Trump's rivals left with few chances to stop his momentum

(AP) — Donald Trump's easy victories in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii left his rivals with shrinking opportunities to slow his momentum in the Republican primaries and little indication that a flurry of intense efforts to undermine his credibility are pushing voters away from the brash billionaire.

With the prospect of a Trump nomination growing more likely, rival campaigns and outside groups have significantly stepped up efforts to discredit the real estate mogul.

While a handful of recent losses to Cruz have raised questions about Trump's standing, Tuesday's contests marked another lost opportunity for rivals desperate to stop his march to the nomination.

The Texas senator is sticking close in the delegate count, and with seven states in his win column he's argued he's the only candidate standing between Trump and the GOP nomination.

At least 8 in 10 in each party's primary said they were worried about where the American economy is heading, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research for The Associated Press and television networks.

Sanders has sought to tap into that concern, energizing young people and white, blue-collar voters with his calls for breaking up Wall Street banks and making tuition free at public colleges and universities.

Michigan, with big college towns and a sizable population of working-class voters, was a good fit for him, though something of a surprise victory given that Clinton had led in polls heading into Tuesday's voting.