newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres starting to give Yankees a lift

Gary Sanchez homered for a third straight game in Saturday ’ s 11-5 win over the Red Sox as he tries to put a sluggish start to 2020 behind him .
“ It ’ s tough when you go through a slump , ’ ’ Sanchez said through an interpreter .
“ You ’ ve got to go back to the basics and focus on the simple things and the roots of hitting .
Once you get that , things change.
” For Sanchez , that means working on a high-velocity machine in the cage to make his swing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just about where he needs to be .
“ He ’ s been close for about a week now , ” Boone said .
“ I don ’ t think he ’ s all the way where he wants to be yet .
He ’ s recognizing pitches better and getting his good swing off.
” If the catcher and Gleyber Torres can regain their form , the Yankees should be able to survive some of their recent injuries .
“ For me , they ’ re starting to swing at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marcus Thames said before Saturday ’ s game .
“ And with Gleyber and Gary , they ’ re a lot more balanced at the plate and their plans have been good .
They ’ re starting to execute.
” In this abbreviated season , their early woes have been more pronounced .
“ I always talk to them about not trying to get three hits in one at-bat , ’ ’ Thames said .
“ And it ’ s gon na come around for the guys because they have a pretty good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gon na show.
” It has lately , with Sanchez ’ s power resurfacing and Torres has reached base in seven straight games .
Thames credited Torres for an adjustment in his approach and how he was attacking at-bats of late .
“ He got a little pull-happy at the beginning [ of the year ] and now he ’ s getting back to hitting to right-center and center field and not trying to do too much .
When he cuts his swing down and tries to be a hitter instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power is going to come.
” Sanchez and Torres have been working to improve defensively , with Sanchez refining his catching style and Torres becoming the starting shortstop .
Asked whether that work might have led to their struggles at the plate , Thames said sometimes it could , “ but it ’ s my job to let them know how good they are.
” At times this season , that ’ s hardly been evident .
Thames , though , said he is confident their talent will continue to be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average doesn ’ t show it , but if you ’ re chasing pitches or chasing hits you ’ re gon na get out of whack , ’ ’ Thames said .
“ My job and [ assistant hitting coach P.J .
Pilittere ] ’ s job : To let them know they ’ re a really good major league hitter , so let ’ s stick with the process .
… Take singles when they come and do what the game calls for .
”

Gary Sanchez homered for a third straight game in Saturday’s 11-5 win over the Red Sox as he tries to put a sluggish start to 2020 behind him.
“It’s tough when you go through a slump,’’ Sanchez said through an interpreter. “You’ve got to go back to the basics and focus on the simple things and the roots of hitting. Once you get that, things change.”
For Sanchez, that means working on a high-velocity machine in the cage to make his swing more compact. Aaron Boone is optimistic he’s just about where he needs to be.
“He’s been close for about a week now,” Boone said. “I don’t think he’s all the way where he wants to be yet. He’s recognizing pitches better and getting his good swing off.”
If the catcher and Gleyber Torres can regain their form, the Yankees should be able to survive some of their recent injuries.
“For me, they’re starting to swing at better pitches,’’ hitting coach Marcus Thames said before Saturday’s game. “And with Gleyber and Gary, they’re a lot more balanced at the plate and their plans have been good. They’re starting to execute.”
In this abbreviated season, their early woes have been more pronounced.
“I always talk to them about not trying to get three hits in one at-bat,’’ Thames said. “And it’s gonna come around for the guys because they have a pretty good track record and I think it’s gonna show.”
It has lately, with Sanchez’s power resurfacing and Torres has reached base in seven straight games.
Thames credited Torres for an adjustment in his approach and how he was attacking at-bats of late.
“He got a little pull-happy at the beginning [of the year] and now he’s getting back to hitting to right-center and center field and not trying to do too much. When he cuts his swing down and tries to be a hitter instead of trying to be a power guy, the power is going to come.”
Sanchez and Torres have been working to improve defensively, with Sanchez refining his catching style and Torres becoming the starting shortstop.
Asked whether that work might have led to their struggles at the plate, Thames said sometimes it could, “but it’s my job to let them know how good they are.”
At times this season, that’s hardly been evident.
Thames, though, said he is confident their talent will continue to be on display.
“I know the batting average doesn’t show it, but if you’re chasing pitches or chasing hits you’re gonna get out of whack,’’ Thames said. “My job and [assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere]’s job: To let them know they’re a really good major league hitter, so let’s stick with the process. … Take singles when they come and do what the game calls for.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Protesters arrested in Chicago, Seattle as civil unrest over police brutality continues

The Mets had their chances early against Aaron Nola on ...

More than two dozen protesters were arrested over clashes with cops in Chicago and Seattle Saturday as civil unrest over police brutality continued across the country.
Heated protests were reported in Chicago, where 24 demonstrators were arrested, according to WGN9.
Youth activist groups organized in downtown Chicago, where they were peppered sprayed as they demanded the defunding of the city’s police department and the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One of the groups, Good Kids, Mad City, posted to Twitter that two of their organizers were “beaten and arrested.” A video from the group appears to show officers kettling protesters on the street.
“Cops are separating & surrounding protesters! They won’t let people leave!” the group wrote on Twitter.
Four of the 24 arrests in the city were for felony battery of cops, David Brown, the superintendent of the CPD, said during a news briefing Saturday night.
Two protesters and 17 officers were treated for injuries, according to the department.
“An officer was beaten in the head several times with a skateboard,” Brown said.
The violence started later Saturday afternoon when “multiple agitators hijacked” what were until then peaceful protests, Brown said as he defended the response from cops.
“To protect the peaceful protesters, as well as their fellow officers, our officers responded proportionately to get the situation under control,” he said.
In Seattle, three people were arrested Friday night after a group of 100 or so protesters broke windows and graffitied storefronts in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which has been the epicenter of the city’s demonstrations, the Seattle Times reported.
Windows were broken at T-Mobile and UPS stores along the city’s Broadway. Graffiti on the UPS reportedly read “Support the USPS,” a reference to the beleaguered postal service.
Democrats have accused President Trump of working to handicap the agency to prevent mail-in ballots during the November election.
“This is not the way to support the USPS,” one UPS employee told the Times. “We take USPS packages. We ship for the USPS.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Mets had no answers for Phillies’ Aaron Nola

The Mets had their chances early against Aaron Nola on Saturday night .
They missed them , and then they disappeared .
Nola escaped two jams through the first three innings then shut down the Mets the rest of the night to cruise to a 6-2 Phillies win at Citizens Bank Park .
“ It almost looked like everything we took was called and everything we swung at was out of the zone , ” manager Luis Rojas said .
“ That ’ s the kind of pitcher he is.
” The Mets mustered just three hits off of Nola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time through the order .
They went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position as their struggles in that department continued — sinking to 2-for-19 in the series and 43-for-207 ( .208 ) on the season — and letting Nola off the hook before he took over .
The offense ’ s only bright spot was Dominic Smith , who homered for the fourth straight game with a two-run shot in the ninth inning .
But he was still left frustrated by his role in letting one of the rallies slip away , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave runners on the corners in the third inning of a scoreless game .
“ It ’ s just some at-bats when I have runners in scoring position where , especially being in the middle of the lineup , I need to be able to get that job done , ” Smith said .
“ We had a big situation , had Nola on the ropes and same thing today — just chased a couple pitches .
I have to stay locked in , stay in my zone and don ’ t chase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitchers on the ropes like that , I got ta be more selective.
” Smith wasn ’ t alone , though .
He had ripped a two-out double off Nola in the first inning to put runners on second and third for Pete Alonso , who chased a curveball out of the zone to end the inning .
It marked the first of 13 straight batters retired by Nola — who lowered his ERA to 2.05 — to end his night with seven shutout innings and eight strikeouts .
“ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give in , ” Smith said .
“ He makes quality pitches , whether he ’ s behind in the count or ahead in the count .
He didn ’ t go over the heart of the plate too much and he got a lot of swings out of the zone .
That ’ s just because he can make his stuff look like strikes .
”

The Mets had their chances early against Aaron Nola on Saturday night.
They missed them, and then they disappeared.
Nola escaped two jams through the first three innings then shut down the Mets the rest of the night to cruise to a 6-2 Phillies win at Citizens Bank Park.
“It almost looked like everything we took was called and everything we swung at was out of the zone,” manager Luis Rojas said. “That’s the kind of pitcher he is.”
The Mets mustered just three hits off of Nola, each of them coming the first time through the order. They went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position as their struggles in that department continued — sinking to 2-for-19 in the series and 43-for-207 (.208) on the season — and letting Nola off the hook before he took over.
The offense’s only bright spot was Dominic Smith, who homered for the fourth straight game with a two-run shot in the ninth inning. But he was still left frustrated by his role in letting one of the rallies slip away, after chasing a curveball to strike out and leave runners on the corners in the third inning of a scoreless game.
“It’s just some at-bats when I have runners in scoring position where, especially being in the middle of the lineup, I need to be able to get that job done,” Smith said. “We had a big situation, had Nola on the ropes and same thing today — just chased a couple pitches. I have to stay locked in, stay in my zone and don’t chase those pitches.
“When I have pitchers on the ropes like that, I gotta be more selective.”
Smith wasn’t alone, though. He had ripped a two-out double off Nola in the first inning to put runners on second and third for Pete Alonso, who chased a curveball out of the zone to end the inning.
It marked the first of 13 straight batters retired by Nola — who lowered his ERA to 2.05 — to end his night with seven shutout innings and eight strikeouts.
“He’s really tough because he doesn’t give in,” Smith said. “He makes quality pitches, whether he’s behind in the count or ahead in the count. He didn’t go over the heart of the plate too much and he got a lot of swings out of the zone. That’s just because he can make his stuff look like strikes.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Mets prospects Francisco Alvarez, Matt Allan placed in the 60-player pool

PHILADELPHIA — The Mets injected talented youth into their 60-player pool Saturday .
Two of the organization ’ s top prospects , catcher Francisco Alvarez and pitcher Matt Allan , were assigned to the Mets ’ alternate training site in Brooklyn , mostly to receive work in the absence of a minor league season .
But manager Luis Rojas suggested that both could be in play if the Mets need help at the major league level this season .
“ It ’ s great depth for us , ” Rojas said before the Mets lost to the Phillies , 6-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Knowing the depth that we created and the guys that we put on the site that have the MLB experience , the balance is great with those two additions now to that .
If we feel they can come and help the team win at some point , definitely they can come and do that.
” Alvarez , 18 , posted a .916 OPS last season at the Rookie level .
Allan , 19 , is regarded as the organization ’ s top pitching prospect .
He was selected in the third round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in six appearances between the Gulf Coast Mets and Brooklyn .
Rojas didn ’ t have a further update on Jacob deGrom , who was scratched from Friday ’ s start with neck stiffness .
DeGrom planned to play catch Saturday , but the manager hadn ’ t spoken with the Mets ace before holding his pregame press conference .
Walker Lockett pitched six innings in deGrom ’ s place and allowed five runs .
Michael Wacha played catch for the second time since his placement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the session “ went well , ” according to Rojas .
The veteran right-hander is sidelined with shoulder inflammation .
Robert Gsellman has taken his spot in the rotation .
David Peterson came through a throwing session feeling better than he did the previous day , according to Rojas .
The rookie left-hander , who incurred shoulder fatigue during his last start , is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Miami .
Jeff McNeil , who left Thursday ’ s game after suffering a knee contusion during a collision with the left-field fence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineup , according to Rojas .
Dominic Smith started in left field Saturday , with Robinson Cano as the DH .

PHILADELPHIA — The Mets injected talented youth into their 60-player pool Saturday.
Two of the organization’s top prospects, catcher Francisco Alvarez and pitcher Matt Allan, were assigned to the Mets’ alternate training site in Brooklyn, mostly to receive work in the absence of a minor league season.
But manager Luis Rojas suggested that both could be in play if the Mets need help at the major league level this season.
“It’s great depth for us,” Rojas said before the Mets lost to the Phillies, 6-2, at Citizens Bank Park. “Knowing the depth that we created and the guys that we put on the site that have the MLB experience, the balance is great with those two additions now to that. If we feel they can come and help the team win at some point, definitely they can come and do that.”
Alvarez, 18, posted a .916 OPS last season at the Rookie level. Allan, 19, is regarded as the organization’s top pitching prospect. He was selected in the third round of last year’s draft and went 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in six appearances between the Gulf Coast Mets and Brooklyn.
Rojas didn’t have a further update on Jacob deGrom, who was scratched from Friday’s start with neck stiffness. DeGrom planned to play catch Saturday, but the manager hadn’t spoken with the Mets ace before holding his pregame press conference. Walker Lockett pitched six innings in deGrom’s place and allowed five runs.
Michael Wacha played catch for the second time since his placement on the injured list last weekend, and the session “went well,” according to Rojas. The veteran right-hander is sidelined with shoulder inflammation. Robert Gsellman has taken his spot in the rotation.
David Peterson came through a throwing session feeling better than he did the previous day, according to Rojas. The rookie left-hander, who incurred shoulder fatigue during his last start, is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Miami.
Jeff McNeil, who left Thursday’s game after suffering a knee contusion during a collision with the left-field fence, was moving closer to returning to the lineup, according to Rojas. Dominic Smith started in left field Saturday, with Robinson Cano as the DH.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Jets may have advantage over some teams in one area

The Jets were missing one of their top draft picks ...

Sure, most of the pundits predict the Jets to reside somewhere in the lower half of the NFL this season and not even compete for a title inside their own division.
Nevertheless, in the COVID-19 world that has altered the way NFL teams (and the rest of us) go about their lives, the Jets may have an advantage over some other teams that may have more talented rosters.
Because of continuity.
Continuity can be king in the coronavirus age that has erased offseason minicamps, significantly limited training camp practice time and completely eliminated preseason games.
Teams with new head coaches, new coordinators or new quarterbacks may be at a distinct disadvantage with so little time to work with each other and the regular season looming a mere month away.
The Jets not only return head coach Adam Gase for his second season, but he retained all of his coordinators and has quarterback Sam Darnold for a second year in the system.
This can, and should, provide at least some competitive edge for the Jets compared to other teams who enter this season with a much more turnover, beginning inside their own division — with the Patriots facing life without Tom Brady for the first time in 20 years and the Dolphins possibly working rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into the lineup.
Can continuity give the Jets an edge over some of their AFC East competition?
“That’s a very good message, and I have spelled that out: If we’re any good, we’re supposed to be able to take advantage of that,’’ defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. “That’s our responsibility. Also, the angst that other people may feel on some of those newly formed staffs, that comes from maybe never doing it before in that position.
“If we’re any good at what we’re doing, if we’re supposed to belong at this level, we should be able to adapt and improvise.’’
Gase on Friday referenced that he’s already noticed how much more Darnold is in tune to the system, based on when Gase starts to call out a play in practice, his quarterback already is walking back to the huddle because he knows the play and doesn’t need to hear the entire dialogue from the coach.
“Coordinators have a good feel for me, the communication is there, we’ve gone through a year, we’ve made changes from maybe the way I did something in Miami compared to last year to this year, which we’ve talked through,’’ Gase said. “So, it’s just another year we’re all on the same page, and I think there is some value that the majority of our staff has come back.
“We had a couple of [players] get opportunities other places and we’ve added a couple guys that have already been in Gregg’s system before, so that helps us a lot because there is continuity there in the coaching staff.’’
On the other side of the ball, it’s an offense that is Robby Anderson-thin at receiver, with Anderson having departed via free agency, and one of his newly acquired replacements, Josh Doctson, having opted out. Add to that rookie second-round draft pick Denzel Mims already on the shelf with a hamstring injury before practices even started and there’s concern at the receiver position.
So, all is far from perfect for the Jets. When is all ever perfect for them? But common sense would tell you that continuity should give them at least some advantage over the teams that don’t have it.
“Continuity and system tell me the Jets should be better,’’ former Jets offensive lineman and current ESPN studio analyst Damien Woody told The Post this past week. “The one thing about the Jets this year that they have going for them is they retained all their coordinators and there’s no new system that people have to learn.
“In an offseason unlike anything we’ve seen, the Jets are actually in a pretty good position because they haven’t changed any system — offense, defense or special teams. It seems like they’ve been changing coordinators and coaches every year. So, that’s a positive for the Jets. That’s what gives me some optimism.’’
How long the optimism lasts, of course, is another story for another day.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Islanders seeking better start vs. Capitals in Game 3

Bruins star goaltender Tuukka Rask suddenly opted out of the ...

The Islanders haven’t been thrilled with the way they’ve opened the first two games of their first-round series with the Capitals. They know it’s been how they’ve finished that has earned them a 2-0 series lead.
The Islanders have gone scoreless through the first periods of both Game 1 and 2, but have scored five of their nine total goals against the Capitals in the third period. In Game 1, it was an issue of rotating in and out of the penalty box, while in Game 2, the emergence of Alex Ovechkin led to the Islanders chasing the pace of play.
But it seems that when the final 20 minutes of the game starts to count down, the Islanders just know how to play to their strengths.
“I haven’t liked our starts in this series,” coach Barry Trotz said on a Zoom call Saturday afternoon. “We’ve sort of been trailing and chasing the game a little bit, but our finishes have been really strong. You see when we understand how we have to play, especially with leads or in the third period, it is guys on the puck, forcing turnovers, forcing them to turn back, zone time, especially late in games.”
For the past two games, the Islanders have been tasked with protecting a 3-2 lead in the third period for a hefty amount of time. In Friday’s 5-2 win, they took the 3-2 lead into the final period, and it wasn’t until there were just over three minutes left in regulation that Cal Clutterbuck made it a two-goal game.
The Islanders commanded the 3-2 lead in Game 1 after two quick goals to open the third before Anthony Beauvillier added an insurance tally later.
“We try to play a complete game, that’s our way. We don’t want to cut any corners and our guys haven’t,” Trotz said of the team’s third-period performances. “Our starts haven’t been really great, that’s an area we can clean up. We just stay to our game, I like the fact that we just play Islander hockey. We understand who we are and how we have to play and what’s going to be successful for us.
“To me, that starts within your room, where they hold each other accountable and we’ve got some great people in there. I feel really good that no matter how it goes, you’re going to see the same style of play from the Islanders.”
Knowing they’ve gotten away with some lackadaisical starts, the Islanders understand what the Capitals are capable of. The last time Washington was down 2-0 in a first-round series was in 2018 against the Blue Jackets, when they won the next four straight to advance and ultimately win the Stanley Cup.
“I think we’re really realizing what we need to do to be successful,” defenseman Nick Leddy said. “I think we haven’t had the best of starts and we’ve talked about that in the locker room. I think each team is going to have their moment of pressure, it’s just being able to weather that and start taking the game over.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Fantasy football: Keep an eye on Daniel Jones and Baker Mayfield

There are some common clichés that ring true universally .
… ...

One of the most common mistakes we see in fantasy football is a reliance on year-to-year statistics. They work for analysis if the player is on the same team with the same coach and playing in the same system. But in this era of free agency for both players and coaches, they are often unreliable.
Based on current average draft positions (ADP), too many people are looking at Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones through a 2019 lens and not seeing what either has in store for themselves this season.
New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is bringing with him an offensive scheme that is sure to help Mayfield blossom into the quarterback many had been expecting these past couple of seasons. What worked well in Minnesota last year will certainly translate in Cleveland, as an improved offensive line and supportive ground game are just what Mayfield needs to alleviate the pressure.
Better pass protection should limit his time under duress, and the guidance of new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will help him learn to be more patient with his throws. No more happy feet, no more throwing the ball into triple-coverage and improved accuracy can be expected.
Jones is also going through his own transformation, which should help with his excessive turnovers in 2019. Despite the recent comments of Dak Prescott, Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett deserves a lot of credit for the Cowboys’ top-five offensive production over the past few seasons and Prescott’s ascension in the quarterback rankings.
The Giants’ offensive line has improved, Jones’ weapons are healthy, and Garrett is expected to maintain the foundation of the scheme Jones learned last season. We should see a more confident and comfortable field general this season.
Neither quarterback is a primary target for most fantasy owners, so use that to your advantage. Be patient, build your roster and let their coaches show you how waiting on a QB is the way to go.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at Fantasy-Alarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Caris LeVert: Kyrie Irving called to offer Nets support

After starting the Orlando journey on July 31 as a ...

Kyrie Irving, who earlier this summer attempted to have NBA players pass on the Orlando restart on a conference call, is even enjoying this Nets run.
With the playoffs opening with the Nets facing Toronto on Monday in Orlando, Fla., Brooklyn’s breakthrough bubble star Caris LeVert said he got a peppier phone call from Irving on Friday.
LeVert was named Saturday to the All-Seeding Games Second Team in leading the Nets to a 5-3 bubble record and at least making them a slight threat to dethrone the Raptors.
Irving and Kevin Durant weren’t part of the downsized travel party.
“I talked to Ky [on Friday] morning, talked about the games and playoffs coming up and giving me encouragement,’’ LeVert said on a Zoom call Saturday. “He’s watching all the games. He’s been in this position before, fighting for something.’’
Raptors coach Nick Nurse spent 13 minutes speaking to the media Saturday via Zoom. He wasn’t asked about the Nets nor did Nurse bring up the name of their first-round opponent.
It’s indicative of the Nets’ status, as they are 10-point underdogs in Game 1 to the defending champs.
“We like our chances against anybody, really,’’ said LeVert, who is averaging 25 points, 6.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the six games he’s played.
Nets interim coach Jacque Vaughn hopes Irving’s call will continue to spark LeVert.
“It’s huge Caris got a call from Ky — that’s a great thing this isn’t an individual sport,’’ Vaughn said. “Just because we don’t have the group with us, doesn’t mean they can’t be part of it. Caris appreciated that.’’
Nurse, a Coach of the Year candidate, said he’s looking at “a long, long process” like last season.
“It’s a long journey that’s just getting started,’’ Nurse said.
The seventh-seeded Nets would like to make the Raptors’ journey a short one this season but because of a depleted roster, no one is giving them a chance. The Nets lost the season series 3-1 and talked heavily about transition defense Saturday being the key to upsetting Toronto.
The Nets also gain the benefit of no home-court advantage for Toronto in a fan-less gym.
“They still have fan noises a little like you hear on TV,’’ center Jarrett Allen said. “It’s comforting. You can hear a lot more what people are saying. It ups the intensity.’’
Next season, scouts believe LeVert may go from No. 1 option in Disney to Sixth Man. And while he adores Vaughn, LeVert may be playing for a new leader next season — with more Gregg Popovich rumors bubbling forth Saturday.
Ironically, Vaughn received third place in the restart’s coach’s vote perhaps a week before GM Sean Marks embarks on a coaching search.
“That credit goes to the players and performance staff,’’ Vaughn said.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet paid the scrappy Nets their due. After all, VanVleet is the poster boy of scrap.
“They’re a good team they played us tough all year,’’ VanVleet said. “We got our hands full for sure. I saw a team that had a good competitive spirit and a lot of confidence. They have guys who have been around long enough to bring those guys along.
“They’ve been though quite a bit,’’ VanVleet added. “It’s not like we’re going in disrespecting or overlooking them.”
The play of the Nets’ Bubble Big 3 of LeVert, Joe Harris and Allen has been stellar. Plus, the role-playing sparkplugs including new signee Tyler Johnson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jeremiah Martin and veteran Garrett Temple have been inspiring. They are one of the fastest bubble teams to make up for a lack of size that Toronto can exploit with studs Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol.
“The way we’ve been playing, it’s great,’’ Temple said. “The way we’ve been sharing the ball, I think we must be averaging 29 assists while we’re here in the bubble and shooting the 3-ball pretty well. That’s what we’re going to have to do against Toronto. They scramble a great deal. They give up a good amount of threes though, so if we can make the right passes, knock down some shots, I think that bodes well for us.”
But the Nets will need LeVert’s star to shine.
“I’ve even encouraged him to speak even more and he’s done a great job of taking over the team, whether it be calling plays, talking about bringing us together in the huddle, to encourage guys,’’ Temple said.
The Raptors aren’t as loaded at the top with Kawhi Leonard defecting to the Clippers and they won’t get the spark from their crowd, which was a monumental boon last year’s playoff run. Over the past five seasons, the Raptors have a 36-3 record at home against the Atlantic Division.
“I just had a big thought not doing it in front of fans,’’ Nurse said. “That first game, man, when the Raptors are going to the playoffs and you walk into the arena at the fans get up, it’s really something for us to be part of. We’ll miss that for sure.”
MSG Network’s Knicks sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow will cover Nets-Raptors and other series for TNT.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Power back in California after brief rolling blackouts

California ’ s utilities on Saturday night are bringing back power to thousands of customers across the state after a brief outage , according to the authority that operates the power grid .
The California Independent System Operator ( California ISO ) said in a statement that the brief rolling blackouts throughout the state were caused by the failure of a power plant and the loss of wind power .
California ISO said it ordered the end of rolling blackouts about 6:48 p.m. , when wind power increased .
The restoration of service by the utilities come as a heatwave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strain the electrical system .
California ISO ordered the first rolling outages in nearly 20 years on Friday when it directed utilities around the state to shed their power loads .
The state ’ s three biggest utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric , Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric — turned off power to more than 410,000 homes and businesses for about an hour at a time until the emergency declaration ended 3 1/2 hours later .
The move came as temperatures around the state hit triple digits in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soared .
The power grid is mostly stressed during the late afternoon and early evening because of higher demand and solar energy production falling .
The state tried to prepare for the expected rise in electricity use by urging conservation and trying to buy more power .
But a high-pressure system building over Western states meant there was less available .
A power outage caused a pump to fail at a wastewater treatment plant in Oakland , resulting in a sewer backup and the release of some 50,000 gallons of raw sewage into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utility District said .
The district said the outage began around 5 p.m. Friday , more than an hour before the rolling outages occurred , and sewage began to spill early Saturday .
The agency said the sudden outage affected its ability to connect to backup power at the plant and during that time , workers were dealing with flooding while trying to restore power .
The agency warned boaters to stay away from the Oakland Estuary as it investigates the accident .
The state remained gripped by the heatwave Saturday , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the National Weather Service .
The last time the state ordered rolling outages was during an energy crisis in 2001 .
Blackouts occurred several times from January to May , including one that affected more than 1.5 million customers .
The cause was a combination of energy shortages and market manipulation by energy wholesalers , infamously including Enron Corp. , that drove up prices by withholding supplies .
Counties up and down the state reported scattered outages , although the city of Los Angeles , which has its own power generating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The heatwave brought brutally high temperatures , increased wildfire danger and fears of coronavirus spread as people flock to beaches and parks for relief .
A thunderstorm rolling from the Central Coast to inland Southern California also brought dry lightning that sparked several small blazes , wind and flash flooding in the high desert .
Records were set in Lake Elsinore , where the mercury hit 114 ; Riverside at 109 and Gilroy at 108 , according to the National Weather Service .
The high in Borrego Springs , in the desert northeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coastal cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles sweltered in 86 and 98 degrees , respectively .
Several cities opened cooling centers , but with limited capacity because of social distancing requirements .
San Francisco ’ s Department of Emergency Management issued simultaneous tweets urging residents to prepare for power outages and to protect themselves from the coronavirus during the heatwave .
“ Stay home when possible .
If it feels too hot indoors , seek cooler temps outside , keep physical distance , wear a face covering , ” the department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern for firefighters battling blazes that have destroyed several homes and erupted near rural and urban foothill neighborhoods , driving through the tinder-dry brush .
In addition to the possibility of heatstroke and other hot-weather illnesses , health officers were concerned that people will pack beaches , lakes and other recreation areas without following mask and social distancing orders — a major concern in the state that has seen more than 613,000 coronavirus cases .
Israel saw a COVID-19 resurgence after a May heatwave inspired school officials to let children remove their masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of California , San Francisco , told the San Francisco Chronicle .
“ People will want to take off their masks when it ’ s hot , ” Rutherford said .
“ Don ’ t do it .
”

California’s utilities on Saturday night are bringing back power to thousands of customers across the state after a brief outage, according to the authority that operates the power grid.
The California Independent System Operator (California ISO) said in a statement that the brief rolling blackouts throughout the state were caused by the failure of a power plant and the loss of wind power.
California ISO said it ordered the end of rolling blackouts about 6:48 p.m., when wind power increased.
The restoration of service by the utilities come as a heatwave baking California in triple-digit temperatures continued to strain the electrical system.
California ISO ordered the first rolling outages in nearly 20 years on Friday when it directed utilities around the state to shed their power loads. The state’s three biggest utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric — turned off power to more than 410,000 homes and businesses for about an hour at a time until the emergency declaration ended 3 1/2 hours later.
The move came as temperatures around the state hit triple digits in many areas, and air conditioning use soared.
The power grid is mostly stressed during the late afternoon and early evening because of higher demand and solar energy production falling. The state tried to prepare for the expected rise in electricity use by urging conservation and trying to buy more power. But a high-pressure system building over Western states meant there was less available.
A power outage caused a pump to fail at a wastewater treatment plant in Oakland, resulting in a sewer backup and the release of some 50,000 gallons of raw sewage into a waterway, the East Bay Municipal Utility District said.
The district said the outage began around 5 p.m. Friday, more than an hour before the rolling outages occurred, and sewage began to spill early Saturday. The agency said the sudden outage affected its ability to connect to backup power at the plant and during that time, workers were dealing with flooding while trying to restore power.
The agency warned boaters to stay away from the Oakland Estuary as it investigates the accident.
The state remained gripped by the heatwave Saturday, with several records either tied or broken, according to the National Weather Service.
The last time the state ordered rolling outages was during an energy crisis in 2001. Blackouts occurred several times from January to May, including one that affected more than 1.5 million customers. The cause was a combination of energy shortages and market manipulation by energy wholesalers, infamously including Enron Corp., that drove up prices by withholding supplies.
Counties up and down the state reported scattered outages, although the city of Los Angeles, which has its own power generating system, wasn’t affected.
The heatwave brought brutally high temperatures, increased wildfire danger and fears of coronavirus spread as people flock to beaches and parks for relief. A thunderstorm rolling from the Central Coast to inland Southern California also brought dry lightning that sparked several small blazes, wind and flash flooding in the high desert.
Records were set in Lake Elsinore, where the mercury hit 114; Riverside at 109 and Gilroy at 108, according to the National Weather Service. The high in Borrego Springs, in the desert northeast of San Diego, was 118. Coastal cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles sweltered in 86 and 98 degrees, respectively.
Several cities opened cooling centers, but with limited capacity because of social distancing requirements.
San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management issued simultaneous tweets urging residents to prepare for power outages and to protect themselves from the coronavirus during the heatwave.
“Stay home when possible. If it feels too hot indoors, seek cooler temps outside, keep physical distance, wear a face covering,” the department tweeted.
The scorching temperatures are a concern for firefighters battling blazes that have destroyed several homes and erupted near rural and urban foothill neighborhoods, driving through the tinder-dry brush.
In addition to the possibility of heatstroke and other hot-weather illnesses, health officers were concerned that people will pack beaches, lakes and other recreation areas without following mask and social distancing orders — a major concern in the state that has seen more than 613,000 coronavirus cases.
Israel saw a COVID-19 resurgence after a May heatwave inspired school officials to let children remove their masks, Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“People will want to take off their masks when it’s hot,” Rutherford said. “Don’t do it.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--UFC 252: Daniel Cormier retires after losing to Stipe Miocic again

LAS VEGAS — Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision in a five-round bout Saturday night to win the rubber match in a fantastic trilogy between the fighters and retain his heavyweight championship .
Miocic ( 20-3 ) swept the scorecards 49-46 , 49-46 and 48-47 to stake his claim as perhaps the greatest heavyweight in UFC history .
Miocic tagged Cormier with a vicious poke to his left eye late in the third round that sent the challenger staggering to his corner .
Cormier ’ s eye was about swollen shut , but he gamely fought on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of UFC 252 at the UFC APEX complex in Las Vegas .
“ I can ’ t see anything out of my left eye , ” Cormier said .
“ It ’ s black.
” Cormier was taken to the hospital after the bout .
The 41-year-old Cormier ( 22-3 , 1 NC ) is a former two-division champion and has already cemented his status as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in UFC history .
The amiable Cormier , who has found his niche as a successful broadcaster , had vowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which 10 of his last 11 fights were fought with a championship on the line .
Cormier said he stood by his decision to retire .
He won the first fight between the two but dropped two straight to Miocic .
“ I ’ m not interested in fighting for anything but titles and I don ’ t imagine there ’ s going to be a title in the future , ” Cormier said .
“ That will be it for me .
I ’ ve had a long run , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought my last fight for a heavyweight championship and it was a pretty good fight.
” UFC President Dana White had said Francis Ngannou was next in line for a heavyweight title shot .
“ Great performance to both guys .
… Congrats to Stipe on the performance .
See you soon , ” Ngannou tweeted .
Jon Jones , the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion , tried to stir the pot on social media by throwing his name into the pot for a fight with Miocic .
“ Heavyweight world championships I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victorious , ” Jones tweeted .
Miocic nearly got the finish at the end of the second round and had Cormier in trouble until time ran out .
Cormier knocked out Miocic at UFC 226 in the first round in their 2018 bout to win the heavyweight belt .
Miocic defeated Cormier last August in the rematch at UFC 241 .
The winner of this bout could make an argument as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history .
Miocic has plenty left in the tank to keep cementing his legacy as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cormier finished with a 1-2 mark against Miocic and a losing mark against Jones .
Cormier lost both fights to Jones , though the second one was overturned when Jones failed a doping test .
The result was changed to a no contest .

LAS VEGAS — Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision in a five-round bout Saturday night to win the rubber match in a fantastic trilogy between the fighters and retain his heavyweight championship.
Miocic (20-3) swept the scorecards 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 to stake his claim as perhaps the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.
Miocic tagged Cormier with a vicious poke to his left eye late in the third round that sent the challenger staggering to his corner. Cormier’s eye was about swollen shut, but he gamely fought on the final two rounds in the main event of UFC 252 at the UFC APEX complex in Las Vegas.
“I can’t see anything out of my left eye,” Cormier said. “It’s black.”
Cormier was taken to the hospital after the bout. The 41-year-old Cormier (22-3, 1 NC) is a former two-division champion and has already cemented his status as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in UFC history. The amiable Cormier, who has found his niche as a successful broadcaster, had vowed to retire after Saturday and end a career in which 10 of his last 11 fights were fought with a championship on the line.
Cormier said he stood by his decision to retire. He won the first fight between the two but dropped two straight to Miocic.
“I’m not interested in fighting for anything but titles and I don’t imagine there’s going to be a title in the future,” Cormier said. “That will be it for me. I’ve had a long run, it’s been great, I just fought my last fight for a heavyweight championship and it was a pretty good fight.”
UFC President Dana White had said Francis Ngannou was next in line for a heavyweight title shot.
“Great performance to both guys. … Congrats to Stipe on the performance. See you soon,” Ngannou tweeted.
Jon Jones, the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, tried to stir the pot on social media by throwing his name into the pot for a fight with Miocic.
“Heavyweight world championships I will be seeing you real soon. Victorious,” Jones tweeted.
Miocic nearly got the finish at the end of the second round and had Cormier in trouble until time ran out.
Cormier knocked out Miocic at UFC 226 in the first round in their 2018 bout to win the heavyweight belt. Miocic defeated Cormier last August in the rematch at UFC 241.
The winner of this bout could make an argument as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history. Miocic has plenty left in the tank to keep cementing his legacy as the best big man UFC has seen.
Cormier finished with a 1-2 mark against Miocic and a losing mark against Jones. Cormier lost both fights to Jones, though the second one was overturned when Jones failed a doping test. The result was changed to a no contest.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Struggling Liberty held to 64 points in ugly loss to Lynx

BRADENTON , Fla. — Napheesa Collier had her second consecutive double-double , Crystal Dangerfield scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting , and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Sabrina Ionescu-less New York Liberty 94-64 on Saturday night .
Collier scored 26 points — one shy of her career high set last year as a rookie — and grabbed 13 rebounds .
The No .
6 pick in the 2019 WNBA draft added five assists , two steals and two blocks .
The Lynx ( 7-3 ) used a 24-6 run over the final six minutes of the second quarter and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 53-33 lead when Collier capped the spurt with 7:31 to go .
Dangerfield scored seven points and Collier six during that stretch .
Jazmine Jones led the Liberty ( 1-9 ) with 13 points .
The Liberty , who have lost four in a row , shot 30 percent from the field and scored a season-low 64 points .
Dangerfield , a second-round pick in April ’ s draft and Collier ’ s former teammate at Connecticut , has scored in double figures in each of the last seven games .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game on 47.1 percent shooting .
Ionescu has been out since July 31 when she suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain in a loss to the Atlanta Dream .

BRADENTON, Fla. — Napheesa Collier had her second consecutive double-double, Crystal Dangerfield scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Sabrina Ionescu-less New York Liberty 94-64 on Saturday night.
Collier scored 26 points — one shy of her career high set last year as a rookie — and grabbed 13 rebounds. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 WNBA draft added five assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Lynx (7-3) used a 24-6 run over the final six minutes of the second quarter and the opening minutes of the third to take a 53-33 lead when Collier capped the spurt with 7:31 to go. Dangerfield scored seven points and Collier six during that stretch.
Jazmine Jones led the Liberty (1-9) with 13 points. The Liberty, who have lost four in a row, shot 30 percent from the field and scored a season-low 64 points.
Dangerfield, a second-round pick in April’s draft and Collier’s former teammate at Connecticut, has scored in double figures in each of the last seven games. The 5-foot-5 guard is averaging 13.6 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting.
Ionescu has been out since July 31 when she suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain in a loss to the Atlanta Dream.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Australian casino fined $64,500 after 12-year-old, teens caught gambling

This was a very small bet .
An Australian casino was fined $ 64,500 after a 12-year-old girl and two other teens were caught gambling in separate incidents last year , CNN reported .
The 12-year-old ’ s mother was filmed on security cameras sneaking her daughter into The Star casino in Sydney through the back door to avoid security , according to footage released Friday by the Liquor & Gaming New South Wales .
Once inside , the parents were filmed sitting with their daughter as she placed nearly two dozen bets on poker machines .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s parents facilitated her entry in such a deceptive manner , let alone allowed their daughter to gamble , ” NSW Independent Liquor & Authority Chair Philip Crawford said in a statement .
David Byrne , Liquor & Gaming NSW Director of Investigations and Intervention , said The Star ’ s staff should have safeguarded its exits and been able to easily spot such a young gambler inside .
“ However , not only did The Star fail to manage the risk , once the child was on the gaming floor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff should have noticed a very young person playing the poker machines — well before they actually did , which was when the family was leaving , ” Byrne said in a statement .
Gamblers must be at least 18 to enter the casino and buy alcohol .
But regulators also rebuked The Star for two other instances of underage high rollers .
In one case , a 17-year-old boy bought booze while playing 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker — and was only kicked out after three hours inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girl slip inside and buy drinks before she was caught while trying to enter a nightclub attached to the casino .
All three instances took place between March and July of last year , with The Star reporting the underage gambling itself to regulators , according to Liquor & Gaming New South Wales .
“ Both children ’ s forays lasted long enough that they had interacted with several staff members by the time they were discovered , ” Byrne said .

This was a very small bet.
An Australian casino was fined $64,500 after a 12-year-old girl and two other teens were caught gambling in separate incidents last year, CNN reported.
The 12-year-old’s mother was filmed on security cameras sneaking her daughter into The Star casino in Sydney through the back door to avoid security, according to footage released Friday by the Liquor & Gaming New South Wales.
Once inside, the parents were filmed sitting with their daughter as she placed nearly two dozen bets on poker machines.
“It’s quite staggering that the young girl’s parents facilitated her entry in such a deceptive manner, let alone allowed their daughter to gamble,” NSW Independent Liquor & Authority Chair Philip Crawford said in a statement.
David Byrne, Liquor & Gaming NSW Director of Investigations and Intervention, said The Star’s staff should have safeguarded its exits and been able to easily spot such a young gambler inside.
“However, not only did The Star fail to manage the risk, once the child was on the gaming floor, there were a number of opportunities where staff should have noticed a very young person playing the poker machines — well before they actually did, which was when the family was leaving,” Byrne said in a statement.
Gamblers must be at least 18 to enter the casino and buy alcohol. But regulators also rebuked The Star for two other instances of underage high rollers.
In one case, a 17-year-old boy bought booze while playing 42 rounds of roulette and 22 hands of poker — and was only kicked out after three hours inside.
The Star also let a 16-year-old girl slip inside and buy drinks before she was caught while trying to enter a nightclub attached to the casino.
All three instances took place between March and July of last year, with The Star reporting the underage gambling itself to regulators, according to Liquor & Gaming New South Wales.
“Both children’s forays lasted long enough that they had interacted with several staff members by the time they were discovered,” Byrne said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--MLB rightfully celebrating Negro League’s founding 100 years ago

A day after Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day ...

This was back in the spring of 1998, and I was in the middle of one of the great afternoons I’ve ever spent. There were two people inside the main hall of the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Mo., that afternoon, two days before it would open to the general public.
I was one, notebook in hand.
And walking alongside me was John Jordan O’Neil Jr. — better known as Buck. And though his words, as always, filled that notebook front to back by the time he was done sharing his memories, it was the smile attached to his face that stayed with me afterward, that remains with me to this day.
This was his first time walking through the completed museum: seeing the finished displays, walking amid the statues of his contemporaries — Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Buck Leonard, Josh Gibson. More than any other man, it had been Buck who’d kept their memories alive when it seemed the Negro Leagues were on the verge of dissolving into the fog of history.
More than anyone else, he was responsible for this building — still magnificent 22 years later, still holding court on the historic Kansas City street corner of 18th and Vine, still a must-visit the next time you find yourself in that splendid city. He’d already lived a full and honorable baseball life before he was “discovered” at age 83 thanks to the Ken Burns documentary “Baseball” in 1994. Four years later, still spry, he said, “Hello, old friend!” as he touched Paige’s bronze figure, and then his smile broadened.
“Young people will come here and they’ll fall in love with baseball the way I did as a kid, the way you did as a kid, the way all of us did,” Buck told me. “Yeah. They’ll look around at Satch and Cool Papa and the others, yes sir. And they’ll see, you understand?”
This weekend, Major League Baseball is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro National League, which happened in 1920 at Kansas City’s Paseo YMCA. Before the pandemic hit there was supposed to be a spectacular centennial celebration across baseball on June 27, and in one of their few (and possibly final) acts of selfless togetherness, both MLB and the MLBPA made a $1 million donation to the museum back in February.
A few weeks ago in an inspired bit of public relations, the museum helped put together a wonderful series of images and videos of celebrities tipping their caps to salute the Negro Leagues, a spectacle that was highlighted by three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama — taking part.
Sunday, players across the game will wear a patch commemorating the Negro Leagues and other touches will add to the tenor of what ought to be a joyful day remembering the battalion of players who were denied access to the major leagues prior to Jackie Robinson and 1947.
“The Negro Leagues was all about joy,” O’Neil told me that afternoon 22 years ago. “Yes, sir. You came to watch the fellas play, and you started to smile when you walked in the park and you didn’t stop smiling until it was time to eat dinner later on. That’s what I want. That’s what all of the fellas would want. Think of the Negro League, and let joy fill your heart.”
The museum is a regular stop for a lot of out-of-town ballplayers when they come to Kansas City. Aaron Hicks first went when he was a Twins rookie and he makes a point of going back every year.
“For me, it’s about learning about history,” Hicks told me a few years ago inside the visiting locker room at Kauffman Stadium. “Being an African-American player, just learning the way they played this game, the excitement they brought to their games, the stuff they had to deal with in order just to play baseball. It’s something I appreciate every time I go there.”
He smiled a smile Buck O’Neil would’ve understood.
“It’s a privilege going there,” he said. “A real privilege.”
That would play like a soft jazz riff on a warm summer night to gentleman named Buck O’Neil, who died in 2006 but whose vision and dream will live eternally. Never more vividly than on Sunday afternoon.
Vac’s Whacks
If you are even a slight believer in the idea of sporting karma, then you have to be rooting for the Islanders to deliver a sweep over the Capitals to Barry Trotz. Maybe even Rangers and Devils fans can feel that way (even if they simply keep it to themselves).
I was at the front of the line of those who thought the Nets’ trip to Orlando would be a profound waste of time. Say what you will about the effort some of their opponents might’ve given, but the Nets showed up to play every game, and that was never more on display when, with zero to play for, they nearly ended the Blazers’ season the other night.
Jacob deGrom getting scratched with a sore neck and Aaron Judge landing on the IL within an hour of each other Friday was peak 2020 even for this wicked obstacle course of a baseball season.
I’ve had worse ideas than re-reading “A Drinking Life” for the 10th time to honor the magnificent life of Pete Hamill.
Whack Back at Vac
Bill Miller: With Judge & Stanton, the Yankees were supposed to have the Bash Brothers. Instead we get the M*A*S*H Brothers.
Vac: I think Aaron Boone plays the part of Col. Henry Blake awfully well, too, don’t you?
Michael Keneski: Zach Plesac has to be the early clubhouse leader for tone deaf/irresponsible MLB player of the year right? With firm competition from teammate Mike Clevinger?
Vac: If ever anyone earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Alternate Site, it would have to be young Mr. Plesac, yes.
@HarryPatz: The strong college attachment (and resulting highs and lows) — to Boston College, in my case — is just another order of magnitude deeper than for the Mets and Jets (which is still pretty deep).
@MikeVacc: As passionate a sports fan as I was growing up, I’ve never invested as much of myself in a team through the years as I have the St. Bonaventure basketball program. I just can’t imagine how college football fans will adapt to a season without college football.
Ken Nussbaum: I’m sure you’ll read a lot of these today, but I’m a 65-year-old New York kid who loved Mickey Mantle the baseball player in the 1960s. We didn’t know as much then about what was going on at night. Nice story about your dad and Yogi.
Vac: Thanks to Ken and the hundreds — literally, hundreds — of folks who wanted to share their Mantle stories with me. I read every word and appreciate every shared memory. What an amazing legacy to leave behind.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Trump ‘very strongly’ looking at pardoning whistleblower Edward Snowden

President Trump polled his aides on Thursday about whether he ...

A presidential pardon is not out of the question for the country’s most famous whistleblower.
President Trump on Saturday said he was going to look “very strongly” at the possibility of a pardon for Edward Snowden. He told The Post exclusively earlier this week that he was open to the idea.
“I’m not that aware of the Snowden situation. I’m going to start looking at it. There are many many people, it seems to be a split decision,” Trump said Saturday during a news briefing at his Bedminster club in New Jersey.
“Many people think that he should be somehow treated differently and other people think he did very bad things,” the president went on.
“I’m going to take a look at that very strongly.”
Snowden is accused of theft of government property and espionage and has been living in Russia after leaking troves of National Security Agency information on the highly secretive agency’s mass surveillance and other intelligence programs.
A pardon would be quite the change of heart for Trump, who tweeted critically of Snowden at least 45 times before he took office, calling him a “traitor” who should be executed.
“Snowden is a traitor and a disgrace,” Trump tweeted back in May 2014. “Make no mistake, he is no hero. In fact he is a coward who should come back & face justice.”
But Trump today said he’s heard others around him express sympathy for his situation.
“There are a lot of people that think that he is not being treated fairly. I mean, I hear that,” Trump told The Post in an Oval Office interview on Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Nancy Pelosi, House Dems mull early return from break to address USPS

Members of the House are reportedly considering rushing back from their August break to address the Trump administration ’ s handling of the U.S .
Postal Service .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues are discussing a possible return to Washington within the next two weeks , sources told Politico .
The Chamber had originally planned to stay in recess until mid-September .
Pelosi hashed out options for an early return with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-Md . )
and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn ( D-SC ) during an “ emergency ” call Saturday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on the ways in which they allege Trump ’ s postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , is undermining the agency ahead of the November election .
Trump has said he ’ s resisting funding the cash-strapped USPS because he wants to prevent a surge in mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic .
A protest was organized in Washington , D.C. , Saturday , targeting DeJoy for making changes to the postal service that have slowed service .
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement Friday condemning what they called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postal service and elections.
” “ The President made plain that he will manipulate the operations of the Post Office to deny eligible voters the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election , ” they said .
“ The President ’ s own words confirm : he needs to cheat to win .
”

Members of the House are reportedly considering rushing back from their August break to address the Trump administration’s handling of the U.S. Postal Service.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues are discussing a possible return to Washington within the next two weeks, sources told Politico.
The Chamber had originally planned to stay in recess until mid-September.
Pelosi hashed out options for an early return with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) during an “emergency” call Saturday, the outlet reported.
The House reportedly would focus on the ways in which they allege Trump’s postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, is undermining the agency ahead of the November election.
Trump has said he’s resisting funding the cash-strapped USPS because he wants to prevent a surge in mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.
A protest was organized in Washington, D.C., Saturday, targeting DeJoy for making changes to the postal service that have slowed service.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement Friday condemning what they called Trump’s “assault on the postal service and elections.”
“The President made plain that he will manipulate the operations of the Post Office to deny eligible voters the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election,” they said. “The President’s own words confirm: he needs to cheat to win.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Proud Boys rally sparks violence in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Far-right protesters clashed with a church-led unity rally in downtown Kalamazoo , Michigan , Saturday , leading to arrests and several injuries as fists flew , according to reports .
The dueling demonstrations formed after news emerged of a planned rally in the city by the Proud Boys , which has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center .
News of the rally prompted the local First Congregational Church to host an anti-racism vigil in a nearby park .
Rev .
Nathan Dannison urged the crowd to “ work together to remain peaceful and manifest positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of each other , to take care of our own selves and our own safety , and to defend one another , ” according to mlive.com .
That ’ s allegedly when a group of Proud Boys , bearing American flags , bright yellow “ Don ’ t Tread on Me ” banners and Trump flags , made their way to the park , and allegedly pepper-sprayed the crowd , including the reverend .
Police eventually cleared out the crowds , who had also bashed each other with sticks and bats .

Far-right protesters clashed with a church-led unity rally in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, Saturday, leading to arrests and several injuries as fists flew, according to reports.
The dueling demonstrations formed after news emerged of a planned rally in the city by the Proud Boys, which has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
News of the rally prompted the local First Congregational Church to host an anti-racism vigil in a nearby park.
Rev. Nathan Dannison urged the crowd to “work together to remain peaceful and manifest positive energy with each other, to take care of each other, to take care of our own selves and our own safety, and to defend one another,” according to mlive.com.
That’s allegedly when a group of Proud Boys, bearing American flags, bright yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” banners and Trump flags, made their way to the park, and allegedly pepper-sprayed the crowd, including the reverend.
Police eventually cleared out the crowds, who had also bashed each other with sticks and bats.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--NYPD axes $4.1M ‘Sentiment Meter’ cop-favorability poll

The NYPD has awarded a $ 4.1 million contract to a ...

The NYPD is scrapping a $4.1 million contract with a Brooklyn-based tech company hired for its “Sentiment Meter” to gauge New Yorkers’ feelings on safety and police, officials told The Post.
The move comes in the wake of the George Floyd murder protests, a surge in violent crime citywide and shifting attitudes about cops — some of them negative.
“It was just not the right tool for us,” an NYPD spokesman said, adding the department will study other ways to survey citizens.
The NYPD has already paid the company, Elucd, $3.4 million for surveys that started under a prior $2.9 million contract awarded in 2017 by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
But the city will save $3.1 million by dropping the current four-year contract as of Sept. 30, officials said.
“The department was looking to develop and analyze accurate and meaningful data at the sector level. We did not find the data Elucd was able to develop beneficial to our need to measure specific grass-roots public sentiment toward the department and its activities,” the NYPD said in a statement to The Post.
Elucd, which solicits business in other cities and touts its relationship with NYPD as a major endorsement, defended its work.
The company said it polled more than 250,000 New Yorkers, including 44,185 in 2020, via surveys that popped up on Facebook and Instagram.
The surveys asked people whether they felt safe from crime and trusted the cops in their neighborhood, rating answers on a scale of 1 to 10. They also asked users for the No. 1 problem in their area.
“Trust is critical to neighborhood policing, to building relationships with youth and with those in underserved communities and to solving and further reducing crime. That is why this tool is so critical,” Elucd CEO Michael Simon said in a statement.
Sources say the NYPD trust ratings slipped sharply in the past few months in multiple precincts, including northern Brooklyn and the South Bronx.
The NYPD has refused to release any precinct-level data. Last week, it provided only charts showing average trust and safety scores for the five boroughs through March.
The department will not divulge results collected since March, when protests, violence, looting and shootings spiked, saying Elucd made mistakes in collecting data.
“We think it’s completely erroneous. We don’t have enough confidence in it,” a spokesman said.
The Sentiment Meter asked the following questions:
1. When it comes to the threat of crime, how safe do you feel in your neighborhood?
2. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree:
a. The police in my neighborhood treat local residents with respect.
b. The police in my neighborhood listen to and take into account the concerns of local residents.
3. What is the No. 1 issue or problem on your block or in your neighborhood that you would like the police to deal with? Please be specific.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Markets should be pricing in would-be Biden win already — they’re not

Between the federal government and the Federal Reserve , about $ 10 ...

The conventional Wall Street C-suite wisdom is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be moving to the White House next year, and that President Trump is trailing so badly in the polls that he simply won’t be able to overcome the pandemic and the recession it has created.
Funny — that’s not what another important part of Wall Street called the stock market is telling us.
It should come as no surprise that Wall Street CEOs are predicting — some clamoring, even — for a Trump defeat. This crowd never warmed up to Trump’s brand of populism and trade nationalism, particularly against China, which it sees as a business partner no matter how many times it gets ripped off.
More recently, amid the social unrest, Wall Streeters have been busy out-woke-ing each other with town halls and anodyne, politically correct commentary while implicitly (sometimes explicitly) slamming Trump’s leadership. As if the country is desperate for a bunch of very rich white dudes to suddenly preach about equality.
Executives see progressive change in Washington coming in November and they want to appease the Jacobins before the proverbial beheadings start.
But for all their years studying stocks, these execs appear to have no clue what stocks tell us about presidential elections. Contrary to their belief (and most polls), the markets are telling us the election is far from over — and that Trump may still win it.
And if he loses, Trump could keep it close enough that the GOP could hold the Senate and blunt the progressive economic agenda Biden-Harris will impose on the country.
Investment research firm Strategas explained the uncanny ability of the benchmark S&P 500 index to predict presidential elections in a recent note to clients that I was able to get my hands on. The S&P is a better predictor “than the polls and the pundits,” according to the note. “If the S&P 500 is higher in the three months before the election [which began Aug. 3], the incumbent party has won, and if stocks are lower in the three-month period, the opposition party has won.”
The note, which cites sequential as opposed to year-over-year gains and losses, added: “This has been true in every presidential election since 1984 and 87 percent of the time since 1928.”
I know it’s early, but since Aug. 3 the S&P is up 2.4 percent and has nearly erased all of its pandemic-induced losses.
OK, I know what you’re saying: The COVID pandemic changes everything and we haven’t experienced anything like this since the Spanish flu of 1918 to 1920.
And while Trump didn’t create the virus, his handling of it, particularly in terms of messaging (remember how it was supposed to disappear in the summer?), was uneven at best. That will cost him plenty of votes. As for the markets, they’re up because of the Fed (zero-percent interest rates), so where else do you put your money?
Maybe they’re also up because Biden, not Bernie Sanders, is the Dem nominee, and he chose a former prosecutor, Kamala Harris, as his running mate over Elizabeth Warren, who has vowed to break up all the banks and the big tech companies.
Still, while Biden isn’t an avowed socialist, his policies are becoming pretty left wing. He’s promised an avalanche of new taxes on individuals and business, lots of regulations and spending plans on a “Green New Deal.” He’s also promised socialists like AOC and Sanders a seat at the policy table.
All of which means if Biden is really set to win (and the Dems set to take the Senate), markets should be pricing this in by now. They’re not.
The stock market in the short term is not the best gauge into the future of the US economy, and the pandemic recession may or may not have bottomed out.
But the stock market does reflect sentiment among smart investors who have skin in the game, and at least for now, those investors are saying there’s a good chance that a doomsday scenario of a Dem sweep in the fall won’t happen.
TikTok: We’re fair and balanced
No one will ever mistake TikTok for a vast, right-wing conspiracy. But it would be wise for the wildly popular short-form video app to let people know — particularly that really important guy in the White House — that it is also friendly to conservative voices.
Sources tell Fox Business’s Lydia Moynihan that the company has recently completed what has been described as an “internal sweep” of its users and found a significant number of conservative voices posting short videos.
Indeed, a simple check of the platform shows plenty of people posting satire that mocks woke culture.
Why does this matter? President Trump has now given the company 90 days to find a US buyer or face a US ban because he believes TikTok’s Beijing-based parent, ByteDance, shares sensitive user data with the Chinese government for surveillance purposes.
Some people inside TikTok also believe Trump is miffed by satirists on the platform who have reached cult-hero status during the pandemic by mocking the president (see comedian Sarah Cooper, whose lip-syncing Trump impersonations on the app have gone viral, landing her spots on late-night TV).
With time running out on completing a deal (talks are ongoing for a Microsoft purchase), TikTok is trying to spread the word it’s not out to get Trump.


newyorkpost--2020-08-15--Trump defends Postmaster General Louis DeJoy amid protests

The criticism was lobbed during a podcast interview with the ...

President Trump on Saturday doubled down in support of US Postal Service honcho Louis DeJoy, calling him a “fantastic man” amid protests outside of the official’s home over mail-in-ballot concerns and service cuts.
“He’s a fantastic man; he wants to make the Post Office great again,” Trump said during an evening news conference at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
The president spoke as protesters rallied outside the postmaster general’s home in Washington, D.C., to demand DeJoy’s resignation over his handling over the postal service ahead of the November election.
Organizers from Shut Down D.C. accuse DeJoy of trying to undermine the agency by cleaning house of top USPS leadership; removing mail boxes and sorting machines and cutting overtime.
Meanwhile, Trump has resisted funding the cash-strapped USPS in an admitted attempt to make mail-in voting.
Trump said Saturday that DeJoy was trying his best to save money at the beleaguered agency.
“The steps he’s taking are trying to stop the tremendous losses that have taken place for many many years,” he said.
When asked about decommissioned sorting machines, Trump said he wasn’t aware of internal policies.
“I don’t know what he’s doing, I can only tell you he is a very smart man,” Trump said.
The president continued his denunciations of universal mail-in voting, complaining, “The problem is, you never know when it’s [the election] is over . . . ballots are lost, ballots are defrauded and it’s a total mess.”
The president also continued to float the erroneous conspiracy theory regarding the eligibility of Joe Biden running mate Sen. Kamala Harris.
Inaccurate speculation has centered on whether Harris (D-Calif.) could ever succeed Biden as president due to her India-born mother and her Jamaica-born father not having been citizens when she was born.
“It’s not something that bothers me,” Trump said when asked about Harris, who has been a US citizen since birth.
“It’s not something that we will be pursuing, but you would have thought she would have been vetted by Sleepy Joe,” Trump said.
Trump was also asked about his tense relationship with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, whom he has reportedly mulled firing due to disagreements over the handling of national police brutality protests.
The president continued to let Esper figuratively twist in the wind on Saturday.
“I consider firing everybody. At some point, that’s what happens,” Trump quipped.
“As I understand, if we win, a president will ask for the resignation of everybody and then bring back the people he wants — that’s happened before,” Trump said.
“And I could see something like that happening. I think that makes sense. I have a very good Cabinet with few exceptions,” he added.
“I wouldn’t say I’m thrilled with everybody, frankly,” he joked to laughter from a clutch of golf-club members.
Trump took one last parting shot at Harris and Biden before ending the press conference.
“Take a look at Kamala,” he urged.
“They want to destroy the Second Amendment,” he claimed.
“And as you know, Joe has no control over anybody. He has no control over himself,” the president charged.
Democrats including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former president Barack Obama have raised alarms over the White House’s handling of the USPS.
“What we’ve seen in a way that is unique to modern political history is a president who is explicitly trying to discourage people from voting, right?” Obama said in a new podcast interview.
Proponents of the USPS argue that public agencies should be focused on providing services to Americans, not on profit.
“We’re in the middle of a historic pandemic and as many as 40 percent of Americans plan on casting their ballot by mail,” Patrick Young, of Shut Down D.C. told WUSA9 News. “If we can’t rely on those ballots getting to where they need to go, we’ve got a serious problem with democracy.”
Trump on Friday said he would be willing to add the billions Democrats demand for the USPS if they are willing to make concessions.
“Sure, if they gave us what we want. And it’s not what I want, it’s what the American people want,” Trump said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Aaron Judge ‘begged’ Yankees to keep him of IL

Aaron Judge said he was ready to play Sunday, although he’s not eligible to come off the injured list until Saturday with a calf strain.
“I feel 100 percent,’’ Judge said before the Yankees faced the Red Sox on Sunday in The Bronx. “I was trying to get them to give me a couple days [off], so I’d be ready [Monday], but it is what it is. I think they’re looking out for me so it doesn’t get any worse.”
Judge said repeatedly he tried to talk his way off the IL, to no avail.
He was removed from Tuesday night’s game against the Braves in the sixth inning and wasn’t in the lineup Wednesday evening because of what the Yankees called lower body tightness. He underwent an MRI exam on Thursday’s off day and was diagnosed with a mild right calf strain.
On Sunday, Judge said the initial tightness began after the team’s doubleheader at Tampa Bay on Aug. 8. He said he also felt it the next day on the unforgiving artificial turf at Tropicana Field.
“That’s usually what I feel going there,’’ Judge said of The Trop. “It usually beats up your legs playing on that turf. I tried to maintain it playing against the Braves [at home] and they kind of pulled me out.”
Judge planned on doing some running Sunday and hoped to start swinging Monday, with the expectation he’d return to the lineup Saturday.
“I told them, ‘I’m good to go guys, but if we must, I’ll take the weekend off from picking up a bat,’ ” Judge said.
And he said he “begged” Aaron Boone and the training staff to stay on the active roster — particularly in a shortened season.
“Any time off is not good,’’ Judge said. “That’s why I begged for just a couple days and not 10 days. I don’t need 10 days to feel good. I already feel 100 percent now. It’s tough being away, especially now, with [Giancarlo Stanton] and DJ [LeMahieu] out. It makes it tough, but it’s all precautionary stuff and I’ll be back there on Saturday.”
Judge said he’s not upset with the team for being cautious.
“I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated with the organization,’’ Judge said. “This kind of shows how much the organization cares for me and looks out for my well-being. They don’t want me to go out there and push it. I can’t be frustrated with this organization. I’m frustrated with myself not being out there.”
Despite Judge’s seemingly quick recovery, Boone said he had no second thoughts about moving him to the IL.
“We had a lot of back and forth about it,’’ Boone said of his discussions with Judge. “It’s hard because I know who he is and the competitor he is and obviously the greatness he brings to the table, but when you’re dealing with a soft tissue [injury], for me, it was an easy decision based on not wanting this to become a big issue.”
And after talking to other players about how to offset the impact of the turf at Tampa Bay, Judge plans on wearing tennis sneakers in the field and switching to cleats for hitting whenever the Yankees go back to Tampa Bay.
“Tennis shoes on the turf are easier on the body and knees,’’ Judge said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-16--Royal rift: Prince William and Prince Harry barely speak, biographer claims

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Prince William and Prince Harry cut off all communication for two months after the latter went rogue and divulged his “ Megxit ” plans on social media , according to a royal biographer .
The brothers still barely speak and their rift will “ take time to heal , ” said Omid Scobie , one of the authors of “ Finding Freedom : Harry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Royal Family , ” The Sun reported .
“ I think the distance between the brothers grew wider and wider , ” Scobie said in an interview on “ True Royalty TV ” that aired Sunday .
“ That ’ s really going to take some time to heal , ” Scobie said , according to The Sun .
Future king William was apparently furious that Harry and wife Meghan Markle in January decided to reveal a road map for how they planned to step back from the royal family and become financially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t discussed internally .
That ’ s really what caused the most amount of hurt to William , because he wears two hats , ” Scobie said .
“ He ’ s not just the brother , he ’ s also future king and he felt that damaged the reputation of the family.
” The royal expert added : “ That it put family business out into the public domain when it should ’ ve been discussed privately and there was a lot of hurt there that continues to this day.
” There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort made to get Harry and Meghan to stay , Scobie said .
He claimed the institution would “ stop at nothing to make Meghan ’ s life difficult , ” citing a fight over the Duchess ’ wedding tiara .
The tiff prompted Harry to call his grandmother , Queen Elizabeth II , to complain about one of her assistants who apparently wasn ’ t being accommodating enough to his future bride .
“ Harry had to intervene , ” Scobie claimed .
“ He called his grandmother and said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hell is going on .
This woman needs to make this work for my future wife.
’ ” He added : “ Harry felt that there were those within the institution that would stop at nothing at the very least to make Meghan ’ s life difficult .
”

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Prince William and Prince Harry cut off all communication for two months after the latter went rogue and divulged his “Megxit” plans on social media, according to a royal biographer.
The brothers still barely speak and their rift will “take time to heal,” said Omid Scobie, one of the authors of “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family,” The Sun reported.
“I think the distance between the brothers grew wider and wider,” Scobie said in an interview on “True Royalty TV” that aired Sunday.
“That’s really going to take some time to heal,” Scobie said, according to The Sun.
Future king William was apparently furious that Harry and wife Meghan Markle in January decided to reveal a road map for how they planned to step back from the royal family and become financially independent.
“The statements weren’t discussed internally. That’s really what caused the most amount of hurt to William, because he wears two hats,” Scobie said.
“He’s not just the brother, he’s also future king and he felt that damaged the reputation of the family.”
The royal expert added: “That it put family business out into the public domain when it should’ve been discussed privately and there was a lot of hurt there that continues to this day.”
There also wasn’t much of an effort made to get Harry and Meghan to stay, Scobie said.
He claimed the institution would “stop at nothing to make Meghan’s life difficult,” citing a fight over the Duchess’ wedding tiara.
The tiff prompted Harry to call his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to complain about one of her assistants who apparently wasn’t being accommodating enough to his future bride.
“Harry had to intervene,” Scobie claimed. “He called his grandmother and said, ‘I don’t know what the hell is going on. This woman needs to make this work for my future wife.’”
He added: “Harry felt that there were those within the institution that would stop at nothing at the very least to make Meghan’s life difficult.”