newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Dave Gettleman on Daniel Jones and progress of Giants’ O-line

Shrewd Dave Gettleman just gave himself a nice little side ...

They go hand-in-hand — and not just on the snap at the beginning of each play.
If the squandered end of Eli Manning’s career proved anything, it’s that even Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks need a good offensive line to thrive. A quarterback with a fast internal clock can be the protection’s best friend, too.
So, the potentially explosive Giants offense only will go as far in 2020 as quarterback Daniel Jones and the offensive line go — and general manager Dave Gettleman is upbeat about both with the season opener just 11 days away.
“I’m comfortable and confident with [Jones] right now,” Gettleman said. “The only thing that was a little frustrating last year were the turnovers, the fumbles. He had a solid rookie year. He did things that no other rookie quarterback has ever done. For some reason, I just feel like the fumbles have overshadowed all of that stuff.”
Here is Jones’ mixed bag: an NFL-high 18 fumbles (11 lost), but the first rookie quarterback in history with three games of four or more touchdown passes and zero interceptions. The Giants went 1-2 in those games and 3-9 during his 12 starts.
“He showed he can bring us from behind to win a game,” Gettleman said. “He showed he can make big throws in an overtime period. This kid accomplished a lot last year. I would never put a win-loss thing on it. For me, it’s all about Daniel improving in all areas, which I’m confident he will.”
Jones is learning a new offense after a coaching change, which could delay the big leaps good quarterbacks tend to make between their first and second seasons.
“We all know Daniel is going to work his tail off,” Gettleman said. “That’s not an issue. He’s picking it up. Everybody needs to remember … how many of them are great immediately? It takes them all time. Unfortunately, we’re not patient. But Daniel is going to be fine. He’s going to be a fine NFL quarterback.”
To speed up the process, the Giants invested three 2020 draft picks in their offensive line.
The five projected starters — rookie Andrew Thomas, Will Hernandez, Nick Gates, Kevin Zeitler and Cam Fleming — all are Gettleman acquisitions, and former starters Jon Halapio and Spencer Pulley plus rookies Matt Peart and Shane Lemieux provide depth. Five of those nine linemen are 25 or younger.
Even with left tackle Nate Solder’s preseason opt-out decision for COVID-19 health concerns, Gettleman, who prioritized rebuilding the offensive line on his first day on the job in December 2017, predicts this is “the closest we’ve been.”
The Giants ranked No. 20 and No. 23 in sacks allowed the past two seasons.
“I feel like we’ve got the right guys. They just have to learn how to play together,” Gettleman said. “They have to grow up. We have puppies. You have Andrew, who has never played an NFL snap, at an important position. Talent-wise, I’m really pleased with the room.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Gleyber Torres aiming to return to Yankees lineup this weekend

Gleyber Torres believes he can come off the injured list in time to add something to the Yankees ’ lineup this weekend in Baltimore .
Out since Aug. 21 with left hamstring and quadriceps problems , the Yankees ’ shortstop is set to join the alternate site in Scranton on Thursday and says there is a possibility he can return Saturday at Camden Yards .
“ I need a few at-bats , ’ ’ said Torres , who ran the bases and went through agility drills to test the leg Wednesday at Yankee Stadium before the Yankees ’ 5-2 loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine , feeling really well .
Go [ Thursday ] to Scranton and prepare to play in real games.
’ ’ Not only was Torres unable to play he watched the Yankees lose the first four games he missed .
They are 4-6 in games Torres has been out .
And despite Torres hitting .231 in 24 games that would be an improvement over what Tyler Wade and Jordy Mercer , who was designated for assignment on Monday , supplied at short .
Combined they went 3-for-23 ( .130 ) .
Wade , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short in Torres ’ absence on Wednesday , has one hit in a 14 at-bats after going 0-for-2 in the 5-2 loss .
The hit was a solo home run against the Mets in the second game of Sunday ’ s doubleheader .
Mercer started four times with Torres out and went 2-for-9 .

Gleyber Torres believes he can come off the injured list in time to add something to the Yankees’ lineup this weekend in Baltimore.
Out since Aug. 21 with left hamstring and quadriceps problems, the Yankees’ shortstop is set to join the alternate site in Scranton on Thursday and says there is a possibility he can return Saturday at Camden Yards.
“I need a few at-bats,’’ said Torres, who ran the bases and went through agility drills to test the leg Wednesday at Yankee Stadium before the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Rays. “Everything is fine, feeling really well. Go [Thursday] to Scranton and prepare to play in real games.’’
Not only was Torres unable to play he watched the Yankees lose the first four games he missed. They are 4-6 in games Torres has been out.
And despite Torres hitting .231 in 24 games that would be an improvement over what Tyler Wade and Jordy Mercer, who was designated for assignment on Monday, supplied at short.
Combined they went 3-for-23 (.130). Wade, who started for a sixth time at short in Torres’ absence on Wednesday, has one hit in a 14 at-bats after going 0-for-2 in the 5-2 loss. The hit was a solo home run against the Mets in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Mercer started four times with Torres out and went 2-for-9.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--US Open without fans leaves an empty feeling

The top-ranked women ’ s players in the world , Ashleigh Barty and ...

The most jarring difference comes while driving in the car, going West on Grand Central Parkway, approaching the exit “9P-Flushing Meadows/Billie Jean King Tennis Center.”
It is on Monday, 15 minutes before the first ball will be struck at the 2020 U.S. Open. And mine is the lone vehicle veering right off the congested highway and onto Exit 9P.
The usual gaggle of policemen lining “9P” are nowhere to be found. In fact, there isn’t a policeman — or person — in sight as you drive toward Parking Lot A, alongside Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s that way every morning this year, at about 11 a.m., when the Open is set to come to life.
Three days into the Open, you even miss the traffic pouring into the facility.
Almost everything that makes the U.S. Open the most special Grand Slam is missing.
Flushing Meadows traditionally has felt like the most diverse place on the planet in late August and early September.
It has bustled with European tennis tourists — from Switzerland to Sweden, Slovakia to Spain — who make New York their vacation destination because of a tournament. Last year, attendance finished at 854,227.
The World’s Fair was staged here in 1964, but the U.S. Open became its own world’s fair once it moved from Forest Hills to Flushing Meadows in 1978. But you can’t stage a party without guests.
This tournament feels like a tennis apocalypse, all tennis fans from all tennis nations disappearing.
As one of 11 print journalists granted a credential, I’m honored to be on site, even making it to the illustrious “President’s Box’’ of Ashe Stadium where all the A-list celebrities come to be seen. Sorry, Alec Baldwin.
Two stadium workers each cleaned my box seat a few minutes apart with disinfectant before allowing me to sit.
Journalists sit alone, with masks — spaced out from each other by 10 seats.
The President’s Box notwithstanding, the ambience has a feel of the state high-school tournaments I covered early in my career. (The events used to be held on these grounds.)
“What is it when you have no atmosphere?” Sloane Stephens asked. “I think everyone is very used to having people and noise, things going on in the crowd. I just say it [feels] back to girls’ 12s [junior tournaments], where it’s like you’re you and your parents. But it’s just at the U.S. Open.’’
Compelling marathon rallies on the Ashe court are punctuated not by the usual raucous cheers, but by a couple of clapping sounds from coaches. Odder is the challenge review. As the scoreboard depicts a ball landing a fraction of a millimeter out, the usual loud oohs and groans are replaced by deadly silence.
“I feel like I feed off the crowd’s energy, so if I’m just having a bad day, it’s a little bit lonely,’’ Naomi Osaka said.
According to a source, John McEnroe is also having a rough time getting pumped up calling matches in a barren stadium.
Mind you, the USTA has done a commendable job in attempting to pull off a festive vibe. We wrote a preview about the Ashe Beach recreational area by the fountain in front of the big stadium.
Three dozen white Adirondack chairs with accompanying umbrellas, cabanas and beach balls are situated in front of the popular fountain. But the chairs remain mostly empty of sunbathers. The rec games that have been set up — miniature golf, paddle tennis, soccer pool, a basketball hoop — mostly go unused.
The USTA is attempting to have players remain outdoors when on site. Instead of sunning on Ashe Beach, however, many are coming off the practice court and bouncing into the stadium with their coach and tennis bags to watch a few games, along with the 20 or so others.
“It’s nice to just be able to watch a match and not be disturbed,’’ Stephens said.
Alongside Ashe Beach is the largest U.S. Open Collection retail store that typically has a line just to get inside to buy snazzy tennis gear. Now it’s a warehouse for practice balls and furniture not being used. Depressing.
Randy Walker, the former USTA public relations guru, always reminds me of a remark I made many years ago. Acknowledging the yearly miseries of the Knicks, Walker once asked whether it’s a reprieve to cover the Open.
“Favorite two weeks of the year,’’ I replied.
It isn’t quite that this year in covering my 24th straight Open for The Post. The saliva tests the media must take every four days are part of the routine. (Players take the much-easier and quicker nose swab.)
The good news is the actual tennis, despite a five-month layoff, is still brilliant. They are still artists and masters of their craft. Sitting front row at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday to view No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev jackhammer in serves at 134 mph is breathtaking. When God built a tennis player, he built the 6-foot-6, spindly thing Zverev.
Wish you were all here to see it live, too.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Officer charged in shooting death of black man in California Walmart

A San Francisco Bay Area police officer was charged Wednesday with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a black man inside a Walmart store in April .
The charge was filed Wednesday in the April 18 killing of Steven Taylor , 33 , when San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher , 49 , responded to a call about an alleged shoplifter inside the store who was holding a baseball bat .
A 20-year veteran , Fletcher did not wait for backup and instead tried to grab the bat from Taylor , then fired his Taser and his service weapon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O ’ Malley said in a news release .
“ Officer Fletcher ’ s actions , coupled with his failure to attempt other de-escalation options rendered his use of deadly force unreasonable , ” O ’ Malley said .
Taylor ’ s family is encouraged by the decision , said a statement issued by their lawyer .
“ Mr .
Taylor was suffering a mental health crisis and did not represent a threat to officers or the general public before being Tased and shot to death , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is an important first step in seeking justice , the family is eager to see Fletcher convicted and appropriately sentenced.
” Police were called to the store by a security guard who reported a possible robbery .
Fletcher , the first officer to arrive , clarified with the security guard that it was not a robbery , then he relayed that information through his police radio , prosecutors said .
“ Officer Fletcher did not wait for his cover officer and immediately contacted Mr. Taylor in the shopping cart area , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled out his service pistol at the same time he tried to take the bat from Taylor .
Taylor pulled the bat from Fletcher ’ s grasp and stepped away .
Shortly after , Fletcher shot Taylor twice with his taser .
As Taylor struggled to remain standing , Fletcher shot him in the chest with his service weapon just as another officer arrived in the store , prosecutors said .
“ A thorough review of the statements of witnesses and involved police officers , physical evidence and the review of multiple videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of the shooting it was not reasonable to conclude Mr. Taylor posed an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to Officer Fletcher or to anyone else in the store , ” O ’ Malley said .
Taylor ’ s family has said that the officers should have tried to de-escalate the situation without firing their weapons .
“ Yes , he was homeless .
Yes , he had mental issues .
Yes , he was Black , ” his grandmother , Addie Kitchen , said at a rally last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean we murder homeless people ?
That police can kill people with mental issues ?
I want to see that nothing like this happens again.
” San Leandro Police Chief Jeff Tudor said in a statement it was important to allow “ the judicial process to take its course ” and referred all questions to the district attorney ’ s office .
“ As the Police Chief of San Leandro , I know the loss of Steven Taylor has deeply affected this community , ” Tudor said .
Fletcher is expected to be @ @ @ @

A San Francisco Bay Area police officer was charged Wednesday with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a black man inside a Walmart store in April.
The charge was filed Wednesday in the April 18 killing of Steven Taylor, 33, when San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher, 49, responded to a call about an alleged shoplifter inside the store who was holding a baseball bat.
A 20-year veteran, Fletcher did not wait for backup and instead tried to grab the bat from Taylor, then fired his Taser and his service weapon, all in less than 40 seconds, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said in a news release.
“Officer Fletcher’s actions, coupled with his failure to attempt other de-escalation options rendered his use of deadly force unreasonable,” O’Malley said.
Taylor’s family is encouraged by the decision, said a statement issued by their lawyer.
“Mr. Taylor was suffering a mental health crisis and did not represent a threat to officers or the general public before being Tased and shot to death,” the statement said. “Although this is an important first step in seeking justice, the family is eager to see Fletcher convicted and appropriately sentenced.”
Police were called to the store by a security guard who reported a possible robbery. Fletcher, the first officer to arrive, clarified with the security guard that it was not a robbery, then he relayed that information through his police radio, prosecutors said.
“Officer Fletcher did not wait for his cover officer and immediately contacted Mr. Taylor in the shopping cart area,” they said.
Surveillance video showed Fletcher pulled out his service pistol at the same time he tried to take the bat from Taylor. Taylor pulled the bat from Fletcher’s grasp and stepped away.
Shortly after, Fletcher shot Taylor twice with his taser. As Taylor struggled to remain standing, Fletcher shot him in the chest with his service weapon just as another officer arrived in the store, prosecutors said.
“A thorough review of the statements of witnesses and involved police officers, physical evidence and the review of multiple videos of the shooting shows that at the time of the shooting it was not reasonable to conclude Mr. Taylor posed an imminent threat of death or great bodily injury to Officer Fletcher or to anyone else in the store,” O’Malley said.
Taylor’s family has said that the officers should have tried to de-escalate the situation without firing their weapons.
“Yes, he was homeless. Yes, he had mental issues. Yes, he was Black,” his grandmother, Addie Kitchen, said at a rally last month for Taylor. “But does that mean we murder homeless people? That police can kill people with mental issues? I want to see that nothing like this happens again.”
San Leandro Police Chief Jeff Tudor said in a statement it was important to allow “the judicial process to take its course” and referred all questions to the district attorney’s office.
“As the Police Chief of San Leandro, I know the loss of Steven Taylor has deeply affected this community,” Tudor said.
Fletcher is expected to be arraigned Sept. 15.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Mets greats always knew Tom Seaver was something special

This one ’ s personal .
This one ’ s different .
You get one first-ever ...

Ron Swoboda knew from the start the Mets had something special.
Then a third-year outfielder with the team, Swoboda watched Seaver pitch his first game for the Mets in 1967 and couldn’t help but marvel at the right-hander’s talent.
“As soon as I saw him pitch the first time, I said to myself, ‘He has Hall of Fame stuff,’ ” Swoboda said Wednesday, after it was announced the 75-year-old pitcher had died from complications of dementia and COVID-19. “He just has to accumulate those numbers to get into the Hall.”
The Mets had been the laughingstock of baseball in the five seasons before Seaver arrived, but that was about to start changing.
“When he joined us as a rookie, he pitched like a 35-year-old,” Ed Kranepool said. “He had a great head on his shoulders. We became a different team when he walked into the locker room in 1967.”
In a 20-year career, Seaver won 311 games and three National League Cy Young awards. But he will always be remembered as the centerpiece of the 1969 Miracle Mets, which shocked the Orioles in the World Series.
Previous 1 of 13 Next Advertisement Tom Seaver pitches for the Mets during the 1968 season. JACOBELLIS New York Post Tom Seaver pitching in 1969 New York Post Advertisement Tom Seaver talks to reporters in the locker room after a one-hitter game against the Chicago Cubs in New York City, July 9, 1969. AP Photo Gil Hodges, Maury Allen, Casey Stengel and Tom Seaver in 1970 Richard Gummere/NY Post Woodhaven residents John Ameranti, Jim Jaeger and Joe Riley make obvious their sentiments about Tom Seaver's departure at Shea Stadium on June 17, 1977. William N. Jacobellis/New York Post Advertisement The front page of The Post on June 16, 1977 New York Post Tom Seaver throws the last pitch to catcher Mike Piazza at the end of the ceremony closing Shea Stadium on Sept. 28, 2008. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Mets All-Star David Wright greets Mets legend Tom Seaver after he throws out the first pitch during the All-Star baseball game at Citi Field on July 16, 2013. Paul J. Bereswill Advertisement Tom Seaver's children Sarah and Anne hold a street sign with their father's name as the New York Mets honor their father by renaming the address of Citi Field as 41 Seaver Way on June 27, 2019. Anthony J. Causi Advertisement
Seaver went 25-7 with a 2.21 ERA for that team to win the first of his Cy Young awards.
“Tom Seaver hated to lose,” catcher Jerry Grote said. “In May 1969 we had a celebration in the locker room when we reached .500 for the first time. Tom said, ‘We want more than .500, we want a championship.’ ”
In retirement, Seaver became revered by a new generation of Mets. He returned to the organization for good as a broadcaster in 1999 — following a stint in the Yankees TV booth — and later became visible at the Mets’ signature events. Included was throwing the ceremonial last pitch, to Mike Piazza, at Shea Stadium’s closing in 2008. The next year Seaver threw out the first pitch to christen Citi Field.
“I’ll always treasure our friendship,” Piazza said. “Tom was always rooting for me to get into the Hall. Two of my fondest memories are walking out of Shea Stadium after the last game and then when he threw the ceremonial first pitch to me at Citi Field the next year. He was one of a kind.”
Seaver began withdrawing from the spotlight in the last decade (his family revealed last year that he had dementia), but still kept tabs with the organization. Included was a relationship formed with David Wright.
“Tom and I had a great relationship,” Wright said. “I think he saw a little of himself in me, I was homegrown, just like he was. He called me from time to time, but we would never talk about baseball. We would talk about life.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Yankees running out of time to prove they are title-worthy team

And now that the Yankees can bid farewell to the dangerous Rays for the duration of this regular season , it ’ s time for a true character test : Will this 2020 group be remembered for doing anything besides validating the Rays ’ greatness ?
This rivalry ’ s season-series finale wound up as one-sided as the entire production .
The Rays jubilantly scored four runs before making an out and put the Yankees ’ bats into a coma with a sleepy , 5-2 victory at Yankee Stadium , giving them a decisive 8-2 edge for the campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule — none against the Rays ( 26-12 ) , at least — the Yankees ( 20-15 ) trail their low-payroll nemesis by a daunting 4½ games .
Even more daunting , they lead the third-place Blue Jays ( 19-16 ) by a mere game .
“ I ’ m disappointed overall with the way we ’ ve played recently , ” team elder Brett Gardner said .
“ We ’ ve got to pick it up.
” If Tuesday night ’ s 5-3 Yankees win presented one kind of ugly , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Mike Brosseau ’ s head and Kevin Cash openly threatening to order his pitchers to retaliate , then Wednesday ’ s hangover contest , featuring neither Cash nor his fellow suspended skipper Aaron Boone , felt ugly in a different “ People actually like this sport ?
” sort of way .
Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery lasted just nine batters , retiring just two of them — Brosseau slammed the first of his two homers on the night , nice revenge — and the bottom of the first inning featured a five-minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth , Yankees reliever Ben Heller drew an ejection from the umpires , who clearly were on high alert , for hitting Tampa Bay ’ s Hunter Renfroe in the side with a pitch , further delaying the action .
Since Yankees substitute manager Carlos Mendoza said the umps issued no pregame warning , this was overkill .
On offense , against Rays starter Charlie Morton , returning from the injured list , and a fleet of relievers , the Yankees managed just one run , Clint Frazier ’ s solo homer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ninth .
The last four guys in their lineup — struggling Mike Tauchman , hopelessly lost Gary Sanchez , suddenly aging Gardner and still unproven Tyler Wade — combined to go 2-for-13 with six strikeouts and two walks .
Instead of next man up , it felt like next man out .
Chapman , who appealed his three-game suspension , might as well have started serving his punishment Wednesday , as you couldn ’ t see a Yankees save situation from a mile away .
“ The bottom line is they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through an interpreter , said of the Rays .
“ We expect ourselves to be better .
Hopefully we meet them again , we make the necessary adjustments and really perform the way that we are used to.
” If these two clubs do face off in October , you can expect the tensions to rise again , for if Wednesday turned down the volume , it maintained the heat .
These managers clearly no longer like each other , not with Cash refusing to retract his Tuesday criticisms of the Yankees ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as Boone cracked that he would use his suspension to “ tighten up my coaching techniques.
” Boone added that Cash ’ s money quote , “ I ’ ve got a whole damn stable of guys who throw 98 miles per hour , ” was “ reckless and inflammatory.
” Once the game started , the most chirping came from the Rays ’ Twitter account , which captioned Brosseau ’ s first homer with “ Over everyone ’ s head.
” Pretty good !
Can the Yankees get up off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way features 13 games against current playoff teams — 10 with the dangerous Blue Jays , whom they haven ’ t faced at all , and three with Derek Jeter ’ s surprising Marlins .
So far , they own a 6-12 record against current playoff clubs , having gone 2-2 each against the Braves and Phillies in addition to their Rays travails .
They hardly look or feel like a championship outfit .
It ’ s on them to figure out , no matter how many injuries they have , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrations before time runs out .

A home clubhouse celebration scene at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night would’ve been gauche.
Also perfectly appropriate.
And now that the Yankees can bid farewell to the dangerous Rays for the duration of this regular season, it’s time for a true character test: Will this 2020 group be remembered for doing anything besides validating the Rays’ greatness?
This rivalry’s season-series finale wound up as one-sided as the entire production. The Rays jubilantly scored four runs before making an out and put the Yankees’ bats into a coma with a sleepy, 5-2 victory at Yankee Stadium, giving them a decisive 8-2 edge for the campaign. With just 25 games left on their schedule — none against the Rays (26-12), at least — the Yankees (20-15) trail their low-payroll nemesis by a daunting 4½ games. Even more daunting, they lead the third-place Blue Jays (19-16) by a mere game.
“I’m disappointed overall with the way we’ve played recently,” team elder Brett Gardner said. “We’ve got to pick it up.”
If Tuesday night’s 5-3 Yankees win presented one kind of ugly, with Aroldis Chapman throwing a 101 mph fastball over Mike Brosseau’s head and Kevin Cash openly threatening to order his pitchers to retaliate, then Wednesday’s hangover contest, featuring neither Cash nor his fellow suspended skipper Aaron Boone, felt ugly in a different “People actually like this sport?” sort of way. Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery lasted just nine batters, retiring just two of them — Brosseau slammed the first of his two homers on the night, nice revenge — and the bottom of the first inning featured a five-minute drone delay. Seriously.
In the fifth, Yankees reliever Ben Heller drew an ejection from the umpires, who clearly were on high alert, for hitting Tampa Bay’s Hunter Renfroe in the side with a pitch, further delaying the action. Since Yankees substitute manager Carlos Mendoza said the umps issued no pregame warning, this was overkill.
On offense, against Rays starter Charlie Morton, returning from the injured list, and a fleet of relievers, the Yankees managed just one run, Clint Frazier’s solo homer in the sixth, until making some noise in the ninth. The last four guys in their lineup — struggling Mike Tauchman, hopelessly lost Gary Sanchez, suddenly aging Gardner and still unproven Tyler Wade — combined to go 2-for-13 with six strikeouts and two walks. Instead of next man up, it felt like next man out.
Chapman, who appealed his three-game suspension, might as well have started serving his punishment Wednesday, as you couldn’t see a Yankees save situation from a mile away.
“The bottom line is they played better baseball,” Sanchez, through an interpreter, said of the Rays. “We expect ourselves to be better. Hopefully we meet them again, we make the necessary adjustments and really perform the way that we are used to.”
If these two clubs do face off in October, you can expect the tensions to rise again, for if Wednesday turned down the volume, it maintained the heat. These managers clearly no longer like each other, not with Cash refusing to retract his Tuesday criticisms of the Yankees” poor coaching” and “poor teaching” as Boone cracked that he would use his suspension to “tighten up my coaching techniques.” Boone added that Cash’s money quote, “I’ve got a whole damn stable of guys who throw 98 miles per hour,” was “reckless and inflammatory.”
Once the game started, the most chirping came from the Rays’ Twitter account, which captioned Brosseau’s first homer with “Over everyone’s head.” Pretty good!
Can the Yankees get up off the mat? Their schedule the rest of the way features 13 games against current playoff teams — 10 with the dangerous Blue Jays, whom they haven’t faced at all, and three with Derek Jeter’s surprising Marlins. So far, they own a 6-12 record against current playoff clubs, having gone 2-2 each against the Braves and Phillies in addition to their Rays travails.
They hardly look or feel like a championship outfit. It’s on them to figure out, no matter how many injuries they have, how to work their way to some actual celebrations before time runs out.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Trump takes on Biden, Pelosi, Cuomo and de Blasio in Pennsylvania speech

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday refused to apologize after ...

President Trump on Thursday pushed his “law and order” message and knocked Democratic rival Joe Biden’s mental fitness during a rally near Pittsburgh — hours after Biden visited Kenosha, Wis., in a visit that skipped the parts of town ravaged by rioting.
The president, speaking on the tarmac of an airport in Latrobe for 92 minutes, also slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to a closed San Francisco salon and blamed “incompetent” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio for the nation’s high coronavirus death toll.
“Biden’s plan is to appease the domestic terrorists and my plan is to arrest them and prosecute them,” Trump told a cheering crowd. Biden’s visit to Kenosha, he said, was “a little late — I was gonna say, ‘Hey listen, we ended that problem,’ ” in reference to the national guard troops that ended the violence.
Trump also mockingly claimed the former vice president enjoys wearing a mask to protect against COVID-19 because it brings him psychological comfort.
“I’ve never seen a man that liked a mask,” said Trump, who rarely wears a mask in public.
“Look, I’m all for it… wear your mask when you’re close together in particular and wash your hands and all those things, we have Labor Day weekend coming up. But did you ever see a man that likes a mask as much as him?”
Trump added: “A lot of times he has it hanging down. Because you know what? It gives him a feeling of security. If I were a psychiatrist, right? No I’d say — I’d say this guy’s got some big issues.”
Trump hailed his own leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic and told the closely gathered crowd a vaccine would be available soon. He noted that New York leads the nation in deaths, and said the national toll would be much lower without the state’s once-high numbers.
“A big percentage of the people that died in this country died because New York was incompetently run by Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo,” Trump said.
Trump also mocked Pelosi (D-Calif.) for claiming she was “set up” by the salon owner who released footage of her walking through the salon without a mask on and getting a blow-out despite such indoor business being ordered closed to the public.
“She said, ‘I was set up. I was set up by the salon owner — I was set up.’ I said, ‘Tell me she didn’t say that.’ So I just put out that if she was set up, then she shouldn’t be leading the House of Representatives,” he said.
“You know what she should have done, honestly? She should have said, ‘I made a mistake, sorry.’ ”
Trump also gave a Pennsylvania-specific pitch to the crowd.
“Joe Biden spent the last 47 years shipping Pennsylvania jobs to China and foreign nations, and I’ve spent the last four years bringing them back home,” he said. “I ended the last administration’s eight year pure war on Pennsylvania oil and coal and fracking.”
Trump won Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Recent polls indicate Trump is in a close contest against Biden.
“In his best days 25-30 years ago he was weak,” Trump said of Biden. “He was not known as being one of the smart ones and now it’s not exactly primetime.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine stops severe illness — in hamsters

Johnson & Johnson ’ s experimental coronavirus vaccine has been found to prevent severe illness — in some hamsters , according to a study published Thursday .
Syrian golden hamsters were vaccinated and then exposed to COVID-19 about four weeks later , as part of a pre-clinical study by the drugmaker .
The vaccinated rodents were found to have less of the virus in their lungs and other organs , according to the study published in the medical journal Nature Medicine .
They also lost less weight than animals that didn ’ t receive the dose of inoculation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss and higher viral replication in the lungs was tied to having low levels of antibodies that can neutralize the virus .
The promising results in hamsters won ’ t necessarily translate to humans .
But , the company is seeking to begin a 60,000-person late-stage study in humans later this month .
It would be the largest trial testing a coronavirus vaccine yet , according to CNBC .
J & J is one of several companies working to develop a vaccine for the virus .
Others include Moderna , Pfizer and AstraZeneca @

Johnson & Johnson’s experimental coronavirus vaccine has been found to prevent severe illness — in some hamsters, according to a study published Thursday.
Syrian golden hamsters were vaccinated and then exposed to COVID-19 about four weeks later, as part of a pre-clinical study by the drugmaker.
The vaccinated rodents were found to have less of the virus in their lungs and other organs, according to the study published in the medical journal Nature Medicine.
They also lost less weight than animals that didn’t receive the dose of inoculation.
The researchers found that higher levels of weight loss and higher viral replication in the lungs was tied to having low levels of antibodies that can neutralize the virus.
The promising results in hamsters won’t necessarily translate to humans.
But, the company is seeking to begin a 60,000-person late-stage study in humans later this month. It would be the largest trial testing a coronavirus vaccine yet, according to CNBC.
J&J is one of several companies working to develop a vaccine for the virus. Others include Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Bulgarian star making US Open splash after 2-year tennis hiatus

You were sleeping when Sofia Kenin made history , when the ...

Tsvetana Pironkova wasn’t sure she would ever play tennis again.
She had devoted more than 15 years of her professional life to the sport, peaking with a 2010 run to the Wimbledon semifinals, and seemingly ending on the same grass seven years later.
She was happy. She was healthy. She had a young son, Alexander, who prompted her informal retirement.
“I guess I just needed to distance myself a little bit for about two years,” Pironkova said Thursday. “Little by little, I started really missing the tour, started watching more tournaments, started to follow the players. I kind of started to make plans in my head looking at the calendar, which tournament would suit me best.”
The plan has gone perfectly.
After surprising herself by winning her first match in more than three years, Pironkova pulled a second-round upset of No. 10 seed and two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza, 7-5, 6-3, Thursday on Court 17.
Pironkova will next play No. 18 seed Donna Vekic.
“Coming from a three-year absence on the tour, you always have your doubts,” Pironkova said. “Right now my results actually make me really happy because it shows that I did the right things preparing for this comeback. That makes me proud. … It’s just great to be playing without that extra pressure I had on myself before. Before it was almost like a life-and-death situation for me to win a match. Right now, it’s not really like that. It’s enjoyment to be on the court.
“Having the opportunity for [Alexander] to watch me also makes me really happy.”
Pironkova, 32, announced her return on March 14, just as COVID-19 was being introduced around the world. The unexpected postponement of the season gave the Bulgarian even more time to prepare. It also gave her entry into the main draw of the U.S. Open due to several players opting out.
“I was really curious what my level is at the moment,” Pironkova said this week. “I was really curious to see if my preparation was adequate and could yield good results. I’m happy to see I did the right things. I wanted to see if I still have it.”
She has everything she wants.
“If you make a good schedule and have the right motivation, you can combine the two things, motherhood and being a professional tennis player,” Pironkova said. “It takes a lot of work but, you know, everything takes work.
“Once you become a mother you don’t magically lose your ability to play. If you want to do it I don’t think there’s something that can stop you from doing it.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Jets center Connor McGovern gets work ethic from potato-farm roots

The Jets offensive line is hoping they can speed up ...

You could describe new Jets center Connor McGovern as a meat-and-potatoes guy, but put the emphasis on the potatoes.
McGovern grew up in Fargo, N.D., with his family owning potato farms. He developed a work ethic that got him to the NFL while learning the family business.
“You have to get up early and you never know what you’re going to have to deal with that day when you’re farming,” McGovern said this week. “It’s that work ethic of whatever is in front of you, whatever task you have that day, just attacking it and doing it to the best of your abilities, not being afraid to work hard. Those are definitely qualities that have helped me get here.”
Here is at the center of the Jets’ rebuilt offensive line. He was signed to a three-year, $27 million contract as a free agent in March. The team is hoping he can stabilize a position that has been a revolving door since Nick Mangold was cut following the 2016 season.
McGovern has played every position along the line over the course of his college and NFL career. But center is his favorite spot.
“I enjoy having the little bit of control and making sure everyone’s on the right page,” McGovern said. “I enjoy that mental aspect of it, making sure I have the right call. The mental side I really started enjoying in my later years in college.”
McGovern knows most people’s vision of Fargo comes from the movie or TV series that bears its name. He laughs about that unflattering portrayal. McGovern is proud of his hometown and said he wants to raise his family there.
Ron Offutt, McGovern’s grandfather, started farming potatoes with his father in the early 1960s, and the company grew from there. Today, R.D. Offutt Farms produces more than 50,000 acres of potatoes every year. McGovern’s father Keith is the company’s president. McGovern was raised in his family’s fields, riding the tractor, helping his father check the crops for disease and working in the family’s truck store.
“It keeps you humble,” McGovern said of farming. “You have years where you have a fantastic crop and make a ton of money and life’s good. A couple of months later you go to do your next crop and it doesn’t turn out so well and you lose a bunch of money. You never can get too high or too low in farming. You never know what the next day is going to bring, what the next week is going to bring.”
Farming was not the only thing he learned from his grandfather. Football was also in the family’s blood. His grandfather played in college and his cousin briefly was on the Saints. McGovern picked up the game when he was in fourth grade. The only problem was he weighed 150 pounds and the weight limit was 130. He spent the summer losing 20 pounds to play.
McGovern would take up powerlifting under his dad’s watch in the seventh grade. When he got to college at Missouri, he set the school’s squat record with five reps of 690 pounds.
The Broncos selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. McGovern started 36 games in three years in Denver before hitting free agency in March.
McGovern said he got a sense the Broncos were not interested in bringing him back unless it was on the cheap. When the Jets stepped in with their offer, McGovern grabbed it.
“There’s no hard feelings,” McGovern said. “I talked to [Broncos president John] Elway about it and he was like, ‘that’s not where I like to spend money.’ He likes to spend money on guards and tackles. That’s just how he likes to build a team. I didn’t take it personally, by any means. I’m extremely happy to be here. I appreciate that [Jets GM Joe Douglas] thinks center is an important spot and worth spending a little money on.”
The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder is now in the middle of the Jets offense, an offense he said this week he believes can be dangerous. That starts up front.
“I think we have the offensive line to really help Le’Veon [Bell] and protect Sam [Darnold],” McGovern said. “A dangerous offense is a balanced offense and being unpredictable. I think that’s what we’ll have this year.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Driver speeds through protesters marching in Times Square

A car rammed through a crowd of protesters in Times Square who were demonstrating against police brutality on Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ .
Dozens of demonstrators were gathered in the Crossroads of the World chanting “ No @ @ @ @ @ ” shortly after 8 p.m. when the car approached and honked repeatedly at the group @ @ @ @ @ shows .
At least two protesters with bicycles stood in front of the vehicle , @ @ @ @ @ Ford Taurus , attempting to prevent it from passing as the crowd crossed the street @ @ @ @ @ car stopped for a brief moment initially — but then suddenly hit the gas and @ @ @ @ @ the screaming protesters .
It ’ s unclear if anybody was injured .
Police did @ @ @ @ @ the incident .
After the confrontation , protesters regrouped and continued to march through the @ @ @ @

A car rammed through a crowd of protesters in Times Square who were demonstrating against police brutality on Thursday, according to social media footage.
Dozens of demonstrators were gathered in the crossroads of the world chanting “No justice, no peace” shortly after 8 p.m. when the car approached and honked repeatedly at the group, video posted to Twitter shows.
At least two protesters with bicycles stood in front of the vehicle, which appeared to be a Ford Taurus, attempting to prevent it from passing as the crowd crossed the street.
The driver of the car stopped for a brief moment initially — but then suddenly hit the gas and sped away, ramming through the screaming protesters.
It’s unclear if anybody was injured. Police did not immediately have information on the incident, but shot down rumors that the vehicle was a police car in a statement on Twitter.
“There is an ongoing investigation into an incident in Times Square involving a black Taurus sedan. This auto is NOT an NYPD vehicle,” they wrote.
After the confrontation, protesters regrouped and continued to march through the streets of Manhattan.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--50 Cent and T.I. spar on social media over proposed Versuz battle

Gosh , it ’ s like William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal all over again .
50 Cent and T.I .
spent Thursday evening antagonizing each other over their proposed Versuz battle .
The two rappers , who have been bandying about the idea of doing one of the popular Instagram battles for some time , went at it after T.I .
pushed 50 Cent to commit to the battle early in the evening .
“ Pick a date !
” T.I .
wrote in an Instagram post Thursday night , to which 50 responded with several antagonistic tweets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo T.I .
used in the post ( “ Bro ya beard is not quite connecting like your music ” ) and bragged over his career sales figures .
He then pivoted to a more esoteric approach , tweeting , “ So I just want to say to … I ’ m clear you will never understand how much better I am than you are , look even my skin is darker then [ sic ] yours .
I ’ m just a better specimen of a man than you punk.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explaining “ Even if the Bee could explain to the fly why pollin [ sic ] is better than s–t , the fly would not understand , ” which may be Dostoevsky — we ’ re not sure .
T.I.
’ s most recent Instagram post continued with “ he actually think he got a shot wit that one & 1/2 albums he got … U washed my boi .
Now cmon & PULL YO YOUNG BABOON FACE A– ON UP & GET SERVED CURTIS !
” One thing neither of them addressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re probably still in for plenty more of this .

Gosh, it’s like William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal all over again.
50 Cent and T.I. spent Thursday evening antagonizing each other over their proposed Verzuz battle. The two rappers, who have been bandying about the idea of doing one of the popular Instagram battles for some time, went at it after T.I. pushed 50 Cent to commit to the battle early in the evening.
“Pick a date!” T.I. wrote in an Instagram post Thursday night, to which 50 responded with several antagonistic tweets, in which he made fun of the photo T.I. used in the post (“Bro ya beard is not quite connecting like your music”) and bragged over his career sales figures. He then pivoted to a more esoteric approach, tweeting, “So I just want to say to … I’m clear you will never understand how much better I am than you are, look even my skin is darker then [sic] yours. I’m just a better specimen of a man than you punk.”
This last salvo was accompanied by a meme explaining “Even if the Bee could explain to the fly why pollin [sic] is better than s–t, the fly would not understand,” which may be Dostoevsky — we’re not sure.
T.I.’s most recent Instagram post continued with “he actually think he got a shot wit that one & 1/2 albums he got … U washed my boi. Now cmon & PULL YO YOUNG BABOON FACE A– ON UP & GET SERVED CURTIS!”
One thing neither of them addressed was a date, so we’re probably still in for plenty more of this.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Tamron Hall snags disgraced Florida politician Andrew Gillum for show

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Tamron Hall is kicking off Season 2 @ @ @ @ @ two sought-after exclusives .
First , she ’ ll interview disgraced former Florida gubernatorial candidate @ @ @ @ @ , R. Jai .
In March , photos of Gillum surfaced showing him inebriated in @ @ @ @ @ paraphernalia and an alleged male prostitute .
Hall conducted the interview in person and we @ @ @ @ @ the scandal .
The broadcaster is also getting the first interview with Stassi Schroeder since @ @ @ @ @ Vanderpump Rules ” for racist behavior .
On Sept. 17 , Schroeder “ will discuss @ @ @ @ @ recently announced pregnancy have reshaped her perspective on work and life .
”

Tamron Hall is kicking off Season 2 of her daytime show with two sought-after exclusives.
First, she’ll interview disgraced former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and his wife, R. Jai. In March, photos of Gillum surfaced showing him inebriated in a hotel room with drug paraphernalia and an alleged male prostitute. Hall conducted the interview in person and we’re told Gillum addressed the scandal.
The broadcaster is also getting the first interview with Stassi Schroeder since she was fired from “Vanderpump Rules” for racist behavior. On Sept. 17, Schroeder “will discuss how the incident and her recently announced pregnancy have reshaped her perspective on work and life.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--RJ Barrett’s dad Rowan: Friend Steve Nash ‘ready’ to be Nets coach

This was early January 2019 , fifth floor of the Oakland ...

The news, that Steve Nash had become the Nets’ new coach came as a surprise to most observers. Few knew he was even in the mix, let alone interested in coaching.
Rowan Barrett wasn’t part of that majority. Since he met Nash at the age of 16, he has seen coaching qualities in the terrific former NBA point guard he worked under with the Canadian national team. Barrett saw it in him as a player and he saw it in him as an executive, too,
“He’s ready, he’s ready,” Barrett, the father of Knicks guard RJ Barrett and current Canadian national team general manager, told The Post in a phone interview. “He wouldn’t have taken this if he wasn’t. If you know anything about Steve, he doesn’t take on something unless he’s going to give it everything he’s got.”
Since retiring as a player in March 2015, the 46-year-old Nash has had his hand in a variety of things, from continuing as the Canadian GM until last year to serving as a consultant with the Warriors for the past five years. It was there that he forged a strong bond with Kevin Durant, a relationship that may have landed him the Nets’ job.
“He has so much knowledge, this is who he’s always been,” Barrett said of Nash, an eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP. “I don’t think there will be a situation that he’s coming up on he hasn’t been around, which I think is important, especially for players.”
Bringing in a coach without any actual coaching experience is an outside-the-box hire for the Nets, a win-now team featuring Durant and Kyrie Irving. It, of course, has happened before, in a similar circumstance. The Warriors hired Steve Kerr, who had no coaching experience, but had worked as an NBA executive with the Suns and on TV for TNT, in 2014 with a team that was ready to win, and that team did indeed win, claiming NBA crowns in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Barrett, a star in his day at St. John’s, sees some similarities.
“I think his [story] would be a little bit more like Steve Kerr than it would’ve been like for a Jason Kidd. He was the GM for our national team for some years. He has been in the foxhole with some of those coaches, and understands the things that they need, understands that side of it, not just the players’ side,” Barrett said. “It’s not like he’s coming in with one lens [as] a player. Even though he wasn’t on the bench making decisions, he was in the war room with us, he was sitting there with NBA coaches talking strategy, giving his thoughts. He was in coaches’ meetings. While he hasn’t sat on the bench, he’s done more than a little bit of research.”
Nash landing the Nets job sets up an interesting subplot to the local rivalry. He is RJ Barrett’s godfather and Rowan Barrett’s close friend. There will be an added twist when the Nets and Knicks meet.
“Are you kidding me? I’m going to be happy, I’m going to be excited,” Rowan Barrett said with a laugh. “One of my best friends coaching one team, and my son playing on the other team. I remember him holding RJ as a baby in diapers.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Steve Cohen remembers one of five Tom Seaver Mets one-hitters

Steve Cohen , who has the inside track to becoming the next Mets owner , on Thursday paid his condolences to Tom Seaver , who died Monday of complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19 .
He was 75 .
Cohen said watching Tom Terrific pitch was a must-see event and still wished Cubs outfielder Jimmy Qualls — who had just 31 hits in his short MLB career — didn ’ t break up a Seaver perfect game with a single in the ninth inning on July 9 , 1969 .
“ When I was in high school and college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one of the greatest thrills you could have at a Mets game , ” Cohen said in a statement provided to MLB Network ’ s Jon Heyman .
“ To this day , I still want Qualls to ground out instead of lofting one to left center to ruin Seaver ’ s perfect game .
“ The fans gave him a standing ovation , ” Cohen wrote of Seaver , who had five one-hitters with the Mets and one no-hitter with the Reds .
“ He deserved it and still deserves it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man was the perfect Met , Tom Terrific .
Our hearts go out to the Seaver family.
” Cohen — whose initial deal for the Mets fell through — is on track to get a better deal this time .
According to a Sportico report Tuesday , Cohen ’ s final bid on the Mets values the team at $ 2.35 billion , $ 250 million less than what the team was valued when he first tried to buy the franchise in February .

Steve Cohen, who has the inside track to becoming the next Mets owner, on Thursday paid his condolences to Tom Seaver, who died Monday of complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. He was 75.
Cohen said watching Tom Terrific pitch was a must-see event and still wished Cubs outfielder Jimmy Qualls — who had just 31 hits in his short MLB career — didn’t break up a Seaver perfect game with a single in the ninth inning on July 9, 1969.
“When I was in high school and college, getting to watch Tom Seaver pitch was one of the greatest thrills you could have at a Mets game,” Cohen said in a statement provided to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. “To this day, I still want Qualls to ground out instead of lofting one to left center to ruin Seaver’s perfect game.
“The fans gave him a standing ovation,” Cohen wrote of Seaver, who had five one-hitters with the Mets and one no-hitter with the Reds. “He deserved it and still deserves it. The game was imperfect, but the man was the perfect Met, Tom Terrific. Our hearts go out to the Seaver family.”
Cohen — whose initial deal for the Mets fell through — is on track to get a better deal this time. According to a Sportico report Tuesday, Cohen’s final bid on the Mets values the team at $2.35 billion, $250 million less than what the team was valued when he first tried to buy the franchise in February.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Mets walk off on Pete Alonso’s blast for wild comeback win over Yankees

Tom Terrific .
The Franchise .
The greatest Met ever .
Legend .
All ...

Thunder was about the only thing missing from the scene as Pete Alonso walked to the plate in the rain after skies had violently darkened Thursday at Citi Field.
Boom.
With a mighty clout against Albert Abreu in the 10th inning, Alonso rescued his club from what could have been a stomach-churning loss to a Yankees team that seemed determined to throw away the game. Right after the Mets were finished trying to throw away the game.
“This is a valuable lesson,” Alonso said after his walk-off, two-run blast gave the Mets a 9-7 victory. “It doesn’t matter what happened, you just have to stay resilient and keep fighting, and give your best effort each AB, each inning, each pitch. I’m just happy I capitalized on a great opportunity and sent us home.”
The walk-off homer was the first of Alonso’s career and atoned for an earlier defensive flub that helped the Yankees extend their lead. The Mets won their second straight and managed a 3-3 tie in the season Subway Series with the Yankees.
After an emotional series with Tampa Bay in which they lost two of three, the Yankees could have used an easy victory, but never put away the Mets after grabbing a 4-0 lead in the second inning.
The Mets’ own emotions were tied to franchise icon Tom Seaver, whose life was remembered, a day after his family revealed the 75-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher died this week from complications of dementia and COVID-19.
“He’s an absolute legend and now he’s a baseball god,” Alonso said. “To win today, it’s extremely special.”
In a kooky ninth inning, Aroldis Chapman walked Jeff McNeil leading off and balked pinch-runner Billy Hamilton to second. Hamilton took off for third on the next pitch and was thrown out by Kyle Higashioka. The ensuing batter, J.D. Davis, cleared the center-field fence to tie it 7-7.
“We were set to close it out and it just didn’t happen today,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees had their own base-running snafu in the 10th inning, when Tyler Wade broke from second on DJ LeMahieu’s line drive that Michael Conforto snagged and was thrown out.
Zack Britton surrendered a two-run single to Amed Rosario in the eighth, but the Mets’ comeback stalled. Chapman, who is appealing his three-game suspension for throwing near the head of the Rays’ Michael Brosseau, continued his struggles with a second blown save in three chances.
“In that inning the only thing I would take away is I executed that pitch and he made good contact,” Chapman said. “Other than that I felt good out there.”
Miguel Castro’s control was an issue in the seventh inning. The right-hander walked two batters and with two outs allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Gio Urshela. The inning got worse for the Mets when Alonso didn’t get his glove down on Brett Gardner’s grounder that went for an RBI double to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead. The Castro letdown came after Chasen Shreve and Jeurys Familia had combined to pitch 4 ¹/₃ shutout innings behind ineffective Robert Gsellman.
J.A. Happ was given a four-run lead in the second inning, but saw it disappear by the fourth. The Mets’ comeback started with Todd Frazier’s solo homer to right in the second — his first hit since rejoining the Mets a day earlier.
The Mets attacked with three runs in the fourth to tie it 4-4. Frazier started the rally with a double before Happ retired Dominic Smith and struck out Alonso. But Jake Marisnick delivered the first of four straight two-out hits to give the Mets new life. Marisnick doubled in a run and Rosario’s ensuing RBI single pulled the Mets within 4-3. Robinson Chirinos singled for his first Mets hit before McNeil tied it with a single to left-center.
The Mets (17-21) need a big run if they are going to qualify for the NL’s eight-team postseason, and these last two victories might be a start.
“We can watch the standings all we want, but at the end of the day we have to win each and every day whenever we can,” Alonso said. “I feel like we do have a real good chance to play our way in there. I feel like if we keep playing hard and stay resilient like we have been, I think we do have a real good chance.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Sofia Kenin won’t be ‘overlooked’ if she can pull off US Open feat

You were sleeping when Sofia Kenin made history, when the 21-year-old opened 2020 by conquering Australia and becoming the youngest American to win a Grand Slam since 2002.
You had no reason to set your alarm.
Kenin had never been past the fourth round of a major. Only one American besides the Williams sisters had won a Grand Slam in the previous 18 years. Kenin hadn’t been hyped and marketed like Coco Gauff, like Sloane Stephens or Madison Keys once were.
“Definitely sometimes I did feel I was overlooked, I wasn’t really taken serious,” Kenin said following Thursday’s second-round win over Leylah Fernandez. “Obviously, winning [the Australian Open] definitely really helped with my confidence and changed my image drastically. After that, I feel like people know me and respect me.
“It’s always nice to get back at the people, I guess, who didn’t really believe in you or treat you fair.”
Now, there is no excuse to miss the highest-ranked player in the country.
Advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open for the fourth straight year, Kenin achieved her ninth straight major victory with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Kenin, the No. 2 seed, never faced a break point in the match, winning 73 percent of service points.
Kenin next faces 27th-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur, having won all four career meetings, including this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals.
“I feel like my level is there definitely,” Kenin said. “I feel like I’m feeling the court well, playing my game. … I feel like I found a groove. … I’m playing some really good tennis.”
Kenin’s parents left the Soviet Union and moved to New York more than a decade before she was born. Her father and coach, Alex, studied computer science during the day, then drove a cab at night. Kenin was born in Moscow, but has lived in Florida almost her entire life.
Despite always being the top-ranked American in her age group, Kenin’s 5-foot-7 frame diverted attention and praise to more physically imposing peers.
“Those people who didn’t believe in her, they had very valid reasons not to because she has always been the smallest one,” Alex told reporters in Australia earlier this year. “Thank God I saw something that they didn’t because I know her better.”
Kenin was ranked 56th in the world at the start of 2019, but vaulted up 42 spots by the end of the year and was named the WTA’s Most Improved Player, having earned more hard-court victories (38) than any player on the Tour.
As the 14th-seed at the Australian Open, Kenin — who beat Serena Williams in the 2019 French Open — knocked out Gauff in the fourth round. Then, she defeated top-seeded Australian Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals and two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza in the finals.
Kenin became the youngest Australian Open champion in 20 years, as well as the youngest American debuting in the top 10 since 1999 (Serena Williams).
Now, Kenin can become the first woman to win two majors in a year since 2016 (Angelique Kerber).
“I proved [in Australia] that I can get in deep. I can win a tournament. I hope it’s going to help me,” Kenin said upon arriving in Queens. “Obviously, it’s something that I obviously think about, I remember. It was such a great moment. It’s something I’ll never forget.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--John Mara believes Joe Judge, Daniel Jones can restore Giants

The reset button on John Mara ’ s desk needs some time ...

John Mara was a young man when the Giants hit rock bottom, that tortured day when a twin-engine plane carrying the “15 YEARS OF LOUSY FOOTBALL WE’VE HAD ENOUGH” banner passed over Giants Stadium, and Giants fans, who had endured ridicule and humiliation for The Fumble three weeks earlier, and for all those bankrupt previous years when their team grew old overnight, stood and cheered and chanted “We’ve had enough, we’ve had enough!”
He is Wellington Mara’s oldest son, which means he suffers losing every bit as much as Giants fans or even more, because it is the family business, and has been the family business since his grandfather Tim founded the team in 1925.
From 1987-2012, from Bill Parcells and Lawrence Taylor to Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, from Pasadena to Tampa to Glendale to Indianapolis, Mara raised the Lombardi Trophy four times.
He knows full well that it is the head coach and the quarterback who must be behind the wheel of his insatiable drive for five.
Joe Judge hasn’t won a game yet — or lost a game yet.
Daniel Jones hasn’t played a full season yet.
John Mara believes Judge is the right head coach and Jones is the right quarterback to bring the Giants all the way back.
Parcells got Phil Simms to Super Bowl XXI, and Simms took him home. Parcells got Simms and Jeff Hostetler to Super Bowl XV, and Hostetler took him home. Coughlin got Manning to the Super Bowl XLII playoffs, and Manning took him home. Coughlin got Manning to the Super Bowl XLVI playoffs, and Manning took him home.
As difficult as it is for him to exercise and urge patience for fans who don’t want to hear it, Mara can envision a day when Manning’s successor will take Judge and the Giants home.
“I’d like to see him take the next step this year, I’m confident that he will do that,” Mara said of Jones on Thursday on a Zoom call. “The thing that is gratifying to me is that our coaching staff is very high on him right now, guys that have been around successful quarterbacks in the past, and they say that he has what it takes to get us to the next level.
“And every indication so far is that he does have what it takes.
“He showed a lot of grit and a lot of promise, made a lot of big plays, and I think with the right supporting cast around him, I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
The only cloud in the sky for Jones was his fumbling issue (18) as a rookie. Judge might make him run a penalty lap around MetLife Stadium during games if the problem rears its ugly head.
“The things that are noticeable to me are the amount of teaching that goes on on the field, it’s like nonstop,” Mara said. “I think the intensity of the practices. I think the communication that he has with the players, on football and non-football issues. I’ve also been very, very impressed with the staff that he’s put together. There’s a lot of experience on that staff, and I feel very confident that we’re in a good place right now in terms of trying to get these players to perform at their best.”
You could argue that Mara — from Super Bowl XLVI to Super Bowl LIV, from Coughlin to McAdoo to Shurmur, the Giants have reached the playoffs just once, and have failed to win a playoff game — believes it because he wants so badly to believe it.
He was wrong about McAdoo and wrong about Shurmur, and yes, he could be proven wrong about Judge. But if you can’t be optimistic about your new head coach on the eve of a season, in this case a pandemic season, when exactly can you be?
A season of growing social justice and community involvement and planned dialogue with political leaders … and owner awareness of how much it all means to their players.
“If you decide in your conscience that kneeling is the right thing to do, I’m going to support your right to do that because I believe in the First Amendment. I believe in the right of people, especially the players, to take a knee in silent protest if that’s what they want to do,” Mara said.
A season he bets will be without Giants fans in the stands. A season when there will be competitive advantages for teams that will allow some fans in their stadiums.
“Certain areas of the country are going to be a little more liberal about letting people in the building,” Mara said. “That’s just something that we’re going to have to accept and move forward.”
A season with vigilant protocols designed to stiff-arm the virus at all costs.
“I think we have a good chance of playing a full season,” Mara said.
A season Mara views as a building block toward sustained success and another title.
“It’s pretty hard to sit here and say we need to win X number of games, we need to be in the playoffs this year,” Mara said.
It’s pretty hard for him to still say it, and for Giants fans to hear it.
“I know that’s not going to satisfy a lot of our fans, but I just think it’s the right philosophy to have,” Mara said.
“I feel good about the direction that we’re heading in right now, and I want to feel that way in January as well. But I have every reason to expect that I will.”
Every reason to believe he again has the right head coach, and the right quarterback.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Man convicted of murdering 2 women, hiding corpses in freezer

A man was found guilty Thursday of killing two women and hiding their bodies inside a freezer at his London apartment .
Zahid Younis will spend at least 38 years behind bars for the grisly slayings of 32-year-old Henriett Szucs and Mihrican Mustafa , 38 , the BBC reported .
The bodies of the victims , described in court as “ vulnerable women living somewhat chaotic lives , ” were discovered by police in April 2019 , the report said .
The officers had been conducting a welfare check on Younis at his Canning Town apartment in East London when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around it .
Szucs , who lived with Younis , was killed shortly after the convicted killer purchased the lockable freezer in November 2016 , it was revealed during the four-week trial .
Mustafa had been missing since May 2018 .
The victims ’ causes of death could not be determined , but both women were found badly beaten up .
They both had rib fractures — and Szucs suffered “ dreadful ” head injuries , while Mustafa ’ s sternum and larynx were fractured , the report said .
Younis never confessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placing the women inside his freezer .
He claimed Szucs died while he wasn ’ t home , and in a panic , paid a man to hide her body .
He then claimed the accomplice forced him to also hide Mustafa ’ s corpse in the freezer .
At his sentencing , Younis showed no emotion , the report said , as Mustafa ’ s family celebrated the ruling .

A man was found guilty Thursday of killing two women and hiding their bodies inside a freezer at his London apartment.
Zahid Younis will spend at least 38 years behind bars for the grisly slayings of 32-year-old Henriett Szucs and Mihrican Mustafa, 38, the BBC reported.
The bodies of the victims, described in court as “vulnerable women living somewhat chaotic lives,” were discovered by police in April 2019, the report said.
The officers had been conducting a welfare check on Younis at his Canning Town apartment in East London when they noticed the freezer had flies buzzing around it.
Szucs, who lived with Younis, was killed shortly after the convicted killer purchased the lockable freezer in November 2016, it was revealed during the four-week trial.
Mustafa had been missing since May 2018.
The victims’ causes of death could not be determined, but both women were found badly beaten up.
They both had rib fractures — and Szucs suffered “dreadful” head injuries, while Mustafa’s sternum and larynx were fractured, the report said.
Younis never confessed to the killings, only admitting to placing the women inside his freezer. He claimed Szucs died while he wasn’t home, and in a panic, paid a man to hide her body.
He then claimed the accomplice forced him to also hide Mustafa’s corpse in the freezer.
At his sentencing, Younis showed no emotion, the report said, as Mustafa’s family celebrated the ruling.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Professor who lied about being black ripped ‘white New Yorkers’ in profanity-laced tirade

The white George Washington University professor who on Thursday admitted ...

The white college professor who admitted to posing as a black woman allegedly once went on a profanity-laden tirade at a City Council hearing, in which she spoke in a fake accent and ripped New Yorkers who talked about the police in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The speaker, who used the name “Jess La Bombera,” appeared to actually be Jessica Krug, a George Washington University prof who copped Thursday to falsely claiming to being a woman of color as she taught African American studies.
The foul-mouthed “La Bombera” claimed in her talk, which was delivered via video, that city officials “sold” her “barrio” of East Harlem to real estate interests before railing against lawmakers for not being tough enough on the NYPD.
“You posin’ like you opposin’ them for your soundbites, for your social media, for your reelection campaigns,” said La Bombera, who appeared to be standing on a roof. “Get the f— outta here, you’ve been supporting the cops in the pandemic.”
She then excoriated white New Yorkers who lined up for hours to testify about the police conduct they observed during the early days of the protests and unrest that erupted following the death of Floyd at the hand of cops in Minnesota.
“I also want to call out all these white New Yorkers who waited for hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time to black and brown indigenous New Yorkers,” she told the lawmakers.
“I thought cops was [sic] here to protect us but I guess they’re not,” she added, mocking them.
But those remarks took new light Thursday Krug publicly admitted that she invented and assumed at least three different black personas.
“I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim,” she wrote in a post published on the website Medium.
A screenshot of a now-deleted 2017 biographical blurb captured by Business Insider includes a picture that shows a clear resemblance between “La Bombera” and Krug, even wears a similar nose ring.
Author Robert Jones Jr. wrote in a now-deleted tweet seen by The Daily Beast that he was “in a state of complete and utter shock and sadness” about Krug and referred to her as Jess La Bombera, describing her as an activist he “deferred to and stepped aside” to support.
Krug did not respond to multiple requests earlier Thursday for comment, did not answer when a reporter knocked the door of her New York City apartment and had disconnected her phone by the time the Post learned of the La Bombera persona.
A publicist for Jones did not return a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--NY State Liquor Authority breaks mask rules while imposing mask fines

When it comes to masks , they ’ re two-faced .
State Liquor Authority board members failed to wear face coverings during a meeting in which they fined at least one business for breaking the same coronavirus safety rule , according to the Albany Times Union .
During the meeting , which was streamed live online Wednesday , SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley and commissioners Lily Fan and Greeley Ford are shown bare-faced as they review bar and restaurant fines , according to the paper .
At one point , a mask-less staff member enters the room and hands papers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a face cover , right behind a bare-faced Bradley .
The close interaction came roughly 10 minutes before the board fined an unnamed establishment $ 1,500 due to “ employees with no masks.
” It also came after the board in recent months shut down and penalized many bars and restaurants for violating similar coronavirus-related safety regulations .
In total , the panel approved tens of thousands of dollars in penalties at the Wednesday meeting .
Safety guidelines released by the state this spring note , “ A distance of at least 6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all times , unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.
” During the meeting , Fan , Bradley and Ford were seated at tables with distance between them although its not clear whether they were six feet apart .
On Thursday , the SLA sent a statement to The Post calling the paper-passing incident an “ isolated lapse.
” “ The format of the meeting was designed to provide for social distancing and we have advised everyone that COVID-related protocols must be followed at all times — but let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated lapse during a distanced board meeting to a crowded bar or restaurant where alcohol is present and patrons are literally shoulder-to-shoulder is a stretch , ” the statement said .

When it comes to masks, they’re two-faced.
State Liquor Authority board members failed to wear face coverings during a meeting in which they fined at least one business for breaking the same coronavirus safety rule, according to the Albany Times Union.
During the meeting, which was streamed live online Wednesday, SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley and commissioners Lily Fan and Greeley Ford are shown bare-faced as they review bar and restaurant fines, according to the paper.
At one point, a mask-less staff member enters the room and hands papers to Ford, who is also not wearing a face cover, right behind a bare-faced Bradley.
The close interaction came roughly 10 minutes before the board fined an unnamed establishment $1,500 due to “employees with no masks.”
It also came after the board in recent months shut down and penalized many bars and restaurants for violating similar coronavirus-related safety regulations. In total, the panel approved tens of thousands of dollars in penalties at the Wednesday meeting.
Safety guidelines released by the state this spring note, “A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.”
During the meeting, Fan, Bradley and Ford were seated at tables with distance between them although its not clear whether they were six feet apart.
On Thursday, the SLA sent a statement to The Post calling the paper-passing incident an “isolated lapse.”
“The format of the meeting was designed to provide for social distancing and we have advised everyone that COVID-related protocols must be followed at all times — but let’s be clear, comparing this isolated lapse during a distanced board meeting to a crowded bar or restaurant where alcohol is present and patrons are literally shoulder-to-shoulder is a stretch,” the statement said.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Insiders scoff at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s reported $150M Netflix check

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) While some reports have said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’ s production deal signed this week with Netflix could be worth as much as $ 150 million , Hollywood insiders scoffed at the purported number and said the ex-royals likely got much less .
“ Grey ’ s Anatomy ” hitmaker Shonda Rhimes has a reported $ 150 million deal with Netflix , while “ Black-ish ” creator Kenya Barris ’ Netflix deal is reported to be worth $ 100 million .
A top Hollywood talent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocked if [ the ex-royals ’ ] deal was worth more than $ 2 million per year.
” Others agreed and pointed out , “ they are going to be producers , not content creators ” like Rhimes .
An Oscar-nominated producer told us , “ Hollywood is all about ‘ comps , ’ ” meaning comparable salaries around the industry .
“ If I was their agent , I would ’ ve asked Netflix to give me the Obama money , ” not the amount of a proven Hollywood player .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michelle Obama made on their Netflix deal , or how many years Harry and Meghan ’ s pact will run .
They will launch a yet-to-be-named production company , and Deadline reported that in development so far are a nature docuseries and animated series celebrating inspiring women .
An insider told Page Six that Quibi and others had been trying to woo the couple before they signed with Netflix .

While some reports have said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s production deal signed this week with Netflix could be worth as much as $150 million, Hollywood insiders scoffed at the purported number and said the ex-royals likely got much less.
“Grey’s Anatomy” hitmaker Shonda Rhimes has a reported $150 million deal with Netflix, while “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris’ Netflix deal is reported to be worth $100 million.
A top Hollywood talent agent said he’d be “shocked if [the ex-royals’] deal was worth more than $2 million per year.” Others agreed and pointed out, “They are going to be producers, not content creators” like Rhimes.
An Oscar-nominated producer told us, “Hollywood is all about ‘comps,’ ” meaning comparable salaries around the industry. “If I was their agent, I would’ve asked Netflix to give me the Obama money,” not the amount of a proven Hollywood player.
It has not been disclosed how much Barack and Michelle Obama made on their Netflix deal, or how many years Harry and Meghan’s pact will run. They will launch a yet-to-be-named production company, and Deadline reported that in development so far are a nature docuseries and animated series celebrating inspiring women.
An insider told Page Six that Quibi and others had been trying to woo the couple before they signed with Netflix.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Westchester church parishioners to quarantine after priest, staffer catch COVID-19

Parishioners of a Westchester County church are being asked to self-quarantine after a priest and staff member tested positive for the coronavirus , county officials announced Thursday .
The two infections were documented at Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Pleasantville , where the infected priest distributed communion during a First Holy Communion ceremony this past weekend , Lohud reported .
Anyone who attended any of the following four services must quarantine for 14 days due to potential exposure to the virus : morning Mass on Aug. 24 , morning Mass on Aug. 25 , First Communion ceremonies on Aug. 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. Mass on Aug. 30 .
Holy Innocents Administrator Fr .
Luke Hoyt penned an open letter on the church ’ s website dated Aug. 30 , writing those working in the church will quarantine until Monday , Sept. 7 .
While the house of worship will remain open , Mass and other sacraments won ’ t be celebrated until Sept. 8 .
It ’ s not immediately clear how many people could have been potentially infected during those services .
“ It is sad to have to take these measures , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk , ” Fr .
Luke went on .
“ Of course , we are all still available via phone and email so feel free to be in touch !
”

Parishioners of a Westchester County church are being asked to self-quarantine after a priest and staff member tested positive for the coronavirus, county officials announced Thursday.
The two infections were documented at Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Pleasantville, where the infected priest distributed communion during a First Holy Communion ceremony this past weekend, Lohud reported.
Anyone who attended any of the following four services must quarantine for 14 days due to potential exposure to the virus: morning Mass on Aug. 24, morning Mass on Aug. 25, First Communion ceremonies on Aug. 29 and all Masses except for the 9 a.m. Mass on Aug. 30.
Holy Innocents Administrator Fr. Luke Hoyt penned an open letter on the church’s website dated Aug. 30, writing those working in the church will quarantine until Monday, Sept. 7. While the house of worship will remain open, Mass and other sacraments won’t be celebrated until Sept. 8.
It’s not immediately clear how many people could have been potentially infected during those services.
“It is sad to have to take these measures, but we would feel bad putting you all at risk,” Fr. Luke went on. “Of course, we are all still available via phone and email so feel free to be in touch!”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Kamala Harris’ rampant prosecutorial abuses

She may tout herself as a “ progressive prosecutor , ” but Kamala ...

“America has a deep and dark history of people using the power of the prosecutor as an instrument of injustice,” Kamala Harris wrote in her 2019 campaign tract. “I know this history well — of innocent men framed, of charges brought against people of color without sufficient evidence, of prosecutors hiding information that would exonerate defendants, of the disproportionate application of the law.”
She should know. As a prosecutor, Harris too often abused her office in just the way she decried as a campaigner.
The former San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general is the last person who should lecture anyone on out-of-control prosecutors. When she talks about framing the innocent and hiding exculpatory evidence, Harris is either projecting or engaging in rank hypocrisy.
Some of Harris’ prosecutorial shenanigans are well-known by now. In 2010, a California Superior Court judge blistered Harris’ DA office for violating defendants’ rights by covering up detrimental information about a drug-lab technician. The judge concluded that prosecutors working under Harris had failed to fulfill their constitutional duty to tell defense attorneys information about prosecution witnesses that might challenge their credibility. The failure of Harris’ prosecutors led to the dismissal of more than 600 drug cases.
Hiding information, indeed.
As California attorney general, Harris appealed a judge’s decision to remove the Orange County district attorney’s office from a death penalty trial after evidence emerged that the sheriff’s department had been operating an unconstitutional jailhouse snitch program. The program tainted more than a dozen criminal cases, several of them murder trials.
Californians witnessed more of Harris’ devil-may-care — or devilish — approach to government corruption and misconduct in the Moonlight Fire case. In 2007, a late summer wildfire had burned 65,000 acres in the California Sierras. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s lead wildfire investigator lied repeatedly about the inferno’s origin and cause. He also destroyed his investigatory notes and, along with the US Forest Service investigators, falsified the joint origin-and-cause report and various witness statements. The goal was to pin the blame — and cost of fighting the fire — on private landowners.
When California Superior Court Judge Leslie C. Nichols reviewed the case, he found the investigatory and discovery abuses so “pervasive” and “egregious” — so “corrupt and tainted” — that he terminated Cal Fire’s action and administered sanctions. He ruled that Cal Fire’s targets could never get a fair trial. The California Court of Appeals upheld Nichols’ overall ruling. In reviewing the abuses in the joint federal-state Moonlight investigation, the appellate court found “substantial evidence” Cal Fire “repeatedly presented false, misleading or evasive discovery responses” and deposition testimony in addition to improperly destroying field notes despite probable civil litigation.
In the course of the Moonlight Fire litigation, the landowners’ attorneys discovered that Cal Fire illegally diverted $3.66 million in state funds to a secret slush fund controlled by a small group of Cal Fire employees. This was a felony under state law, and California legislators asked Harris to investigate this misappropriation of public funds. Harris, however, said she couldn’t investigate because she was representing Cal Fire in the Moonlight Fire lawsuit. She claimed that Cal Fire was, therefore, her “client and she had an ethical conflict of interest.”
It’s worth considering the implications of Harris’ lame claim that it is impossible and unethical for the attorney general to investigate the executive-branch employees of agencies because the attorney general represents the executive-branch agencies in certain lawsuits.
If she takes that position at the federal level, there could never be a Department of Justice investigation of any executive-branch employee. This is preposterous. It seems clear that Harris refused to investigate, because it would have disclosed felony conduct that would be difficult not to prosecute. And any investigation would have also demonstrated that her Moonlight Fire lawsuit was fraudulent.
If the Biden-Harris ticket triumphs in November, she will be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Yet there is a pattern and a practice — “a deep and dark history” — of Kamala Harris “using the power of the prosecutor as an instrument of injustice.”
Ann Corkery is a lawyer in Washington, DC.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Why Democrats should be worried about mail-in voting

Attorney General William Barr condemned lawmakers who are pushing for ...

There is a giant scheme afoot to disenfranchise voters in November — and it’s called mail-in balloting.
Mail-in voting has, like many things in our politics, taken on the aspect of tribal warfare — if President Trump is vociferously against something, Democrats must be vociferously for it, and vice versa.
Absentee voting is unquestionably less secure than in-person voting. But there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Nor is there evidence that, at least prior to this campaign, mail-in voting has favored Democrats, as the president believes.
Trump shouldn’t be trying to delegitimize the process, a point that journalists have often made. Yet there hasn’t been enough focus on the other side of the equation: Does it make sense for Democrats to be fervent boosters of a process that may lead to a historic number of votes cast in a presidential election not counting?
Stacey Abrams, call your office.
No matter what anyone says, there is inevitably going to be more mail-in voting in the fall, but in-person voting is superior.
Consider: Only about one-hundredth of 1 percent of in-person votes are rejected, whereas rejection rates of 1 percent are common with mail-in votes, and some states exceeded that during their primaries this year.
This should be a five-alarm worry for Democrats.
According to polling, almost twice as many Biden supporters as Trump supporters say they will vote by mail this year. According to NPR, studies show “that voters of color and young voters are more likely than others to have their ballots not count.”
In another universe, if Trump were urging Democrats to stay away from the polls and instead use a method more likely to get their votes discarded, it would be attacked as a dastardly voter-suppression scheme.
There are at least three ways that mail-in voting could contribute to a 2020 nightmare. Trump could be winning on election night, and the outcome slowly reverse over time. Delayed by the volume of mail-in ballots, states could blow past the deadline for finalizing their results. And if the margins in battleground states are very close, rejected mail-in ballots could lead to protracted, high-stakes court fights.
More than half a million ballots were rejected in this year’s presidential primaries. Ballots are discarded for improper postmarks and signatures, and mail-in voters are also more prone to accidentally vote for more than one candidate or make other errors.
In its primaries, New York state delivered up the perfect storm of ramped-up mail-in voting and inadequate preparation. In the 12th Congressional District, it took weeks to declare a winner — and the number of rejected mail ballots was roughly three times Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s 3,700-vote margin of victory over challenger Suraj Patel.
If this had happened in, say, Georgia in a race a Republican candidate narrowly won over a Democrat, it would be it considered a notorious offense against democracy.
What happened in New York easily could preview the general election. NPR notes that more than 23,000 absentee ballots were rejected in Wisconsin’s primary this year, exceeding Trump’s margin in the state in 2016. Nearly 40,000 were rejected in Pennsylvania, where Trump won by 44,000 votes in 2016.
In light of all this, it makes sense, first and foremost, to try to make available more options for in-person voting.
In addition, states should allow the counting of mail-in ballots prior to Election Day to minimize any swing in the count afterwards. Congress should delay the date that states have to finalize their results, currently Dec. 8. And election officials and the parties should do everything they can to educate mail-in voters — to do it correctly.
What should be intolerable is any attempt to change the rules after the fact — although it is entirely conceivable that Democrats will feel compelled after Nov. 3 to argue that the mail-in voting that they have done so much to promote is desperately flawed and deeply unjust.
Twitter: @RichLowry


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Jets’ Mekhi Becton spent $175K on enormous ‘Big Ticket’ chain

The Jets rookie tackle said he spent $ 175,000 on a gold chain with a large ticket stub pendant that reads , “ Big Ticket : Admit One.
” “ Big Ticket ” is Becton ’ s nickname .
TMZ Sports reported the necklace includes 120 carats of white diamonds and more than kilo of gold .
“ I go by ‘ Big Ticket , ’ so I had to have a ‘ Big Ticket ’ piece , ” Becton said Thursday .
“ I would ’ ve had it for the draft , but we didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolonged to now.
” The 6-foot-7 , 370-pound tackle was the Jets ’ first-round pick , taken No .
11 overall in April .
He received a four-year , $ 18.5 million deal with an $ 11 million signing bonus .
Becton said the necklace was his big purchase .
Becton ’ s Jets teammates like his new bling .
“ They like it a lot , ” Becton said .
“ They think it ’ s real cool .
They ’ re always asking about it.
” The Jets concluded training camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now cut the roster to 53 players from 80 by Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday will feature waiver claims from other teams , then the Jets can turn their attention to the Bills and Week 1 on Monday .
Coach Adam Gase praised his players ’ approach during this unusual training camp .
“ I think the players did a great job staying focused , ” Gase said .
“ I know it was an unusual training camp , a lot of walk-throughs , rep wise .
When you look at the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you include the walk-throughs , but obviously less of the actual live competition compared to what it ’ s been in the past.
” Gase said a big factor in how smooth training camp went was the team ’ s decision to buy out a hotel that is adjacent to the team ’ s training center .
That cut down on travel time and created a dorm-like setting .
“ I think Christopher [ Johnson , team CEO ] has been phenomenal , ” Gase said .
“ Anything that I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Them buying out the [ hotel ] was awesome , I asked for that at the last second , where it was like , I don ’ t know why , we started having discussions about that in the spring when this was going on of , ‘ Hey , let ’ s create like a dormitory atmosphere.
’ ” After conducting meetings virtually in camp , the Jets will now shift to more in-person meetings in the regular season with fewer players on the roster .

Mekhi Becton is a big man with a big necklace.
The Jets rookie tackle said he spent $175,000 on a gold chain with a large ticket stub pendant that reads, “Big Ticket: Admit One.”
“Big Ticket” is Becton’s nickname. TMZ Sports reported the necklace includes 120 carats of white diamonds and more than kilo of gold.
“I go by ‘Big Ticket,’ so I had to have a ‘Big Ticket’ piece,” Becton said Thursday. “I would’ve had it for the draft, but we didn’t have a draft. So, it was prolonged to now.”
The 6-foot-7, 370-pound tackle was the Jets’ first-round pick, taken No. 11 overall in April. He received a four-year, $18.5 million deal with an $11 million signing bonus. Becton said the necklace was his big purchase.
Becton’s Jets teammates like his new bling.
“They like it a lot,” Becton said. “They think it’s real cool. They’re always asking about it.”
The Jets concluded training camp on Thursday. The team decision-makers will now cut the roster to 53 players from 80 by Saturday at 4 p.m. Sunday will feature waiver claims from other teams, then the Jets can turn their attention to the Bills and Week 1 on Monday.
Coach Adam Gase praised his players’ approach during this unusual training camp.
“I think the players did a great job staying focused,” Gase said. “I know it was an unusual training camp, a lot of walk-throughs, rep wise. When you look at the total reps, we probably had more when you include the walk-throughs, but obviously less of the actual live competition compared to what it’s been in the past.”
Gase said a big factor in how smooth training camp went was the team’s decision to buy out a hotel that is adjacent to the team’s training center. That cut down on travel time and created a dorm-like setting.
“I think Christopher [Johnson, team CEO] has been phenomenal,” Gase said. “Anything that I’ve requested, we’ve gotten. Them buying out the [hotel] was awesome, I asked for that at the last second, where it was like, I don’t know why, we started having discussions about that in the spring when this was going on of, ‘Hey, let’s create like a dormitory atmosphere.’ ”
After conducting meetings virtually in camp, the Jets will now shift to more in-person meetings in the regular season with fewer players on the roster.