thedenverpost--2020-01-12--Video in apparent Jeffrey Epstein suicide attempt is lost, U.S. says

NEW YORK — Video footage of the area around Jeffrey Epstein ’ s jail cell on a day he survived an apparent suicide attempt “ no longer exists , ” federal prosecutors told a judge Thursday .
Officials at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York believed they had preserved footage of guards finding Epstein after he appeared to have attempted suicide , but actually saved a video from a different part of the jail , prosecutors said .
The FBI also has determined that the footage does not exist on the jail ’ s backup video system “ as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assistant U.S .
Attorneys Maurene Comey and Jason Swergold wrote in a court filing .
The revelation came despite assurances prosecutors made that jail officials were preserving the footage at the request of a defense attorney for Nicholas Tartaglione , a former police officer who shared a cell with Epstein in July when the wealthy financier was discovered with bruises on his neck and then placed on suicide watch .
Epstein later hanged himself in jail Aug. 10 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges , officials said .
Tartaglione ’ s defense attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press he intends to ask U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas to hold a hearing with “ live testimony ” to determine what happened to the missing video .
“ The various and inconsistent accounts of what happened to that video are deeply troubling , ” Barket said in an email .
Tartaglione is charged in what prosecutors have described as the “ gangland-style ” killings of four men who disappeared during a cocaine-related dispute .
Barket said the jailhouse video would have supported his position that Tartaglione “ acted appropriately ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whether Epstein had been attacked .
A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment , citing an ongoing investigation .
One of Epstein ’ s attorneys , Marc Fernich , said the missing video “ only adds to the unanswered questions and deepens the air of mystery surrounding ( Epstein ’ s ) death , feeding the perception that the public will never really know what happened — and that the powers that be aren ’ t really interested in finding out.
” “ Nothing about Jeffrey Epstein ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or could surprise me at this point , ” Fernich added .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in Manhattan said in Thursday ’ s court filing that jailhouse officials had preserved video for the “ correct date and time ” but captured the wrong part of the jail .
They said the jail ’ s computer system listed a “ different , incorrect cell ” for Tartaglione .
“ The Government further understands from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that it has reviewed that backup system as part of an unrelated investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer exists on the backup system and has not since at least August 2019 as a result of technical errors , ” the prosecutors wrote .
The footage in question involves a July 23 episode in which correctional officers say they found Epstein on the floor of his cell with a strip of bedsheet around his neck .
Michael Thomas , one of the officers charged with falsifying records the night Epstein died , was one of the officers who responded to that scene .
Epstein was moved out of that cell and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transferred back to the jail ’ s special housing unit July 30 , meaning he was less closely monitored but still supposed to be checked every 30 minutes .
He was also required to have a cellmate , but he was left with none after his cellmate was transferred out of the jail Aug. 9 , the day before his death , authorities have said .
Prosecutors charged the two officers responsible for guarding Epstein the night he died with falsifying prison records to conceal they were sleeping and browsing the internet during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping a close watch on prisoners .
The falsification of records has been a problem throughout the federal prison system .
The federal Bureau of Prisons , which for years has been plagued by extensive staffing shortages , chronic violence and serious misconduct , has come under increased scrutiny since Epstein ’ s death in August .
Staffing shortages within the bureau are so severe that guards are regularly forced to work mandatory overtime , sometimes day after day , and violence leads to regular lockdowns at prison compounds across the nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad behavior is ignored or covered up on a regular basis ” within the bureau .
After Epstein ’ s death in August , Attorney General William Barr said the financier ’ s ability to take his own life inside one of most secure jails in America raised “ serious questions that must be answered.
” Barr removed the agency ’ s acting director in the wake of Epstein ’ s death and named Kathleen Hawk Sawyer , the prison agency ’ s director from 1992 until 2003 , to replace him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation revealed a “ series ” of mistakes made that gave Epstein the chance to take his own life and that his suicide was the result of “ a perfect storm of screw-ups.
” Barr told the AP he had personally reviewed security footage from the night Epstein took his own life , which confirmed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died .

NEW YORK — Video footage of the area around Jeffrey Epstein’s jail cell on a day he survived an apparent suicide attempt “no longer exists,” federal prosecutors told a judge Thursday.
Officials at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York believed they had preserved footage of guards finding Epstein after he appeared to have attempted suicide, but actually saved a video from a different part of the jail, prosecutors said.
The FBI also has determined that the footage does not exist on the jail’s backup video system “as a result of technical errors,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurene Comey and Jason Swergold wrote in a court filing.
The revelation came despite assurances prosecutors made that jail officials were preserving the footage at the request of a defense attorney for Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer who shared a cell with Epstein in July when the wealthy financier was discovered with bruises on his neck and then placed on suicide watch.
Epstein later hanged himself in jail Aug. 10 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, officials said.
Tartaglione’s defense attorney, Bruce Barket, told The Associated Press he intends to ask U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas to hold a hearing with “live testimony” to determine what happened to the missing video.
“The various and inconsistent accounts of what happened to that video are deeply troubling,” Barket said in an email.
Tartaglione is charged in what prosecutors have described as the “gangland-style” killings of four men who disappeared during a cocaine-related dispute.
Barket said the jailhouse video would have supported his position that Tartaglione “acted appropriately” on the day in question, alluding to questions about whether Epstein had been attacked.
A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
One of Epstein’s attorneys, Marc Fernich, said the missing video “only adds to the unanswered questions and deepens the air of mystery surrounding (Epstein’s) death, feeding the perception that the public will never really know what happened — and that the powers that be aren’t really interested in finding out.”
“Nothing about Jeffrey Epstein’s prosecution and death in federal custody surprises or could surprise me at this point,” Fernich added.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said in Thursday’s court filing that jailhouse officials had preserved video for the “correct date and time” but captured the wrong part of the jail. They said the jail’s computer system listed a “different, incorrect cell” for Tartaglione.
“The Government further understands from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that it has reviewed that backup system as part of an unrelated investigation and determined that the requested video no longer exists on the backup system and has not since at least August 2019 as a result of technical errors,” the prosecutors wrote.
The footage in question involves a July 23 episode in which correctional officers say they found Epstein on the floor of his cell with a strip of bedsheet around his neck. Michael Thomas, one of the officers charged with falsifying records the night Epstein died, was one of the officers who responded to that scene.
Epstein was moved out of that cell and placed on suicide watch. He was transferred back to the jail’s special housing unit July 30, meaning he was less closely monitored but still supposed to be checked every 30 minutes. He was also required to have a cellmate, but he was left with none after his cellmate was transferred out of the jail Aug. 9, the day before his death, authorities have said.
Prosecutors charged the two officers responsible for guarding Epstein the night he died with falsifying prison records to conceal they were sleeping and browsing the internet during the hours they were supposed to be keeping a close watch on prisoners.
The falsification of records has been a problem throughout the federal prison system. The federal Bureau of Prisons, which for years has been plagued by extensive staffing shortages, chronic violence and serious misconduct, has come under increased scrutiny since Epstein’s death in August.
Staffing shortages within the bureau are so severe that guards are regularly forced to work mandatory overtime, sometimes day after day, and violence leads to regular lockdowns at prison compounds across the nation. A congressional report also found that “bad behavior is ignored or covered up on a regular basis” within the bureau.
After Epstein’s death in August, Attorney General William Barr said the financier’s ability to take his own life inside one of most secure jails in America raised “serious questions that must be answered.” Barr removed the agency’s acting director in the wake of Epstein’s death and named Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, the prison agency’s director from 1992 until 2003, to replace him.
Barr told the AP in November that the investigation revealed a “series” of mistakes made that gave Epstein the chance to take his own life and that his suicide was the result of “a perfect storm of screw-ups.”
Barr told the AP he had personally reviewed security footage from the night Epstein took his own life, which confirmed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died.
___
Balsamo reported from Washington.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--Boeing papers show employees slid 737 Max problems past FAA

Boeing employees knew about problems with flight simulators for the now-grounded 737 Max and apparently tried to hide them from federal regulators , according to documents released Thursday .
In internal messages , Boeing employees talked about misleading regulators about problems with the simulators .
In one exchange , an employee told a colleague they wouldn ’ t let their family ride on a 737 Max .
Boeing said the statements “ raise questions about Boeing ’ s interactions with the FAA ” in getting the simulators qualified .
But said the company is confident that the machines work properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company we are and need to be , and they are completely unacceptable , ” Boeing said in a statement .
Employees also groused about Boeing ’ s senior management , the company ’ s selection of low-cost suppliers , wasting money , and the Max .
“ This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys , ” one employee wrote .
Names of the employees who wrote the emails and text messages were redacted .
The Max has been grounded worldwide since March , after two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still working to update software and other systems on the plane to convince regulators to let it fly again .
The work has taken much longer than Boeing expected .
The latest batch of internal Boeing documents were provided to the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress last month and released on Thursday .
The company said it was considering disciplinary action against some employees .
An FAA spokesman said the agency found no new safety risks that have not already been identified as part of the FAA ’ s review of changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The spokesman , Lynn Lunsford , said the simulator mentioned in the documents has been checked three times in the last six months .
” Any potential safety deficiencies identified in the documents have been addressed , ” he said in a statement .
A lawmaker leading one of the congressional investigations into Boeing called them “ incredibly damning.
” “ They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in order to evade scrutiny from regulators , flight crews , and the flying public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounding alarms internally , ” said Rep. Peter DeFazio , D-Ore. , chairman of the House Transportation Committee .
DeFazio said the documents detail “ some of the earliest and most fundamental errors in the decisions that went into the fatally flawed aircraft.
” DeFazio and other critics have accused the company of putting profit over safety .
The grounding of the Max will cost the company billions in compensation to families of passengers killed in the crashes and airlines that canceled thousands of flights .
Last month , the company ousted its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the plane in mid-January , a decision that is rippling out through its supplier network .

Boeing employees knew about problems with flight simulators for the now-grounded 737 Max and apparently tried to hide them from federal regulators, according to documents released Thursday.
In internal messages, Boeing employees talked about misleading regulators about problems with the simulators. In one exchange, an employee told a colleague they wouldn’t let their family ride on a 737 Max.
Boeing said the statements “raise questions about Boeing’s interactions with the FAA” in getting the simulators qualified. But said the company is confident that the machines work properly.
“These communications do not reflect the company we are and need to be, and they are completely unacceptable,” Boeing said in a statement.
Employees also groused about Boeing’s senior management, the company’s selection of low-cost suppliers, wasting money, and the Max.
“This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys,” one employee wrote.
Names of the employees who wrote the emails and text messages were redacted.
The Max has been grounded worldwide since March, after two crashes that killed 346 people. Boeing is still working to update software and other systems on the plane to convince regulators to let it fly again. The work has taken much longer than Boeing expected.
The latest batch of internal Boeing documents were provided to the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress last month and released on Thursday. The company said it was considering disciplinary action against some employees.
An FAA spokesman said the agency found no new safety risks that have not already been identified as part of the FAA’s review of changes that Boeing is making to the plane. The spokesman, Lynn Lunsford, said the simulator mentioned in the documents has been checked three times in the last six months.
”Any potential safety deficiencies identified in the documents have been addressed,” he said in a statement.
A lawmaker leading one of the congressional investigations into Boeing called them “incredibly damning.”
“They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in order to evade scrutiny from regulators, flight crews, and the flying public, even as its own employees were sounding alarms internally,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
DeFazio said the documents detail “some of the earliest and most fundamental errors in the decisions that went into the fatally flawed aircraft.” DeFazio and other critics have accused the company of putting profit over safety.
The grounding of the Max will cost the company billions in compensation to families of passengers killed in the crashes and airlines that canceled thousands of flights. Last month, the company ousted its CEO and decided to temporarily halt production of the plane in mid-January, a decision that is rippling out through its supplier network.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--49ers win 1st playoff game in 6 years, 27-10 over Vikings

SANTA CLARA , Calif. — Jimmy Garoppolo threw a TD pass on his opening drive as a playoff starter and then watched San Francisco ’ s defense and running game take over from there in the 49ers ’ 27-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round Saturday .
The Niners ’ first playoff game in six seasons and first ever at Levi ’ s Stadium turned into a lopsided one as top-seeded San Francisco ( 14-3 ) turned a pair of second-half turnovers by Minnesota ( 11-7 ) into 10 points .
Richard Sherman set up Tevin Coleman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game with an interception against Kirk Cousins and Marcus Sherels ’ fumbled punt led to a field goal that made it 27-10 early in the fourth quarter .
“ Those guys did very well , ” Coleman said of his offensive line .
“ They moved the guys back so I had clear holes to run through .
So , yeah , they did a real good job.
” San Francisco didn ’ t allow Minnesota to gain a first down for more than 27 minutes of game action starting late in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host the NFC championship game next week against the winner of Sunday ’ s game between Seattle and Green Bay .
“ A lot of things to clean up , but we played well enough to get the win , ” tight end George Kittle said .
“ That ’ s all you can ask for .
Playoff football , anyone can win and we just made more plays today.
” Garoppolo threw an interception deep in his own territory late in the first half and then spent most of the second half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raheem Mostert .
There was little reason for coach Kyle Shanahan to take chances the way his defense completely bottled up talented runner Dalvin Cook .
That took away Minnesota ’ s play-action game and forced Cousins into becoming a drop-back passer .
“ That was the No .
1 emphasis all week , ” defensive lineman Nick Bosa said of the Minnesota running game .
“ We knew we were facing probably the best back we ’ ve faced all year with Dalvin , and we knew we had to earn the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what we did .
We took the run as serious as we could , shut it down and then we ate.
” Cousins finished 21 for 29 for 172 yards with his only big play coming on a 41-yard TD pass to Stefon Diggs in the first quarter .
Cook was held to 18 yards on nine carries as the Niners defense was back to its dominant early season form thanks in part to the return from injuries of defensive end Dee Ford , linebacker Kwon Alexander and safety Jaquiski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have those guys back , ” defensive lineman Arik Armstead said .
“ They ’ re leaders on our team , talented players , they make big plays for us .
We were missing some pieces out there , but to get those guys back , we hit back on all cylinders.
” San Francisco had six sacks and held Minnesota to 147 yards for the game with a large chunk coming on two late garbage-time drives .
TAKE IT AWAY Eric Kendricks intercepted a pass from Garoppolo late in the first half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the San Francisco 29 .
Minnesota couldn ’ t capitalize with Dee Ford getting a third-down sack in his return to the lineup from a hamstring injury .
Dan Bailey ’ s 39-yard field goal cut the Niners lead to 14-10 at the half .
The interception was the 19th turnover this season by Garoppolo , who had the most giveaways in the regular season of any player who made the playoffs .
Garoppolo showed he has skills beyond his throwing .
He threw a lead block on 255-pound linebacker Anthony Barr on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second quarter .
Samuel fumbled the ball on the play but replay ruled his knee was down , negating the turnover .
That proved especially important when Coleman capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run .
The Vikings scored on their second drive of the game when Diggs outmaneuvered Ahkello Witherspoon for a 41-yard TD catch .
It was the fifth TD pass allowed by Witherspoon in the past three games and he was replaced at cornerback the following drive by Emmanuel Moseley .
Vikings : RT Brian O ’ Neill left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block from Nick Bosa in the third quarter following Cousins ’ interception .
49ers : Mostert ( calf ) and LB Mark Nzeocha ( stinger ) left the game in the second half .
49ers : NFC championship game next Sunday against either Seattle or Green Bay .

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jimmy Garoppolo threw a TD pass on his opening drive as a playoff starter and then watched San Francisco’s defense and running game take over from there in the 49ers’ 27-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round Saturday.
The Niners’ first playoff game in six seasons and first ever at Levi’s Stadium turned into a lopsided one as top-seeded San Francisco (14-3) turned a pair of second-half turnovers by Minnesota (11-7) into 10 points.
Richard Sherman set up Tevin Coleman’s second short touchdown run of the game with an interception against Kirk Cousins and Marcus Sherels’ fumbled punt led to a field goal that made it 27-10 early in the fourth quarter.
“Those guys did very well,” Coleman said of his offensive line. “They moved the guys back so I had clear holes to run through. So, yeah, they did a real good job.”
San Francisco didn’t allow Minnesota to gain a first down for more than 27 minutes of game action starting late in the second quarter.
The Niners will host the NFC championship game next week against the winner of Sunday’s game between Seattle and Green Bay.
“A lot of things to clean up, but we played well enough to get the win,” tight end George Kittle said. “That’s all you can ask for. Playoff football, anyone can win and we just made more plays today.”
Garoppolo threw an interception deep in his own territory late in the first half and then spent most of the second half handing the ball off to Coleman and Raheem Mostert.
There was little reason for coach Kyle Shanahan to take chances the way his defense completely bottled up talented runner Dalvin Cook. That took away Minnesota’s play-action game and forced Cousins into becoming a drop-back passer.
“That was the No. 1 emphasis all week,” defensive lineman Nick Bosa said of the Minnesota running game. “We knew we were facing probably the best back we’ve faced all year with Dalvin, and we knew we had to earn the right to pass rush. So, that’s what we did. We took the run as serious as we could, shut it down and then we ate.”
Cousins finished 21 for 29 for 172 yards with his only big play coming on a 41-yard TD pass to Stefon Diggs in the first quarter.
Cook was held to 18 yards on nine carries as the Niners defense was back to its dominant early season form thanks in part to the return from injuries of defensive end Dee Ford, linebacker Kwon Alexander and safety Jaquiski Tartt.
“It was huge to have those guys back,” defensive lineman Arik Armstead said. “They’re leaders on our team, talented players, they make big plays for us. We were missing some pieces out there, but to get those guys back, we hit back on all cylinders.”
San Francisco had six sacks and held Minnesota to 147 yards for the game with a large chunk coming on two late garbage-time drives.
TAKE IT AWAY
Eric Kendricks intercepted a pass from Garoppolo late in the first half to give the Vikings the ball at the San Francisco 29. Minnesota couldn’t capitalize with Dee Ford getting a third-down sack in his return to the lineup from a hamstring injury. Dan Bailey’s 39-yard field goal cut the Niners lead to 14-10 at the half. The interception was the 19th turnover this season by Garoppolo, who had the most giveaways in the regular season of any player who made the playoffs.
BLOCKING BACK
Garoppolo showed he has skills beyond his throwing. He threw a lead block on 255-pound linebacker Anthony Barr on a reverse by Deebo Samuel in the second quarter. Samuel fumbled the ball on the play but replay ruled his knee was down, negating the turnover. That proved especially important when Coleman capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run.
BURNED AGAIN
The Vikings scored on their second drive of the game when Diggs outmaneuvered Ahkello Witherspoon for a 41-yard TD catch. It was the fifth TD pass allowed by Witherspoon in the past three games and he was replaced at cornerback the following drive by Emmanuel Moseley.
INJURIES
Vikings: RT Brian O’Neill left with a head injury after a blindside block from Nick Bosa in the third quarter following Cousins’ interception.
49ers: Mostert (calf) and LB Mark Nzeocha (stinger) left the game in the second half.
UP NEXT
Vikings: The offseason.
49ers: NFC championship game next Sunday against either Seattle or Green Bay.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--Kiszla: With trade of Nolan Arenado feeling inevitable, are Rockies also messing up beautiful thing

Kiszla: With trade of Nolan Arenado feeling inevitable, are Rockies also messing up beautiful thing with Trevor Story?

The only people the Colorado Rockies take for granted more than their players are all you fans .
What ’ s the definition of heaping insult on top of injury to loyal customers ?
At a time when our lovable losers in LoDo are threatening to push future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado out the door , the Rockies are also quibbling over $ 750,000 with shortstop Trevor Story in arbitration .
Instead of heading to spring training with high hopes , your local baseball team will be packing headaches for the trip to Arizona .
“ Losing is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in September .
“ Losing is not why I ’ m here.
” But here we are , boys and girls .
The Rockies are closer to trading Arenado and alienating Story than making a serious run at the World Series .
Before the first pitch of the regular season is thrown in late March , if not considerably sooner , these two difficult items need the urgent attention of general manager Jeff Bridich .
No .
1 : Trade Nolan Arenado .
Why ?
From the first workout of spring training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubhouse , the uncertain future of Arenado will be the elephant in the room .
No .
2 : Colorado should sign Story to a long-term deal that makes sense to both the player and the team for more than one season , especially if the Rockies lose 90 times again in 2020 , which is entirely possible .
Nobody saw 91 losses coming a year ago , least of all Arenado .
“ That wasn ’ t the plan when I signed .
That wasn ’ t the goal , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappointing season in franchise history .
Compounding his frustration was the poorly constructed $ 260 million contract Arenado signed last February .
The deal begged for tension between the team and its all-star third baseman , because giving Arenado an opt-out clause after three seasons started the clock ticking on a divorce as soon as the Rockies were eliminated from serious playoff contention in 2019 .
I just hope Bridich deals Arenado to the Cubs or Cardinals rather than an American League club , so we can still see him work his magic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Denver .
Is Story another cautionary tale doomed to end badly for the Rockies ?
During a Friday news dump in the middle of winter , word came down Colorado and Story are headed to arbitration , because the shortstop filed for an $ 11.5 million salary and the team offered $ 750,000 less .
Why nickel and dime a superstar ?
I do believe franchise owner Dick Monfort wants to do the right thing , but his baseball business is frequently as tone-deaf as a guy stuck in traffic singing along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monfort genuinely loves players like his own kids and regards the Rockies as a family business , the bottom line for uber-competitive players such as Arenado and Story is defined by championship rings and money .
So Colorado would be advised to make its best sales pitch to Story sooner rather than later , locking him up with an iron-clad , long-term contract because he wants to play for a perennial winner every bit as much as Arenado does .
If the Rockies can ’ t win this year , how long before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free agent in 2022 ?
Big trades and huge contracts , which just happen to be two of the primary ways any general manager in the major leagues is judged , have not exactly been strengths of Bridich ’ s .
But what ’ s the real cost to the Rockies if the team is never held accountable for its mistakes ?
While Broncos mastermind John Elway gets big grief 24/7 for missing on draft choices from three years ago , our local baseball team seems to get its don ’ t-worry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every Jan. 1 .
Even if Bridich messes up deals with Arenado and Story , the Rockies can rest assured all they have to do to sell 2.5 million tickets is throw open the gates to Coors Field .
Hey , I can live with a parade of bloated earned run averages from the bullpen .
And the fact Ian Desmond is still here after signing for stupid money way back in 2016 isn ’ t his fault .
But it ’ s a shame the Rockies have built a thriving business by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgiving nature of Colorado sports fans .

The only people the Colorado Rockies take for granted more than their players are all you fans.
What’s the definition of heaping insult on top of injury to loyal customers?
At a time when our lovable losers in LoDo are threatening to push future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado out the door, the Rockies are also quibbling over $750,000 with shortstop Trevor Story in arbitration.
Instead of heading to spring training with high hopes, your local baseball team will be packing headaches for the trip to Arizona.
“Losing is not fun,” Arenado told me way back in September. “Losing is not why I’m here.”
But here we are, boys and girls. The Rockies are closer to trading Arenado and alienating Story than making a serious run at the World Series.
Before the first pitch of the regular season is thrown in late March, if not considerably sooner, these two difficult items need the urgent attention of general manager Jeff Bridich.
No. 1: Trade Nolan Arenado. Why? From the first workout of spring training until his final day in the Colorado clubhouse, the uncertain future of Arenado will be the elephant in the room.
No. 2: Colorado should sign Story to a long-term deal that makes sense to both the player and the team for more than one season, especially if the Rockies lose 90 times again in 2020, which is entirely possible.
Nobody saw 91 losses coming a year ago, least of all Arenado.
“That wasn’t the plan when I signed. That wasn’t the goal,” he said at the conclusion of the most disappointing season in franchise history.
Compounding his frustration was the poorly constructed $260 million contract Arenado signed last February. The deal begged for tension between the team and its all-star third baseman, because giving Arenado an opt-out clause after three seasons started the clock ticking on a divorce as soon as the Rockies were eliminated from serious playoff contention in 2019.
I just hope Bridich deals Arenado to the Cubs or Cardinals rather than an American League club, so we can still see him work his magic at third base on a semi-regular basis in Denver.
Is Story another cautionary tale doomed to end badly for the Rockies? During a Friday news dump in the middle of winter, word came down Colorado and Story are headed to arbitration, because the shortstop filed for an $11.5 million salary and the team offered $750,000 less. Why nickel and dime a superstar?
I do believe franchise owner Dick Monfort wants to do the right thing, but his baseball business is frequently as tone-deaf as a guy stuck in traffic singing along with Lizzo on the radio. Although Monfort genuinely loves players like his own kids and regards the Rockies as a family business, the bottom line for uber-competitive players such as Arenado and Story is defined by championship rings and money.
So Colorado would be advised to make its best sales pitch to Story sooner rather than later, locking him up with an iron-clad, long-term contract because he wants to play for a perennial winner every bit as much as Arenado does. If the Rockies can’t win this year, how long before Story will begin dreaming of becoming a free agent in 2022?
Big trades and huge contracts, which just happen to be two of the primary ways any general manager in the major leagues is judged, have not exactly been strengths of Bridich’s.
But what’s the real cost to the Rockies if the team is never held accountable for its mistakes?
While Broncos mastermind John Elway gets big grief 24/7 for missing on draft choices from three years ago, our local baseball team seems to get its don’t-worry, be-happy, trust-the-process and pass-the-sunscreen pass renewed every Jan. 1.
Even if Bridich messes up deals with Arenado and Story, the Rockies can rest assured all they have to do to sell 2.5 million tickets is throw open the gates to Coors Field.
Hey, I can live with a parade of bloated earned run averages from the bullpen. And the fact Ian Desmond is still here after signing for stupid money way back in 2016 isn’t his fault.
But it’s a shame the Rockies have built a thriving business by taking advantage of the sunny disposition and forgiving nature of Colorado sports fans.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--49ers win 1st playoff game in 6 years, beating Vikings to advance to NFC championship

SANTA CLARA , Calif. — Richard Sherman anticipated the route for an interception and then watched the San Francisco 49ers run eight straight times for the touchdown that put them in control of their first playoff game in six years .
The dominant defense and powerful running game that carried the Niners to an 8-0 start this season delivered a 27-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round Saturday .
“ People keep disrespecting us .
At the end of the day , all you can do is go out and execute , ” Sherman said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we look like when we ’ re totally healthy.
” The return of injured defensive starters Dee Ford , Kwon Alexander and Jaquiski Tartt had the Niners ( 14-3 ) playing as they did in the first half of the season as they set a franchise playoff record by allowing only 147 yards .
Jimmy Garoppolo threw a TD pass on his opening drive as a playoff starter and then mostly watched his defense and running game take over from there .
The top-seeded 49ers turned a pair of second-half turnovers by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re pretty good right ?
” tight end George Kittle said of his defense .
“ It ’ s such a blast just to watch them , how they work together .
… “ If our defense keeps playing like that , all we have to do is not turn the ball over to win games ” Sherman set up Tevin Coleman ‘ s second short touchdown run of the game when he beat Adam Thielen to the spot to intercept Kirk Cousins for his third career playoff interception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries on the 44-yard drive as part of a 105-yard rushing performance .
“ Those guys did very well , ” Coleman said of his offensive line .
“ They moved the guys back so I had clear holes to run through .
So , yeah , they did a real good job.
” Marcus Sherels ’ fumbled punt later in the third quarter led to a field goal that made it 27-10 early in the fourth quarter .
San Francisco didn ’ t allow Minnesota to gain a first down for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late in the second quarter .
The Niners will host the NFC championship game next week against the winner of Sunday ’ s game between Seattle and Green Bay .
Garoppolo threw an interception deep in his own territory late in the first half and then spent most of the second half handing the ball off to Coleman and Raheem Mostert .
There was little reason for coach Kyle Shanahan to take chances the way his defense completely bottled up talented runner Dalvin Cook .
That took away Minnesota ’ s play-action game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passer .
“ We didn ’ t do enough offensively to give ourselves a chance to win the game , ” Cousins said .
“ It hurts right now .
It ’ s so raw right now , just falling short.
” Cousins finished 21 for 29 for 172 yards with his only big play coming on a 41-yard TD pass to Stefon Diggs in the first quarter .
Cook was held to 18 yards on nine carries as the Niners defense was back to its dominant early season form as the bye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That was the No .
1 emphasis all week , ” defensive lineman Nick Bosa said of the Minnesota running game .
“ We knew we were facing probably the best back we ’ ve faced all year with Dalvin , and we knew we had to earn the right to pass rush .
So , that ’ s what we did .
We took the run as serious as we could , shut it down and then we ate.
” San Francisco had six sacks and held Minnesota to 81 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
TAKE IT AWAY Eric Kendricks intercepted a pass from Garoppolo late in the first half to give the Vikings the ball at the San Francisco 29 .
Minnesota couldn ’ t capitalize with Ford getting a third-down sack in his return to the lineup from a hamstring injury .
Dan Bailey ’ s 39-yard field goal cut the Niners lead to 14-10 at the half .
The interception was the 19th turnover this season by Garoppolo , who had the most giveaways in the regular season of any player who made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond his throwing .
He threw a lead block on 255-pound linebacker Anthony Barr on a reverse by Deebo Samuel in the second quarter .
“ Sometimes you have to remember you ’ re not just a quarterback , you ’ re a football player too , ” Garoppolo said .
Samuel fumbled the ball on the play but replay ruled his knee was down , negating the turnover .
That proved especially important when Coleman capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run .
The Vikings scored on their second drive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a 41-yard TD catch .
It was the fifth TD pass allowed by Witherspoon in the past three games and he was replaced at cornerback the following drive by Emmanuel Moseley .
Vikings : RT Brian O ’ Neill left with a head injury after a blindside block from Nick Bosa in the third quarter following Cousins ’ interception .
49ers : Mostert ( calf ) and Coleman ( elbow ) both got hurt in the second half .
49ers : NFC championship game next Sunday against either Seattle or Green Bay @

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Richard Sherman anticipated the route for an interception and then watched the San Francisco 49ers run eight straight times for the touchdown that put them in control of their first playoff game in six years.
The dominant defense and powerful running game that carried the Niners to an 8-0 start this season delivered a 27-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round Saturday.
“People keep disrespecting us. At the end of the day, all you can do is go out and execute,” Sherman said. “It felt good. That’s what we look like when we’re totally healthy.”
The return of injured defensive starters Dee Ford, Kwon Alexander and Jaquiski Tartt had the Niners (14-3) playing as they did in the first half of the season as they set a franchise playoff record by allowing only 147 yards.
Jimmy Garoppolo threw a TD pass on his opening drive as a playoff starter and then mostly watched his defense and running game take over from there. The top-seeded 49ers turned a pair of second-half turnovers by Minnesota (11-7) into 10 points.
“They’re pretty good right?” tight end George Kittle said of his defense. “It’s such a blast just to watch them, how they work together. …
“If our defense keeps playing like that, all we have to do is not turn the ball over to win games”
Sherman set up Tevin Coleman‘s second short touchdown run of the game when he beat Adam Thielen to the spot to intercept Kirk Cousins for his third career playoff interception.
Coleman had five of the eight carries on the 44-yard drive as part of a 105-yard rushing performance.
“Those guys did very well,” Coleman said of his offensive line. “They moved the guys back so I had clear holes to run through. So, yeah, they did a real good job.”
Marcus Sherels’ fumbled punt later in the third quarter led to a field goal that made it 27-10 early in the fourth quarter.
San Francisco didn’t allow Minnesota to gain a first down for more than 27 minutes of game action starting late in the second quarter.
The Niners will host the NFC championship game next week against the winner of Sunday’s game between Seattle and Green Bay.
Garoppolo threw an interception deep in his own territory late in the first half and then spent most of the second half handing the ball off to Coleman and Raheem Mostert.
There was little reason for coach Kyle Shanahan to take chances the way his defense completely bottled up talented runner Dalvin Cook. That took away Minnesota’s play-action game and forced Cousins into becoming a drop-back passer.
“We didn’t do enough offensively to give ourselves a chance to win the game,” Cousins said. “It hurts right now. It’s so raw right now, just falling short.”
Cousins finished 21 for 29 for 172 yards with his only big play coming on a 41-yard TD pass to Stefon Diggs in the first quarter.
Cook was held to 18 yards on nine carries as the Niners defense was back to its dominant early season form as the bye week helped the defense get healthy again.
“That was the No. 1 emphasis all week,” defensive lineman Nick Bosa said of the Minnesota running game. “We knew we were facing probably the best back we’ve faced all year with Dalvin, and we knew we had to earn the right to pass rush. So, that’s what we did. We took the run as serious as we could, shut it down and then we ate.”
San Francisco had six sacks and held Minnesota to 81 yards until late in the fourth quarter.
TAKE IT AWAY
Eric Kendricks intercepted a pass from Garoppolo late in the first half to give the Vikings the ball at the San Francisco 29. Minnesota couldn’t capitalize with Ford getting a third-down sack in his return to the lineup from a hamstring injury. Dan Bailey’s 39-yard field goal cut the Niners lead to 14-10 at the half. The interception was the 19th turnover this season by Garoppolo, who had the most giveaways in the regular season of any player who made the playoffs.
BLOCKING BACK
Garoppolo showed he has skills beyond his throwing. He threw a lead block on 255-pound linebacker Anthony Barr on a reverse by Deebo Samuel in the second quarter.
“Sometimes you have to remember you’re not just a quarterback, you’re a football player too,” Garoppolo said.
Samuel fumbled the ball on the play but replay ruled his knee was down, negating the turnover. That proved especially important when Coleman capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run.
BURNED AGAIN
The Vikings scored on their second drive of the game when Diggs outmaneuvered Ahkello Witherspoon for a 41-yard TD catch. It was the fifth TD pass allowed by Witherspoon in the past three games and he was replaced at cornerback the following drive by Emmanuel Moseley.
INJURIES
Vikings: RT Brian O’Neill left with a head injury after a blindside block from Nick Bosa in the third quarter following Cousins’ interception.
49ers: Mostert (calf) and Coleman (elbow) both got hurt in the second half.
UP NEXT
Vikings: The offseason.
49ers: NFC championship game next Sunday against either Seattle or Green Bay.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--Chiefs rally from 24-0 hole to beat Texans in NFL playoffs

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
— The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the AFC championship game .
How they returned to the brink of their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years was unlike anything anybody could have imagined .
After digging a 24-0 hole against Houston early in the second quarter Sunday , Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the high-flying Chiefs embarked on the biggest comeback in franchise history .
Their young superstar proceeded to throw for 321 yards and five touchdowns , Travis Kelce and Damien Williams reached the end zone three times apiece , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a 51-31 victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs .
The Chiefs ( 13-4 ) , who lost to the Patriots in overtime in last year ’ s conference title game , will play Tennessee next Sunday for a spot in Miami .
The Titans stunned Lamar Jackson and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night .
Kelce finished with 10 catches for 134 yards , Williams ran for two scores while catching a TD pass , helping the Chiefs win their seventh consecutive game and reach back-to-back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Watson , meanwhile , threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns while running for another , but not even his heroics could bail out the Texans ( 11-7 ) after they were outscored 28-0 in the second quarter .
They continued to allow Kansas City to pull away during a dismal third , their epic collapse leaving the reborn Houston franchise 0-4 in the divisional round .
The Chiefs certainly gave them the perfect opportunity to finally break that streak in the first quarter .
On defense , Kansas City blew overage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allowing him to walk into the end zone from 54 yards .
On offense , they wasted timeouts , dropped a series of easy passes and managed just 46 yards .
And on special teams , the Chiefs had a punt blocked for a score and fumbled a return that set up another touchdown .
Indeed , the Texans were humming right along after finishing on a 22-3 run to beat Buffalo last week , while the mountain of miscues made by the Chiefs made them only the fourth home playoff team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Then it was the Texans ’ turn to struggle .
They had stretched the lead to 24-0 before the Chiefs , whose largest deficit overcome had been 21 points , put together a comeback for the ages .
Mahomes hit Williams with a quick touchdown toss to begin it , then Houston curiously faked a punt at its own 31-yard line and was stuffed , giving the Chiefs a short field and another easy touchdown .
On the ensuing kickoff , Texans return man DeAndre Carter had the ball pop loose and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose return set up a second Mahomes-to-Kelce touchdown in a matter of seconds .
And a third came after the Chiefs forced a punt — a successful one , for a change — and they drove 90 yards to take a stunning 28-24 halftime lead .
The comeback became a clobbering by the time the third quarter ended .
The Chiefs ’ breezed downfield to start the second half , and Williams finished the drive with his first TD run .
Their overhauled defense under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sacked Watson on fourth down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mahomes and Co. required just six more plays to position Williams for another TD run and a 41-24 lead .
• Seahawks vs. Packers live blog : Real-time updates from the NFL playoff divisional game • Texans vs. Chiefs live blog : Real-time updates from the NFL playoff divisional round game It was the most unanswered points in a playoff game since the Jets had 41 against the Colts in the 2002 wild-card round .
Even when the Texans finally cracked the scoreboard , when Watson scrambled to his left and dived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the touchdown moot .
In four plays they went 72 yards to set up the fifth TD pass by Mahomes , the strike to little-used tight end Blake Bell giving coach Andy Reid ’ s team a postseason-record seven straight TD drives .
It also gave a festive crowd that turned out early in freezing weather and a slight drizzle a chance to celebrate early .
Houston played without S Jahleel Addae ( hamstring ) and TE Jordan Akins ( hamstring ) .
They also lost RT Chris Clark to a knee injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roderick Johnson struggled against the Chiefs pass rush the rest of the game .
Kansas City sat defensive tackle Chris Jones , who strained his calf muscle late in the week and couldn ’ t make it through pregame warm-ups .
WR Tyreek Hill left briefly after a hard hit but eventually returned to the game .
The Texans will spend the offseason wondering how they let a 24-0 lead slip away , and the Chiefs will begin preparing for the Titans in the AFC title game .
Kansas City lost lost 35-32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derrick Henry ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns against them .
It was the most recent time the Chiefs lost a game .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the AFC championship game.
How they returned to the brink of their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years was unlike anything anybody could have imagined.
After digging a 24-0 hole against Houston early in the second quarter Sunday, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the high-flying Chiefs embarked on the biggest comeback in franchise history. Their young superstar proceeded to throw for 321 yards and five touchdowns, Travis Kelce and Damien Williams reached the end zone three times apiece, and Kansas City reeled off 41 consecutive points in a 51-31 victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Chiefs (13-4), who lost to the Patriots in overtime in last year’s conference title game, will play Tennessee next Sunday for a spot in Miami. The Titans stunned Lamar Jackson and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.
Kelce finished with 10 catches for 134 yards, Williams ran for two scores while catching a TD pass, helping the Chiefs win their seventh consecutive game and reach back-to-back AFC title games for the first time.
Watson, meanwhile, threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns while running for another, but not even his heroics could bail out the Texans (11-7) after they were outscored 28-0 in the second quarter. They continued to allow Kansas City to pull away during a dismal third, their epic collapse leaving the reborn Houston franchise 0-4 in the divisional round.
The Chiefs certainly gave them the perfect opportunity to finally break that streak in the first quarter.
On defense, Kansas City blew overage on Kenny Stills on the opening possession, allowing him to walk into the end zone from 54 yards. On offense, they wasted timeouts, dropped a series of easy passes and managed just 46 yards. And on special teams, the Chiefs had a punt blocked for a score and fumbled a return that set up another touchdown.
Indeed, the Texans were humming right along after finishing on a 22-3 run to beat Buffalo last week, while the mountain of miscues made by the Chiefs made them only the fourth home playoff team to trail 21-0 after the first quarter.
Then it was the Texans’ turn to struggle.
They had stretched the lead to 24-0 before the Chiefs, whose largest deficit overcome had been 21 points, put together a comeback for the ages. Mahomes hit Williams with a quick touchdown toss to begin it, then Houston curiously faked a punt at its own 31-yard line and was stuffed, giving the Chiefs a short field and another easy touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Texans return man DeAndre Carter had the ball pop loose and into the arms of Darwin Thompson, whose return set up a second Mahomes-to-Kelce touchdown in a matter of seconds. And a third came after the Chiefs forced a punt — a successful one, for a change — and they drove 90 yards to take a stunning 28-24 halftime lead.
The comeback became a clobbering by the time the third quarter ended.
The Chiefs’ breezed downfield to start the second half, and Williams finished the drive with his first TD run. Their overhauled defense under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo sacked Watson on fourth down to get the ball right back, and Mahomes and Co. required just six more plays to position Williams for another TD run and a 41-24 lead.
It was the most unanswered points in a playoff game since the Jets had 41 against the Colts in the 2002 wild-card round.
Even when the Texans finally cracked the scoreboard, when Watson scrambled to his left and dived over the pylon, the Chiefs rendered the touchdown moot. In four plays they went 72 yards to set up the fifth TD pass by Mahomes, the strike to little-used tight end Blake Bell giving coach Andy Reid’s team a postseason-record seven straight TD drives.
It also gave a festive crowd that turned out early in freezing weather and a slight drizzle a chance to celebrate early.
INJURIES
Houston played without S Jahleel Addae (hamstring) and TE Jordan Akins (hamstring). They also lost RT Chris Clark to a knee injury early in the game, and backup Roderick Johnson struggled against the Chiefs pass rush the rest of the game.
Kansas City sat defensive tackle Chris Jones, who strained his calf muscle late in the week and couldn’t make it through pregame warm-ups. WR Tyreek Hill left briefly after a hard hit but eventually returned to the game.
UP NEXT
The Texans will spend the offseason wondering how they let a 24-0 lead slip away, and the Chiefs will begin preparing for the Titans in the AFC title game. Kansas City lost lost 35-32 at Tennessee in Week 10, when Derrick Henry ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns against them. It was the most recent time the Chiefs lost a game.


thedenverpost--2020-01-12--Mark Esper says he’s seen no hard evidence U.S. embassies under threat

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper explicitly said Sunday that he had seen no hard evidence that four American embassies had been under possible threat when President Donald Trump authorized the targeting of Iran ’ s top commander , raising questions about the scale of the threat described by Trump last week .
As the administration struggled with its justification for the drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Esper and other officials tried to refocus attention on voices of dissent in Iran .
Esper said street protests in Tehran show the Iranian people are hungry for a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane .
The plane was downed shortly after Iran launches strikes against US bases in Iraq in retaliation for Soleimani ’ s killing .
“ You can see the Iranian people are standing up and asserting their rights , their aspirations for a better government — a different regime , ” Esper said .
He appeared on two Sunday news shows while national security adviser , Robert O ’ Brien , was interviewed on three others — pressing the White House ’ s campaign to bring “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its behavior .
O ’ Brien suggested the United States sees this moment as an opportunity to further intensify pressure on Iran ’ s leaders , with whom the U.S. has been at odds for four decades .
Iran ’ s leaders already are under enormous strain from economic sanctions that have virtually strangled Iran ’ s main source of income — oil exports .
Trump himself is under great pressure as he faces an expected impeachment trial in the Senate .
Many in Congress also are upset over his handling of Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consult them in advance of the Jan. 3 strike that killed Iran ’ s most powerful general , nor adequately brief members afterward .
Trump complicated the debate by asserting on Fox News that he had to strike quickly because intelligence showed Iran could have attacked four American embassies .
Both Esper and O ’ Brien said they agreed that Iran might have hit more than just the U.S. Embassy in the Iraqi capital .
But Esper , when asked whether there was a specific piece of evidence , replied : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to four embassies.
” And in response to a question about whether Trump was “ embellishing ” the threat , Esper said , ” I don ’ t believe so.
” After the U.S. killed Soleimani in Baghdad , it appeared the backlash in Iran and elsewhere had helped Tehran by shifting the focus away from its internal problems .
The strike also seemed to divert attention away from domestic unrest in Iraq over government corruption , and it intensified efforts by Iraqi politicians to expel American and other foreign forces .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night of the Soleimani strike , killing all 176 people aboard , opened a new avenue of pressure for the Trump administration .
“ ` I think the regime is having a very bad week , ” O ’ Brien said .
“ This was a regime that ’ s reeling from maximum pressure , they ’ re reeling from their incompetence in this situation and the people of Iran are just fed up with it , ” he said , adding that regime change is not U.S. policy .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the ability at some point to elect their own government and to be governed by the leaders they choose , ” O ’ Brien said .
In Tehran , Iran ’ s security forces deployed in large numbers on Sunday .
Demonstrators defied the heavy police presence to protest their country ’ s days of denials that it shot down the Ukrainian plane .
Videos posted online showed protesters shouting anti-government slogans and moving through subway stations and sidewalks .
Earlier Sunday , Trump tweeted his support for the Iranian protesters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS , ” Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning .
“ Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you , and the World is watching .
More importantly , the USA is watching .
Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free !
Stop the killing of your great Iranian people !
Esper said Iran deserves credit for taking responsibility for the shootdown .
“ My hunch is it was an accident , ” he said , adding that although Iranian government officials initially blamed American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right thing by admitting it.
” He said they need to allow a full investigation .
The Ukrainian plane crash early Wednesday killed all 176 people on board , mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians .
After initially pointing to a technical failure and insisting the armed forces were not to blame , Iranian authorities on Saturday admitted to accidentally shooting it down with its air defenses .
That acknowledgement came in the face of mounting accusations by Western leaders .
Iran downed the Ukrainian flight as Tehran braced for retaliation after firing ballistic missiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces .
The ballistic missile attack , which caused no casualties , was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Iran ’ s top general , in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad .
Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the Ukrainian flight and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the immediate aftermath .
Later the government took the blame for the shootdown , saying it was caused by human error .
Reviewing the dramatic sequence of events that preceded the downing of the Ukrainian jetliner Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani as an act of self defense , and he said the U.S. foresees no more Iranian military attacks in retaliation for that .
Even so , the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah , which is closely aligned with Iran , said Sunday that Iran ’ s missile attacks on two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces last week were only the start of the retaliation .
Hassan Nasrallah described Iran ’ s military response , which caused no casualties , as a “ slap ” at the U.S .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long path ” that will ensure U.S. troops withdraw from the region .
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware , a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , said he was concerned that “ Iran has lots of ways that they can take action against us , both overt and covert , and I don ’ t think they ’ re done trying to seek revenge.
” Esper spoke hopefully of getting the NATO alliance more involved in Iraq to help train Iraqi security forces .
He said this could allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops in Iraq , currently numbering more than 5,200 , but he did not say any reduction was in the works yet .
Esper also said the administration ’ s offer to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran without precondition “ still stands.
” Trump ’ s decision to pull the United States out of an international nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 is cited by his critics as the trigger for escalating tensions that led to the killing of Soleimani .
Esper said Iran ’ s paramilitary Quds Force still presents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specific attacks he said were being planned by Soleimani , have been “ disrupted.
” Esper was pressed to comment on Trump ’ s statement in a Fox News interview that the president believed Soleimani had been plotting to attack four U.S. embassies .
Esper said he shared the belief that Soleimani was planning attacks on multiple U.S. facilities , but Esper did not say these included four embassies .
While seeking to defend Trump ’ s remarks as representing the president ’ s personal belief , not an assertion of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassies had been targeted , Esper indicated there was no such piece of evidence .
“ I didn ’ t see one with regard to four embassies , ” Esper said .
“ What I ’ m saying is I share the president ’ s view that probably — my expectation was they were going to go after our embassies .
The embassies are the most prominent display of American presence in a country.
” O ’ Brien seemed to agree with Trump on that point .
“ It ’ s always difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to know exactly what the targets are , but it ’ s certainly consistent with the intelligence to assume that they would have hit embassies in at least four countries , ” O ’ Brien said .
Esper appeared on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation ” and CNN ’ s ) State of the Union.
” O ’ Brien appeared on ABC ’ s ” This Week , ” “ Fox News Sunday ” and NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” Coon was on Fox .

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper explicitly said Sunday that he had seen no hard evidence that four American embassies had been under possible threat when President Donald Trump authorized the targeting of Iran’s top commander, raising questions about the scale of the threat described by Trump last week.
As the administration struggled with its justification for the drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Esper and other officials tried to refocus attention on voices of dissent in Iran.
Esper said street protests in Tehran show the Iranian people are hungry for a more accountable government after leaders denied, then admitted shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane. The plane was downed shortly after Iran launches strikes against US bases in Iraq in retaliation for Soleimani’s killing.
“You can see the Iranian people are standing up and asserting their rights, their aspirations for a better government — a different regime,” Esper said. He appeared on two Sunday news shows while national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, was interviewed on three others — pressing the White House’s campaign to bring “maximum pressure” on Tehran to change its behavior.
O’Brien suggested the United States sees this moment as an opportunity to further intensify pressure on Iran’s leaders, with whom the U.S. has been at odds for four decades. Iran’s leaders already are under enormous strain from economic sanctions that have virtually strangled Iran’s main source of income — oil exports.
Trump himself is under great pressure as he faces an expected impeachment trial in the Senate. Many in Congress also are upset over his handling of Iran, complaining that the administration did not consult them in advance of the Jan. 3 strike that killed Iran’s most powerful general, nor adequately brief members afterward. Trump complicated the debate by asserting on Fox News that he had to strike quickly because intelligence showed Iran could have attacked four American embassies.
Both Esper and O’Brien said they agreed that Iran might have hit more than just the U.S. Embassy in the Iraqi capital. But Esper, when asked whether there was a specific piece of evidence, replied: “I didn’t see one with regard to four embassies.” And in response to a question about whether Trump was “embellishing” the threat, Esper said, ”I don’t believe so.”
After the U.S. killed Soleimani in Baghdad, it appeared the backlash in Iran and elsewhere had helped Tehran by shifting the focus away from its internal problems. The strike also seemed to divert attention away from domestic unrest in Iraq over government corruption, and it intensified efforts by Iraqi politicians to expel American and other foreign forces.
But the shootdown of the Ukrainian plane on the night of the Soleimani strike, killing all 176 people aboard, opened a new avenue of pressure for the Trump administration.
“`I think the regime is having a very bad week,” O’Brien said.
“This was a regime that’s reeling from maximum pressure, they’re reeling from their incompetence in this situation and the people of Iran are just fed up with it,” he said, adding that regime change is not U.S. policy.
“The people of Iran are going to hopefully have the ability at some point to elect their own government and to be governed by the leaders they choose,” O’Brien said.
In Tehran, Iran’s security forces deployed in large numbers on Sunday. Demonstrators defied the heavy police presence to protest their country’s days of denials that it shot down the Ukrainian plane. Videos posted online showed protesters shouting anti-government slogans and moving through subway stations and sidewalks.
Earlier Sunday, Trump tweeted his support for the Iranian protesters.
“To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS,” Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. “Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!
Esper said Iran deserves credit for taking responsibility for the shootdown.
“My hunch is it was an accident,” he said, adding that although Iranian government officials initially blamed American propaganda, they ultimately “did the right thing by admitting it.” He said they need to allow a full investigation.
The Ukrainian plane crash early Wednesday killed all 176 people on board, mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians. After initially pointing to a technical failure and insisting the armed forces were not to blame, Iranian authorities on Saturday admitted to accidentally shooting it down with its air defenses. That acknowledgement came in the face of mounting accusations by Western leaders.
Iran downed the Ukrainian flight as Tehran braced for retaliation after firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces. The ballistic missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
Iranians have expressed anger over the downing of the Ukrainian flight and the misleading explanations from senior officials in the immediate aftermath. Later the government took the blame for the shootdown, saying it was caused by human error.
Reviewing the dramatic sequence of events that preceded the downing of the Ukrainian jetliner Wednesday, Esper justified the U.S. killing of Soleimani as an act of self defense, and he said the U.S. foresees no more Iranian military attacks in retaliation for that. Even so, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is closely aligned with Iran, said Sunday that Iran’s missile attacks on two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces last week were only the start of the retaliation.
Hassan Nasrallah described Iran’s military response, which caused no casualties, as a “slap” at the U.S. He called it the “first step down a long path” that will ensure U.S. troops withdraw from the region.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that “Iran has lots of ways that they can take action against us, both overt and covert, and I don’t think they’re done trying to seek revenge.”
Esper spoke hopefully of getting the NATO alliance more involved in Iraq to help train Iraqi security forces. He said this could allow him to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq, currently numbering more than 5,200, but he did not say any reduction was in the works yet.
Esper also said the administration’s offer to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran without precondition “still stands.” Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of an international nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 is cited by his critics as the trigger for escalating tensions that led to the killing of Soleimani.
Esper said Iran’s paramilitary Quds Force still presents a threat across the Mideast, but the specific attacks he said were being planned by Soleimani, have been “disrupted.”
Esper was pressed to comment on Trump’s statement in a Fox News interview that the president believed Soleimani had been plotting to attack four U.S. embassies. Esper said he shared the belief that Soleimani was planning attacks on multiple U.S. facilities, but Esper did not say these included four embassies.
While seeking to defend Trump’s remarks as representing the president’s personal belief, not an assertion of a specific piece of hard intelligence that four embassies had been targeted, Esper indicated there was no such piece of evidence.
“I didn’t see one with regard to four embassies,” Esper said. “What I’m saying is I share the president’s view that probably — my expectation was they were going to go after our embassies. The embassies are the most prominent display of American presence in a country.”
O’Brien seemed to agree with Trump on that point.
“It’s always difficult even with the exquisite intelligence that we have to know exactly what the targets are, but it’s certainly consistent with the intelligence to assume that they would have hit embassies in at least four countries,” O’Brien said.
Esper appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s )State of the Union.” O’Brien appeared on ABC’s ”This Week,” “Fox News Sunday” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Coon was on Fox.