newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Amy Coney Barrett will sail through confirmation and other commentary

“ The wheels of government tend to turn slowly , ” Roger Kimball observes at American Greatness .
But by nominating conservative jurist Amy Coney Barrett as a high-court justice , President Trump “ has once again demonstrated that if need be , they can be made to turn with dizzying speed.
” With the Senate balance of power as it is , and few GOP defections expected , “ she is likely to be seated before the election on Nov. 3.
” As it should be : “ Barrett graduated first in her class from Notre Dame law school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second for Justice Antonin Scalia.
” And her record shows she will follow her late mentor in “ interpreting the law in light of the Constitution , not promulgating public policy from the bench.
” Outdoor play is one of the safest activities for children during the pandemic .
Yet in states like California , “ politicians persist in wrapping police tape around facilities where kids might find some relief , ” fumes Reason ’ s Matt Welch .
Officials swear they are “ following the science ” by keeping playgrounds closed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on superstition and/or public-sector union muscle.
” Children , who are the least likely to contract or spread the virus , are arguably suffering the most from shutdowns .
“ They need movement , contact , interaction , or they will be damaged.
” And yet politicians continue to promote “ a ‘ guidance ’ on indefinite playground shutdowns that includes neither a credible scientific explanation nor specific benchmarks.
” The better , and simpler , approach : “ Where the community spread is under control , just open the damned parks.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing regime and thus “ enabling ” its rise , Joe Biden is trying “ to perform an unconvincing about-face on the foreign adversary in which he ’ s invested so much , ” charges former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell at The Hill .
In an attempt to “ execute an awkward 180-degree turn , ” the ex-veep now argues that he would be harder on China than President Trump , ignoring his past stances as vice president .
Back then , he said “ a rising China is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans sound a lot like Trump ’ s , though the reality of China policy under Biden might just resemble his earlier positions .
Bottom line , voters face a choice on China relations between “ Trump — or someone promising to imitate Trump.
” The Kremlin is challenging the United States and Europe to retaliate over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny , warns the Washington Examiner ’ s Tom Rogan .
“ Vladimir Putin is gambling that European Union business interests and US political interests ” prevent action .
On Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such efforts : “ We hope .
.
.
the partners will understand the futility of talking with us , ” he snarked .
He has “ reason to be confident ” : European business interests are now “ firmly in favor of relaxing ” sanctions , not adding new ones .
And President Trump wants to “ maintain cordiality ” before next year ’ s nuclear-arms talks .
Yet “ an accounting must occur.
” The West needs to send a message that will “ reverberate throughout the Kremlin ” — “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ II gas pipeline.
” The various sources of chaos in 2020 all “ reveal the disasters that follow when common sense is ignored and ideology reigns , ” asserts Victor Davis Hanson at National Review .
When cities diminished police presence in answer to protest demands , gun sales soared — because individuals knew that “ self-protection outweighs abstract ideology.
” Likewise , “ pragmatic people understand ” that it isn ’ t climate change , but the immense waste left to rot for years after the 2013-15 drought that is “ causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biblical conflagrations.
” Finally , while “ experts have given the American public contradictory and weaponized election-year directives on masks , social distancing , lockdowns , school closures and workplace policies , ” people are left to figure out for themselves which advice to follow .
“ Experts , not commonsense citizens , have been failing America .
”

Legal beat: ACB Will Sail
“The wheels of government tend to turn slowly,” Roger Kimball observes at American Greatness. But by nominating conservative jurist Amy Coney Barrett as a high-court justice, President Trump “has once again demonstrated that if need be, they can be made to turn with dizzying speed.” With the Senate balance of power as it is, and few GOP defections expected, “she is likely to be seated before the election on Nov. 3.” As it should be: “Barrett graduated first in her class from Notre Dame law school, then held two clerkships, the second for Justice Antonin Scalia.” And her record shows she will follow her late mentor in “interpreting the law in light of the Constitution, not promulgating public policy from the bench.”
Libertarian: Open the Playgrounds Already
Outdoor play is one of the safest activities for children during the pandemic. Yet in states like California, “politicians persist in wrapping police tape around facilities where kids might find some relief,” fumes Reason’s Matt Welch. Officials swear they are “following the science” by keeping playgrounds closed, but their policies are “based largely on superstition and/or public-sector union muscle.” Children, who are the least likely to contract or spread the virus, are arguably suffering the most from shutdowns. “They need movement, contact, interaction, or they will be damaged.” And yet politicians continue to promote “a ‘guidance’ on indefinite playground shutdowns that includes neither a credible scientific explanation nor specific benchmarks.” The better, and simpler, approach: “Where the community spread is under control, just open the damned parks.”
2020 watch: Biden’s China 180
Despite decades of failing to confront the Beijing regime and thus “enabling” its rise, Joe Biden is trying “to perform an unconvincing about-face on the foreign adversary in which he’s invested so much,” charges former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell at The Hill. In an attempt to “execute an awkward 180-degree turn,” the ex-veep now argues that he would be harder on China than President Trump, ignoring his past stances as vice president. Back then, he said “a rising China is a positive, positive development.” His new plans sound a lot like Trump’s, though the reality of China policy under Biden might just resemble his earlier positions. Bottom line, voters face a choice on China relations between “Trump — or someone promising to imitate Trump.”
Foreign desk: Putin & Co. Laugh at West
The Kremlin is challenging the United States and Europe to retaliate over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, warns the Washington Examiner’s Tom Rogan. “Vladimir Putin is gambling that European Union business interests and US political interests” prevent action. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov actually mocked such efforts: “We hope . . . the partners will understand the futility of talking with us,” he snarked. He has “reason to be confident”: European business interests are now “firmly in favor of relaxing” sanctions, not adding new ones. And President Trump wants to “maintain cordiality” before next year’s nuclear-arms talks. Yet “an accounting must occur.” The West needs to send a message that will “reverberate throughout the Kremlin” — “by extinguishing Putin’s Nord Stream II gas pipeline.”
Conservative: Common Sense Will Save America
The various sources of chaos in 2020 all “reveal the disasters that follow when common sense is ignored and ideology reigns,” asserts Victor Davis Hanson at National Review. When cities diminished police presence in answer to protest demands, gun sales soared — because individuals knew that “self-protection outweighs abstract ideology.” Likewise, “pragmatic people understand” that it isn’t climate change, but the immense waste left to rot for years after the 2013-15 drought that is “causing traditional fall wildfires to blow up into biblical conflagrations.” Finally, while “experts have given the American public contradictory and weaponized election-year directives on masks, social distancing, lockdowns, school closures and workplace policies,” people are left to figure out for themselves which advice to follow. “Experts, not commonsense citizens, have been failing America.”
Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Josh Allen’s early MVP case only gets stronger with wild Bills win

After the Bears started the second half down 16-10 against ...

The Bills could have suffered a crushing defeat after blowing the identical 25-point lead the Falcons once flushed in the Super Bowl.
But a late pass interference call and early MVP candidate Josh Allen’s fourth touchdown pass of the game with 15 seconds remaining kept the Bills unbeaten through three games with a 35-32 victory Sunday over the Rams.
“I love this team,” said Allen, who also had a 1-yard rushing TD. “Going up 28-3, that just means we’ve got to be better and make sure we’re keeping our foot on the pedal. We have to put that game away. I’m very happy we got the win, but I’m also a little mad for allowing us to dip a little there.”
Jared Goff (321 passing yards) led the Rams (2-1) back from a 28-3 third-quarter hole, posting 29 consecutive points to put his team up 32-28 on Darrell Henderson’s 1-yard scoring run with 4:30 remaining.
Allen, who has registered 10 TD passes and one interception through three games, moved the Bills to the Los Angeles 13-yard line for a fourth-and-8 play with 25 seconds left.
Allen’s pass to Gabriel Davis fell incomplete, but Rams cornerback Darious Williams was flagged for interference, and Allen found Tyler Kroft on the next play for a 3-yard touchdown.
“Disappointing end to a very resilient effort by our guys,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I love this football team. We’re not going to make any excuses. We’re going to use this as an opportunity to move forward.”
Allen, the third quarterback taken in the 2018 draft (No. 7 overall) behind Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield (No. 1) and the Jets’ Sam Darnold (No. 3), has engineered seven fourth-quarter comeback wins in his first three seasons. The Bills have started 3-0 for two consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-92.
“The NFL, it’s tough to win. No matter what the score is, you’ve got to keep playing,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “It came down to one drive and that’s why we practice the way we do.”
Foles Fries Falcons
The Bears made a decisive change at quarterback to remain unbeaten, and the Falcons suffered another ignominious defeat, blowing a big lead for the second consecutive week in a 30-26 home loss to Chicago.
Nick Foles replaced Mitchell Trubisky with the Bears trailing 26-10 in the second half and threw for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, culminated by a 28-yarder to Anthony Miller with 1:53 remaining.
“I’ve been where [Trubisky’s] been, and it’s not easy,” said Foles, the former Super Bowl winner with Philadelphia who was acquired by the Bears in a March trade with Jacksonville. “It’s not easy coming in cold like that, but if you can approach it with mindset of one play at a time, you can’t get all the points back in one throw, that helps a lot.”
Dan Quinn’s Falcons, who infamously squandered a 28-3 lead in a Super Bowl LI loss to New England, also fell to Dallas last Sunday after leading 39-24 with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
“These last two weeks have been nothing short of crushing,” Quinn said.
“It doesn’t get no worse than this,” defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. added. “We probably found the two worst ways you can lose a football game.”
Foles finished 16-for-29 for 188 yards in less than two quarters of play. Trubisky had thrown five TD passes in the Bears’ first two victories, but he was 13-for-22 for 128 yards with an interception Sunday before Bears coach Matt Nagy benched him in the third.
“The quarterback situation, there’s a lot of emotions that go into that [decision],” said Nagy, who declined to announce a starter for next week. “That was a move we ended up making and we’re super fired up to win the game.”
Pack Mentality
In a primetime matchup of 13-3 teams from last season, the Packers scored 10 fourth quarter points to pull out a 37-30 win in New Orleans.
Aaron Rodgers registered 283 passing yards with three touchdowns, including one to Allen Lazard (six catches, 146 yards).
Taysom Hill’s fumble on a strip sack and recovery by Za’Darius Smith led to a tiebreaking 49-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with 8:47 remaining.
Rodgers, who hasn’t been intercepted this season, added a one-yard scoring toss to tight end Robert Tonyan at the two-minute warning for the Packers (3-0). Alvin Kamara totaled 197 yards from scrimmage and scored twice for the Saints (1-2).
The Fifth Dimension
Russell Wilson’s fifth touchdown throw of the game, a 29-yarder to DK Metcalf, with 1:47 remaining boosted Seattle (3-0) to a wild 38-31 home win over Dallas (1-2).
Wilson, who also had five TD tosses in last week’s win over New England, has 14 touchdowns and just one interception through three games. Three of those scoring throws Sunday went to Tyler Lockett, who finished with nine receptions for 100 yards.
The Cowboys appeared poised for their second consecutive fourth-quarter comeback victory, taking a 31-30 lead on Greg Zuerlein’s 42-yard field goal with 3:59 to go.
Dak Prescott surpassed 400 passing yards (career-high 472) for the second straight week, connecting for two TD tosses to Cedrick Wilson and one to Michael Gallup, but he was picked off by Ryan Neal in the end zone with six seconds remaining.
Tie, Eagles, Tie
Carson Wentz and No. 1-overall pick Joe Burrow played well enough not to lose Sunday, but neither emerged victorious either as the Eagles and Bengals played to a 23-23 tie to each move to 0-2-1.
Philly kicker Jake Elliott lined up for a 59-yard field-goal attempt with 19 seconds remaining in overtime, but after a false start moved the Eagles back 5 yards, coach Doug Pederson elected to punt to preserve the tie.
“Tying is no fun, it’s an awkward way to end a game,” said Wentz, who was intercepted twice.
Burrow, still seeking his first NFL win, threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns — both to Tee Higgins — for the Bengals.
“This is a loss to me. We didn’t win, so that’s all it is to me,” said Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU. “If you don’t win, you lose. That’s the mindset to me.”
Bad Beats
The Bills’ late touchdown not only gave them the three-point victory, but the extra point enabled their backers to cover the 2 ½-point spread. The over/under in the 23-23 tie between the Eagles and Bengals was 47, so even an overtime safety would have cinched it.
The Hurt Locker
Jets tackle Mekhi Becton (shoulder) wasn’t the only prominent rookie injured Sunday. Washington defensive end Chase Young, the No. 2 pick in the draft, left the Football Team’s 34-20 loss to Cleveland with a groin injury.
The Falcons, playing without cornerback CB A.J. Terrell (COVID-19) and wide receiver Julio Jones (hamstring), lost wide receiver Russell Gage to a concussion.
The Seahawks’ victory was costly, with former Jets safety Jamal Adams (groin) and running back Chris Carson (knee) not returning.
Other notable injuries: Giants safety Jabrill Peppers (ankle), Bills wide receiver John Brown (calf) and safety Micah Hyde (ankle), Eagles wide receiver Desean Jackson (hamstring) and tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle), Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage (concussion), Bears running back Tarik Cohen (knee), 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Mosley (head) and tight end Jordan Reed (ankle), Texans safety A.J. Moore (hamstring), Steelers running back Diontae Johnson (concussion), Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette (thumb), Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan (shoulder), Rams safety Jordan Fuller (shoulder).
Post Patterns
Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski connected on a career-high 6 of 6 field-goal attempts and nailed a game-winner for the third straight week — a 55-yarder with 1:44 remaining — as Tennessee improved to 3-0 with a 31-30 win over Minnesota (0-3). Titans running back Derrick Henry added 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns. … Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady threw for 297 yards and three scores in Tampa Bay’s second straight win, 28-10, over Denver. … Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tossed two TDs and passed Hall of Fame center Mike Webster for the most games in team history (221) as 3-0 Pittsburgh kept Houston winless, 28-21. … Patriots running back Rex Burkhead had 98 scrimmage yards and scored three touchdowns and running back Sony Michel added 117 yards on nine carries in New England’s 36-20 win over Las Vegas. … Browns running back Nick Chubb ran for 108 yards and scored twice, giving Cleveland its first winning record (2-1) since 2014. The game was the first in NFL history in which there were female coaches on both sidelines and one on the field officiating: Washington assistant Jennifer King, Cleveland assistant Callie Brownson and official Sarah Thomas.… Panthers kicker Joey Slye nailed five field goals to give Matt Rhule his first coaching win in Carolina’s 21-16 win over the Chargers. Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert was 35-for-49 for 330 yards and one TD for the Chargers, whose final drive stalled at the Panthers’ 15-yard line. … Lions kicker Matt Prater drilled a 39-yard field goal as time expired in Detroit’s first win, 26-23, win over Arizona (2-1).


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--DJ LeMahieu’s batting title comes with message to Yankees

Right at 6 o ’ clock Sunday night , did you , as a ...

Not long after DJ LeMahieu won his second batting title on Sunday, the Yankees’ most complete hitter reiterated his desire remain in The Bronx.
“I want to stay here, but you never know how it goes. I thought I was going to stay in Colorado and I didn’t,’’ said LeMahieu, who can become a free agent after the World Series ends and will likely command more than the two-year deal for $24 million he signed with the Yankees before the 2019 season. “Hoping to be back here but you never know how it goes.’’
LeMahieu went 2-for-3 and finished with a major league-leading .364 average. Luke Voit’s 22 homers also topped the majors. They are the first pair of teammates to lead the majors in batting average and homers since Hank Aaron (.355) and Eddie Mathews (46 HR) for the 1959 Braves.
LeMahieu is the fourth Yankee to lead the majors in hitting and ninth Yankee to win an AL batting title. According to Elias Sports Bureau, LeMahieu is the second player ever to win a batting title in each league. LeMahieu led the NL in 2016 with a .348 average while with the Rockies. The other player is Ed Delahanty, who hit .410 for Philadelphia (NL) in 1899 and .376 for Washington (AL) in 1902.
Clarke Schmidt’s past and future has been and will continue to be as a starting pitcher.
However, if the Yankees need the 24-year-old right-hander, who has worked in three big-league games in the bullpen at some point during the upcoming postseason, he is all in.
“Obviously it’s not up to me, but I think I am capable of getting outs. If they needed me in any situation, especially with the lack of off days throughout the postseason it relies heavily on all facets of the game and relies on the pitching,’’ Schmidt said after getting tagged with a 5-0 loss to the Marlins in his first big-league start. “If my number is called, I will be ready for sure. I am excited to get out there again. I felt my stuff was really good today.’’
Schmidt needed seven pitches to get three outs in the first, but gave up three runs in the second. He worked four innings, allowed three runs, four hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four.
He also hit Starling Marte in the bill of the helmet with a 94 mph fastball that resulted in a left ear contusion that forced Marte out of the game.
Giancarlo Stanton wasn’t in the starting lineup Sunday when Aaron Boone used Voit as the DH.
Though Stanton has slumped at the plate, Boone saw signs on Saturday that the right-handed hitter is possibly headed into the postseason on an uptick.
“He had a few games, mostly in Buffalo, where … he struggled but felt like we saw some encouraging things [Saturday] from him, getting in better counts, obviously smoking the double and having the walk,’’ Boone said of the DH who finished the regular season in a 1-for-19 (.053) slide. “Hopefully he is in a place where he can impact like we know he is capable of in the postseason.’’
The Yankees could surely use the Stanton from before he went on the IL after 14 games at the beginning of the season, when he batted .293 with three homers, seven RBIs and posted a 1.038 OPS. Stanton returned from the IL on Sept. 15. In nine games, he hit .200 (7-for-35) with a homer, four RBIs and a .700 OPS.
According to Boone don’t be fooled by Voit limping around the field.
“Luke is good. I know everyone sees the hobble but he is actually moving well. We don’t think the foot is limiting him other than when limps around on a homer or slows down a little bit,’’ Boone said of Voit, who went 0-for-3 as the DH.
Like a lot of other folks, Aaron Hicks had some doubts whether MLB could pull off a 60-game schedule during a pandemic.
“I doubted that whenever it happened with the Marlins,’’ Hicks said of the outbreak of COVID-19 during the first week of the schedule. “It seemed like more teams were coming out of nowhere with COVID. Yeah, there has been a couple of times.’’


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--De Blasio’s staff can no longer stop him making complete fool of himself

Mayor de Blasio plainly thought he was going to show bold , forward-looking leadership last Thursday — but all he ended up demonstrating is that he no longer has any advisers able ( or willing ) to stop him from making a fool of himself .
He used the launch of a city COVID-19 testing lab as the pretext for a rare in-person press conference , where he made a big deal of presenting his “ vision ” for the city ’ s recovery from the pandemic and lockdowns .
Yet he didn ’ t offer more than a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of recovery planning months ago , making a big deal of setting up various advisory panels to start thinking things through then .
Reporters across the spectrum quickly pointed this out — whereupon Hizzoner fled the podium , leaving journalists lined up with more questions poised .
His la-de-da “ four core principles ” are trivial boilerplate : continue to fight back against the virus , invest in “ innovation to make us a stronger hub for public health research , ” create “ high-quality jobs ” and focus on underserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s still losing ?
Making office workers feel safe returning ?
Reviving the city ’ s cultural life ?
This , as he continues to make decisions off the cuff even about something as vital as getting schools reopened .
After he made new concessions to the United Federation of Teachers last week without even talking to folks who have to run each school , the principals ’ union came out for putting the public-school system in state receivership .
Either no one remains in de Blasio ’ s inner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about to step on a rake , or those with any sense are too busy looking for their next job to bother saving him from himself .

Mayor de Blasio plainly thought he was going to show bold, forward-looking leadership last Thursday — but all he ended up demonstrating is that he no longer has any advisers able (or willing) to stop him from making a fool of himself.
He used the launch of a city COVID-19 testing lab as the pretext for a rare in-person press conference, where he made a big deal of presenting his “vision” for the city’s recovery from the pandemic and lockdowns.
Yet he didn’t offer more than a few vague principles — even though he announced the start of recovery planning months ago, making a big deal of setting up various advisory panels to start thinking things through then.
Reporters across the spectrum quickly pointed this out — whereupon Hizzoner fled the podium, leaving journalists lined up with more questions poised.
His la-de-da “four core principles” are trivial boilerplate: continue to fight back against the virus, invest in “innovation to make us a stronger hub for public health research,” create “high-quality jobs” and focus on underserved communities.
How about saving the jobs the city’s still losing? Making office workers feel safe returning? Reviving the city’s cultural life?
This, as he continues to make decisions off the cuff even about something as vital as getting schools reopened. After he made new concessions to the United Federation of Teachers last week without even talking to folks who have to run each school, the principals’ union came out for putting the public-school system in state receivership.
Either no one remains in de Blasio’s inner circle who can see that he was about to step on a rake, or those with any sense are too busy looking for their next job to bother saving him from himself.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Andrew Cuomo has gone loco on crime and vaccines

President Trump said during a Sunday press briefing that it ...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was really losing it last week.
Strike one: his absurd vow that New York will do its own testing on any COVID-19 vaccine the feds approve.
Strike two: his bizarre threat to cut off funding for the city if he doesn’t like its NYPD reform plans — even as he also hits Mayor Bill de Blasio for not doing enough to stop spiking gun violence.
Strike three: his unhinged charge that the homicide of Breonna Taylor was “murder.”
Even sane-seeming moves look weird on closer examination: The gov named a committee of 20 to advise him on distributing any vaccine — but it’s stacked with his donors and labor cronies.
And it’s just nuts to say he’s assembling a panel of experts tasked with “double-checking” any Trump administration-approved vaccine for efficacy and safety. Sorry: The work on vaccines is all being done by professionals — some of whom would be sure to scream if politicians (insanely) tried to push a bad vaccine.
More, that double-check would cost money the state doesn’t have — and, presumably, delay vaccine distribution, too.
Worst, Cuomo fed anti-vax hysteria just so he could dump on the president and so score a point or two with Trump-haters.
He stooped to giving de Blasio another public wedgie at the same press conference, railing about the city’s worsening crime even as he reprimanded city leaders for failing to submit a police reform plan.
Hello: “Reforms” at the state and city level are driving the rise in violent crime — does he really demand more, when the NYPD is a national model of restraint?
But the lowest low was Cuomo’s decision to wade into the Breonna Taylor story with a slide saying her death was a “murder and where there’s a murder there are murderers.”
Murder? Heck, NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal made the key point: “When you talk about murder, you have to show intent.” And no one rational thinks those Louisville cops intended to kill anyone the night they executed that search warrant.
You can argue they were in the wrong in how they proceeded — and you can certainly say (we do) that this shows reason to ban no-knock drug raids. But Cuomo’s chosen language is inexcusable for the governor of a state where cops are under siege.
The gov needs to take a week off from talking to the press (let his aides release the virus updates) and focus on figuring out how to plug the state’s $14.5 billion budget deficit. It may be boring, but at least then he’ll be putting out fires — not setting them.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--The biggest Giants concerns to emerge from nightmarish day

By all accounts , there was not much in the way ...

No matter who you are, no matter where you have coached, you will take that first NFL win with you for the rest of your life. And the sooner you get it, the better.
And it doesn’t matter whether you get it against the Joe Montana 49ers, or the decimated Nick Mullens 49ers.
Because until you get it, you begin to wonder when and whether you will ever get it.
Joe Judge is 0-3 after Sunday’s disgrace of a 36-9 loss to the 49ers’ B team and he has every reason to wonder when and whether he and his 2020 New York Football Giants will get it.
On a day when the whole damn team regressed, when one coaching staff provided a clinic to the other, when the difference between a championship-style program and one still mired in a never-ending cesspool of muck was glaring, your only chance is for your young quarterback to raise the level of his play without Saquon Barkley by his side.
Daniel Jones did not, and could not overcome the calamity and chaos and incompetence that swirled around him.
Giant step back for the rookie head coach’s program.
Giant step back for the quarterback.
If Judge is not better than this, if Jones is not better than this, this will be another 4-12 nightmare.
Questions are rearing their ugly head about whether general manager Dave Gettleman has handed the rookie head coach enough of the right players.
And if Jones cannot put an end to the turnover train — six now following an errant albeit catchable pitch that Evan Engram fumbled and a costly interception and 10 career games with multiple giveaways — fears, as premature as they are right now, are sure to grow that perhaps he won’t be The Next Eli Manning.
The concern, if you are a not-as-long-suffering-as-a-Jets-fan-but-long-enough-suffering Giants fan, is that Jones’ growth will be stunted by an environment that remains hardly conducive to his development.
“I think it was definitely disappointing,” Jones said. “I don’t think any of us came in expecting this.”
Jones was better with his legs (49 yards rushing) than he was with his arm, better with his legs than newcomer Devonta Freeman and the other backs who can’t run but can’t hide either behind an offensive line that no one can argue is fixed.
But Jones (17-for-32, 179 yards) was badly outplayed by Mullens (25-for-36, 343 yards and 1 TD), which was alarming on two fronts: Mullens didn’t have his three best weapons, TE George Kittle, RB Raheem Mostert and WR Deebo Samuel.
And the 49ers played most of the game without their three top cornerbacks. And yet: no red-zone snaps at all for Jones and an absence of deep shots.
“We understand we can’t let that affect our confidence going forward … not let this situation define us and understand what we need to do to move forward and improve as a team,” Jones said.
Judge became so desperate that he called a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak from his 30 late in the third quarter down 23-9.
“I wasn’t surprised by the call,” Jones said. “I think in that situation, I appreciate Coach’s confidence in us and giving us the opportunity to convert that. I gotta do a better job finding the opening there, and getting a yard.”
Coach: “I’m not gonna apologize for being aggressive in that situation.”
You have to like that Jones points the finger of blame at himself, and only himself.
Asked about the pitch, slightly behind Engram, he said: “Just a poor pitch. Something we worked on all week. I gotta do a better job there.”
Asked about throwing the ball to linebacker Fred Warner in a first half when he possessed the ball for only 7:34, he said: “Poor decision in that situation. You can’t afford to turn the ball over and force the ball across the middle to Evan there … certainly a costly mistake.”
Big Blue broke in the second half. That’s what happens when you’re on the field for nearly 40 minutes. The Fighting Joe Judges were knocked on their keisters.
“People that work blue-collar livings like my family did growing up, you just wake up every day no matter the circumstances and you go back to the grindstone,” Judge said. “That’s what our team’s gonna do. We’re not looking for excuses, we’re not pointing fingers, we’re not looking for shortcuts, we’re working on building this thing and building this thing the right way for this area. … In terms of the people in the area want to know the direction this program’s going, I can assure you that I take a great deal of pride and I put a lot personally into this to make sure that the product they see on the field they can be proud of. I can assure you we’re working the same way they work every day to get our butts back to work, to get it right, and get it going forward.”
Blue Monday, not Blue Collar Monday. Following a Sunday where it all went backward.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Bill de Blasio’s replace-Rikers plan is falling completely apart

‘ If he were serious about it , he would have started in the first year of his first term.
’ Will Mayor de Blasio ’ s plan to close Rikers be the left ’ s Second Avenue subway — something all public officials favor but never accomplish ?
Hizzoner will leave office next year with no progress on his “ four borough jails ” plan .
His successor will care less .
In his “ Last Subway ” book , Philip Plotch explains why , since 1903 , generations of New York pols have promised a Second Avenue subway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally have three East Side stops .
But the original plan was from the East Bronx to lower Manhattan .
The political calculus is simple : Because no one mayor or governor could ever hope to take credit for completing such a project within his term in office , no mayor or governor has made it a priority .
Who wants to take on a headache only to see his successor claim the accolades ?
De Blasio devised a shortcut : taking the credit first .
“ The era of mass incarceration is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the City Council passed the plan to build one jail apiece in lower Manhattan , Kew Gardens , the south Bronx and central Brooklyn , thus shuttering the island jails .
Over !
Well , the era of mass incarceration has long been over .
As the Mayor ’ s Office of Criminal Justice notes , “ both crime and the use of jail have been falling steadily in New York City for 20 years , ” with incarceration down 51 percent since 1999 , far lower than other US cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rikers as a symbol — and the mayor obliged .
Closing Rikers , though , would be the most ambitious infrastructure project the city has managed in modern history : $ 9 billion to build four high-rise jails in four dense neighborhoods by 2026 .
So if he were serious about it , he would have started in the first year of his first term , not halfway through his second .
Now the plan has suffered two setbacks .
Last week , a state judge upheld a suit filed against the Chinatown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Below Canal .
NUBC alleged that the city abused the state ’ s environmental process in doing its study for one potential downtown site , then abruptly switching to another location .
The city also failed to look at the public-health impacts , as the law requires , “ purportedly completed environmental .
.
.
review .
.
.
before the project had even been designed ” and failed to consider alternatives .
The judge decided that the city had committed an “ error of law.
” Two similar suits against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Contrary to popular belief , it isn ’ t easy to stop a project with a lawsuit .
The city was sloppy .
“ It ’ s not rocket science , ” says Karen Mintzer , NUBC attorney .
Now , the ruling causes a delay , at best .
Except the city has already delayed .
In this year ’ s budget , de Blasio slashed the project by $ 500 million and delayed some spending as late as 2029 .
As the council ’ s finance director noted , “ Continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current administration decrease the chances of these jails being built.
” The mayor who will cut nothing immediately cut this .
The longer the city dithers , the more facts intrude .
The new jails will have a capacity of just 3,544 beds .
Even as the city has released inmates during the pandemic , the jail population still stood at 3,981 in late May .
Since then , violent crime has risen , including crimes allegedly committed by recently released arrestees .
Then there is a risk the city never considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that borough-based jails would attract sustained protest .
A new jail in lower Manhattan would be a magnet for the “ occupy and vandalize ” crowd .
Already , engineering firms are wary of being associated with a high-profile jail .
And it ’ s even less wise than it was last year to destabilize stable neighborhoods , when the city must retain its tax base .
Now the jails plan has lost the only thing going for it : a political champion .
Corey Johnson , the City Council speaker who approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is no longer running for mayor .
The next mayor isn ’ t going to want to spend a first term , and then some , focusing on the marquee infrastructure of the last mayor .
The best outcome is the alternative de Blasio refused to consider : modern jails at Rikers .
The more likely outcome is that the inmates keep waiting , just as the East Bronx is still waiting for its subway .
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute ’ s City Journal .

‘If he were serious about it, he would have started in the first year of his first term.’
Will Mayor de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers be the left’s Second Avenue subway — something all public officials favor but never accomplish? Hizzoner will leave office next year with no progress on his “four borough jails” plan. His successor will care less.
In his “Last Subway” book, Philip Plotch explains why, since 1903, generations of New York pols have promised a Second Avenue subway but never delivered. Yes, we finally have three East Side stops. But the original plan was from the East Bronx to lower Manhattan.
The political calculus is simple: Because no one mayor or governor could ever hope to take credit for completing such a project within his term in office, no mayor or governor has made it a priority. Who wants to take on a headache only to see his successor claim the accolades?
De Blasio devised a shortcut: taking the credit first. “The era of mass incarceration is over,” he said last October, when the City Council passed the plan to build one jail apiece in lower Manhattan, Kew Gardens, the south Bronx and central Brooklyn, thus shuttering the island jails. Over!
Well, the era of mass incarceration has long been over. As the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice notes, “both crime and the use of jail have been falling steadily in New York City for 20 years,” with incarceration down 51 percent since 1999, far lower than other US cities.
Yet the anti-jails movement seized on Rikers as a symbol — and the mayor obliged.
Closing Rikers, though, would be the most ambitious infrastructure project the city has managed in modern history: $9 billion to build four high-rise jails in four dense neighborhoods by 2026. So if he were serious about it, he would have started in the first year of his first term, not halfway through his second.
Now the plan has suffered two setbacks. Last week, a state judge upheld a suit filed against the Chinatown jail by a grassroots group, Neighbors United Below Canal. NUBC alleged that the city abused the state’s environmental process in doing its study for one potential downtown site, then abruptly switching to another location.
The city also failed to look at the public-health impacts, as the law requires, “purportedly completed environmental . . . review . . . before the project had even been designed” and failed to consider alternatives.
The judge decided that the city had committed an “error of law.” Two similar suits against the Bronx and Queens jails are pending.
Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t easy to stop a project with a lawsuit. The city was sloppy. “It’s not rocket science,” says Karen Mintzer, NUBC attorney. Now, the ruling causes a delay, at best.
Except the city has already delayed. In this year’s budget, de Blasio slashed the project by $500 million and delayed some spending as late as 2029. As the council’s finance director noted, “Continued delays of these projects into years beyond the current administration decrease the chances of these jails being built.”
The mayor who will cut nothing immediately cut this.
The longer the city dithers, the more facts intrude. The new jails will have a capacity of just 3,544 beds. Even as the city has released inmates during the pandemic, the jail population still stood at 3,981 in late May. Since then, violent crime has risen, including crimes allegedly committed by recently released arrestees.
Then there is a risk the city never considered in its environmental review: the probability that borough-based jails would attract sustained protest. A new jail in lower Manhattan would be a magnet for the “occupy and vandalize” crowd. Already, engineering firms are wary of being associated with a high-profile jail.
And it’s even less wise than it was last year to destabilize stable neighborhoods, when the city must retain its tax base.
Now the jails plan has lost the only thing going for it: a political champion. Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker who approved it, had a stake. But he is no longer running for mayor.
The next mayor isn’t going to want to spend a first term, and then some, focusing on the marquee infrastructure of the last mayor.
The best outcome is the alternative de Blasio refused to consider: modern jails at Rikers. The more likely outcome is that the inmates keep waiting, just as the East Bronx is still waiting for its subway.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are a pair of total liars

Xi Jinping claims China will be carbon-neutral in 40 years , while Vladimir Putin says his critic Alexei Navalny poisoned himself to near-death with a nerve agent .
Lying is now the first resort of both men .
Putin ’ s lies are more bald-faced : No one ’ s going to swallow his claim ( made in a call to French prez Emmanuel Macron ) that his chief domestic critic poisoned himself to make Russia look bad .
Western greens eager to believe in their crusade may swallow Xi ’ s bull .
But his vow to the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said Beijing will beat its Paris Accord target to reach peak emissions by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060 .
But China remains the world ’ s top carbon emitter , five years after Paris — and it ’ s building more coal plants than ever .
Xi has also been saying for years that China is closing the “ re-education ” camps for ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang province .
Hah !
Australian researchers last week showed that the number of internment camps has grown , to 380 .
Anyone who believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a complete sap .

Xi Jinping claims China will be carbon-neutral in 40 years, while Vladimir Putin says his critic Alexei Navalny poisoned himself to near-death with a nerve agent. Lying is now the first resort of both men.
Putin’s lies are more bald-faced: No one’s going to swallow his claim (made in a call to French prez Emmanuel Macron) that his chief domestic critic poisoned himself to make Russia look bad.
Western greens eager to believe in their crusade may swallow Xi’s bull. But his vow to the UN General Assembly last week is meaningless. He said Beijing will beat its Paris Accord target to reach peak emissions by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060. But China remains the world’s top carbon emitter, five years after Paris — and it’s building more coal plants than ever.
Xi has also been saying for years that China is closing the “re-education” camps for ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang province. Hah! Australian researchers last week showed that the number of internment camps has grown, to 380.
Anyone who believes a word from either Putin or Xi is a complete sap.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Boy, 9, slashed by another youngster at Crown Heights playground

A 9-year-old boy was slashed after getting into a beef with another youngster at a Brooklyn playground Sunday , sources @ @ @ @ @ was at Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights around 11:30 a.m. when he got into @ @ @ @ @ boy , the sources said .
One of the kids then picked up a piece @ @ @ @ @ the young victim in the right buttocks before running off .
The injured boy required @ @ @ @ @ gash but is expected to fully recover .
Police did not release his name and @ @ @ @ @ about his alleged attack or the reason for the dispute .

A 9-year-old boy was slashed after getting into a beef with another youngster at a Brooklyn playground Sunday, sources said.
The unnamed boy was at Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights around 11:30 a.m. when he got into an argument with another 9-year-old boy, the sources said.
One of the kids then picked up a piece of broken glass and slashed the young victim in the right buttocks before running off.
The injured boy required three stitches to close the gash but is expected to fully recover.
Police did not release his name and have not disclosed any information about his alleged attack or the reason for the dispute.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Face facts, Gov. Cuomo: Your lockdowns cause deaths, too

Michael hasn ’ t touched another human being since March , and he doesn ’ t know when he will again .
He hasn ’ t seen his wife , two children or aging parents in six months .
When he does see them again , it will only be for an hour , every two weeks , with no physical contact allowed .
The price for keeping Michael safe from COVID-19 is very steep .
Michael is in a federal correctional facility upstate .
He is serving a long sentence for a financial crime .
The prison is locked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus .
But like many of the guidelines of our panicked moment , the rules are arbitrary .
Michael is my longtime friend , and he has been writing to me about his experience .
From March until August , he was allowed outdoors for only an hour every three days .
Now the inmates are allowed outside for an hour a day .
Shouldn ’ t outdoor time be maximized , since we now know outdoor transmission is minimal , often nonexistent ?
The inmates have had no rehabilitative , educational @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care is limited .
Dental visits are completely shut down .
No group religious services are allowed .
It ’ s too easy to dismiss the well-being of prisoners .
But this treatment is plainly inhumane and an illustration of how we have shut down life to stave off COVID-19 death .
We want to protect our most vulnerable populations .
But other things matter , too .
In August , a friend of mine named Matthew visited his grandmother at her nursing home .
He applied for the lottery , which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance .
The three slots an hour fill up quickly .
If your relatives are slow to respond , too bad .
The half-hour visit , held in a giant ballroom so three residents could each have two visitors , was over quickly .
Matthew ’ s grandmother didn ’ t understand why they had to stay six feet apart and wear masks .
Matthew says positive things about the procedures at the home , and his paramount worry is getting his grandmother sick .
But as he tells me in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live , and when you lose interaction , you lose that reason.
” We are caught up in what is  “ essential , ” and what is “ nonessential , ” during a pandemic .
But those words don ’ t capture the full , textured reality of human life .
At least , not as our public authorities define them .
Personal contact and human interaction are essential .
And we face serious consequences from cutting people off .
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are still largely holding virtual meetings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post , the groups are struggling to find new members in this virtual space .
Holding hands during prayer and hugging is a large part of the in-person meetings .
The physical connection matters so much .
In April , Gov .
Cuomo dismissed a range of concerns on the ground that none is as bad as death : “ Economic hardship , yes , very bad , not death .
Emotional stress from being locked in a house , very bad , not death .
Domestic violence on the increase , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people do die from loneliness .
Prisoners , nursing-home residents and those struggling with addiction have been forgotten .
In some states , such as Minnesota , “ COVID-19 social isolation ” is listed as one of the causes of death on death certificates .
And the AARP says that without family visitation , coupled with a lack of communal meals and groups in nursing homes , “ feelings of loneliness , abandonment , despair and fear among residents — and their toll on physical and neurological health — are only pushing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While nationwide statistics on the suicide rate in prisons for 2020 aren ’ t yet available , there ’ s a lot of evidence predicting a spike .
Studies have previously shown links between social isolation and suicide , particularly in our jails .
So , yes , governor , death again .
And White House drug czar Jim Carroll told me he ’ s worried about drug overdose numbers for this year .
“ Last year , overdose deaths dropped for the first time in 29 years under the Trump administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ go up.
” Carroll added , “ It ’ s easy to get caught up in numbers , but these are people.
” So , yes , governor , death , death , death .
We need a more humane way forward .
Death from COVID-19 isn ’ t the only thing we need to fear .

Michael hasn’t touched another human being since March, and he doesn’t know when he will again. He hasn’t seen his wife, two children or aging parents in six months. When he does see them again, it will only be for an hour, every two weeks, with no physical contact allowed. The price for keeping Michael safe from COVID-19 is very steep.
Michael is in a federal correctional facility upstate. He is serving a long sentence for a financial crime. The prison is locked down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But like many of the guidelines of our panicked moment, the rules are arbitrary. Michael is my longtime friend, and he has been writing to me about his experience.
From March until August, he was allowed outdoors for only an hour every three days. Now the inmates are allowed outside for an hour a day. Shouldn’t outdoor time be maximized, since we now know outdoor transmission is minimal, often nonexistent?
The inmates have had no rehabilitative, educational or recreational activities since March. Medical care is limited. Dental visits are completely shut down. No group religious services are allowed.
It’s too easy to dismiss the well-being of prisoners. But this treatment is plainly inhumane and an illustration of how we have shut down life to stave off COVID-19 death. We want to protect our most vulnerable populations. But other things matter, too.
In August, a friend of mine named Matthew visited his grandmother at her nursing home. He applied for the lottery, which would grant him visitation, a week in advance. The three slots an hour fill up quickly. If your relatives are slow to respond, too bad.
The half-hour visit, held in a giant ballroom so three residents could each have two visitors, was over quickly. Matthew’s grandmother didn’t understand why they had to stay six feet apart and wear masks.
Matthew says positive things about the procedures at the home, and his paramount worry is getting his grandmother sick. But as he tells me in an interview, “you need a reason to live, and when you lose interaction, you lose that reason.”
We are caught up in what is “essential,” and what is “nonessential,” during a pandemic. But those words don’t capture the full, textured reality of human life.
At least, not as our public authorities define them. Personal contact and human interaction are essential. And we face serious consequences from cutting people off.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are still largely holding virtual meetings. As Sarah Pulliam Bailey reported in The Washington Post, the groups are struggling to find new members in this virtual space. Holding hands during prayer and hugging is a large part of the in-person meetings. The physical connection matters so much.
In April, Gov. Cuomo dismissed a range of concerns on the ground that none is as bad as death: “Economic hardship, yes, very bad, not death. Emotional stress from being locked in a house, very bad, not death. Domestic violence on the increase, very bad, not death.”
But people do die from loneliness. Prisoners, nursing-home residents and those struggling with addiction have been forgotten.
In some states, such as Minnesota, “COVID-19 social isolation” is listed as one of the causes of death on death certificates. And the AARP says that without family visitation, coupled with a lack of communal meals and groups in nursing homes, “feelings of loneliness, abandonment, despair and fear among residents — and their toll on physical and neurological health — are only pushing the pandemic’s death toll higher.”
So, yes, governor, death.
While nationwide statistics on the suicide rate in prisons for 2020 aren’t yet available, there’s a lot of evidence predicting a spike. Studies have previously shown links between social isolation and suicide, particularly in our jails. So, yes, governor, death again.
And White House drug czar Jim Carroll told me he’s worried about drug overdose numbers for this year. “Last year, overdose deaths dropped for the first time in 29 years under the Trump administration. Now that number is likely going to go up.” Carroll added, “It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, but these are people.” So, yes, governor, death, death, death.
We need a more humane way forward. Death from COVID-19 isn’t the only thing we need to fear.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--This was a dicey way for Yankees to land in MLB playoffs

Borrowing one of Derek Jeter ’ s favorite quotes at this time ...

Right at 6 o’clock Sunday night, did you, as a Yankees fan, feel a sense of déjè vu?
Or maybe you’d blocked it out, as the previous series of events didn’t exactly lead to a happy ending.
But when the Orioles did the Yankees’ dirty work, disposing of the Blue Jays, 7-5, up in Buffalo as the Yankees flailed at home against the Marlins in what concluded about 15 minutes later as a 5-0 loss — giving the Yankees the fifth seed in the American League and a wild-card matchup with the Indians — it brought to mind the last day of the 2015 regular season, when the O’s completed a three-game sweep of the Yankees in Baltimore, only for the Diamondbacks to dispose of the Astros to give the Yankees hosting rights in the American League wild-card game.
That proved a most pyrrhic victory, as the Yankees’ season ended two nights later with a limp, 3-0 loss to Dallas Keuchel and the ’Stros. Those Yankees lost six of their last seven regular-season games. These Yankees lost six of their last eight.
Do these Yankees have a revival in them, or are they just as cooked as their 2015 ancestors?
“Obviously we’ve had a week where we haven’t played our best baseball, where we’re struggling a little bit,” Aaron Boone said. “But I know what we’re capable of. Our guys know what we’re capable of. … Opportunity knocks right now. We can write the story. We don’t need anyone’s help.”
The siren immediately went off at the local Irony Police precinct, as the Yankees … needed the Orioles’ help to avoid getting saddled with the eighth and final seed, which would’ve matched them up immediately against the dreaded Rays and secured “road” status (which means merely serving as the visiting team most of the time in this COVID campaign) for the entirety of the playoffs. Not that the Indians, winners of seven of their last eight and ready to throw likely AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber against Gerrit Cole in Game 1 Tuesday, figure to be a pushover for the highly erratic Yankees, whose 2-6 funk capped a season that can be broken into four mini-dramas: 16-6, 5-15, 10-0 and now this.
“It’s been kind of a roller coaster,” DJ LeMahieu said.
“Obviously we’ve played some baseball here recently that we’d like to forget,” Brett Gardner said.
Actually, I’d contend that the Yankees’ pitching is in pretty good shape as they close down Yankee Stadium for the winter. The only key arm who heads to the playoffs with concerns is reliever Adam Ottavino. Their hitting and defense, however, look more discombobulated than President Trump’s tax returns.
Sunday turned into just a brutal day for the Yankees’ lineup, as they went an astounding 0-for-15 (with two walks) when they had runners on base. A few nice defensive plays by the Marlins can’t cover up the overall futility the Yankees displayed both on Sunday and in this season-ending stretch. As the YES Network’s Seth Rothman detailed, the Yankees grounded into 15 double plays from Sept. 20 through the end of the season, the most in baseball.
“I always believe in our offense,” Boone said, “especially if we get a few guys rolling.” And while the defense performed smoothly on Sunday, you know where the red flags lie: Gary Sanchez behind the plate and Gleyber Torres at shortstop, both of whom experienced turbulence just this last week.
An optimist can point to another similar entry in Yankees history: The 2000 Yankees, who wrapped up the regular season on a 3-15 swan dive. I’d contend that those guys were absolute freaks, October superheroes, who reached back into their muscle memory to pull a third straight championship out of their magic hats. I’d also contend that these Yankees are better than the 2015 group, which reached the tournament on the backs of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, both of whom had nothing left at the end.
Nevertheless, this is a dicey way to end the season.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Boone vowed. “We’ve just got to go out and do it.”
Did Joe Girardi say something similar five years ago? Let’s Google it and reconvene the middle of this coming week to discuss.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--New York Times discredits itself by going along with rewriting facts of 1619 Project

As it was designed to do , The New York Times ’ ...

Something strange is going on with The New York Times and its 1619 Project.
By now, you’ve probably heard of the 1619 Project. It began as a special issue of the Times’ Sunday magazine to mark the 400th anniversary of African slaves being brought to the Jamestown colonies. But it’s become a multiplatform, multimedia moveable feast with saturation coverage and promotion. Oprah Winfrey is going to develop it for film and television. It’s being incorporated into curricula from grade schools to universities through the Pulitzer Center. Not surprisingly, it won a Pulitzer Prize (the center and the prize are unrelated). Or rather, the lead author and director of the project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, won in the commentary category.
It was a huge cultural event for journalism and a huge journalistic event in the culture. Critics and fans alike agree that it was agenda-setting in unprecedented ways.
Which is why it is so odd that Hannah-Jones and the Times are quietly taking back the project’s most controversial claim: that 1619, not 1776, was America’s “true founding.”
Here’s what appears to be going on.
President Trump recently attacked the 1619 Project as representative of the left-wing, anti-American bias he says is taught in our schools. Hannah-Jones took exception, suggesting that right-wingers were distorting the project. She said on CNN recently that the 1619 Project “does not argue that 1776 was not the founding of the country, but what it does argue for is that we have largely treated slavery as an asterisk to the American story.”
The problem, as Becket Adams of the Washington Examiner (among others) has demonstrated, is that this is simply a lie (and that bit about slavery being treated as an asterisk has been true for decades). Hannah-Jones has said repeatedly that 1619 was the true founding of America.
The original magazine package, in both the print and online versions, said: “The 1619 Project is a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”
Hannah-Jones has used the phrase “true founding” and variations of it many times, particularly on Twitter. But intriguingly, she recently deleted her entire Twitter history. That’s fine; people do that all the time. And besides, there is ample record of her saying it elsewhere. She has even used a graphic on her Twitter feed and in presentations showing “July 4, 1776,” crossed out and “Aug. 20, 1619,” drawn in.
More disturbing is the fact that the Times, with no explanation or clarification, has retroactively edited its own Pulitzer-winning work. The “true founding” language is now gone.
In journalism, going back and substantially “fixing” your copy without alerting readers to what you have changed and why is a huge no-no.
But this is much, much worse.
The primary reason the 1619 Project sparked so much controversy was this central thesis — that America “began” with slavery (as the Times put it in splashy TV ads).
Sure, there were other reasons to debate the project. It got major historical facts and interpretations grossly wrong, as many progressive historians noted: The Revolutionary War wasn’t fought to defend slavery; 1619 wasn’t the first year African slaves came to our shores; and 1619 wasn’t particularly significant beyond being a tidy 400 years prior to the publication date; cotton farming wasn’t nearly as central to American industrialization as Marxists and other historians (including Marx himself) have long tried to argue in the so-called “King Cotton” thesis.
But it was the assertion that America was so defined by slavery that 1619 eclipsed 1776 that grabbed everyone’s attention. After all, if the thesis was that slavery was not only really bad, it was more significant than some claim, who would argue with that? Indeed, that’s been the conventional take for decades now.
The really controversial take would be to argue that slavery, while evil and unjustifiable, doesn’t play the central role in our national life or history that some people claim. But the Times would never publish such a thing, and the Pulitzer Committee would never honor that.
The Times owes the country a serious explanation for why it is bowdlerizing its own work. If it isn’t doing so out of a partisan desire to deny Trump and his fans a talking point, it should make that clear. Because the silence doesn’t leave room for any other interpretation.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Trump blasts ‘disgraceful’ criticism of Amy Coney Barrett over Catholic faith

President Trump said during a Sunday press briefing that it was “ disgraceful ” his new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was being criticized on the basis of her Catholic faith “ We have noticed some comments made in the media about my incredibly qualified nominee , Amy , ” said Trump .
“ The New York Times said her religion is not consistent with American values — she ’ s Catholic.
” Trump was apparently referring to an opinion piece by a Catholic writer — published by The Times on Saturday , the same day that he introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
“ That ’ s a very disgraceful thing to say , ” Trump said Sunday of the critique .
Trump similarly lashed out at “ comedians ” he didn ’ t identify by name .
“ I don ’ t think they ’ re comedians , because comedians are supposed to be funny , ” he said .
“ They ’ re nasty .
They ’ re mean .
They think they ’ re funny.
” Critics of Barrett ’ s nomination — which would further tilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of its conservative wing , six justices to three — have voiced concerns that her Catholic ideals might get in the way of legal impartiality on matters including abortion .
The commander-in-chief said that he was disappointed to see what he perceived as anti-Catholic bias in a nation that elected a Catholic president .
“ I thought we settled this 60 years ago with the election of John F. Kennedy , ” he said .
“ It ’ s unprecedented .
They ’ re basically fighting a major religion in our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined at the briefing by two Catholic political allies in former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , now Trump ’ s personal lawyer .
They echoed his sentiment on Barrett .
“ It ’ s obvious what they ’ re doing , ” said Christie .
“ She ’ ll be strong .
She ’ ll be tough .
And she ’ ll stand up for what she believes in.
” Added Giuliani , “ I think the article in The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It says in the article that Catholicism and the American ethos contradict each other .
What is the American ethos ?
It ’ s their version of it .
“ And then it ’ s saying that Catholics have difficulty separating public and private morality , ” continued Giuliani .
“ I don ’ t have difficulty separating public and private morality .
So what I see is the beginning of a really strong anti-Catholic attack.
” Confirmation hearings on Barrett are scheduled to begin during the week of October 12 .

President Trump said during a Sunday press briefing that it was “disgraceful” his new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was being criticized on the basis of her Catholic faith
“We have noticed some comments made in the media about my incredibly qualified nominee, Amy,” said Trump. “The New York Times said her religion is not consistent with American values — she’s Catholic.”
Trump was apparently referring to an opinion piece by a Catholic writer — published by The Times on Saturday, the same day that he introduced Barrett as his nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“That’s a very disgraceful thing to say,” Trump said Sunday of the critique.
Trump similarly lashed out at “comedians” he didn’t identify by name.
“I don’t think they’re comedians, because comedians are supposed to be funny,” he said. “They’re nasty. They’re mean. They think they’re funny.”
Critics of Barrett’s nomination — which would further tilt the scales of the Supreme Court in favor of its conservative wing, six justices to three — have voiced concerns that her Catholic ideals might get in the way of legal impartiality on matters including abortion.
The commander-in-chief said that he was disappointed to see what he perceived as anti-Catholic bias in a nation that elected a Catholic president.
“I thought we settled this 60 years ago with the election of John F. Kennedy,” he said. “It’s unprecedented. They’re basically fighting a major religion in our country. This is incredible.”
Trump was joined at the briefing by two Catholic political allies in former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now Trump’s personal lawyer.
They echoed his sentiment on Barrett.
“It’s obvious what they’re doing,” said Christie. “She’ll be strong. She’ll be tough. And she’ll stand up for what she believes in.”
Added Giuliani, “I think the article in The New York Times today reveals a very strong anti-Catholic bias. It says in the article that Catholicism and the American ethos contradict each other. What is the American ethos? It’s their version of it.
“And then it’s saying that Catholics have difficulty separating public and private morality,” continued Giuliani. “I don’t have difficulty separating public and private morality. So what I see is the beginning of a really strong anti-Catholic attack.”
Confirmation hearings on Barrett are scheduled to begin during the week of October 12.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Shots fired outside Taylor Swift’s Tribeca pad

Bullets were flying outside Taylor Swift ’ s ritzy Tribeca townhouse Sunday evening when shots broke out during an armed robbery at a local shop — the second shooting on the upscale block in a month , sources and witnesses said .
The robbery took place at Patron of New York , a sneaker store at 151 Franklin Street shortly after 5 p.m. , next door to the Grammy-winning pop star ’ s $ 18 million home , with police recovering several shell casings from the scene .
Police said four shots were fired , though no one was hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I was freaked out , ” said a waiter at the nearby Tamarind Tribeca restaurant on Hudson Street .
“ I saw people at the scene run .
They look scared and jumped into a car.
” One local resident told The Post it was the second shootout on the block in a month .
“ It ’ s really concerning to see two gun-related crimes happen at the same place within a month , ” the person said .
“ It ’ s a family neighborhood , and I choose safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Police said three suspects fled eastbound , two wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts , and a third blue jeans with a blue T-shirt .
Swift bought the swanky townhouse at 153 Franklin Street for $ 18 million in 2017 and owns three apartments next door at 155 Franklin .
In all , she has spent about $ 50 million on properties on the block .
Last year Swift beat a lawsuit filed by the real estate broker who claimed the crooner cheated him out of more than $ 1 million in @ @ @ @ @

Joe Marino, Elizabeth Rosner, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon

Bullets were flying outside Taylor Swift’s ritzy Tribeca townhouse Sunday evening when shots broke out during an armed robbery at a local shop — the second shooting on the upscale block in a month, sources and witnesses said.
The robbery took place at Patron of New York, a sneaker store at 151 Franklin St., shortly after 5 p.m., next door to the Grammy-winning pop star’s $18 million home, with police recovering several shell casings.
Police said four shots were fired, though no one was hit.
“Suddenly we heard four shots and I was freaked out,” said a waiter at the nearby Tamarind Tribeca restaurant on Hudson Street.
“I saw people at the scene run. They look scared and jumped into a car.”
One local resident told The Post it was the second incident of gunfire on the block in a month.
“It’s really concerning to see two gun-related crimes happen at the same place within a month,” the person said.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement The scene where someone fired four gunshots in front of 155 Franklin St. in Manhattan G.N.Miller/NYPost, REUTERS/Carlo Allegri G.N.Miller/NYPost Advertisement G.N.Miller/NYPost Advertisement
“It’s a family neighborhood, and I choose safety over access to fancy sneakers every time.”
Police said three suspects fled eastbound, two wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts, and a third blue jeans with a blue T-shirt.
Swift bought the swanky townhouse at 153 Franklin St. for $18 million in 2017 and owns three apartments next door at 155 Franklin. In all, she has spent about $50 million on properties on the block.
Last year Swift beat a lawsuit filed by the real estate broker who claimed the crooner cheated him out of more than $1 million in fees for the purchase.


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Giants defense searching for answers after embarrassment

The Giants defense Sunday wasn ’ t stopping the 39ers , 29ers or 19ers .
And that ’ s essentially who they faced .
Playing without their starting quarterback , top two rushers and All-Pro tight end , a junior-varsity version of the defending NFC champions scored four touchdowns and three field goals on their first eight possessions to send the Giants to an embarrassing 36-9 defeat at MetLife Stadium .
“ It ’ s not good enough , ” defensive co-captain Blake Martinez said .
“ We have to show up every single day and put the work in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t it.
” Work only can go so far when the roster isn ’ t talented enough to compete against a depleted opponent .
The Giants are 12-39 in their last 51 games — worst in the NFL — including 9-26 under general manager Dave Gettleman and 0-3 to start head coach Joe Judge ’ s tenure .
“ We have players , ” Judge said .
“ We have players in a position on our roster , on our team , that were on the field today , that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure everyone coaches better and we raise our level of play.
” There was plenty of postgame talk about needing to review the film to make assessments , but it doesn ’ t take a second showing to know this was a lopsided performance .
The 49ers didn ’ t need to punt in a game for the first time since Dec. 19 , 1993 and they didn ’ t commit a turnover .
All of the 49ers ’ possessions except the one to run out the fourth-quarter clock covered at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 12 third downs .
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 343 yards and a touchdown with a 108.9 passer rating and three different 49ers scored on the ground .
“ I don ’ t want to point fingers at anybody on this team , ” Leonard Williams said , “ so one way we can get off the field on third down is if I can get to the quarterback faster and I can get my hands up when the ball is coming out fast to bat down some balls.
” Jabrill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ankle injury , but the Giants are more shorthanded on offense .
The defense was helpless despite cornerback James Bradberry playing at a Pro Bowl level and Williams finally coming into his own as a pass-rusher with his second sack in three games .
“ You have 36 points given up , ” Martinez said , “ you need to take a step back and look at what needs to change , what needs to improve , what do we need to add in.
” The Giants trailed 16-9 midway through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gassed the rest of the way — no surprise given they were on the field for just under 40 of the game ’ s 60 minutes .
“ I never see any quit in this team .
I believe we ’ re right there , ” Williams said .
“ We need to overcome a few of the mistakes we ’ re making .
”

Forget about the 49ers.
The Giants defense Sunday wasn’t stopping the 39ers, 29ers or 19ers. And that’s essentially who they faced.
Playing without their starting quarterback, top two rushers and All-Pro tight end, a junior-varsity version of the defending NFC champions scored four touchdowns and three field goals on their first eight possessions to send the Giants to an embarrassing 36-9 defeat at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s not good enough,” defensive co-captain Blake Martinez said. “We have to show up every single day and put the work in knowing that we’ve been doing isn’t it.”
Work only can go so far when the roster isn’t talented enough to compete against a depleted opponent. The Giants are 12-39 in their last 51 games — worst in the NFL — including 9-26 under general manager Dave Gettleman and 0-3 to start head coach Joe Judge’s tenure.
“We have players,” Judge said. “We have players in a position on our roster, on our team, that were on the field today, that can help us win games. We have to make sure everyone coaches better and we raise our level of play.”
There was plenty of postgame talk about needing to review the film to make assessments, but it doesn’t take a second showing to know this was a lopsided performance.
The 49ers didn’t need to punt in a game for the first time since Dec. 19, 1993 and they didn’t commit a turnover.
All of the 49ers’ possessions except the one to run out the fourth-quarter clock covered at least 30 yards and they converted 8 of 12 third downs. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens threw for 343 yards and a touchdown with a 108.9 passer rating and three different 49ers scored on the ground.
“I don’t want to point fingers at anybody on this team,” Leonard Williams said, “so one way we can get off the field on third down is if I can get to the quarterback faster and I can get my hands up when the ball is coming out fast to bat down some balls.”
Jabrill Peppers missed most of the game with an ankle injury, but the Giants are more shorthanded on offense. The defense was helpless despite cornerback James Bradberry playing at a Pro Bowl level and Williams finally coming into his own as a pass-rusher with his second sack in three games.
“You have 36 points given up,” Martinez said, “you need to take a step back and look at what needs to change, what needs to improve, what do we need to add in.”
The Giants trailed 16-9 midway through the third quarter, but the defense looked gassed the rest of the way — no surprise given they were on the field for just under 40 of the game’s 60 minutes.
“I never see any quit in this team. I believe we’re right there,” Williams said. “We need to overcome a few of the mistakes we’re making.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-27--Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Comey Rule’ on Showtime, a Miniseries That Attempts to Undistort James Co

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Comey Rule’ on Showtime, a Miniseries That Attempts to Undistort James Comey’s Image

The Comey Rule is a Showtime two-parter starring Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey , insert Dumb and Dumber joke here .
Potential viewers wondering if the miniseries is sympathetic to the man — who was a public whipping boy for the part he played in swaying the 2016 presidential election — should know that writer-director Billy Ray ( Shattered Glass ) adapted Comey ’ s memoir A Higher Loyalty , and invited the man himself to the film set .
So there ’ s that .
But whether this story , the first high-profile dramatization of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and countless Trump-related social and political tragedies after its events , remains to be seen .
THE COMEY RULE : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT ?
Opening Shot : In an archival TV clip , Stephen Colbert compares Comey to Severus Snape , because we don ’ t know if he ’ s a good guy or a bad guy .
The Gist : It ’ s 2013 , and James Comey ( Jeff Daniels ) picks out a smart suit and tie and heads out of the house .
“ Say hi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter says .
He walks into President Obama ’ s ( Kingsley Ben-Adir ) office and immediately confesses that he supported John McCain and Mitt Romney .
That doesn ’ t ruffle Obama ’ s feathers at all — if he hires Comey as FBI director , it ’ ll lead to “ thoughtful disagreement , ” Obama asserts .
When the president asks why Comey doesn ’ t want a job in the more lucrative private sector , he responds plaintively , “ Money is nice .
Stopping bad guys is better.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Or Captain America ?
Either way , it sure feels like this is the beginning of the end of civility , the last stand of norms and procedures .
Comey replaces a gruff Robert Mueller ( Peter Coyote ) at the FBI , where he establishes himself as a loveable guy who chats earnestly and meaningfully with employees in the cafeteria , and a cool , collected boy scout-type who gives inspiring , anti-cynical speeches at every field office in the country .
His primary directive as director is to remain — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please don ’ t — non-partisan .
Now it ’ s 2015 , and he cocks his bat to meet the first narrative curveball as the show turns into But Her Emails : The Movie .
Comey and his top deputy Andrew McCabe ( Michael Kelly ) lead a team of agents investigating Hillary Clinton ’ s use of a private email server during her stint as Secretary of State .
Shit job , but someone ’ s got ta do it , and Comey ’ s there , calmly handling it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then heading home at 6 , 6:30 so his employees don ’ t work too late because they never leave before the boss does , to his wife Patrice ( Jennifer Ehle ) and daughters , who all think the Hillary scandal is overblown and part of a grossly sexist political hitjob .
Meanwhile , Donald Trump ( Brendan Gleeson , although we don ’ t see his face until part two ) lands the Republican presidential nomination , and his legion of greasy flea-eating sewersquib cronies begin making appearances : Michael Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Putin , George Papadapoulos ( Anthony Bowden ) chums up with Russian shadies , etc .
There are more of the soon-to-be-president ’ s poo-flecked pals , but there are so many , I lost track of them in real life and while watching this show .
Kushner , Manafort , Trump Jr. — they ’ re just a homogenous blob of moral destitution , and I direct my disgust in the general direction of all the whiteness .
Anyway , and you know this , but the Hillary email thing goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a series of decisions that involve him one shit sandwich or another shit sandwich .
So he chooses the least shitty of the shit sandwiches , announcing the re-opening of the Hillary email investigation days before the election , as his non-partisan duty tells him to do .
He then gamely absorbs the hatred from decent people and admiration from the crumbs who think Trump is right on with his criminally disingenuous “ crooked Hillary ” crapola .
It gets worse , as the show becomes Pee Tape : The Movie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ golden shower ” is as Trump ’ s Russian connections come into focus .
He steadfastly and bland-facedly remains apolitical and committed to the law , in a world that ’ s about to render such ideals tragically obsolete .
“ I ’ m not a politician , ” he says , and sad violins play on the soundtrack .
He pretty much got Trump elected .
So much for stopping the bad guys , Comey .
End part one .
Our Take : Is it possible to set aside COVID-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change and Russia interfering with the 2020 election in order to “ enjoy ” The Comey Rule ?
It ’ s too soon to look back and laugh , so Ray doesn ’ t stage this as an Adam McKay-style cynical horror-farce .
And it ’ s too soon to cry , because Trump may be voted out in a few weeks , and Ray and Daniels pushed hard for Showtime to air the series before this year ’ s election , so people can see how they rendered Trump as a villain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boss .
Which is pretty much objectively true .
So Ray went the earnest route , and took the title of Comey ’ s memoir at face value .
Daniels ’ Comey is a naive idealist , a plaintive family man and an open-door guy who ’ s a great boss .
And maybe , beneath Daniels ’ bland expressions , he ’ s lost and clueless , not at all cut out for Trump ’ s mad-dog chaos-world .
Or maybe he ’ s a true patriot beneath Daniels ’ blankness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so both may be true .
He ’ s a man of manners .
He loves his wife and daughters unendingly .
He ’ s friendly .
He puts himself on equal ground with his employees .
He ’ s a man of the people .
He ’ s truly Trump ’ s foil .
Part one of The Comey Rule takes place pre-election , and part two , 30 minutes longer and clocking in at two hours , dramatizes the turmoil leading up to Comey ’ s firing , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to pledge his loyalty .
It ’ s a cluttered three-and-a-half hours , with drop-ins on then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ( Scoot McNairy ) narrating Comey ’ s story to an aide ( Dalmar Abuzeid ) , an affair between two FBI agents on Comey ’ s team and a myriad of other supporting faces ( including Holly Hunter as former Attorney General Sally Yates ) .
The revelation of Trump is kind of distracting , definitely novel and absolutely grotesque and terrifying in Gleeson ’ s hands ; it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you un-caricature a caricature ?
It ’ s the first straight-and-serious rendering of him on camera , and I wonder if it might ’ ve been more effective if he was depicted more along the lines of Jaws , with limited direct screen time , and the soundtrack thrumming ominously as his absurd coif breaks the surface of the water .
Ray ’ s goal , I believe , is to undistort Comey ’ s image .
The filmmaker doesn ’ t shy away from schmaltz or on-the-nose dialogue , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniels ’ performance .
I ’ m not sure it ’ s entirely convincing .
Ray definitely steers it away from being F— You : The Movie , although it ’ ll still be that for the weary and hardened who seek a scapegoat for the events of the past four years .
It ’ s kind of fascinating in its timing , the appeal of its cast and its dramatic reiteration of news headlines .
It ’ s also not much fun , but you probably knew that already .
Parting Shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair from behind as he parts a curtain and walks on stage .
Sleeper Star : Trump lickspittle Reince Priebus is played by T.R .
Knight as a comically weaselly naif .
Maybe that ’ s funny , maybe it ’ s not funny .
Who knows .
Most Pilot-y Line : From part one : A doctor tells Comey , fresh from some medical tests , that Hillary Clinton deserves to be investigated , and Patrice quips , “ That ‘ crooked Hillary ’ stuff is sticking to her .
Now it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A rich one from Trump in part two : “ My behavior has been unimpeachable.
” Our Call : STREAM IT .
I ’ m on the fence with The Comey Rule — it ’ s not revelatory , and mostly tells us what we already know .
When it ’ s entertaining , it seems almost unintentional .
But ultimately , it ’ s a curiosity watch that ’ ll compel you to stick with it through its entirety .
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter : @ johnserba .

The Comey Rule is a Showtime two-parter starring Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey, insert Dumb and Dumber joke here. Potential viewers wondering if the miniseries is sympathetic to the man — who was a public whipping boy for the part he played in swaying the 2016 presidential election — should know that writer-director Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) adapted Comey’s memoir A Higher Loyalty, and invited the man himself to the film set. So there’s that. But whether this story, the first high-profile dramatization of the Trump-era shitshow, is relevant four years and countless Trump-related social and political tragedies after its events, remains to be seen.
THE COMEY RULE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: In an archival TV clip, Stephen Colbert compares Comey to Severus Snape, because we don’t know if he’s a good guy or a bad guy.
The Gist: It’s 2013, and James Comey (Jeff Daniels) picks out a smart suit and tie and heads out of the house. “Say hi to Barack for me,” his daughter says. He walks into President Obama’s (Kingsley Ben-Adir) office and immediately confesses that he supported John McCain and Mitt Romney. That doesn’t ruffle Obama’s feathers at all — if he hires Comey as FBI director, it’ll lead to “thoughtful disagreement,” Obama asserts. When the president asks why Comey doesn’t want a job in the more lucrative private sector, he responds plaintively, “Money is nice. Stopping bad guys is better.” Wait, is this guy Superman? Or Captain America?
Either way, it sure feels like this is the beginning of the end of civility, the last stand of norms and procedures. Comey replaces a gruff Robert Mueller (Peter Coyote) at the FBI, where he establishes himself as a loveable guy who chats earnestly and meaningfully with employees in the cafeteria, and a cool, collected boy scout-type who gives inspiring, anti-cynical speeches at every field office in the country. His primary directive as director is to remain — please don’t laugh, please please don’t — non-partisan. Now it’s 2015, and he cocks his bat to meet the first narrative curveball as the show turns into But Her Emails: The Movie. Comey and his top deputy Andrew McCabe (Michael Kelly) lead a team of agents investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her stint as Secretary of State. Shit job, but someone’s gotta do it, and Comey’s there, calmly handling it, no fluster on his face whatsoever, then heading home at 6, 6:30 so his employees don’t work too late because they never leave before the boss does, to his wife Patrice (Jennifer Ehle) and daughters, who all think the Hillary scandal is overblown and part of a grossly sexist political hitjob.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump (Brendan Gleeson, although we don’t see his face until part two) lands the Republican presidential nomination, and his legion of greasy flea-eating sewersquib cronies begin making appearances: Michael Flynn (William Sadler) pals around Moscow with Putin, George Papadapoulos (Anthony Bowden) chums up with Russian shadies, etc. There are more of the soon-to-be-president’s poo-flecked pals, but there are so many, I lost track of them in real life and while watching this show. Kushner, Manafort, Trump Jr. — they’re just a homogenous blob of moral destitution, and I direct my disgust in the general direction of all the whiteness.
Anyway, and you know this, but the Hillary email thing goes away and comes back, forcing Comey into a series of decisions that involve him one shit sandwich or another shit sandwich. So he chooses the least shitty of the shit sandwiches, announcing the re-opening of the Hillary email investigation days before the election, as his non-partisan duty tells him to do. He then gamely absorbs the hatred from decent people and admiration from the crumbs who think Trump is right on with his criminally disingenuous “crooked Hillary” crapola. It gets worse, as the show becomes Pee Tape: The Movie, and Comey has to ask what a “golden shower” is as Trump’s Russian connections come into focus. He steadfastly and bland-facedly remains apolitical and committed to the law, in a world that’s about to render such ideals tragically obsolete. “I’m not a politician,” he says, and sad violins play on the soundtrack. He pretty much got Trump elected. So much for stopping the bad guys, Comey. End part one.
Our Take: Is it possible to set aside COVID-19 and racism and the literal fires of climate change and Russia interfering with the 2020 election in order to “enjoy” The Comey Rule? It’s too soon to look back and laugh, so Ray doesn’t stage this as an Adam McKay-style cynical horror-farce. And it’s too soon to cry, because Trump may be voted out in a few weeks, and Ray and Daniels pushed hard for Showtime to air the series before this year’s election, so people can see how they rendered Trump as a villain who leads the country like a mob boss. Which is pretty much objectively true.
So Ray went the earnest route, and took the title of Comey’s memoir at face value. Daniels’ Comey is a naive idealist, a plaintive family man and an open-door guy who’s a great boss. And maybe, beneath Daniels’ bland expressions, he’s lost and clueless, not at all cut out for Trump’s mad-dog chaos-world. Or maybe he’s a true patriot beneath Daniels’ blankness. The actor leaves it up to interpretation, so both may be true. He’s a man of manners. He loves his wife and daughters unendingly. He’s friendly. He puts himself on equal ground with his employees. He’s a man of the people. He’s truly Trump’s foil.
Part one of The Comey Rule takes place pre-election, and part two, 30 minutes longer and clocking in at two hours, dramatizes the turmoil leading up to Comey’s firing, including the infamous one-on-one dinner during which Trump asked him to pledge his loyalty. It’s a cluttered three-and-a-half hours, with drop-ins on then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (Scoot McNairy) narrating Comey’s story to an aide (Dalmar Abuzeid), an affair between two FBI agents on Comey’s team and a myriad of other supporting faces (including Holly Hunter as former Attorney General Sally Yates). The revelation of Trump is kind of distracting, definitely novel and absolutely grotesque and terrifying in Gleeson’s hands; it’s a thankless role, because how do you un-caricature a caricature? It’s the first straight-and-serious rendering of him on camera, and I wonder if it might’ve been more effective if he was depicted more along the lines of Jaws, with limited direct screen time, and the soundtrack thrumming ominously as his absurd coif breaks the surface of the water.
Ray’s goal, I believe, is to undistort Comey’s image. The filmmaker doesn’t shy away from schmaltz or on-the-nose dialogue, and the film’s only real ambiguity is Daniels’ performance. I’m not sure it’s entirely convincing. Ray definitely steers it away from being F— You: The Movie, although it’ll still be that for the weary and hardened who seek a scapegoat for the events of the past four years. It’s kind of fascinating in its timing, the appeal of its cast and its dramatic reiteration of news headlines. It’s also not much fun, but you probably knew that already.
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: A shot of Trump and his hair from behind as he parts a curtain and walks on stage.
Sleeper Star: Trump lickspittle Reince Priebus is played by T.R. Knight as a comically weaselly naif. Maybe that’s funny, maybe it’s not funny. Who knows.
Most Pilot-y Line: From part one: A doctor tells Comey, fresh from some medical tests, that Hillary Clinton deserves to be investigated, and Patrice quips, “That ‘crooked Hillary’ stuff is sticking to her. Now it’s part of your colonoscopy results.”
A rich one from Trump in part two: “My behavior has been unimpeachable.”
Our Call: STREAM IT. I’m on the fence with The Comey Rule — it’s not revelatory, and mostly tells us what we already know. When it’s entertaining, it seems almost unintentional. But ultimately, it’s a curiosity watch that’ll compel you to stick with it through its entirety.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
Stream The Comey Rule on Showtime


newyorkpost--2020-09-28--Jets firing Adam Gase would only accomplish one thing

Grading the Jets after their 36-7 loss to the Colts ...

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts embarrassed the Jets 36-7 on Sunday to drop them to 0-3. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. The Adam Gase Watch is officially on. It feels like there is a chance the Jets will make a head coaching change if things don’t improve dramatically in Thursday’s game against the Broncos. An 0-3 start where his team has barely looked competitive and his offense has scored a total of four touchdowns has led to a tipping point for Gase.
The calls for Gase’s head at this point are understandable. The Jets have looked awful. However, a coaching change is unlikely to do much other than making the fans happy. Jets guard Greg Van Roten made an interesting point after Sunday’s game. Van Roten mentioned how he was on the Panthers last year when they fired coach Ron Rivera with four games left to go. Carolina went 0-4 with Perry Fewell as interim coach.
“To the fans that are calling for [Gase’s] his head, I never really understood that,’’ Van Roten said. “I was on a team last year, we fired our coach and it’s not like we started winning games. You go further in the tank. So, I’m not really sure what that solves.”
I looked back at every time a team had an interim coach since 2010. There have been 20 instances in that time where a coach was fired before the end of the season. Interim coaches have gone 39-65 in that time. Only two had winning records. One was Jason Garrett, who replaced Wade Phillips in Dallas in 2010 in midyear. The other is Gregg Williams, who replaced Hue Jackson in 2018 with the Browns. Both went 5-3. No team has made the playoffs who replaced their coach.
Williams, of course, would be the leading candidate to replace Gase in the interim. Williams, the team’s defensive coordinator, would bring a different temperament to the team. He has a louder and more aggressive personality than Gase. There is an argument to be made that this team could use a jolt that Williams might provide.
On the other hand, Gase has not gotten to coach the offense the team assembled in the offseason. Second-round pick Denzel Mims has not set foot on the field yet. Does ownership give him time to get healthy players on the field and see if that helps?
The first test is Thursday night. If the Jets are embarrassed on national TV by an 0-3 Broncos team playing a backup quarterback, then a change would be justified. Just don’t expect it to change the results of this season.
2. What has happened to the Jets defense? The offense was terrible last year and it is not shocking to see it stumbling again, particularly with the injuries at wide receiver. The defense was respectable last year, though, and the expectations were that would continue. Williams lost his best player, Jamal Adams, but is he making that much of a difference?
Poor tackling has been a major issue, but I also think you need to look at the competition. The Jets did not play many top quarterbacks last year. The only quarterbacks with a top-10 QB rating they faced in 2019 are Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr and Dak Prescott. The Jets actually beat the latter two, but Prescott nearly got them. But Williams’ defense fattened up against quarterbacks like Dwayne Haskins, Daniel Jones, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Devlin Hodges and Matt Barkley.
In the first three games, the Jets have faced two quarterbacks in the top 10 of QB rating in Josh Allen and Jimmy Garoppolo. Philip Rivers is not in the top 10, but the veteran can pick apart a defense that does not pressure him. The Jets give about as much pressure as a broken faucet.
The Jets don’t have a true pass rusher and their coverage is soft. That has led to a high number of completions for opposing quarterbacks. Garoppolo completed 14-of-16 passing and Rivers went 17-for-21. Checking my math … that is six incomplete passes by the past two starting quarterbacks. That will get you beat.
The Broncos will have a backup quarterback starting Thursday. Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien or Blake Bortles will be the guy. That is a big dropoff in opponent. Let’s see if Williams’ defense wakes up.
3. Injuries along the offensive line were a huge factor in the Jets’ struggles last season. The Jets had nine different starting offensive lines last year. They had their second different lineup this year on Sunday. Now, tackle Mekhi Becton has a shoulder injury. There is not much information yet on the severity of the injury, but there is a good chance the Jets go into Thursday night with backups at both tackle spots. George Fant is in the concussion protocol.
The Jets rebuilt their offensive line this offseason. The early returns have not been great, but it was expected that it would take a little while for the unit to gel with no preseason games this year. The one thing they can’t afford is injuries. Now, they are mounting.
4. I could not help thinking about the last time the Jets played in Indianapolis when I walked into Lucas Oil Stadium. It was Week 2 in 2015 and the Jets beat the Colts 20-7. It was a stunning result. The Colts were coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance. The Jets had been 4-12 the year before. It was the second game of the Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles era and the win provided hope that things were changing. The 2015 season is the last time the Jets truly had hope. It has been downhill since then. There have been brief moments like Sam Darnold’s debut in Detroit in 2018, but for the most part it has felt like this team is spinning its wheels. I wonder when the Jets will have another moment like that win in 2015 when they beat a good team and look like one themselves.
Revealing stat
The Jets had one quarterback hit in the game. If you give an NFL quarterback time, most of them will kill you. The Jets can’t blitz because they don’t trust their corners. They don’t have an edge rusher who consistently wins 1-on-1. It is a deadly mix.
Surprising snap count
Avery Williamson went from 17 snaps last week to 57 this week, playing 95 percent of the snaps. Alec Ogletree went from starting to not playing at all. I expected Williamson’s snaps to rise, but this was more than I expected.
Game ball
It is hard to find anyone deserving. We’ll give it to receiver Braxton Berrios, who had four catches for 64 yards and the Jets’ lone touchdown. Berrios was playing with a hamstring injury, but gutted it out with so many other receivers injured.