newyorkpost--2020-01-19--What’s on the line for Aaron Rodgers in battle vs. 49ers

SANTA CLARA , Calif. — It is not lost on Aaron Rodgers that he plays for a franchise whose address is 1265 Lombardi Drive , plays to bring a trophy that is named for the legendary Packers coach named Lombardi back to a charming green-and-gold place they proudly call Titletown USA .
That is all the motivation any man needs .
Of course , the prospect of a second Super Bowl championship for him and a fifth for the Packers is on the line in Sunday ’ s NFC Championship game .
But what if hell hath no fury like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who now has a chance to deny the 49ers a shot at joining the esteemed company of the Patriots and Steelers with a sixth Super Bowl at the same time ?
From the time Rodgers was a 3-year-old in Chico , Calif. , he wanted to be Joe Montana .
And he would have lived his dream , if the 49ers had taken him with the first-overall pick of the 2005 draft .
Instead , they took Alex Smith , which left Rodgers to squirm in the green room for what seemed like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the 24th pick .
The 49ers haven ’ t won a Super Bowl since the 1994 season , and now Rodgers gets this unprecedented opportunity to remind Montana ’ s old team what could have been and what they have missed .
This is the fourth time Rodgers has been 60 minutes from the Super Bowl , but the first time he has encountered the 49ers standing between him and 60 minutes from the Lombardi .
This is also a legacy game before a legacy game for Rodgers .
A second ring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tie him with Bart Starr and put him one up on Brett Favre and earn him the title of Greatest Packers Quarterback of the modern era , if not forever .
He has come a long way from the night they booed Rodgers in Green Bay following the Favre trade to the Jets in the summer of 2008 , after three long years waiting his turn .
Rodgers has stopped looking like the best quarterback on the planet , never so much as when the 49ers limited him to 104 passing yards and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But no one inside Levi ’ s Stadium on either side is expecting anything other than the iconic marksman who followed the iconic gunslinger and can still fill the air with magic bullets .
Rodgers is 10-7 in the playoffs .
He was clutch when clutch was needed last week against the Seahawks .
He is still dangerous .
“ When I was 5 and I watched Joe Montana take the Niners down the field against the Bengals and throw a touchdown to John Taylor for the win , ” Rodgers said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I remember thinking , that ’ s what I wanted to do .
Then fast forward to 14 and I ’ m watching MJ , Michael Jordan , last game with the Bulls , and he crosses up [ Bryon ] Russell at the foul line and drains a mid-range shot , and that ’ s what I always said , ‘ I want to do that .
I want the ball in the clutch moments.
’ ” He is 36 now , and he knows you better seize the moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face , because you are never promised another one .
He won ’ t soon forget how the Packers had the ball and a 12-point lead on the Seahawks with five minutes left in the 2014 NFC Championship game .
And lost in overtime .
“ It ’ s going to be a missed opportunity that we ’ re probably going to think about the rest of my career , ” Rodgers said afterward .
A 44-21 nightmare followed in the 2016 playoffs against the Falcons when Niners coach Kyle Shanahan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , to get all the way where we got after being 4-6 was spectacular , but it ’ s all about championships when you play in Titletown , and the expectations are high and we ’ re disappointed we didn ’ t finish it off , ” Rodgers said afterward .
Favre has Favre Pass in Green Bay , and whether Rodgers finishes this one off or not , he will have a street named after him one day as well as a gold jacket and Canton bust .
The Packers got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach three years his elder to replace Mike McCarthy , and the new head coach unleashed running back Aaron Jones to help him and Davante Adams .
No one knew for certain how the marriage between Matt LaFleur and Rodgers would work out .
It ’ s worked out just fine .
Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns against four interceptions during a regular season when he was not Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes and often won ugly .
The Packers didn ’ t need him to be their two-time league MVP .
Against this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , against Richard Sherman , they will .
If he can remember how to be Hall of Fame Aaron Rodgers , if he is considerably better than Jimmy Garoppolo , the Packers will have a chance .
Titletown will be watching , and cheering the kid it booed once only because he wasn ’ t Favre .
“ I felt like I ’ d waited for three years to do something , ” a young Rodgers would say once , “ that I always wanted to do since I was 3 years old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my dad in the backyard.
” On the day his agonizing draft wait had finally ended , Rodgers was asked : “ How disappointed are you that you will not be a 49er ?
” And Rodgers said : “ Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn ’ t draft me.
” If you couldn ’ t join ’ em , beat ’ em , and then go try to bring that Lombardi Trophy home .
For more on the NFL playoffs , listen to the latest episode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here ” podcast :

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It is not lost on Aaron Rodgers that he plays for a franchise whose address is 1265 Lombardi Drive, plays to bring a trophy that is named for the legendary Packers coach named Lombardi back to a charming green-and-gold place they proudly call Titletown USA.
That is all the motivation any man needs. Of course, the prospect of a second Super Bowl championship for him and a fifth for the Packers is on the line in Sunday’s NFC Championship game.
But what if hell hath no fury like a young man scorned, a man who now has a chance to deny the 49ers a shot at joining the esteemed company of the Patriots and Steelers with a sixth Super Bowl at the same time?
From the time Rodgers was a 3-year-old in Chico, Calif., he wanted to be Joe Montana. And he would have lived his dream, if the 49ers had taken him with the first-overall pick of the 2005 draft. Instead, they took Alex Smith, which left Rodgers to squirm in the green room for what seemed like an eternity before the Packers rescued him with the 24th pick.
The 49ers haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 1994 season, and now Rodgers gets this unprecedented opportunity to remind Montana’s old team what could have been and what they have missed.
This is the fourth time Rodgers has been 60 minutes from the Super Bowl, but the first time he has encountered the 49ers standing between him and 60 minutes from the Lombardi.
This is also a legacy game before a legacy game for Rodgers. A second ring nine years after his first ring would tie him with Bart Starr and put him one up on Brett Favre and earn him the title of Greatest Packers Quarterback of the modern era, if not forever.
He has come a long way from the night they booed Rodgers in Green Bay following the Favre trade to the Jets in the summer of 2008, after three long years waiting his turn.
Rodgers has stopped looking like the best quarterback on the planet, never so much as when the 49ers limited him to 104 passing yards and routed the Packers on Nov. 24.
But no one inside Levi’s Stadium on either side is expecting anything other than the iconic marksman who followed the iconic gunslinger and can still fill the air with magic bullets. Rodgers is 10-7 in the playoffs. He was clutch when clutch was needed last week against the Seahawks. He is still dangerous.
“When I was 5 and I watched Joe Montana take the Niners down the field against the Bengals and throw a touchdown to John Taylor for the win,” Rodgers said on gal pal Danica Patrick’s podcast, “I remember thinking, that’s what I wanted to do. Then fast forward to 14 and I’m watching MJ, Michael Jordan, last game with the Bulls, and he crosses up [Bryon] Russell at the foul line and drains a mid-range shot, and that’s what I always said, ‘I want to do that. I want the ball in the clutch moments.’ ”
He is 36 now, and he knows you better seize the moment when you have it staring you in the face, because you are never promised another one.
He won’t soon forget how the Packers had the ball and a 12-point lead on the Seahawks with five minutes left in the 2014 NFC Championship game. And lost in overtime.
“It’s going to be a missed opportunity that we’re probably going to think about the rest of my career,” Rodgers said afterward.
A 44-21 nightmare followed in the 2016 playoffs against the Falcons when Niners coach Kyle Shanahan was the Atlanta offensive coordinator.
“For us, to get all the way where we got after being 4-6 was spectacular, but it’s all about championships when you play in Titletown, and the expectations are high and we’re disappointed we didn’t finish it off,” Rodgers said afterward.
Favre has Favre Pass in Green Bay, and whether Rodgers finishes this one off or not, he will have a street named after him one day as well as a gold jacket and Canton bust. The Packers got him a defense and a new head coach three years his elder to replace Mike McCarthy, and the new head coach unleashed running back Aaron Jones to help him and Davante Adams. No one knew for certain how the marriage between Matt LaFleur and Rodgers would work out. It’s worked out just fine.
Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns against four interceptions during a regular season when he was not Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes and often won ugly. The Packers didn’t need him to be their two-time league MVP.
Against this opponent, against this savage pass rush, against Richard Sherman, they will. If he can remember how to be Hall of Fame Aaron Rodgers, if he is considerably better than Jimmy Garoppolo, the Packers will have a chance. Titletown will be watching, and cheering the kid it booed once only because he wasn’t Favre.
“I felt like I’d waited for three years to do something,” a young Rodgers would say once, “that I always wanted to do since I was 3 years old watching Joe Montana and running pass patterns with my dad in the backyard.”
On the day his agonizing draft wait had finally ended, Rodgers was asked: “How disappointed are you that you will not be a 49er?”
And Rodgers said: “Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn’t draft me.”
If you couldn’t join ’em, beat ’em, and then go try to bring that Lombardi Trophy home.
For more on the NFL playoffs, listen to the latest episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--A Super Bowl trip is long overdue for Chiefs and Andy Reid

Maybe too much time has passed for there to be any kind of kinship any longer .
Maybe the Chiefs are just another football team now in the eyes of the folks who live and die with the Jets , just another franchise that presently sits in a place Jets fans covet so ravenously — on the precipice of a Super Bowl trip .
But the Chiefs ’ journey has been remarkably similar to that of the Jets .
Fifty years ago this month , the Chiefs were 13-point underdogs to the Vikings in Super Bowl IV .
The Chiefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the AFL , still , was considered by many to be a Quadruple-A pro league .
Yes , the Jets had stunned the Colts and the world a year earlier , but in so many football circles that was still considered a fluke — the highest evolution of the “ any given Sunday ” ethos .
Super Bowl IV , played in chill New Orleans , was the last game ever played by a team representing the AFL .
The Chiefs wore a commemorative patch on one shoulder , and carried chips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game , so many of us got messages from other AFL players , ” quarterback Len Dawson told me one time .
“ It was important for them that we win the game because that would mean , forever , that the score of the Super Bowls would be NFL 2 , AFL 2 .
In some ways , I always thought we had a little more pressure on us than the Jets did because they ’ d proven it could be done .
It wasn ’ t any impossible dream.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vikings even more than the Jets had handled the Colts .
The score was 23-7 .
The Chiefs , in their bright red jerseys , bloodied the Vikings for three straight hours , pounding Joe Kapp , hounding the Purple People Eaters defense .
Kansas City coach Hank Stram was miked up for the game ( for a $ 500 fee ) , and his observations that day , frozen forever on NFL Films , became an instant part of the sport ’ s popular culture : “ Let ’ s matriculate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1968 Jets , the Chiefs were nearing the end of a powerful reign .
Two seasons after the Super Bowl win , they engaged in an epic overtime playoff game with the Dolphins on Christmas Day 1971 .
The Dolphins ultimately prevailed .
“ And it was like something died , ” Dawson said .
Sunday , at Arrowhead Stadium , the Chiefs will try once more to finish the bridge connecting that glorious time with present day .
It has been an exhausting process .
The Chiefs mirrored the Jets ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 1980s , but under Marty Schottenheimer became one of the AFC ’ s perennial powers .
Twice they went 13-3 under Schottenheimer , earning home-field advantage .
Twice , they lost their first game .
They did the same thing under Dick Vermeil in 2003 , wasting another 13-3 season .
Andy Reid led them to the No .
1 seed again last year .
The Patriots broke their hearts in overtime in the AFC Championship game .
“ All you ask is to have a chance to play in a game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mahomes said earlier this week .
“ We had that chance last year , and it still hurts to think about how it ended .
Now we get another chance .
It ’ s on us to make the most of that chance.
” Mahomes is too good a quarterback to be forever denied a chance at the Super Bowl .
But then again , Reid is probably too good a coach to have only one trip on his résumé — a failed excursion with the 2004 Eagles team that went 13-3 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His teams have finished in first place 10 times .
And yet he is 1-5 in conference championship games .
He is also 1-8 lifetime against the Titans , the team that stands in the Chiefs ’ way Sunday afternoon — a statistical oddity that will nevertheless be a large elephant in the stadium because at this time of the year , there seems to be an entire zoo lined up to remind Reid of his chronic playoff failures .
“ I ’ m thinking more about the players than I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said this week .
“ That ’ s now where I go — I ’ m trying to get the guys ready , I ’ m going to make sure I ’ m ready , then I ’ m going to go play .
It ’ s more a disappointment for the other teams , they worked their tails off and fell short.
” If this Chiefs team falls short , on the golden anniversary of the one Chiefs team to climb the ultimate football mountain , there ’ s no telling how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Better to just look at it this way : It ’ s time .
For a team .
For a town .
For a coach .
For more on the NFL playoffs , listen to the latest episode of the “ Gang ’ s All Here ” podcast :

Maybe too much time has passed for there to be any kind of kinship any longer. Maybe the Chiefs are just another football team now in the eyes of the folks who live and die with the Jets, just another franchise that presently sits in a place Jets fans covet so ravenously — on the precipice of a Super Bowl trip.
But the Chiefs’ journey has been remarkably similar to that of the Jets. Fifty years ago this month, the Chiefs were 13-point underdogs to the Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs were an AFL power at a time when the AFL, still, was considered by many to be a Quadruple-A pro league.
Yes, the Jets had stunned the Colts and the world a year earlier, but in so many football circles that was still considered a fluke — the highest evolution of the “any given Sunday” ethos. Super Bowl IV, played in chill New Orleans, was the last game ever played by a team representing the AFL.
The Chiefs wore a commemorative patch on one shoulder, and carried chips on both.
“The week before the game, so many of us got messages from other AFL players,” quarterback Len Dawson told me one time. “It was important for them that we win the game because that would mean, forever, that the score of the Super Bowls would be NFL 2, AFL 2. In some ways, I always thought we had a little more pressure on us than the Jets did because they’d proven it could be done. It wasn’t any impossible dream.”
If possible, the Chiefs dominated the Vikings even more than the Jets had handled the Colts. The score was 23-7. The Chiefs, in their bright red jerseys, bloodied the Vikings for three straight hours, pounding Joe Kapp, hounding the Purple People Eaters defense. Kansas City coach Hank Stram was miked up for the game (for a $500 fee), and his observations that day, frozen forever on NFL Films, became an instant part of the sport’s popular culture:
“Let’s matriculate the ball down the field!”
“Ya marked it good, ya marked it good!”
“Sixty-five Toss Power Trap!”
Like the 1968 Jets, the Chiefs were nearing the end of a powerful reign. Two seasons after the Super Bowl win, they engaged in an epic overtime playoff game with the Dolphins on Christmas Day 1971. The Dolphins ultimately prevailed.
“And it was like something died,” Dawson said.
Sunday, at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs will try once more to finish the bridge connecting that glorious time with present day. It has been an exhausting process. The Chiefs mirrored the Jets’ futility for the bulk of the 1970s and 1980s, but under Marty Schottenheimer became one of the AFC’s perennial powers. Twice they went 13-3 under Schottenheimer, earning home-field advantage. Twice, they lost their first game.
They did the same thing under Dick Vermeil in 2003, wasting another 13-3 season. Andy Reid led them to the No. 1 seed again last year. The Patriots broke their hearts in overtime in the AFC Championship game.
“All you ask is to have a chance to play in a game like this,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said earlier this week. “We had that chance last year, and it still hurts to think about how it ended. Now we get another chance. It’s on us to make the most of that chance.”
Mahomes is too good a quarterback to be forever denied a chance at the Super Bowl. But then again, Reid is probably too good a coach to have only one trip on his résumé — a failed excursion with the 2004 Eagles team that went 13-3. He has a remarkable 207-128-1 career record. His teams have finished in first place 10 times. And yet he is 1-5 in conference championship games.
He is also 1-8 lifetime against the Titans, the team that stands in the Chiefs’ way Sunday afternoon — a statistical oddity that will nevertheless be a large elephant in the stadium because at this time of the year, there seems to be an entire zoo lined up to remind Reid of his chronic playoff failures.
“I’m thinking more about the players than I’m thinking about myself,” Reid said this week. “That’s now where I go — I’m trying to get the guys ready, I’m going to make sure I’m ready, then I’m going to go play. It’s more a disappointment for the other teams, they worked their tails off and fell short.”
If this Chiefs team falls short, on the golden anniversary of the one Chiefs team to climb the ultimate football mountain, there’s no telling how long the local civic depression may last. Better to just look at it this way: It’s time. For a team. For a town. For a coach.
For more on the NFL playoffs, listen to the latest episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--UFC 246: Conor McGregor’s lightning-fast win sets off Twitter

Conor McGregor ’ s TKO win over Donald “ Cowboy ” Jones in UFC 246 on Saturday night took just @ @ @ @ @ , that drew plenty of hot takes on Twitter .
Here are a few :

Conor McGregor’s TKO win over Donald “Cowboy” Jones in UFC 246 on Saturday night took just 40 seconds. Not surprisingly, that drew plenty of hot takes on Twitter. Here are a few:


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--UFC 246: Conor McGregor knocks out Cowboy in first round

It looks like Baker Mayfield ’ s star has fallen .
The lightning-rod ...

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor wasted no time reminding people why he is the most exciting fighter in MMA. It took the Irishman just 40 seconds of the first round to dominate Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, earning an emphatic TKO victory in his first fight in 15 months.
McGregor softened up Cerrone with three shoulders to the face during a clinch, then stepped back and delivered a left kick that landed flush on Cerrone’s jaw. Clearly dazed, Cerrone staggered back against the Octagon and slowly slumped to the canvas as McGregor began to land a series of unanswered punches until referee Herb Dean called a quick halt to the fight.
“I made history here tonight,” McGregor said. “I’m the first fighter to secure a victory at featherweight, lightweight and now welterweight. Donald holds the record for head-kick knockouts and to get him down with a head kick, I’m very happy.”
Cerrone, who has now lost three straight fights, never had a chance. He ducked a wild left-hand thrown by McGregor at the opening bell, but took three shoulders to the jaw during the ensuing clinch. That started his trouble.
“They threw me right off guard,” Cerrone said McGregor’s wicked shoulders. “He busted my nose and then stepped back and head kicked me.”
It was an impressive performance by someone who had not been in the Octagon since October 2018 when McGregor tapped out in the fourth round of his UFC lightweight title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Since then, McGregor had made more headlines for his bad behavior that could have resulted in jail time had he not had the resources to fight serious penalties. The normally bombastic Irishman had presented a more humble persona this week, often saying how appreciative he is for the life and fortune MMA and the UFC have offered him.
He vowed this would be the start of more consistent appearances in the Octagon and perhaps the first of three fights this year. But first things first. He had to put in a good performance against Cerrone, the 36-year-old fan favorite.
The 170-pound weight limit would seem to have favored Cerrone, but McGregor looked solid and insisted he would come right after Cerrone from the opening bell. Cerrone is known to be a notoriously slow starter, and McGregor looked to take advantage early.
“I’m not going to be in a rush, but I’m going to put pressure on Donald,” McGregor said.
The Dubliner did just that, smothering Cerrone instantly and then hurting him with the ferocious head kick.
“I’m very happy,” McGregor said. “I like this weight division. It feels really good.”
If he is a man of his words, this is just the start of a busy year for McGregor, who said he might fight up to three times in 2020.
“You’re going to see a lot of me here,” he said.
McGregor, a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, said he is open to facing either Tony Ferguson or Nurmagomedov. Those two are scheduled to battle at UFC 249 for Nurmagomedov’s lightweight belt.
“Both men are certainly in the cross hairs,” McGregor said earlier this week.
And don’t be surprised if one of his fights this year is a boxing match. Manny Pacquiao seems to be making himself an option. McGregor has already envisioned fighting Pacquiao in the new football stadium being built for the Raiders.
“I would love to be the first combatant to fight in that arena,” McGregor said.
In earlier bouts on the main card, Diego Ferreira submitted Anthony Pettis in the second round of a lightweight bout; Aleksei Oleinik submitted Maurice Greene in the second round, Brian Kelleher submitted Ode’ Osbourne in the first round and Holly Holm won a unanimous decision over Raquel Pennington in a rematch of Holm’s UFC debut in 2015.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Puerto Ricans startled by blazing meteor

A streaking meteor soaring low over Puerto Rico amazed and unsettled residents already grappling with devastating earthquakes .
Puerto Ricans posted photos and videos of the fireball on social media after it passed overhead Friday afternoon — with some fearing that it was a crashing aircraft .
Eddie Irizarry , an astronomy professor in Puerto Rico and vice president of the Caribbean Astronomy Society , told the Associated Press the meteor was likely several feet long and was visible for about 10 seconds from all over the island .
“ That makes it into quite a rare event , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ satellite spotted the fireball at around 4:30 p.m Friday .
Rafael Rivera was in northern Puerto Rico as it hurtled through the sky .
“ It was a loud noise , ” Rivera told the AP .
“ I see this ball of fire , very fast and very big , and I said , ‘ Wow , that can ’ t be a plane because it ’ s going too fast.
’ ” Puerto Rico was still recovering from 2017 ’ s Hurricane Maria and Irma when it was ravaged by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.4 tremor — last week .
It was reported earlier this week that the Trump administration would be ending its months-long hold of more than $ 8 billion in disaster aid relief for the island .

A streaking meteor soaring low over Puerto Rico amazed and unsettled residents already grappling with devastating earthquakes.
Puerto Ricans posted photos and videos of the fireball on social media after it passed overhead Friday afternoon — with some fearing that it was a crashing aircraft.
Eddie Irizarry, an astronomy professor in Puerto Rico and vice president of the Caribbean Astronomy Society, told the Associated Press the meteor was likely several feet long and was visible for about 10 seconds from all over the island.
“That makes it into quite a rare event,” Irizarry said.
A National Weather Service satellite spotted the fireball at around 4:30 p.m Friday.
Rafael Rivera was in northern Puerto Rico as it hurtled through the sky.
“It was a loud noise,” Rivera told the AP. “I see this ball of fire, very fast and very big, and I said, ‘Wow, that can’t be a plane because it’s going too fast.’”
Puerto Rico was still recovering from 2017’s Hurricane Maria and Irma when it was ravaged by a series of violent earthquakes — including a 6.4 tremor — last week.
It was reported earlier this week that the Trump administration would be ending its months-long hold of more than $8 billion in disaster aid relief for the island.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Capt. ‘Sully’ defends Joe Biden’s stutter in New York Times op-ed

The pilot known for his heroic “ Miracle on the Hudson ” landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009 has written an op-ed in The New York Times defending Joe Biden ’ s stutter after it was mocked by the president ’ s daughter-in-law — and revealing that he , too , stuttered as a child .
Capt .
Chesley B .
“ Sully ” Sullenberger III started the editorial , headlined “ Like Joe Biden , I Once Stuttered , Too .
I Dare You to Mock Me , ” by reminiscing on the pain he felt as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a stutter “ and the bullying that would follow.
” “ Those feelings came rushing back , when I heard Lara Trump mocking former Vice President Joe Biden at a Trump campaign event , with the very words that caused my childhood agony , ” Sully wrote .
The retired pilot , who also served in the U.S. Air Force , references his daring landing in the Hudson River — and credits it with helping get over his stutter .
“ A speech disorder is a lot easier to treat than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You become a true leader , not because of how you speak , but because of what you have to say.
” At a Women for Trump event in Iowa on Jan. 16 , Lara Trump , who ’ s married to the president ’ s son , Eric , had taunted on camera , “ I feel kind of sad for Biden … I ’ m supposed to want him to fail at every turn , but every time he comes onstage or they turn to him , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it out ?
Let ’ s get the words out , Joe . '
” On Saturday , she tweeted in response that couldn ’ t have been mocking Biden ’ s ’ stutter , because she didn ’ t even know the former vice president stuttered .
“ Yet another example of the egregious reporting we see every day in the mainstream media , ” she tweeted .
“ Anyone who takes 10 seconds to watch what I actually said can clearly see that I never mention a stutter — didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but they can ’ t help themselves.
” The Miracle on the Hudson landing was turned into a critically acclaimed movie “ Sully ” starring Tom Hanks — which achieved an 85 % Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes .
Sullenberger also made news recently for recommending new training for pilots and crews of the controversial Boeing 737 MAX .

The pilot known for his heroic “Miracle on the Hudson” landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009 has written an op-ed in The New York Times defending Joe Biden’s stutter after it was mocked by the president’s daughter-in-law — and revealing that he, too, stuttered as a child.
Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III started the editorial, headlined “Like Joe Biden, I Once Stuttered, Too. I Dare You to Mock Me,” by reminiscing on the pain he felt as a kid in northeast Texas growing up with a stutter “and the bullying that would follow.”
“Those feelings came rushing back, when I heard Lara Trump mocking former Vice President Joe Biden at a Trump campaign event, with the very words that caused my childhood agony,” Sully wrote.
The retired pilot, who also served in the U.S. Air Force, references his daring landing in the Hudson River — and credits it with helping get over his stutter.
“A speech disorder is a lot easier to treat than a character defect,” he wrote. “You become a true leader, not because of how you speak, but because of what you have to say.”
At a Women for Trump event in Iowa on Jan. 16, Lara Trump, who’s married to the president’s son, Eric, had taunted on camera, “I feel kind of sad for Biden … I’m supposed to want him to fail at every turn, but every time he comes onstage or they turn to him, I’m like, ‘Joe, can you get it out? Let’s get the words out, Joe.'”
On Saturday, she tweeted in response that couldn’t have been mocking Biden’s’ stutter, because she didn’t even know the former vice president stuttered.
“Yet another example of the egregious reporting we see every day in the mainstream media,” she tweeted. “Anyone who takes 10 seconds to watch what I actually said can clearly see that I never mention a stutter — didn’t even know he had one — but they can’t help themselves.”
The Miracle on the Hudson landing was turned into a critically acclaimed movie “Sully” starring Tom Hanks — which achieved an 85% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sullenberger also made news recently for recommending new training for pilots and crews of the controversial Boeing 737 MAX.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--I haven’t paid income taxes since 1994 — and the IRS won’t send me to prison

I have a consumer complaint that I think only you can help me with .
I have not paid federal income tax since 1994 , nor have I filed a tax return during that time , both of which are failures the Justice Department publicly represents to be indictable offenses .
My understanding is that I can expect an all-expenses paid trip right into federal prison for my “ tax protester ” activities .
But it seems the Justice Department is running some sort of a con where I can ’ t get it to live up to its promises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge .
I ignore the federal income tax in total good faith , and now I want my indictment .
Do you have any pull over at the federal jurisdiction ?
Thank you for your kind attention in this matter .
Hopefully you can help me .
C.K .
Dear C.K .
: You might be reading this all wrong .
The IRS may have looked you up and determined that your “ comedy ” can ’ t possibly earn you any money .
And if you don ’ t earn money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes .
Anyway , I ’ ll try to get you incarcerated by putting this in the paper , but I can ’ t promise anything .
I guess the IRS folks are busy looking at Jerry Seinfeld ’ s royalties on his tax returns , and may already have its quota of comedians ’ audits .
But be patient , I think they will eventually get to you .

Dear John: I’m Deedle Doo the Comedy Boy, America’s senior comedian.
I have a consumer complaint that I think only you can help me with. I have not paid federal income tax since 1994, nor have I filed a tax return during that time, both of which are failures the Justice Department publicly represents to be indictable offenses.
My understanding is that I can expect an all-expenses-paid trip right into federal prison for my “tax protester” activities. But it seems the Justice Department is running some sort of a con where I can’t get it to live up to its promises to get me in front of a judge. I ignore the federal income tax in total good faith, and now I want my indictment.
Do you have any pull over at the federal jurisdiction? Thank you for your kind attention in this matter. Hopefully you can help me. C.K.
Dear C.K.: You might be reading this all wrong. The IRS may have looked you up and determined that your “comedy” can’t possibly earn you any money. And if you don’t earn money, you don’t have to pay taxes.
Anyway, I’ll try to get you incarcerated by putting this in the paper, but I can’t promise anything. I guess the IRS folks are busy looking at Jerry Seinfeld’s royalties on his tax returns, and may already have its quota of comedians’ audits. But be patient, I think they will eventually get to you.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Recipients of Lively hearing aid giveaway give glowing reviews

Readers : Several months ago , a hearing aid company called Lively bragged to me that its product was excellent and cheaper than other aids .
So I said “ prove it ” by giving some away to my readers .
And , I also said , after you do that , we ’ ll get to hear what people who got these freebies thought about their product .
Well , the company gave away five free sets of hearing aids ( at $ 1,600 apiece ) and a reader paid for two more sets in honor of her late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at one point in her life .
I can ’ t run the seven reviews from the lucky winners in full because of space .
But here are some blurbs — and they all loved the product : G.D. : “ First , they are pretty much invisible .
I honestly forget they are there .
Now to the sound .
The difference is night and day .
I hear things I have not heard in decades.
” T.S .
: “ I have never been so blessed .
These hearing aids have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanks to the aids I am now able to carry on conversations with very little asking for people to repeat themselves.
” J.T .
: “ They are wonderful people who are kind , compassionate .
And knowledgeable .
They ’ ve helped my husband in every possible way to adjust to the new hearing aids.
” J.K. : “ All I can really say on it is they are one of the best things I own .
I can hear better than I have in a long time.
” L.S .
: @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for several weeks , I decided to plug in my old pair for comparison .
The difference was night and day .
[ My ] hearing [ is ] clear , clean and , most important , natural .
I had no idea what I was missing out on.
” L.L .
: “ With these hearing aids I am able to work in a scene study class with other actors .
I am able to interact with people in normal conversation .
I am blessed.
” Folks , that ’ s it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But stay tuned .
I ’ m working with another company that might want to prove its hearing aids are also very good .
We are discussing how many it is willing to give away .

Readers: Several months ago, a hearing aid company called Lively bragged to me that its product was excellent and cheaper than other aids. So I said “prove it” by giving some away to my readers.
And, I also said, after you do that, we’ll get to hear what people who got these freebies thought about their product.
Well, the company gave away five free sets of hearing aids (at $1,600 apiece) and a reader paid for two more sets in honor of her late grandmother, who had been given aids at one point in her life.
I can’t run the seven reviews from the lucky winners in full because of space. But here are some blurbs — and they all loved the product:
G.D.: “First, they are pretty much invisible. I honestly forget they are there. Now to the sound. The difference is night and day. I hear things I have not heard in decades.”
T.S.: “I have never been so blessed. These hearing aids have been life-changing.”
P.T.: “Thanks to the aids I am now able to carry on conversations with very little asking for people to repeat themselves.”
J.T.: “They are wonderful people who are kind, compassionate. And knowledgeable. They’ve helped my husband in every possible way to adjust to the new hearing aids.”
J.K.: “All I can really say on it is they are one of the best things I own. I can hear better than I have in a long time.”
L.S.: “After wearing the Lively hearing aids for several weeks, I decided to plug in my old pair for comparison. The difference was night and day. [My] hearing [is] clear, clean and, most important, natural. I had no idea what I was missing out on.”
L.L.: “With these hearing aids I am able to work in a scene study class with other actors. I am able to interact with people in normal conversation. I am blessed.”
Folks, that’s it for this free hearing aid giveaway. But stay tuned. I’m working with another company that might want to prove its hearing aids are also very good. We are discussing how many it is willing to give away.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Average folks optimistic on economy as stock market goes gangbusters

In trying to read the tea leaves of American sentiment , a pair of recent surveys have uncovered — wait for it — optimism .
The stock market is going gangbusters in 2020 , and for those invested , the record highs attained by the Dow , S & P 500 and Nasdaq have brought welcome gains .
In the Allianz Quarterly Market Perceptions Study released last week , concerns about a recession or an impending crash were at their lowest levels since 2018 .
Allianz Life , which conducts the online survey , found in the fourth quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried a recession was right around the corner ( down from 50 % in the third quarter and 44 % in 2018 ) .
And 39 % said they were worried a market crash was on the horizon ( down from 48 % in Q3 , and 42 % in 2018 ) .
Despite the relative calm , said Kelly LaVigne , Allianz Life VP of consumer insights , “ The number of people who say now is a good time to invest in the market continues to decrease.
” Some may think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they just don ’ t want to jump in and put their savings and retirement at risk if things go south , LaVigne said .
About 43 % of Americans think their financial situation will get better in 2020 , according to last week ’ s Financial Outlook Survey from Bankrate , which found “ optimism is running high.
” “ A lot of it is rooted in the fact that unemployment is at a 50-year low , people are working and making more money and consumer spending has been solid , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief financial analyst .
About 41 % of the lowest-income households in the survey ( less than $ 30,000 ) expected their finances to improve , Bankrate said , ranging up to 49 % for highest-income households ( more than $ 80,000 ) .

In trying to read the tea leaves of American sentiment, a pair of recent surveys have uncovered — wait for it — optimism.
The stock market is going gangbusters in 2020, and for those invested, the record highs attained by the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq have brought welcome gains.
In the Allianz Quarterly Market Perceptions Study released last week, concerns about a recession or an impending crash were at their lowest levels since 2018.
Allianz Life, which conducts the online survey, found in the fourth quarter of 2019 that 43% of Americans were worried a recession was right around the corner (down from 50% in the third quarter and 44% in 2018).
And 39% said they were worried a market crash was on the horizon (down from 48% in Q3, and 42% in 2018).
Despite the relative calm, said Kelly LaVigne, Allianz Life VP of consumer insights, “The number of people who say now is a good time to invest in the market continues to decrease.”
Some may think the market is too high, or they just don’t want to jump in and put their savings and retirement at risk if things go south, LaVigne said.
About 43% of Americans think their financial situation will get better in 2020, according to last week’s Financial Outlook Survey from Bankrate, which found “optimism is running high.”
“A lot of it is rooted in the fact that unemployment is at a 50-year low, people are working and making more money and consumer spending has been solid,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst.
About 41% of the lowest-income households in the survey (less than $30,000) expected their finances to improve, Bankrate said, ranging up to 49% for highest-income households (more than $80,000).


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Wage hikes, other costs drive bar and restaurant owners out of city

It could soon be last call for hundreds of struggling New York City bars and restaurants .
Despite the white-hot local economy , many eateries and watering holes are teetering on the brink of financial collapse due to the sector ’ s surging costs and a changing cultural landscape , harried proprietors say .
Closures cut a wide swath of ethnic tastes , from Irish and Italian to Mexican and Korean .
And while there was one notable revival lately — when earlier this month Mayor Bill de Blasio helped broker a deal to save the famous Neir ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent closure — not everyone was impressed .
“ What about the many hundreds of other bars in New York which have closed in the past three years ?
The numbers are astronomical , ” lamented Shaun Clancy , proprietor of Foley ’ s , an Irish bar on 33rd Street popular with baseball fans .
Clancy , an Irish immigrant , said New York ’ s Irish bars in particular are dying fast .
The Irish Pub on Seventh Avenue is one of the latest to shutter .
“ It is becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York , ” Clancy said .
“ And I can see hundreds more bars and restaurants closing in the coming year.
” “ This town is toast for the small guy in business , ” echoed Pat Hughes , owner of Lansdowne Road , an Irish pub and sports bar in Manhattan ’ s Hell ’ s Kitchen on the verge of closure after 15 years .
“ I haven ’ t taken a paycheck , a bonus or expense check for myself since July 2018 , ” a dejected Hughes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my wife , I am really just like an unpaid volunteer around here.
” Hughes may have every reason to feel shortchanged .
He is treading water in his trendy Lansdowne Road , and just about pulling it together at his two other nearby pubs , Scruffy Duffy ’ s and Hellcat Annie ’ s Tap Room .
He employs 40 workers altogether .
But rising overhead costs ranging from labor , benefits and upkeep to taxes , leases and city charges , have pushed his business to the precipice .
Hughes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s escalating costs , may soon be packing up — and gone .
“ I am scouting out places in Charlotte , North Carolina , where the cost of business is lower , ” he said .
“ I am absolutely thinking of pulling out of New York.
” At his 2,500-square-foot Lansdowne Road , the bills seem to mount faster than the busy barkeeps can pull pints .
There ’ s the $ 90,000 in annual real estate taxes , and the pub just absorbed a jump in the minimum hourly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 10 hourly for tipped staffers , and just soared to $ 15 for other workers .
“ Every Tuesday , I have to come up with $ 18,000 in payroll costs — and it stresses me out , ” Hughes said about the amount he must pay out weekly for Lansdowne Road alone .
Many establishments of all kinds are in a sharp financial freefall .
The hospitality sector alone in New York City has lost some 8,400 jobs since October 2017 , or about 4.8 % of the workforce , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Around me here in Hell ’ s Kitchen , there are 30 vacant stores — and it is impacting everybody , ” said Hughes , waxing nostalgic about busing tables as a young man at the Blarney Stone on 59th Street , then operated by his dad , an immigrant from Ireland .
Hughes said the day of reckoning is nearing .
“ I can ’ t raise my prices high enough to offset the rising costs , ” he added .
“ Nobody ’ s going to pay me $ 12 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners are complaining big-time .
I hear it everywhere , it ’ s terrible .
”

It could soon be last call for hundreds of struggling New York City bars and restaurants.
Despite the white-hot local economy, many eateries and watering holes are teetering on the brink of financial collapse due to the sector’s surging costs and a changing cultural landscape, harried proprietors say.
Closures cut a wide swath of ethnic tastes, from Irish and Italian to Mexican and Korean. And while there was one notable revival lately — when earlier this month Mayor Bill de Blasio helped broker a deal to save the famous Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens, from imminent closure — not everyone was impressed.
“What about the many hundreds of other bars in New York which have closed in the past three years? The numbers are astronomical,” lamented Shaun Clancy, proprietor of Foley’s, an Irish bar on 33rd Street popular with baseball fans.
Clancy, an Irish immigrant, said New York’s Irish bars in particular are dying fast. The Irish Pub on Seventh Avenue is one of the latest to shutter.
“It is becoming tougher and tougher to run a business in New York,” Clancy said. “And I can see hundreds more bars and restaurants closing in the coming year.”
“This town is toast for the small guy in business,” echoed Pat Hughes, owner of Lansdowne Road, an Irish pub and sports bar in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen on the verge of closure after 15 years. “I haven’t taken a paycheck, a bonus or expense check for myself since July 2018,” a dejected Hughes told The Post. “I tell my wife, I am really just like an unpaid volunteer around here.”
Hughes may have every reason to feel shortchanged. He is treading water in his trendy Lansdowne Road, and just about pulling it together at his two other nearby pubs, Scruffy Duffy’s and Hellcat Annie’s Tap Room. He employs 40 workers altogether. But rising overhead costs ranging from labor, benefits and upkeep to taxes, leases and city charges, have pushed his business to the precipice.
Hughes, like many others overwhelmed by New York’s escalating costs, may soon be packing up — and gone. “I am scouting out places in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the cost of business is lower,” he said. “I am absolutely thinking of pulling out of New York.”
At his 2,500-square-foot Lansdowne Road, the bills seem to mount faster than the busy barkeeps can pull pints. There’s the $90,000 in annual real estate taxes, and the pub just absorbed a jump in the minimum hourly wage. That has doubled since 2017 to $10 hourly for tipped staffers, and just soared to $15 for other workers.
“Every Tuesday, I have to come up with $18,000 in payroll costs — and it stresses me out,” Hughes said about the amount he must pay out weekly for Lansdowne Road alone.
Many establishments of all kinds are in a sharp financial freefall. The hospitality sector alone in New York City has lost some 8,400 jobs since October 2017, or about 4.8% of the workforce, according to Federal Reserve data.
“Around me here in Hell’s Kitchen, there are 30 vacant stores — and it is impacting everybody,” said Hughes, waxing nostalgic about busing tables as a young man at the Blarney Stone on 59th Street, then operated by his dad, an immigrant from Ireland.
Hughes said the day of reckoning is nearing.
“I can’t raise my prices high enough to offset the rising costs,” he added. “Nobody’s going to pay me $12 for a Bud Light. All the bar owners are complaining big-time. I hear it everywhere, it’s terrible.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Baker Mayfield snubbed at UFC 246 pay-per-view

It looks like Baker Mayfield ’ s star has fallen .
The lightning-rod Browns quarterback is attending Saturday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Vegas between Conor McGregor and Donald “ Cowboy ” Cerrone , but you wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ pay-per-view , according to a tweet sent by @ FTBeard11 which was later taken down @ @ @ @ @ going through the NFL luminaries in attendance , he ignored Baker Mayfield .
He first @ @ @ @ @ McCaffrey and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis but then it got interesting .
“ @ @ @ @ @ 1 overall pick , Browns defensive end Myles Garrett .
Nice to see Myles in @ @ @ @ @ said as the camera showed Garrett and Mayfield to his left in a cowboy hat @ @ @ @ @ us tonight … only the greatest of all time .
Six-time Super Bowl champion from @ @ @ @ @ Brady.
” Mayfield may have been snubbed , but he didn ’ t have to @ @ @ @ @ .
McGregor scored an impressive TKO victory in 40 seconds .

It looks like Baker Mayfield’s star has fallen.
The lightning-rod Browns quarterback is attending Saturday’s UFC 246 fight in Las Vegas between Conor McGregor and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, but you wouldn’t know it by the pay-per-view, according to a tweet sent by @FTBeard11 which was later taken down.
When the announcer was going through the NFL luminaries in attendance, he ignored Baker Mayfield. He first mentioned Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis but then it got interesting.
“Also the former No. 1 overall pick, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Nice to see Myles in the building,” he said as the camera showed Garrett and Mayfield to his left in a cowboy hat. “And also with us tonight … only the greatest of all time. Six-time Super Bowl champion from your New England Patriots Tom Brady.”
Oops.
Mayfield may have been snubbed, but he didn’t have to sit through a long bout. McGregor scored an impressive TKO victory in 40 seconds.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Royal Caribbean blames ‘reckless’ grandfather in death of toddler Chloe Wiegand

The Indiana man charged in the death of his toddler ...

Royal Caribbean is blaming a “reckless and irresponsible” grandfather in the death of an 18-month-old toddler who fell 11 stories while on their ship last summer, according to the Indianapolis Star newspaper.
Salvatore Anello was playing with his granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand, in the “Kids Water Zone” of the Freedom of the Seas ship when he lifted her up and out of the 11th-story window he knew to be open, the cruise ship alleged in a motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by Chloe’s family in Florida.
“His actions, which no reasonable person could have foreseen, were reckless and irresponsible and the sole reason why Chloe is no longer with her parents,” the cruise line stated.
The Wiegand family had sued the cruise line after Chloe’s death in July, arguing the company failed to protect Chloe and other vacationers from potentially dangerous open windows.
Anello has denied knowing the window was open — insisting he had picked up Chloe so she could bang on the glass as she would at her older brother’s hockey games.
But Royal Caribbean is claiming it has footage from two security cameras that show Anello held Chloe outside of the window for about 34 seconds.
The Wiegand family’s attorney Michael Winkleman issued a statement to CBS News calling Royal Caribbean’s motion “baseless and deceptive.”
Winkleman called for the cruise line to release additional views from what he said were 13 cameras in the area.
“It is clear that Royal Caribbean’s tactic is to blame Chloe’s grandfather rather than to accept that Royal Caribbean did not implement industry standards for toddler safety aboard its ships which ultimately led to Chloe’s tragic death,” Winkleman said in a statement.
“Royal Caribbean has premised its defense in this case and its blame on Chloe’s grandfather by supplying two deceptive views from its CCTV cameras to the court and the Puerto Rico authorities.”
Anello is also facing criminal charges in Puerto Rico, where prosecutors have charged him with negligent homicide in his granddaughter’s death.


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--Democrats’ ‘unfixable’ extremism uses Trump as an excuse: Goodwin

The fate of the republic , we are now supposed to ...

For much of the last three years, the impeachment of President Trump seemed inevitable. The left refused to accept his 2016 victory and remained determined to end his tenure.
When he made mistakes or said dumb things, the frenzy boiled over. When his tax and regulation cuts unleashed the great American jobs machine, the resistance grew more determined.
After Democrats seized the House in 2018, Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the firewall against impeachment. By the time she surrendered last fall, Pelosi had adopted the fiery zeal of a convert.
She now displays her hatred of Trump without reservation and accuses him of being a Russian agent, notwithstanding that special counsel Robert Mueller concluded otherwise. Anyone who disagrees with her is accused of being part of a criminal coverup, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Attorney General Bill Barr.
Given Pelosi’s position, these extraordinary accusations are unprecedented in modern times. Yet such vile extremism is the new normal on the left, which uses Trump as an excuse for its own abnormal conduct.
A top Pelosi henchman, Rep. Jerry Nadler, argued last week that, despite the coming election, impeachment must go forward now. Waiting wasn’t an option, he claimed, because the Ukraine case proves beyond a doubt that Trump is “trying to cheat in that election.”
Impeachment, and presumably conviction and removal, are needed to stop the president “from conspiring with a foreign government as the Russian government attempted to rig our last election.”
“We have to proceed,” Nadler insisted, “because the integrity of the election is at stake.”
So impeachment is not just for past acts but also for imagined future ones. By that logic, a 2021 impeachment is guaranteed if Trump wins re-election and Dems keep the House.
Indeed, if as expected the current impeachment ends in acquittal, it’s not far-fetched to believe there could be another one even before November. When you hate a president this much, you can never have too many impeachments.
Besides, the mere talk of removing Trump gets more attention — and donations — than anything else the party and its candidates are offering.
Trump returns the antipathy, of course, and his donors open their wallets in support, guaranteeing that the civil war engulfing our politics from sea to shining sea is not going to end soon.
Even the election won’t be a cure. Regardless of who wins in November, it’s impossible to believe that a “Kumbaya” moment is on the horizon.
All of which explains why a new book by F.H. Buckley feels so timely. Called “American Secession,” it examines the growing prospect of a national divorce.
“I see us on a train, bound for a breakup,” Buckley writes.
“In all the ways that matter, save for the naked force of the law, we are already divided into two nations. The contempt for opponents, the Twitter mobs, online shaming and no-platforming, the growing tolerance of violence — it all suggests we’d be happier in separate countries.”
To be clear, Buckley, a professor at George Mason University’s Scalia School of Law, is not advocating secession. But given the political, cultural, social and geographic divides, he believes it is time to consider the hurdles and whether they could be resolved.
He debunks the notion that it can’t happen here, that the carnage of the Civil War forever consigned the idea to the fringe. After surveying modern separatist movements from the breakup of the Soviet Union to Brexit to his native Canada, Buckley predicts that before long, the topic will go mainstream here as well.
Noting that a California independence effort is underway, Buckley believes the Supreme Court would have to take the idea seriously if a state, following a referendum, petitioned for the right to leave. The political class also would be forced to listen.
Smart, slim and provocative, “American Secession” strikes a chord precisely because our polarization grows deeper and more bitter by the day. Buckley’s comparisons to the Civil War era and other nations are instructive, if not always persuasive.
Still, his thesis reinforces the everyday evidence that our political plates have separated. Chants of “USA, USA” happen only at Trump rallies while Democratic candidates put their faith in identity politics and big government.
To be fair, these trends have been at work for decades, but the Trump phenomenon has helped create a chasm that could be too wide to bridge.
The impeachment trial that begins Tuesday is the clearest evidence of a looming national crackup. House Democrats made kangaroo courts look like models of fair play yet still could cobble together just two anemic articles, neither of which alleges an actual crime.
Coming after the three-year hate-fest against Trump, the process and results expose this impeachment as uniquely partisan and spiteful. The Ukraine matter is a piffle, and never before was anything so small used to try to remove a president.
Near the end of “American Secession,” Buckley urges “moderation from both sides, left and right but especially the left, in their desire to enforce their ideas about the good upon the rest of us. For starters, we need a greater tolerance for differences of opinion.”
It sounds so simple and obvious, yet it looks almost impossible to get there from here. What a tragedy.
The feds are coming
The feds are coming, the feds are coming. Hallelujah.
The Post reports two cases where federal officials are exposing or solving criminal justice problems created by city and state officials.
First, the nation’s top immigration official accused Mayor Bill de Blasio’s sanctuary city policy of contributing to the murder of 92-year-old Maria Fuertes. The feds posted a retainer request on illegal immigrant Reeaz Khan after an earlier arrest on assault charges. But the city turned him loose, and he later allegedly killed Fuertes.
“The policies of the mayor make this city less safe,” said Matthew Albence, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the second case, the Brooklyn federal prosecutor arrested — and held — Gerod Woodberry, the alleged serial bank robber repeatedly turned loose under the state’s so-called bail reform law.
Federal prosecutor Richard Donoghue blasted the changes, saying “no sound, rational and fair criminal justice system” would force judges to release defendants who are determined to commit more crimes.
The help is welcome, the irony is rich. City and state pols relentlessly bash President Trump, but his intervention is necessary to keep New Yorkers safe.
Tongue – and fruit – in cheek
Reader Harold Theurer reacts to the Whitney Museum’s edible art installation of fruits and vegetables by posing a question that reflects the sensibilities of demanding New Yorkers. He writes: “Before I go I’d like to know if the items were locally sourced from a sustainable farm and picked by a diverse group of workers, or were they bought at the local bodega?”
If it ain’t woke …
Breaking news: Some people at the New York Times have a sense of humor about the paper’s bias. I’m told a skeptic there approaches others with the greeting, “Welcome to Wokestan.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-18--New York AG Letitia James’ obscene attack on the NYPD

The New York Attorney General is probing whether the NYPD ...

New York’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Letitia James, is going after . . . law enforcement.
On Monday, James said she’s probing the NYPD’s fare-evasion policing for racial bias. It’s a disgraceful pander.
“If NYers have been targeted because of the color of their skin, we will not hesitate to take legal action,” she tweeted. Well, sure: If cops were singling out minorities, she’d be remiss not to act. Yet there’s no evidence — none — of such targeting.
From October 2017 to June 2019, James notes, minorities got 70% of the fare-evasion summonses and accounted for 90% of arrests, though they’re only 52% of the wider population. But this tells you nothing unless you determine what percentage of farebeaters they are: James should have determined that before announcing any wider investigation.
After all, 2018 crime stats show that minorities made up 93% of the suspects in murder cases, 81% in rapes, 92% in robberies and 80% in misdemeanors. Is James suggesting that cops are racists for making those arrests? Does she want officers to stop making them?
Her office also points to allegations of bias in a court case, but those also amount to little: It’s four cops claiming a superior ordered them to focus on minorities . . . back from 2011 to 2015. A probe found the charges “meritless” — and even if they were true, one official’s orders are a far different thing from actual NYPD policy.
No, the AG’s simply grandstanding, trying to capitalize on the anti-policing insanity that’s triggered a raft of soft-on-crime changes. Indeed, 95% of those accused of hopping turnstiles no longer get arrested but just issued summonses; DAs generally won’t even prosecute such cases.
And as arrests have fallen, the cash-strapped MTA’s loss of fare revenue has doubled, from $150 million in 2017 to $300 million in 2019.
Plus, fare-beating and other minor crimes add to overall disorder — and so breed more serious crime. That’s why the ’90s crackdown on fare-beaters proved a key factor in helping bring all crime rates down.
James should focus on enforcing the law — rather than undermining it by smearing cops as racist.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--‘Game of Thrones’ actor drops F-bomb on live TV at SAG Awards

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) “ Game of Thrones ” actor Pilou Asbæk dropped the F-bomb on the Screen Actors Guild Awards ’ pre-show carpet Sunday .
The Danish actor was asked what he gets asked about and he promptly replied , “ You know what I get most now ?
Why did you guys f–k up Season 8 ?
” Seeing the co-hosts shocked reactions Asbæk added , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Europe we can say that !
” He then threw up his hands and exclaimed , “ I ’ m tired !
” Asbæk had previously explained that he had just arrived in Los Angeles two hours previously from the Danish capital and had raced through customs to make it in time for the ceremony .
Despite the global howling over “ Game of Thrones ” finale , Asbæk explained that the cast loved the ending and even gave it a 15-minute standing ovation when the cast first read the script .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ upset simply because the show was finally ending .
“ You know it ’ s like a breakup and ‘ GoT ’ broke up with millions of people all over the world and they got upset.
” The “ Game of Thrones ” cast are nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series .

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“Game of Thrones” actor Pilou Asbæk dropped the F-bomb on the Screen Actors Guild Awards’ pre-show carpet Sunday.
The Danish actor was asked what he gets asked about and he promptly replied, “You know what I get most now? Why did you guys f–k up Season 8?”
Seeing the co-hosts shocked reactions Asbæk added, “We would do that in Europe! In Europe we can say that!” He then threw up his hands and exclaimed, “I’m tired!”
Asbæk had previously explained that he had just arrived in Los Angeles two hours previously from the Danish capital and had raced through customs to make it in time for the ceremony.
Despite the global howling over “Game of Thrones” finale, Asbæk explained that the cast loved the ending and even gave it a 15-minute standing ovation when the cast first read the script.
The 37-year-old actor surmised that fans were upset simply because the show was finally ending.
“You know it’s like a breakup and ‘GoT’ broke up with millions of people all over the world and they got upset.”
The “Game of Thrones” cast are nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Trump hits ‘Mini’ Bloomberg for critique of gun-toting Texas church hero

The gun-toting hero who shot down a gunman who killed ...

President Trump on Sunday took a potshot at Michael Bloomberg over the former New York mayor and presidential candidate’s remarks about a gun-toting Texas churchgoer who killed a would-be mass-shooter.
“Now Mini Mike Bloomberg is critical of Jack Wilson, who saved perhaps hundreds of people in a Church because he was carrying a gun, and knew how to use it,” tweeted Trump.
“Jack quickly killed the shooter, who was beginning a rampage,” continued Trump. “Mini is against the 2nd A[mendment].
“His ads are Fake, just like him!”
Wilson, 71, was hailed as a hero after neutralizing a shotgun-wielding man who opened fire last month in the middle of services at the West Freeway Church of Christ outside Forth Worth.
Keith Thomas Kinnunen, a 43-year-old “transient” with a criminal record, fatally shot two people inside the packed house of worship, but was quickly shot dead in turn by Wilson in a wild scene caught on video.
While many praised Wilson — a former FBI agent turned volunteer security guard — for his likely life-saving actions, Bloomberg earlier this month said that heroism should be left to the professionals.
“It may be true that someone in the congregation had his own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people, but it’s the job of law enforcement to have guns and to decide when to shoot,” said Bloomberg at an Alabama campaign stop earlier this month, according to The Hill.
“You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place,” continued Bloomberg, a well-known gun-control advocate and founder of the Everytown for Gun Safety nonprofit.
Bloomberg, the 77-year-old former three-term New York mayor, announced in November that he is self-financing a White House run.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--SAG Awards red carpet 2020 celebrity fashion photos

Scarlett Johansson (in Armani) is nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for the role of Nicole Barber in "Marriage Story" and is also nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for the role of Rosie in "Jojo Rabbit."


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--SAG Award winners 2020: Complete list with nominees

The 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards — the under-appreciated middle child of Hollywood ’ s awards season — will hand out more than a dozen SAG statues to honor movies and television Sunday night at LA ’ s Shrine Auditorium .
Sandwiched between the Golden Globes and the Oscars , the traditionally host-free SAGs reverted to a no-emcee format after a two-year experiment using hosts — “ Will & Grace ” star Megan Mullally last year and “ The Good Place ” actress Kristen Bell in 2018 — for the first time in the organization ’ s history .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t available ? )
But a bevy of presenters — including nominees Scarlett Johansson and Sterling K. Brown — will keep the flow moving for the 26th annual shindig , broadcast live on TBS and TNT .
The SAGs will also take a page from the 2020 Golden Globes menu and serve up a plant-based dinner that includes a romano bean salad , paellla rice salad and charred harissa-glazed baby carrots , plus wine and Champagne .
Besides the 15 main awards , which are voted on by active members of SAG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio Artists , Leonardo DiCaprio will present “ The Irishman ” star Robert De Niro with the 2020 SAG Life Achievement Award for fostering the “ finest ideals of the acting profession.
” Will Renée Zellweger take home a statue for her starring role in “ Judy ” — and potentially set up an Oscar win for her portrayal of screen legend Judy Garland ?
And will Phoebe Waller-Bridge ’ s “ Fleabag ” nab the trophy for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series to bookend its Golden Globe win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comedy ?
Find out below in our full list of winners and nominees , which will be updated throughout the night .
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series : Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries : Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries : Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series : Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series :

The 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards — the under-appreciated middle child of Hollywood’s awards season — handed out more than a dozen SAG statues to honor movies and television Sunday night at LA’s Shrine Auditorium.
Sandwiched between the Golden Globes and the Oscars, the traditionally host-free SAGs reverted to a no-emcee format after a two-year experiment using hosts — “Will & Grace” star Megan Mullally last year and “The Good Place” actress Kristen Bell in 2018 — for the first time in the organization’s history. (Perhaps carefree Globes host Ricky Gervais wasn’t available?)
But a bevy of presenters — including nominees Scarlett Johansson and Sterling K. Brown — kept the flow moving for the 26th annual shindig, broadcast live on TBS and TNT. The SAGs also took a page from the 2020 Golden Globes menu and served up a plant-based dinner that included a romano bean salad, paellla rice salad and charred harissa-glazed baby carrots, plus wine and Champagne.
Besides the 15 main awards, which are voted on by active members of SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Leonardo DiCaprio also presented “The Irishman” star Robert De Niro with the 2020 SAG Life Achievement Award for fostering the “finest ideals of the acting profession.”
Below is the full list of winners and nominees, which will be updated throughout the night.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
WINNER: “Parasite” (Neon)
“Bombshell” (Lionsgate)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
WINNER: Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Lupita Nyong’o (“Us”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
WINNER: Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
WINNER: Sam Rockwell (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Mahershala Ali (“True Detective”)
Russell Crowe (“The Loudest Voice”)
Jared Harris (“Chernobyl”)
Jharrel Jerome (“When They See Us”)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:
WINNER: “The Crown” (Netflix)
“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
WINNER: Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
WINNER: Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
WINNER: Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Patricia Arquette (“The Act”)
Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
Joey King (“The Act”)
Emily Watson (“Chernobyl”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
WINNER: Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy”)
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
WINNER: Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Nicole Kidman (“Bombshell”)
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
WINNER: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)
“Barry” (HBO)
“Fleabag” (Amazon)
“The Kominsky Method”
“Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
WINNER: Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
WINNER: Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:
WINNER: “Game of Thrones”
“GLOW”
“Stranger Things”
“The Walking Dead”
“Watchman”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
WINNER: “Avengers: Endgame”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Chiefs’ Travis Kelce drops F-bomb during Patrick Mahomes interview

Travis Kelce ’ s excitement could not be contained and no seven-second delay could stop us from hearing it on @ @ @ @ @ tight end cursed while interrupting quarterback Patrick Mahomes ’ on-field interview after Kansas City defeated @ @ @ @ @ the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday – earning a trip to Super Bowl @ @ @ @ @ The best quarterback in the National Football League right here baby and he shows it @ @ @ @ @ said of Mahomes on CBS .
“ Humble as can be baby .
I f—–g @ @ @ @ @ , who went 23-of-35 passing for 294 yards and four passing and rushing touchdowns , @ @ @ @ @ Kelce spoke .
Kelce added three catches for 30 yards to help book his first @ @ @ @

Travis Kelce’s excitement could not be contained and no seven-second delay could stop us from hearing it on live TV.
The Chiefs tight end cursed while interrupting quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ on-field interview after Kansas City defeated the Tennessee Titans 35-24 in the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday – earning a trip to Super Bowl 2020 in Miami.
“The best quarterback in the National Football League right here baby and he shows it every time,” Kelce said of Mahomes on CBS. “Humble as can be, baby. I f—–g love you!”
Mahomes, who went 23-of-35 passing for 294 yards and a combined four passing and rushing touchdowns, just smiled and laughed as Kelce spoke.
Kelce added three catches for 30 yards to help book his first Super Bowl appearance.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Reliving Derek Jeter’s last Hall of Fame moment for Yankees

Yankee fans may soon be able to meet outside the ...

Imagine attending, say, your favorite musician’s farewell concert and all of a sudden comes a brand new, legendary hit.
Or you need not imagine it. You can just rewatch Derek Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium.
Jeter, the beloved Yankees captain and shortstop, will learn officially on Tuesday that he has been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, in his first year on the ballot. The only remaining suspense concerns whether he will follow longtime teammate Mariano Rivera to become the second unanimous selection ever by the writers. To date, as per the aggregation of Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs on Twitter), every publicly disclosed vote has included a checkmark next to Jeter’s name.
Tuesday’s news will generate another round of appreciation for Jeter, now the Marlins’ CEO, and his playing greatness, which included not only Hall of Fame numbers (3,465 hits, sixth all time; and 1,923 runs, 10th all time in modern ball) but a plethora of Hall of Fame moments. The very last one occurred long after the flip play, the “Mr. November” walk-off homer or Jeffrey Maier’s unscheduled moment of glory — which amplified its fit in Jeter’s drama-heavy narrative of coming through in the clutch at all times of his career, from start to finish.
As his first major league manager Buck Showalter put it this past week, when describing Jeter’s status on Sept. 25, 2014, in The Bronx, “He wasn’t having the type of year that you would walk [him].”
Yes, Showalter, to add a layer of fun, sat in the visitors’ dugout running the Orioles, who already had clinched the American League East title. The Yankees had been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention the prior day, missing the playoffs for the second straight year after qualifying in Jeter’s first 18 campaigns.
It had proven a trying 2014 for Jeter, who announced before spring training that this would be his final lap. After missing the bulk of 2013 due to complications from the left-ankle fracture he had suffered during the 2012 AL Championship Series, he started 144 games, 128 of them at shortstop, in his age-40 season. He batted second in the lineup for 619 of his 634 plate appearances. And, to be blunt, he performed terribly, tallying a .256/.304/.313 slash line while fielding his position below replacement level. Giving him so many reps on both sides contributed heavily to the Yankees’ empty October.
Alas, what could the Yankees do, right? Jeter had led the charge to five rings and 13 other playoff appearances. Moreover, his retirement heads-up had increased Stadium attendance for the first time since 2010 and, we’d see, the only season from 2011 through 2016. Hence the Yankees’ last home game of the season became an unconditional Jeter love-fest.
“You kind of became a spectator, a fan” said Antoan Richardson, a speedy outfielder whom the Yankees recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier that month.
“I’ve always prided myself in enjoying the moment, slowing the game down, and guys had heard me talk about Derek,” Showalter said. “They understood the respect we should show for him. He had a Hall Of Fame statistical career, but he may have had a better career as a person, and that’s so hard to do.”
After the game’s first two batters, Nick Markakis and Alejandro De Aza, homered off Yankees starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees counterpunched quickly, as Jeter doubled home Brett Gardner and scored the tying run when O’s second baseman Kelly Johnson booted a grounder by Brian McCann. No more scoring would occur until Jeter came up with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, potentially his last at-bat in the pinstripes … and stroked a grounder to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who threw the ball away as he tried to get the force at second base. With two runs scoring on the play and three in the inning, the diminished Jeter would receive credit for the game-winning RBI. Good enough, you’d think.
Except then David Robertson, Rivera’s successor as closer, entered in the top of the ninth and served up a two-run homer to Adam Jones and a game-tying, solo shot to Steve Pearce. Due up third in the bottom of the ninth? Jeter.
Against Orioles right-handed reliever Evan Meek — Showalter was resting his best late-inning arms like Zack Britton and Andrew Miller — Jose Pirela, a utilityman who made his major league debut three days earlier, singled to left field.
“When Baltimore tied the game, for a second I had to lock it back in and I had to recognize I was a part of this team,” said Richardson, now the Giants’ first-base coach. “… Jose is pretty fast himself, but [Yankees manager Joe Girardi] looks down at the dugout and signals to me, ‘You got him.’ ”
Gardner bunted Richardson over to second. Enter Jeter … and the conspiracy theories. Why not just walk Jeter, his run being irrelevant, and create the force?
“Who’s was on deck?” Showalter asked The Post. The answer was McCann.
“And after that?” Mark Teixeira.
“There you go,” Showalter said. He added: “I’m not thinking, ‘I’m gonna go ahead and pitch to Derek so he can go out on a great note.’ That’s not true.”
With the crowd chanting “Derek Je-ter!” Meek threw a first-pitch cutter that Jeter punched into right field, past a diving Johnson.
“I take off,” Richardson told The Post this past week, “and I knew we had one out. I didn’t think [third-base coach] Rob Thomson was going to send me home because it was such a hard-hit ball. I get to third base, and I see Rob Thomson waving me home. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my goodness!’
“At that point in time, you kind of recognize in the moment, ‘Hey you’d better score. These fans are not going to be happy if you don’t score.’ I was so anxious and desperate to get to the plate. I never dive headfirst, but in my desperation to make sure I score, [I did].”
He beat the throw home from Markakis, and the Stadium rocked.
“I was so anxious and desperate to get to the plate.”
“You recognize you won the game — pretty cool — and then actually, I didn’t know what to do,” Richardson said. “I didn’t know how to celebrate. Everyone’s running to first base [to mob Jeter]. I was like, ‘Hey, I might as well join the party!”
What a party, with Rivera and other Yankees greats appearing on the field and the Orioles applauding Jeter. While Jeter made a pair of cameo appearances in the season-ending weekend at Fenway Park, his last full game — at home, at shortstop — sent him into his five-year waiting period on the highest of notes.
“I didn’t mean to blow that game, but I’m sure glad I did!” Robertson, now with the Phillies, wrote to The Post in a Twitter direct message. “A magical moment in baseball history. Derek was the greatest teammate anyone could ask for and I’m so happy for him.”
The waiting period ends Tuesday, and with that, Jeter’s greatest hits will reemerge. That he produced one of his best when he was at his worst makes everything all the sweeter.


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Bronx state Sen. Sepulveda under scrutiny for $200K loan from LI dentist

A Bronx state senator is being eyed by the Board of Elections for his handling of a $ 200,000 loan he received from a Long Island dentist to fill a campaign budget hole , The Post has learned .
Sen. Luis Sepulveda obtained the loan , at 4 percent interest , from Dr. Efraim Zak in July 2017 to bankroll his special election to the Senate in April 2018 , records show .
It is unusual for a candidate to take that large a loan from an individual .
But it is legal if paid back on time .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign treasurer , Oshrie Zak , who is Efraim ’ s brother , a source close to the senator said .
The state senator has known the siblings for years , the source said .
A Bronx political insider said Sepulveda obtained the $ 200,000 loan to show strength as the Bronx Democratic Party weighed whether to give him the nomination for the Senate seat , which it did .
But Sulpeveda didn ’ t pay the loan back until September 2018 , five months after the election , according to records filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Elections spokesman John Conklin claimed that the failure to pay off the loan on time was a “ violation , ” in effect converting the money into an illegal , over-the-limit campaign contribution .
Donations from an individual are limited to $ 11,8000 for a Senate general election .
“ Since Sepulveda was a candidate in the April 24 , 2018 Special Election to fill the vacancy in the 32nd Senate District , I would argue it became an over [ the limit ] contribution when it wasn ’ t repaid by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filings on time , he would have been informed it was an over [ the limit ] contribution , ” Conklin told The Post .
“ It was repaid in September .
It would be up to the [ board ’ s ] Enforcement Counsel to determine if the violation was intentional and therefore subject to a possible fine , ” Conklin added .
Sepulveda , in a statement , said he abided by all rules regarding the loan .
“ The loan was made to the committee in full accordance with Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full , ” he said .
“ We expect the committee has satisfied all of the Board ’ s requirements .
”

A Bronx state senator is being eyed by the Board of Elections for his handling of a $200,000 loan he received from a Long Island dentist to fill a campaign budget hole, The Post has learned.
Sen. Luis Sepulveda obtained the loan, at 4 percent interest, from Dr. Efraim Zak in July 2017 to bankroll his special election to the Senate in April 2018, records show.
It is unusual for a candidate to take that large a loan from an individual. But it is legal if paid back on time.
The loan was arranged by Sepulveda’s campaign treasurer, Oshrie Zak, who is Efraim’s brother, a source close to the senator said. The state senator has known the siblings for years, the source said.
A Bronx political insider said Sepulveda obtained the $200,000 loan to show strength as the Bronx Democratic Party weighed whether to give him the nomination for the Senate seat, which it did.
But Sulpeveda didn’t pay the loan back until September 2018, five months after the election, according to records filed with the state elections board.
Board of Elections spokesman John Conklin claimed that the failure to pay off the loan on time was a “violation,” in effect converting the money into an illegal, over-the-limit campaign contribution. Donations from an individual are limited to $11,8000 for a Senate general election.
“Since Sepulveda was a candidate in the April 24, 2018 Special Election to fill the vacancy in the 32nd Senate District, I would argue it became an over [the limit] contribution when it wasn’t repaid by April 24th. Had he made his filings on time, he would have been informed it was an over [the limit] contribution,” Conklin told The Post.
“It was repaid in September. It would be up to the [board’s] Enforcement Counsel to determine if the violation was intentional and therefore subject to a possible fine,” Conklin added.
Sepulveda, in a statement, said he abided by all rules regarding the loan.
“The loan was made to the committee in full accordance with Board of Elections guidelines and was repaid in full,” he said.
“We expect the committee has satisfied all of the Board’s requirements.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Hawaii man kills 2 cops, starts fire after landlord tries to evict him

A Hawaii man shot two police officers dead and sparked an inferno that destroyed at least four homes after his @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday , according to a local report .
Jerry Hanel allegedly stabbed his landlord @ @ @ @ @ responding cops around 9:30 a.m. , near the Honolulu tourist destination of Diamond Head , @ @ @ @ @ Now .
A third officer was injured , with a gunshot wound to the leg @ @ @ @ @ Hanel then allegedly set fire to his home — and authorities believe he died in @ @ @ @ @ said .
The flames quickly spread to nearby homes , wiping out at least four @ @ @ @ @ Several Honolulu Police Department vehicles were also damaged in the fire .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ only the City and County of Honolulu but the entire state of Hawaii , ” @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
“ I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family @ @ @ @ @ officers as well as the entire Honolulu Police Department .
”

A Hawaii man shot two police officers dead and sparked an inferno that destroyed at least seven homes after his landlady tried to evict him on Sunday, according to officials and reports.
Jerry Hanel, 68, allegedly stabbed his landlady and then opened fire on responding cops around 9:30 a.m., near the Honolulu tourist destination of Diamond Head, police sources told Hawaii News Now.
Officers Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran of the force and mother of three, and Kaulike Kalama, a nine-year veteran of the force, were killed, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said at a press conference, choking back tears.
A third officer was injured, with a gunshot wound to the leg, Ballard said.
Hanel then allegedly set fire to his home, according to the report. Authorities believe he died in the blaze, though he has not yet been located.
“We will continue to search for Hanel until we confirm that his remains have been recovered,” said Ballard.
The flames quickly spread to nearby homes, wiping out at least seven and damaging several more, Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters.
Two people — both women — were also unaccounted for after the massive blaze.
The landlady, Lois Cain, was loaded into an ambulance with knife wounds to her leg, a neighbor told The Associated Press. Her condition wasn’t immediately clear.
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Several Honolulu Police Department vehicles were also damaged in the fire.
Hanel had previous interactions with police but “had never acted out before,” Ballard said.
Attorney Jonathan Burge — who has represented Hanel since 2015 in various feuds with neighbors — said he never knew him to be violent, but that “he’s kind of a quirky guy and has problems.”
A native of the Czech Republic, who used interpreters in court, Hanel was due in court next week on a charge of misusing 911 services, Burge said.
Hanel believed the government was watching him and tapping his phone, Burge said, adding: “Maybe that’s what set him off.”
Cain had been letting him live at the home for free, in exchange for handyman work, but their relationship recently soured when Hanel’s dog died and she wouldn’t let him get a new one, Burge said.
She had sought to get him evicted, according to court records filed last week, which said Hanel did not have a rental agreement.
“This is an unprecedented tragedy for not only the City and County of Honolulu but the entire state of Hawaii,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said on Twitter.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the two officers as well as the entire Honolulu Police Department.”


newyorkpost--2020-01-19--Super Bowl 2020: Chiefs punch ticket with win over Titans

KANSAS CITY , Mo .
— Patrick Mahomes tiptoed along the sideline and Arrowhead Stadium never was quiet again .
Mahomes ’ incredible go-ahead 27-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the first half Sunday all but clinched the Chiefs ’ spot in Super Bowl 2020 with two quarters remaining .
It also kicked off a Tomahawk Chopping , sing-a-long dancing , confetti-erupting party 50 frustrating years in the making for this loyal fan base .
Somehow overshadowed one year after winning NFL MVP , Mahomes reemerged the past two weeks and is taking the league ’ s biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 350 total yards and four touchdowns in a 35-24 win against the Titans in the AFC Championship game .
The Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl for the first time since January 1970 , when they beat the Vikings in Super Bowl IV .
If the Packers win the NFC , it will be a rematch of Super Bowl I to cap the NFL ’ s 100th anniversary .
Chiefs coach Andy Reid improved to 2-5 in his career in conference championship games and hoisted the AFC ’ s Lamar Hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded the home organization as the Dallas Texans in 1959 and moved it to Kansas City in 1963 .
The Titans built two double-digit leads but surrendered two touchdowns in the final 4:03 of the first half .
Ryan Tannehill , who had not thrown more than 15 passes in either of the Titans ’ first two playoff wins , threw his 16th pass with 6:39 left in the second quarter — a 1-yard touchdown to 321-pound tackle Dennis Kelly for a 17-7 lead .
The unpredictable script from the methodical Titans wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henry .
The NFL ’ s leading rusher carried 16 times for 62 yards in the first half , but he disappeared when normally most effective .
Henry is a second-half weapon because his bruising running style wears down defenses .
But he had three carries for 6 yards in the third quarter and the Titans trailed by two scores for almost the entire fourth quarter , forcing the play-calling to get more aggressive and allowing the Chiefs ’ pass rush to tee off .
The 24-year-old Mahomes showed no sign of panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why would he ?
The king of quick strikes led a 24-point comeback last week against the Texans and nearly led the Chiefs to last year ’ s Super Bowl , but never got a chance to touch the ball in overtime of a loss to the Patriots .
Both defenses managed just one stop in four series in the first half , and the difference was the Titans settled for an early field goal while the Chiefs took a 21-17 lead on Mahomes ’ scramble for the ages .
It officially is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was standing at the 35-yard line when he took off to his left with three pass-rushers invading the pocket .
He beat a fourth to the edge just behind the line of scrimmage and navigated the home sideline tightrope for 13 yards .
When Mahomes could ’ ve stepped out of bounds at the 12-yard line to preserve time , he cut back toward the middle of the field with nothing to lose because the Chiefs stored two timeouts .
He froze a tackler in his tracks and dragged another across the goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill caught two touchdown passes , including one on Reid ’ s beloved shovel pass to a speedy receiver running in motion toward the snap , and set up another with a 15-yard reception on the final play of a scoreless third quarter .
When Damien Williams punched in a three-yard touchdown for his fourth score in the last two games , confetti rained down from the upper deck of Arrowhead Stadium .
One punt later , an improvisational Mahomes planted his foot and flung an off-balance 60-yard touchdown strike to uncovered Sammy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Super Bowl .

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes tiptoed along the sideline and Arrowhead Stadium never was quiet again.
“Magic Mahomes’ ” incredible go-ahead 27-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the first half Sunday all but clinched the Chiefs’ spot in Super Bowl LIV with two quarters remaining. It also kicked off a Tomahawk Chopping, sing-a-long dancing, confetti-erupting party 50 frustrating years in the making for this loyal fan base.
Somehow overshadowed one year after winning NFL MVP, Mahomes reemerged the last two weeks and is taking the league’s biggest star to its biggest stage after accounting for 350 total yards and four touchdowns in a 35-24 win against the Titans in the AFC Championship game.
“Arrowhead was shaking today,” seventh-year tight end Travis Kelce said. “That’s the loudest I ever heard it.”
The Chiefs are headed to Miami and the Super Bowl for the first time since January 1970, when they beat the Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid improved to 2-5 in his career in conference championship games and hoisted the AFC’s Lamar Hunt Trophy, named for the man who founded the home organization as the Dallas Texans in 1959 and moved it to Kansas City in 1963.
“Fired up to go to Miami,” Reid said. “Need to get on a diet so I can fit into my clothes.”
The Titans built two double-digit leads but surrendered two touchdowns in the final 4:03 of the first half. Ryan Tannehill, who had not thrown more than 15 passes in either of the Titans’ first two playoff wins, threw his 16th pass with 6:39 left in the second quarter — a 1-yard touchdown to 321-pound tackle Dennis Kelly for a 17-7 lead.
The unpredictable script from the methodical Titans wasn’t at the sacrifice of Derrick Henry. The NFL’s leading rusher carried 16 times for 62 yards in the first half, but he disappeared when normally most effective.
Henry is a second-half weapon because his bruising running style wears down defenses. But he had three carries for 6 yards in the third quarter and the Titans trailed by two scores for almost the entire fourth quarter, forcing the play-calling to get more aggressive and allowing the Chiefs’ pass rush to tee off.
“We were hitting,” linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “We’ve got to make teams one-dimensional, and that’s what we did.”
“I think there was a lot of things we could have done differently,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said.
The 24-year-old Mahomes showed no sign of panic when the Chiefs fell behind 10-0.
Why would he? The king of quick strikes led a 24-point comeback last week against the Texans and nearly led the Chiefs to last year’s Super Bowl, but never got a chance to touch the ball in overtime during a loss to the Patriots.
“Watching the Super Bowl and not being in it was something I could barely do,” Mahomes said. “I knew that I wanted to be in this moment, being able to play for this game.”
Both defenses managed just one stop in four series in the first half, and the difference was the Titans settled for an early field goal while the Chiefs took a 21-17 lead on Mahomes’ scramble for the ages. It officially is recorded as a 27-yarder, but Mahomes was standing at the 35-yard line when he took off to his left with three pass-rushers invading in the pocket. He beat a fourth to the edge just behind the line of scrimmage and navigated the home sideline tightrope for 13 yards.
When Mahomes could’ve stepped out of bounds at the 12-yard line to preserve time, he cut back toward the middle of the field with nothing to lose because the Chiefs stored two timeouts. He froze a tackler in his tracks and dragged another across the goal line with 11 seconds remaining.
“That’s all heart and effort,” said wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson, who waved his hands at Mahomes as if he is a god. “Everybody knows [Mahomes] has an MVP arm, but he showed his MVP legs today.”
Tyreek Hill caught two touchdowns, including one on Reid’s beloved shovel pass to a speedy receiver running in motion toward the snap, and set up another with a 15-yard reception on the final play of a scoreless third quarter. When Damien Williams punched in a 3-yard touchdown for his fourth score in the last two games, confetti rained down from the upper deck of Arrowhead Stadium. One punt later, an improvisational Mahomes planted his foot and flung an off-balance 60-yard touchdown strike to uncovered Sammy Watkins.
He saved his next scramble for the Super Bowl.