newyorkpost--2020-04-24--NJ baseball star Kyle Teel passes on draft and will attend Virginia

Three weeks ago , highly rated left-handed hitting catching prospect Kyle Teel figured he was in a good spot no matter what came his way despite the likelihood of no high school games being played this season because of COVID-19 .
The heavily scouted 18-year-old senior from Mahwah High School in New Jersey had a strong chance of being selected during MLB ’ s reconfigured draft , which has no set date after being pushed back from mid-June .
The draft , which has to be held before July 21 , could be reduced from its normal 40 rounds to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment to the University of Virginia which he made before he played a varsity game for Mahwah .
After discussing the pros and cons of each situation , Teel contacted big league clubs Wednesday evening and informed them he was going to attend Virginia .
“ I have been thinking about this for a long time .
Me and my family have talked about this .
We really think it is important for me to get an education at the University of Virginia , ’ ’ Teel said via phone Thursday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I chose to forgo the draft.
’ ’ Teel ’ s decision is a big one for an 18-year-old , but he has a mature view of the landscape , which dictates that he won ’ t be eligible for the draft again until 2023 .
“ This process will be resumed in three years .
It ’ s been a dream of mine to play in Omaha , too , ’ ’ Teel said of the College World Series site in Nebraska .
Since pro scouts have seen him play for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult the choice was .
“ It was definitely a tough decision .
Being a professional baseball player is also a dream of mine , ’ ’ said Teel , a Yankees fan .
“ It ’ s hard to not go into the draft , but Virginia is going to make me ready for not only baseball but for the real world .
The decision made me a little more relaxed.
’ ’ According to Teel ’ s dad , Garett , the uncertainty of the draft was a topic of discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision .
“ We talked more of the education and coming away with something , ’ ’ Garett Teel said .
“ You are a draft pick and you spend 10 years in the minor leagues after being in high school and in 10 years you still have nothing .
You go to college first and you are going to get drafted again as a junior and real close to getting your degree if things don ’ t work out.
’ ’ Yet , it didn ’ t erase the empty feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school baseball .
“ I am trying to stay strong right now and I am still talking to my teammates , making sure everyone is OK , ’ ’ Kyle Teel said .
No games doesn ’ t mean no batting practice , throwing or catching for Teel .
His dad owns Teels Baseball and Softball Training Center in Wyckoff .
Garett , 52 , played at Ridgefield Park High School and William Paterson University in Wayne before being selected by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 1989 draft .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ played five seasons in the Dodgers ’ minor league organization and later coached in the system .
According to Garett Teel , Kyle ’ s decision was his to make .
“ Me and his mom gave him the good and the bad and gave him all the information that he needed .
He mulled it over and he decided on his own what he wanted to do , ’ ’ Garett Teel said .
“ I am happy he made the decision .
It ’ s a great place to get an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseball .
If you are a parent you got to be happy with it .
You can play baseball anywhere , but you can ’ t always go to school like Virginia.
’ ’ Without a senior season , the next opportunity to play for Teel is in the Midwest ’ s 21-team Northwoods League for college players .
The start of that season has been pushed back because of the coronavirus .
Without high school games , Kyle Teel relies on a family member to work out with .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to have my brother be able to throw to me , ’ ’ Kyle Teel said of Aidan , a freshman pitcher at Mahwah who has verbally committed to Virginia .
As for his talent , Kyle Teel ’ s numbers from his junior season certainly rank him among the elite high school players in the country .
The 6-foot-1 , 187-pounder batted .574 ( 35-for-161 ) with eight homers , 31 RBIs , posted an on-base percentage of .678 and a slugging percentage of 1.164 .
He struck out twice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he went 3-0 with three saves and fanned 16 in 11 ²/₃ innings .

Three weeks ago, highly rated left-handed hitting catching prospect Kyle Teel figured he was in a good spot no matter what came his way despite the likelihood of no high school games being played this season because of COVID-19.
The heavily scouted 18-year-old senior from Mahwah High School in New Jersey had a strong chance of being selected during MLB’s reconfigured draft, which has no set date after being pushed back from mid-June. The draft, which has to be held before July 21, could be reduced from its normal 40 rounds to five. And Teel had a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia which he made before he played a varsity game for Mahwah.
After discussing the pros and cons of each situation, Teel contacted big league clubs Wednesday evening and informed them he was going to attend Virginia.
“I have been thinking about this for a long time. Me and my family have talked about this. We really think it is important for me to get an education at the University of Virginia,’’ Teel said via phone Thursday. “That’s a big part why I chose to forgo the draft.’’
Teel’s decision is a big one for an 18-year-old, but he has a mature view of the landscape, which dictates that he won’t be eligible for the draft again until 2023.
“This process will be resumed in three years. It’s been a dream of mine to play in Omaha, too,’’ Teel said of the College World Series site in Nebraska.
Since pro scouts have seen him play for a long time, Teel was asked how difficult the choice was.
“It was definitely a tough decision. Being a professional baseball player is also a dream of mine,’’ said Teel, a Yankees fan. “It’s hard to not go into the draft, but Virginia is going to make me ready for not only baseball but for the real world. The decision made me a little more relaxed.’’
According to Teel’s dad, Garett, the uncertainty of the draft was a topic of discussion but not the major item that shaped the decision.
“We talked more of the education and coming away with something,’’ Garett Teel said. “You are a draft pick and you spend 10 years in the minor leagues after being in high school and in 10 years you still have nothing. You go to college first and you are going to get drafted again as a junior and real close to getting your degree if things don’t work out.’’
Yet, it didn’t erase the empty feeling of not playing a senior year of high school baseball.
“I am trying to stay strong right now and I am still talking to my teammates, making sure everyone is OK,’’ Kyle Teel said.
No games doesn’t mean no batting practice, throwing or catching for Teel. His dad owns Teels Baseball and Softball Training Center in Wyckoff. Garett, 52, played at Ridgefield Park High School and William Paterson University in Wayne before being selected by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 1989 draft. A catcher and third baseman, he played five seasons in the Dodgers’ minor league organization and later coached in the system.
According to Garett Teel, Kyle’s decision was his to make.
“Me and his mom gave him the good and the bad and gave him all the information that he needed. He mulled it over and he decided on his own what he wanted to do,’’ Garett Teel said. “I am happy he made the decision. It’s a great place to get an education and a great place to play baseball. If you are a parent you got to be happy with it. You can play baseball anywhere, but you can’t always go to school like Virginia.’’
Without a senior season, the next opportunity to play for Teel is in the Midwest’s 21-team Northwoods League for college players. The start of that season has been pushed back because of the coronavirus.
Without high school games, Kyle Teel relies on a family member to work out with.
“I have been catching bullpens. I am grateful enough to have my brother be able to throw to me,’’ Kyle Teel said of Aidan, a freshman pitcher at Mahwah who has verbally committed to Virginia.
As for his talent, Kyle Teel’s numbers from his junior season certainly rank him among the elite high school players in the country. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder batted .574 (35-for-61) with eight homers, 31 RBIs, posted an on-base percentage of .678 and a slugging percentage of 1.164. He struck out twice and drew 21 walks. On the mound he went 3-0 with three saves and fanned 16 in 11 ²/₃ innings.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Patriots stay the course, plus four other NFL Draft takeaways

The Post ’ s Ryan Dunleavy will be providing a pick-by-pick analysis ...

Just like that, the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is over.
Six weeks of unprecedented build-up in the absence of all other major American sporting events due to the coronavirus gave way to four hours of live television coverage. It ran much smoother than the worried crowd expected from a technological standpoint.
Here are five takeaways from what happened — and didn’t happen.
1. Quiet Patriots
If you thought the Patriots were going to break the mold and trade up after an offseason when the starting lineup was turned over in free agency, think again. Bill Belichick did what Bill Belichick frequently does: He traded out of the first round to acquire picks in the second and third rounds.
Maybe it would have been different if Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert slipped, but both those quarterbacks were gone in the top six picks. The Patriots passed on Jordan Love — drafted by the Packers at No. 26 to be Aaron Rodgers’ heir apparent — and think highly of Jalen Hurts, who could be a Friday target.
2. SEC is king
Fifteen of the 32 first-round picks were SEC products, including five from LSU and four from Alabama. That is a record for any conference in the first round, smashing the old mark of 12 held by the 2017 SEC, 2013 SEC and 2006 ACC draft classes.
3. Trading was difficult, even without technological fails
None of the top 12 picks and only one of the first 22 changed hands. Four total trades were executed.
The number of trades was expected to be down from the norm given all the different moving pieces involved in negotiations that needed to be done virtually in a 10-minute window. The lack of buyers for the top quarterbacks also softened the trade market.
4. Tackles trumped receivers and cornerbacks
The two deepest positions in the first round ended in a tie: six wide receivers and six offensive tackles selected. Surprisingly, six cornerbacks were taken, too.
But tackles were prioritized: Five went in the first 18 picks. Brooklyn’s Isaiah Wilson went to the Titans at No. 29 to complete the sextet.
In a twist, Henry Ruggs III was the first receiver taken, as the Raiders grabbed him at No. 12, over the more accomplished Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb. They were the only three receivers in the first 20 picks, but then the Eagles, Vikings and 49ers struck in a five-pick span. The run on receivers will continue Friday.
5. Reach me
No matter how many thousands of mock drafts exist, surprises never fail to happen in the first round.
The Falcons failed to trade up from No. 16, so they made A.J. Terrell the third cornerback off the board. Not to be outdone, the Raiders pulled a stunner by taking cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 19. Both players were commonly projected as second-rounders.
In between, the Dolphins drafted USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson at No. 18. Their margin for error is greater, with three first-rounders and 14 total picks across seven rounds.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and James Paxton ‘continue to heal’

Aaron Boone saw his first season as Yankees manager end ...

There’s no telling when the Yankees and the rest of baseball might start playing again, but in the meantime, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are among those who have remained in Tampa, trying to make sure they are healthy if and when the sport resumes this season.
“We’re using this time and he’s using this time to continue to heal,’’ Aaron Boone said of Judge on Thursday on the YES Network. “Obviously, it’s been very productive having the chance to have this time to allow the rib to heal. And that is happening.”
Judge had been out with a fractured rib that he believes he suffered on a diving play in right field last September. Boone also thinks Judge’s punctured lung occurred on the same play.
On Thursday, Boone didn’t have an exact prognosis for Judge, other than to note that the added time off would be beneficial for the right fielder, as well as Stanton and James Paxton.
Stanton, like Judge, is in Tampa and has recovered from the strained calf that sidelined him during spring training.
“When we get ready to go, he should certainly be ready to be back and be part of things,’’ Boone said of the oft-injured Stanton.
As for Paxton, who underwent back surgery in February after first experiencing pain in the area during his final regular-season outing and pitched through discomfort during three postseason outings, he is throwing bullpens sessions and progressing.
“He’s done great,’’ Boone said of the left-hander. “We feel really good about the decision to go ahead and get the surgery. Every step of the way, it’s gone pretty smoothly for him. I think he threw maybe his fifth bullpen the other day and continues to report it’s going really well. We’re really encouraged with James.”
Boone has seen some of his players up close — including Gerrit Cole and Adam Ottavino. He watched both throw bullpen sessions Wednesday, since all three live near each other.
And the third-year manager has tried to stay in touch with the rest of his team however possible.
In addition to daily calls with the coaching staff, trainers and front office to discuss a range of topics, Boone said he also took part in a Zoom call with most of the team and staff last week.
“It wasn’t mandatory,’’ Boone said, adding they had about 40 or 50 people on the call.
“It was a little bit of a state of the union, I guess, from my standpoint,’’ Boone said. “But it was more a chance for guys to get on and just talk smack to one another and see how everyone is doing [and] to see everyone, which was cool.’’
The message, according to Boone, was “kind of getting a feel for how guys are doing and just encouraging guys to stay ready. It was more just checking in and looking at everyone and a chance for guys to maybe ask questions. It was more of a casual, fun call with hopefully a few nuggets in there, as well.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--New York City native Isaiah Wilson taken by Titans in NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL draft was nothing like Isaiah Wilson envisioned .
Growing up , he ’ d watch the glamorous event every year , imagining what it would be like to walk across the massive stage and celebrate a lifelong dream in front of thousands of fans .
Reality may have been more fitting .
As cheers erupted from the Brooklyn apartment where Isaiah Wilson was raised , the Georgia offensive tackle pulled a white Titans cap over his eyes , overcome with emotion after being taken with the 29th-overall pick in Thursday ’ s NFL draft .
The Canarsie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City native to be drafted in the first round in the past 34 years — joining Staten Island ’ s Dominique Easley , who was taken by the Patriots with the 29th-overall pick in 2014 .
“ No matter what round I go in , I plan on working my hardest to be the best player to come out of the draft , ” the 6-foot-7 , 350-pound Wilson told The Post before the draft .
“ Ten years down the line , I want to be the best player in this class.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , joins a Titans team which is coming off a run to the AFC Championship game , and will be tasked with protecting NFL Comeback Player of the Year Ryan Tannehill and NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry .
At Georgia , Wilson was a two-year starter at right tackle , earning All-SEC second-team honors last season .
Though he wasn ’ t projected to be taken in the first round , he long ago put himself in position with 3:30 a.m. wake-ups for workouts while playing at Poly Prep ( Bay Ridge ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child for goals , ” his mother , Sharese , told The Post recently .
“ He was always pretty driven .
He had it in his mind this is what he wanted to do .
”

The 2020 NFL draft was nothing like Isaiah Wilson envisioned. Growing up, he’d watch the glamorous event every year, imagining what it would be like to walk across the massive stage and celebrate a lifelong dream in front of thousands of fans.
Reality may have been more fitting.
As cheers erupted from the Brooklyn apartment where Isaiah Wilson was raised, the Georgia offensive tackle pulled a white Titans cap over his eyes, overcome with emotion after being taken with the 29th-overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft.
The Canarsie product is just the second New York City native to be drafted in the first round in the past 34 years — joining Staten Island’s Dominique Easley, who was taken by the Patriots with the 29th-overall pick in 2014.
“No matter what round I go in, I plan on working my hardest to be the best player to come out of the draft,” the 6-foot-7, 350-pound Wilson told The Post before the draft. “Ten years down the line, I want to be the best player in this class.”
Wilson, a 6-foot-7, 350-pounder, joins a Titans team which is coming off a run to the AFC Championship game, and will be tasked with protecting NFL Comeback Player of the Year Ryan Tannehill and NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.
At Georgia, Wilson was a two-year starter at right tackle, earning All-SEC second-team honors last season. Though he wasn’t projected to be taken in the first round, he long ago put himself in position with 3:30 a.m. wake-ups for workouts while playing at Poly Prep (Bay Ridge).
“He is the quintessential poster child for goals,” his mother, Sharese, told The Post recently. “He was always pretty driven. He had it in his mind this is what he wanted to do.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--The legacy lesson Rob Manfred must learn from Bud Selig

MLB ’ s investigation into the Red Sox ’ s sign-stealing during their 2018 ...

Much like presidents, kings and big-cat collectors, sports commissioners get defined most of all by the scandals that occur on their watch.
Hence, Rob Manfred need not look far and wide when seeking guidance for how to move his sport past the sign-stealing ugliness of the past few months, which reached a conclusion of sorts Wednesday with the findings on the 2018 Red Sox. Presumably there still exists a Batphone — a Budphone? — that directly connects the current commissioner with his immediate predecessor:
“Commissioner Selig, can you remind me how you dealt with steroids?”
Actually, Manfred worked under Selig for nearly the entirety of the illegal performance-enhancing drugs saga and helped improve his boss’ legacy, so perhaps a tutorial would be overkill; I just wanted to use the “Budphone” joke. Regardless, the roadmap to amelioration, if not necessarily salvation, looks remarkably similar between then and now: Own the scandal by making the crime harder to commit the next time.
Illegal PEDs and illegal sign-stealing can be qualified as cousins in chicanery, similar and not identical. Both get deployed to make you better, which in turn helps your team win, which means that they are nowhere as serious as, say, gambling on baseball.
Sign-stealing, though, requires more teamwork, thereby fundamentally indicting superiors, whereas illegal PED utilization tends to be more of a solo act. You can test individuals for illegal PED usage and pinpoint who exactly is doing what. Sign-stealing is murkier. Jose Altuve, for instance, knew all about the 2017 Astros’ trash-can banging and usually declined the information, which made him … guilty, but not as much as some teammates?
From the commissioners’ vantage points, Selig heard public cries far and wide about steroids yet didn’t get much done until the players — pushed by whistleblower Ken Caminiti — signed off on testing. Manfred heard private cries far and wide about illegal sign-stealing, especially the Astros’, yet didn’t knock any heads until Mike Fiers sounded the alarm.
Once Selig procured buy-in from the players and their union, he altered the narrative. Sluggers started looking less like huge-headed, bulging-bicep-ed cartoon characters. In time, the players themselves led the charge to impose tougher penalties on violations. And when the ne’er-do-wells looked for and found ways to beat the tests, baseball’s investigative unit nailed them via evidence and witness testimony.
If some baseball historians still scold Selig for being slow to realize his game’s fungus, most credit him for producing a remedy that mitigated the problem, if it will never be wholly eradicated.
Illegal sign-stealing, too, will never be eliminated altogether because, well, you’ve met a human being before, right? However, Manfred can hope that the penalties he inflicted upon the Astros and Red Sox provide strong disincentive; even if you were underwhelmed by the Red Sox case, do you really think any video-replay operator wants to wind up as the next J.T. Watkins? He should take further precautions to police those replay rooms, as he and his deputies were en route to doing for 2020 before the coronavirus shutdown.
And the anger that countless players expressed toward the Astros must be converted into Players Association buy-in for its own members to be disciplined the next time this happens.
I don’t believe Manfred deserves the holy hell he has received for granting immunity to 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox players; suspensions of players never would’ve held up under appeal. Nor do I think that any titles should be revoked. If Manfred erred at all in these adjoined investigations, in my opinion, he should’ve been harder on Astros owner Jim Crane for allowing a such a negative organizational culture to fester and on Red Sox owner John Henry for running a team that broke sign-stealing rules a year after its Apple Watch transgressions set the tougher rules in motion.
Maybe, like Selig and steroids, Manfred always will be linked with sign-stealing. Definitely, like the man he replaced, he can lessen the damage to his sport and his commissionership with diplomacy and diligence.
Reggie Jackson says, “If you have a bat in your hands, you can change the story.” It’s still Manfred’s turn at the plate. The baseball world will eagerly await the resolution.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Maxine Waters says her sister is dying from coronavirus

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
Rep. Maxine Waters , D-Calif. , said on Thursday that she was dedicating the $ 494 billion coronavirus stimulus relief bill currently being debated on Capitol Hill to her sister who she said is currently dying from the virus .
“ I ’ m going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister , who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis , Missouri , right now , infected by the coronavirus , ” Waters said .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Waters was wearing a face mask at the Capitol , but removed it to make the dedication to her sister .
The day ’ s debate was almost overshadowed by social distancing steps , producing a stark image of how the pandemic is changing what used to be normal behavior in Washington .
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , spoke , she lowered the white scarf that had covered much of her face .
House Chaplain Patrick Conroy delivered the opening prayer while wearing a yellow protective mask , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sparsely populated floor wore masks as well .
With the entire Capitol closed to the public , visitors ’ galleries were set aside for lawmakers in an effort to separate them .
The package was headed toward certain , overwhelming approval later Thursday , an action that would send the measure to President Trump for his signature .
The Senate approved the legislation Tuesday .
But partisan divides remained over the government ’ s response to the country ’ s unprecedented health and economic crises — some of them literally visible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the chamber ’ s floor as debate began , just two were not wearing masks — Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer of Kentucky .
In addition , Republicans chided Democrats for holding up the initial version of the bill by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , which included just $ 250 billion , all of it for small businesses .
After two weeks , GOP leaders agreed to expand the bill as Democrats insisted on more money for small businesses in minority and rural communities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that period , the government exhausted an initial $ 250 billion lawmakers provided in earlier emergency legislation .
Pelosi blamed Republicans and McConnell for the holdup , saying Democrats had changed a GOP-written “ corporate-oriented trickle-down bill to a worker-first , bubble-up bill.
” She also singled out McConnell for at first opposing adding any money to his original $ 250 billion package and saying cash-strapped states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy , a move they currently can not do and that would threaten a broad range of state services .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both parties were sure to back the measure by a wide margin .
Anchoring the bill is a request by the Trump administration to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-sized businesses with payroll , rent and other expenses .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said on Thursday that she was dedicating the $494 billion coronavirus stimulus relief bill currently being debated on Capitol Hill to her sister who she said is currently dying from the virus.
“I’m going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister, who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, right now, infected by the coronavirus,” Waters said.
Like many of her colleagues in the House, Waters was wearing a face mask at the Capitol, but removed it to make the dedication to her sister.
The day’s debate was almost overshadowed by social distancing steps, producing a stark image of how the pandemic is changing what used to be normal behavior in Washington.
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke, she lowered the white scarf that had covered much of her face. House Chaplain Patrick Conroy delivered the opening prayer while wearing a yellow protective mask, and most lawmakers and aides on the chamber’s sparsely populated floor wore masks as well.
With the entire Capitol closed to the public, visitors’ galleries were set aside for lawmakers in an effort to separate them.
The package was headed toward certain, overwhelming approval later Thursday, an action that would send the measure to President Trump for his signature. The Senate approved the legislation Tuesday.
But partisan divides remained over the government’s response to the country’s unprecedented health and economic crises — some of them literally visible.
Of the roughly two dozen lawmakers on the chamber’s floor as debate began, just two were not wearing masks — Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer of Kentucky.
In addition, Republicans chided Democrats for holding up the initial version of the bill by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., which included just $250 billion, all of it for small businesses.
After two weeks, GOP leaders agreed to expand the bill as Democrats insisted on more money for small businesses in minority and rural communities, hospitals and for virus testing. During that period, the government exhausted an initial $250 billion lawmakers provided in earlier emergency legislation.
Pelosi blamed Republicans and McConnell for the holdup, saying Democrats had changed a GOP-written “corporate-oriented trickle-down bill to a worker-first, bubble-up bill.”
She also singled out McConnell for at first opposing adding any money to his original $250 billion package and saying cash-strapped states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy, a move they currently cannot do and that would threaten a broad range of state services.
Despite the political rhetoric, large majorities of both parties were sure to back the measure by a wide margin. Anchoring the bill is a request by the Trump administration to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-sized businesses with payroll, rent and other expenses.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--It’s only fitting Mets’ ownership hunt is parade of liars and cheats

Where do you want to start ?
Wednesday ?
On Wednesday , Alex ...

“I’m speechless,” he began.
I sense the day is coming when Mr. Met will be pinched at JFK attempting to board a flight to the Cayman Islands. His head will be cut open to reveal purloined cash and stock certificates that he’ll claim he never knew he was carrying — someone must’ve switched heads on him.
If dishonest money is naturally attracted to dishonest money, the Mets are a natural. Enter the Wilpon Clan:
Twice knocked on its fanny for an inclination to throw in big with Ponzi schemers, from the Wilpons MLB should have demanded the keys to the Mets’ tarnished and tattered tent for its greedy financial recklessness, especially after the second deal, with Bernie Madoff — the calamity in which investors were not allowed to ask any questions.
Instead, MLB floated the Mets a $25 million loan.
Needing to off-load expenses, the Mets then tuned to hedge fund/hedgehog operator Steve Cohen, whose firm in 2013 paid a record $1.8 billion fine for insider — crooked, dishonest, illegal — trading.
I often wonder how that played out. “Marge, I’ll have the egg salad on whole wheat toast, a side of onion rings and a Diet Coke. Oh, and when you get back, have the hedge fund cut a check to the government for $1.8 billion.”
Or did Cohen’s operation pay the fine out of the petty cash drawer?
But these aren’t merely days of diminished standards but of flipped standards. Who cares who next owns the Mets as long as they’re new guys. And so simplistic fans and media celebrated the anticipated coming of Steve Cohen, the head of a Wall Street firm nailed for insider-trading, as the potential new owner for whom they’d long been dreaming.
But the Cohen deal, as if he were going to play backup to pikers, went kaput, and now the latest to cause media and fans a rush of blood to the head is the entry one of the most notorious cheats and liars — and beneficiary of the two — in sports history, Alex Rodriguez. He’d like to buy at least a chunk of the Mets. Hooray!
Can neither MLB nor the Wilpons find any honest candidates?
Rodriguez was the inexplicable recipient of the fastest no-good-reason turnaround in the history of lying cheats. He wasn’t done with baseball for a minute when first Fox then ESPN came begging for his million-dollar-smile on-camera services. So he signed with both.
And the abdication of integrity and credibility among those who know better hasn’t ceased. Two weeks ago Rodriguez was appointed to the Board of Directors of the prestigious Paley Center for Media — an archive and think-bank for TV and radio history and contributions.
Why did Rodriguez qualify? Who knows? I looked and looked. Just read that he was a star baseball player, nothing more.
And a guy who enriched himself and degraded The Game by cheating and lying not only wants to buy an MLB team, many “fans” are all for it!
Have we gone mad? Does indisputable right no longer supersede indisputable wrong? Soon, we’ll look at the days of badly diminished standards as the Golden Age of Ethics.
Gamblers’ unemployment claims could be fun
Due to the coronavirus, professional gamblers in Nevada likely will be able to file for and receive unemployment benefits. Seriously.
I don’t wish to be insensitive to their plight and peril, but one wonders the forms pro gamblers must fill out in order to qualify for unemployment checks:
Reason For Application: Split 3s against a 6.
Last Position Held: Anchor.
Mailing Address: Don’s Depths of Degradation Bar & Grill, Reno, Nev.
How Do You Normally Travel To And From Work: Boxcars.
Most Immediate Need Of Funds: Baby needs new shoes.
Reason For Immediate Need: Fast women, slow horses.
References: Wayne Newton, the pawnshop owner.
Last Work Aid Purchased: Mike Francesa’s “My Picks Have Value” phone app.
Spiritual Denomination: Seventh-Card Adventist.
Letter of the Week: Reader Joe Magnetico on ESPN’s Chicago Bulls documentary, specifically Game 2 of the 1986 playoffs when Michael Jordan scored 63 in a two-overtime, 135-131 loss to the Celtics. Take it, Joe:
“Maybe ESPN could emphasize to today’s ‘as soon as I get open even a little, I’m launching a 3 no matter the situation’ players that during that magnificent game the teams combined for 11 3-point attempts, making only three for the entire game, including exactly zero attempts by Jordan.
“That’s right, kids, 266 points scored in a game with six Hall of Famers and neither team needed to chuck as many 3s as humanly possible to play a fantastic game. And the teams shot 81 percent from the foul line.
“ ‘You’re lying, Daddy!’
“Sigh, the NBA used to be great.”
Insert Chris Berman ad here
Has ESPN’s Chris Berman ever turned down an endorsement? Now he stars as his tired, clownish self in an ad for some auto windshield replacement operation. He once appeared in TV ads endorsing weight-loss products and fat-filled three-cheese food platters.
While we’re at it, if Cam Newton doesn’t hook up with a team, think of all those Gatorade towels left on the sidelines.
Shucks, the virus deprived us of that part of the season when NBA players tweet how unhappy they are with their current teams.
A recent mention here of transient first baseman Dick Stuart — 1958-66, mostly with the Pirates and Red Sox — brought readers’ tales about the fellow known as “The Man With the Iron Glove” and “Dr. Strangeglove.” The best is when he received a standing O in Fenway for successfully fielding a hot dog wrapper.
Reader Marcus Holland understands Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman’s public anger with NASCAR driver Kyle Larsen for using the N-word. But Holland asks why, if Stroman detests the word, his “walk-up” music has included rappers spewing N-word lyrics every other line? Or is there a good context for using that slur?
Reader Mike Gattis notes that Michael Kevin Kearney is the youngest college graduate on U.S. record, earning a degree from the University of South Alabama at age 10. “He would’ve been 9,” Gattis writes, “but was red-shirted his freshman year.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--The Jets next NFL draft pick is crucial after safe Mekhi Becton selection

The Jets offensive line got a whole lot bigger Thursday ...

Joe Douglas and the Jets found themselves on Temptation Island when pick No. 11 arrived in Thursday night’s 2020 NFL Draft.
The way the first 10 picks fell, the Jets and their first-time general manager were staring at as close to a perfect scenario as they could have hoped for: Only two of the top tackles had been selected and they had the pick of the litter among the receivers.
Douglas picking either a tackle or a receiver at No. 11 was going to follow the primary objective of this draft: Build around Sam Darnold and make the franchise quarterback better.
I’m not going to lie: While I know the Jets are in need of a tackle to protect Darnold, temptation would have led me directly to either CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs III, two of the top receivers.
Because I want to see a liberated Darnold, in his second year in Adam Gase’s system, be able to throw the ball all over the yard, and you need a No. 1 receiver to be able to do that.
But in the end, Douglas, a high school and college offensive lineman, stayed true to his roots and picked Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton, a 6-foot-7, 363-pound mountain of a man who Douglas and Gase and Darnold and every living Jets fan hopes will become the next D’Brickashaw Ferguson.
What does that mean? It means Becton becomes a player who allows the Jets not to have to worry about the left tackle position for the next decade.
Ferguson, drafted by the Jets in the first round out of Virginia in 2006, played 10 seasons with them and started 160 games. That’s 16 games per season, which means he never missed a start in his career.
How good and dependable was Ferguson? Jets owner Woody Johnson named his son “Brick’’ after him.
The left tackle position since Ferguson retired has been a turnstile for the Jets.
So, even though I wanted to give in to temptation and take the top receiver in a draft that’s been hailed as one of the best receiver drafts in generations, I’m OK with the Becton pick.
On one condition.
That Douglas finds the best receiver available in Friday night’s second round, with the 48th overall pick.
• Jets’ NFL Draft tracker: Live round-by-round picks and analysis
When The Post spoke to Greg McElroy, the former Jets backup quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst before the draft, he said he’d be fine with the Jets taking a tackle in the first round, but added, “Knowing that their weapons are so problematic, I would need some assurances that they’ll eventually address wide receiver at some point in the draft sooner than later.’’
Sooner needs to be Friday in the second round.
“It’s probably as deep a draft at wide receiver I’ve ever covered in my seven years in the industry,’’ McElroy said. “You can get great value at receiver on Day 3 easily.’’
One educated observer — former Giants quarterback and current NFL analyst for CBS Phil Simms — vehemently disagreed with McElroy’s take.
“All that talk is for people who are not running teams,’’ Simms told The Post. “If you wait until the second round to take a receiver, you’re not going to get a guy as good as CeeDee Lamb. You can always help out a tackle.’’
Hopefully, Becton, who started 21 games at left tackle and 12 at right tackle in college, won’t need any help.
Becton’s dexterity and movement for his size — he ran a 5.1 in the 40 at the combine — has blown scouts away.
“A man that size isn’t supposed to be as nimble as he is,’’ Douglas said.
“The guy moves people like furniture,’’ Rex Hogan, the Jets’ assistant general manager, said.
Gase called Becton “a big man that can move people off the ball in the run game and he’s a tough man to get around in the passing game,’’ and added, “He brings us some edge and some nasty, and any time you can add a player like that you’re fired up as a coaching staff.’’
When Gase’s comments were relayed to Becton, he smiled and quickly concurred.
“I think my demeanor is real nasty,’’ he said on a Zoom call with the media. “I like to see the man in front of me on the ground with me on top of him. [I’m] a dominant, physical offensive lineman that likes to finish the guy in front of him every play.’’
Based on Douglas’ reaction after the Becton pick that was caught on TV, him hugging and celebrating with his family, he feels good about getting it right at No. 11.
Now go find that No. 1 receiver Darnold desperately needs.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--YouTube bans ‘medically unsubstantiated’ content from site

YouTube has started banning content that is in direct contradiction to the World Health Organization ’ s guidelines as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the United States .
The Google-owned company also announced that it will be removing conspiracy theory videos that say that COVID-19 is directly linked to 5G cell service .
Chief executive , Susan Wojcicki said in a statement that “ anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations ” are a violation of their policy .
“ So people saying , ‘ Take vitamin C , take turmeric , we ’ ll cure you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that would be a violation of our policy , ” she told CNN .
Wojcicki also added that in the world ’ s current state , the site has seen a 75 percent increase in demand for new from credible sources .
Youtube isn ’ t the only site that is taking tougher steps to help stem the flow of misinformation .
Facebook announced last week that if any user watches any fake content related to the coronavirus , they would receive a pop-up urging them to go to the WHO website @

YouTube has started banning content that is in direct contradiction to the World Health Organization’s guidelines as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the United States.
The Google-owned company also announced that it will be removing conspiracy theory videos that say that COVID-19 is directly linked to 5G cell service.
Chief executive, Susan Wojcicki said in a statement that “anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations” are a violation of their policy.
“So people saying, ‘Take vitamin C, take turmeric, we’ll cure you,’ those are the examples of things that would be a violation of our policy,” she told CNN.
Wojcicki also added that in the world’s current state, the site has seen a 75 percent increase in demand for new from credible sources.
Youtube isn’t the only site that is taking tougher steps to help stem the flow of misinformation.
Facebook announced last week that if any user watches any fake content related to the coronavirus, they would receive a pop-up urging them to go to the WHO website.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Mike Vrabel’s family made for one strange NFL Draft scene

The scene at Titans coach Mike Vrabel ’ s house Thursday night for NFL Draft 2020 was a piece of art .
Every time you looked at it , there was something different to focus on — all of it bordering on bizarre .
Front and center , there was Vrabel , who had just taken Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson with the 29th pick , appearing to spit out dipping tobacco into a cup .
Behind Vrabel ’ s left shoulder , there was a kid with a blond mustache and mullet wearing Vrabel ’ s Pro Bowl jersey from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Behind his right shoulder was another kid dressing up like Frozone from “ The Incredibles , ” in Titans colors .
Then there was another kid seen in the reflection of a door , who Twitter detectives immediately thought was on a toilet .
He was leaning on his bare knees , but upon further inspection , may not have forgotten to close the door after all — he appeared to just have shorts on .
Vrabel later cleared up the madness , telling reporters that his son Tyler — an offensive lineman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a stool , not the toilet .
The Vrabel household did have a long time to wait to see themselves on TV with the Titans ’ selection .
It happened shortly before midnight , giving plenty of time for costumes and hairdos to be figured out for national TV .

The scene at Titans coach Mike Vrabel’s house Thursday night for NFL Draft 2020 was a piece of art.
Every time you looked at it, there was something different to focus on — all of it bordering on bizarre.
Front and center, there was Vrabel, who had just taken Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson with the 29th pick, appearing to spit out dipping tobacco into a cup.
Behind Vrabel’s left shoulder, there was a kid with a blond mustache and mullet wearing Vrabel’s Pro Bowl jersey from his days as a Patriots linebacker. Behind his right shoulder was another kid dressing up like Frozone from “The Incredibles,” in Titans colors.
Then there was another kid seen in the reflection of a door, who Twitter detectives immediately thought was on a toilet. He was leaning on his bare knees, but upon further inspection, may not have forgotten to close the door after all — he appeared to just have shorts on.
Vrabel later cleared up the madness, telling reporters that his son Tyler — an offensive lineman at Boston College — was actually just on a stool, not the toilet.
The Vrabel household did have a long time to wait to see themselves on TV with the Titans’ selection. It happened shortly before midnight, giving plenty of time for costumes and hairdos to be figured out for national TV.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--City health officials warn coronavirus antibody tests may not prove immunity

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
New York City health officials are advising medical providers against using antibody tests to determine coronavirus infections or potential immunity .
The serological tests , as they ’ re called , are too unreliable and it ’ s not yet known whether the detection of antibodies translates to immunity from COVID-19 , according to a letter dated April 22 from Demetre Daskalakis , a deputy commissioner at the city Health Department .
“ They may produce false negative or false positive results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorrect guidance on preventive interventions like physical distancing or protective equipment , ” Daskalakis wrote in the letter .
With so many uncertainties around asymptomatic carriers of the virus and how many people have truly been infected , attention has turned to antibody testing in hopes it can help shed light on who has actually caught the bug and whether they are now immune .
Daskalakis warned medical providers shouldn ’ t assume any of the tests now being marketed are “ reliable enough for use in routine clinical practice ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been approved for use by FDA .
“ Dose of reality folks , ” said Councilman Mark Levine ( D-Manhattan ) , the chair of the Council ’ s health committee , who shared the letter on social media Thursday night .
“ There is some irrational exuberance on antibody tests , ” Levine tweeted .
“ They are useful for tracking trends in the general population , but should *not* be used to make personal health decisions.
” Levine added though that the tests still have a purpose in the fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , remain extremely useful to determine whether volunteers can donate plasma to patients still battling covid , ” he said .
The serological tests are unreliable in diagnosing viruses because the antibody response may take days or weeks to be detectable , meaning someone who was recently infected might still test negative , according to the city .
The letter was sent just a day before the state announced preliminary results from its own antibody study showing 2.7 million New Yorkers may have been exposed to coronavirus .
Gov .
Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , believing it to be a key to restarting the economy because it would indicate which workers may have acquired some immunity to the bug .
But others , like White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , have cautioned against reading too much into the tests at this point , in part due to the same reasons noted by the city .
“ There ’ s an assumption — a reasonable assumption — that when you have an antibody that you are protected against reinfection , but that has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s true for other viruses , ” he said earlier this week .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
New York City health officials are advising medical providers against using antibody tests to determine coronavirus infections or potential immunity.
The serological tests, as they’re called, are too unreliable and it’s not yet known whether the detection of antibodies translates to immunity from COVID-19, according to a letter dated April 22 from Demetre Daskalakis, a deputy commissioner at the city Health Department.
“They may produce false negative or false positive results, the consequences of which include providing patients incorrect guidance on preventive interventions like physical distancing or protective equipment,” Daskalakis wrote in the letter.
With so many uncertainties around asymptomatic carriers of the virus and how many people have truly been infected, attention has turned to antibody testing in hopes it can help shed light on who has actually caught the bug and whether they are now immune.
Daskalakis warned medical providers shouldn’t assume any of the tests now being marketed are “reliable enough for use in routine clinical practice” and that some are falsely claiming they’ve been approved for use by FDA.
“Dose of reality folks,” said Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan), the chair of the Council’s health committee, who shared the letter on social media Thursday night.
“There is some irrational exuberance on antibody tests,” Levine tweeted. “They are useful for tracking trends in the general population, but should *not* be used to make personal health decisions.”
Levine added though that the tests still have a purpose in the fight against the pandemic.
“Anti-body tests do, however, remain extremely useful to determine whether volunteers can donate plasma to patients still battling covid,” he said.
The serological tests are unreliable in diagnosing viruses because the antibody response may take days or weeks to be detectable, meaning someone who was recently infected might still test negative, according to the city.
The letter was sent just a day before the state announced preliminary results from its own antibody study showing 2.7 million New Yorkers may have been exposed to coronavirus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo s pressing for more widespread antibody testing, believing it to be a key to restarting the economy because it would indicate which workers may have acquired some immunity to the bug.
But others, like White House coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, have cautioned against reading too much into the tests at this point, in part due to the same reasons noted by the city.
“There’s an assumption — a reasonable assumption — that when you have an antibody that you are protected against reinfection, but that has not been proven for this particular virus. It’s true for other viruses,” he said earlier this week.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Nova Scotia mass shooting erupted from argument, official says

TORONTO — Canada ’ s worst mass shooting erupted from an argument between the gunman and his girlfriend , who survived the attack , a police official said .
The official confirmed to The Associated Press late Thursday that the weekend shooting rampage in Nova Scotia stemmed from a domestic dispute involving the couple .
The official , who spoke on condition of anonymity , said more details would be provided at a news conference Friday .
Police have said 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman acted alone in the shooting spree that killed at least 22 people across northern and central Nova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in five different rural communities throughout northern and central Nova Scotia .
The suspect was shot to death Sunday morning , about 13 hours after the attacks began .
Several bodies were found inside and outside one house in the rural town of Portapique , police have said .
Bodies were also found in four other communities , and authorities believe the shooter targeted his first victims but then began attacking randomly as he drove around .
Police have said Wortman carried out much of the attack disguised as a police officer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrol car .
They say he shot people in and around their homes and set fires to homes in Portapique .
Wortman , who owned a denture practice in the city of Dartmouth , near Halifax , lived part-time in Portapique , according to residents .
Atlantic Denture Clinic , his practice , had been closed the past month because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Authorities said Wortman did not have a police record , but information later emerged of at least one run-in with the law .
Nova Scotia court records confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger management after pleading guilty to assaulting a man in the Halifax area on Oct. 29 , 2001 .
The guilty plea came on Oct. 7 , 2002 , as his trial was about to begin .
He was placed on probation for nine months , fined $ 50 and told to stay away from the man , and also prohibited from owning or possessing a weapon , ammunition or explosive substances .
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada .
The country overhauled its gun control laws after Marc Lepine shot 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989 .
Before the weekend rampage , that had been Canada ’ s worst mass shooting .
Two years ago Thursday , a man drove a van along a busy Toronto sidewalk and killed 10 people and injured 16 .
The suspect , who is awaiting trial , said he carried out the attack in retribution for years of sexual rejection and ridicule by women .

TORONTO — Canada’s worst mass shooting erupted from an argument between the gunman and his girlfriend, who survived the attack, a police official said.
The official confirmed to The Associated Press late Thursday that the weekend shooting rampage in Nova Scotia stemmed from a domestic dispute involving the couple. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more details would be provided at a news conference Friday.
Police have said 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman acted alone in the shooting spree that killed at least 22 people across northern and central Nova Scotia. There are 16 crime scenes in five different rural communities throughout northern and central Nova Scotia.
The suspect was shot to death Sunday morning, about 13 hours after the attacks began.
Several bodies were found inside and outside one house in the rural town of Portapique, police have said. Bodies were also found in four other communities, and authorities believe the shooter targeted his first victims but then began attacking randomly as he drove around.
Police have said Wortman carried out much of the attack disguised as a police officer in a vehicle marked to seem like a patrol car. They say he shot people in and around their homes and set fires to homes in Portapique.
Wortman, who owned a denture practice in the city of Dartmouth, near Halifax, lived part-time in Portapique, according to residents. Atlantic Denture Clinic, his practice, had been closed the past month because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities said Wortman did not have a police record, but information later emerged of at least one run-in with the law. Nova Scotia court records confirm he was ordered to receive counseling for anger management after pleading guilty to assaulting a man in the Halifax area on Oct. 29, 2001.
The guilty plea came on Oct. 7, 2002, as his trial was about to begin. He was placed on probation for nine months, fined $50 and told to stay away from the man, and also prohibited from owning or possessing a weapon, ammunition or explosive substances.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. The country overhauled its gun control laws after Marc Lepine shot 14 women and himself to death at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989. Before the weekend rampage, that had been Canada’s worst mass shooting.
Two years ago Thursday, a man drove a van along a busy Toronto sidewalk and killed 10 people and injured 16. The suspect, who is awaiting trial, said he carried out the attack in retribution for years of sexual rejection and ridicule by women.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--NFL Draft 2020 first round finishes without technical issues

One team deserves an “ A ” on every draft report card : IT .
With the specter of technological glitches and hackers threatening to ruin Thursday ’ s NFL draft , the first round of the first virtual event concluded without any chaos .
Earlier in the week , a mock draft including all 32 teams triggered a league-wide nightmare , as the Bengals ’ first pick was delayed more than two minutes due to glitches and multiple teams reported bandwidth issues , resulting in communication problems between isolated parties .
Entering the draft , sportsbooks offered prop bets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get its pick in on time and whether the draft would be hacked .
Instead , the action originally intended to take place on the Las Vegas Strip — and relocated to countless cameras set up by the NFL in the homes of coaches , players and general managers because of the COVID-19 pandemic — swiftly and smoothly moved around the nation , with teams remotely sending in their selections , trades being executed and information technology experts present in numerous homes .
Broadcasting out of his Bronxville basement , commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players sat on living room couches and coaches huddled with their children .
“ This is different for us and it ’ s different for you , ” Goodell said .
“ Because it has to be.
” The glitz of the highly anticipated event was the one feature which couldn ’ t easily be replaced , with a selection of fans unnaturally cheering on a large TV screen behind Goodell .
Before Joe Burrow was taken with the first pick , the maligned commissioner awkwardly attempted to recreate the usual atmosphere , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ It ’ s ] a draft tradition , and one I genuinely enjoy , ” Goodell said .
“ Oh , come on , you guys .
You can do better than that .
”

One team deserves an “A” on every draft report card: IT.
With the specter of technological glitches and hackers threatening to ruin Thursday’s NFL draft, the first round of the first virtual event concluded without any chaos.
Earlier in the week, a mock draft including all 32 teams triggered a league-wide nightmare, as the Bengals’ first pick was delayed more than two minutes due to glitches and multiple teams reported bandwidth issues, resulting in communication problems between isolated parties.
Entering the draft, sportsbooks offered prop bets, such as whether a team wouldn’t get its pick in on time and whether the draft would be hacked.
Instead, the action originally intended to take place on the Las Vegas Strip — and relocated to countless cameras set up by the NFL in the homes of coaches, players and general managers because of the COVID-19 pandemic — swiftly and smoothly moved around the nation, with teams remotely sending in their selections, trades being executed and information technology experts present in numerous homes.
Broadcasting out of his Bronxville basement, commissioner Roger Goodell announced the picks, as players sat on living room couches and coaches huddled with their children.
“This is different for us and it’s different for you,” Goodell said. “Because it has to be.”
The glitz of the highly anticipated event was the one feature which couldn’t easily be replaced, with a selection of fans unnaturally cheering on a large TV screen behind Goodell. Before Joe Burrow was taken with the first pick, the maligned commissioner awkwardly attempted to recreate the usual atmosphere, asking fans to boo him.
“[It’s] a draft tradition, and one I genuinely enjoy,” Goodell said. “Oh, come on, you guys. You can do better than that.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Yankees’ Aaron Boone opens up about Red Sox cheating scandal

Aaron Boone saw his first season as Yankees manager end in a loss in the ALDS to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox — a team that was investigated for sign-stealing allegations and found guilty .
After MLB released its underwhelming punishment that resulted in only the loss of a second-round pick in this year ’ s amateur draft and the suspension of Boston ’ s then video-replay operator , Boone said he didn ’ t know what to think .
Asked by the YES Network on Thursday if the punishment fit the crime when it came to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know .
Who knows exactly what went down ?
I do trust that Major League Baseball thoroughly investigated and got to the bottom of things as best they can .
I feel like if that ’ s what they come up with , so be it .
It ’ s time to move on.
’ ’ MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and his investigators ruled Boston ’ s scheme was not nearly as damaging as the one executed by the Astros in 2017 , which also resulted in a World Series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after another investigation during the offseason .
The commissioner ’ s report said that Boston ’ s video-replay operator in 2018 , J.T .
Watkins , at times during that season , used the game feeds in the replay room “ in violation of MLB regulations , to revise sign sequence information that he had permissibly provided to players prior to the game.
’ ’ Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag Unlike the Astros , who used video and a trash can in the dugout to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the box , the Red Sox only used their system when a runner was on second base and could relay signs to the hitter .
Boston didn ’ t use its strategy as often as Houston did , which is among the reasons no players , members of their coaching staff or front office were punished .
Boston manager Alex Cora , who “ mutually parted ways ” with the Red Sox following the findings from the Houston investigation , was penalized only for his role as Astros ’ bench coach in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bite in the Red Sox situation , Boone said he is confident it will further deter teams from future cheating .
“ I ’ m glad that we ’ re kind of through those situations , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ Hopefully , as I ’ ve said all along and I do believe this , hopefully just as a sport we ’ ll be better moving forward knowing that you mess around and they ’ re coming for you .
And I think that ’ s a good thing .
”

Aaron Boone saw his first season as Yankees manager end in a loss in the ALDS to the eventual World Series champion Red Sox — a team that was investigated for sign-stealing allegations and found guilty.
After MLB released its underwhelming punishment that resulted in only the loss of a second-round pick in this year’s amateur draft and the suspension of Boston’s then video-replay operator, Boone said he didn’t know what to think.
Asked by the YES Network on Thursday if the punishment fit the crime when it came to their rivals, Boone said: “I don’t know. Who knows exactly what went down? I do trust that Major League Baseball thoroughly investigated and got to the bottom of things as best they can. I feel like if that’s what they come up with, so be it. It’s time to move on.’’
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and his investigators ruled Boston’s scheme was not nearly as damaging as the one executed by the Astros in 2017, which also resulted in a World Series victory, but also far steeper penalties after another investigation during the offseason.
The commissioner’s report said that Boston’s video-replay operator in 2018, J.T. Watkins, at times during that season, used the game feeds in the replay room “in violation of MLB regulations, to revise sign sequence information that he had permissibly provided to players prior to the game.’’
Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
Unlike the Astros, who used video and a trash can in the dugout to alert hitters of pitches while they were in the box, the Red Sox only used their system when a runner was on second base and could relay signs to the hitter.
Boston didn’t use its strategy as often as Houston did, which is among the reasons no players, members of their coaching staff or front office were punished. Boston manager Alex Cora, who “mutually parted ways” with the Red Sox following the findings from the Houston investigation, was penalized only for his role as Astros’ bench coach in 2017.
Despite the lack of real bite in the Red Sox situation, Boone said he is confident it will further deter teams from future cheating.
“I’m glad that we’re kind of through those situations,’’ Boone said. “Hopefully, as I’ve said all along and I do believe this, hopefully just as a sport we’ll be better moving forward knowing that you mess around and they’re coming for you. And I think that’s a good thing.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Eagles create weird Carson Wentz dynamic with Jalen Hurts NFL Draft 2020 pick

In a second day stunner , Jalen Hurts is headed to the City of Brotherly Love , selected in the @ @ @ @ @ ) by the Eagles , earlier than most experts expected him to go .
The @ @ @ @ @ quarterback could be Carson Wentz ’ s backup , or possibly be used as a @ @ @ @ @ situations , where his speed and athleticism could be taken advantage of .
Also , @ @ @ @ @ to stay on the field , so Hurts could see some action that way as @ @ @ @ @ the role of the backup before , spending most of his junior year on the @ @ @ @ @ job to Tua Tagovailoa .
He then transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year , @ @ @ @ @ 32 through the air and 21 on the ground .
Wentz signed a four-year contract @ @ @ @ @ The deal is worth $ 128 million , and up to $ 144 million with @ @ @ @ @ .

In a second day stunner, Jalen Hurts is headed to the City of Brotherly Love, selected in the second round (53rd overall) by the Eagles, earlier than most experts expected him to go.
The former Alabama and Oklahoma star quarterback could be Carson Wentz’s backup, or possibly be used as a change of pace in select situations, where his speed and athleticism could be taken advantage of. Also, the oft-injured Wentz has struggled to stay on the field, so Hurts could see some action that way as well.
Wentz tweeted shortly after the Eagles made the pick.
“Welcome to the best football city in America brotha!” Philadelphia’s starting quarterback wrote.
Hurts has played the role of the backup before, spending most of his junior year on the sideline after losing his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa. He then transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year, and produced 53 touchdowns, 32 through the air and 21 on the ground.
Hurts could also be used in the Taysom Hill role, as a running back and wide receiver, as well.
Wentz signed a four-year contract extension through 2024 in 2019 The deal is worth $128 million, and up to $144 million with $66 million fully guaranteed.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Michael Avenatti released from federal prison over coronavirus fears

The jail population has plummeted since de Blasio took office ...

Disgraced celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was temporarily released from federal prison Friday over coronavirus fears.
The disgraced lawyer, whose clients included Stormy Daniels — and who was being held pending sentencing for trying to extort $25 million from Nike — was sprung from Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan at around 11 a.m., Fox News reported.
Avenatti must return to the facility in 90 days, ruled Judge James Selna, who granted the lawyer his release earlier this month due to the risk of contracting COVID-19 in custody.
Avenatti had to spend two weeks under quarantine at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility before he could leave the facility in order to ensure he had no signs of the virus.
According to the judge’s order, an attorney will escort Avenatti on a flight to Venice, California, where he will wear a monitoring bracelet while serving three months of home confinement at his friend’s house. He can see his wife but is prohibited from using the Internet.
In addition to his upcoming Nike-extortion sentencing, Avenatti is awaiting trial in Manhattan federal court for allegedly embezzling funds from Daniels.
Selna’s ruling was the result of an appeal Avenatti’s attorney filed last month, arguing Avenatti was in danger after a cellmate came down with flu-like symptoms.
The lawyer is one of many detainees and convicts released from jails across the country as officials have looked prevent the spread of the coronavirus behind bars.
Also ordered released early due to coronavirus concerns Friday was Haena Park, 44, who defrauded loved ones and former Harvard classmates out of $23 million through her NYC capital management companies, Phaetra Capital GP and Argenta Capital.
Park, who suffers severe asthma, had served only 16 months — less than half of her 36-month sentence — at the federal correctional institution in Danbury, Conn., for a six-year campaign of lies that destroyed the life savings of dozens of people through incompetent currency trading deals.
She was ordered freed immediately by the same judge who had sentenced her, US District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who conceded in an opinion Friday, “Ms. Park’s conduct was egregious.”
Park deserves to spend every day of her sentence in prison, Abrams wrote.
Still, “The Court fears that leaving Ms. Park any longer in FCI Danbury may convert a three-year prison sentence into a death sentence,” the judge noted.
“And that the Court cannot allow.”
Federal prosecutors had asked that Park serve at least nine years in prison.
Additional reporting by Rebecca Rosenberg


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Huge leap turned Jets’ NFL Draft pick Mekhi Becton ‘nasty’

Many moons ago — 14 years to be precise — ...

Scott Satterfield took over as Louisville’s head football coach in December 2018. It was then that he had his first team meeting to introduce himself.
As the meeting ended, each player lined up to meet his new coach. When it was Mekhi Becton’s turn, Satterfield nearly hurt his neck looking up at the 6-foot-7 tackle.
“I was kind of shaking everyone’s hand,” Satterfield told The Post on Friday. “All these guys are walking by and I’m looking eye level with all of them and then here he comes and I have to look up to the ceiling.
“I just stared at him and thought, ‘My God, who are you?’ When you see him for the first time, you’re just like, ‘Wow.’ There’s not many people walking around that size.”
Jets fans will get to experience that this season when Becton, the team’s first-round pick, takes the field. As blown away as Satterfield was by Becton’s size, he was equally surprised when he saw him practice.
“I just remember the first day we had spring practice and was able to see him move around,” Satterfield said. “He moves incredibly well for someone that size.”
The Jets saw that on film and at the NFL Scouting Combine where the 364-pound Becton ran the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds. It was what made the Jets staff so excited when Becton was available Thursday night with the 11th pick.
“We’re so excited to add a guy his size and athletic ability, a guy we really feel can fortify our front for the long term,” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said. “Obviously, the first thing that jumps out when you see Mekhi play is the size and the ease of his ability to move, his footwork and then his heavy hands. He can move people off the ball.”
Becton made a huge leap in his play from 2018 to 2019. He credited the coaching change with helping him. Satterfield said Becton was about 390 pounds when he was hired and the staff worked with him to get his weight down to 360-365.
• Jets’ NFL Draft tracker: Live round-by-round picks and analysis
Satterfield credited Becton with working on his weight and also being receptive to coaching. The change was clear when Louisville’s season arrived.
“He got so much better as the year went on,” Satterfield said. “There really wasn’t any comparison between his 2018 film and his 2019 film. He was way more aggressive this year. He finished blocks. Last year, he’d be one and done. He’d hit a guy and just stand up. Throughout the season this year, he was finishing guys. You can see on film he’d knock a guy down and then he’d go after him and knock him down again and in some instances, knock him down three times in the same play. You never saw that on film the year before.”
Satterfield pointed to Becton’s willingness to take coaching as a huge plus for him as he begins his NFL career.
“He’s willing to learn. That’s huge,” Satterfield said. “He doesn’t think he’s arrived. I think he’ll just get better and better.”
Becton also was popular with his teammates and around the Louisville program.
“On a personal level, he was like a teddy bear to everybody,” Satterfield said. “Our kids would come up to the office and he was great with them. He always has a smile on his face.”
Satterfield said that smile only leaves Becton’s face on the field when he gets aggressive. Becton described his approach: “I think my demeanor’s real nasty. I like to see the man on the ground stay on the ground. When I finish them, I like to stay on top.”
As for the flagged drug test at the scouting combine, Satterfield said that is not indicative of who Becton is.
“I was shocked. For us, he did everything we asked him to do,” Satterfield said. “We didn’t have any issues whatsoever. He was on time for meetings. He did what he was supposed to do. He was a good leader for the rest of our team. That’s all I can gauge it on.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Bill Belichick’s dog runs Patriots’ NFL Draft, picks Kyle Dugger

After trading down in the first round with the Chargers , the Patriots finally have made a pick , though it ’ s unclear if it was coach Bill Belichick or his dog who made the selection .
When ESPN cut to Belichick ’ s draft headquarters during the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday night , Belichick ’ s dog — an Alaskan Klee Kai named Nike — was seated all alone by the computers .
The draft is being conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The Patriots went on to pick small-school Division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , located in Hickory , North Carolina .
Dugger becomes the ninth player school history to be selected in the draft .
The 24-year-old defensive back recorded 237 tackles , 10 interceptions , 36 pass break-ups , six forced fumbles , six fumble recoveries , two blocked kicks and six punt-return touchdowns in his time at Lenoir-Rhyne .
He was awarded the Cliff Harris Award as the top small school defensive player .
The 6-foot-1 , 217-pound prospect shined at the Senior bowl in Mobile , Ala. this year as the only Div @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine in February and recorded a head-turning 42-inch vertical leap .
“ [ Draft analysts have underestimated ] my intelligence and my hunger for the game , my hunger to be a great player , ” Dugger said .
“ I feel that ’ s something that ’ s not been said too much [ during the pre-draft process ] .
Dugger was the second safety taken in this year ’ s draft behind Giants ’ Xavier McKinney .
He is described by scouts as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ versatility .
“ It ’ s rare to find a safety with elite size , speed , explosiveness and production at a Power 5 school and almost impossible to find one at a Division II school , ” according to NFL.com ’ s draft profile .
“ Dugger is a versatile , scheme-friendly safety who helps immediately on special teams and could develop into a talented NFL starter .
”

After trading down in the first round with the Chargers, the Patriots finally have made a pick, though it’s unclear if it was coach Bill Belichick or his dog who made the selection.
When ESPN cut to Belichick’s draft headquarters during the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Friday night, Belichick’s dog — an Alaskan Klee Kai named Nike — was seated all alone by the computers. The draft is being conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Patriots went on to pick small-school Division II safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir-Rhyne University, located in Hickory, North Carolina.
Dugger becomes the ninth player school history to be selected in the draft.
The 24-year-old defensive back recorded 237 tackles, 10 interceptions, 36 pass break-ups, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and six punt-return touchdowns in his time at Lenoir-Rhyne. He was awarded the Cliff Harris Award as the top small school defensive player.
The 6-foot-1, 217-pound prospect shined at the Senior bowl in Mobile, Ala. this year as the only Div. II athlete invited. He ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine in February and recorded a head-turning 42-inch vertical leap.
“[Draft analysts have underestimated] my intelligence and my hunger for the game, my hunger to be a great player,” Dugger said. “I feel that’s something that’s not been said too much [during the pre-draft process].
Dugger was the second safety taken in this year’s draft behind Giants’ Xavier McKinney. He is described by scouts as highly athletic and explosive with special teams versatility.
“It’s rare to find a safety with elite size, speed, explosiveness and production at a Power 5 school and almost impossible to find one at a Division II school,” according to NFL.com’s draft profile. “Dugger is a versatile, scheme-friendly safety who helps immediately on special teams and could develop into a talented NFL starter.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--New York nursing home denied requests to send COVID-19 patients to USNS Comfort

The coronavirus has been allowed to run roughshod through nursing ...

Bernadette Hogan, Carl Campanile, Bruce Golding

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New York health officials were warned in writing that a Brooklyn nursing home where 55 patients have died of coronavirus was overwhelmed — weeks before it began topping the state’s official list of resident COVID-19 deaths, damning emails show.
Cobble Hill Health Center CEO Donny Tuchman sent a desperate email to state Health Department officials on April 9, asking if there was “a way for us to send our suspected covid patients” to the hospital built inside the Javits Convention Center or the US Naval hospital ship Comfort — the under-utilized federal medical facilities on Manhattan’s West Side.
“We don’t have the ability to cohort right now based on staffing and we really want to protect our other patients,” Tuchman wrote in a chain of the emails reviewed by The Post.
He was denied.
“I was told those facilities were only for hospitals” to send their overflow patients, Tuchman said.
At the time Tuchman sent his plea, only 134 of the 1,000 beds at the Javits Center were full and the Comfort — which had just been reconfigured to treat up to 500 COVID-19 patients — had a mere 62 on board.
Adding insult to injury, the Navy hospital ship wound up treating just 179 patients before Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday said it was no longer needed.
The Comfort remained docked at Pier 90 with 29 patients on board Friday but was expected to return to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, as soon as possible.
Cobble Hill has led all state nursing homes in the number of residents killed by the coronavirus since the state Health Department began releasing those figures last week.
That figure remained stable as of Thursday, the latest date for which statistics were available, and was followed by 51 at Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation in Queens.
Kings Harbor Multicare Center in The Bronx, Franklin Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Queens, and Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Staten Island were next, with 45 deaths each.
Tuchman’s April 9 email wasn’t the only time that the state was put on notice about the dire conditions at Cobble Hill.
In an email one day earlier, Tuchman told Health Department officials that the facility had “over 50 symptomatic patients scattered through the building and almost no gowns.”
Tuchman said Cobble Hill had been asking the city’s Office of Emergency Management “daily” for more gowns, but “gotten only a few hundred delivered.”
“There is no way for us to prevent the spread under these conditions,” he wrote in desperation on April 8. “Is there anything more we can do to protect our patients and staff? Thank you for any help you could be.”
Tuchman got a response 20 minutes later, but all it offered was an attachment with advice on how to conserve PPE, the email chain shows.
“Many facilities have built this guidance into their contingency plan in the event of PPE supply shortages and depletion of supplies. Thanks,” a health official wrote.
A follow-up response about two hours later added, “Please be sure to submit your request through the local OEM daily” — even though Tuchman had said he was already doing that.
Tuchman said Friday the shortages of protective gear grew so severe staffers resorted to wearing trash bags as protection — echoing the situation that scandalized Mount Sinai West hospital in Manhattan when The Post exposed the practice there last month.
“This has been a very sad and painful experience,” Tuchman added. “Once the virus gets into the building it is very, very hard to control.”
Cuomo sparked widespread outrage earlier this week when he said that providing private nursing homes with PPE was “not our job,” with Mayor de Blasio, a longtime rival, saying there’s a “moral imperative to protect our seniors.”
Cuomo also said Thursday that any nursing home that can’t provide a coronavirus patient with an “adequate level of care” could ask the Health Department to transfer the patient elsewhere, and Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he was unaware of any nursing home having made that request.
Under a controversial March 25 order, the Health Department barred nursing homes from refusing admission to “medically stable” coronavirus patients.
In a prepared statement, Health Department spokesman Gary Holmes said, “To be clear: We engaged in conversation with Mr. Tuchman on more than one occasion regarding staffing. He wanted additional help, but stated he was able to meet basic needs under the directive – which included having adequate facilities.”
Holmes also said officials “conducted a focus survey at Cobble Hill and found no deficient practices” and that it would soon be receiving “more than 1,400 gowns and approximately 1,500 face shields.”
“Additionally, as we track inventory for all facilities daily, our records indicate they have more than a week’s supply of N95 masks, two month’s supply of surgical masks, and nearly two week’s supply of gloves,” he added.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Doctor Strange,’ ‘Thor’ shift release dates

Despite the massive amounts of TV and movie-watching about to ...

LOS ANGELES — Hollywood studios are shuffling more release dates as a result of the coronavirus, including sequels to “Doctor Strange,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and “Into the Spider-Verse.”
Late Friday, both Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Co. announced updated theatrical release schedules that significantly delay some of their marquee superhero films.
Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the sequel to the 2016 Benedict Cumberbatch film, has been pushed back from November 2021 to March 2022.
Sony said its live-action Spider-Man, the third in the Tom Holland series, is being delayed from July 2021 to November 2021. The animated “Spider-Verse” sequel is now dated for October 2022, back from its original April 2022 release.
Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus have resulted in productions being shut down, which has caused a domino effect in the meticulously planned theatrical release calendar all the way into 2022.
But not all the changes announced Friday were delays. Disney said “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which will have Natalie Portman taking up the hammer, will be pushed up a week to Feb. 11, 2022.


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--The coronavirus crisis is one bit of history that none of us is just watching

Get ready for the “ Great De-densification.
” As the coronavirus temporarily ...

Where were you when…?” We’ve all asked this sort of question. Where were you when the planes hit the Twin Towers? Where were you when you heard JFK was shot? Where were you when you heard Kobe Bryant died?
The unstated thing about such questions is the assumption that you were a spectator of one kind or another when something momentous happened. And for most Americans, that’s how we experience historic events — as spectators.
The 9/11 attacks were a huge event for most of us who were alive then. But how many lives did 9/11 directly and meaningfully affect, particularly outside New York and Washington? Not many in the grand scheme of things. (Hassles at airports don’t count.)
The same goes for wars. Less than 1 percent of Americans are in the military, and less than 10 percent of the adult population has ever served. Even among those who wear a uniform, only a fraction see sustained combat.
Most historic events of the last half-century, even if significant and tragic, are remembered largely as moments on television. Despite the tendency of politicians to say, “If we can put a man on the moon…,” the number of people among that “we” is only in the thousands. The rest of America experienced it vicariously on TV.
This isn’t to minimize the importance of those events or the emotional effect they had on society. The Cuban Missile Crisis directly involved a small number of players, but millions or even billions of people felt they had skin in the game.
There’s a huge psychological difference between watching and participating, and I don’t think anyone is appreciating the difference. For decades after the Great Depression and World War II, the question wasn’t “Where were you…?” It was “What did you do?” or “What happened to you?”
During World War I, not everybody served, but nearly everybody knew someone who did and felt the effects of war mobilization — the censorship, the hysteria, the rationing of food, etc.
The consequences of those shared experiences were profound, changing our politics and culture in countless ways.
This pandemic is the first event in my life that approaches anything like that. And it’s going to get much more intense before it’s all over. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 59 percent of Americans don’t know anyone who has contracted COVID-19. A week prior, the same pollsters reported that 70 percent of Americans didn’t know anyone who’d been infected.
If even the rosiest predictions are accurate, it won’t be long until every American knows someone who contracted the virus and perhaps someone who died from it.
How much of the political squabbling right now is attributable to the fact that many of the people protesting in relatively unscathed regions are still watching this pandemic unfold as an event on TV and not as a menace in their own lives?
It’s understandable that if you don’t know anyone suffering from COVID-19 or helping those suffering from it, you might feel that stay-at-home orders are an overreaction.
But that’s probably not going to last, particularly if the experts are right that we’ll see a major resurgence in the fall.
Whether the lockdowns are warranted in every corner of the country is a different conversation. I think there are good arguments (and bad ones!) on both sides of those debates. But if everybody eventually knows somebody who has died, or nearly died, in this pandemic, the conversations to come are going to be very different.
Already, the economic calamity the pandemic has caused is guaranteed to blow up a lot of the comfortable assumptions that have defined the contours of our politics for the last two decades.
Consider immigration, which has roiled politics for so long. Whatever your position, the old equation has new variables. Inviting immigrants from places where the virus is still thriving — regardless of whether you think it’s right or wrong — will simply have a very different political resonance than it did two months ago.
That’s just one obvious example. There are far more unknown unknowns waiting for us in the years ahead, because we’re about to enter an era when every single American can start a conversation by asking “What did you do?” or “What happened to you when…?”
Twitter: @JonahDispatch


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--Pension bombs are states’ own fault and other commentary

With the pandemic ’ s toll on stocks , state pension funds may have to deal with a cumulative unfunded debt of as much as $ 2 trillion , reports Eric Boehm at Reason .
States like Kentucky , Illinois and New Jersey — “ in terrible shape ” before the COVID-19 outbreak — now face “ a serious crisis.
” Worse , “ the economic downturn creates a one-two punch ” for states , which must make up investment shortfalls with tax dollars , even as tax revenues are expected to drop sharply .
Now some state officials are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were “ plenty of warning signs that public pension systems were in trouble ” before the pandemic .
“ Federal taxpayers shouldn ’ t be on the hook for states ’ mistakes.
” Thanks to a pandemic-sparked “ moratorium on evictions , ” we ’ ve “ perversely ” worsened the nation ’ s housing crisis , sighs Dru Armstrong at the Washington Examiner .
Some people even think they don ’ t have to pay rent under the “ poorly communicated ” federal relief program .
Yet if we “ bankrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more housing , we are making a drastic and avoidable mistake.
” For one thing , the housing sector will be forced to make layoffs just when we need “ services to keep us safe as we shelter in place.
” And while it ’ s understandable politicians would want to stop landlords from kicking people out , there are other solutions , like “ immediate rent support.
” No one would “ dream of public officials ordering supermarkets to give out food for free .
They are not charities.
” Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his term , President Trump has been “ cutting excessive regulations ” — a wise decision , University of Chicago prof Casey B. Mulligan argues at the City Journal , because “ regulation ’ s costs fall disproportionally ” on the poor , “ driving up the prices of regulated goods and lowering the wages of lower-income households and workers.
” If we return to the Obama-era “ accelerated rulemaking ” that de facto Democratic nominee Joe Biden promises , the poor will have “ diminished purchasing power due to higher costs for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The wealthy , on the other hand , will “ suffer the least.
” Despite left-wingers ’ populist claims , then , Trump is the “ real Robin Hood ” here : He ’ s “ helping the working poor keep more of their money ” by taking on the regulatory state .
From the right : Smearing Lockdown Protesters “ If there ’ s one thing Democrats ( and the media ) want you to know about the anti-lockdown protest at the Michigan state capitol in Lansing last week , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flags , ” sighs National Review ’ s Rich Lowry .
“ But that a couple of zealots displayed Confederate flags at this event involving as many as 4,000 people isn ’ t the first , second , or third thing to know about the protest , which can be more accurately described as lavishly star-spangled.
” Long stretches of video footage document “ a panorama of American flags.
” Attention to “ a few isolated idiots ” is being used to “ tar the entire enterprise.
” Don ’ t depict all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neo-Confederates ” just because you disagree with them .
“ It ’ s tiresome , and not true.
” If President Trump loses in November , “ Democrats would almost certainly be in control of the Senate , ” predicts Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist .
“ It ’ s past time ” for Republicans to understand that .
Some “ have said on background that they hope to create a split ticket , where anti-Trump suburban voters vote for the Republican Senate candidate while voting for Joe Biden and his running mate.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss would likely mean that “ the entire GOP ticket was suffering mightily ” — that almost certainly Senate races in Arizona , Colorado and North Carolina had gone to Democrats .
No , “ the best way ” for Republicans to save the Senate is for Trump to win re-election .
Anyone who wants “ GOP senators to keep control should be hoping for Trump to do the best he can .
”

Libertarian: Pension Bombs Are States’ Own Fault
With the pandemic’s toll on stocks, state pension funds may have to deal with a cumulative unfunded debt of as much as $2 trillion, reports Eric Boehm at Reason. States like Kentucky, Illinois and New Jersey — “in terrible shape” before the COVID-19 outbreak — now face “a serious crisis.” Worse, “the economic downturn creates a one-two punch” for states, which must make up investment shortfalls with tax dollars, even as tax revenues are expected to drop sharply. Now some state officials are pushing for a federal bailout. But there were “plenty of warning signs that public pension systems were in trouble” before the pandemic. “Federal taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for states’ mistakes.”
Housing watch: Eviction Bans Worsen Things
Thanks to a pandemic-sparked “moratorium on evictions,” we’ve “perversely” worsened the nation’s housing crisis, sighs Dru Armstrong at the Washington Examiner. Some people even think they don’t have to pay rent under the “poorly communicated” federal relief program. Yet if we “bankrupt” landlords and “discourage the creation of more housing, we are making a drastic and avoidable mistake.” For one thing, the housing sector will be forced to make layoffs just when we need “services to keep us safe as we shelter in place.” And while it’s understandable politicians would want to stop landlords from kicking people out, there are other solutions, like “immediate rent support.” No one would “dream of public officials ordering supermarkets to give out food for free. They are not charities.” Well — neither are building owners.
Economist: How Trump Is Trumping Poverty
Throughout his term, President Trump has been “cutting excessive regulations” — a wise decision, University of Chicago prof Casey B. Mulligan argues at the City Journal, because “regulation’s costs fall disproportionally” on the poor, “driving up the prices of regulated goods and lowering the wages of lower-income households and workers.” If we return to the Obama-era “accelerated rulemaking” that de facto Democratic nominee Joe Biden promises, the poor will have “diminished purchasing power due to higher costs for energy, cars and other consumer goods.” The wealthy, on the other hand, will “suffer the least.” Despite left-wingers’ populist claims, then, Trump is the “real Robin Hood” here: He’s “helping the working poor keep more of their money” by taking on the regulatory state.
From the right: Smearing Lockdown Protesters
“If there’s one thing Democrats (and the media) want you to know about the anti-lockdown protest at the Michigan state capitol in Lansing last week, it’s that people were flying Confederate flags,” sighs National Review’s Rich Lowry. “But that a couple of zealots displayed Confederate flags at this event involving as many as 4,000 people isn’t the first, second, or third thing to know about the protest, which can be more accurately described as lavishly star-spangled.” Long stretches of video footage document “a panorama of American flags.” Attention to “a few isolated idiots” is being used to “tar the entire enterprise.” Don’t depict all anti-lockdown protesters as “a bunch of neo-Confederates” just because you disagree with them. “It’s tiresome, and not true.”
2020 watch: Senate’s Fate depends on Trump
If President Trump loses in November, “Democrats would almost certainly be in control of the Senate,” predicts Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist. “It’s past time” for Republicans to understand that. Some “have said on background that they hope to create a split ticket, where anti-Trump suburban voters vote for the Republican Senate candidate while voting for Joe Biden and his running mate.” Yet Trump’s re-
election loss would likely mean that “the entire GOP ticket was suffering mightily” — that almost certainly Senate races in Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina had gone to Democrats. No, “the best way” for Republicans to save the Senate is for Trump to win re-election. Anyone who wants “GOP senators to keep control should be hoping for Trump to do the best he can.”
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-04-24--The fix is obviously in on Cuomo’s ‘investigation’ of nursing-home horrors

Under fire , New York state officials are launching a probe ...

News that Team Cuomo ignored warnings about the nursing-home disaster only confirms that the gov’s call for an investigation is pure deflection. He’s trying to make care facility owners the fall guys for the state’s choices.
The Post reports that a Brooklyn nursing home that’s seen New York’s greatest number of COVID-related deaths (55, on the latest list) wrote the state Health Department on April 8 to plead for help.
Cobble Hill Health Center CEO Donny Tuchman e-mailed four officials to report that his facility had “over 50 symptomatic patients scattered through the building and almost no gowns” and warned, “There is no way for us to prevent the spread under these conditions.”
His closing, in hindsight, is heartbreaking: “Is there anything more we can do to protect our patients and staff? Thank you for any help you could be.”
Someone wrote back 20 minutes later — with a standard attachment offering advice on how to conserve personal protective equipment. (In reply, Tuchman repeated the fact that Cobble Hill didn’t have anything to conserve.)
The concerned CEO made another plea the next day, asking if he could send the home’s suspected coronavirus cases to the field hospital at the Javits Center or the USNS Comfort. No dice, came the answer.
So much for the claims from Gov. Cuomo and his health czar, Dr. Howard Zucker, that overwhelmed facilities just needed to ask for help if handed patients they couldn’t safely handle — thanks to Zucker’s March 25 mandate that all homes accept coronavirus-positive cases.
We expect more damning evidence will surface in the days ahead.
Cuomo has asked Attorney General Tish James to lead an investigation that seems fixed from the start: It will find that nursing homes weren’t remotely prepared to respond to a pandemic.
The real investigation should be into why Zucker insisted on sending coronavirus-positive patients to nursing homes, when it’s been clear from the start that the elderly are most at risk from the virus.
And when any health pro must know, as Rochester’s Hurlbut Care Communities CEO Bob Hurlbut put it this week, that “Physical distancing is nearly impossible in the nursing home environment, due to room sharing and the fact that we provide the most intimate level of care, from brushing teeth to bathing and incontinence care.”
Cuomo himself says the virus spreads in nursing homes “like fire through dry grass.”
Yet the gov refuses to admit any mistakes: “The regulation is common sense: If you can’t provide adequate care, you can’t have the patient in your facility, and that’s your basic fiduciary obligation — I would say, ethical obligation — and it’s also your legal obligation.”
And, says the gov, “it’s not our job” to ensure homes have the supplies they need to keep residents and staff safe. Isn’t that the line that drove Cuomo crazy when President Trump took it?
Now he wants his protégé James — and Zucker’s Health Department — to review the performance of the state’s 600 nursing homes and 500 adult-care establishments? Come on.
Yes, they can find some convincing scapegoats: Again, all too many these institutions were troubled before the crisis. Their profits, and the jobs they provide, bought the political power to get away with it.
And when the pandemic hit, Zucker & Co. actually made things worse — fatally so. It’s madness.