thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Here’s why this is the earliest summer solstice in over 100 years

Summer is coming early this year , and it has nothing to do with this week ’ s scorching weather in Denver .
The summer solstice takes place on Saturday at 3:43 p.m. MDT , making it the earliest official arrival of the summer season in 124 years .
On Saturday afternoon , the sun ’ s rays will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer , the furthest north they ’ ll go all year .
As the earth orbits the sun , it wobbles around on a 23.5 degree axis , giving us seasons as the earth tilts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver ’ s relatively far north latitude ( Denver is just shy of 40 degrees north ) means the earth ’ s tilt is felt more strongly here than places closer to the equator .
This year ’ s summer solstice will be the earliest since 1896 .
That ’ s thanks to this year ’ s leap year .
We have leap years because of the amount of time it takes the earth to orbit around the sun is a bit , well , funky .
It takes approximately 365.242189 days for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The added day every four years brings us to 365.25 days .
There are other , however , rarer corrections for the remainder of the fraction : mainly , the skipping of leap years three out of every four century-turning leap years ( as in 2100 , 2200 , 2300 , etc ) .
Without exploding your brain too much , leap years get earlier after centuries with a leap year .
For that reason , summer solstices will , on average , get earlier and earlier until 2100 , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer solstice this century will take place on the final leap year before the skipped 2100 one .
On June 20 , 2096 , the summer solstice will take place at 12:32 a.m. MDT .
If you want extra details ( warning : you ’ ll probably want to wear your thinking cap for this one ) , give this a read .
Now , the differences between summer solstice times are fairly minute .
For example , in 2016 , the summer solstice took place at 4:34 p.m. MDT – less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s solstice .
Of course , the summer solstice also marks the longest day of the year .
On Saturday , the sun will rise at 5:32 a.m. , and it won ’ t set until 8:31 p.m. in Denver , according to the sunrise and sunset tracking website timeanddate.com .
Twilight will last until 10 p.m. , if not later , especially north of the metro area .
Enjoy the nearly 15 hours of official sunlight this weekend .
On Sunday , the long , six-month countdown to the winter solstice will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortest day of the year .

Summer is coming early this year, and it has nothing to do with this week’s scorching weather in Denver.
The summer solstice takes place on Saturday at 3:43 p.m. MDT, making it the earliest official arrival of the summer season in 124 years. On Saturday afternoon, the sun’s rays will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer, the furthest north they’ll go all year.
As the earth orbits the sun, it wobbles around on a 23.5 degree axis, giving us seasons as the earth tilts towards the sun at varying angles. Denver’s relatively far north latitude (Denver is just shy of 40 degrees north) means the earth’s tilt is felt more strongly here than places closer to the equator.
This year’s summer solstice will be the earliest since 1896. That’s thanks to this year’s leap year.
We have leap years because of the amount of time it takes the earth to orbit around the sun is a bit, well, funky. It takes approximately 365.242189 days for the earth to circle the sun. The added day every four years brings us to 365.25 days.
There are other, however, rarer corrections for the remainder of the fraction: mainly, the skipping of leap years three out of every four century-turning leap years (as in 2100, 2200, 2300, etc).
Without exploding your brain too much, leap years get earlier after centuries with a leap year. For that reason, summer solstices will, on average, get earlier and earlier until 2100, which will be a skipped leap year.
The earliest summer solstice this century will take place on the final leap year before the skipped 2100 one. On June 20, 2096, the summer solstice will take place at 12:32 a.m. MDT.
If you want extra details (warning: you’ll probably want to wear your thinking cap for this one), give this a read.
Now, the differences between summer solstice times are fairly minute. For example, in 2016, the summer solstice took place at 4:34 p.m. MDT – less than an hour later than this year’s solstice.
Of course, the summer solstice also marks the longest day of the year. On Saturday, the sun will rise at 5:32 a.m., and it won’t set until 8:31 p.m. in Denver, according to the sunrise and sunset tracking website timeanddate.com. Twilight will last until 10 p.m., if not later, especially north of the metro area.
Enjoy the nearly 15 hours of official sunlight this weekend. On Sunday, the long, six-month countdown to the winter solstice will begin, with December 21st marking the shortest day of the year.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--How Karl Dorrell’s son Chandler is helping CU football get ahead of the curve

You ’ ve got the LeBron James of LinkedIn profiles .
You ’ re bringing an economics degree from Vanderbilt to the table .
You played wideout for the Commodores and Stanford .
You launched your own small business coming out of college .
The world ’ s your oyster .
All of life ’ s paths are yours to pick .
Which begs the question , Chandler Dorrell : “ I kind of avoided it for a while , to be honest , ” Dorrell , the CU Buffs ’ new assistant director of player personnel and the son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Post late last week .
“ I took my own path out of college and wanted to explore some different routes , as far as joining a start-up and doing a couple other things ( where ) the process was really insightful for me , really educated me in a lot of ways in terms of reality , how the real world , how the business world , kind of operates .
“ It was just a great experience in my development , in terms of some of the skills that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as having to learn a lot on my own.
” While carving his own path at Vandy , the 25-year-old Dorrell also got his own health-and-wellness brand — with a focus on nutritional supplements and powders , GNC-type fare — off the runway .
Over the previous two years , he ’ s also worked as a consultant with Pando Pooling , a financial services start-up based in San Francisco , while working as a volunteer assistant coach with the New York Jets ( 2018 ) and the Miami Dolphins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dad was a wide receivers coach with the Jets two falls ago and was assistant head coach and wide receivers coach with the Dolphins last autumn .
“ At some point in time , I did have a discussion or two whether he would want to get into coaching or not , ” Karl Dorrell said of his son , who graduated from Vanderbilt in 2017 after three seasons as a wideout with the Commodores .
“ But I didn ’ t want to force that .
“ But I do like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pretty good fit for him now .
He ’ s always had very good judgment , very good subjectivity to his thought process , working through information .
I think he weighs both sides to it .
I think he does that part well — in terms of any critical analysis , he ’ s been able to sort through the minutiae and information and come up with the logical resolution.
” In a spring hamstrung by social distancing and restricted travel , being able to sort through , process and analyze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more essential to the recruiting infrastructure than ever .
“ This opportunity ( at CU ) came about and I think it was a perfect ( combination ) of everything that really excited me to get back into this world , ” Chandler Dorrell said .
“ And , ultimately , I really wanted to , because I feel I have a lot to offer in terms of how I can help in a variety of ways — whether it ’ s more of a football-related thing or it ’ s more on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

You’ve got the LeBron James of LinkedIn profiles. You’re bringing an economics degree from Vanderbilt to the table. You played wideout for the Commodores and Stanford. You launched your own small business coming out of college.
The world’s your oyster. All of life’s paths are yours to pick. Which begs the question, Chandler Dorrell:
Why coaching?
“I kind of avoided it for a while, to be honest,” Dorrell, the CU Buffs’ new assistant director of player personnel and the son of football coach Karl Dorrell, told The Post late last week.
“I took my own path out of college and wanted to explore some different routes, as far as joining a start-up and doing a couple other things (where) the process was really insightful for me, really educated me in a lot of ways in terms of reality, how the real world, how the business world, kind of operates.
“It was just a great experience in my development, in terms of some of the skills that I was able to learn through that process, as well as having to learn a lot on my own.”
While carving his own path at Vandy, the 25-year-old Dorrell also got his own health-and-wellness brand — with a focus on nutritional supplements and powders, GNC-type fare — off the runway. Over the previous two years, he’s also worked as a consultant with Pando Pooling, a financial services start-up based in San Francisco, while working as a volunteer assistant coach with the New York Jets (2018) and the Miami Dolphins (2019).
Chandler’s dad was a wide receivers coach with the Jets two falls ago and was assistant head coach and wide receivers coach with the Dolphins last autumn.
“At some point in time, I did have a discussion or two whether he would want to get into coaching or not,” Karl Dorrell said of his son, who graduated from Vanderbilt in 2017 after three seasons as a wideout with the Commodores. “But I didn’t want to force that.
“But I do like this role — I think it’s a pretty good fit for him now. He’s always had very good judgment, very good subjectivity to his thought process, working through information. I think he weighs both sides to it. I think he does that part well — in terms of any critical analysis, he’s been able to sort through the minutiae and information and come up with the logical resolution.”
In a spring hamstrung by social distancing and restricted travel, being able to sort through, process and analyze information, especially game film, is more essential to the recruiting infrastructure than ever.
“This opportunity (at CU) came about and I think it was a perfect (combination) of everything that really excited me to get back into this world,” Chandler Dorrell said. “And, ultimately, I really wanted to, because I feel I have a lot to offer in terms of how I can help in a variety of ways — whether it’s more of a football-related thing or it’s more on the football operations side of the department.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Ask Amy: Expectant mother worried about baby shower

Dear Amy : My husband and I are expecting our first baby , due in October .
This will be my only child due to my age , and also because the pregnancy has been medically complicated .
I was initially excited to have a baby shower , but now I ’ m concerned about the health of family and friends , as well as myself and my unborn child .
Many of my family members are much older and at higher risk for having serious complications from COVID-19 .
Some of them would not be willing to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be computer savvy enough to do a video-call-shower .
Maintaining proper etiquette is important to me ; do you have any suggestions for how I can still enjoy this momentous event with a shower , and keep everyone safe ?
I feel it would be terribly tacky to just send out information and/or links to my baby registry without a shower .
I also feel sad at the prospect of missing out on spending time with my extended family .
We are a close-knit group .
Dear Expectant : You should definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of many important decisions you will make as a new parent .
Because you say etiquette is important to you , you should also understand that “ old-school ” rules dictate that you should not host this shower for yourself .
A friend or relative normally steps in to organize and host , timing it for the month before your due date .
I have heard of many “ remote ” showers that seem to work out well – the basic concept is that you receive gifts that are shipped to you and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prearranged time , with your guests joining you remotely as you and your husband open these gifts .
It might be fun for you ( or your host ) to send your special remote guests an invitation along with a tea cup ( or an inexpensive wine glass ) , with the directions to “ join ” you at a specific date and time via video conference or phone .
The host of the shower would send directions for how to do this , as well as contact information for anyone with questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to use this technology ; even people with landlines can join by phone , and although they might not get video , they could still participate .
Anyone who wants to send a gift would be instructed to have it shipped to your home in advance of the date .
Dear Amy : I wanted to add to your advice to “ Sad on the West Coast.
” This person was reflecting on a two-year-old dispute , where her husband blew up at a neighbor .
She said her husband had apologized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled .
What I teach the people I sponsor about “ making amends ” ( Step 9 ) – and what I practice myself — is that there are three parts to a good amends : ( 1 ) tell them what you did ( in other words , take responsibility for the harm ) ; ( 2 ) ask them if you left anything out , or if there is anything they want to say to you ( often , there is ) ; and ( 3 ) ask them how you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is reasonable , do it .
I ’ ve had good success over the years using this process .
By the way , an apology ( saying “ I ’ m sorry ” ) may or may not be what someone wants to hear .
Often , it just tells them how YOU feel about the situation but does not involve taking responsibility .
And , of course , we hear way too many “ I ’ m sorry if I hurt your feelings ” types of “ apologies.
” Dear D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by lessons I ’ ve learned in this space , I recently took responsibility and apologized to someone for something I said , and , frankly , the person seemed stunned .
I was reminded of how powerful an apology ( even over a minor matter ) can be .
I believe that good apologies are actually relationship-builders , because they are personally challenging and convey vulnerability , humility , and intimacy .
Dear Amy : I had two years of Spanish in high school .
A few years later , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaluate my patients ’ basic needs i.e .
toilet , pain , hunger , fear .
Over the years , I found that any attempt to communicate in a foreign language , albeit limited , was appreciated by persons who went about their work , frequently ignored because they didn ’ t speak English .
Dear Bilingual : Communicating the concept : “ I see you , ” is powerful .

Dear Amy: My husband and I are expecting our first baby, due in October.
This will be my only child due to my age, and also because the pregnancy has been medically complicated.
I was initially excited to have a baby shower, but now I’m concerned about the health of family and friends, as well as myself and my unborn child.
Many of my family members are much older and at higher risk for having serious complications from COVID-19.
Some of them would not be willing to wear masks; and most of my family would not be computer savvy enough to do a video-call-shower.
Maintaining proper etiquette is important to me; do you have any suggestions for how I can still enjoy this momentous event with a shower, and keep everyone safe?
I feel it would be terribly tacky to just send out information and/or links to my baby registry without a shower. I also feel sad at the prospect of missing out on spending time with my extended family. We are a close-knit group.
— Expectant
Dear Expectant: You should definitely follow your judgment. This is one of many important decisions you will make as a new parent.
Because you say etiquette is important to you, you should also understand that “old-school” rules dictate that you should not host this shower for yourself. A friend or relative normally steps in to organize and host, timing it for the month before your due date.
I have heard of many “remote” showers that seem to work out well – the basic concept is that you receive gifts that are shipped to you and then you start the shower at a prearranged time, with your guests joining you remotely as you and your husband open these gifts.
It might be fun for you (or your host) to send your special remote guests an invitation along with a tea cup (or an inexpensive wine glass), with the directions to “join” you at a specific date and time via video conference or phone.
The host of the shower would send directions for how to do this, as well as contact information for anyone with questions.
AARP.org offers an online tutorial on how to use this technology; even people with landlines can join by phone, and although they might not get video, they could still participate. Anyone who wants to send a gift would be instructed to have it shipped to your home in advance of the date.
Dear Amy: I wanted to add to your advice to “Sad on the West Coast.” This person was reflecting on a two-year-old dispute, where her husband blew up at a neighbor. She said her husband had apologized, but the matter was far from settled.
I’m a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
What I teach the people I sponsor about “making amends” (Step 9) – and what I practice myself — is that there are three parts to a good amends: (1) tell them what you did (in other words, take responsibility for the harm); (2) ask them if you left anything out, or if there is anything they want to say to you (often, there is); and (3) ask them how you can set things right and, if it is reasonable, do it.
I’ve had good success over the years using this process.
By the way, an apology (saying “I’m sorry”) may or may not be what someone wants to hear. Often, it just tells them how YOU feel about the situation but does not involve taking responsibility. And, of course, we hear way too many “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings” types of “apologies.”
— D
Dear D: This is so helpful. Guided by lessons I’ve learned in this space, I recently took responsibility and apologized to someone for something I said, and, frankly, the person seemed stunned. I was reminded of how powerful an apology (even over a minor matter) can be.
I believe that good apologies are actually relationship-builders, because they are personally challenging and convey vulnerability, humility, and intimacy.
Dear Amy: I had two years of Spanish in high school. A few years later, as a nurse, I knew enough words to evaluate my patients’ basic needs i.e. toilet, pain, hunger, fear.
Over the years, I found that any attempt to communicate in a foreign language, albeit limited, was appreciated by persons who went about their work, frequently ignored because they didn’t speak English.
— Barely Bilingual
Dear Bilingual: Communicating the concept: “I see you,” is powerful.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--PHOTOS: Juneteenth is celebrated in Denver and around the nation

Izzy Jordan , 13 , begins to cry during a Juneteenth silent march where participants walked from the Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ Park all the way to the Capitol in Denver on Friday , June 19 , @ @ @ @ @ ending of slavery in the United States .
`` I was adopted , and my @ @ @ @ @ Jordan said .
`` When I turned 10 I started to realize that not everyone @ @ @ @ @ 's why I was crying , because the realization makes it real .
I 'm @ @ @ @ @ also a lot of doubt that my kids will have to deal with this .
@ @ @ @ @ be in a world where my children do n't think their mother can survive because @ @ @ @ @ ''

Rachel Ellis, The Denver Post
Izzy Jordan, 13, begins to cry during a Juneteenth silent march where participants walked from the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in City Park all the way to the Capitol in Denver on Friday, June 19, 2020. Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. "I was adopted, and my parents are white," Jordan said. "When I turned 10 I started to realize that not everyone is so kind. That's why I was crying, because the realization makes it real. I'm hopeful, but there is also a lot of doubt that my kids will have to deal with this. I don't want to be in a world where my children don't think their mother can survive because of their skin color."


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Man found dead outside Aurora apartment building suffered “sharp force injuries”

A man found dead outside of an Aurora apartment building this week was identified Friday as Jason Michael Burrow , @ @ @ @ @ by police at 6:20 a.m. on Thursday lying on the ground outside of The Willowick @ @ @ @ @ Ave .
He was bleeding and unresponsive , according to a blog post from the @ @ @ @ @ Arapahoe County Coroner on Friday described Burrow ’ s death as a homicide and that @ @ @ @ @ sharp force injuries.
” Investigators from the city ’ s major crimes/homicide unit were called @ @ @ @ @ Aurora police said it is unknown what led up to the incident and said there @ @ @ @ @ this time .
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call 303-739-6213 or @ @ @ @ @ Crime Stoppers number at 720-913-STOP .

A man found dead outside of an Aurora apartment building this week was identified Friday as Jason Michael Burrow, 40.
Burrow was found by police at 6:20 a.m. on Thursday lying on the ground outside of The Willowick Apartments at 10653 E. Jewell Ave. He was bleeding and unresponsive, according to a blog post from the Aurora Police Department.
The Arapahoe County Coroner on Friday described Burrow’s death as a homicide and that he had sustained “multiple sharp force injuries.” Investigators from the city’s major crimes/homicide unit were called out to the scene.
Aurora police said it is unknown what led up to the incident and said there is no suspect information at this time. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call 303-739-6213 or anonymously using the Denver Metro Crime Stoppers number at 720-913-STOP.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Wildlife officers relocate young bear that wandered into Commerce City

A young male bear was relocated after it had wandered into Commerce City overnight Friday .
Wildlife officers with Colorado @ @ @ @ @ bear and moved it to a more “ appropriate bear habitat , ” the state @ @ @ @ @ same bear has been spotted in communities northeast of Denver over the past month , @ @ @ @ @ bear was first reported in Fort Lupton in mid-May and in Brighton last week .
@ @ @ @ @ at Denver7 .

A young male bear was relocated after it had wandered into Commerce City overnight Friday.
Wildlife officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife tranquilized the bear and moved it to a more “appropriate bear habitat,” the state wildlife officials tweeted.
The same bear has been spotted in communities northeast of Denver over the past month, wildlife officials said.
This bear was first reported in Fort Lupton in mid-May and in Brighton last week.
Overnight, wildlife officers relocated this young male bear out of @CommerceCityCO and back into more appropriate bear habitat. This bear was first reported in Fort Lupton in mid-May and in @CityofBrighton last week. pic.twitter.com/od2AwFOo1w — CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 20, 2020
Read more from our partners at Denver7.


thedenverpost--2020-06-21--Kiszla: The Avs have legit shot to raise the Stanley Cup, if one big weakness doesn’t cause their do

Kiszla: The Avs have legit shot to raise the Stanley Cup, if one big weakness doesn’t cause their downfall

Maybe what America needs now is the mindless good fun of a hockey fight .
Don ’ t know about you .
But everywhere I look , from baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to NBA crusader Kyrie Irving , somebody ’ s fighting mad about something ( or everything ) .
From coast to coast , in red states and blue cities , we ’ ve had peaceful marches in the name of racial equality , violent protests against police brutality and a political rally in direct defiance of COVID-19 science , where I saw a photo of a grown man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kiss his … Hey , buddy .
Get in line .
It ’ s 2020 and we ’ re all mad about something .
We ’ ve torn down statues that should ’ ve been dumped in a landfill long ago , and cursed software that makes filing for unemployment tougher than wrestling a bear .
Just for a change of pace , would it be OK to kick back and have a little fun , watching the Avs shoot and score until captain Gabe Landeskog raises the Stanley Cup ?
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a run at the Stanley Cup this year , ” Landeskog said .
Even in tough times , it ’ s OK to be excited about life .
Yes , we ’ ve got issues of health , justice and democracy that are far more important than hockey .
But is it shallow of me to yearn to see a happy crowd congregate in downtown Denver in celebration of an NHL championship , after we ’ ve scrubbed away the angry graffiti on the Colorado State Capitol ?
The Avalanche is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go crazy about something frivolous and fun in 2020. Who knows if the coronavirus will allow sports , from the preps to the pros , to come out of hiding long enough to bring sustained joy in our lives this year ?
If the pandemic lets them take the field , we ’ ll have to pardon the Broncos ’ dust during their rebuilding project .
The Nuggets are a fun bunch , but one star shy of legit contention .
If an abundance of caution prevents fans from basking in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really care if the Rockies play ball in an empty stadium ?
The Avs , however , are ready to win it all .
Right now .
On any given shift , Nathan MacKinnon is the most dangerous skater on the planet .
The confidence in the Avs room is organic , born of a roster loaded with so much talent it doesn ’ t need to feign fearlessness .
But here ’ s the great unknown , for Colorado , as well as their rivals throughout the Western Conference : After a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that get up to speed quickly on all the big and small hockey details will have the best chance of long playoff run .
“ We ’ re not going to achieve fairness , ” said Landeskog .
Whatever momentum the Avalanche established before COVID-19 halted the regular season is long gone .
He explained : “ Everybody is going to start from scratch , after being off for three months.
” Factors that often separate a champ from a chump during the playoffs are the power play , the penalty kill and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And goaltending is the biggest , most legit reason to doubt the Avalanche ’ s championship aspirations .
The last time we saw the Avs in Pepsi Center , Philipp Grubauer was on the shelf with an injury and Pavel Francouz was making his case to be the No .
1 goaltender going forward .
But that was three months ago .
Ancient history .
What now ?
“ It ’ s going to be like a new season , ” Landeskog said .
Can either Grubauer or Francouz be trusted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the most intriguing decision coach Jared Bednar must make .
Being unflappable and consistent is easier said than done under the heat of a postseason microscope .
But if either Francouz or Grubauer can merely be solid between the pipes , MacKinnon can make the spectacular plays to win a series .
“ He ’ s been the MVP in my eyes for the last few years , ” Landeskog said .
Just as it was an honor to bow my head near the spot where Broncos star Courtland Sutton kneeled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd during a recent Black Lives Matter march though downtown , it would be a hoot to gather later this year with all of you at the Civic Center and celebrate the Avalanche bringing home the Cup .
We ’ d salute MacKinnon and the boys in burgundy with giddy grins so big the joy would shine right though our coronavirus masks .
Ever the sunny optimist , I ’ ve already selected my mask for the Avalanche ’ s victory parade .
It ’ s adorned with the official Colorado state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannabis plants for eyes .
Anybody else in Colorado yearning for a reason to party ?
Yes , we ’ ve got serious issues to address .
But sticking to sports would feel good , if only for the hot minute of overtime during a NHL playoff game .
We need the local hockey team to “ Go , Avs , go , ” maybe now more than ever .

Maybe what America needs now is the mindless good fun of a hockey fight.
Don’t know about you. But everywhere I look, from baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to NBA crusader Kyrie Irving, somebody’s fighting mad about something (or everything).
From coast to coast, in red states and blue cities, we’ve had peaceful marches in the name of racial equality, violent protests against police brutality and a political rally in direct defiance of COVID-19 science, where I saw a photo of a grown man donning a diaper to tell mask-wearers to kiss his …
Hey, buddy. Get in line. It’s 2020 and we’re all mad about something.
We’ve torn down statues that should’ve been dumped in a landfill long ago, and cursed software that makes filing for unemployment tougher than wrestling a bear.
Just for a change of pace, would it be OK to kick back and have a little fun, watching the Avs shoot and score until captain Gabe Landeskog raises the Stanley Cup?
“I’m excited to have a chance to take a run at the Stanley Cup this year,” Landeskog said.
Even in tough times, it’s OK to be excited about life. Yes, we’ve got issues of health, justice and democracy that are far more important than hockey. But is it shallow of me to yearn to see a happy crowd congregate in downtown Denver in celebration of an NHL championship, after we’ve scrubbed away the angry graffiti on the Colorado State Capitol?
The Avalanche is our best chance for a sports-crazy town to go crazy about something frivolous and fun in 2020.
Who knows if the coronavirus will allow sports, from the preps to the pros, to come out of hiding long enough to bring sustained joy in our lives this year?
If the pandemic lets them take the field, we’ll have to pardon the Broncos’ dust during their rebuilding project. The Nuggets are a fun bunch, but one star shy of legit contention. If an abundance of caution prevents fans from basking in the sunshine of Coors Field, does anybody really care if the Rockies play ball in an empty stadium?
The Avs, however, are ready to win it all. Right now.
On any given shift, Nathan MacKinnon is the most dangerous skater on the planet. The confidence in the Avs room is organic, born of a roster loaded with so much talent it doesn’t need to feign fearlessness.
But here’s the great unknown, for Colorado, as well as their rivals throughout the Western Conference: After a lengthy, virus-imposed layoff, the teams that get up to speed quickly on all the big and small hockey details will have the best chance of long playoff run.
“We’re not going to achieve fairness,” said Landeskog. Whatever momentum the Avalanche established before COVID-19 halted the regular season is long gone. He explained: “Everybody is going to start from scratch, after being off for three months.”
Factors that often separate a champ from a chump during the playoffs are the power play, the penalty kill and perhaps most of all, the goaltending. And goaltending is the biggest, most legit reason to doubt the Avalanche’s championship aspirations.
The last time we saw the Avs in Pepsi Center, Philipp Grubauer was on the shelf with an injury and Pavel Francouz was making his case to be the No. 1 goaltender going forward.
But that was three months ago. Ancient history. What now?
“It’s going to be like a new season,” Landeskog said.
Can either Grubauer or Francouz be trusted to win 16 playoff games? It’s the most intriguing decision coach Jared Bednar must make. Being unflappable and consistent is easier said than done under the heat of a postseason microscope.
But if either Francouz or Grubauer can merely be solid between the pipes, MacKinnon can make the spectacular plays to win a series. “He’s been the MVP in my eyes for the last few years,” Landeskog said.
Just as it was an honor to bow my head near the spot where Broncos star Courtland Sutton kneeled for nine minutes of silence in tribute to George Floyd during a recent Black Lives Matter march though downtown, it would be a hoot to gather later this year with all of you at the Civic Center and celebrate the Avalanche bringing home the Cup.
We’d salute MacKinnon and the boys in burgundy with giddy grins so big the joy would shine right though our coronavirus masks.
Ever the sunny optimist, I’ve already selected my mask for the Avalanche’s victory parade. It’s adorned with the official Colorado state symbol: a smiley face with two cannabis plants for eyes.
Anybody else in Colorado yearning for a reason to party?
Yes, we’ve got serious issues to address. But sticking to sports would feel good, if only for the hot minute of overtime during a NHL playoff game. We need the local hockey team to “Go, Avs, go,” maybe now more than ever.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Metal barriers, Trump gear: Crowd readies for Tulsa campaign stop as protesters rally outside

TULSA , Okla. — Supporters of President Donald Trump filled the streets Saturday around the Tulsa stadium where the president will hold his first rally in months , ready to welcome him back to the campaign trail despite warnings from health officials about the coronavirus and the possibility of conflicts with protesters .
The crowd filtered into the 19,000-seat BOK Center for what is expected to be the biggest indoor event the country has seen since restrictions to prevent the COVID-19 virus began in March .
Trump had been expected to speak at an outdoor event within a perimeter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that appearance was abruptly canceled .
Many of the president ’ s supporters weren ’ t wearing masks , despite the recommendation of public health officials to keep the coronavirus from spreading .
Some had been camped near the venue since early in the week .
Thousands of people filled the downtown streets Saturday , including a large group of Black Lives Matter protesters who chanted and marched , occasionally getting into shouting matches with Trump supporters who chanted , “ all lives matter.
” The protesters blocked traffic in at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tulsa have said they ’ re worried the visit could lead to violence .
It ’ s happening amid protests over racial injustice and policing across the U.S. and in a city that has a long history of racial tension .
Officials said they expected some 100,000 people in Tulsa ’ s downtown .
Kieran Mullen , 60 , a college professor from Norman , Oklahoma , held a sign that read , “ Black Lives Matter ” and “ Dump Trump.
” “ I just thought it was important for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different point of view , ” Mullen said of his state , which overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016 .
Brian Bernard , 54 , a retired information technology worker from Baton Rouge , Louisiana , sported a Trump 2020 hat as he took a break from riding his bicycle around downtown Tulsa .
Next to him was a woman selling Trump T-shirts and hats , flying a “ Keep America Great Again ” flag .
Her shirt said , “ Impeach this , ” with an image of Trump extending his middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t do it , it ’ s up to us to show our support , ” said Bernard , who drove nine hours to Tulsa for his second Trump rally .
“ Before I went to a Trump rally in 2015 , I was pretty much on the fence .
That really hooked me .
I really felt he was genuine.
” Bernard said he wasn ’ t concerned about catching the coronavirus at the event and doesn ’ t believe it ’ s “ anything worse than the flu.
” Across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrol troopers milled about a staging area in a bank parking lot with dozens of uniformed National Guard troops .
Tulsa has seen cases of COVID-19 spike in the past week , and the local health department director asked that the rally be postponed .
But Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt said it would be safe .
The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday denied a request that everyone attending the indoor rally wear a mask , and few in the crowd outside Saturday were wearing them .
The Trump campaign said six staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 .
They were following “ quarantine procedures ” and wouldn ’ t attend the rally , said Tim Murtaugh , the campaign ’ s communications director .
Inside the barriers , the campaign was handing out masks and said hand sanitizer also would be distributed and that participants would undergo a temperature check .
But there was no requirement that participants use the masks .
Teams of people wearing goggles , masks , gloves and blue gowns were checking the temperatures of those entering the rally area .
Those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks , which most people wore as they went through the temperature check .
Some took them off after the check .
The rally originally was planned for Friday , but was moved after complaints that it coincided with Juneteenth , which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. , and in a city that was the site of a 1921 race-related massacre , when a white mob attacked Blacks , leaving as many as 300 people dead .
Stitt said he would join Vice President Mike Pence for a meeting Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greenwood District , the area where the 1921 attack occurred .
Stitt initially invited Trump to tour the area , but said , “ We talked to the African American community and they said it would not be a good idea , so we asked the president not to do that.
” Associated Press reporters Sara Burnett in Chicago , Ellen Knickmeyer in Tulsa and Ken Miller in Oklahoma City contributed to this report .

TULSA, Okla. — President Donald Trump launched his comeback rally Saturday by defining the upcoming election as a stark choice between national heritage and left-wing radicalism. But his intended show of political force amid a pandemic featured thousands of empty seats and new coronavirus cases on his own campaign staff.
Trump ignored health warnings to hold his first rally in 110 days — one of the largest indoor gatherings in the world during a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 120,000 Americans and put 40 million out of work. The rally was meant to restart his reelection effort less than five months before the president faces voters again.
“The choice in 2020 is very simple,” Trump said. “Do you want to bow before the left-wing mob, or do you want to stand up tall and proud as Americans?”
Trump unleashed months of pent-up grievances about the coronavirus, which he dubbed the “Kung flu,” a racist term for COVID-19, which originated in China. He also tried to defend his handling of the pandemic, even as cases continue to surge in many states, including Oklahoma.
He complained that robust coronavirus testing was making his record look bad — and suggested the testing effort should slow down.
“Here’s the bad part. When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more cases,” he said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down.’ They test and they test.”
“Speed up the testing,” Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, tweeted later.
In the hours before the rally, crowds were significantly lighter than expected, and campaign officials scrapped plans for Trump to address an overflow space outdoors. When Trump thundered that “the silent majority is stronger than ever before,” about a third of the seats at his indoor rally were empty.
Trump tried to explain away the crowd size by blaming the media for scaring people and by insisting there were protesters outside who were “doing bad things.”
Hundreds of marchers flooded the city’s downtown streets and blocked traffic at times, but police reported just one arrest as of Saturday afternoon. Many on foot chanted, and some occasionally got into shouting matches with Trump supporters, who outnumbered them and yelled, “all lives matter.”
Later in the evening, a group of armed men began following the protesters. When the protesters blocked an intersection, a man wearing a Trump shirt got out of a truck and spattered them with pepper spray. Police later deployed an irritant gas to try and make the group disperse.
The Trump faithful gathered inside the 19,000-seat BOK Center for what was believed to be the largest indoor event in the country since restrictions to prevent the COVID-19 virus began in March. Many of the president’s supporters weren’t wearing masks, despite the recommendation of public health officials to keep the coronavirus from spreading. Some had been camped near the venue since early in the week.
Turnout at the rally was lower than the campaign predicted, with a large swath of standing room on the stadium floor and empty seats in the balconies. Trump had been scheduled to appear at a rally outside of the stadium within a perimeter of tall metal barriers, but that event was abruptly cancelled.
Trump campaign officials said protesters prevented the president’s supporters from entering the stadium. Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president’s speaking did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held.
While Trump spoke onstage, protesters carried a paper-mache representation of him with a pig snout. Some in the multiracial group wore Black Lives Matter shirts, others sported rainbow-colored armbands, and many covered their mouths and noses with masks. At one point, several people stopped to dance to gospel singer Kirk Franklin’s song “Revolution.”
The protesters blocked traffic in at least one intersection. Some Black leaders in Tulsa had said they were worried the visit could lead to violence. It came amid protests over racial injustice and policing across the U.S. and in a city that has a long history of racial tension. Officials had said they expected some 100,000 people downtown.
The woman who was arrested was seen on live video sitting cross-legged on the ground in peaceful protest when officers pulled her away by the arms and later put her in handcuffs. She said her name was Sheila Buck and that she was from Tulsa.
Police said in a news release the officers tried for several minutes to talk Buck into leaving and that she was taken into custody for obstruction after police were asked by the Trump campaign to remove her from the area.
Buck was wearing a T-shirt that said “I Can’t Breathe” — the dying words of George Floyd, whose death has inspired a global push for racial justice. She said she had a ticket to the Trump rally and was told she was being arrested for trespassing. She said she was not part of any organized group.
***
Before the rally, Trump’s campaign revealed that six staff members who were helping set up for the event had tested positive for the coronavirus. Campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said neither the affected staffers nor anyone who was in immediate contact with them would attend the event.
The president raged to aides that the staffers’ positive cases had been made public, according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
Trump devoted more than 10 minutes of his 105-minute rally — with the crowd laughing along — trying to explain away a pair of odd images from his speech last weekend at West Point, blaming his slippery leather-soled shoes for video of him walking awkwardly down a ramp as he left the podium. And then he declared that he used two hands to drink a cup of water that day because he didn’t want to spill water on his tie — and proceeded to this time drink with just one hand.
But Trump also leaned in hard on cultural issues, including the push to tear down statue s and rename military bases honoring Confederate generals following nationwide protests about racial injustice.
“The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments, our beautiful monuments,” Trump said. “They want to demolish our heritage so they can impose their new repressive regime in its place.”
Trump also floated the idea of a one-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of burning an American flag, an act of protest protected by the First Amendment. And he revived his attacks on Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who emigrated from Somalia as a child, claiming she would want “to make the government of our country just like the country from where she came, Somalia: no government, no safety, no police, no nothing — just anarchy.”
“And now she’s telling us how to run our country,” Trump continued. “No, thank you.”
After a three-month break from rallies, Trump spent the evening reviving his greatest hits, including boasts about the pre-pandemic economy and complaints about the media. But his scattershot remarks made no mention of some of the flashpoints roiling the nation, including the abrupt firing of a U.S. attorney in Manhattan, the damaging new book from his former national security adviser or the killing of George Floyd..
Large gatherings in the United States were shut down in March because of the coronavirus. The rally was scheduled over the protests of local health officials as COVID-19 cases spike in many states, while the choice of host city and date — it was originally set for Friday, Juneteenth, in a city where a 1921 racist attack killed as many as 300 people — prompted anger amid a national wave of protests against racial injustice.
But Trump and his advisers forged forward, believing that a return to the rally stage would reenergize the president, who is furious that he has fallen behind Biden in polls, and reassure increasingly anxious Republicans.
But Trump has struggled to land effective attacks against Biden, and his broadsides against the former vice president did not draw nearly the applause as did his digs at his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.
City officials had expected a crowd of 100,000 people or more in downtown Tulsa. Trump’s campaign, for its part, declared that it had received over a million ticket requests. The crowd that gathered was far less than that, though the rally, being broadcast on cable, also targeted voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida.
The president’s campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere over the smaller-than-expected crowds, accusing protesters of blocking access to metal detectors and preventing people from entering the rally. Three Associated Press journalists reporting in Tulsa for several hours leading up to the president’s speaking did not see protesters block entry to the area where the rally was held.
The campaign handed out masks and hand sanitizer, but there was no requirement that participants use them and few did. Participants also underwent a temperature check.
“I don’t think it’s anything worse than the flu,” said Brian Bernard, 54, a retired IT worker from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who sported a Trump 2020 hat. “I haven’t caught a cold or a flu in probably 15 years, and if I haven’t caught a cold or flu yet, I don’t think I’m gonna catch COVID.”
Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers John Mone and Ellen Knickmeyer in Tulsa, Okla., contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--As athletes return to campus, what are they signing up for?

Ohio State calls it the Buckeye Acknowledgment and Pledge , a two-page document the school asked its athletes to sign before they could begin using team facilities during the pandemic .
The document SMU is requiring its athletes to sign is much more direct : Acknowledgment of Risk for COVID-19 Summer 2020 .
Across the country , universities have begun the process of getting ready to play through a public health crisis .
As athletes return to campus , what are they signing up for ?
Missouri also has a pledge and Ohio State ’ s athletic director said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Big Ten rival Indiana .
Baylor ’ s AD said athletes there are being given a waiver and awareness form to sign .
How much legal protection any of these forms provide schools is up for debate , along with the ethics of requiring unpaid students to sign them .
“ I worry that in some situations athletes are being used sort of guinea pigs to demonstrate what we can and can ’ t do as we bring regular students back to campus , ” said Karen Weaver , associate professor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just don ’ t think that ’ s right.
” SMU has made it clear that at least in part the purpose of its document is to mitigate the school ’ s liability if an athlete contracts COVID-19 .
Ohio State has said its document is not intended to provide liability protection , though it was crafted with the help of legal counsel .
For some experts , the two documents are not so dissimilar .
“ I don ’ t care what label they put on it , ” said Carla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chair of Segal McCambridge ’ s sports , recreation and entertainment group .
“ They could call it a pledge , they could call it a waiver , they could call it a release , they could call it a cantaloupe .
If you are signing away rights that you would otherwise have it ’ s a legally enforceable document and I would call it a waiver and release of claim.
” If college football is to be played this season , schools will need to build protective bubbles around their teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who become infected and executing elaborate hygiene protocols .
Athletes have already tested positive at more than a dozen schools from Boise State to Clemson , though some schools are not releasing details .
On Saturday , Kansas State announced it was pausing voluntary workouts after 14 athletes tested positive , becoming the second school along with Houston to hit the brakes on what is essentially a ramp-up phase to returning to play .
There is only so much a school can do to shield its athletes from a virus they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a bar , grocery store or church .
“ What you would worry about is , this is two hours a day , right ?
” Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said of the voluntary workouts players around the country are participating in this month .
“ And so what are our student-athletes … doing the other 22 hours ?
” Educating athletes about risk and how to mitigate it is vital .
Tapping into their sense of duty and dedication is a sound strategy to get them to modify behavior .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk , and now it can be argued the schools are using that commitment to the team as a legal shield — even it doesn ’ t use the explicit terminology of a waiver and ensures that scholarships will be honored .
“ While on the surface the language in the SMU waiver may look more bothersome than the language in the Ohio State pledge , among the two I consider the Ohio State pledge to be the more morally wrong of the two documents , ” said Marc Edelman , a law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who specializes in sports law .
“ Because not only does the pledge seem to reduce Ohio State University ’ s liability , but it is written in such a way that college athletes themselves might not even have their guards up to what the university and lawyers are attempting to do.
” Edelman said even a permission slip can be used to claim a legal release of liability .
Further muddling the legal questions , liability law varies from state to state .
There may be pushback from athletes : Some UCLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their own , including an independent health official to ensure virus protocols are being followed .
Gregg Clifton , a former sports agent and attorney for Jackson Lewis based in Phoenix , said to him the difference between Ohio State ’ s pledge and SMU ’ s waiver is clear .
“ I don ’ t think it would be truly an effective block against a lawsuit , ” Clifton said of the Buckeye Pledge .
Varriale-Barker said schools asking athletes to sign any documents that could have legal ramifications should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure students and parents are aware of that .
And that the families may want to consult an attorney before signing .
“ I ’ m less worried about this in the professional sports sense , ” Varriale-Barker said .
“ The people who really need this information are at the collegiate , high school , perhaps , even youth sports level .
”

Ohio State calls it the Buckeye Acknowledgment and Pledge, a two-page document the school asked its athletes to sign before they could begin using team facilities during the pandemic.
The document SMU is requiring its athletes to sign is much more direct: Acknowledgment of Risk for COVID-19 Summer 2020.
Across the country, universities have begun the process of getting ready to play through a public health crisis. As athletes return to campus, what are they signing up for?
Missouri also has a pledge and Ohio State’s athletic director said the school got the idea for its document from Big Ten rival Indiana. Baylor’s AD said athletes there are being given a waiver and awareness form to sign. How much legal protection any of these forms provide schools is up for debate, along with the ethics of requiring unpaid students to sign them.
“I worry that in some situations athletes are being used sort of guinea pigs to demonstrate what we can and can’t do as we bring regular students back to campus,” said Karen Weaver, associate professor of sports management at Drexel University. “I just don’t think that’s right.”
SMU has made it clear that at least in part the purpose of its document is to mitigate the school’s liability if an athlete contracts COVID-19. Ohio State has said its document is not intended to provide liability protection, though it was crafted with the help of legal counsel.
For some experts, the two documents are not so dissimilar.
“I don’t care what label they put on it,” said Carla Varriale-Barker, an attorney in New York and chair of Segal McCambridge’s sports, recreation and entertainment group. “They could call it a pledge, they could call it a waiver, they could call it a release, they could call it a cantaloupe. If you are signing away rights that you would otherwise have it’s a legally enforceable document and I would call it a waiver and release of claim.”
If college football is to be played this season, schools will need to build protective bubbles around their teams, frequently testing players, tracing contacts of those who become infected and executing elaborate hygiene protocols. Athletes have already tested positive at more than a dozen schools from Boise State to Clemson, though some schools are not releasing details. On Saturday, Kansas State announced it was pausing voluntary workouts after 14 athletes tested positive, becoming the second school along with Houston to hit the brakes on what is essentially a ramp-up phase to returning to play.
There is only so much a school can do to shield its athletes from a virus they can pick up in a dorm, at a bar, grocery store or church.
“What you would worry about is, this is two hours a day, right?” Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said of the voluntary workouts players around the country are participating in this month. “And so what are our student-athletes … doing the other 22 hours?”
Educating athletes about risk and how to mitigate it is vital. Tapping into their sense of duty and dedication is a sound strategy to get them to modify behavior. Have them sign a document acknowledging that risk, and now it can be argued the schools are using that commitment to the team as a legal shield — even it doesn’t use the explicit terminology of a waiver and ensures that scholarships will be honored.
“While on the surface the language in the SMU waiver may look more bothersome than the language in the Ohio State pledge, among the two I consider the Ohio State pledge to be the more morally wrong of the two documents,” said Marc Edelman, a law professor at Baruch College in New York who specializes in sports law. “Because not only does the pledge seem to reduce Ohio State University’s liability, but it is written in such a way that college athletes themselves might not even have their guards up to what the university and lawyers are attempting to do.”
Edelman said even a permission slip can be used to claim a legal release of liability. Further muddling the legal questions, liability law varies from state to state. There may be pushback from athletes: Some UCLA football players reportedly are demanding some protections of their own, including an independent health official to ensure virus protocols are being followed.
Gregg Clifton, a former sports agent and attorney for Jackson Lewis based in Phoenix, said to him the difference between Ohio State’s pledge and SMU’s waiver is clear.
“I don’t think it would be truly an effective block against a lawsuit,” Clifton said of the Buckeye Pledge.
Varriale-Barker said schools asking athletes to sign any documents that could have legal ramifications should be going out of their way to make sure students and parents are aware of that. And that the families may want to consult an attorney before signing.
“I’m less worried about this in the professional sports sense,” Varriale-Barker said. “The people who really need this information are at the collegiate, high school, perhaps, even youth sports level.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Tiz the Law wins barren Belmont Stakes

Tiz the Law wins barren Belmont Stakes

NEW YORK — Tiz the Law has won an unprecedented Belmont Stakes , claiming victory Saturday at the first race of a rejiggered Triple Crown schedule and crossing the finish line in front of eerily empty grandstands .
The 3-year-old colt from upstate New York charged to the lead turning to the frontstretch and now can set his sights on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby and Oct. 3 Preakness .
All three legs of this year ’ s Triple Crown schedule were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Belmont , usually the series capper , was initially scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York a hometown champion in its first major sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic seized the area .
He ’ s the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forrester in 1882 .
This Belmont States was unlike any of the 151 that preceded it .
The Long Island track can pack in nearly 100,000 , but this race had about 100 on hand , including jockeys , media and park staff .
Masks were mandated for all but the horses — even the jockeys wore face coverings .
Closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park hardly resembled the summer soiree New Yorkers are used to .
Betting windows and gift shops were closed , no boozy Belmont Jewels shaken to order .
Foot traffic was so slow that a few weeds over a foot tall sprouted up between bricks paving the track-side pavilion .
Silence at the 115-year-old venue was broken when New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo issued the traditional “ riders , up !
” call remotely via video .
Bugler Sam Grossman pulled down his facemask to tap out “ Call to the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track to a recording of Frank Sinatra ’ s “ New York , New York.
” A PA announcer introduced them to empty grandstands .
Signs outside the locked down venue instructed gamblers that if they wanted to wager on this Belmont Stakes , their best bet was to download an app and do it on their phones .
Perhaps welcome harbinger for Tap It to Win , who led out of the gates and seemed poised to give trainer Mark Casse a third straight Triple Crown race victory .
Instead , Tiz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside and cruised to a four-length victory .
Tiz the Law owner Jack Knowlton of New York ’ s Sackatoga Stable was set to watch from a restaurant patio in upstate Saratoga Springs .
A little different than 17 years ago , when the Sackatoga crew took a school bus to watch their colt Funny Cide try to wrap a Triple Crown sweep at Belmont Park .
Funny Cide finished third .
It was also a breakthrough win for 82-year-old trainer Barclay Tagg , who completed a career Triple Crown after also training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just glad I lived long enough that I got another horse like this , ” Tagg said .
Manny Franco , a 25-year-old jockey from Puerto Rico , entered the winner ’ s circle in his first career Belmont Stakes .
He called Tiz the Law a “ versatile ” horse in the run-up to the race , and what he showed Saturday was typical — stalk the pacemakers early , then pounce on the home stretch .
Dr Post , owned by famed trainer Todd Pletcher , finished second .
Max Player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a woman-trained horse — Linda Rice was trying to become the first woman to ever send a horse to victory at a Triple Crown race .
The track Saturday was shortened to 1 1/8 miles instead of the grueling 1 ½-mile standard to account for competitors ’ unusual training schedules .
Racers kicked off from a starting gate placed atop the backstretch , rather than in front of the grandstands .
Plenty remained on the line .
Tiz the Law earned Knowlton the top share of a $ 1 million purse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derby qualifying points .
Tiz the Law took advantage of a 10-horse field weakened by injuries .
Among the casualties were two potential entrants from famed trainer Bob Baffert , who ended up without a horse in this race — one of then , Charlatan , is expected to run the Kentucky Derby .
Earlier Saturday , Gamine led all the way in winning the $ 300,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 18 3/4 lengths .
Trained by Baffert , Gamine ran one mile in 1:32.55 , fastest in the 90-year history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just off the track record of 1:32.24 set by Najran in 2003 .
Gamine earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs .
Gamine is one of two horses trained by Baffert that tested positive for a banned substance at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas .
She won a race there on May 2 .
Published reports said Gamine , along with Charlatan , tested positive for lidocaine , a regulated anesthetic widely used in equine medicine .

NEW YORK — Tiz the Law has won an unprecedented Belmont Stakes, claiming victory Saturday at the first race of a rejiggered Triple Crown schedule and crossing the finish line in front of eerily empty grandstands.
The 3-year-old colt from upstate New York charged to the lead turning to the frontstretch and now can set his sights on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby and Oct. 3 Preakness. All three legs of this year’s Triple Crown schedule were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Belmont, usually the series capper, was initially scheduled for June 6.
Tiz the Law gave New York a hometown champion in its first major sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic seized the area. He’s the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forrester in 1882.
This Belmont States was unlike any of the 151 that preceded it. The Long Island track can pack in nearly 100,000, but this race had about 100 on hand, including jockeys, media and park staff.
Masks were mandated for all but the horses — even the jockeys wore face coverings.
Closed to the public since March, Belmont Park hardly resembled the summer soiree New Yorkers are used to. Betting windows and gift shops were closed, no boozy Belmont Jewels shaken to order.
Foot traffic was so slow that a few weeds over a foot tall sprouted up between bricks paving the track-side pavilion.
Silence at the 115-year-old venue was broken when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued the traditional “riders, up!” call remotely via video. Bugler Sam Grossman pulled down his facemask to tap out “Call to the Post,” and racers strolled onto the track to a recording of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” A PA announcer introduced them to empty grandstands.
Signs outside the locked down venue instructed gamblers that if they wanted to wager on this Belmont Stakes, their best bet was to download an app and do it on their phones.
Perhaps welcome harbinger for Tap It to Win, who led out of the gates and seemed poised to give trainer Mark Casse a third straight Triple Crown race victory.
Instead, Tiz the Law powered past him on the outside and cruised to a four-length victory.
Tiz the Law owner Jack Knowlton of New York’s Sackatoga Stable was set to watch from a restaurant patio in upstate Saratoga Springs. A little different than 17 years ago, when the Sackatoga crew took a school bus to watch their colt Funny Cide try to wrap a Triple Crown sweep at Belmont Park. Funny Cide finished third.
It was also a breakthrough win for 82-year-old trainer Barclay Tagg, who completed a career Triple Crown after also training Funny Cide.
“I’m just glad I lived long enough that I got another horse like this,” Tagg said.
Manny Franco, a 25-year-old jockey from Puerto Rico, entered the winner’s circle in his first career Belmont Stakes. He called Tiz the Law a “ versatile” horse in the run-up to the race, and what he showed Saturday was typical — stalk the pacemakers early, then pounce on the home stretch.
Dr Post, owned by famed trainer Todd Pletcher, finished second. Max Player finished third, among the highest finishes by a woman-trained horse — Linda Rice was trying to become the first woman to ever send a horse to victory at a Triple Crown race.
The track Saturday was shortened to 1 1/8 miles instead of the grueling 1 ½-mile standard to account for competitors’ unusual training schedules. Racers kicked off from a starting gate placed atop the backstretch, rather than in front of the grandstands.
Plenty remained on the line. Tiz the Law earned Knowlton the top share of a $1 million purse, and the top four horses earned Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Tiz the Law took advantage of a 10-horse field weakened by injuries. Among the casualties were two potential entrants from famed trainer Bob Baffert, who ended up without a horse in this race — one of then, Charlatan, is expected to run the Kentucky Derby.
Earlier Saturday, Gamine led all the way in winning the $300,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 18 3/4 lengths.
Trained by Baffert, Gamine ran one mile in 1:32.55, fastest in the 90-year history of the race. Her time was just off the track record of 1:32.24 set by Najran in 2003. Gamine earned 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Gamine is one of two horses trained by Baffert that tested positive for a banned substance at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. She won a race there on May 2. Published reports said Gamine, along with Charlatan, tested positive for lidocaine, a regulated anesthetic widely used in equine medicine.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Regents approve contracts for CU Buffs football assistants

The Colorado Board of Regents has approved the contracts for five new football assistant coaches , as well as a restructured deal for offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini .
On Thursday , the Board approved the contracts , 7-2 .
A new , three-year deal for Chiaverini , who was promoted to offensive coordinator by first-year head coach Karl Dorrell , was approved , along with two-year contracts for Danny Langsdorf ( quarterbacks coach ) , Demetrice Martin ( cornerbacks ) , Brett Maxie ( safeties ) , Mitch Rodrigue ( offensive line ) and Chris Wilson ( defensive line ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracts below $ 250,000 in annual salary , so new tight ends coach Taylor Embree had his contract ( two years , $ 200,000 annually ) submitted to and approved by chancellor Phillip DiStefano .
CU has also given outside linebackers coach Brian Michalowski a new two-year contract worth $ 200,000 annually , replacing the two-year , $ 185,000-per-year deal he signed 16 months ago .
Technically , the salary pool for assistants in 2020 is $ 3.425 million , which would be the most in CU history and up from the pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , each of the coaches will take a temporary , five-percent salary reduction for the 2020-21 fiscal year because of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Combined , that will save the athletic department about $ 171,250 for the fiscal year and drop the salary pool to $ 3,253,750 .
Chiaverini , entering his fifth season at CU , becomes the highest-paid coach on the staff after signing a three-year deal worth an average of $ 600,000 in base and supplemental salary .
He is scheduled to make $ 550,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduction ) ; $ 600,000 in 2021 and $ 650,000 in 2022 .
Under previous head coach Mel Tucker , Chiaverini was receivers coach and had an annual salary of $ 400,000 .
His new contract replaces the two-year deal he signed 17 months ago .
Chiaverini was one of four coaches retained by Dorrell , along with defensive coordinator Tyson Summers , running backs coach Darian Hagan and Michalowski .
While Chiaverini and Michalowski received new deals , Summers and Hagan will continue with the contracts they signed in February of 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regents Jack Kroll and Linda Shoemaker voted against the contracts , which was not a surprise .
Shoemaker , who has been on the board since 2015 , has never voted in favor of a contract involving football coaches .
She removed herself from the table when a contract extension for previous head coach Mike MacIntyre came to a vote in June of 2017 and has voted “ no ” the last five times football contracts have come to the board , including for Tucker in December of 2018 and Dorrell in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 , voted in favor of football contracts the first two times he had a chance , but has voted against them the last four times .
Below are the contract terms for Colorado ’ s football assistant coaches : * Summers is in the second year of a three-yea r contract , while Hagan is in the second year of a two-year deal .
# Michalowski received a new two-year deal , including a $ 15,000 per year raise , to replace the contract he signed 16 months ago .
Note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 550,000 in 2020 ; $ 600,000 in 2021 ; and $ 650,000 in 2022 ; Wilson has a salary of $ 400,000 in 2020 and $ 420,000 in 2021 ; Rodrigue has a salary of $ 375,000 in 2020 and $ 400,000 in 2021 ; Langsdorf has a salary of $ 350,000 in 2020 and $ 375,000 in 2021 ; Maxie has a salary of $ 325,000 in 2020 and $ 350,000 in 2021 .

The Colorado Board of Regents has approved the contracts for five new football assistant coaches, as well as a restructured deal for offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini.
On Thursday, the Board approved the contracts, 7-2.
A new, three-year deal for Chiaverini, who was promoted to offensive coordinator by first-year head coach Karl Dorrell, was approved, along with two-year contracts for Danny Langsdorf (quarterbacks coach), Demetrice Martin (cornerbacks), Brett Maxie (safeties), Mitch Rodrigue (offensive line) and Chris Wilson (defensive line).
The regents do not vote on contracts below $250,000 in annual salary, so new tight ends coach Taylor Embree had his contract (two years, $200,000 annually) submitted to and approved by chancellor Phillip DiStefano.
CU has also given outside linebackers coach Brian Michalowski a new two-year contract worth $200,000 annually, replacing the two-year, $185,000-per-year deal he signed 16 months ago.
Technically, the salary pool for assistants in 2020 is $3.425 million, which would be the most in CU history and up from the pool of $3.1 million in 2019. However, each of the coaches will take a temporary, five-percent salary reduction for the 2020-21 fiscal year because of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined, that will save the athletic department about $171,250 for the fiscal year and drop the salary pool to $3,253,750.
Chiaverini, entering his fifth season at CU, becomes the highest-paid coach on the staff after signing a three-year deal worth an average of $600,000 in base and supplemental salary. He is scheduled to make $550,000 this year (minus the 5 percent reduction); $600,000 in 2021 and $650,000 in 2022.
Under previous head coach Mel Tucker, Chiaverini was receivers coach and had an annual salary of $400,000. His new contract replaces the two-year deal he signed 17 months ago.
Chiaverini was one of four coaches retained by Dorrell, along with defensive coordinator Tyson Summers, running backs coach Darian Hagan and Michalowski.
While Chiaverini and Michalowski received new deals, Summers and Hagan will continue with the contracts they signed in February of 2019.
During Thursday’s vote, regents Jack Kroll and Linda Shoemaker voted against the contracts, which was not a surprise.
Shoemaker, who has been on the board since 2015, has never voted in favor of a contract involving football coaches. She removed herself from the table when a contract extension for previous head coach Mike MacIntyre came to a vote in June of 2017 and has voted “no” the last five times football contracts have come to the board, including for Tucker in December of 2018 and Dorrell in March.
Kroll, who joined the board in 2017, voted in favor of football contracts the first two times he had a chance, but has voted against them the last four times.
Contract breakdown
Below are the contract terms for Colorado’s football assistant coaches:
Coach, Position: Term, Annual Salary
Darrin Chiaverini, Off. Coordinator/WRs: 3 years, $600,000 average
Tyson Summers, Def. Coordinator/linebackers: 2 years, $500,000*
Chris Wilson, Defensive line: 2 years, $410,000 average
Mitch Rodrigue, Offensive line: 2 years, $387,500 average
Danny Langsdorf, Quarterbacks: 2 years, $362,500 average
Brett Maxie, Safeties: 2 years, $337,500 average
Demetrice Martin, Cornerbacks: 2 years, $300,000
Darian Hagan, Running backs: 1 year, $225,000*
Taylor Embree, Tight ends: 2 years, $200,000
Brian Michalowski, Outside linebackers: 2 years, $200,000#
* Summers is in the second year of a three-yea r contract, while Hagan is in the second year of a two-year deal.
# Michalowski received a new two-year deal, including a $15,000 per year raise, to replace the contract he signed 16 months ago.
Note: Chiaverini has a salary of $550,000 in 2020; $600,000 in 2021; and $650,000 in 2022; Wilson has a salary of $400,000 in 2020 and $420,000 in 2021; Rodrigue has a salary of $375,000 in 2020 and $400,000 in 2021; Langsdorf has a salary of $350,000 in 2020 and $375,000 in 2021; Maxie has a salary of $325,000 in 2020 and $350,000 in 2021.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Custom guitar from Prince’s 1980s prime sells for $563,500

BEVERLY HILLS , Calif. — A custom guitar played by Prince at the height of his stardom in the 1980s and 1990s has sold for a staggering $ 563,500 at auction .
The “ Blue Angel ” Cloud 2 electric guitar skyrocketed beyond the estimate of $ 100,000 to $ 200,000 it was expected to fetch at the Music Icons sale run by Julien ’ s Auctions on Friday and Saturday in Beverly Hills .
Prince played the blindingly blue guitar with the artist ’ s “ love ” symbol on its neck beginning on the 1984 Purple Rain Tour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Sign O ’ The Times.
” He used it into the early 1990s .
Archivists going through Prince ’ s possessions at his Paisley Park home and musical headquarters in Minnesota recently found the guitar that was thought to be lost during the four years since his death from an overdose at age 57 .
A similar Prince guitar sold for $ 700,000 in 2016 .
At the same auction , a macrame belt that Elvis Presley wore about 30 times on stage brought in nearly 10 times its expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 298,000 .
An ivory gown worn by Madonna in her 1990 “ Vogue ” video sold for $ 179,200 .
The identities of the buyers were not revealed .
Items still to be sold Saturday included Paul McCartney ’ s handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song “ Maxwell ’ s Silver Hammer .
”

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A custom guitar played by Prince at the height of his stardom in the 1980s and 1990s has sold for a staggering $563,500 at auction.
The “Blue Angel” Cloud 2 electric guitar skyrocketed beyond the estimate of $100,000 to $200,000 it was expected to fetch at the Music Icons sale run by Julien’s Auctions on Friday and Saturday in Beverly Hills.
Prince played the blindingly blue guitar with the artist’s “love” symbol on its neck beginning on the 1984 Purple Rain Tour, on the classic albums “Lovesexy” and “Sign O’ The Times.” He used it into the early 1990s.
Archivists going through Prince’s possessions at his Paisley Park home and musical headquarters in Minnesota recently found the guitar that was thought to be lost during the four years since his death from an overdose at age 57. A similar Prince guitar sold for $700,000 in 2016.
At the same auction, a macrame belt that Elvis Presley wore about 30 times on stage brought in nearly 10 times its expected price, with a final bid of $298,000.
An ivory gown worn by Madonna in her 1990 “Vogue” video sold for $179,200.
The identities of the buyers were not revealed.
Items still to be sold Saturday included Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--6 staffers setting up for Trump rally positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s campaign says six staff members helping set up for his Saturday night rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , have tested positive for coronavirus .
The campaign ’ s communications director , Tim Murtaugh , said in a statement that “ quarantine procedures ” were immediately initiated and no staff member who tested positive would attend the event .
He said no one who had immediate contact with those staffers would attend , either .
Murtaugh said campaign staff members are tested for COVID-19 as part of the campaign ’ s safety protocols .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally will be given temperature checks before they pass through security .
They will also be given masks to wear , if they want , and hand sanitizer at the 19,000-seat BOK Center .
The rally was expected to be the largest indoor gathering in the world during the pandemic .
Tulsa has seen cases of COVID-19 spike in the past week , and the local health department director asked that the rally be postponed .
But Republican Gov .
Kevin Stitt said it would be safe .
The Oklahoma Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attending the indoor rally wear a mask , and few in the crowd outside Saturday were wearing them .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s campaign says six staff members helping set up for his Saturday night rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have tested positive for coronavirus.
The campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said in a statement that “quarantine procedures” were immediately initiated and no staff member who tested positive would attend the event. He said no one who had immediate contact with those staffers would attend, either.
Murtaugh said campaign staff members are tested for COVID-19 as part of the campaign’s safety protocols.
Campaign officials say everyone who is attending the rally will be given temperature checks before they pass through security. They will also be given masks to wear, if they want, and hand sanitizer at the 19,000-seat BOK Center.
The rally was expected to be the largest indoor gathering in the world during the pandemic.
Tulsa has seen cases of COVID-19 spike in the past week, and the local health department director asked that the rally be postponed. But Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said it would be safe. The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday denied a request that everyone attending the indoor rally wear a mask, and few in the crowd outside Saturday were wearing them.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Federal prosecutor leaves job after standoff with Barr

WASHINGTON — An unusual standoff between Attorney General William Barr and Manhattan ’ s top federal prosecutor ended Saturday when the prosecutor agreed to leave his job with an assurance that investigations by the prosecutor ’ s office into the president ’ s allies would not be disturbed .
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman announced in an early evening statement that he would leave his post , ending increasingly nasty exchanges between Barr and Berman .
President Donald Trump , meanwhile , had distanced himself from the dispute , telling reporters the decision “ was all up to the attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began Friday night , when Barr announced that Berman , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , had resigned .
Hours later , the prosecutor issued a statement denying that he had resigned and saying that his office ’ s “ investigations would move forward without delay or interruption.
” On Saturday morning , he showed up to work , telling reporters , “ I ’ m just here to do my job.
” The administration ’ s push to cast aside Berman set up an extraordinary political and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the nation ’ s top districts , which has tried major mob and terrorism cases over the years and is investigating Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
It also deepened tensions between the department and congressional Democrats , who have accused Barr of politicizing the agency and acting more like Trump ’ s personal lawyer than the country ’ s chief law enforcement officer .
Only days ago , allegations surfaced from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton that the president sought to interfere in an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-owned Turkish bank in an effort to cut deals with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan .
In a letter made public by the Justice Department on Saturday , Barr said he expected to continue speaking with Berman about other possible positions within the department and was surprised by the statement he released .
“ Unfortunately , with your statement of last night , you have chosen public spectacle over public service , ” Barr wrote , adding that the idea that Berman had to continue on the job to safeguard investigations was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implies that your continued tenure in the office is necessary to ensure that cases now pending in the Southern District of New York are handled appropriately , ” he wrote .
“ This is obviously false.
” Although Barr said Trump had removed Berman , the president told reporters : “ That ’ s all up to the attorney general .
Attorney General Barr is working on that .
That ’ s his department , not my department.
” Trump added : “ I wasn ’ t involved.
” Barr offered no explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that Trump was nominating Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton , a well-connected Wall Street lawyer with virtually no experience as a federal prosecutor , for the job .
Berman initially planned to remain in his job until a replacement was confirmed , but he changed his mind late Saturday after Barr said he would allow Berman ’ s second in command , Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss , to become acting U.S. attorney .
Berman said that led him to announce he would be leaving , “ effective immediately.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Southern District could point to no clear reason for Berman ’ s removal , though they noted his job had always seemed in jeopardy and Berman was never given the sense that it was secure .
Berman ’ s office also took actions on some important cases without first informing Washington .
But the various investigations are ongoing and no charges seem imminent , said the people familiar with the matter , who weren ’ t authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.cl A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave the administration , wanted to move back to New York and expressed interest in the Southern District position , and Barr thought he would be a good fit .
The official was not authorized to publicly discuss internal department matters and spoke on condition of anonymity .
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said he was unlikely to proceed with Clayton ’ s nomination unless New York ’ s senators , Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand , gave their consent to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oust Berman “ reeks of potential corruption of the legal process , ” and Gillibrand said she would “ not be complicit ” in helping fire a prosecutor investigating corruption .
Both lawmakers called for Clayton to withdraw from consideration .
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee , Rep. Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , said his committee was inviting Berman to testify this coming week .
Schumer called for the department ’ s inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate .
Berman ’ s statement Friday night said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was confirmed by the Senate .
He challenged Barr ’ s power to remove , given that Berman was appointed by federal judges , not by the president , and the White House never formally nominated him .
Under federal law , a U.S. attorney who is appointed by district court judges can serve “ until the vacancy is filled.
” But the Justice Department ’ s Office of Legal Counsel argued in a 1979 opinion that the “ power to remove a court-appointed U.S. attorney rests with the president.
” It says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conduct of a U.S. Attorney ’ s office and therefore must have the power to remove one he believes is an unsuitable incumbent , regardless of who appointed him.
” Federal prosecutors in New York have overseen numerous prosecutions and investigations with ties to Trump in recent years .
That includes an ongoing investigation into Giuliani ’ s business dealings , including whether he failed to register as a foreign agent , according to people familiar with the matter .
They were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also prosecuted a number of Trump associates , including Trump ’ s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen , who served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes .
Cohen was recently released from a federal prison to continue serving his sentence on home confinement over coronavirus concerns .
Berman has overseen the prosecution of two Florida businessmen , Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , who were associates of Giuliani and tied to the Ukraine impeachment investigation .
The men were charged in October with federal campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a $ 325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump ’ s reelection .
A Republican who contributed to the president ’ s election campaign , Berman worked for the same law firm as Giuliani and was tapped as U.S. attorney by the Trump administration .
In that role , he won over some skeptics after he went after Trump allies .
Under Berman ’ s tenure , his office also brought charges against Michael Avenatti , the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to extort Nike after prosecutors said he threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike ’ s reputation and stock price unless the sportswear giant paid him up to $ 25 million .
Neumeister reported from New York .
Associated Press writers Colleen Long , Eric Tucker , Zeke Miller and Marcy Gordon in Washington and Tom Hays and Kevin Hagen in New York contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON — An unusual standoff between Attorney General William Barr and Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor ended Saturday when the prosecutor agreed to leave his job with an assurance that investigations by the prosecutor’s office into the president’s allies would not be disturbed.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman announced in an early evening statement that he would leave his post, ending increasingly nasty exchanges between Barr and Berman. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, had distanced himself from the dispute, telling reporters the decision “was all up to the attorney general.”
The whirlwind chain of events began Friday night, when Barr announced that Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, had resigned. Hours later, the prosecutor issued a statement denying that he had resigned and saying that his office’s “investigations would move forward without delay or interruption.”
On Saturday morning, he showed up to work, telling reporters, “I’m just here to do my job.”
The administration’s push to cast aside Berman set up an extraordinary political and constitutional clash between the Justice Department and one of the nation’s top districts, which has tried major mob and terrorism cases over the years and is investigating Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. It also deepened tensions between the department and congressional Democrats, who have accused Barr of politicizing the agency and acting more like Trump’s personal lawyer than the country’s chief law enforcement officer.
Only days ago, allegations surfaced from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton that the president sought to interfere in an investigation by Berman’s office into the state-owned Turkish bank in an effort to cut deals with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In a letter made public by the Justice Department on Saturday, Barr said he expected to continue speaking with Berman about other possible positions within the department and was surprised by the statement he released.
“Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service,” Barr wrote, adding that the idea that Berman had to continue on the job to safeguard investigations was “false.”
“Your statement also wrongly implies that your continued tenure in the office is necessary to ensure that cases now pending in the Southern District of New York are handled appropriately,” he wrote. “This is obviously false.”
Although Barr said Trump had removed Berman, the president told reporters: “That’s all up to the attorney general. Attorney General Barr is working on that. That’s his department, not my department.” Trump added: “I wasn’t involved.”
Barr offered no explanation for his action. The White House announced that Trump was nominating Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, a well-connected Wall Street lawyer with virtually no experience as a federal prosecutor, for the job.
Berman initially planned to remain in his job until a replacement was confirmed, but he changed his mind late Saturday after Barr said he would allow Berman’s second in command, Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss, to become acting U.S. attorney.
Berman said that led him to announce he would be leaving, “effective immediately.”
People familiar with the matter in the Southern District could point to no clear reason for Berman’s removal, though they noted his job had always seemed in jeopardy and Berman was never given the sense that it was secure.
Berman’s office also took actions on some important cases without first informing Washington. But the various investigations are ongoing and no charges seem imminent, said the people familiar with the matter, who weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.cl
A senior department official said Clayton was planning to leave the administration, wanted to move back to New York and expressed interest in the Southern District position, and Barr thought he would be a good fit. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss internal department matters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he was unlikely to proceed with Clayton’s nomination unless New York’s senators, Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, gave their consent to the pick. Schumer said the bid to oust Berman “reeks of potential corruption of the legal process,” and Gillibrand said she would “not be complicit” in helping fire a prosecutor investigating corruption. Both lawmakers called for Clayton to withdraw from consideration.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said his committee was inviting Berman to testify this coming week. Schumer called for the department’s inspector general and Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate.
Berman’s statement Friday night said he would stay on the job until a nominee was confirmed by the Senate. He challenged Barr’s power to remove, given that Berman was appointed by federal judges, not by the president, and the White House never formally nominated him. Under federal law, a U.S. attorney who is appointed by district court judges can serve “until the vacancy is filled.”
But the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel argued in a 1979 opinion that the “power to remove a court-appointed U.S. attorney rests with the president.” It says, “The president is responsible for the conduct of a U.S. Attorney’s office and therefore must have the power to remove one he believes is an unsuitable incumbent, regardless of who appointed him.”
Federal prosecutors in New York have overseen numerous prosecutions and investigations with ties to Trump in recent years. That includes an ongoing investigation into Giuliani’s business dealings, including whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, according to people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The office has also prosecuted a number of Trump associates, including Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes. Cohen was recently released from a federal prison to continue serving his sentence on home confinement over coronavirus concerns.
Berman has overseen the prosecution of two Florida businessmen, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who were associates of Giuliani and tied to the Ukraine impeachment investigation. The men were charged in October with federal campaign finance violations, including hiding the origin of a $325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump’s reelection.
A Republican who contributed to the president’s election campaign, Berman worked for the same law firm as Giuliani and was tapped as U.S. attorney by the Trump administration. In that role, he won over some skeptics after he went after Trump allies.
Under Berman’s tenure, his office also brought charges against Michael Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving Trump. Avenatti was convicted in February of trying to extort Nike after prosecutors said he threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike’s reputation and stock price unless the sportswear giant paid him up to $25 million.
Neumeister reported from New York. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Eric Tucker, Zeke Miller and Marcy Gordon in Washington and Tom Hays and Kevin Hagen in New York contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-06-20--Police station arson suspect that was arrested in Colorado headed back to Minnesota

A Minnesota man arrested in Colorado on suspicion of setting some of the fires that destroyed a Minneapolis police station on a night when protests over the death of George Floyd turned violent is returning to his home state to face prosecution .
Dylan Shakespeare Robinson , 22 , waived his right to have procedural hearings in Denver federal court on Friday , and will be able to instead fight his detention in Minnesota federal court , where he is charged with aiding and abetting of arson .
He has been represented in Colorado by the federal public defender ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its cases .
Robinson was arrested Sunday in the ski resort community of Breckenridge after investigators initially traced him to the Denver area .
Authorities have not explained what he was doing in Colorado but , during a discussion during the hearing about how to get his Toyota truck back after it was seized during his arrest , Robinson said the vehicle had been towed to a friend ’ s house .
According to the criminal complaint , Robinson is suspected of lighting a Molotov cocktail that was thrown by another person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he stood nearby and threw another incendiary device into the building himself .
He is also accused of setting another fire inside the station that night , which was allegedly captured in a video posted on Facebook .
According to the document , a video posted on Robinson ’ s Snapchat account showed at least one person who appeared to be making a Molotov cocktail while others discussed how to do it and someone objected to making one .

A Minnesota man arrested in Colorado on suspicion of setting some of the fires that destroyed a Minneapolis police station on a night when protests over the death of George Floyd turned violent is returning to his home state to face prosecution.
Dylan Shakespeare Robinson, 22, waived his right to have procedural hearings in Denver federal court on Friday, and will be able to instead fight his detention in Minnesota federal court, where he is charged with aiding and abetting of arson.
He has been represented in Colorado by the federal public defender’s office, which does not comment on its cases.
Robinson was arrested Sunday in the ski resort community of Breckenridge after investigators initially traced him to the Denver area.
Authorities have not explained what he was doing in Colorado but, during a discussion during the hearing about how to get his Toyota truck back after it was seized during his arrest, Robinson said the vehicle had been towed to a friend’s house.
According to the criminal complaint, Robinson is suspected of lighting a Molotov cocktail that was thrown by another person into the police station on May 28 as he stood nearby and threw another incendiary device into the building himself.
He is also accused of setting another fire inside the station that night, which was allegedly captured in a video posted on Facebook. According to the document, a video posted on Robinson’s Snapchat account showed at least one person who appeared to be making a Molotov cocktail while others discussed how to do it and someone objected to making one.