newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Giants turn to Marc Colombo to guide new offensive linemen

You can draft players to fix an offensive line as long as they are the right players , but you better have the right offensive line coach coaching them .
And more than anyone , the ultimate success of GM Dave Gettleman ’ s 2020 Hog Molly NFL draft will rest on offensive line coach Marc Colombo — now arguably Joe Judge ’ s most important hire .
Gettleman got Colombo a LT of the Future If Not Present with the fourth overall pick in Andrew Thomas , a RT of the Future in Matt Peart in the third round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Shane Lemieux in the fifth round who will be cross-trained as a center .
Colombo is Judge ’ s Lieutenant Colombo .
So he is Judge ’ s Lieutenant Colombo .
A Bill Parcells guy .
“ Communication from me and him was very easy , ” Parcells told The Post .
“ Listen , he ’ s Italian from [ near ] Brockton [ Mass ] .
My mother ’ s Italian , I ’ m half-Italian .
We speak the same language .
He gets it .
… There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with right away.
” Colombo was a 6-foot-8 , 320-pound first-round pick by the Bears out of Boston College in 2002 who had dislocated the patella in his left knee and suffered femoral nerve damage .
He didn ’ t play again until 2004 , and was waived by the Bears at the start of the 2005 season .
Parcells and the Cowboys scooped him up on Nov. 1 .
“ Al Davis taught me something when I was a very young coach , ” Parcells said of the late Raiders owner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy was a No .
1 draft choice at some point in time , and he ’ s available to look at , it ’ s smart for you to try to do that , because you have to know at one time , a guy that was a first-round draft choice , somebody thought very highly of him.
’ ” Parcells instructed Colombo to get in the weight room and get his strength back .
Colombo started at right tackle for Parcells in 2006 , and remained there after Parcells was gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t need any help , Coach , ’ he says to me , ” Parcells said .
“ I don ’ t want to be saying that he dominated Strahan , I ’ m not saying that , I ’ m just saying he did his job , and I ’ d say he neutralized him.
” When Parcells was asked how Colombo compared with former Giants left tackle Jumbo Elliott , he said , “ They ’ re both rough-and-tumble guys , but you know Jumbo ’ s my favorite .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish I had him longer .
He ’ s a good tough , big , strong guy that was competitive.I liked him a lot , I really did .
I think he liked me .
We got along good.
” If the Giants ’ offensive linemen are a reflection of their coach , expect them to be maul-in .
“ He ’ s not backing down , he ’ s gon na hang in there , he can take a beating and come back , you know what I mean ?
” Parcells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you really want.
” When Colombo replaced Cowboys offensive line coach Paul Alexander midway through the 2018 season , he said , “ I ’ m more of an old school guy , in a sense .
We ’ re going to work , we ’ re going to grind every day .
Working every single technique , every drill .
We ’ re going to bring some violence , some nasty to the game .
We have to get back to our roots the past few years here which has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring that.
” Colombo connected immediately with Ezekiel Elliott and the vaunted Cowboys offensive line , and Judge will expect him to have a similar effect on Saquon Barkley and the Giants ’ offensive line .
The kind of effect former Giants O-line coach Pat Flaherty had on two Super Bowl championship offensive lines .
Judge , remember , hired teachers as assistant coaches .
“ Teach me how to make a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich , ” Judge said at his introductory press conference .
“ Teach me .
Make me the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world.
” Giants tackle Cameron Fleming played in 2018 and 2019 for Colombo in Dallas .
“ He comes in with so much energy , so much juice every single day , week after week throughout the whole season , ” Fleming said .
“ I don ’ t think there is ever a lull in it for him .
I really appreciate his passion and electricity every day .
He ’ s just a damn good coach .
He helped me a lot with my technique in Dallas , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him.
” “ I think him playing , he knows exactly what it takes to survive in this league.
” Colombo survived against all odds before Parcells ( and his late former O-line coach Tony Sparano ) helped revive his career .
“ I had probably a 5 percent chance of ever playing again , ” Colombo said once .
He finished his career in Sparano ’ s last year as Dolphins coach in 2011 .

You can draft players to fix an offensive line as long as they are the right players, but you better have the right offensive line coach coaching them.
A Bill Parcells guy, for instance.
And more than anyone, the ultimate success of GM Dave Gettleman’s 2020 Hog Molly NFL draft will rest on offensive line coach Marc Colombo — now arguably Joe Judge’s most important hire.
Gettleman got Colombo a LT of the Future If Not Present with the fourth overall pick in Andrew Thomas, a RT of the Future in Matt Peart in the third round and possibly a guard of the Future in Shane Lemieux in the fifth round who will be cross-trained as a center.
“He plays with nasty,” Judge said.
Colombo is Judge’s Lieutenant Colombo. So he is Judge’s Lieutenant Colombo. A Bill Parcells guy.
“Communication from me and him was very easy,” Parcells told The Post. “Listen, he’s Italian from [near] Brockton [Mass]. My mother’s Italian, I’m half-Italian. We speak the same language. He gets it. … There’s just these guys that you click with right away.”
Parcells loved Colombo’s mentality as a player.
“Rough-and-tumble,” Parcells said.
Colombo was a 6-foot-8, 320-pound first-round pick by the Bears out of Boston College in 2002 who had dislocated the patella in his left knee and suffered femoral nerve damage. He didn’t play again until 2004, and was waived by the Bears at the start of the 2005 season. Parcells and the Cowboys scooped him up on Nov. 1.
“Al Davis taught me something when I was a very young coach,” Parcells said of the late Raiders owner. “He said, ‘If a guy was a No. 1 draft choice at some point in time, and he’s available to look at, it’s smart for you to try to do that, because you have to know at one time, a guy that was a first-round draft choice, somebody thought very highly of him.’ ”
Parcells instructed Colombo to get in the weight room and get his strength back. Colombo started at right tackle for Parcells in 2006, and remained there after Parcells was gone until 2010.
Colombo wasn’t daunted facing Michael Strahan.
“ ‘I don’t need any help, Coach,’ he says to me,” Parcells said. “I don’t want to be saying that he dominated Strahan, I’m not saying that, I’m just saying he did his job, and I’d say he neutralized him.”
When Parcells was asked how Colombo compared with former Giants left tackle Jumbo Elliott, he said, “They’re both rough-and-tumble guys, but you know Jumbo’s my favorite. I liked him a lot. I wish I had him longer. He’s a good tough, big, strong guy that was competitive.I liked him a lot, I really did. I think he liked me. We got along good.”
If the Giants’ offensive linemen are a reflection of their coach, expect them to be maul-in.
“He’s not backing down, he’s gonna hang in there, he can take a beating and come back, you know what I mean?” Parcells said. “That’s what you really want.”
When Colombo replaced Cowboys offensive line coach Paul Alexander midway through the 2018 season, he said, “I’m more of an old school guy, in a sense. We’re going to work, we’re going to grind every day. Working every single technique, every drill. We’re going to bring some violence, some nasty to the game. We have to get back to our roots the past few years here which has been a nasty attitude and we’re going to bring that.”
Colombo connected immediately with Ezekiel Elliott and the vaunted Cowboys offensive line, and Judge will expect him to have a similar effect on Saquon Barkley and the Giants’ offensive line. The kind of effect former Giants O-line coach Pat Flaherty had on two Super Bowl championship offensive lines. Judge, remember, hired teachers as assistant coaches.
“Teach me how to make a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich,” Judge said at his introductory press conference. “Teach me. Make me the best peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich-maker in the history of the world.”
• Giants’ NFL Draft tracker: Live round-by-round picks and analysis
Giants tackle Cameron Fleming played in 2018 and 2019 for Colombo in Dallas.
“He comes in with so much energy, so much juice every single day, week after week throughout the whole season,” Fleming said. “I don’t think there is ever a lull in it for him. I really appreciate his passion and electricity every day. He’s just a damn good coach. He helped me a lot with my technique in Dallas, and I look forward to continuing working with him.”
“I think him playing, he knows exactly what it takes to survive in this league.”
Colombo survived against all odds before Parcells (and his late former O-line coach Tony Sparano) helped revive his career.
“I had probably a 5 percent chance of ever playing again,” Colombo said once.
He finished his career in Sparano’s last year as Dolphins coach in 2011.
Now he’s Lieutenant Colombo.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--WNYC radio’s “Morning Edition” anchor Richard Hake is dead at 51

Richard Hake , the calm , trusted voice of WNYC ’ s “ Morning Edition , ” passed away suddenly @ @ @ @ @ of 51 .
Hake died at home of natural causes , his family told the @ @ @ @ @ , which confirmed the death in a statement Friday night .
Hake worked for WNYC @ @ @ @ @ a host , reporter , and producer , the station said , covering the 9/11 @ @ @ @ @ blackout , Superstorm Sandy and the coronavirus pandemic along the way .
“ He was @ @ @ @ @ into the studio with a moment ’ s notice to try and divine the facts @ @ @ @ @ impart that information to our listeners , ” noted “ Morning Edition ” editor Nancy @ @

Richard Hake, the calm, trusted voice of WNYC’s “Morning Edition,” passed away suddenly on Friday at the age of 51.
Hake died at home of natural causes, his family told the city’s radio station, which confirmed the death in a statement Friday night.
Hake worked for WNYC for nearly 30 years as a host, reporter, and producer, the station said, covering the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2003 blackout, Superstorm Sandy and the coronavirus pandemic along the way.
“He was the guy we could throw into the studio with a moment’s notice to try and divine the facts of a moving situation and impart that information to our listeners,” noted “Morning Edition” editor Nancy Solomon.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Cops bust illicit bottle club in Queens

Cops bust illicit bottle club in Queens

Sometimes the mayor ’ s much maligned — and much abused — 311 social distancing snitch line delivers .
Cops @ @ @ @ @ busted an illegal bottle club in Queens that was pouring liquor for multiple patrons gathered @ @ @ @ @ Patrol Fausto Pichardo tweeted Saturday .
The unlicensed club in eastern Queens ’ 105 Precinct @ @ @ @ @ beer cases and a trove of liquors , including Hennessey , Patron and Grey Goose @ @ @ @ @ was outfitted with a few tables and chairs , a TV and a bar at @ @ @ @ @ 311 to complain of illegal gambling at the club , though the hotline has apparently @ @ @ @ @ reporting groups ignoring social distancing mandates .
Mayor de Blasio ’ s social distancing snitching @ @ @ @ @ on thousands of dead-end calls , the Post reported Saturday .
Still , the problem @ @ @ @ @ , the Post has been tipped off to illicit parties and speakeasies operating under the @ @

Sometimes the mayor’s much maligned — and much abused — 311 social distancing snitch line delivers.
Cops responding to citizen 311 complaints busted an illegal bottle club in Queens that was pouring liquor for multiple patrons gathered inside, NYPD Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo tweeted Saturday.
The unlicensed club in eastern Queens’ 105 Precinct was caught with stacks of beer cases and a trove of liquors, including Hennessey, Patron and Grey Goose vodka.
The windowless room was outfitted with a few tables and chairs, a TV and a bar at the back.
Residents used 311 to complain of illegal gambling at the club, though the hotline has apparently been a total bust for reporting groups ignoring social distancing mandates.
Mayor de Blasio’s social distancing snitching program is sending cops out on thousands of dead-end calls, the Post reported Saturday.
Still, the problem of since the state-mandated lockdown, the Post has been tipped off to illicit parties and speakeasies operating under the radar.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Why ‘SNL’ isn’t dying from the coronavirus: It’s not just Brad Pitt and Miley Cyrus

Brad Pitt brought some red-hot star quality to the cold ...

After some sketchy moments in the first canned “Saturday Night Live … At Home” episode forced by the coronavirus lockdown, NBC’s venerable comedy franchise rallied to give it another virtual go this weekend.
Brad Pitt brought some red-hot star quality to the cold open, which featured the “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” Oscar winner donning a silver wig to play White House coronavirus task force advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, ruminating on President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Following Trump’s much publicized comments about UV light and disinfectant injections, Brad-as-Fauci grimaced: “I know I’m not supposed to touch my face, but …”
After a few more predictable digs, Pitt whipped off his wig and praised America’s frontline health-care warriors — and Dr. Fauci’s “calm and clarity” — before declaring: “Live, kinda, from all across America, it’s Saturday night!”
Sure, the subsequent Kenan Thompson “What’s Up with That” segment with Charles Barkley and a dated Snapchat filter sketch fell flat after that, but it still all felt somehow … welcome. Sloppy, yes, but needed. And who can get enough of the underrated Cecily Strong, Beck “Rare Steak” Bennett, Aidy Bryant and Ego Nwodim?
So, which is it? Is “SNL” back to its scrappy, not-ready-for-primetime roots? Or is it being sunk by the obvious limitations of an on-the-fly format fueled by static visuals and glitchy audio?
It’s more complicated than that.
Social media mercenaries have long s–t-talked late-night’s legendary laugh factory: “This show has sucked since (insert the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s reference from your youthful heyday here),” the Twitterverse masses opine, on an annual loop.
Depending on your generation, “SNL” jumped the proverbial shark when John Belushi or Gilda Radner or Chris Farley or Phil Hartman died.
But we didn’t stop watching.
The first “At Home” novelty installment pulled 6.7 million viewers two weeks ago, making it the second-highest rated episode since ‘80s cast breakout Eddie Murphy’s much ballyhooed return to the 30 Rock stage scored 10 million viewers in December 2019.
This Saturday’s star-studded cameos by Adam Sandler (with an undie on his head), Paul Rudd and Bad Bunny — not to mention a slow-burn Miley Cyrus cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” — seemed stacked to top that deck. Did they? Not really. Not even Pete Davidson’s timely “hiney smoocheroo” bit (live, from his adorable mom’s house on Staten Island!) could do that.
But here’s the bottom line: People have searched for an excuse to declare this 45-year-old comedic institution “dead” for decades. A global pandemic probably can’t do it.
The hope of magic — and the sweet relief of laughter — is stronger than the desire to be a cynical armchair critic who craps all over a comedic comfort zone. New York needs the potential of levity as we fight this plague.
Beyond that, the world appears to still be hungry for this healing tradition — and it is one only NYC can deliver.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--New Yorker Dan Fiorito itching to lead Staten Island Yankees

Glance at Dan Fiorito ’ s bio in the Yankees ’ media guide and it reads like a New York baseball love story .
Born in Yonkers , where he still lives ; Fordham Prep in The Bronx for high school ; Manhattanville College in Purchase ; four seasons as a Yankees minor league player ; two as a coach and one as a manager in the Gulf Coast League .
The memories burned into his mind are of rooting for the Yankees at the previous Yankee Stadium and of Derek Jeter being his favorite player add to his New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ready to be written this summer when the 29-year-old Fiorito was going to manage the Staten Island Yankees .
“ For sure , being a New Yorker and knowing how much the Yankees mean to us being from the state .
It would be a special feeling to be home and be part of all the tradition .
It is going to be special and hopefully , with fingers crossed , that the season happens , ’ ’ Fiorito told The Post recently from Syracuse , where he is with wife Elizabeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole career to get to Staten Island , be a part of it and have family come to the games and stuff .
Praying that we get a chance this year.
’ ’ Though the NY-Penn League wasn ’ t scheduled to start until after the June draft , Fiorito was in Tampa working at the minor league complex and helped out in major league camp during spring training .
When COVID-19 shut down spring training , Fiorito left Florida for upstate New York .
Now the draft will be held some time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predict if or when the NY-Penn League or any other league will open .
Instead of working with players under the Florida sun , Fiorito stays digitally connected with the Yankees ’ system .
The process , he says , has been enlightening .
“ The Yankees are doing a ton of work to make this time worthwhile , whether it is continuing education stuff , whether it is quantitative analysis or learning the different departments , ’ ’ said Fiorito , who managed the Yankees East club ( 18-29 ) in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has been a really good informative time for all the coaches .
We are applying everything and trying to make the most of this time .
Obviously it is a real difficult time , but the communication has been unbelievable as far as how we are going to work and how we are going to learn .
Watching video of players you had or will have and staying in touch with them .
We are learning from all the different departments we have , from the analytical staff to mental conditioning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ’ Near the end of his minor league career — in which Fiorito played in 326 games at Single-A , Double-A and Triple-A after not being drafted out of Manhattanvile , where he was a third-team ABCA All-American selection in 2012 — Fiorito began planning for his next baseball step .
“ I started to think about how I wanted to manage , ’ ’ said Fiorito , who was a defensive coach for Single-A Pulaski in 2017 and Single-A Charleston in 2018 .
“ With all the great coaches I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players .
That was something I wanted to do with all the players.
’ ’ Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag Playing for managers Luis Sojo and Tony Franklin and working with infield coordinator Carlos Mendoza in the minors gave Fiorito the managing bug .
“ The big thing for me was learning all the different positions , ’ ’ said Fiorito , who started as a shortstop but eventually played first , second and third base as a 6-foot-4 , 215-pounder .
“ That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my managers over the time and Carlos Mendoza .
Personally , teaching me first , second and third , positions I had never played in my life .
I was able to learn an unbelievable amount from him .
He has a passion to make all of us better .
I was lucky to be around him for as many years as I was.
’ ’ If there is a Staten Island season , Fiorito will be managing his second year at 29 but explained where he eventually might be headed doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think about the path .
I think about what we can do .
All coaches have the same goal , help the players get better , ’ ’ Fiorito said .
“ But I am lucky to managing at a young age because it is something I always wanted to do .
The fact that I am doing it earlier is even better .
’ ’

Glance at Dan Fiorito’s bio in the Yankees’ media guide and it reads like a New York baseball love story.
Born in Yonkers, where he still lives; Fordham Prep in The Bronx for high school; Manhattanville College in Purchase; four seasons as a Yankees minor league player; two as a coach and one as a manager in the Gulf Coast League.
The memories burned into his mind are of rooting for the Yankees at the previous Yankee Stadium and of Derek Jeter being his favorite player add to his New York vibe.
Another New York chapter was ready to be written this summer when the 29-year-old Fiorito was going to manage the Staten Island Yankees.
“For sure, being a New Yorker and knowing how much the Yankees mean to us being from the state. It would be a special feeling to be home and be part of all the tradition. It is going to be special and hopefully, with fingers crossed, that the season happens,’’ Fiorito told The Post recently from Syracuse, where he is with wife Elizabeth and in-laws. “I wanted my whole career to get to Staten Island, be a part of it and have family come to the games and stuff. Praying that we get a chance this year.’’
Though the NY-Penn League wasn’t scheduled to start until after the June draft, Fiorito was in Tampa working at the minor league complex and helped out in major league camp during spring training. When COVID-19 shut down spring training, Fiorito left Florida for upstate New York. Now the draft will be held some time before July 21, and nobody can predict if or when the NY-Penn League or any other league will open.
Instead of working with players under the Florida sun, Fiorito stays digitally connected with the Yankees’ system. The process, he says, has been enlightening.
“The Yankees are doing a ton of work to make this time worthwhile, whether it is continuing education stuff, whether it is quantitative analysis or learning the different departments,’’ said Fiorito, who managed the Yankees East club (18-29) in the Gulf Coast League last summer. “It has been a really good informative time for all the coaches. We are applying everything and trying to make the most of this time. Obviously it is a real difficult time, but the communication has been unbelievable as far as how we are going to work and how we are going to learn. Watching video of players you had or will have and staying in touch with them. We are learning from all the different departments we have, from the analytical staff to mental conditioning to nutrition, everybody has something going on.’’
Near the end of his minor league career — in which Fiorito played in 326 games at Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A after not being drafted out of Manhattanvile, where he was a third-team ABCA All-American selection in 2012 — Fiorito began planning for his next baseball step.
“I started to think about how I wanted to manage,’’ said Fiorito, who was a defensive coach for Single-A Pulaski in 2017 and Single-A Charleston in 2018. “With all the great coaches I had around, I wanted to impact the players. That was something I wanted to do with all the players.’’
Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
Playing for managers Luis Sojo and Tony Franklin and working with infield coordinator Carlos Mendoza in the minors gave Fiorito the managing bug.
“The big thing for me was learning all the different positions,’’ said Fiorito, who started as a shortstop but eventually played first, second and third base as a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder. “That is something I owe a big credit to my managers over the time and Carlos Mendoza. Personally, teaching me first, second and third, positions I had never played in my life. I was able to learn an unbelievable amount from him. He has a passion to make all of us better. I was lucky to be around him for as many years as I was.’’
If there is a Staten Island season, Fiorito will be managing his second year at 29 but explained where he eventually might be headed doesn’t come into play.
“I don’t think about the path. I think about what we can do. All coaches have the same goal, help the players get better,’’ Fiorito said. “But I am lucky to managing at a young age because it is something I always wanted to do. The fact that I am doing it earlier is even better.’’


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--With Kim Jong Un’s health uncertain, focus shifts to powerful sister Kim Yo Jong

North Korea ’ s male-dominated Kim dynasty may be about to hand over the keys to the Hermit Kingdom to a woman .
With speculation swirling over Kim Jong Un ’ s health , all eyes have turned to his sister and closest confidant , Kim Yo Jong , as his most likely successor .
Yo Jong may lack the bizarre , high-fade bouffants of the three generations of male rulers in her family , but she shares her brother ’ s secrecy and penchant for lashing out against political adversaries Still , much about her remains a mystery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly clear , though she ’ s believed to be in her early 30s , a few years younger than Jong Un .
She ’ s kept a low profile , only last month releasing her first public statement , mocking South Korea as a “ frightening dog barking ” for opposing a live-fire military demonstration .
But she ’ s still been active enough behind the scenes to suggest she would serve with an iron fist .
Like other North Korea officials , she was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Yo Jong has a reputation for aggressively pushing North Korea propaganda and was among the officials who have worked to enact “ rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behavior , ” the department said at the time .
“ Among the North ’ s power elite , Kim Yo Jong has the highest chance to inherit power , and I think that possibility is more than 90 % , ” an analyst told the Associated Press .
Yo Jong may have to contend with her other brother , Kim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was already passed over when their father chose Kim as the next in line to serve .
She has been routinely observed at her brother ’ s side at public appearances and is involved in relations with Washington and South Korea , whose media has dubbed her “ the Ivanka Trump of North Korea.
” Perhaps her most prominent moment in the spotlight came during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea , where she served as a delegate and sat alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in .
In the late 1990s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary school in Berne , Switzerland .
The two lived in a private home with staff and bodyguards , according to North Korea Leadership Watch .
There ’ s not much known about her life between her time in Switzerland and 2007 , when she began playing a role in the ruling party , other than that she was reportedly a favorite of her father , Kim Jong Il , who ruled from 1994 to his death in 2011 .
“ She has gotten a lot more serious , ’ ’ Michael Madden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Web site North Korea Leadership Watch , told the New Yorker .
“ When you see footage of her on the receiving lines , she is smiling , a nice friendly young woman , but when she is out of those lines , the smile vanishes and she even looks like Kim Jong Il.
’ ’ Yo Jong would be North Korea ’ s first female ruler since her grandfather Kim Il-sung founded the nation in 1948 .

North Korea’s male-dominated Kim dynasty may be about to hand over the keys to the Hermit Kingdom to a woman.
With speculation swirling over Kim Jong Un’s health, all eyes have turned to his sister and closest confidant, Kim Yo Jong, as his most likely successor.
Yo Jong may lack the bizarre, high-fade bouffants of the three generations of male rulers in her family, but she shares her brother’s secrecy and penchant for lashing out against political adversaries.
Still, much about her remains a mystery.
Yo Jong’s age is not exactly clear, though she’s believed to be in her early 30s, a few years younger than Jong Un.
She’s kept a low profile, only last month releasing her first public statement, mocking South Korea as a “frightening dog barking” for opposing a live-fire military demonstration.
But she’s still been active enough behind the scenes to suggest she would serve with an iron fist. Like other North Korea officials, she was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in 2017 for “severe human rights abuses.”
Yo Jong has a reputation for aggressively pushing North Korean propaganda and was among the officials who have worked to enact “rigid censorship policies and conceals its inhumane and oppressive behavior,” the department said at the time.
“Among the North’s power elite, Kim Yo Jong has the highest chance to inherit power, and I think that possibility is more than 90%,” an analyst told the Associated Press.
Yo Jong may have to contend with her other brother, Kim Jong Chol, for power — though he was already passed over when their father chose Jong Un as the next in line to serve.
She has been routinely observed at her brother’s side at public appearances and is involved in relations with Washington and South Korea, whose media has dubbed her “the Ivanka Trump of North Korea.”
Perhaps her most prominent moment in the spotlight came during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where she served as a delegate and sat alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
In the late 1990s, she joined Kim Jong Un in attending primary school in Berne, Switzerland. The two lived in a private home with staff and bodyguards, according to North Korea Leadership Watch.
There’s not much known about her life between her time in Switzerland and 2007, when she began playing a role in the ruling party, other than that she was reportedly a favorite of her father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled from 1994 to his death in 2011.
“She has gotten a lot more serious,’’ Michael Madden, a government consultant who manages the North Korea Leadership Watch website, told the New Yorker.
“When you see footage of her on the receiving lines, she is smiling, a nice friendly young woman, but when she is out of those lines, the smile vanishes and she even looks like Kim Jong Il.’’
Yo Jong would be North Korea’s first female ruler since her grandfather, Kim Il-sung, founded the nation in 1948.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--NFL Draft 2020: Redskins took first steps toward brighter future

As Day 3 of the NFL draft began , the Trent ...

They have a new head coach in Ron Rivera, but past coaching changes haven’t offered any assurance the Redskins will finally get their act together.
The trade of longtime left tackle Trent Williams on Saturday, which raised eyebrows around the NFL, was more about good riddance than a good return. While those who root for the Burgundy and Gold might be disappointed by the end result of an overly drawn-out process, ending the drama surrounding Williams was important for the Redskins to get on with their future.
It’s a future that finally looks a bit promising with the arrival of Rivera and the second-overall pick in the draft Chase Young. If the can’t-miss- edge rusher from Ohio State lives up to expectations and a few of their other draft picks pan out, the Redskins might finally become a contender and add intrigue to the NFC East.
The Redskins dealt Williams, one of the league’s best left tackles, to the 49ers for a fifth-round pick this year and a third-rounder next year. On the surface, that’s not much of a return for Williams — a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, team leader and face of the franchise. But Williams’ relationship with the Redskins had soured to the point that he sat out the entire 2019 season in a contract dispute and needed to be moved. Rivera didn’t need the baggage.
While Williams goes to 49ers to replace Joe Staley, who announced his retirement on Saturday after 13 seasons, the Redskins drafted LSU tackle Saahdiq Charles in the fourth round on Saturday. It continued what has turned out to be an intriguing draft for the Redskins, who finished 3-13 last year after Jay Gruden was fired following a 0-5 start.
Rivera, who spent nearly nine seasons at Carolina, was brought in to change the culture in Washington after the firing of both Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen. Taking Young was a no-brainer. The impact pass rusher figures to be an instant headache for the defensive coordinators in the NFC East.
The Giants had to draft Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, knowing that he’ll have to match-up against Young at least twice a year for the next decade.
“I believe we’ve taken the guy that will impact not just his position group, not just the linebackers, not just the [defensive backs], but I think the entire football team,” Rivera said of Young.
Though the acquisition of Young should provide immediate returns, it’s on the offense where Washington may have made its biggest gains. After not having a pick in the second round, the Redskins took Memphis versatile running back Antonio Gibson in the third round, and used two fourth-round picks to claim Charles and WR Antonio Gandy-Golden from Liberty. Washington added offensive lineman Keith Ismael of San Diego State and LB Khaleke Hudson of Michigan with two fifth-round selections.
After selecting Young, prioritizing the offensive side of the ball was necessary to give second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins the best chance to succeed. Gibson played running back and wide receiver at Memphis where he scored 14 touchdowns on 77 career touches. His versatility should bring a dynamic element to the offense with his big-play ability. Meanwhile, Gandy-Golden is 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, and uses his size and length to break tackles and add yards after the catch.
Look, no one really knows at this point whether Charles will come close to filling the enormous shoes left by Williams. But Chase adds to an already talented defensive line loaded with first-round picks and quarterback Dwayne Haskins now has added protection and additional weapons.
The Redskins won’t be the doormat of the NFC East for long.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--NYC tailor defies state order: ‘I’m opening my doors come hell or high water’

One defiant NYC business owner — who ’ s been deemed “ non-essential ” during the pandemic — has a message to New York : “ I ’ m opening my doors come hell or high water.
” Eliot Rabin , whose Upper East Side boutique , Peter Elliot , is known for high-end men ’ s and boys apparel , refuses to follow a state order closing retail business not considered essential .
He insists that his $ 85 pocket squares and $ 15,000 suits are part of the fabric of New York City : “ Why is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ?
” Rabin told The Post .
He admitted that many of the customers who can afford his wares have fled the city for vacation homes , but he ’ s here to provide “ emotional essential support ” for the ones still in town .
The retailer is also offering them what he jokingly calls “ internal vaccinations : Chivas Regal , Kentucky bourbon — have a nip and you ’ ll feel better.
” Rabin added that it ’ s also the only course of action for saving his business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every loan , every break … to no avail .
We got bubkes , ” said the 78-year-old Army vet who once ran on the GOP congressional ticket to defeat Carolyn Maloney in the 12th district .
He noted that he had to cut 12 members of his 21-person staff , some of whom have been with him for 35 years .
Opening his doors to reveal a rainbow of pastel shirts and technicolor ties , he said , represents something else as well .
“ You need to give people a degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” At least one happy customer walked away Friday with a $ 200 polka dot tie .
“ I ’ m a small business owner too , but I can ’ t send people a drill in the mail [ to do their own teeth ] , ” said cosmetic dentist Steven Davidowitz , who ’ s been shopping at the store for 10 years .
“ [ Rabin ’ s ] customers like to feel things , see things , and have that personal interaction with his amazing staff .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful of customers have trickled in since Wednesday ’ s re-opening , and he ’ s fielding requests for suits for future events like bar mitzvahs and weddings .
“ Some [ clients ] ask , ‘ Do you think you ’ ll get in trouble ? '
” he said .
“ If I do get in trouble , it will be for the right reasons .
What are they going to do ?
Yell and scream at me ?
Fine me $ 500 ?
It would be worth it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mouth and say this is not equitable .
If they try to arrest me , I ’ ll say , ‘ Am I in a police state now ?
’ They ’ re not going to arrest me.
” Though he ’ s not worried about catching the coronavirus , Rabin , who first opened his doors in 1977 , said he ’ s taking precautions : “ I spray my Lysol like I spray my Chanel cologne for men.
” He only has two employees — one at the register , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store at a time and is expecting a shipment of masks from Italy to hand out to customers , whom he will limit in the store at any given time .
“ We ’ ll never put anyone in danger , ever.
” He added that he ’ s not worried about the consequences of being open , only the consequences for staying shut .
“ I ’ m fighting for the soul of my company and my people .
I ’ m doing what I think is right to protect my business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rabin said , noting that the long-time shoe repair shop across the street from his store packed up for good last month .
“ I hope everyone comes back , but I know they won ’ t .
I ’ m doing the common sense thing to protect my business .
”

One defiant NYC business owner — who’s been deemed “non-essential” during the pandemic — has a message to New York: “I’m opening my doors come hell or high water.”
Eliot Rabin, whose Upper East Side boutique, Peter Elliot, is known for high-end men’s and boys apparel, refuses to follow a state order closing retail business not considered essential. He insists that his $85 pocket squares and $15,000 suits are part of the fabric of New York City: “Why is a liquor store essential and I’m not?” Rabin told The Post.
He admitted that many of the customers who can afford his wares have fled the city for vacation homes, but he’s here to provide “emotional essential support” for the ones still in town. The retailer is also offering them what he jokingly calls “internal vaccinations: Chivas Regal, Kentucky bourbon — have a nip and you’ll feel better.”
Rabin added that it’s also the only course of action for saving his business.
“We’ve applied for every loan, every break … to no avail. We got bubkes,” said the 78-year-old Army vet who once ran on the GOP congressional ticket to defeat Carolyn Maloney in the 12th district. He noted that he had to cut 12 members of his 21-person staff, some of whom have been with him for 35 years.
Opening his doors to reveal a rainbow of pastel shirts and technicolor ties, he said, represents something else as well. “You need to give people a degree of normalcy in such an abnormal time.”
At least one happy customer walked away Friday with a $200 polka dot tie. “I’m a small business owner too, but I can’t send people a drill in the mail [to do their own teeth],” said cosmetic dentist Steven Davidowitz, who’s been shopping at the store for 10 years. “[Rabin’s] customers like to feel things, see things, and have that personal interaction with his amazing staff. It’s like a family.”
Rabin said a handful of customers have trickled in since Wednesday’s re-opening, and he’s fielding requests for suits for future events like bar mitzvahs and weddings. “Some [clients] ask, ‘Do you think you’ll get in trouble?'” he said. “If I do get in trouble, it will be for the right reasons. What are they going to do? Yell and scream at me? Fine me $500? It would be worth it, for me to be able to open my mouth and say this is not equitable. If they try to arrest me, I’ll say, ‘Am I in a police state now?’ They’re not going to arrest me.”
Though he’s not worried about catching the coronavirus, Rabin, who first opened his doors in 1977, said he’s taking precautions: “I spray my Lysol like I spray my Chanel cologne for men.” He only has two employees — one at the register, one on the floor — in the store at a time and is expecting a shipment of masks from Italy to hand out to customers, whom he will limit in the store at any given time. “We’ll never put anyone in danger, ever.”
He added that he’s not worried about the consequences of being open, only the consequences for staying shut.
“I’m fighting for the soul of my company and my people. I’m doing what I think is right to protect my business and employees from this disaster,” Rabin said, noting that the long-time shoe repair shop across the street from his store packed up for good last month. “I hope everyone comes back, but I know they won’t. I’m doing the common sense thing to protect my business.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Brad Pitt channels Dr. Anthony Fauci for ‘SNL’ virtual cold open

Live from New York , we still need to laugh .

Brad Pitt brought some red-hot star quality to the cold open of “Saturday Night Live … At Home.”
The “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” Oscar winner donned a silver wig to play White House coronavirus task force advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, ruminating on President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Following Trump’s much publicized comments about UV light and disinfectant injections, Brad-as-Fauci grimaced: “I know I shouldn’t be touching my face, but …”
After a few predictable digs, Pitt, 56, whipped off his silver wig and praised America’s health-care workers on the frontline — and Dr. Fauci’s “calm and clarity” — before declaring: “Live, kinda, from all across America, it’s Saturday night!”
After some sketchy moments in the first canned “Saturday Night Live … At Home” episode forced by the coronavirus lockdown, NBC’s venerable comedy franchise rallied to give it another virtual go this weekend.
Viewers were obviously hungry for it: The first “At Home” installment two weeks ago pulled 6.7 million viewers, making it the second-highest rated episode since ‘80s cast breakout Eddie Murphy’s much ballyhooed return to the 30 Rock stage scored 10 million viewers in December 2019.
Also of note: Earlier this month, when CNN’s Alisyn Camerota, 53, asked Fauci, 79, who should portray him should he ever be lampooned on “SNL,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grinned and quipped, “Oh, Brad Pitt — of course.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--New York clinical trial testing heartburn medication as coronavirus treatment

A clinical trial is underway at major New York hospitals to test the efficacy of heartburn medication , in combination with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine , on coronavirus patients , The Post has learned .
More than 150 people so far are taking part in the study , which began earlier this month and is being conducted by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research , the research arm of Northwell Health , according to a spokesman for the hospital system .
Researchers are trying to find out whether famotidine — the active compound in the over-the-counter heartburn drug Pepcid — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar to the way certain drugs block the replication of HIV/AIDS .
Patients in the study are being given the heartburn drug intravenously along with hydroxychloroquine at Northwell ’ s North Shore University Hospital , Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Lenox Hill Hospital , said David Battinelli , vice president and chief medical officer of Northwell .
The researchers initially wanted to test famotidine on its own , but with so many patients now being treated with hydroxychloroquine , they wouldn ’ t have had enough test subjects , they told Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those taking the combination will be compared with a group taking only the anti-malarial and a control group .
Hydroxychloroquine has been touted as a promising treatment by President Trump and some doctors and patients , though the preliminary results of some local studies found no benefit .
Anecdotally , the heartburn drug shows promise , said Battinelli , adding that he hopes to recruit up to 1,250 patients for the trial .
This is the first known coronavirus-related study using the drug , the hospital spokesman said .
Five other clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway at Northwell .
It ’ s unclear when the results will be made available .

A clinical trial is under way at major New York hospitals to test the efficacy of heartburn medications such as Pepcid, in combination with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, on coronavirus patients, The Post has learned.
More than 150 people so far are taking part in the study, which began earlier this month and is being conducted by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health, according to a spokesman for the hospital system.
Researchers are trying to find out whether famotidine — the active compound in the over-the-counter heartburn drug Pepcid — acts as an inhibitor of COVID-19, similar to the way certain drugs block the replication of HIV/AIDS.
Patients in the study are being given the heartburn drug intravenously along with hydroxychloroquine at Northwell’s North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Lenox Hill Hospital, said David Battinelli, vice president and chief medical officer of Northwell.
The researchers initially wanted to test famotidine on its own, but with so many patients now being treated with hydroxychloroquine, they wouldn’t have had enough test subjects, they told Science Magazine, which first reported the study.
Those taking the combination will be compared with a group taking only the anti-malarial and a control group.
Hydroxychloroquine has been touted as a promising treatment by President Trump and some doctors and patients, though the preliminary results of some local studies found no benefit.
Anecdotally, the heartburn drug shows promise, said Battinelli, adding that he hopes to recruit up to 1,250 patients for the trial.
This is the first known coronavirus-related study using the drug, the hospital spokesman said.
Five other clinical trials testing potential COVID-19 treatments are also underway at Northwell.
It’s unclear when the results will be made available.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Louisiana pastor blows social distancing house arrest to hold Sunday service

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A controversial Louisiana pastor under house arrest for repeatedly defying coronavirus social distancing rules is at it again .
Pastor Tony Spell , who was arrested last month and charged with violating the lockdown order , was nabbed Sunday for holding a service for more than 100 congregants at the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge — telling them God would protect them from the coronavirus , Fox News reported .
“ Shouldn ’ t nobody be scared right now but the devil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a live stream of the service posted on Facebook by Central City News .
“ God gave you an immune system to kill that virus .
“ Come out of your hiding , America .
Worship like free people.
” Spell was placed under house arrest Saturday after refusing to promise District Court Judge Fred Crifasi that he would stay put and stop holding in-person services .
In another video posted Saturday by Central City News , the pastor signaled his intention to violate the judge ’ s order , even as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ America , wherever you are , if I do not do what I ’ m doing right now , I would have to repent to Jesus Christ for what he did for me , ” Spell said on the video , where he is seen at home , sitting on the piano and singing hymns with four other people .
“ Tomorrow at 12 o ’ clock my voice will be silenced for several months , ” he said .
“ You will not hear from me again.
” A man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enters the home , has the pastor sign some paperwork , and fits him with an ankle bracelet .
It is not known if he was taken into custody again after violating the order on Sunday .
Spell was jailed last week for refusing to abide by Gov .
John Bel Edwards ’ social distancing order , but was released on a $ 5,000 bond Tuesday that required him to abide by the order .
The social distancing violations aren ’ t his only problem with the law — he ’ s also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a church bus last week .
He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper backing of a vehicle in that case .
Meanwhile his lawyer , Jeff Witterbrink , revealed earlier this month that he had been infected by the coronavirus .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
A controversial Louisiana pastor under house arrest for repeatedly defying coronavirus social distancing rules is at it again.
Pastor Tony Spell, who was arrested last month and charged with violating the lockdown order, was nabbed Sunday for holding a service for more than 100 congregants at the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge — telling them God would protect them from the coronavirus, Fox News reported.
“Shouldn’t nobody be scared right now but the devil,” the defiant pastor says on a live stream of the service posted on Facebook by Central City News. “God gave you an immune system to kill that virus.
“Come out of your hiding, America. Worship like free people.”
Spell was placed under house arrest Saturday after refusing to promise District Court Judge Fred Crifasi that he would stay put and stop holding in-person services.
In another video posted Saturday by Central City News, the pastor signaled his intention to violate the judge’s order, even as he was fitted for a monitoring ankle bracelet.
“America, wherever you are, if I do not do what I’m doing right now, I would have to repent to Jesus Christ for what he did for me,” Spell said on the video, where he is seen at home, sitting on the piano and singing hymns with four other people.
“Tomorrow at 12 o’clock my voice will be silenced for several months,” he said. “You will not hear from me again.”
A man wearing gloves and a face mask then enters the home, has the pastor sign some paperwork, and fits him with an ankle bracelet.
It is not known if he was taken into custody again after violating the order on Sunday.
Spell was jailed last week for refusing to abide by Gov. John Bel Edwards’ social distancing order, but was released on a $5,000 bond Tuesday that required him to abide by the order.
The social distancing violations aren’t his only problem with the law — he’s also accused of running over a protestor with a church bus last week. He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper backing of a vehicle in that case.
Meanwhile his lawyer, Jeff Witterbrink, revealed earlier this month that he had been infected by the coronavirus.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Dave Gettleman delivered in his make-or-break Giants moment

The Giants went through the entire NFL draft , three days ...

He has been lambasted, harpooned and nearly fired along with Pat Shurmur.
He was no longer Dave Gettleman, he was Embattled Dave Gettleman, a 69-year-old cancer survivor in the midst of a pandemic facing a make-or-break NFL draft that would define his future and the franchise’s as well.
Go ahead and call him The Comeback Kid.
Now, everyone always swears they had a terrific draft and got better, married value and need perfectly, couldn’t believe so-and-so was still on the board, so there’s that. And Gettleman did not find a “blue goose” edge rusher he liked enough, or a center, or a big receiver, and did not reach for need. And Bill Belichick didn’t draft a quarterback and the Packers didn’t draft a wide receiver. You stay true to your draft noses or live to regret it.
But he addressed with a vengeance the sinkhole otherwise known as the Giants offensive line, finally made good on the promise he made to fix it when he was hired.
And he landed the best safety in the draft in Xavier McKinney in the second round.
Remember when Gettleman arrived vowing to kick ass?
He kicked ass.
He has given Daniel Jones the chance to flourish that Eli Manning wish he had toward the end of his Hall of Fame career. He has given Saquon Barkley more of a chance to honor his Gold Jacket Guy talent. He has given his offense a better chance to score points and keep his defense off the field.
Some so-called experts and evaluators had No. 1 pick left tackle Andrew Thomas as the fourth-rated tackle, others had him as the best, and all that matters is he will have a chance to be manning the position for 10 years.
Matt Peart, the right tackle of the future and third-round pick, is another long-armed physical specimen who should start sooner rather than later.
Pro Football Focus’ grade for Gettleman’s draft: A
In free agency and the draft, Gettleman has also upgraded the secondary, special teams and overall team speed.
He stood in there good and tough when the analytics crowd mocked him as a dinosaur, when he traded Odell Beckham Jr. nine months after he told everyone that he didn’t sign him to trade him, when he let Landon Collins walk, when he was roasted for using the sixth pick last year on Jones, and again when he surrendered a third-round draft choice to the Jets for Leonard Williams. The OBJ trade might yet haunt him, but ownership is confident that he has found its next franchise quarterback.
“We believe he is the right person to lead us going forward,” John Mara said after much deliberation with co-owner Steve Tisch.
It can be an awkward situation when you hire a rookie head coach and give him a five-year contract and a promise to be more patient after Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur lasted two years back-to-back, and keeping your 69-year-old GM and putting him on notice when you do. But it appears Gettleman and Judge work well together — and socially distanced — with the GM’s experience serving as an invaluable resource for the rookie head coach.
“Dave’s been awesome,” Judge said.
And they sound like kindred spirits when it comes to building the right culture: Judge is bringing The Patriots Way, The Belichick Way, to the Giants, and Gettleman is totally on board.
“I don’t want 53 independent contractors,” Judge said, “I want one team.”
He has instructed the rookies to show him, not tell him.
“One thing that drives me nuts is when sometimes guys get drafted, emotion gets caught up, they stand on the stage a lot of times and what do they say? They start talking about how they’re gonna take over the league,” Judge said. “OK, look — this is a guy who hasn’t been in the league for five seconds. What do they know about taking over the league? … They don’t know how to be a pro yet. They don’t. As much as they may think they do, they don’t.”
Gettleman will be passing the baton to Judge now with seven current drafted starters, four or five starters from free agency and three via trade. And a host of young players who will be given every opportunity to develop under a better coaching staff and challenge for starting jobs or otherwise provide quality depth.
“The last two years? Not good enough,” Gettleman admitted when 2019 ended.
His record is 9-23. The Giants still have a hill to climb. Still need to learn how to win. When the season ended, there was no way that Gettleman could convince his many critics that the Giants were on the right path. He should be able to now.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Grades for Jets’ 2020 NFL Draft picks: Joe Douglas took risks

So , how do you think they did ?
There ’ s little doubt ...

Joe Douglas could have looked at the Jets’ disastrous NFL draft track record and played it safe to break from his predecessors.
He didn’t. In his first draft as general manager, Douglas filled starting holes, helped his quarterback and still swung for the fences.
The Post graded every pick: A higher grade at a lower draft spot doesn’t necessarily indicate a better player, but a smarter pick based on production, potential, need and availability at the time.
Round 1, No. 11 overall: Mekhi Becton (OT, Louisville)
Grade: B
Boom-or-bust potential for a franchise with too many busts. Well-coached 6-foot-7, 364-pound athletic freak, but a flagged drug test at the NFL combine is concerning. Passing over tackle Tristan Wirfs could be haunting.
Round 2, No. 59 overall: Denzel Mims (WR, Baylor)
Grade: A
Shrewd trade back from No. 48 knowing second-round depth. One of the combine’s stars offers size-speed combination that had him in first-round conversations. Sam Darnold’s next go-to weapon.
Round 3, No. 68 overall: Ashtyn Davis S, California)
Grade: B+
Good player with range. Strange choice given so many other more pressing needs. Versatility to play in nickel and would have gone higher if not for injury withdrawal from combine.
Round 3, No. 79 overall: Jabari Zuniga (EDGE, Florida)
Grade: C
Disruptive in spurts but explosive physical tools remain raw after late start in high school and injury-plagued college career. Another hit-or-miss.
Submit questions on your favorite New York teams to be answered in an upcoming mailbag
Round 4, No. 120 overall: Lamical Perine (RB, Florida)
Grade: B
Never topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in four seasons, but had 2,485 rushing and 674 receiving in his career. More power than speed.
Round 4, No. 125 overall: James Morgan (QB, Florida International)
Grade: C-
Douglas wants to build a “quarterback factory” like Eagles GM Howie Roseman. But the Jets need playmakers, not a four-year bench-sitter. Passed on safer Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm for Morgan’s big arm.
Round 4, No. 129 overall: Cameron Clark (OG, Charlotte)
Grade: B
Three-year starter at left tackle whose size (308 pounds) dictates learning guard. Bowls over targets in the run game but needs to cut down on penalties.
Round 5, No. 158 overall: Bryce Hall, (CB, Virginia)
Grade: A-
Returning to school hurt Hall, who had a nation-best 24 passes defended as a 2018 All-American and potential first-rounder. Slow recovery from dislocated ankle in October.
Round 6, No. 191 overall: Braden Mann (P, Texas A&M)
Grade: B+
Replacement for free agent Lachlan Edwards averaged 49 yards per punt in his college career, while also handling kickoffs. Only (foolish) argument is against ever drafting a specialist.
Round 7, No. 218 overall: Traded to Colts
Grade: B
Jets received cornerback Quincy Wilson, a second-round bust over three seasons who allowed a 142 passer rating in limited 2019 action. Compared to alternatives, worth a one-year flyer that change unlocks talent.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Dominic Thiem rejects Novak Djokovic’s coronavirus tennis fund plea

BELGRADE — Novak Djokovic faces a dilemma if it becomes ...

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World number three Dominic Thiem has rejected the notion that the top tennis players should chip in to help lower-ranked competitors who are struggling financially due to the pause in tournaments because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
World number one Novak Djokovic last week urged players to contribute to a fund set up by the sport’s major governing bodies to help players affected by a shutdown which began in March and will continue at least until mid-July.
But Austrian Thiem said he felt there were sections of society that needed more urgent help during the economic crisis caused by the pandemic than his fellow competitors.
“No tennis player is fighting to survive, even those who are much lower-ranked. None of them are going to starve,” Thiem told Austrian newspaper Krone on Sunday.
Thiem, 26, who has reached three finals at grand slams since 2018, losing each time, criticized the attitude of some players on the lower-tier Futures circuit, which he said meant they did not deserve handouts from the sport’s top players.
“There are many, many players who don’t put the sport above everything else and don’t live in a professional manner. I don’t really see why I should give such players money. I’d rather give money to people or organizations that really need it,” he added.
“None of us top players got anything handed to us, we all had to fight our way up. I don’t have the guarantee in any job that I will do well and earn lots of money.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Man won’t have to pay $500K wager on rock, paper, scissors: court rules

He won ’ t be forced to hand over paper .
A Canadian man who lost $ 517,000 in a best-of-three game of “ rock , paper , scissors ” doesn ’ t have to pay up , a judge ruled earlier this month .
Edmund Mark Hooper lost the hefty wager in January 2011 and was forced to take out a mortgage on his home to pay off the debt , the CBC reported .
A court invalidated the mortgage in a 2017 decision , finding that the amount wagered during the game was excessive .
Quebec law also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valid if related to activities “ requiring only skill or bodily exertion on the part of the parties , ” and not chance .
The game ’ s winner , Michel Primeau , appealed the decision , which was upheld in an April 17 ruling , leaving Hooper in the clear .
The court concluded that while the game takes a certain amount of skill , “ it seems evident… that the game also involves a large part of chance , so that it does not take ‘ only skill or bodily exertion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It also found that the $ 517,000 bet was excessive .

He won’t be forced to hand over paper.
A Canadian man who lost $517,000 in a best-of-three game of “rock, paper, scissors” doesn’t have to pay up, a judge ruled earlier this month.
Edmund Mark Hooper lost the hefty wager in January 2011 and was forced to take out a mortgage on his home to pay off the debt, the CBC reported.
A court invalidated the mortgage in a 2017 decision, finding that the amount wagered during the game was excessive.
Quebec law also stipulates that a wagering contract is only valid if related to activities “requiring only skill or bodily exertion on the part of the parties,” and not chance.
The game’s winner, Michel Primeau, appealed the decision, which was upheld in an April 17 ruling, leaving Hooper in the clear.
The court concluded that while the game takes a certain amount of skill, “it seems evident… that the game also involves a large part of chance, so that it does not take ‘only skill or bodily exertion on the part of the parties.’ ”
It also found that the $517,000 bet was excessive.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Adam Schlesinger’s girlfriend speaks out about his death from coronavirus

The heartbroken girlfriend of Adam Schlesinger has revealed how she rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night to be with the late composer before he died .
Alexis Morley said she was able to let his parents and two daughters say goodbye on her phone ’ s Facetime before he passed away aged 52 on April 1 after contracting coronavirus .
Breaking her silence , she posted the final photo of the couple together in upstate New York on March 15 – just days before Schlesinger fell ill .
The picture shows the pair walking in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ in Red Hook , NY , taken by their friend David Watts , and Morley recalled how that night Schlesinger , who wrote the Oscar-nominated song “ That Thing You Do !
” for Tom Hanks ’ directorial debut – woke at 4am with a high fever .
She wrote : “ We spent such a sweet week together , our roles kind of reversed because usually Adam was the one to take care of me .
I tried to keep him comfortable , nurse him back to health , as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We were sure it would , just like any other crappy flu .
But 7 days later things got worse instead of better and I drove him to the hospital .
I wasn ’ t allowed to walk in with him .
“ I drove home alone through a snowstorm terrified ( the first time I ’ d driven a car in years ) , but we spent the night texting , making cute jokes , and feeling optimistic .
He kept telling me how much he loved me and thanked me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning he was intubated and I never got to hear his voice again.
” The “ Fountains of Wayne ” band member , who also won Emmys for his work on TV hit “ Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ” , passed away in Poughkeepsie , NY .
Morley added : “ After 10 days of me and his truly incredible family and friend group drawing on every resource possible trying to help , I got a 3am call from the hospital telling me he wasn ’ t going to make it .
“ I asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see him , and they made special arrangements for me to be allowed into the covid unit .
It was a low-lit , grim , heavy place , the medical workers and I all hidden under layers and layers of PPE.
” She said she managed to put him through to his family , and said how : “ Adam looked sweet , peaceful , beautiful .
I ’ m so thankful that I got to spend that one last hour with him — and that I was able to connect Sadie & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone ’ s facetime to say goodbye too .
I like to think he could sense us all there , but he was deeply unconscious.
” Morley continued : “ Shortly after I arrived back at the house , Jordan , a male nurse who ’ d been so wonderfully compassionate in the covid unit , called to tell me that Adam had just passed , peacefully , He was holding his hand as it happened .
It had been a dark , overcast day , but at that moment the sun came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lit up the entire sky .
I love you so , so much , Adam.
” Schlesinger ’ s death was mourned by many in the entertainment industry from Hanks to Rachel Bloom , his frequent collaborator on “ Crazy Ex Girlfriend .
”

The heartbroken girlfriend of Adam Schlesinger has revealed how she rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night to be with the late composer before he died.
Alexis Morley said she was able to let his parents and two daughters say goodbye on her phone’s FaceTime before he passed away aged 52 on April 1 after contracting coronavirus.
Breaking her silence, she posted the final photo of the couple together in upstate New York on March 15 — just days before Schlesinger fell ill.
The picture shows the pair walking in the winter sunshine on Poets’ Walk in Red Hook, NY, taken by their friend David Watts, and Morley recalled how that night Schlesinger, who wrote the Oscar-nominated song “That Thing You Do!” for Tom Hanks’ directorial debut — woke at 4 a.m. with a high fever.
She wrote: “We spent such a sweet week together, our roles kind of reversed because usually Adam was the one to take care of me. I tried to keep him comfortable, nurse him back to health, as we waited for the fever to break.
“We were sure it would, just like any other crappy flu. But 7 days later things got worse instead of better and I drove him to the hospital. I wasn’t allowed to walk in with him.
“I drove home alone through a snowstorm terrified (the first time I’d driven a car in years), but we spent the night texting, making cute jokes, and feeling optimistic. He kept telling me how much he loved me and thanked me for saving his life. The next morning he was intubated and I never got to hear his voice again.”
The “Fountains of Wayne” band member, who also won Emmys for his work on TV hit “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, passed away in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Morley added: “After 10 days of me and his truly incredible family and friend group drawing on every resource possible trying to help, I got a 3 a.m. call from the hospital telling me he wasn’t going to make it.
“I asked if there was any way I could see him, and they made special arrangements for me to be allowed into the COVID unit. It was a low-lit, grim, heavy place, the medical workers and I all hidden under layers and layers of PPE.”
She said she managed to put him through to his family, and said how: “Adam looked sweet, peaceful, beautiful. I’m so thankful that I got to spend that one last hour with him — and that I was able to connect Sadie and Claire and Bobbi and Steve through my phone’s FaceTime to say goodbye too. I like to think he could sense us all there, but he was deeply unconscious.”
Morley continued: “Shortly after I arrived back at the house, Jordan, a male nurse who’d been so wonderfully compassionate in the covid unit, called to tell me that Adam had just passed, peacefully, He was holding his hand as it happened. It had been a dark, overcast day, but at that moment the sun came out for just a few minutes and lit up the entire sky. I love you so, so much, Adam.”
Schlesinger’s death was mourned by many in the entertainment industry from Hanks to Rachel Bloom, his frequent collaborator on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Miguel Andujar’s complicated Yankees fate comes down to this

There are some obvious everyday choices — DJ LeMahieu at ...

Part I in a series analyzing the New York Yankees
Entering spring training of 2019, Miguel Andujar had worked extensively on becoming a better all-around fielding third baseman.
A lot had been made of Andujar’s 15 errors in 136 games (132 starts) in 2018 at third, but the offseason work focused on improving footwork and pre-pitch preparation. The Yankees believed progress in those areas would allow Andujar to get to more ground balls.
The errors?
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado committed 14 errors in 152 games (140 starts) and won the sixth of seven straight NL Gold Gloves in 2018.
And of course there was Andujar’s bat, which before he reached the big leagues had been touted as above average by some and elite by others.
In Andujar’s first full big-league season (2018), the 23-year-old finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year to Angels’ two-way player Shohei Ohtani by hitting .297 with 27 homers, 92 RBIs and an .855 OPS.
“He was a guy who used all the fields and hit with power,’’ a scout said of the 2018 version of Andujar. “Defensively he couldn’t get his feet set and couldn’t get his arm in a consistent slot.’’
Now, after playing in a dozen games at the start of the 2019 season, undergoing surgery to repair a right labrum tear in May and the emergence of Gio Urshela at third, Andujar’s role with the Yankees was going to change this year.
Should there be a season, expect Urshela to be the regular third baseman at the beginning, with Andujar playing third, left field — which he did in spring training — DH and possibly surface at first base, where he played a game in March. Of course all of that moving around will depend on Andujar’s shoulder being fully healed, which appeared to be the case in spring training.
How Urshela plays will impact Andujar’s role. Always known as a strong defender, the 28-year-old Urshela hit .314 with 21 homers, 74 RBIs and posted an .889 OPS in 132 games. In 167 games from 2015-18, Urshela hit .225 with eight homers, 39 RBIs and had a .589 OPS with the Indians and Blue Jays.
The question is: Can Urshela repeat or come close to duplicating those numbers? If he does, the 6-foot, 211-pound Andujar will require a number of different gloves to play positions that are foreign to him and already filled.
With Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Tauchman and possibly Clint Frazier, the Yankees have left field covered, but Stanton could see a lot of DH action. With the right-handed hitting Luke Voit and lefty-swinging Mike Ford at first, there isn’t a need there, and D.J. LeMahieu handled the position well in 40 games (28 starts) last year.
At 25, Andujar is young for full-time DH work. However, if healthy, he would be hard to keep out of the lineup with a bat people believe is elite and can reproduce its 2018 output.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Science says: It’s time to start easing the lockdowns

Tennessee , Mississippi and Montana are set to lift some coronavirus ...

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The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have been enormous, and New York has suffered more than anywhere else in the world. Compared as a separate country, the New York area would rank, by far, as No. 1 for deaths per capita.
The New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area accounts for approximately 60 percent of all US deaths. Theories abound, but the New York area itself is different: New York is the top port of entry for the hundreds of thousands of tourists coming to the US every month from China; Gotham has a uniquely high density of living that swells daily by millions from workers and tourists; and Manhattan sees some 1.6 million commuters daily, mostly on crowded public transit, including 320,000 from Jersey alone.
Yet the pandemic toll is falling, dramatically so in New York, including both hospitalizations and deaths per day. Few doubt that the unprecedented isolation policies had a significant impact on “flattening the curves.”
Now, we face another, even greater problem: how to sensibly re-enter normal life. This must be based on what we now know, not on worst-case projections, using facts and fundamental medical knowledge, not fear or single-vision policies.
First, we know the risk of dying from COVID-19 is far lower than initially thought, and not significant for the overwhelming majority of those infected.
Multiple recent studies from Iceland, Germany, USC, Stanford and New York City all suggest that the fatality rate if infected is likely far lower than early estimates, perhaps under 0.1 to 0.4 percent, i.e., 10 to 40 times lower than estimates that motivated extreme isolation.
In the Big Apple, with almost one-third of all US deaths, the rate of death for all people ages 18 to 45 is 0.01 percent, or 13 per 100,000 in the population, one-eightieth of the rate for people age 75 and over. For people under 18, the rate of death is zero per 100,000. Of Empire State fatalities, almost two-thirds were over 70 years of age. And regardless of age, if you don’t already have an underlying chronic condition, your chances of dying are small. Of 7,959 NYC COVID-19 deaths fully investigated for underlying conditions, 99.2 percent had an underlying illness.
Second, protecting older, at-risk people helps prevent hospital overcrowding. Of New York City’s 38,000 hospitalizations, less than 1 percent have been patients under 18 years of age. Studying 4,103 confirmed COVID-19 patients with symptoms bad enough to seek medical care, Dr. Leora Horwitz of NYU Medical Center concluded: “Age is far and away the strongest risk factor for hospitalization.”
Recent studies show a far more widespread rate of infection and lower rate of serious illness than early World Health Organization reports that noted 80 percent of all cases were mild. The vast majority of younger, otherwise healthy people don’t get hospitalized.
Third, due to fear and the single-minded focus on COVID-19 regardless of cost, other people are dying. Critical medical care isn’t being provided. Millions of Americans have missed critical health care for fear of encountering the disease, and people are dying to make room for “potential” coronavirus patients.
When states and hospitals abruptly stopped “nonessential” procedures and surgery, that didn’t mean unimportant care. Treatments for the most serious illnesses, including emergency care, were missed. Some estimate about half of cancer patients deferred chemotherapy. Approximately 80 percent of brain surgery cases were skipped. Perhaps half or more of acute stroke and heart-attack patients missed their only chances for early treatment, some dying and many now facing permanent disability. Transplants from living donors are down 85 percent from the same period last year.
And that doesn’t include the skipped cancer screenings, avoided childhood vaccinations, missed biopsies of now-undiscovered cancers numbering thousands per week — and countless other serious disorders left undiagnosed.
Lastly, total isolation prevents broad population immunity and prolongs the problem.
We know from decades of medical science that infection causes individuals to generate an immune response (antibodies), and the population later develops immunity. Indeed, that is the main purpose of widespread immunization in other viral diseases: to assist with “herd immunity.”
In the COVID-19 epicenter, Gotham, higher immunity is likely, although undoubtedly muted by the extreme isolation. More than 20 percent of those tested had antibodies. While we don’t know with certainty that antibodies from COVID-19 stop infection, it would be expected, based on decades of virology science, including other coronavirus respiratory bugs, where immunity post-infection is thought to last for a year or more. That’s why scientists are hopeful about using COVID-19 antibodies to treat the sickest patients.
For population immunity, it is great news that half of infected people are asymptomatic and that medical care isn’t even necessary for the vast majority of people. That fact has been incorrectly portrayed as an urgent problem requiring mass isolation.
On the contrary, infected people are the immediately available vehicle for establishing widespread immunity. By transmitting the virus to others in lower-risk groups who then generate antibodies, pathways toward the most vulnerable people are blocked, ultimately eradicating the threat.
The curves have been flattened. Now, we must use established medical science and the evidence we have gathered, and for New York City in particular, limit the enormous harms accumulating from broad isolation and economic lockdown. While New York is unique, strategy should now focus on rigorously protecting the most vulnerable and strictly regulate access to senior-care centers.
Officials must issue rational distancing guidelines to the elderly and their families, including self-isolating the mildly sick. Masks could be required for public transit. We know children and young adults in good health have almost no risk of any serious illness from COVID-19, so logic means opening most schools. With sensible precautions and sanitization standards, most workplaces and businesses should reopen. This would save lives, prevent overcrowding of hospitals, restore vital health care for everyone and allow the socializing essential to generate immunity among those with little risk of serious consequences.
Scott W. Atlas, MD, is the David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a former chief of neuroradiology at Stanford Medical Center.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--ESPN apologizes for Tee Higgins graphic detailing mother’s ‘drug addiction’

Teams keep secret their NFL draft boards , but The Post ...

ESPN got personal in its NFL Draft coverage this year — a little too much for some fans’ liking, resulting in the network apologizing for one case in particular.
When Tee Higgins was drafted 33rd overall Friday night by the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN flashed a “Get to Know” graphic about the star Clemson wide receiver. Underneath his hometown, info about his basketball prowess and a note that his sister plays college basketball was another fact about his mother.
“Mom, Camilla, fought drug addiction for 16 years,” the graphic read.
Many viewers took to social media wondering why ESPN would include such personal information in the graphic, which aired on ABC’s broadcast of the draft, though Higgins himself didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m proud of my mom for turning her life around for me and my sister! I have no problem with them showing the world that my mom is a true fighter,” Higgins tweeted Saturday in response to one of the tweets calling ESPN out.
Still, ESPN issued an apology to the Washington Post, saying the graphic “should not have aired.”
“It was a mistake and we apologize for it,” ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman told the newspaper in a statement Sunday. “We want our draft coverage to personalize players and, where appropriate, acknowledge the obstacles they’ve had to overcome on their journey to the NFL. This graphic lacked proper context.”
Higgins has given some more context to his mom’s story in prior interviews. At his NFL Combine press conference, Higgins spoke about his mother’s struggles, saying she was addicted to drugs and “in and out of prison” while he was growing up.
“Her story is why I’m here,” Higgins said. “She kept me playing football. Now that she’s 12 years clean, she’s unbelievable.
“I want to have her stress-free. I don’t want her to work anymore. I just want to have her living her best life.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Wait, how long are we supposed to stay in lockdown?

What are we waiting for ?
The question can be posed in either a wild , irresponsible way — or a sane , measured way .
In New York , our “ pause ” will continue until at least May 15 , and New Yorkers are asking , in a measured , sane way : What exactly are we waiting for ?
In the beginning , we had a goal : to flatten the curve .
We were warned that COVID-19 would overtake our hospitals and cause a health-system collapse .
We were to stay home to give our medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , and thanks to the strength of our system , it worked .
The Javits Center never filled up ; the USS Comfort is sailing away .
Three weeks ago , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo was vowing to seize ventilators from upstate hospitals and send them to Gotham .
Last week , we were dispatching our ventilators out to other states .
We did our part ; we flattened the curve .
So why is there no move to loosen regulations ?
In February and March , expert and elite opinion seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at some point wear thin .
But not anymore .
Last week , Cuomo used a graphic in his daily presentation that listed the lengths of various wars and previous pandemics .
The 1910 cholera outbreak lasted a year .
World War II lasted six years .
And so on .
The message : We haven ’ t been living through this that long , and our ancestors had it far worse .
But if we are looking at years of lockdown , we need to be informed of it , we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan .
Otherwise , it isn ’ t relevant that the Vietnam War lasted eight years , and the governor has to stop shaming us for looking for a light at the end of this hell-tunnel .
It ’ s also becoming apparent that staying closed is some weird poke in the eye to President Trump .
Hyper-polarization means that if the president wants to awaken the nation from its devastating economic coma , it must mean that he and his cornpone followers are wrong .
Smart people — who tend to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media — must know better , and they have a license to mock and demean .
But it isn ’ t true , as they say , that those of us who want a roadmap to reopening play down the virus or minimize its deadliness .
We lost a lot in New York .
We ’ ve watched our friends , family and neighbors succumb to this horrible disease .
We understand what ’ s at stake .
But there is life beyond COVID-19 , too .
There are pro-life concerns on both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are skipping cancer screenings .
The lines at food pantries are scarily long .
Last week , Cuomo admitted that domestic violence is on the rise .
“ Very bad.
” But , he added , it ’ s “ not death.
” Maybe not yet .
But these costs are very real , and they have to be tallied .
No one sane is pushing to return to “ normal.
” Normal won ’ t be back for a long time , and no one expects it to .
If restaurants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people still wouldn ’ t flock to them .
We are walking around in masks and sanitizing our groceries .
We get it — we ’ re far from normal .
We just want to start on the road back .
We want to know the road exists .
It ’ s less that we need to know when this ends than we need to know how it ends .
Are we waiting for deaths to fall below a certain daily number ?
What is that number ?
Are we waiting for hospitalizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For a vaccine ?
Antibody tests ?
Herd immunity ?
New Yorkers are tough , we can handle the truth .
But this uncertainty can ’ t last , or people will decide to leap into irresponsibility .
We need a plan , and we need it now .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
What are we waiting for? The question can be posed in either a wild, irresponsible way — or a sane, measured way. In New York, our “pause” will continue until at least May 15, and New Yorkers are asking, in a measured, sane way: What exactly are we waiting for?
In the beginning, we had a goal: to flatten the curve. We were warned that COVID-19 would overtake our hospitals and cause a health-system collapse. We were to stay home to give our medical heroes a fighting chance.
So we did, and thanks to the strength of our system, it worked. The Javits Center never filled up; the USS Comfort is sailing away. Three weeks ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was vowing to seize ventilators from upstate hospitals and send them to Gotham. Last week, we were dispatching our ventilators out to other states.
We did our part; we flattened the curve. So why is there no move to loosen regulations?
In February and March, expert and elite opinion seemed to understand that patience with lockdowns would at some point wear thin. But not anymore. Last week, Cuomo used a graphic in his daily presentation that listed the lengths of various wars and previous pandemics. The 1910 cholera outbreak lasted a year. World War II lasted six years. And so on.
The message: We haven’t been living through this that long, and our ancestors had it far worse. But if we are looking at years of lockdown, we need to be informed of it, we need a debate — and we need a plan.
Otherwise, it isn’t relevant that the Vietnam War lasted eight years, and the governor has to stop shaming us for looking for a light at the end of this hell-tunnel.
It’s also becoming apparent that staying closed is some weird poke in the eye to President Trump. Hyper-polarization means that if the president wants to awaken the nation from its devastating economic coma, it must mean that he and his cornpone followers are wrong. Smart people — who tend to have lockdown-immune jobs in academe, government and media — must know better, and they have a license to mock and demean.
But it isn’t true, as they say, that those of us who want a roadmap to reopening play down the virus or minimize its deadliness. We lost a lot in New York. We’ve watched our friends, family and neighbors succumb to this horrible disease. We understand what’s at stake.
But there is life beyond COVID-19, too. There are pro-life concerns on both sides. The pause has meant people are skipping cancer screenings. The lines at food pantries are scarily long. Last week, Cuomo admitted that domestic violence is on the rise. “Very bad.” But, he added, it’s “not death.” Maybe not yet. But these costs are very real, and they have to be tallied.
No one sane is pushing to return to “normal.” Normal won’t be back for a long time, and no one expects it to. If restaurants, bars or movie theaters opened tomorrow, people still wouldn’t flock to them. We are walking around in masks and sanitizing our groceries. We get it — we’re far from normal. We just want to start on the road back. We want to know the road exists.
It’s less that we need to know when this ends than we need to know how it ends. Are we waiting for deaths to fall below a certain daily number? What is that number? Are we waiting for hospitalizations to evaporate? For better treatment? For a vaccine? Antibody tests? Herd immunity? New Yorkers are tough, we can handle the truth.
But this uncertainty can’t last, or people will decide to leap into irresponsibility. We need a plan, and we need it now.
Twitter: @Karol


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--World needs independent review of how coronavirus pandemic started

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Australian Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ : Every member nation of the World Health Organization should have to participate in an @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic .
Understanding what happened , and who bungled what , is @ @ @ @ @ the future .
And every country claiming WHO membership has an obligation to help out @ @ @ @ @ on China , of course : How exactly did the bug pop up in Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ it jump to humans ?
Did that now-notorious lab play a role , or was @ @ @ @ @ market ” ?
Plus , of course , pinning down the real numbers of cases @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus .
Morrison hopes all WHO members would want “ the world @ @ @ @ @ comes to viruses.
” They should , but Beijing ’ s Communist regime will surely @ @ @ @ @ its duty .
Why stop lying now ?

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has it right: Every member nation of the World Health Organization should have to participate in an independent review into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Understanding what happened, and who bungled what, is vital to doing better in the future. And every country claiming WHO membership has an obligation to help out.
The investigation will focus on China, of course: How exactly did the bug pop up in Wuhan? When and where did it jump to humans? Did that now-notorious lab play a role, or was it just the “wet market”?
Plus, of course, pinning down the real numbers of cases and deaths and the true spread of the virus.
Morrison hopes all WHO members would want “the world to be safer when it comes to viruses.” They should, but Beijing’s Communist regime will surely find excuses not to do its duty. Why stop lying now?


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--NYC’s leaders aren’t remotely facing the coronavirus fiscal disaster

Neither Mayor Bill de Blasio nor the City Council understands ...

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As the COVID-19 lockdowns drag on and the local economic picture looks ever grimmer, the fiscal response by city officials — from Mayor Bill de Blasio on down — looks increasingly out to lunch.
Jobless numbers released Thursday hint that the nation is heading into Depression-era territory: With 26 million out of work, the US unemployment rate has now likely passed 20 percent; the 1930s peak was 25 percent. New York has been especially hard hit, with 1.4 million now without jobs.
The local economy is taking a massive hit, meaning huge drops — maybe $10 billion-plus — in Gotham’s tax revenue. How will the city pay its bills, its workers, its debts?
City Hall needs to imagine a whole new way of running government — an approach far different from what de Blasio’s mostly business-as-usual budget envisions.
The mayor’s $89.3 billion spending plan makes ends meet by tapping surplus revenue and reserve cash, making rosy assumptions about federal aid and projecting lower costs. Cuts? They’re a mere $2.7 billion over two years, barely 2 percent of the budget.
De Blasio’s plainly in denial.
Let’s be blunt: New York faces an epic emergency, warranting far more serious tightening — starting perhaps with a wage freeze for city workers, as Nicole Gelinas advised on these pages Thursday.
Roll back the municipal head count, too. And delay noncritical capital projects.
Charging up the economy — quickly and dramatically — would also help by producing more revenue, or at least containing losses.
Alas, the City Council is now looking to hobble businesses by, for instance, forcing them to pay workers bonuses of as much as $75 a day. Gelinas had a far more logical idea: Announce a sales-tax holiday and scrap the commercial-rent tax. Other mandates on businesses should be paused, too.
The city can weather this storm, just as it skated by bankruptcy in the ’70s. But government has to change drastically, as it did back then. The only other option is to go belly up.


newyorkpost--2020-04-26--Bill de Blasio’s latest crazy, no-good nepotistic job for Chirlane McCray

Sigh : Mayor Bill de Blasio just named First Lady Chirlane McCray to head his task force on ensuring New York is more racially just when it reopens .
Are you laughing , or crying ?
The mayor says his wife ’ s record running the ThriveNYC initiative makes her perfect for this new job .
We guess that means the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity will spend a ton of money to no obvious effect , with half its component programs closed down after a year or two because they never made sense in the first place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was supposed to boost New Yorkers ’ mental health but mainly seemed to hire people without ever figuring out what they should do .
And which mainly steered clear of the city ’ s most urgent mental-health problem , the huge portion of the homeless population that faces major psychiatric issues .
With roughly a billion dollars out the door , Thrive is on its third or fourth “ reimagining.
” The next mayor is sure to close it down , if the City Council doesn ’ t do so first .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial-justice unit as a core part of city government ’ s work on restarting the local economy is as misbegotten as Thrive ever was .
Just as Thrive was the wrong approach to mental health , this will focus on peripheral ( or patronage ) issues rather than the clear but hard-to-address reasons why lower-income black and Hispanic New Yorkers have suffered disproportionately from the coronavirus .
De Blasio claims that the crisis is an opportunity to fundamentally remake New York City economically and socially .
In fact , the main challenge is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance that the virus will remain an ongoing threat for years poses a huge challenge to New York ’ s whole way of being : Density is now an enormous vulnerability , rather than a competitive advantage .
If we can ’ t figure out how to make the subways safe , merely getting to work becomes a nightmare .
Even if you buy the mayor ’ s radical talk , his wife is the last person to put in charge : It ’ s impossible to manage your spouse as you would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire her for incompetence for starters .
( As Thrive proved . )
Indeed , the rank nepotism here suggests that de Blasio doesn ’ t even believe his own line : He ’ s just working the same old platitudes to justify putting his wife forward as a leader in hopes it will make her electable come 2021 , as he seeks to install her as the next Brooklyn borough president .
Don ’ t laugh or cry , actually : This idiocy is cause for a primal scream .

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Sigh: Mayor Bill de Blasio just named first lady Chirlane McCray to head his task force on ensuring New York is more racially just when it reopens. Are you laughing, or crying?
The mayor says his wife’s record running the ThriveNYC initiative makes her perfect for this new job. We guess that means the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity will spend a ton of money to no obvious effect, with half its component programs closed down after a year or two because they never made sense in the first place.
That was the story of Thrive, which was supposed to boost New Yorkers’ mental health but mainly seemed to hire people without ever figuring out what they should do. And which mainly steered clear of the city’s most urgent mental health problem, the huge portion of the homeless population that faces major psychiatric issues.
With roughly a billion dollars out the door, Thrive is on its third or fourth “reimagining.” The next mayor is sure to close it down, if the city council doesn’t do so first.
Of course, the idea of a racial justice unit as a core part of city government’s work on restarting the local economy is as misbegotten as Thrive ever was. Just as Thrive was the wrong approach to mental health, this will focus on peripheral (or patronage) issues rather than the clear but hard-to-address reasons why lower-income black and Hispanic New Yorkers have suffered disproportionately from the coronavirus.
De Blasio claims that the crisis is an opportunity to fundamentally remake New York City economically and socially. In fact, the main challenge is to revive it at all. The chance that the virus will remain an ongoing threat for years poses a huge challenge to New York’s whole way of being: Density is now an enormous vulnerability, rather than a competitive advantage. If we can’t figure out how to make the subways safe, merely getting to work becomes a nightmare.
Even if you buy the mayor’s radical talk, his wife is the last person to put in charge: It’s impossible to manage your spouse as you would anyone else — you can’t fire her for incompetence for starters. (As Thrive proved.)
Indeed, the rank nepotism here suggests that de Blasio doesn’t even believe his own line: He’s just working the same old platitudes to justify putting his wife forward as a leader in hopes it will make her electable come 2021, as he seeks to install her as the next Brooklyn borough president.
Don’t laugh or cry, actually: This idiocy is cause for a primal scream.