

Messi’s availability for Wednesday’s road game against Orlando City, and next Saturday’s home game against D.C. United, could be affected. Inter Miami will play three matches in eight days, and keeping Messi healthy to join Argentina for Copa America remains a high priority.

Just before halftime, Messi spent several minutes laying on the pitch after being tackled by Montreal’s George Campbell. Messi extended his left leg to control a pass toward him, but Campbell’s momentum carried him right into the 2022 World Cup champion.

Messi walked to the sideline after being evaluated by trainers. He appeared upset about the two-minute wait he had to endure to re-enter the game at the next stoppage point, a new MLS rule implemented this season.

“With this kind of rule,” Messi said as the cameras captured his disgust, “we’re headed in the wrong direction.”

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino was not asked about Messi’s condition after the match, but said the rule change should be re-evaluated after Campbell incurred a yellow card and Messi was summoned to stand on the sidelines.

“With this rule change, there are situations that need to be reviewed,” Martino said. “For me, the infraction was clear. It was a yellow card, and in the end, we were the ones who lost Leo for two minutes.”

Despite a quiet night from Messi, one week after making MLS history with five assists and six total goal contributions in a 6-2 win over the New York Red Bulls, it wasn’t a bad night at all for Inter Miami.

Luis Suárez tied for MLS lead with 11 goals, Messi remains at 10 goals

Suárez jumped into a tie for the MLS lead with his 11th goal of the season, passing Messi, who entered the match with 10 goals. It was Suárez’s fourth goal in two games after a hat trick last Saturday. He ended the night tied with Real Salt Lake’s Chicho Arango and D.C. United’s Christian Benteke atop the MLS goals list.

With Messi on the sideline one minute earlier, Rojas sparked the comeback with his goal, just like he sparked Inter Miami’s comeback with two goals last week when it was down 1-0 against the Red Bulls. Rojas has scored three goals in three matches since joining Inter Miami.

Messi’s free kicks soared above the net without enough bend to find the back of the net. Messi missed a chance in the 91st minute as he charged toward the net, but his shot was blocked. He was also offsides in his attempt to score on a right kick in the 84th minute.

Messi’s eight-game streak with multiple goal contributions ranks second in MLS history, behind only LA Galaxy standout Cobi Jones, who had multiple goal contributions in the first nine games in 1998.

Bryce Duke (22′) and Jules-Anthony Vilsaint (32′) scored for Montreal, which took a 2-0 lead early, but late attempts by Dominic Iankov (69’), Joaquín Sosa (74’) and Joel Waterman (95’) were unable to find the net even after a quiet night from Messi.

Benjamin Cremaschi goal: Inter Miami 3, CF Montreal 2

Benjamin Cremaschi didn’t get the first touch he wanted. But he saw his last touch roll into the back of the net.

Cremaschi’s goal in the 58th minute gives Inter Miami a 3-2 lead over Montreal, and marks three unanswered goals for Messi’s side.

Messi passed forward to Rojas, who found Cremaschi open in the middle of the field. And a 2-0 deficit has turned into a 3-2 lead for Inter Miami.

Luis Suárez goal: CF Montreal 2, Inter Miami 2

Luis Suárez has struck again, scoring his 11th goal of the season, just before halftime. It was only a matter of minutes ago Inter Miami was trailing 2-0 in the first half.

Suárez finished a corner kick one minute after Rojas scored to bring Inter Miami back even.

One more thing: Messi is fine. He has possessed the ball at least twice, and shows no ill effects from an earlier tackle.

Matias Rojas scores free kick goal: CF Montreal 2, Inter Miami 1

Inter Miami is on the board in the first half, all while Messi was standing on the sideline.

Newcomer Matias Rojas scored a free kick in the 44th minute to trim Inter Miami’s deficit. Rojas has been on a tear, scoring his third goal in two matches. It’s only his third match with the club, and his free kick had the bend similar to Messi’s dynamic kicks.

Messi avoids injury in first half: CF Montreal 2, Inter Miami 0

Messi got up on his own and walked toward the sidelines after being evaluated with an injury.

Messi went down in the 40th minute, and he was in significant pain. He grabbed his left knee after he collided with Montreal centerback George Campbell.

Messi stretched his left leg out to control a pass, but was bumped into by Campbell, whose momentum carried him into Messi.

Messi laid on the pitch for several minutes before walking off. He remained standing on the sideline but re-entered in the final minute of the first half.

Jules-Anthony Vilsaint goal: CF Montreal 2, Inter Miami 0

Montreal’s Jules-Anthony Vilsaint delivered a right boot past the outstretched reach of Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender in the 32nd minute.

And Inter Miami is on the ropes in Canada, down 2-0 in the first half.

Vilsaint, who assisted on Duke’s goal earlier in the match, is a 21-year-old forward who grew up in Montreal. Now, he’ll have a lasting memory of scoring against Messi’s Inter Miami.

Bryce Duke goal: CF Montreal 1, Inter Miami 0

Welp, Inter Miami is down early yet again, for the sixth straight MLS game.

Bryce Duke delivered a left boot past Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender to help Montreal take a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.

Messi misses free kick: Inter Miami 0, CF Montreal 0

Messi’s free kick had the bend, but was just too high over the net in the 18th minute.

Messi hit a defender with a crosser like he was Allen Iverson, and tripped over the defender’s foot, earning a favorable call for free kick by the referee.

Fans in Montreal will have to wait for another opportunity for Messi to shine.

Montreal misses two early chances: Inter Miami 0, CF Montreal 0

A Montreal free kick sailed over the net, while a corner kick was cleared by Inter Miami’s Marcelo Weigandt in the first 10 minutes.

So, Inter Miami has avoided falling behind 1-0 like it has in three of the last four matches.

Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal match underway: Inter Miami 0, CF Montreal 0

The crowd has already erupted after Messi’s first touch in the first minute. Messi even has an early pass with swinging right foot that found Julian Gressel, whose shot on goal was blocked in the third minute.

How to watch CF Montreal vs. Inter Miami live stream

WATCH: Messi and Inter Miami travel to take on CF Montreal on Apple TV
SHOP: Get the latest Messi and Inter Miami team gear from the MLS Store
TICKETS: Experience Messi and Inter Miami in person on the road in Montreal

Will Inter Miami trail 1-0 early? Keep an eye on this:

Something to keep an eye on as Inter Miami and Montreal get underway: Messi’s side has fallen behind 1-0 early in their last four matches. In three of those matches, the deficit happened in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Still, Inter Miami has won each game.

Will Messi play in Montreal?

Yes, Messi is in Inter Miami’s starting lineup for the Montreal match tonight.

Messi, Inter Miami arrive for Montreal game

Messi fans were out in full force for his stadium arrival for tonight’s game.

Montreal fans welcome Messi outside team hotel

Messi and Inter Miami were greeted by fans when they arrived in Montreal late Friday night.

Saturday’s game is the first of three Inter Miami matches in Canada this season, with another coming later this month. Messi and Inter Miami will play in Vancouver on May 25, and have a match in Toronto later this season on Oct. 5.

Inter Miami looking for revenge vs. Montreal

Inter Miami also has a chance to increase its lead in the MLS Eastern Conference and get some revenge against a team that beat them earlier this season for the second consecutive week. Montreal beat Inter Miami 3-2 on March 10 in a match Messi did not play to rest a shin injury.

Messi is coming off his best MLS game after becoming the first player to record five assists, and record six goal contributions in a match, during Inter Miami’s 6-2 blowout win over the New York Red Bulls last Saturday, to avenge a 4-0 loss earlier this season.

Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule

The Montreal match begins a Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday stretch for Inter Miami. The next five games are Messi’s last with Inter Miami before he joins Argentina for Copa America this summer.

May 15: Inter Miami at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. ET

May 15: Inter Miami at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 18: Inter Miami vs. DC United, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 25: Inter Miami at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m. ET
May 29: Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m. ET
June 1: Inter Miami vs. St. Louis City, 7:30 p.m. ET

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