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It's World Cup audition time in the Bundesliga as Bayern nears the title 04/02/2026 05:20am • It's crunch time for a host of Bundesliga players with ambitions of playing at the World Cup. Bayern Munich 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl is fighting to keep his spot for Germany, Deniz Undav's scoring streak for Stuttgart has put pressure on coach Julian Nagelsmann to take him to the U.S. in New Zealand and Cook Islands sign a defense pact, easing tensions over a China deal 04/02/2026 05:14am • WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand and Cook Islands signed a defense and security pact Thursday, easing more than a year of tension between the Pacific nations over Cook Islands’ deepening ties with China. The fraught diplomatic standoff that prompted Wellington to pause millions of doll Iran war disrupts US small businesses with shipping complications and higher costs 04/02/2026 05:01am • NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war is making life more difficult for small business owners across the country, who are grappling with shipping complications, higher costs and consumers tightening their grip on their wallets. A shoe designer is struggling to import its shoes from Vietnam; a pistachio gro Barack Obama’s past comments haunt Virginia Democrats’ efforts to gerrymander new districts 04/02/2026 05:00am • (CNN) — Barack Obama’s past comments are haunting Democrats’ efforts to draw new congressional districts in Virginia as they try to give their party an edge in the battle for control of Congress.The former president, still one of the Democratic Party’s most popular figures, has endorsed West Virginia and Stanford play in CBC matchup 04/02/2026 04:42am • Stanford Cardinal (20-12, 9-10 ACC) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (18-14, 9-10 Big 12) Las Vegas; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: West Virginia and Stanford square off in the College Basketball Crown. The Mountaineers' record in Big 12 play is 9-10, and their record is 9-4 in non-conference games Auburn and Illinois State play in NIT matchup 04/02/2026 04:42am • Illinois State Redbirds (23-12, 12-9 MVC) vs. Auburn Tigers (20-16, 8-12 SEC) Indianapolis; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Auburn squares off against Illinois State in the National Invitation Tournament. The Tigers are 8-12 against SEC opponents and 12-4 in non-conference play. Auburn has a 1- Tulsa squares off against New Mexico in NIT 04/02/2026 04:42am • New Mexico Lobos (26-10, 14-8 MWC) vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (29-7, 15-6 AAC) Indianapolis; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Tulsa squares off against New Mexico in the National Invitation Tournament. The Golden Hurricane's record in AAC play is 15-6, and their record is 14-1 against non-conferenc Creighton and Rutgers square off in CBC 04/02/2026 04:42am • Rutgers Scarlet Knights (14-19, 7-15 Big Ten) vs. Creighton Bluejays (15-17, 9-12 Big East) Las Vegas; Thursday, 10:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Creighton takes on Rutgers in the College Basketball Crown. The Bluejays have gone 9-12 against Big East opponents, with a 6-5 record in non-conference play. C UCLA and Texas play in the Final 4 04/02/2026 04:42am • Texas Longhorns (35-3, 18-3 SEC) vs. UCLA Bruins (35-1, 22-0 Big Ten) Phoenix; Friday, 9:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Longhorns -1.5; over/under is 132.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Texas square off in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. The Bruins' record in Big Ten games is 22-0, and thei UConn Huskies take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in Final 4 04/02/2026 04:42am • South Carolina Gamecocks (35-3, 18-3 SEC) vs. UConn Huskies (38-0, 23-0 Big East) Phoenix; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Huskies -6.5; over/under is 135.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 1 UConn takes on No. 4 South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. The Huskies have gone 23-0 against Big Eas Salah's long goodbye: Egypt star begins farewell tour with Liverpool at Man City in FA Cup 04/02/2026 04:30am • Mohamed Salah's long goodbye to Liverpool begins on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, the competition which represents his best chance of a trophy in his final year at Anfield. The Egypt winger announced last week that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years Do you know the obscure story of DC's 'Phantom Tollbooth?' 04/02/2026 04:13am • If you stroll a little ways down from the Lincoln Memorial — and stop short of the incoming traffic — you’ll find a wooden structure that looks like a toll booth. The brown shack sits on the corner of Independence Avenue and 23rd Street SW, right before cars that whiz by it round the be Canucks visit the Wild after Boeser's hat trick 04/02/2026 04:11am • Vancouver Canucks (22-44-8, in the Pacific Division) vs. Minnesota Wild (41-21-12, in the Central Division) Saint Paul, Minnesota; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wild -426, Canucks +326; over/under is 6.5 BOTTOM LINE: The Vancouver Canucks visit the Minnesota Wild after Brock Boeser's Sharks play the Maple Leafs on 3-game win streak 04/02/2026 04:11am • Toronto Maple Leafs (32-30-13, in the Atlantic Division) vs. San Jose Sharks (35-31-7, in the Pacific Division) San Jose, California; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sharks -120, Maple Leafs +100; over/under is 6.5 BOTTOM LINE: The San Jose Sharks will try to continue a three-game win Ducks bring losing streak into matchup with the Blues 04/02/2026 04:11am • St. Louis Blues (31-31-12, in the Central Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (41-29-5, in the Pacific Division) Anaheim, California; Friday, 10 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Anaheim Ducks play the St. Louis Blues after losing three in a row. Anaheim is 23-10-3 at home and 41-29-5 overall. The Ducks have a 36-1