newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Proposed transfer rule could bring NCAA ‘free-agency frenzy’

On the surface , the proposed new transfer rule makes sense .
It would give student-athletes more power , allowing them one transfer without having to sit out a year , as rules currently stipulate unless a player is granted a waiver or is a graduate .
I ’ m in favor of giving players more control .
Right now , coaches have basically all of it .
They make all the money and can leave a job whenever they please .
They can pull scholarships if a better player comes available .
But this isn ’ t the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would so clearly benefit high-major programs and would put mid- and low-majors at even more of a disadvantage .
Already , the Big Ten and ACC have publicly supported the rule that would go into effect for football , men ’ s and women ’ s basketball , baseball and hockey , hardly a surprise since it would benefit leagues like theirs .
For now , the NCAA says it is merely a “ concept under consideration ” by the Transfer Waiver Working Group that could be adopted by the Division I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a formal recommendation to the council during its April 23-25 meeting , at which point the council can vote on the proposed changes .
I spoke to three coaches , one from each level , and they were all in agreement that the potential rule would have a negative impact on the sport .
Already , it ’ s hard for smaller schools to keep their best players .
Transferring up has become a trend that seems to be increasing every year .
The high-major coach said it would create “ total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ horrendous ” if it goes through .
The low-major coach said it would equate to a “ free-agency frenzy.
” The mid-major coach was more diplomatic , but even he said it will allow power-conference schools the opportunity to rebuild faster .
It is not uncommon , the low-major coach said , for players with eligibility left who are set to graduate from his program or others within his league to be getting calls from higher-level coaches in-season .
This would only heighten such tampering , since all players would be free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You end up selling your soul to the players because you want them to stick around , ” the low-major coach said .
“ If you have a good player as a freshman , you ’ ve got to almost treat him like he ’ s a star , as opposed to continuing to hold him accountable for his play .
Your hands are kind of tied.
” Added the high-major coach : “ If someone from Duke gets hurt in the summer , they can get a guy from Oakland who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , a way to give players more power without handicapping the little guy .
If a coach gets fired or leaves , all his players can transfer without sitting .
If a player is run off — meaning he was recruited over and there isn ’ t a scholarship left for him — he doesn ’ t have to sit .
Create iron-clad guidelines that would benefit the player , without creating a free-for-all .
Already , there is a sense among those in the sport that there are too many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problem , increase it exponentially .
Everyone loves March Madness because of the underdog , the chance for David to slay Goliath .
This rule would force David to fight with one arm behind his back .
When Saturday began , three of the nation ’ s top four-ranked teams — No .
1 Baylor , No .
2 Gonzaga and No .
4 San Diego State — had won a combined 68 straight games .
By the end of the day , all three had lost .
It was just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to produce a wild March .
Baylor falling to No .
3 Kansas wasn ’ t a shock , but the other two were major upsets .
San Diego State lost to a UNLV team that started the day 14-14 and was a 14-point underdog .
Gonzaga didn ’ t just lose to No .
23 BYU — the Zags were overwhelmed , knocked off 91-78 , their 40-game regular-season West Coast Conference winning streak coming to an end .
The impact for SDSU and Gonzaga could be significant .
Baylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seed barring a collapse .
San Diego State and Gonzaga , though , could drop one seed line due to limited résumés coming from mid-major conferences and now will both be battling it out to be the No .
2 in the West Region .
That would be more preferential , ironically , than being the final No .
1 seed and winding up in the East .
It seems like an easier path to reach the Final Four for the two powers , staying close to home and playing in the regional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fly cross-country to New York City .
No .
11 Louisville at No .
8 Florida State , Monday 7 p.m .
The winner remains alive to win the ACC while the loser is likely done .
The teams are tied with Duke in the loss column and this will be the last time any of the big three faces each other .
Louisville responded to a nightmarish week by manhandling Syracuse and North Carolina at home , but this will obviously be different , going to Tallahassee to face the Seminoles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past seven games .
The lone loss ?
A road setback at Duke .
The game of the year , a showdown pitting No .
1 Baylor against No .
3 Kansas , became a showcase for the most dominant big man in the country .
The 7-foot Azubuike owned the Jayhawks ’ victory , scoring 23 points , 19 rebounds and blocking three shots , further illustrating how important he will be in March .
Remember , his season ended in early January last year due to a torn ligament in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes .
Without him , Bill Self ’ s team was ousted on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament .
With him , it might be the favorite to cut down the nets in early April .
There were consecutive losses to Penn , Long Beach State and College of Charleston .
A road setback at Northwestern , the worst team in the Big Ten .
The only tournament Providence seemed it could qualify for was the Big East Tournament .
But Cooley , the Providence coach , refused to let a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the Friars rebounded once the easiest part of their schedule was over and sit all alone in fourth place in the Big East , firmly in the NCAA Tournament hunt , after knocking off No .
19 Marquette on Saturday for their seventh Quadrant 1 win .
Barring a stunning run to the ACC Tournament title , Syracuse will miss the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six years .
The three years the Orange made it , they were an eight seed or lower .
It is the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall of Fame career .
Even in a decidedly down year in the ACC , the Orange couldn ’ t rise above the mediocrity .
Their best win is over on-the-bubble Virginia and there is no guarantee next year will be better .
While Boeheim could return most of this group , the ACC will be better — it can ’ t be worse — and unless fringe top-100 recruit Kadary Richmond makes an immediate impact or a major transfer comes aboard , it ’ s hard to envision a significant step forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , the conference looked like it could get four teams into the tournament .
Now , only Dayton is assured of a bid .
VCU has crumbled , losing four straight games .
Rhode Island just lost to barely over-.500 Davidson .
Richmond fell to St. Bonaventure .
URI still seems to be safely in , thanks to a NET rating of 36 and non-conference wins over Providence and Alabama .
VCU is all but done when it comes to at-large consideration and Richmond , squarely on the bubble , can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

On the surface, the proposed new transfer rule makes sense. It would give student-athletes more power, allowing them one transfer without having to sit out a year, as rules currently stipulate unless a player is granted a waiver or is a graduate.
I’m in favor of giving players more control. Right now, coaches have basically all of it. They make all the money and can leave a job whenever they please. They can pull scholarships if a better player comes available.
But this isn’t the right way to go about it, since it would so clearly benefit high-major programs and would put mid- and low-majors at even more of a disadvantage. Already, the Big Ten and ACC have publicly supported the rule that would go into effect for football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and hockey, hardly a surprise since it would benefit leagues like theirs.
For now, the NCAA says it is merely a “concept under consideration” by the Transfer Waiver Working Group that could be adopted by the Division I Council. The working group has to make a formal recommendation to the council during its April 23-25 meeting, at which point the council can vote on the proposed changes.
I spoke to three coaches, one from each level, and they were all in agreement that the potential rule would have a negative impact on the sport. Already, it’s hard for smaller schools to keep their best players. Transferring up has become a trend that seems to be increasing every year.
The high-major coach said it would create “total chaos” and described the rule as “horrendous” if it goes through. The low-major coach said it would equate to a “free-agency frenzy.” The mid-major coach was more diplomatic, but even he said it will allow power-conference schools the opportunity to rebuild faster.
It is not uncommon, the low-major coach said, for players with eligibility left who are set to graduate from his program or others within his league to be getting calls from higher-level coaches in-season. This would only heighten such tampering, since all players would be free to go as they please.
“You end up selling your soul to the players because you want them to stick around,” the low-major coach said. “If you have a good player as a freshman, you’ve got to almost treat him like he’s a star, as opposed to continuing to hold him accountable for his play. Your hands are kind of tied.”
Added the high-major coach: “If someone from Duke gets hurt in the summer, they can get a guy from Oakland who can fill in.”
There is a solution, though, a way to give players more power without handicapping the little guy. If a coach gets fired or leaves, all his players can transfer without sitting. If a player is run off — meaning he was recruited over and there isn’t a scholarship left for him — he doesn’t have to sit. Create iron-clad guidelines that would benefit the player, without creating a free-for-all.
Already, there is a sense among those in the sport that there are too many transfers. This rule would only exacerbate the problem, increase it exponentially. Everyone loves March Madness because of the underdog, the chance for David to slay Goliath. This rule would force David to fight with one arm behind his back.
Trouble at the top
When Saturday began, three of the nation’s top four-ranked teams — No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 4 San Diego State — had won a combined 68 straight games. By the end of the day, all three had lost. It was just the latest example of this wacky season that is expected to produce a wild March. Baylor falling to No. 3 Kansas wasn’t a shock, but the other two were major upsets. San Diego State lost to a UNLV team that started the day 14-14 and was a 14-point underdog. Gonzaga didn’t just lose to No. 23 BYU — the Zags were overwhelmed, knocked off 91-78, their 40-game regular-season West Coast Conference winning streak coming to an end.
The impact for SDSU and Gonzaga could be significant. Baylor will still be a No. 1 seed barring a collapse. San Diego State and Gonzaga, though, could drop one seed line due to limited résumés coming from mid-major conferences and now will both be battling it out to be the No. 2 in the West Region. That would be more preferential, ironically, than being the final No. 1 seed and winding up in the East. It seems like an easier path to reach the Final Four for the two powers, staying close to home and playing in the regional in Los Angeles, instead of having to fly cross-country to New York City.
Game of the Week
No. 11 Louisville at No. 8 Florida State, Monday 7 p.m.
The winner remains alive to win the ACC while the loser is likely done. The teams are tied with Duke in the loss column and this will be the last time any of the big three faces each other. Louisville responded to a nightmarish week by manhandling Syracuse and North Carolina at home, but this will obviously be different, going to Tallahassee to face the Seminoles, who have won six of their past seven games. The lone loss? A road setback at Duke.
Seedings:
1: Kansas, Baylor, Maryland, Gonzaga
2: Florida State, San Diego State, Dayton, Duke,
3: Louisville, Auburn, Creighton, Seton Hall
4: Oregon, Villanova, Kentucky, Michigan
Stock Watch
Up: Udoka Azubuike
The game of the year, a showdown pitting No. 1 Baylor against No. 3 Kansas, became a showcase for the most dominant big man in the country. The 7-foot Azubuike owned the Jayhawks’ victory, scoring 23 points, 19 rebounds and blocking three shots, further illustrating how important he will be in March. Remember, his season ended in early January last year due to a torn ligament in his right hand, ruining Kansas’ title hopes. Without him, Bill Self’s team was ousted on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With him, it might be the favorite to cut down the nets in early April.
Up: Ed Cooley
There were consecutive losses to Penn, Long Beach State and College of Charleston. A road setback at Northwestern, the worst team in the Big Ten. The only tournament Providence seemed it could qualify for was the Big East Tournament. But Cooley, the Providence coach, refused to let a poor non-conference season define this group. Instead, the Friars rebounded once the easiest part of their schedule was over and sit all alone in fourth place in the Big East, firmly in the NCAA Tournament hunt, after knocking off No. 19 Marquette on Saturday for their seventh Quadrant 1 win.
Down: Syracuse
Barring a stunning run to the ACC Tournament title, Syracuse will miss the NCAA Tournament for the third time in six years. The three years the Orange made it, they were an eight seed or lower. It is the worst stretch in coach Jim Boeheim’s Hall of Fame career. Even in a decidedly down year in the ACC, the Orange couldn’t rise above the mediocrity. Their best win is over on-the-bubble Virginia and there is no guarantee next year will be better. While Boeheim could return most of this group, the ACC will be better — it can’t be worse — and unless fringe top-100 recruit Kadary Richmond makes an immediate impact or a major transfer comes aboard, it’s hard to envision a significant step forward.
Down: Atlantic 10
It wasn’t so long ago, the conference looked like it could get four teams into the tournament. Now, only Dayton is assured of a bid. VCU has crumbled, losing four straight games. Rhode Island just lost to barely over-.500 Davidson. Richmond fell to St. Bonaventure. URI still seems to be safely in, thanks to a NET rating of 36 and non-conference wins over Providence and Alabama. VCU is all but done when it comes to at-large consideration and Richmond, squarely on the bubble, can’t afford any more missteps.


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--LeBron James’ ‘Dream Shake’ carves him place in Lakers-Celtics rivalry

LOS ANGELES ( AP ) — Although LeBron James is still relatively new to the Los Angeles Lakers ’ rivalry with the Boston Celtics , he relishes the chance to participate in the history and passion behind this series .
When James had the chance Sunday to make another significant mark in this chapter of NBA history , he stepped back and did it with pleasure .
James scored 29 points and put the Lakers ahead on a fallaway jumper with 30 seconds to play , and Los Angeles split its season series with Boston in a 114-112 victory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebounds in another superb all-around game .
He missed a tying free throw moments before he coolly nailed the turnaround shot over Jayson Tatum to put the Lakers ahead to stay in their fifth straight win overall .
“ I had been setting him up all night with the back-down to the drop step to the baseline , ” James said .
“ I figured he would sit on it , thinking I would try it again , so I just went to my back-down , gave a little Dream Shake to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle and get my fadeaway.
” When Tatum was called for an offensive foul in the final second , the Lakers could celebrate another memorable meeting between two clubs with 33 NBA titles between them .
James put up a triple-double when the Lakers won in Boston last season in his first taste of the rivalry , but LA had lost his ensuing two meetings with the Celtics .
“ It ’ s just special to be part of this rivalry , ” James said .
“ We understand that this has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ 60s , ‘ 70s , ‘ 80s , ‘ 90s , all the way through .
So to be a part of a rivalry , to be a part of a historical two-franchise group , this is special .
… ( We love ) to represent this rivalry with the utmost respect and play this game the right way , as all the former players have done in the past.
” James was thinking of Celtics great Bill Russell , who watched the game at courtside while wearing Kobe Bryant ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Tatum , who matched his career high with 41 points while wearing a purple wristband in memory of Bryant , a mentor and teacher to the Celtics star .
“ That ’ s a great atmosphere , ” said Boston ’ s Jaylen Brown , who scored 20 points .
“ It don ’ t get too much better than that .
To be honest , I had a great time .
Even though we lost , it was fun being out there competing at the highest level , and it makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis had 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers , who took a 32-point blowout loss in Boston last month .
The Celtics had won 12 of 14 starting with that dominant win .
Davis hit two free throws with 12.3 seconds left in the rematch and added one more with 6.7 seconds to play .
But Tatum was called for a push-off foul as he attempted to create space for one last shot against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope .
Tatum scored just six points in the final 18 minutes , with Caldwell-Pope doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a step in the right direction , ” Tatum said of his performance against James and Davis .
“ I definitely looked up to those guys and know how great they are individually , so just trying to earn the respect of the guys I look up to.
” With the Lakers ’ immediate return to excellence since beating out Boston to acquire Davis last summer , these longtime rivals are both playoff-bound championship contenders yet again .
Los Angeles is comfortably atop the Western Conference standings , while the Celtics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams have a decent shot of meeting in the NBA Finals for the 13th time if they continue to grow from big games like this thriller .
The Celtics played without star Kemba Walker , who missed his second straight game with left knee soreness .
“ It was about who wanted it more , ” Davis said .
“ With or without Kemba , they ’ re a tough team .
They ’ ve proven they can win without him .
To play a team like that in a playoff atmosphere is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it .
We know how big this rivalry is .
”

LOS ANGELES — Although LeBron James is still relatively new to the Los Angeles Lakers’ rivalry with the Boston Celtics, he relishes the chance to participate in the history and passion behind this series.
When James had the chance Sunday to make another significant mark in this chapter of NBA history, he stepped back and did it with pleasure.
James scored 29 points and put the Lakers ahead on a fallaway jumper with 30 seconds to play, and Los Angeles split its season series with Boston in a 114-112 victory.
James also had nine assists and eight rebounds in another superb all-around game. He missed a tying free throw moments before he coolly nailed the turnaround shot over Jayson Tatum to put the Lakers ahead to stay in their fifth straight win overall.
“I had been setting him up all night with the back-down to the drop step to the baseline,” James said. “I figured he would sit on it, thinking I would try it again, so I just went to my back-down, gave a little Dream Shake to the baseline and was able to open up the middle and get my fadeaway.”
When Tatum was called for an offensive foul in the final second, the Lakers could celebrate another memorable meeting between two clubs with 33 NBA titles between them.
James put up a triple-double when the Lakers won in Boston last season in his first taste of the rivalry, but LA had lost his ensuing two meetings with the Celtics.
“It’s just special to be part of this rivalry,” James said. “We understand that this has been going on since the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, all the way through. So to be a part of a rivalry, to be a part of a historical two-franchise group, this is special. … (We love) to represent this rivalry with the utmost respect and play this game the right way, as all the former players have done in the past.”
James was thinking of Celtics great Bill Russell, who watched the game at courtside while wearing Kobe Bryant’s jersey. He was also thinking of Tatum, who matched his career high with 41 points while wearing a purple wristband in memory of Bryant, a mentor and teacher to the Celtics star.
“That’s a great atmosphere,” said Boston’s Jaylen Brown, who scored 20 points. “It don’t get too much better than that. To be honest, I had a great time. Even though we lost, it was fun being out there competing at the highest level, and it makes you thirsty for the postseason.”
Anthony Davis had 32 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who took a 32-point blowout loss in Boston last month. The Celtics had won 12 of 14 starting with that dominant win.
Davis hit two free throws with 12.3 seconds left in the rematch and added one more with 6.7 seconds to play. But Tatum was called for a push-off foul as he attempted to create space for one last shot against Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Tatum scored just six points in the final 18 minutes, with Caldwell-Pope doing much of the defensive work.
“It was a step in the right direction,” Tatum said of his performance against James and Davis. “I definitely looked up to those guys and know how great they are individually, so just trying to earn the respect of the guys I look up to.”
With the Lakers’ immediate return to excellence since beating out Boston to acquire Davis last summer, these longtime rivals are both playoff-bound championship contenders yet again.
Los Angeles is comfortably atop the Western Conference standings, while the Celtics sit third in the East. Both teams have a decent shot of meeting in the NBA Finals for the 13th time if they continue to grow from big games like this thriller.
The Celtics played without star Kemba Walker, who missed his second straight game with left knee soreness.
“It was about who wanted it more,” Davis said. “With or without Kemba, they’re a tough team. They’ve proven they can win without him. To play a team like that in a playoff atmosphere is something you want. We just stayed with it. We know how big this rivalry is.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-23--Caris LeVert leading Nets’ elite defensive growth

CHARLOTTE , N.C. — For the first time in six games , ...

Though there are times the Nets can’t get out of their own way on offense, they’ve been among the NBA’s best on the other end of the floor. And Caris LeVert is the heart of that increasingly elite defense that’s going to have to be their path to victory.
“Absolutely. Absolutely. And I feel like myself I’m very capable of that, being the leader of that defensive core,” said LeVert, who has helped the Nets to the league’s third-best defensive rating since December.
“I feel like when people see me locking in on defense, it kind of challenged everybody else to do the same thing. That’s kind of what I try to do out there.”
With Kyrie Irving out for the rest of the season, LeVert has helped lead the Nets to a 5-2 mark since he returned to the lineup. The starters have a stellar 98.6 defensive rating in that resurgence, with Saturday in Charlotte among their best performances yet.
LeVert has been a ballhawk. His six steals Saturday were a career-high and the most by a Net since 2016. And he’s been a glove as well.
After the Hornets’ Devonte’ Graham torched the Nets for 40 points in December, LeVert held him to six points on 1-of-10 shooting. And when the Suns’ Devin Booker entered their game against the Nets on Feb. 3 having scored at least 29 points in 11 straight, LeVert held him to just 11 on 3 of 15 from the floor.
“He’s growing there. We have these scouts, and a lot of times they say, ‘Hey, put Caris on Devin Booker, put Caris on Devonte’ Graham.’ He’s really improved defensively,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He always plays hard, he always has great activity, but he’s learning the nuances of what it takes to be a great defender in our league.”
Yes, defense is partly athleticism and largely effort, but to be a truly great defender one needs acumen as well. LeVert, in his fourth season, is mastering the subtleties of the cerebral part of defense.
LeVert watches copious film on opponents and their tendencies. He even laughs at the energetic-but-naive defender who came in as a rookie, simply told to hustle and scrap and bring energy.
“Absolutely. Back then it was just play extremely hard, fight over screens, be in the right spot,” LeVert said. “Now it’s more of a thinking game, trying to bait them into doing something that I know they’re going to do, maybe make something look like it’s open and steal it at the last second. It’s more thinking because I kind of know the game a little now.”
Part of that is experience. Part of it is being a sponge and soaking up invaluable information from veterans such as Garrett Temple, DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler.
In Atkinson’s first three years at the helm, Brooklyn has steadily improved in Defensive Rating, from 23rd to 21st to 15th last season. They’re seventh going into Monday’s game versus Orlando, and rising fast as the veterans help LeVert reach his defensive best.
“A lot of credit goes to our vets — Wilson, DeAndre, Garrett Temple — those guys, not only what they do on the court but how they’re teaching our young guys and imparting their knowledge. That’s a big part of it,” Atkinson said.
“We’ve got tough games coming up and a lot of games on the road. But I loved how we put our stamp on [Saturday’s] game. We really never let our foot off the pedal.”
They can ill afford to, least of all on Monday.
The seventh-seeded Nets lead Orlando by 2 ½ games, and host the Magic Monday in a tilt with playoff ramifications, desperate to avoid the eighth seed and a first-round matchup versus NBA-leading Milwaukee.
To reach the playoffs — and have any hope of making any noise if they do — the Nets will need to keep their defense at an elite level. And LeVert leading the way.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--FX series explores man’s claim that his father was the Zodiac killer

It ’ s natural for an adopted person to be curious about their birth parents — but for Gary Stewart , his search might have led him to one of the country ’ s most infamous serial killers .
FX ’ s four-part docuseries “ The Most Dangerous Animal of All , ” ( March 6 at 8 p.m. ) , based on Stewart ’ s 2014 book of the same name , follows him as he searches for his birth parents , uncovering information that leads him to believe his father was the notorious “ Zodiac Killer ” — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California in the 1960s and ’ 70s , taunting the Bay Area press with letters of his deeds .
“ The wanted sketch [ of the Zodiac Killer ] just made my heart stop for an instant , because I had seen that face before and it looked just like my father , ” says Stewart , 57 , who grew up with his adopted parents in Baton Rogue , La.
, where he still lives .
Stewart says that , although he wanted to meet his birth parents for his entire life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , Judy , until 2002 .
“ I thought maybe me searching would hurt somebody ’ s feelings , ” he tells The Post .
“ Fortunately , I didn ’ t have to .
My biological mother came looking for me and we connected for the first time in 2002.
” Coincidentally , Judy ’ s second husband was a homicide inspector in the San Francisco police department and had worked the Zodiac case .
“ He was deceased when my mother found me , ” says Stewart .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find my father , she went to her husband ’ s old work colleagues and her friends in the San Francisco police department and asked them .
It took several months to find my father ’ s files .
But the information they presented to me was that there was information in that file that they were not willing to share with me — and that was pretty bad stuff.
” “ Bad stuff ” doesn ’ t always mean murder , but as the premiere episode of “ The Most Dangerous Animal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s birth father , Earl Van Best Jr. , was a troubled 27-year-old who began a relationship with Judy in 1961 when she was just 13 , for which he was later incarcerated .
“ For the longest time my motivation was because I wanted to meet him , and hear his side of the story , ” says Stewart .
“ And I wanted him to see me .
I wanted him to know that I was a successful businessman and a graduate of Louisiana State university , an electrical engineer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if he had his side of the story , I wanted to extend forgiveness to him for what he had done to me .
“ I wanted to tell him , ‘ Look , it ’ s okay , maybe the greatest thing you did for me was to give me away.
’ ” Then , in 2004 , Stewart was watching a cold case show about the Zodiac Killer hosted by Bill Kurtis .
The wanted sketch of the murderer made him think he recognized his father .
That sketch , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , timeline and location all lined up with the Zodiac case .
“ Do we really know the genetic effect of being related to a serial killer ?
How does that play out in a few generations ?
, ” Stewart says .
“ [ I wanted to take ] that dysfunctional cycle of my father ’ s life , and use the new beginnings from the Stewart household to give my son and grandchildren an opportunity to walk away from this and never have to be concerned with what kind of blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ docuseries helped him find some measure of closure .
“ Every time I ’ ve reached a milestone in my search for my father , even now knowing he ’ s deceased , I always try to tell other people in hopes of convincing myself that I ’ ve got closure , ” he says .
“ I think my book ended [ by saying ] ‘ My father abandoned me so many years ago , maybe now I can abandon him and walk away.
’ And that was six years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We spent the last year and a half filming this documentary…but this time , I ’ m over it .

It’s natural for an adopted person to be curious about their birth parents — but for Gary Stewart, his search might have led him to one of the country’s most infamous serial killers.
FX’s four-part docuseries “The Most Dangerous Animal of All,” (March 6 at 8 p.m.), based on Stewart’s 2014 book of the same name, follows him as he searches for his birth parents, uncovering information that leads him to believe his father was the notorious “Zodiac Killer” — the still-unknown murderer who operated in Northern California in the 1960s and ’70s, taunting the Bay Area press with letters of his deeds.
“The wanted sketch [of the Zodiac Killer] just made my heart stop for an instant, because I had seen that face before and it looked just like my father,” says Stewart, 57, who grew up with his adopted parents in Baton Rogue, La., where he still lives.
Stewart says that, although he wanted to meet his birth parents for his entire life, he didn’t meet his mother, Judy, until 2002. “I thought maybe me searching would hurt somebody’s feelings,” he tells The Post. “Fortunately, I didn’t have to. My biological mother came looking for me and we connected for the first time in 2002.”
Coincidentally, Judy’s second husband was a homicide inspector in the San Francisco police department and had worked the Zodiac case.
“He was deceased when my mother found me,” says Stewart. “But when I told her I wanted to find my father, she went to her husband’s old work colleagues and her friends in the San Francisco police department and asked them. It took several months to find my father’s files. But the information they presented to me was that there was information in that file that they were not willing to share with me — and that was pretty bad stuff.”
“Bad stuff” doesn’t always mean murder, but as the premiere episode of “The Most Dangerous Animal of All” reveals, Stewart’s birth father, Earl Van Best Jr., was a troubled 27-year-old who began a relationship with Judy in 1961 when she was just 13, for which he was later incarcerated.
“For the longest time my motivation was because I wanted to meet him, and hear his side of the story,” says Stewart. “And I wanted him to see me. I wanted him to know that I was a successful businessman and a graduate of Louisiana State university, an electrical engineer, and that he had a grandson. And if he had his side of the story, I wanted to extend forgiveness to him for what he had done to me.
“I wanted to tell him, ‘Look, it’s okay, maybe the greatest thing you did for me was to give me away.’”
Then, in 2004, Stewart was watching a cold case show about the Zodiac Killer hosted by Bill Kurtis. The wanted sketch of the murderer made him think he recognized his father. That sketch, combined with his father’s crimes, timeline and location all lined up with the Zodiac case.
“Do we really know the genetic effect of being related to a serial killer? How does that play out in a few generations?,” Stewart says. “[I wanted to take] that dysfunctional cycle of my father’s life, and use the new beginnings from the Stewart household to give my son and grandchildren an opportunity to walk away from this and never have to be concerned with what kind of blood they have.”
Stewart says making the docuseries helped him find some measure of closure.
“Every time I’ve reached a milestone in my search for my father, even now knowing he’s deceased, I always try to tell other people in hopes of convincing myself that I’ve got closure,” he says. “I think my book ended [by saying] ‘My father abandoned me so many years ago, maybe now I can abandon him and walk away.’ And that was six years ago. And I have not abandoned him. We spent the last year and a half filming this documentary…but this time, I’m over it.
“I’m done with it.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Manhattan DA Cy Vance celebrates Harvey Weinstein conviction

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 ) Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. delivered a statement Monday after his office secured a conviction against Harvey Weinstein in a case that will help define his career .
“ These are the eight women who changed the course of history in the fight against sexual violence , ” Vance said of Assistant DAs Joan Illuzzi-Orbon , Meghan Hast and the six accusers who testified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women who pulled our justice system into the 21st century by declaring that rape is rape , and sexual assault is sexual assault , no matter what.
” A seven-man , five-woman panel found Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual act for forcibly performing oral sex on former “ Project Runway ” production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and third-degree rape for an attack on Jessica Mann in 2013 .
The jury acquitted Weinstein of the top two charges of predatory sexual assault involving “ The Sopranos ” actress Annabella Sciorra and first-degree rape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the new landscape of survivors of sexual assault in America .
This is a new day , ” Vance said .
“ It ’ s a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed .
The women who came forward courageously , and at great risk , made that happen.
” Vance came under fire in 2015 after his office declined to prosecute Weinstein for groping an Italian model in his Tribeca office .
Ambra Gutierrez told police that Weinstein grabbed her breast , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Weinstein , which they secretly recorded .
Although Weinstein admitted his misconduct then tried to lure her up to his hotel room , the DA said at the time there wasn ’ t enough evidence to charge him .
The decision ravaged Vance ’ s reputation , but Weinstein ’ s conviction may help repair what has been an uneven legacy .
Gutierrez showed up outside Manhattan Supreme Court Monday to celebrate the victory .
“ I was jumping for joy , ” Gutierrez told reporters .
“ This is really the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 .
”

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Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. delivered a statement Monday after his office secured a conviction against Harvey Weinstein in a case that will help define his career.
“These are the eight women who changed the course of history in the fight against sexual violence,” Vance said of Assistant DAs Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, Meghan Hast and the six accusers who testified against Weinstein.
“These are eight women who pulled our justice system into the 21st century by declaring that rape is rape, and sexual assault is sexual assault, no matter what.”
A seven-man, five-woman panel found Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual act for forcibly performing oral sex on former “Project Runway” production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and third-degree rape for an attack on Jessica Mann in 2013.
The jury acquitted Weinstein of the top two charges of predatory sexual assault involving “The Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra and first-degree rape for the attack on Mann.
“This is the new landscape of survivors of sexual assault in America. This is a new day,” Vance said.
“It’s a new day because Harvey Weinstein has finally been held accountable for crimes he committed. The women who came forward courageously, and at great risk, made that happen.”
Vance came under fire in 2015 after his office declined to prosecute Weinstein for groping an Italian model in his Tribeca office.
Ambra Gutierrez told police that Weinstein grabbed her breast, and investigators had her place a controlled call to Weinstein, which they secretly recorded. Although Weinstein admitted his misconduct then tried to lure her up to his hotel room, the DA said at the time there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him.
The decision ravaged Vance’s reputation, but Weinstein’s conviction may help repair what has been an uneven legacy.
Gutierrez showed up outside Manhattan Supreme Court Monday to celebrate the victory.
“I was jumping for joy,” Gutierrez told reporters. “This is really the outcome I was wishing for that failed in 2015.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Bill O’Reilly talks ‘explosive’ next book, ‘Killing Crazy Horse’

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 ) You can ’ t keep a good man down — especially if he ’ s knocked off 15 best sellers .
Comes again Bill O ’ Reilly .
His next , “ Killing Crazy Horse , ” details the brutal struggle of Native Americans during our nation ’ s birth .
As sacred lands were encroached , the Sioux ’ s Sitting Bull assembled his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battlefields and blood spilled for decades .
O ’ Reilly : “ Shows don ’ t sell books anymore .
Morning TV only gives you three-four minutes .
I track where I go so I know what vehicles move books .
This one ’ s explosive , and I know which vehicles sell and what sales develop after.
” OK — now to the election .
“ Biden ?
Unless he self-destructs due to his son , he must pick Kamala .
A woman of color on the ticket .
Make a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy on his kid .
Bernie ?
A sideshow .
Dangerous .
Socialists take all your stuff .
I don ’ t see Middle America voting for a socialist .
AOC ?
Two more years and she ’ s on “ The View.
” Photogenic , so she ’ ll shine in Congress .
“ Barack and Michelle will both be at the convention.
” His last , “ The United States of Trump ” — plus , I ’ m told , each of his previous books — sold over 1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s more than the Bible .
“ Listen , the Bible was a lot of authors — not just one.
” “ Killing Crazy Horse ” reprises the bloody Battle of Tippecanoe .
President James Madison ordering Tecumseh ’ s Shawnee tribes destroyed .
Gen. Andrew Jackson battling the Creek Nation .
President James Monroe ’ s “ sea to shining sea ” policy .
President Martin Van Buren forcing the Cherokees from their homelands .
A wild ride through the American frontier — hold your horses — it ’ s out this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split The Bronx to serve in the National Guard .
( That ’ s less shooting than in The Bronx ? )
Serving in Iraq , this Army vet then says : “ We got mortared all the time.
” Home , finally , her dream — whoknowswhy ?
— was to marry fiancé Jason Brown live , on air , on TV , on “ Fox & Friends.
” So , with help from its producers plus a Morilee gown , they just got married .
( That ’ s less warfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear anything about how they ’ re doing , I ’ ll let you know .
I hear that $ 150,000 got raised at a charity poker-and-smoker night for law enforcement .
Geraldo Rivera , Chris Hansen , Doc Gooden , John Starks all there for State Troopers Signal 30 .
Signal 30 , a trooper ’ s radio call for help , is for immediate assistance in an emergency .
It also supports police families in extraordinary circumstances — death , injury , loss , scholarships for the children of troopers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in need .
A New York millionaire businessman can change political enrollment , alter the rules , skip the primaries of his newly adopted party yet win that party ’ s nomination .
A lifetime ago , Wendell Willkie changed from Democrat to Republican and hit the convention without a single delegate .
His opponent , Thomas E. Dewey , had a plurality of delegates .
Willkie won the GOP nomination .
In 1940 , although FDR ’ s popularity was waning , he sought a third term on the Democratic ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a landslide .
Bloomberg ’ s a New Yorker .
Bernie was born a New Yorker .
Could who knows — maybe — get beaten by longtime New Yorker Trump ?
Only in New York , kids , only in New York .

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You can’t keep a good man down — especially if he’s knocked off 15 best sellers. Comes again Bill O’Reilly.
His next, “Killing Crazy Horse,” details the brutal struggle of Native Americans during our nation’s birth. As sacred lands were encroached, the Sioux’s Sitting Bull assembled his tribes, Crazy Horse fiercely walked his battlefields and blood spilled for decades.
O’Reilly: “Shows don’t sell books anymore. Morning TV only gives you three-four minutes. I track where I go so I know what vehicles move books. This one’s explosive, and I know which vehicles sell and what sales develop after.”
OK — now to the election.
“Biden? Unless he self-destructs due to his son, he must pick Kamala. A woman of color on the ticket. Make a deal. She’ll know to go easy on his kid. Bernie? A sideshow. Dangerous. Socialists take all your stuff. I don’t see Middle America voting for a socialist. AOC? Two more years and she’s on “The View.” Photogenic, so she’ll shine in Congress.
“Barack and Michelle will both be at the convention.”
His last, “The United States of Trump” — plus, I’m told, each of his previous books — sold over 1 million copies. He once said that’s more than the Bible.
“Listen, the Bible was a lot of authors — not just one.”
“Killing Crazy Horse” reprises the bloody Battle of Tippecanoe. President James Madison ordering Tecumseh’s Shawnee tribes destroyed. Gen. Andrew Jackson battling the Creek Nation. President James Monroe’s “sea to shining sea” policy. President Martin Van Buren forcing the Cherokees from their homelands.
A wild ride through the American frontier — hold your horses — it’s out this spring.
Ceremony set on live tv
After 9/11, Vanessa Soto split The Bronx to serve in the National Guard. (That’s less shooting than in The Bronx?) Serving in Iraq, this Army vet then says: “We got mortared all the time.”
Home, finally, her dream — whoknowswhy? — was to marry fiancé Jason Brown live, on air, on TV, on “Fox & Friends.” So, with help from its producers plus a Morilee gown, they just got married. (That’s less warfare than in Iraq?)
If I hear anything about how they’re doing, I’ll let you know.
Cash for cops
I hear that $150,000 got raised at a charity poker-and-smoker night for law enforcement. Geraldo Rivera, Chris Hansen, Doc Gooden, John Starks all there for State Troopers Signal 30.
Signal 30, a trooper’s radio call for help, is for immediate assistance in an emergency. It also supports police families in extraordinary circumstances — death, injury, loss, scholarships for the children of troopers. All of the funds raised go to those in need.
Big apple pols
A New York millionaire businessman can change political enrollment, alter the rules, skip the primaries of his newly adopted party yet win that party’s nomination.
A lifetime ago, Wendell Willkie changed from Democrat to Republican and hit the convention without a single delegate. His opponent, Thomas E. Dewey, had a plurality of delegates. Willkie won the GOP nomination. In 1940, although FDR’s popularity was waning, he sought a third term on the Democratic ticket taking on Willkie. Roosevelt won by a landslide.
Bloomberg’s a New Yorker. Bernie was born a New Yorker. Could who knows — maybe — get beaten by longtime New Yorker Trump?
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--If this ruling stands, New York housing construction will grind to a halt

If City Hall sits idly by as judges keep rewriting the zoning code , Mayor Bill de Blasio can kiss all his affordable-housing plans goodbye .
Indeed , the entire housing market will take a dive .
The latest , most outrageous ruling came from Justice W. Franc Perry this month : He effectively ordered the top 20 floors shaved off a new 52-story condo building at 200 Amsterdam Ave. — when the project is basically done .
The builder had the city ’ s OK — indeed , had stopped work for four months while the Department of Buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruled that it ’ s not kosher to use air rights from parts of nearby lots to build higher than the code would otherwise allow .
That ’ s crazy : The city has allowed the practice for 40 years , during which the DOB has considered and OK ’ d this interpretation of the rules 34 times .
Will Perry now order dozens of those buildings to chop off their top floors ?
Based on the city ’ s sign-off , the developer sunk $ 325 million into the building and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this “ deconstruction.
” How is that even remotely fair ?
And what builder is going to risk investing in any new project if a judge can rule after the fact that official approvals are irrelevant , simply because he disagrees with the city ’ s long-held interpretation of its own laws ?
This is a growing judicial trend .
In another case , on the Two Towers project downtown , Justice Arthur Engoron blocked a project claiming , “ You can ’ t just do this because the zoning allows it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appeal Perry ’ s ruling , but the city Law Department needs to join in , too — and actively defend City Hall ’ s ability to interpret the zoning code .
Otherwise , the loony left will seize control .
If city approvals become meaningless , the private sector will stop building , period .

If City Hall sits idly by as judges keep rewriting the zoning code, Mayor Bill de Blasio can kiss all his affordable-housing plans goodbye. Indeed, the entire housing market will take a dive.
The latest, most outrageous ruling came from Justice W. Franc Perry this month: He effectively ordered the top 20 floors shaved off a new 52-story condo building at 200 Amsterdam Ave. — when the project is basically done.
The builder had the city’s OK — indeed, had stopped work for four months while the Department of Buildings resolved an earlier challenge.
But Perry ruled that it’s not kosher to use air rights from parts of nearby lots to build higher than the code would otherwise allow. That’s crazy: The city has allowed the practice for 40 years, during which the DOB has considered and OK’d this interpretation of the rules 34 times. Will Perry now order dozens of those buildings to chop off their top floors?
Based on the city’s sign-off, the developer sunk $325 million into the building and would have to shell out millions more to do this “deconstruction.” How is that even remotely fair?
And what builder is going to risk investing in any new project if a judge can rule after the fact that official approvals are irrelevant, simply because he disagrees with the city’s long-held interpretation of its own laws?
This is a growing judicial trend. In another case, on the Two Towers project downtown, Justice Arthur Engoron blocked a project claiming, “You can’t just do this because the zoning allows it.”
The developer at 200 Amsterdam vows to appeal Perry’s ruling, but the city Law Department needs to join in, too — and actively defend City Hall’s ability to interpret the zoning code.
Otherwise, the loony left will seize control. If city approvals become meaningless, the private sector will stop building, period.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Gerrit Cole tantalizes in first taste of Yankees game action

TAMPA — Gerrit Cole is throwing .
Not a ball .
This ...

TAMPA — So much for using the first spring training outing to build arm strength.
In his initial exhibition game for the Yankees on Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the Pirates, Gerrit Cole pushed the speed guns close to triple digits and showed the competitiveness that played a part in the Bombers making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history with a nine-year deal worth $324 million.
Cole worked the first inning of a 3-3 tie, threw 20 pitches (12 strikes), retired three of the four batters he faced and twice reached 98 mph. He hit 97 mph six times, and struck out two.
Even for a power pitcher like Cole, 98 mph looked odd on Feb. 24.
However, Cole had an explanation for it that made sense.
“Yeah, that’s kind of why I try to keep it to one inning. Some guys go two innings early. I like to take it one at a time for the first two or three until you build up that tolerance to be up and down,’’ Cole said. “Then you can extend the pitch count in certain situations. For the first time, go pitch for one inning and do your best with whatever you got that day.’’
Cole dispatched the first two Pirates hitters with ease before walking switch-hitter Cole Tucker on four straight pitches after the first two were strikes.
Josh Bell, another switch hitter, never had a chance against three of Cole’s fastballs and missed a 97-mph heater for the final out.
Cole threw 14 fastballs and topped out with two 98-mph heaters that were out of the strike zone to Tucker.
“I was expecting it a little bit,’’ manager Aaron Boone said of Cole’s high-octane fastball. “In talking to him and he went the two-ups the last time, he went 40 pitches in his last [batting practice]. We knew he was going to go an inning today and throttle back the pitches. We thought it would be a little crispier and it was.’’
Cole’s program is for him to go an inning in possibly the next two outings and Boone is open to that.
“I think so. I will have to talk in between these days with him and [pitching coach] Matt [Blake]. He is pretty particular how he will get built up,’’ Boone said.
Obviously, it was the first game action for Cole with Gary Sanchez catching and it’s a pairing the pitcher hopes evolves to the point where they “can read each other’s mind.’’
“Read each other’s mind? That would be nice,’’ said Sanchez, who used his new lower stance for the first time in a game. It is designed to help Sanchez frame low strikes better. “It’s a work in progress. It is something new to me, something I am still learning.’’
Considering the amount of Yankees pitchers picking Cole’s brain it’s surprising there is anything left of his frontal lobes.
“I pick his brain to see what makes him good,’’ Jordan Montgomery said. “He is very smart.’’
Chad Green has been around Cole since pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 11 and has probed with others who gravitate toward Cole.
“I haven’t talked to him one-on-one, but talking in groups about his thought process on some things,’’ said Green, who has been impressed with Cole’s attention to detail. “Kind of pick his brain.’’
Early in camp Cole stood in front of his locker in the middle of the clubhouse chatting with Montgomery. Zack Britton joined the chat and guest instructor Andy Pettitte rolled up. The session went on for 20 minutes and likely continued after the media’s access was finished.
And it’s not like Cole is a one-way street when it comes to knowledge. Saturday, Cole watched Masahiro Tanaka throw a bullpen session to see how Tanaka maintains his balance on the mound.
“What I have learned from him is just the way he goes about his business whether it is a bullpen or a simulated game and how he prepares,’’ Tanaka said. “Standing behind the screen I am able to see first-hand how he constructs his pitches and in general how he is on the mound.’’


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Landowner fights de Blasio’s Union Square hotel zoning plan

Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a plan that ...

A landowner has filed a court petition over Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to implement stricter zoning laws for new hotels in Union Square following allegations that the policy is a favor to a politically-connected union.
Landowner ELK MAS 86 East 10th LLC wants a judge to overturn the city’s findings that the mayor’s plan — requiring hotel developers to get special permits — wouldn’t have a negative impact on Union Square, according to new court papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court Monday.
In fact, the property owner’s attorney argues, the plan would decrease tourism thereby negatively impacting local businesses and city revenue.
The mayor’s proposal would force new hotels to go through the lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Procedure — requiring reviews and votes before the community board, Department of City Planning and City Council — a process which ELK MAS says is cumbersome and would stifle hotel growth.
The petition also takes issue with the City Planning Commission’s findings that the Mayor’s plan wouldn’t cause negative environmental or socio-economic impact as the review was only conducted in Union Square while the plan, they say, would ultimately be rolled out throughout the city.
ELK MAS — which plans to build a hotel in the area — wants a citywide review of the proposal to be conducted before the Union Square rezoning plan goes into effect, the court documents say.
“If the real social and economic costs of the plan were disclosed, no one would defend it,” the court papers claim.
“So the Mayor has come up with a way to conceal the scale of those impacts: Impose the permit requirement in increments — a neighborhood here, a neighborhood there — bypassing the required SERQA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) review of its cumulative effects, and acclimating the public and the City Council to the permit regime,” the petition alleges.
Richard Emery, the lawyer representing ELK MAS, told The Post, “This is the first case of what will likely be a series of litigations to challenge the special permit requirement for hotel development in New York City.”
Emery said if the plan goes through it, “will be a disaster for city revenues and all the businesses that rely on tourists.”
The Mayor came under fire for ordering the study of his special permitting plan, which would benefit the Hotel Trades Council, as he was launching his 2020 campaign. He denied pay-to-play allegations over the move.
The City Planning Commission and the City Planning Department — both named in the petition alongside the city — deferred comment to the Law Department.
The rep with the city Law Department said, “We will review the case thoroughly when we are served.”
The mayor’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--The only way to stop Bernie Sanders

The only way to stop Bernie Sanders

Democratic voters clearly aren ’ t buying the “ electability ” argument against Bernie Sanders , and they may be right .
But the real question is : Are his rivals willing to make a serious policy case against him ?
We don ’ t think James Carville is wrong to pooh-pooh the theory that Sanders will “ galvanize heretofore sleepy parts of [ the ] electorate ” to win in November , but President Trump ’ s victory in 2016 is ample proof that the old rules about ideological appeals miss how American voters think these days .
Which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derail Bernie to finally flag the utter lunacy of his policies .
It ’ s not just that Medicare for All would be insanely expensive , or even that it would force half the country to give up the private health insurance they have now : It ’ s that it would inevitably lead to rationing of care , because governments are horrible at investing wisely in everything from R & D to basic infrastructure .
( Look at your roads , New York ! )
And the Green New Deal — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing to Bernie and the left — is arrant nonsense : a huge pile of outdated socialism on top of “ anti-carbon ” moves that would devastate the US economy .
Not to mention the foreign policy of a guy who keeps looking at the bright side of anti-democratic socialism , from the old USSR to Castro ’ s Cuba to Venezuela today .
As if Fidel Castro ’ s “ massive literacy program ” made up for the way he turned Cuba into one of the hemisphere ’ s poorest nations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marco Rubio put it ) “ his opponents were jailed , murdered or exiled.
” If they don ’ t find the guts to start calling out Sanders ’ extremism now , his Democratic rivals will be toast by the end of Super Tuesday .

Democratic voters clearly aren’t buying the “electability” argument against Bernie Sanders, and they may be right. But the real question is: Are his rivals willing to make a serious policy case against him?
We don’t think James Carville is wrong to pooh-pooh the theory that Sanders will “galvanize heretofore sleepy parts of [the] electorate” to win in November, but President Trump’s victory in 2016 is ample proof that the old rules about ideological appeals miss how American voters think these days.
Which leaves it to the Democrats trying to derail Bernie to finally flag the utter lunacy of his policies.
It’s not just that Medicare for All would be insanely expensive, or even that it would force half the country to give up the private health insurance they have now: It’s that it would inevitably lead to rationing of care, because governments are horrible at investing wisely in everything from R&D to basic infrastructure. (Look at your roads, New York!)
And the Green New Deal — which all the candidates embrace for fear of losing to Bernie and the left — is arrant nonsense: a huge pile of outdated socialism on top of “anti-carbon” moves that would devastate the US economy.
Not to mention the foreign policy of a guy who keeps looking at the bright side of anti-democratic socialism, from the old USSR to Castro’s Cuba to Venezuela today.
As if Fidel Castro’s “massive literacy program” made up for the way he turned Cuba into one of the hemisphere’s poorest nations, yet kept power because (as Sen. Marco Rubio put it) “his opponents were jailed, murdered or exiled.”
If they don’t find the guts to start calling out Sanders’ extremism now, his Democratic rivals will be toast by the end of Super Tuesday.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Here’s why the stock market sunk 1,000 points today

President Donald Trump said Monday that the spread of the ...

To understand why there was a huge decline in the stock market on Monday, you have to understand what happened last week.
News that the coronavirus was spreading was hardly a secret a week ago. Cases were spreading throughout China and other parts of the Far East. Italy had a problem. Cruise ships saw the disease spreading. Even whole towns in China were being quarantined.
And the World Health Organization was issuing regular warnings.
Yet last week stock prices in the US managed to rise uninterrupted.
How’d that happen? What was Wall Street thinking?
There’s always some denial among professional traders when something bad is happening. “Don’t let individual investors see you sweat,” seems to be their motto.
But there was something else going on last week. It was one of those options expiration periods. And professional traders not only didn’t want to show sweat, they also wanted their contracts to go out in the money.
So they needed to squeeze stock prices up.
And on Monday the pros didn’t need to keep up the facade that everything was still great. Oh yeah, they seemed to say in unison, the virus is a problem.
So, without professional traders propping them up, all the stock market indices fell more than 3 percent on Monday for their worse session since October 2018.
As I mentioned in my column a week ago, stock prices are very high when compared to their normal historic levels. At the time, the price-to-earnings ratio of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was at 19.2.
Compare that with the historic average price-to-earnings ratio of only 14.8. To make it simple, stock prices would need to fall 23 percent to get back down to that average.
The 3 percent-plus decline on Monday may have put fear in the hearts of investors. But it still doesn’t put stock prices anywhere near the historic 14.8 price-to-earnings ratio.
There is, of course, another way the PE’s could get back to more normal levels. Corporate profits could rise.
But here’s the problem. Even before the coronavirus struck, the US economy was only growing at an annual level of 2 percent to 2.5 percent. So it wasn’t like corporate profits were getting ready to soar.
Soaring is much less likely now that the virus is catching so much of the world’s attention and causing the shutdown of businesses in China that supply US companies with products.
There’s also the reverse problem: with China concentrating so much on containing the virus, it’s very unlikely that its citizens will be out and about buying McDonald’s burgers, Nike shoes and Apple iPhones. So reduced exports of US goods to other parts of the world will also hurt American companies’ profits.
I asked David Aurelio, senior manager of Refinitiv, to find out for me how much the virus has already trimmed corporate profit expectations. Here’s the answer.
On Jan. 31, US corporations expected their profits to be up 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2020. Now, those same companies are expecting only 3 percent higher profits.
Companies are always too optimistic at the start of the year.
That 2.4-percentage-point drop in earnings expectations is already what could be expected for the entire quarter. But there is still more than a month left in the first quarter and coronavirus fears could get worse.
There are two stock market saviors (other than wily professional traders) that Wall Street always counts on. The first, of course, is the Federal Reserve. A drop in interest rates is almost always the tonic that the stock market needs. It pushes investors out of fixed rate investments and into riskier stocks.
And while Fed rates are already low, they could go lower.
The problem this time is that the economy is not being hurt because companies can’t borrow money at reasonable rates. Rather, it’s that companies won’t borrow if they don’t know when their business will return to normal.
The other savior is something called the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, which is also known as the Plunge Protection Team. This group has always been almost mythical, and anyone who talked about it was thought to believe in conspiracies.
But lately it has come out of the shadows. And almost everyone now believes this group tries to protect the stock market in dire times like during the Great Recession.
But a 3 percent drop like Monday’s isn’t dire.
A 20-percent drop in stock prices — while that’s a normal correction — might get the Plunge Protectors’ attention. Even then, the action would be subtle. Washington would try to rally Wall Street firms to buy stocks, perhaps giving them a guarantee that they won’t lose money while acting in the public’s interest.
But there’s trouble if this happens as well.
Saving the stock market from disaster — while it would be applauded by most Americans — might be seen as a political move to protect Donald Trump’s reelection chances. So this would not come without criticism.
There’s one more thing that could be impacting the stock market that I should bring up.
With Bernie Sanders galloping to a win in the Nevada caucus on Saturday, some people have suggested that Wall Street on Monday was worried that the self-proclaimed socialist might become president and upend capitalism.
Long ago I predicted that Sanders would end up being the Democrats’ presidential candidate in 2020. Others now see that as an inevitable occurrence.
But I also said Sanders was going to lose to Trump.
I still think that. And I believe most people on Wall Street agree that Sanders can’t and won’t win.
So the notion that Sanders’ strength in the Democratic primary caused Wall Street’s grief on Monday seems misplaced. Health care stocks certainly did have a particularly awful day Monday because of Sanders’ plans for health care
But all in all, Sanders’ strength on Saturday in Nevada may have been the one thing that Wall Street thought was positive as this week started. If Sanders is the Democrats’ nominee, President Trump will almost certainly get reelected, and Wall Street likes that.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein guilty verdicts are a huge win for #MeToo, civilization

At 67 , Harvey Weinstein is facing a sentence of five to 29 years .
Another trial to come , in California , could easily add to his time up the river .
It ’ s justice for his accusers but , more important , a message to the misogyny of the past .
There can be no more casting couches .
No more “ boys will be boys.
” No more “ this is the way things work.
” It took enormous courage for Miriam Haleyi , Jessica Mann , Annabella Sciorra , Dawn Dunning , Tarale Wulff and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify .
As lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon put it in her closing argument , Weinstein didn ’ t expect these women to “ walk out of the shadows and call him exactly what he was : an abusive rapist.
” All can now hold their heads high : Their courage is a symbol to others to come forward .
The inherent messiness of the case made this prosecution , relying pretty exclusively on witness testimony , a risk : Kudos to Manhattan DA Cy Vance for going ahead , and for seeking conviction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The defense managed to sway the jury enough to avoid an outright life sentence , yet Weinstein may well spend his remaining days in prison — and he was taken straight from court to Rikers Island .
And , of course , his 100-plus accusers have not only guaranteed the end of his career and destruction of his reputation , they ’ ve helped permanently change the culture .
No matter how powerful the man , anything remotely approaching Weinstein ’ s behavior has become very risky indeed .
And that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @

At 67, Harvey Weinstein is facing a sentence of five to 29 years. Another trial to come, in California, could easily add to his time up the river.
It’s justice for his accusers but, more important, a message to the misogyny of the past. There can be no more casting couches. No more “boys will be boys.” No more “this is the way things work.”
It took enormous courage for Miriam Haleyi, Jessica Mann, Annabella Sciorra, Dawn Dunning, Tarale Wulff and Lauren Marie Young to come forward and testify. As lead prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon put it in her closing argument, Weinstein didn’t expect these women to “walk out of the shadows and call him exactly what he was: an abusive rapist.”
All can now hold their heads high: Their courage is a symbol to others to come forward.
The inherent messiness of the case made this prosecution, relying pretty exclusively on witness testimony, a risk: Kudos to Manhattan DA Cy Vance for going ahead, and for seeking conviction on more serious counts as well.
The defense managed to sway the jury enough to avoid an outright life sentence, yet Weinstein may well spend his remaining days in prison — and he was taken straight from court to Rikers Island.
And, of course, his 100-plus accusers have not only guaranteed the end of his career and destruction of his reputation, they’ve helped permanently change the culture. No matter how powerful the man, anything remotely approaching Weinstein’s behavior has become very risky indeed.
And that’s the biggest win of all.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Dow ends down 3.5% on coronavirus fears, worst drop in two years

It was a bad day to be a billionaire .
As ...

The Dow dropped more than 1,000 points — its worst single-day point drop in two years — as the coronavirus epidemic spread beyond China and world leaders warned it could dampen global economic growth.
The Dow Jones industrial average on Monday ended the day down 1,031.40 points, or 3.56 percent, to 27,960.80 as the virus’s death toll climbed above 2,500 in China and spates of fresh cases emerged in countries such as Iran, Italy and South Korea.
The Nasdaq plunged 355.31 points, or 3.71 percent, to 9,221.28. The S&P 500 lost 111.86 points, or 3.35 percent, to 3,225.89.
“A place like Northern Italy is more difficult to contain, and that creates a new set of concerns,” explained Barry Bannister, head of institutional equity strategy for Stifel. “It is easier to contain a virus in China where you can lock down whole states.”
The outbreak, which has already slammed manufacturing and business activity in China, could cause global oil demand to shrink for the first time in a decade, international leaders say.
The International Monetary Fund on Monday warned the Group of 20, a forum of the world’s 20 largest economies, that the coronavirus could cut global growth by 0.1 percentage points, while Goldman Sachs slashed its first quarter GDP estimate by 0.2 points, to 1.2 percent from 1.4 percent.
Investor grew jittery Monday as the death toll in Italy hit seven and reported infections went over 150. The FTSE MIB index in Italy closed down 5.4 percent, while major indices in Paris and Germany each tumbled 3.9 and 4 percent, respectively.
The bond market also signaled that Monday’s panic over stock prices was widespread. Yields on 30-year US Treasury bonds hit a record low of 1.835 percent, indicating high demand for normally safe government bonds.
Gold, meanwhile, opened at a 7-year high of $1,688.46 before falling in the afternoon and then quickly recovering to end the day higher. The sudden midday drop came after a single, non-verified tweet claimed that the Bank for International Settlements, a Swiss-based international financial institution, was authorizing staff to start selling some of its gold, traders told The Post.
Three people trading gold on Monday told The Post that the tweet, posted at 2:25 p.m. EST, was the first and only data point to start the gold sell-off.
Monday’s broad sell-off slammed major US airlines, with American and Delta shares plunging as much as 8.5 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively, as United Airlines fell as much as 3.3 percent.
Tech companies also took a hit — Apple stock dropped 4.8 percent to $298.81 while shares in chipmaker Intel fell 4 percent to $61.76. Tesla, which opened a factory in China last year, plunged 7.5 percent to finish at 833.79 on the day.
The latest selloff could deepen as corporate earnings reports and guidance reflect corporate pain from the outbreak, analysts said.
“The coronavirus might be slowing in mainland China, but the huge jump over the weekend to various other countries has many reassessing 2020 growth estimates,” Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist for LPL Financial, said in a statement.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Trump says coronavirus is ‘under control,’ stock market looks ‘very good’

President Donald Trump said Monday that the spread of the deadly coronavirus was “ under control ” in the US and that the stock market looked “ very good ” to him — following a dismal day on Wall Street partly due to the illness .
“ The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA , ” Trump tweeted from India at around 5 p.m. New York time .
“ We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries .
CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart .
“ Stock Market starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Centers for Disease Control announced Monday that 18 more cases had been diagnosed in the US , bringing the total to 53 .
In part due to the effects of the virus , Wall Street ’ s three major stock indexes all tumbled on Monday .
Traders fear the growing threat to the global economy after a surge in cases outside China fanned worries about a pandemic .
Experts warned that a pandemic in the US could batter medical companies in addition to threatening the health of large swaths of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic in the United States , that would be a significant impact to the operations for managed care , ” David Heupel , healthcare analyst at Thrivent Investment Management , told Reuters .
“ Obviously you would have a massive increase in ER visits , ” Heupel said .
“ There ’ s a lot of expenditures associated with that , so this would be a pretty significant increase in cost trend .
That plays directly to the managed care group.
” The president was making his first state visit to India @ @ @

President Donald Trump said Monday that the spread of the deadly coronavirus was “under control” in the US and that the stock market looked “very good” to him — following a dismal day on Wall Street partly due to the illness.
“The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA,” Trump tweeted from India at around 5 p.m. New York time.
“We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart.
“Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”
The Centers for Disease Control announced Monday that 18 more cases had been diagnosed in the US, bringing the total to 53.
In part due to the effects of the virus, Wall Street’s three major stock indexes all tumbled on Monday. Traders fear the growing threat to the global economy after a surge in cases outside China fanned worries about a pandemic.
Experts warned that a pandemic in the US could batter medical companies in addition to threatening the health of large swaths of the population.
“If it were to become a pandemic in the United States, that would be a significant impact to the operations for managed care,” David Heupel, healthcare analyst at Thrivent Investment Management, told Reuters.
“Obviously you would have a massive increase in ER visits,” Heupel said. “There’s a lot of expenditures associated with that, so this would be a pretty significant increase in cost trend. That plays directly to the managed care group.”
The president was making his first state visit to India on Monday.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Deontay Wilder wants Tyson Fury trilogy, vows towel-throw ‘consequences’

LAS VEGAS — If you don ’ t see Mark Breland wearing ...

Deontay Wilder isn’t done with Tyson Fury and seemingly has a bone to pick with plenty of others after losing his championship to the British heavyweight.
Wilder, who was stopped by Fury via TKO in the seventh round on Saturday night in Las Vegas for his first professional defeat, told The Athletic on Monday that he is definitely exercising his rematch clause for a summer fight — making this a trilogy after their first meeting ended in a draw.
The American heavyweight and former WBC champion also said he will reevaluate keeping assistant trainer Mark Breland on his corner team. It was Breland who threw in the towel as Wilder was getting pummeled by Fury in the corner.
“I’ve told them many times that if anyone throws the towel in on me, there will be consequences,” Wilder told The Athletic, while conceding concerns for his family and fighting future.
There has been plenty of support around boxing for Breland’s decision, but Wilder said he’d “rather die in the ring”, that he’s a “warrior” and that “we’ve talked about this for years and years.”
“If I say I’m going in there to try to kill a man, I accept that in return,” Wilder said.
As far as the fight itself, it became one-sided after Fury scored a third-round knockdown that left Wilder bleeding from his ear and with a shaky equilibrium. Wilder said his legs were already compromised by the elaborate 40-pound costume he wore to honor Black History month during his walk to the ring. According to Yahoo Sports, Wilder’s jaw was not broken and the blood from his ear was from a cut that needed to be closed with stitches and not an issue with his eardrum.
“He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is … that my uniform was way too heavy for me,” Wilder told Yahoo Sports. “I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through.”
Wilder also took aim at referee Kenny Bayless for not confronting Fury, who also licked blood off The Bronze Bomber’s neck during the fight, over numerous punches to the back of the head. The punches were something Wilder claimed Bayless told him during the pre-fight rules explanation would get him disqualified.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--City yeshivas booming while Catholic school enrollment shrinks

State education officials have paused a controversial push for more ...

The number of city kids attending Jewish yeshivas has skyrocketed over the last two decades while Catholic school enrollment has plunged, according to a new report.
During the 2000-2001 school year, there were 76,538 kids enrolled in yeshivas, the Manhattan Institute study found.
By the 2018-2019 academic year, that number soared to 111,970 — a rise of 46 percent, according to the study.
Catholic school enrollment has plummeted by roughly the same proportion over that stretch. There were 148,658 students in the Christian schools in 2000-2001 and just 77,025 last year — a drop of 48 percent, the report states.
The yeshiva explosion stems from high birthrates in the ultra-orthodox Jewish community and near total parental rejection of government schooling, officials said.
“The New York yeshiva system now has more schools educating more students than ever before,” said a spokesman for PEARLS, a group pushing back against criticism of the schools. “This dramatic expansion reflects the widespread satisfaction of yeshiva graduates with their own education, as they overwhelmingly send their children to yeshivas as well.”
Yeshivas have fallen under intense scrutiny in recent years with increasingly vocal critics accusing them of ignoring basic education in favor of religious immersion.
Naftuli Moster, founder of yeshiva reform organization YAFFED, said he welcomed the sector’s growth but said it highlighted the need for urgent change.
“This data should be a warning signal that without immediate intervention, our city will face an education crisis like we have never seen before,” he told The Post. “Today, tens-of-thousands of children who are currently being denied a basic education, as required by law, could soon become hundreds of thousands of children.”
Moster said he expects the Hasidic school-age population to double every 15 years.
While Catholic school enrollment is following the opposite trajectory, a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese said interest in faith-based education is on the uptick.
“Over the past 20 years falling birthrates and an exodus from the northeast have impacted many school systems,” said T.J. McCormack. “We have our eyes set to the future, delivering an innovative, state-of-the-art, faith-based curriculum where test scores outpace most others and graduation rates are consistently above 99 percent, providing society with tomorrow’s leaders.”
Meanwhile, enrollment at the city’s traditional public schools has dropped by 11.1 percent since the 2000-2001 school year, going from 1,066,516 to 948,047 last year, according to the study.
Some of that drop is attributable to the expansion of city charter schools, which went from an enrollment of just 1,821 in 2001 to 117,176 last year.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Shadowy church at center of South Korea coronavirus outbreak shuttered

A shadowy South Korean church at the center of the coronavirus epidemic in the country has been shut down , according to a new report Monday .
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday called the closure of branches of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus “ a fair and inevitable step ” to protect the community , according to the Washington Post .
More than half of the 833 COVID-19 cases in the East Asian nation have been traced to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu , where an infected 61-year-old woman recently attended two services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Si-mon , said late Sunday that its 1,100 churches nationwide have been closed and that its 245,000 followers were told to refrain from external activities .
Members of the group gather in a way that could propel the spread of the illness , according to the report .
They kneel on the floor in tight rows at temple halls and aren ’ t allowed to wear face masks during services , Shin Hyun-wook , a former Shincheonji member turned anti-cult crusader , told the newspaper .
The fringe movement ’ s messianic leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus “ the devil ’ s deed to curb the rapid growth of Shincheonji.
” Members believe 88-year-old Lee , who founded the church in the 1980s , is the second coming of Jesus Christ who will save them from an apocalypse .
Local authorities have reached out to congregants in Daegu , but several hundred were unresponsive as of Sunday , according to the Washington Post .

A shadowy South Korean church at the center of the coronavirus epidemic in the country has been shut down, according to a new report Monday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday called the closure of branches of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus “a fair and inevitable step” to protect the community, according to the Washington Post.
More than half of the 833 COVID-19 cases in the East Asian nation have been traced to a branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, where an infected 61-year-old woman recently attended two services.
A spokesman for Shincheonji, Kim Si-mon, said late Sunday that its 1,100 churches nationwide have been closed and that its 245,000 followers were told to refrain from external activities.
Members of the group gather in a way that could propel the spread of the illness, according to the report.
They kneel on the floor in tight rows at temple halls and aren’t allowed to wear face masks during services, Shin Hyun-wook, a former Shincheonji member turned anti-cult crusader, told the newspaper.
The fringe movement’s messianic leader, Lee Man-hee, has called the spread of the virus “the devil’s deed to curb the rapid growth of Shincheonji.”
Members believe 88-year-old Lee, who founded the church in the 1980s, is the second coming of Jesus Christ who will save them from an apocalypse.
Local authorities have reached out to congregants in Daegu, but several hundred were unresponsive as of Sunday, according to the Washington Post.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Shooting in broad daylight leaves boy dead, sister clinging to life

A 6-year-old boy was killed and his 9-year-old sister is clinging to life after a gunman opened fire on their family ’ s car in broad daylight over the weekend , according to new reports .
The two children were inside the car with their mother and a 7-year-old sibling in the city ’ s Kingsway East neighborhood around 1:45 p.m. Saturday when the shooter — who was not known to the family — opened fire , KSDK reported .
A man rushed the children and their mother to a local hospital where the boy , who police have identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead , according to the report .
The 9-year-old girl is listed in critical condition and the 7-year-old was unharmed .
Their mother was hit with shattered glass , KMOV reported .
“ We do not believe the children or their mom were the intended victims , ” St. Louis Police Lt. Col. Ronnie Robinson told the station .
In a statement , St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson expressed her horror over the shooting .
“ It ’ s maddening and hideous that anyone would open fire on a car with children inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids , ” she said in a statement issued to the station .
“ I don ’ t know what I can possibly say to change this horrific outcome .
It reinforces our need as a city to come together to continue addressing public safety , which remains my number one priority.
” “ I ’ m thankful to the hardworking law enforcement officers who are committed to finding the person responsible and bringing them to justice , and I extend my gratitude to the community members who share our calls for peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s time to put the guns down .
”

A 6-year-old boy was killed and his 9-year-old sister is clinging to life after a gunman opened fire on their family’s car in broad daylight over the weekend, according to new reports.
The two children were inside the car with their mother and a 7-year-old sibling in the city’s Kingsway East neighborhood around 1:45 p.m. Saturday when the shooter — who was not known to the family — opened fire, KSDK reported.
A man rushed the children and their mother to a local hospital where the boy, who police have identified as David Birchfield III, was pronounced dead, according to the report. The 9-year-old girl is listed in critical condition and the 7-year-old was unharmed.
Their mother was hit with shattered glass, KMOV reported.
“We do not believe the children or their mom were the intended victims,” St. Louis Police Lt. Col. Ronnie Robinson told the station.
In a statement, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson expressed her horror over the shooting.
“It’s maddening and hideous that anyone would open fire on a car with children inside. My heart simply breaks for these kids,” she said in a statement issued to the station. “I don’t know what I can possibly say to change this horrific outcome. It reinforces our need as a city to come together to continue addressing public safety, which remains my number one priority.”
“I’m thankful to the hardworking law enforcement officers who are committed to finding the person responsible and bringing them to justice, and I extend my gratitude to the community members who share our calls for peace,” she added. “It’s time to put the guns down.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Harvey Weinstein verdict brings relief for his victims

Harvey Weinstein ’ s victims , and those who believe them , finally got ...

Harvey Weinstein’s victims, and those who believe them, finally got their Hollywood ending: the dethroned Hollywood mogul led out of a courtroom in handcuffs.
On Monday, after nearly a week of deliberations, the jury returned its verdict: guilty on two counts, rape and a criminal sex act. Weinstein, who spent his evenings and weekends throughout the trial partying, his days bantering with press and ignoring admonitions by his trial judge, was immediately remanded to jail.
He will likely never get out.
Can you recall a verdict, in recent memory, that felt like such a relief?
It’s hard to overstate how consequential this is — not just because Weinstein’s downfall ignited the #MeToo movement, nor because the outcome felt determinative of the movement’s future.
This case hung on the testimony of two fallible women, each with her own complicated relationship with the now-fallen producer, once so powerful that he boasted of running not just Hollywood but New York City itself.
Would a jury of seven men and five women unanimously believe that Mimi Haleyi or Jessica Mann, two attractive women who dreamed of working in the entertainment industry, who then kept in affectionate contact with their attacker for years, who asked him for favors and accepted his gifts, were actually victims of sexual assault?
For so many watching, it didn’t seem likely. I certainly didn’t think it was likely. But there may have been a clue in the sketch of the jury, looking at photos of a naked Weinstein and recoiling in disgust and horror. The artist was sure to include, in the right corner, one juror casting his head upward and clenching his fist as if to say, “I can’t unsee it!”
Sir, your civic duty is appreciated.
Still, a defense attorney only needs to seed one juror with enough doubt. And this, the defense surely thought, was their slam dunk: On her third day of cross-examination, Mann testified she had sex with Weinstein in 2016, though she claimed he raped her in a Midtown Manhattan hotel in 2013.
This testimony was just three weeks ago and only one day after Mann had such a severe panic attack on the stand that she was removed.
“I do want the jury to know he is my rapist,” she said the next day.
And the jury believed her! They saw the subtext: There is no upside, zero, to offering such complex testimony in such a high-profile, high-stakes trial, to having their faces and names known globally, to recounting in graphic, humiliating detail things that were done to them and things they went on to do that could only redound terribly if Weinstein were acquitted.
And if that had been the outcome, who would have been blamed? Not just the prosecution, but these women who didn’t behave the way victims on TV and in movies do. In stories produced by men like Harvey Weinstein.
This jury, with this verdict — imperfect though it may be, finding Weinstein not guilty on two counts of predatory sexual assault — has shattered the notion that there is a perfect rape victim. A jury with more men than women realized that a victim of sexual assault, especially one who feels her attacker wields continuous, real-world power over her fate, might have reason to remain in contact with him, to continue to have sex or profess love.
Haleyi, then a production assistant, testified that she kept up a relationship with Weinstein after he assaulted her in 2006 because she needed work, and later had sex with him even though she didn’t want to.
“I believe I was trying to regain some sort of power or something,” she said.
Would a jury unanimously believe that? Or believe coerced sex equivalent to rape?
If Haleyi’s testimony seemed flawed, Mann’s seemed to doom the prosecution’s case.
The jury was shown a 2017 email long ago made public by the defense, in which Mann wrote to Weinstein, “I love you, I always do, but I hate feeling like a booty call.” On the stand, Mann admitted asking Weinstein for help obtaining membership in the ultra-exclusive Soho House, with him writing back, “Of course.” She also admitted to seeking advice from Weinstein and asking him, a year after the rape, to meet her mother.
The courtroom exchange was potentially devastating, not least because Weinstein’s lead defense attorney, the one asking these questions, was a woman.
Donna Rotunno: After breakups, the person you decided to reach out to was the person you say sexually assaulted you?
Mann: Yes.
Rotunno: You want the gentleman and ladies of this jury to know that the man you asked to sponsor you [to Soho House] was your rapist?
Mann: I do want the jury to know he is my rapist, and I want to explain the dynamic.
Consider that by this point, Mann appeared defeated. Her voice and demeanor indicated that she knew this was almost impossible to understand, but she had to placate Weinstein to “protect” herself. “From my point of view,” she said, she couldn’t cease contact if she wanted a career.
Again: What was the likelihood a jury would unanimously believe Mann? It’s not as if they could consider the other 80-plus accusers, all with similar stories.
The smartest thing the prosecution did was call Dr. Barbara Ziv, a forensic psychologist who testified to “rape myths” in Bill Cosby’s trial, to do the same here.
Ziv told the jury that more often than not, victims don’t report or disclose right away. Most victims actually know their assailants, and they often don’t resist. When it’s over, they often try to recast the assault as an encounter gone wrong or a one-time exception.
And very often, Ziv said, victims maintain a relationship with their rapist because “they can’t really believe that this happened to them. They’re hoping that this is just an aberration. You hear that all the time.”
And Weinstein, in vacillating between predator and benefactor, played right into that destabilizing dynamic, one in which his targets could never be sure he was truly a bad guy.
If there’s something to be gained from all this collective pain — the courtroom heard Mann’s wails even after she was removed from court during her panic attack — it’s this: We now have a much more dimensional, sympathetic and true understanding of how victims of sexual assault behave. We are now more likely to believe them, even when it would be easier to dismiss such paradoxes.
Black and white thinking, as the jury found, doesn’t apply here. The truth is in the gray areas. And this verdict will, hopefully, have a reach far beyond Weinstein.
In the years since “grab them by the p—y” meant nothing, in a moment now where another presidential candidate shrugs off calling women “fat broads” and “horse-faced lesbians,” the Weinstein verdict is a corrective and an assurance. It reminds us that progress isn’t linear, but is always worth the fight.


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--Couple forced teen cyclists off road over Trump flags, cops say

An Indiana couple swerved their car toward two teenage boys who had pro-President Trump flags on their bikes — and were caught after posting videos of the incident online , according to a report .
Kyren Perry-Jones , 23 , and Cailyn Smith , 18 , filmed themselves swerving their Chevrolet Malibu toward the 14-year-old boys as if they “ wanted to hit them with the vehicle , ” court records said , according to The Northwest Indiana Times .
They yelled expletives at the teens , demanding they “ pull that flag down ” — eventually snatching one away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , leaving it ripped , the report says .
“ Y ’ all scared , just like your president … America is not great , [ expletive ] , ” Smith could be heard saying on a Snapchat video police say they obtained , according to the report .
The alleged attack happened on July 22 , but the investigation was delayed as Hobart Police obtained the videos from Snapchat , the report says .
Perry-Jones and Smith were charged last Thursday with two felony counts of intimidation and criminal recklessness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Smith was in custody but Perry-Jones remained at large Friday evening , police said .
Online court records do not list attorneys who could speak on behalf of either of them .
“ This is an unfortunate event that involved two brothers expressing their support for President Trump , ” Capt .
James Gonzales told the paper .
“ Our residents in Hobart should be able to express their support for any political affiliation without fear of any adverse recourse .
”

An Indiana couple swerved their car toward two teenage boys who had pro-President Trump flags on their bikes — and were caught after posting videos of the incident online, according to a report.
Kyren Perry-Jones, 23, and Cailyn Smith, 18, filmed themselves swerving their Chevrolet Malibu toward the 14-year-old boys as if they “wanted to hit them with the vehicle,” court records said, according to The Northwest Indiana Times.
They yelled expletives at the teens, demanding they “pull that flag down” — eventually snatching one away from the boys and deliberately driving over it, leaving it ripped, the report says.
“Y’all scared, just like your president … America is not great, [expletive],” Smith could be heard saying on a Snapchat video police say they obtained, according to the report.
The alleged attack happened on July 22, but the investigation was delayed as Hobart Police obtained the videos from Snapchat, the report says.
Perry-Jones and Smith were charged last Thursday with two felony counts of intimidation and criminal recklessness, as well as theft and criminal mischief.
Smith was in custody but Perry-Jones remained at large Friday evening, police said. Online court records do not list attorneys who could speak on behalf of either of them.
“This is an unfortunate event that involved two brothers expressing their support for President Trump,” Capt. James Gonzales told the paper.
“Our residents in Hobart should be able to express their support for any political affiliation without fear of any adverse recourse.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-02-24--US confirms 53 coronavirus cases, including evacuated cruise passengers

The US now has 53 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 19 new patients diagnosed over the weekend, health officials said Monday.
The stateside cases include 39 evacuees from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship and the Chinese city of Wuhan at the center of the outbreak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said the 14 other cases were patients in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington state, Arizona and Wisconsin.
The agency previously reported Friday that there were 13 cases in the country and 21 among repatriated Americans.
Officials warned at the time that the number of confirmed cases among the Americans who were evacuated would likely increase.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Workers prepare to check passengers after they leave the Diamond Princess ship. EPA Americans on a bus after leaving the ship Getty Images Advertisement A plane with people evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Advertisement
“We are keeping track of cases resulting from repatriation efforts separately because we don’t believe those numbers accurately represent the picture of what is happening in the community in the United States at this time,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters Friday.
The virus, known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 79,000 people across the world with the death toll around 2,600.
With Post wires