newyorkpost--2020-03-12--8 shows worth watching on the Quibi streaming service

Quibi — short for `` quick bites '' — has not formally ...

Movies aren’t opening. Broadway just shut down. So there must be time in your life for a new streaming service to watch.
How about Quibi (short for “quick bites”)? For $4.99 per month (with ads) or $7.99 per month (without ads) you can watch dozens of seven-to-ten minute shows designed to be viewed on your phone.
Last year, the Sundance Channel experimented with this format with “State of the Union,” a British series about a married couple who stopped at the same neighborhood pub before their weekly therapy appointment. The show won three Emmy awards, including Best Short Form Comedy or Drama Series so the 10-episode series could be the wave of the future.
Quibi’s first run of programs debut on April 6. Here are some highlights.
Premiering on April 6
1. “Flipped”
From the brain trust at Funny or Die comes this comedy starring Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson as an unemployed couple who aspire to become TV home renovation stars a la Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their dream is derailed when they are kidnapped by members of a drug cartel who force them to renovate their houses. Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria and Arturo Castro play the cartel members.
2. “Survive”
“Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner goes straight from Winterfell to this survival drama about a young woman whose plane crashed on a snowy mountainside. Jane (Turner) is not the only survivor. Paul (Corey Hawkins) is there with her to withstand the elements and fight off their personal demons. Based on the novel by Alex Morel.
3. “NightGowns”
After winning Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sasha Velour was destined to get her own series. Here, she takes you behind the scenes at her drag showcase.
4. “Elba vs. Block”
Idris Elba competes against professional rally driver Ken Block in a series of Stunt driving challenges.
5. “Fierce Queens”
“Little Fires Everywhere” star Reese Witherspoon narrates this nature series about powerful female animals, including hyenas and humpback whales.
6. “Most Dangerous Game”
Desperate to take care of his pregnant wife before a terminal illness can claim his life, Dodge Maynard (Liam Hemsworth) accepts an offer to participate in a deadly game where he soon discovers that he’s not the hunter… but the prey. This action-thriller explores the limits of how far someone would go to fight for their life and their family. With Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”).
7. “Thanks a Million”
Jennifer Lopez leads a charge of Hollywood do-gooders including Kristen Bell, Nick Jonas and Kevin Hart who bestow gifts of $100,000 on an unsuspecting individual who must donate half of it — $50,000 — to someone one, and so forth.
Premiering later:
8. “The Fugitive”
Kiefer Sutherland and Boyd Holbrook of “Narcos” star in this very loose reboot of the classic 1960s series and 1993 Harrison Ford film. Holbrook plays Mike Ferro, a man trying to clear his name as a prime suspect in an LA bombing case while evading the cop (Sutherland) looking for him.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--‘The View’s’ Joy Behar takes time off due to coronavirus

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Joy Behar is taking time off as a co-host of “ The View ” as a safety precaution against coronavirus , Variety has learned .
Behar , 77 , announced her decision Thursday during a pre-taped episode of “ The View ” that will air Friday .
Neither she nor any of the staff members that work on the ABC daytime talk show have tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has decided that she ’ s staying home for now — at the urging of her daughter — to keep herself safe from the threat of getting sick .
“ I ’ m in a higher risk group because of my age , but I ’ m perfectly healthy , ” Behar says on the show .
“ I don ’ t look my age , but I ’ m actually up there .
The number makes me dizzy.
” Behar will not be on “ The View ” next week , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return after that .
The remaining co-hosts of “ The View ” – which includes Whoopi Goldberg , Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin – will continue to appear on the talk show .
This week , “ The View ” followed many other daytime and late-night programs that stopped allowing a live studio audience at tapings .
Experts recommend working from home and social distancing as methods to prevent the spread of the coronavirus , which has proven to be more life-threatening in cases involving older patients and those whose immune systems are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic that has swept through the world , with more than 1,500 cases reported in the United States so far .
In Hollywood , the threat of the virus has cancelled productions and quickly changing normal life .
Broadway announced that it will be shutting all productions through April 12 , which could cost more than $ 100 million in lost ticket sales .
And big studio movies , such as “ Fast & Furious 9 ” and “ The Quiet Place 2 , ” have pushed back their release dates in anticipation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movies .
On Thursday afternoon , Disney decided that it would be closing down its California resort Disneyland to guard against the outbreak .

Joy Behar is taking time off as a co-host of “The View” as a safety precaution against coronavirus, Variety has learned.
Behar, 77, announced her decision Thursday during a pre-taped episode of “The View” that will air Friday. Neither she nor any of the staff members that work on the ABC daytime talk show have tested positive for the coronavirus. But Behar has decided that she’s staying home for now — at the urging of her daughter — to keep herself safe from the threat of getting sick.
“I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” Behar says on the show. “I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there. The number makes me dizzy.”
Behar will not be on “The View” next week, and then she’ll decide when to return after that.
The remaining co-hosts of “The View” – which includes Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin – will continue to appear on the talk show. This week, “The View” followed many other daytime and late-night programs that stopped allowing a live studio audience at tapings.
Experts recommend working from home and social distancing as methods to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has proven to be more life-threatening in cases involving older patients and those whose immune systems are compromised.
The coronavirus is a global pandemic that has swept through the world, with more than 1,500 cases reported in the United States so far. In Hollywood, the threat of the virus has cancelled productions and quickly changing normal life.
Broadway announced that it will be shutting all productions through April 12, which could cost more than $100 million in lost ticket sales.
And big studio movies, such as “Fast & Furious 9” and “The Quiet Place 2,” have pushed back their release dates in anticipation of audiences not feeling safe going to the movies.
On Thursday afternoon, Disney decided that it would be closing down its California resort Disneyland to guard against the outbreak.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Manhattan federal courts suspend new trials due to coronavirus

The federal court district that covers Manhattan , the Bronx , Westchester County and several other New York counties will suspend jury trials that are scheduled to begin next week in an effort to stanch the spread of coronavirus , court officials said Thursday .
The suspension comes as the Southern District of New York attempts to limit the number of people entering federal courthouses in Lower Manhattan and in Westchester County amid the outbreak , District Executive Edward Friedland said .
The court suspended non-case-related activity Wednesday .
The district is also halting ceremonies for immigrants being sworn in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Two naturalization ceremonies scheduled for Friday will still take place , but will be limited to only the candidates who are becoming US citizens .
Family and friends , who normally pack a courtroom for the celebratory process , will not be allowed to attend .
On Thursday , court officials learned a contractor at the bankruptcy court who visited the building on March 4 tested positive for coronavirus .
That courthouse in lower Manhattan has remained open , but was being scrubbed clean after officials learned about the contractor ’ @ @ @

The federal court district that covers Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester County and several other New York counties will suspend jury trials that are scheduled to begin next week in an effort to stanch the spread of coronavirus, court officials said Thursday.
The suspension comes as the Southern District of New York attempts to limit the number of people entering federal courthouses in Lower Manhattan and in Westchester County amid the outbreak, District Executive Edward Friedland said. The court suspended non-case-related activity Wednesday.
The district is also halting ceremonies for immigrants being sworn in as US citizens after Friday, Friedland added.
Two naturalization ceremonies scheduled for Friday will still take place, but will be limited to only the candidates who are becoming US citizens. Family and friends, who normally pack a courtroom for the celebratory process, will not be allowed to attend.
On Thursday, court officials learned a contractor at the bankruptcy court who visited the building on March 4 tested positive for coronavirus.
That courthouse in lower Manhattan has remained open, but was being scrubbed clean after officials learned about the contractor’s diagnosis.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Street preacher busted for 1980 cold-case murder of Brooklyn teen girl

Police on Thursday collared the prime suspect in the cold-case murder of 19-year-old Lorraine Snell , who was found strangled to death in the back of a station wagon in Brooklyn in 1980 .
James Burrus , 63 , of Staten Island , was hauled in handcuffs before a judge in Brooklyn Supreme Court — and in the presence of several of Snell ’ s family members — where he pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge in connection with Snell ’ s death .
He is being held without bail .
If Burrus — who was married to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the charge , he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison .
Authorities were able to link Burrus to Snell ’ s death via DNA evidence found underneath one of the victim ’ s fingernails , according to the Brooklyn District Attorney ’ s Office , The last time anyone saw her alive was Sept. 25 , 1980 , according to the DA .
She went to a party for her boyfriend at an East Flatbush catering hall and was seen leaving the venue with Burrus around 11 am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snell ’ s body was found in a station wagon parked in a C-Town supermarket at 1895 Nostrand Ave. Burrus had previously worked at the store and the car belonged to his old boss .
He eventually admitted to robbing a cab stand on the night of Snell ’ s murder and served prison time , according to PIX11 , which interviewed Burrus about the case in 2014 .
After his release , Burrus reinvented himself as a street preacher .
He held services in a Staten Island garage where he also lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Pearl Snell-Holder , 81 , Snell ’ s mother , told reporters after Burrus ’ arraignment that she always had a feeling that the born-again convict was behind her daughter ’ s murder .
“ From the day she went missing , I knew it was him , ” Snell-Holder said .
“ I never trusted him.
” “ It ’ s justice for her , but it ’ s not closure for me , ” she added .
Burrus is due back in court on March 25 .

Police on Thursday collared the prime suspect in the cold-case murder of 19-year-old Lorraine Snell, who was found strangled to death in the back of a station wagon in Brooklyn in 1980.
James Burrus, 63, of Staten Island, was hauled in handcuffs before a judge in Brooklyn Supreme Court — and in the presence of several of Snell’s family members — where he pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge in connection with Snell’s death. He is being held without bail.
If Burrus — who was married to Snell’s cousin — is convicted on the charge, he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Authorities were able to link Burrus to Snell’s death via DNA evidence found underneath one of the victim’s fingernails, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The last time anyone saw her alive was Sept. 25, 1980, according to the DA. She went to a party for her boyfriend at an East Flatbush catering hall and was seen leaving the venue with Burrus around 11 p.m. that night.
The next day, Snell’s body was found in a station wagon parked in a C-Town supermarket at 1895 Nostrand Ave.
Burrus had previously worked at the store and the car belonged to his old boss. He eventually admitted to robbing a cab stand on the night of Snell’s murder and served prison time, according to PIX11, which interviewed Burrus about the case in 2014.
After his release, Burrus reinvented himself as a street preacher. He held services in a Staten Island garage where he also lives — and where cops arrested him on Thursday.
Pearl Snell-Holder, 81, Snell’s mother, told reporters after Burrus’ arraignment that she always had a feeling that the born-again convict was behind her daughter’s murder.
“From the day she went missing, I knew it was him,” Snell-Holder said. “I never trusted him.”
“It’s justice for her, but it’s not closure for me,” she added.
Burrus is due back in court on March 25.
Burrus’ attorney, Debbie Silberman of Brooklyn Defender Services, declined to comment.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--State judge strikes down New York campaign finance, election law overhaul

A state judge ruled Thursday that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature broke the law last year when they punted an overhaul of the state ’ s election laws and campaign finance regulations to an unelected panel .
Niagara County Supreme Court Justice Ralph Boniello declared in an 11-page ruling that the law — which was tucked in last year ’ s state budget — amounted to “ an improper and unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority.
” The appointed Public Finance and Elections Commission recommended stricter contribution limits for statewide and legislative campaigns , while instituting a new matching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted requirements making it more difficult for minor parties to maintain ballot status — from 50,000 votes to 130,000 .
The recommendations from the commission — whose members included Cuomo ally and state Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs — became law when the Legislature took no action in December , but kick in with the 2026 campaign .
“ This ruling is a victory for the voters of New York State .
We need more choices , not fewer , to build a strong democracy , ” said Working Families state party chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case .
“ As we have consistently said and the courts confirmed today , an unelected commission has no right to interfere with New Yorkers ’ constitutional right to fusion voting .
”

A state judge ruled Thursday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature broke the law last year when they punted an overhaul of the state’s election laws and campaign finance regulations to an unelected panel.
Niagara County Supreme Court Justice Ralph Boniello declared in an 11-page ruling that the law — which was tucked in last year’s state budget — amounted to “an improper and unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority.”
The appointed Public Finance and Elections Commission recommended stricter contribution limits for statewide and legislative campaigns, while instituting a new matching funds program for candidates.
It also lifted requirements making it more difficult for minor parties to maintain ballot status — from 50,000 votes to 130,000.
The recommendations from the commission — whose members included Cuomo ally and state Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs — became law when the Legislature took no action in December, but kick in with the 2026 campaign.
“This ruling is a victory for the voters of New York State. We need more choices, not fewer, to build a strong democracy,” said Working Families state party chief Sochie Nnaemeka, a plaintiff in the case. “As we have consistently said and the courts confirmed today, an unelected commission has no right to interfere with New Yorkers’ constitutional right to fusion voting.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Trump’s now a ‘wartime’ president and other commentary

From the right : Trump ’ s Now a ‘ Wartime ’ Prez President Trump had none of his usual “ bombast ” in his “ somber , measured speech ” Wednesday about the coronavirus outbreak , in which he suspended travel from Europe and took other “ significant ” steps , observes RealClearPolitics ’ Philip Wegmann .
That marks a real pivot to “ a ‘ wartime ’ footing , ” with Trump himself “ a wartime president.
” Just a couple of weeks ago , he tweeted that the virus was “ very much under control in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced mostly “ man-made challenges , ” with political “ opposition that could be belittled and battled against.
” He can ’ t do the same with a virus : “ Pathogens are unlike partisans ” — and his “ response will define his presidency.
” Travel bans can “ retard the advance of pandemics , ” notes James Carafano at FoxNews.com , so Trump ’ s decision to ban most European travelers for 30 days is a “ prudent ” move .
“ Simply put , it is hard to empty the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While “ we ’ re voluntarily disrupting our day-to-day lives to contain the disease ” and “ drain the tub , ” it makes “ no sense to risk importing more contagion from abroad.
” America ’ s restrictions against travel from China “ significantly delayed the arrival of the disease here , ” letting us weather “ the bulk of the flu season without a serious outbreak.
” European nations , by contrast , “ imposed no travel bans ” against China travelers and “ wound up importing a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with its significant migrant Chinese population , has been hit particularly hard.
” President Trump , who will probably face Joe Biden in November , “ starts behind ” in the race , with low poll numbers and a high disapproval rating .
He can change that — but only , Henry Olsen argues at The Washington Post , if he “ tackles Biden ’ s biggest weakness : himself.
” While “ Trump is not one to pull punches against his adversaries , ” his attacks on Hunter Biden over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump should hold “ as many public events as possible , ” emphasizing that Biden isn ’ t “ up to the demands of a campaign , ” let alone the presidency .
If he does that , he will be “ focusing on the campaign ’ s core question : Who is fit to do the job ?
” Democrats think they have dodged a bullet by picking Biden over Bernie Sanders , but Trump can make them “ rue that decision.
” Foes of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ autocratic tendencies ” yet boasts record popularity — shouldn ’ t assume he will “ quietly leave office ” when his term ends in two years , even though his country bans re-elections , warns Sheila Coronel at Foreign Affairs .
Instead , Duterte is “ making every effort to consolidate his base ” and “ handpick a successor so he can continue to exert influence and exercise power ” when he is out .
He has moved , for example , to “ muzzle ” critics , including the Catholic Church , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monopoly ” on power .
Though “ fickle ” Filipinos may turn on him when he is gone , for now , he has tapped into the public ’ s eagerness to “ trade rights and freedoms ” for a sense of “ safety and stability.
” That ’ s “ a reality with which his critics will have to reckon.
” At The Washington Examiner , Utah small-business owner Daryl Austin reports that his “ young family of six isn ’ t dreading ” coronavirus at all .
Rather , they all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with.
” They are tired of reading overblown headlines that read like “ jump-scare scenes in a horror film.
” The New York Times reports that the death rate from coronavirus is just 0.4 percent , except for in China ’ s Hubei province , where the disease originated .
NPR notes that “ more than 80 percent of coronavirus infections are pretty mild ” and “ no more severe than the common cold.
” Austin is most “ flabbergasted by the way so many overreact to a virus that kills so few.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit his family , he hopes “ it happens sooner rather than later , ” so they can get it over with .

From the right: Trump’s Now a ‘Wartime’ Prez
President Trump had none of his usual “bombast” in his “somber, measured speech” Wednesday about the coronavirus outbreak, in which he suspended travel from Europe and took other “significant” steps, observes RealClearPolitics’ Philip Wegmann. That marks a real pivot to “a ‘wartime’ footing,” with Trump himself “a wartime president.” Just a couple of weeks ago, he tweeted that the virus was “very much under control in the USA.” Until now, he has faced mostly “man-made challenges,” with political “opposition that could be belittled and battled against.” He can’t do the same with a virus: “Pathogens are unlike partisans” — and his “response will define his presidency.”
Health beat: Travel Ban ‘Makes Sense’
Travel bans can “retard the advance of pandemics,” notes James Carafano at FoxNews.com, so Trump’s decision to ban most European travelers for 30 days is a “prudent” move. “Simply put, it is hard to empty the bathtub while the water’s running.” While “we’re voluntarily disrupting our day-to-day lives to contain the disease” and “drain the tub,” it makes “no sense to risk importing more contagion from abroad.” America’s restrictions against travel from China “significantly delayed the arrival of the disease here,” letting us weather “the bulk of the flu season without a serious outbreak.” European nations, by contrast, “imposed no travel bans” against China travelers and “wound up importing a lot of sick people.” Now, “Italy, with its significant migrant Chinese population, has been hit particularly hard.”
2020 Watch: How Don Can Beat Joe
President Trump, who will probably face Joe Biden in November, “starts behind” in the race, with low poll numbers and a high disapproval rating. He can change that — but only, Henry Olsen argues at The Washington Post, if he “tackles Biden’s biggest weakness: himself.” While “Trump is not one to pull punches against his adversaries,” his attacks on Hunter Biden over the Burisma scandal may “backfire.” Instead, Trump should hold “as many public events as possible,” emphasizing that Biden isn’t “up to the demands of a campaign,” let alone the presidency. If he does that, he will be “focusing on the campaign’s core question: Who is fit to do the job?” Democrats think they have dodged a bullet by picking Biden over Bernie Sanders, but Trump can make them “rue that decision.”
Foreign desk: Filipino’s Extended Presidency
Foes of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte — who has faced “blistering criticism of his autocratic tendencies” yet boasts record popularity — shouldn’t assume he will “quietly leave office” when his term ends in two years, even though his country bans re-elections, warns Sheila Coronel at Foreign Affairs. Instead, Duterte is “making every effort to consolidate his base” and “handpick a successor so he can continue to exert influence and exercise power” when he is out. He has moved, for example, to “muzzle” critics, including the Catholic Church, and to give himself “a near monopoly” on power. Though “fickle” Filipinos may turn on him when he is gone, for now, he has tapped into the public’s eagerness to “trade rights and freedoms” for a sense of “safety and stability.” That’s “a reality with which his critics will have to reckon.”
Iconoclast: Coronavirus? Bring It On!
At The Washington Examiner, Utah small-business owner Daryl Austin reports that his “young family of six isn’t dreading” coronavirus at all. Rather, they all “just want to get it over with.” They are tired of reading overblown headlines that read like “jump-scare scenes in a horror film.” The New York Times reports that the death rate from coronavirus is just 0.4 percent, except for in China’s Hubei province, where the disease originated. NPR notes that “more than 80 percent of coronavirus infections are pretty mild” and “no more severe than the common cold.” Austin is most “flabbergasted by the way so many overreact to a virus that kills so few.” But if coronavirus is going to hit his family, he hopes “it happens sooner rather than later,” so they can get it over with.
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--The show will go on: How Broadway will survive coronavirus

Broadway will shut down four to six weeks beginning tonight , ...

With the coronavirus outbreak, Broadway is facing its worst crisis since 9/11. But it got a lifeline, albeit a thin one, from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who yesterday prohibited gatherings of more than 500 people. That ruling allows Broadway producers, whose shows have been shut down through April 12, to collect insurance money. The payments won’t cover everything — and many shows may close or not even open — but as one producer said, “It’s something.”
As the week began, Broadway seemed determined to stick to the old adage, “The show must go on.” But as the virus — and the panic — spread, producers were shocked to see so many theatergoers clamoring for refunds or new dates. (Telecharge will automatically refund purchased tickets for performances between March 12 and April 12.)
After President Trump announced that he was prohibiting flights from Europe to America, the bottom fell out. Tourists buy nearly 65 percent of the tickets sold on Broadway, especially in the spring and summer.
Until the coronavirus abates, very few people will be traveling anywhere. Actors Equity, which represents Broadway performers, advocated for a shutdown. An actor in “Moulin Rouge!” stayed home with a fever, and everybody backstage was fearful of his condition. It’s not been determined if he has the virus.
Broadway producers met Thursday at noon to decide what to do, and everybody was “calm,” a source said. The producers realized Broadway had to close, but believe the industry can bounce back once the fear has abated.
Whether some of its new shows will survive remains to be seen. A few shows in previews don’t have enough cash reserves to see them through this storm. Tracy Letts’ new play “The Minutes,” which was to open on Sunday, was rumored to be in trouble. But a spokesman insists: “‘The Minutes’ will reopen on April 13.”
Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen,” which won great reviews when it played off-Broadway, was also in previews and could find itself in trouble. But its producer Robert Fox says: “We will be looking at the situation, and if there is potential to reopen, we will reopen along with the other plays that are in the same situation.”
There were rumors that Broadway’s longest running show — “The Phantom of the Opera” — may have to close down for good. After 32 years, it’s dependent on the tourist trade, which will be thin for the next few months. But Andrew Lloyd Webber tells me that he has no intention of closing it. There are “huge plans to remarket and refresh it,” says Lloyd Webber, who plans to keep it open another 30 years.
Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker were due to begin previews Friday in “Plaza Suite.” They both got sick with flu in Boston during the out-of-town tryout, and were understandably worried about opening during the coronavirus outbreak. (Broderick’s sister was just diagnosed with the virus.) But they’re both troopers and have let it be known that when Broadway is up and running again, they’ll be ready to perform.
At the end of the day, that spirit is what will save Broadway. Not only has the Great White Way weathered 9/11, but it also survived the Great Depression, the financial crises of the 1970s and 2008 and another virus more deadly than coronavirus: AIDS.
That one wiped out untold numbers of theater people.
Broadway will come back, one press agent says, because “we’re good at staging comebacks.”
And when it does, I see Patti LuPone, the star of the upcoming revival of “Company,” Broderick, Parker, Hugh Jackman and the casts of “Moulin Rouge!,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Wicked,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hamilton” leading the charge.
If only Elaine Stritch could be there to lead everybody in “I’m Still Here,” Broadway’s true anthem, now and forever.
“Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning” airs weekdays on WOR Radio 710.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Hope Hicks dating Goldman Sachs’ (and Trump advisor) Jim Donovan

Hope Hicks is dating Goldman Sachs managing director and University of Virginia School of Law adjunct professor Jim Donovan , who is also a key advisor to President Donald Trump , Page Six can exclusively reveal .
The former White House communications director has been spotted on dates with Donovan in both Washington D.C. — after moving back last week — and near her former home in Los Angeles before she left .
Hicks is preparing to return to the White House this month as a counselor to the president .
A source told us of Hicks ’ romance with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other for a few months .
Jim is a very smart guy , and things have been going well .
She really likes him.
” Hicks , 31 , has reportedly been single since splitting from former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter after they both left the White House in early 2018 .
Power player Donovan , who is in his 50s , is responsible for advising many of the largest corporate and individual clients of Goldman Sachs , according to the investment bank .
And he has close connections with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump nominated Donovan to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury , though he withdrew himself from consideration .
Shortly afterward , he was appointed to serve as a member of the president ’ s Intelligence Advisory Board .
Donovan ’ s bio states he joined Goldman in 1993 , was named a partner in 2000 and served on the board of the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund from 2002 to 2006 .
He has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from MIT , an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School , plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is also a prolific fundraiser for Mission Possible : The Dana Farber Campaign to Conquer Cancer and an avid runner .
He is a contributor to Fortune and the Harvard Alumni Magazine , as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law , where he teaches classes on corporate strategy and leadership .
We have absolutely no idea how he has time to date , but apparently , he does .
He and Hicks did not immediately return requests for comment .

Hope Hicks is dating Goldman Sachs managing director and University of Virginia School of Law adjunct professor Jim Donovan, who is also a key advisor to President Donald Trump, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
The former White House communications director has been spotted on dates with Donovan in both Washington D.C. — after moving back last week — and near her former home in Los Angeles before she left. Hicks is preparing to return to the White House this month as a counselor to the president.
A source told us of Hicks’ romance with Donovan, “They have been seeing each other for a few months. Jim is a very smart guy, and things have been going well. She really likes him.” Hicks, 31, has reportedly been single since splitting from former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter after they both left the White House in early 2018.
Power player Donovan, 53, is responsible for advising many of the largest corporate and individual clients of Goldman Sachs, according to the investment bank. And he has close connections with the administration: In 2017, President Trump nominated Donovan to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, though he withdrew himself from consideration. Shortly afterward, he was appointed to serve as a member of the president’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Donovan’s bio states he joined Goldman in 1993, was named a partner in 2000 and served on the board of the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund from 2002 to 2006. He has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from MIT, an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School, plus a degree from Harvard Law School. He is also a prolific fundraiser for Mission Possible: The Dana Farber Campaign to Conquer Cancer and an avid runner. He is a contributor to Fortune and the Harvard Alumni Magazine, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he teaches classes on corporate strategy and leadership.
We have absolutely no idea how he has time to date, but apparently, he does.
He and Hicks did not immediately return requests for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Today’s coronavirus update: Reactions to travel ban, Broadway goes dark

The coronavirus has set Hollywood back on its heels .
On ...

President Trump’s prime-time announcement of a sweeping ban on travel from Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday continued to reverberate Thursday.
The European Union blasted Trump for acting “unilaterally” to impose the 30-day suspension of travel from Europe, beginning on Friday at midnight.
Vice President Mike Pence, who’s heading up the White House coronavirus task force, said Americans returning home from Europe will undergo screening at 13 airports and will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Get the latest developments on the coronavirus straight to your inbox by signing up for our special edition newsletter, delivered Monday through Friday.
Here’s what else we learned today:
Broadway goes dark:
Time out for sports:
The NCAA tournament for men’s and women’s basketball has been canceled.
The MLB has scrapped the rest of spring training and is delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks.
The NHL suspended its season.
Stocks take a tumble:
The Dow Jones industrial average fell by almost 10 percent — its biggest decline since the stock market crash of 1987.
World leaders get woozy:
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is isolating himself after his wife started exhibiting symptoms. It was later announced that she tested positive.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is being tested for the coronavirus, while his communications secretary — who came in contact with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend — has tested positive.
Travel gets grounded:
The drop in business for US airline industry amid the coronavirus outbreak “is probably worse” than after 9/11, JetBlue’s CEO said.
Princess Cruises will suspend all trips worldwide due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile…


newyorkpost--2020-03-12--Coronavirus forces Hollywood to push back major movies

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
The coronavirus has set Hollywood back on its heels .
On Thursday , Universal Pictures pushed back the release of “ Fast & Furious 9 ” — the latest installment of its blockbuster car-chase franchise starring Vin Diesel — by nearly a year , to April 2 , 2021 , from its original release date of May 22 .
Separately , the March 18 worldwide release of Paramount Pictures ’ “ A Quiet Place Part II , ” the thriller starring John Krasinski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with no new release date given as of Thursday .
Earlier this week , Sony had pushed the global debut of “ Peter Rabbit 2 ” to August from March 27 .
And the latest James Bond flick , “ No Time to Die , ” grabbed headlines when MGM , Universal and Eon postponed the film ’ s release earlier this month to November from April .
The global box office , which soared to $ 42.5 billion in 2019 , could take a $ 5 billion blow this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading fast across the US , some say the hit could be worse .
“ All bets are off , ” said Rich Greenfield , an analyst at LightShed Partners who , before the coronavirus hit , had expected the US box office to be down 10 percent from last year ’ s $ 11.32 billion domestic haul .
“ This will certainly be the worst box office in history .
The question will be how bad , ” Greenfield said , adding that movie theaters will likely shut down in the coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back the March 27 theatrical debut of “ Mulan , ” the Mouse House ’ s live-action remake of the 1998 animated hit .
Ditto for Marvel ’ s April 24 premiere of “ Black Widow.
” Cineworld , the owner of Regal Cinemas , warned Thursday that while the impact of the coronavirus has so far been “ minimal , ” any “ material uncertainty ” may “ cast significant doubt ” about its ability to stay in business .
The firm explained that it could breach its debt covenants , as @ @ @

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus has set Hollywood back on its heels.
On Thursday, Universal Pictures pushed back the release of “Fast & Furious 9” — the latest installment of its blockbuster car-chase franchise starring Vin Diesel — by nearly a year, to April 2, 2021, from its original release date of May 22.
Separately, the March 18 worldwide release of Paramount Pictures’ “A Quiet Place Part II,” the thriller starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, was canceled outright, with no new release date given as of Thursday.
Earlier this week, Sony had pushed the global debut of “Peter Rabbit 2” to August from March 27. And the latest James Bond flick, “No Time to Die,” grabbed headlines when MGM, Universal and Eon postponed the film’s release earlier this month to November from April.
The global box office, which soared to $42.5 billion in 2019, could take a $5 billion blow this year, according to experts. But with coronavirus spreading fast across the US, some say the hit could be worse.
“All bets are off,” said Rich Greenfield, an analyst at LightShed Partners who, before the coronavirus hit, had expected the US box office to be down 10 percent from last year’s $11.32 billion domestic haul.
“This will certainly be the worst box office in history. The question will be how bad,” Greenfield said, adding that movie theaters will likely shut down in the coming weeks.
Disney has yet to push back the March 27 theatrical debut of “Mulan,” the Mouse House’s live-action remake of the 1998 animated hit. Ditto for Marvel’s April 24 premiere of “Black Widow.”
Cineworld, the owner of Regal Cinemas, warned Thursday that while the impact of the coronavirus has so far been “minimal,” any “material uncertainty” may “cast significant doubt” about its ability to stay in business. The firm explained that it could breach its debt covenants, as a result.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Online lecture goes down the toilet with student’s bathroom request

There ’ s no such thing as a stupid question — but this one comes pretty close .
Watch the @ @ @ @ @ a student at UAE Ministry of Education in Dubai , uses the class-wide message board @ @ @ @ @ a bathroom break .
The awkward fail caused the instructor to burst out in laughter @ @ @ @ @ Yousif ’ s courses have turned remote as the coronavirus crisis continues around the world @

There’s no such thing as a stupid question — but this one comes pretty close. Watch the funny moment Elsiddig Yousif, a student at UAE Ministry of Education in Dubai, uses the class-wide message board to ask his professor for a bathroom break. The awkward fail caused the instructor to burst out in laughter. Like many students, Yousif’s courses have turned remote as the coronavirus crisis continues around the world.
Subscribe to our YouTube!


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Seven pressing MLB questions — with some answers

On Thursday , Major League Baseball announced the suspension of exhibition games as well as the delay of its regular season by at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic .
This unprecedented event has produced many questions .
The Post ’ s Ken Davidoff has some answers , albeit with many open ends due to the situation ’ s fluidity .
Q : How long can we expect MLB to be shut down ?
A : Bet the over on the “ at least two weeks ” announcement .
That represents the absolute best-case scenario , and given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best-case scenario appears extremely unlikely to turn into reality .
Q : So we ’ re looking at a shortened season ?
Or will the schedule extend on the back end ?
A : We ’ re looking at a shortened season .
It ’ s not like the schedule can run through Thanksgiving .
Even if you throw in some doubleheaders or add a week to take the regular season through Oct. 4 , you ’ re not getting to 162 games .
We ’ re going to have our first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 144 games thanks to the work stoppage that also truncated the 1994 season and canceled that World Series .
Q : What will occur during this suspension ?
Will players stay in shape so that they ’ ll be ready to go when the coronavirus curve flattens ?
A : That ’ s the goal , yes .
Clubs ’ spring-training facilities will remain open to players , and teams would be thrilled if all players stayed put and worked with their managers and coaches .
However , if players want to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families , their employers will grant them such leeway with the trust that they ’ ll maintain their preparation for the season .
Q : Following up on that , will there be more spring-training games when action resumes before a delayed Opening Day ?
A : While the game ’ s powers haven ’ t traveled far enough down that road to confirm that , it appears to be a sensible assumption .
Just a handful to sharpen the players ’ readiness , you ’ d think .
Q : What if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game that has been canceled ?
A : You shall receive a refund .
However , don ’ t expect to receive your money back before the official plan goes into action .
As of now , the games are merely “ delayed , ” not canceled .
Q : Will players , as well as team and league employees , still get paid during the hiatus ?
A : That ’ s the plan for now , yes ; this is no time for a battle between the commissioner ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the delay goes well into the summer and teams ’ revenues get slaughtered ?
There might have to be a conversation .
Q : Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban drew praise on Wednesday night by suggesting his franchise will take care financially of the hourly workers at the team ’ s home arena , American Airlines Center , who lose out on wages due to this development .
Will employees at major league ( and minor league ) ballparks receive the same assistance ?
A : Another case of “ This hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rapidity of the events that got us here.
” However , following Cuban ’ s lead represents good public relations at relatively minimal cost for baseball teams .
Count on it happening … and count on negative PR for any team that doesn ’ t go along with the Cuban initiative .

On Thursday, Major League Baseball announced the suspension of exhibition games as well as the delay of its regular season by at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. This unprecedented event has produced many questions. The Post’s Ken Davidoff has some answers, albeit with many open ends due to the situation’s fluidity.
Q: How long can we expect MLB to be shut down?
A: Bet the over on the “at least two weeks” announcement. That represents the absolute best-case scenario, and given the forecasts by the medical experts, the best-case scenario appears extremely unlikely to turn into reality.
Q: So we’re looking at a shortened season? Or will the schedule extend on the back end?
A: We’re looking at a shortened season. It’s not like the schedule can run through Thanksgiving. Even if you throw in some doubleheaders or add a week to take the regular season through Oct. 4, you’re not getting to 162 games. We’re going to have our first reduced schedule since 1995, which ran 144 games thanks to the work stoppage that also truncated the 1994 season and canceled that World Series.
Q: What will occur during this suspension? Will players stay in shape so that they’ll be ready to go when the coronavirus curve flattens?
A: That’s the goal, yes. Clubs’ spring-training facilities will remain open to players, and teams would be thrilled if all players stayed put and worked with their managers and coaches. However, if players want to return to their homes and be with their families, their employers will grant them such leeway with the trust that they’ll maintain their preparation for the season.
Q: Following up on that, will there be more spring-training games when action resumes before a delayed Opening Day?
A: While the game’s powers haven’t traveled far enough down that road to confirm that, it appears to be a sensible assumption. Just a handful to sharpen the players’ readiness, you’d think.
Q: What if you have purchased a ticket to a game that has been canceled?
A: You shall receive a refund. However, don’t expect to receive your money back before the official plan goes into action. As of now, the games are merely “delayed,” not canceled.
Q: Will players, as well as team and league employees, still get paid during the hiatus?
A: That’s the plan for now, yes; this is no time for a battle between the commissioner’s office and the Players Association. Now, if the delay goes well into the summer and teams’ revenues get slaughtered? There might have to be a conversation.
Q: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban drew praise on Wednesday night by suggesting his franchise will take care financially of the hourly workers at the team’s home arena, American Airlines Center, who lose out on wages due to this development. Will employees at major league (and minor league) ballparks receive the same assistance?
A: Another case of “This hasn’t been locked down yet due to the rapidity of the events that got us here.” However, following Cuban’s lead represents good public relations at relatively minimal cost for baseball teams. Count on it happening … and count on negative PR for any team that doesn’t go along with the Cuban initiative.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--US sports wrecked by coronavirus: Here’s the timeline

The game between the Thunder and the Jazz in Oklahoma ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
In a wild span of 48 hours of precautions and reactions to the spread of coronavirus, the sports landscape went from conducting business as usual to preparing for fan-less venues to near-total shutdown.
The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy takes a look at everything that happened, including the indefinite suspension or delayed start of three major professional leagues and the abrupt end of the college basketball season, without March Madness:
Tuesday
11:21 a.m. The Ivy League becomes first conference to cancel men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, declaring regular-season champions as NCAA Tournament automatic-berth recipients.
Wednesday
12:42 p.m. College Basketball Invitational canceled.
1:16 p.m. MLB reportedly considering alternate sites for games.
2:10 p.m. Warriors announce Thursday game against the Nets will be played without fans in compliance with San Francisco government orders.
2:44 p.m. Ohio governor announces Tuesday’s NCAA Tournament First Four in Dayton will be closed to fans.
3 p.m. Ivy League cancels all practices and competitions through the remainder of the academic year.
4:15 p.m. NCAA panel advises against allowing fans into sporting events.
4:30 p.m. NCAA announces men’s basketball tournament will be held as scheduled but closed to fans.
5:24 p.m. University of Michigan cancels spring football game. Ohio State follows suit.
6 p.m. Juventus soccer player Daniele Rugani becomes first known professional athlete to test positive for coronavirus.
6:38 p.m. Big Ten closes men’s basketball tournament and all spring sports competition to fans.
7:58 p.m. ACC closes men’s basketball tournament to fans.
8:40 p.m. Jazz-Thunder NBA game in Oklahoma City postponed with players on court for warm-ups.
8:53 p.m. Pac-12 closes men’s basketball tournament to fans.
9:11 p.m. SEC closes men’s basketball tournament to fans.
9:27 p.m. Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert reportedly tests positive for coronavirus.
9:32 p.m. NBA announces season is suspended indefinitely but underway games are played to completion.
10:40 p.m. Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg leaves Big Ten Tournament game and is taken to hospital, where he is later diagnosed with influenza.
10:44 p.m. Big East closes men’s basketball tournament to fans.
11:30 p.m. Western Athletic Conference suspends men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal due to “medical situation.”
Thursday
12:34 a.m. NBA G-League suspends season indefinitely.
9:42 a.m. Pro Football Hall of Fame cancels FanFest scheduled for March 21-22.
10:32 a.m. ATP suspends men’s professional tennis tour for six weeks.
10:49 a.m. Donovan Mitchell — Gobert’s Jazz teammate — tests positive for coronavirus. ESPN reports Gobert was “careless in the locker room, touching other players and their belongings.”
11:25 a.m. Redskins suspend travel for all coaches and scouts, and other NFL teams quickly follow suit, including Giants and Jets.
11:33 a.m. NFL informs all staff (with limited exceptions) to work from home until further notice.
11:42 a.m. MLS suspends season for 30 days.
11:49 a.m. Big Ten cancels men’s basketball tournament, with Rutgers and Michigan warming up for their noon game.
11:53 a.m. Formula 1 racing cancels Australian Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday.
11:54 a.m. U.S. Soccer cancels all matches in March and April for men’s and women’s senior teams.
11:59 a.m. NHL suspends season indefinitely.
Noon: Big East Tournament game between St. John’s and Creighton tips off at Madison Square Garden.
12:06 p.m. SEC cancels men’s basketball tournament.
12:15 p.m. ACC cancels men’s basketball tournament and later suspends all recruiting, practices and games for member schools.
12:17 p.m. Pac-12 cancels men’s basketball tournament and all other competitions.
12:25 p.m. NFL reportedly plans to move forward with collective bargaining agreement vote closing Saturday and free agency opening Monday.
12:40 p.m. Big 12 cancels men’s basketball tournament.
12:43 p.m. PGA announces all events across all Tours are closed to fans beginning Friday at The Players Championship through April 5 at the Valero Texas Open.
1:09 p.m. Big East cancels St. John’s-Creighton game at halftime and calls off rest of tournament.
1:33 p.m. NASCAR announces upcoming races in Atlanta and Miami will be held but closed to fans.
1:41 p.m. MLB cancels the rest of spring training, advises (but not requires) players to stay near team spring facilities and medical staff, and delays Opening Day by at least two weeks.
1:45 p.m. Eagles announce team headquarters and stadium will be closed Friday.
1:45 p.m. Duke University suspends all athletics activity indefinitely, the first school to withdraw from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament if held as scheduled.
1:54 p.m. Kansas University, the likely No. 1 overall seed in the men’s basketball tournament, cancels all athletic travel and suspends home and away games.
2:31 p.m. NFL cancels annual meeting for owners, general managers, coaches and media scheduled for March 29-April 1 in Palm Beach, Fla.
3:51 p.m. Minor League Baseball delays the start of its season indefinitely.
4:16 p.m. NCAA cancels all remaining winter and spring championships, including men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
7:16 p.m. XFL cancels remainder of inaugural relaunch season, but says players will be paid their base pay and benefits.
9:59 p.m. PGA calls off Players Championship after first round and cancels events through April 5.
Friday
7:00 a.m. Games in the English Premier League and all other top level English fixtures are suspended until April 3 at the earliest.
11:00 a.m. Augusta National Golf Club, “considering the latest information and expert analysis,” announces The Masters has been postponed.
11:10 a.m. Boston mayor Marty Walsh announces the Boston Marathon will be postponed from April 20 to Sept. 14, the first time in its 124-year history the race will be delayed.
11:52 a.m. NASCAR postpones its next two races in Atlanta and Miami. IndyCar cancels next four races.
12:57 p.m. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein cited a source saying the NCAA has suspended recruiting for all sports both on and off campus until April 15th.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--MLB will be making mistake if teams’ camps stay open

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
PORT ST. LUCIE — Poet Robert Frost was a great baseball fan .
It turns out he might have been a pretty good advance scout , too .
Frost wrote : “ The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.
’ ’ Right now , in this crazy sports age of the coronavirus pandemic , the morning doesn ’ t know much .
With that in mind , let ’ s wait for the afternoon to get some answers .
Yes , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of its spring training games and is delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks in reaction to the spreading virus .
But baseball and teams should go a step further .
Until we know what we are dealing with , camps should be shuttered , too .
The Mets still had not made a decision as of Thursday evening what to do .
Let me help .
Shut it completely down .
Do we really need to have players running around taking BP and throwing bullpen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put on a hold for a week or two and have the clubhouses cleared out , and not just clear out the media ?
Let the players stay away from each other for a bit .
As I was walking through the Mets campus at Clover Park on Wednesday , in a hallway I passed Donovan Mitchell Sr. , one of the nicest guys and hardest workers you will ever meet .
He is the team ’ s director of player relations and community engagement .
He was conducting a community event with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the multipurpose room , the same room the Mets use for some meetings .
His son , Donovan Jr. , plays for the Jazz .
On Thursday , the star guard confirmed on Instagram that he has tested positive for coronavirus .
When Donovan Mitchell Jr. played against the Knicks on March 4 , his father was at the game and he came back down to Mets camp afterward .
It is not known if the father had any interaction with his son or other Jazz players like Rudy Gobert , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the Mets ’ clubhouse Wednesday interacting with players and team personnel .
On Thursday , he was told to stay away and arrangements were being made to have him tested .
Let ’ s hope and pray that he does not contract the virus , but the point is you really don ’ t know who might have contracted the virus .
Until we have a better handle on all things virus-related , is it wise to have these camps open ?
If I were in on the decision-making team with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and with March Madness turning into March Sadness , I would say it ’ s time to take a step back .
Let the room clear .
Baseball ’ s plan should be broader than pushing back the season , canceling spring training games , washing your hands and keeping the media out of the clubhouse .
One MLB official told me Thursday that any player who doesn ’ t feel comfortable in the work environment can leave , and that ’ s a good thing .
But baseball is a peer-pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is in their DNA .
Most of them are relentless , and this generation of players probably works too much , they don ’ t give their bodies the kind of break they should .
For a little while it would be wise to see the Mets and the other teams say , “ That ’ s enough.
” Fred and Jeff Wilpon should take a leadership role and tell their players , “ See you in a week or two.
” By then we will know more , and hopefully everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session of batting practice or bullpen work doesn ’ t mean much right now .
Playing simulated games isn ’ t needed .
Take a break .
Clear the room .
Clear the clubhouses .
If you get sick , take care of yourself with the procedures that have been drawn up by the CDC .
It ’ s not worth it right now .
The season is on hold .
Workouts should be on hold , too .
This is not a panic move .
This is a keep-calm move .
Keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is much bigger than baseball .
It ’ s bigger than the NBA , the PGA , boxing , the NHL , March Madness and all sports .
Be safe .
Be smart .
Shut it all down .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Poet Robert Frost was a great baseball fan. It turns out he might have been a pretty good advance scout, too.
Frost wrote: “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.’’
Right now, in this crazy sports age of the coronavirus pandemic, the morning doesn’t know much. With that in mind, let’s wait for the afternoon to get some answers.
Yes, it’s good that baseball has canceled the rest of its spring training games and is delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks in reaction to the spreading virus. But baseball and teams should go a step further. Until we know what we are dealing with, camps should be shuttered, too. The Mets still had not made a decision as of Thursday evening what to do.
Let me help. Shut it completely down.
Do we really need to have players running around taking BP and throwing bullpen sessions? Can’t everything be put on a hold for a week or two and have the clubhouses cleared out, and not just clear out the media?
Let the players stay away from each other for a bit.
As I was walking through the Mets campus at Clover Park on Wednesday, in a hallway I passed Donovan Mitchell Sr., one of the nicest guys and hardest workers you will ever meet. He is the team’s director of player relations and community engagement. He was conducting a community event with what looked to be about 50 people in the multipurpose room, the same room the Mets use for some meetings.
His son, Donovan Jr., plays for the Jazz. On Thursday, the star guard confirmed on Instagram that he has tested positive for coronavirus. When Donovan Mitchell Jr. played against the Knicks on March 4, his father was at the game and he came back down to Mets camp afterward.
It is not known if the father had any interaction with his son or other Jazz players like Rudy Gobert, who has tested positive, but Donovan Sr. was in the Mets’ clubhouse Wednesday interacting with players and team personnel. On Thursday, he was told to stay away and arrangements were being made to have him tested.
Let’s hope and pray that he does not contract the virus, but the point is you really don’t know who might have contracted the virus. Until we have a better handle on all things virus-related, is it wise to have these camps open?
If I were in on the decision-making team with one league after another shutting it down, and with March Madness turning into March Sadness, I would say it’s time to take a step back. Let the room clear.
Baseball’s plan should be broader than pushing back the season, canceling spring training games, washing your hands and keeping the media out of the clubhouse.
One MLB official told me Thursday that any player who doesn’t feel comfortable in the work environment can leave, and that’s a good thing. But baseball is a peer-pressure sport. Players want to work. It is in their DNA. Most of them are relentless, and this generation of players probably works too much, they don’t give their bodies the kind of break they should.
For a little while it would be wise to see the Mets and the other teams say, “That’s enough.”
Fred and Jeff Wilpon should take a leadership role and tell their players, “See you in a week or two.” By then we will know more, and hopefully everything will be getting better.
That extra session of batting practice or bullpen work doesn’t mean much right now. Playing simulated games isn’t needed.
Take a break. Clear the room. Clear the clubhouses.
If you get sick, take care of yourself with the procedures that have been drawn up by the CDC. It’s not worth it right now. The season is on hold. Workouts should be on hold, too.
This is not a panic move. This is a keep-calm move. Keep as many people as healthy as possible. This is much bigger than baseball. It’s bigger than the NBA, the PGA, boxing, the NHL, March Madness and all sports.
Be safe. Be smart. Shut it all down.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--NHL facing challenging questions during ‘paused’ period

PHOENIX — No sport has been left unscathed by the ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
So little is known about how the NHL is going to deal with this period of their schedule being “paused” due to the coronavirus pandemic. And even if there are far more questions than answers, Brett Cyrgalis attempts to answer some of them.
Q: How long will the league be shut down?
A: Until it’s safe to play again. Establishing a time frame is very difficult, with no way to predict how long the virus will continue to spread. Clubs were told to try to find dates at their buildings into July, so there is hope that there will be a resumption of play in the near future. That could come quicker if games are played without fans present. But at this point, it is still safety first.
Q: What will the teams do during this “paused” period?
A: This is a big unknown. For now, teams are standing pat with no practices or meetings. Maybe at some point they will be able to get back together if they think they will start playing games. The minor league AHL also shut down, as did almost all international competition.
Q: Could the schedule be changed?
A: It’s very possible that if this drags on for more than a month or two, then picking up the regular season and going into the postseason would be very difficult. The league could decide on something totally different, like some sort of contrived playoff structure.
Q: What will happen with fans who already have tickets?
A: Most teams are planning on dealing with their ticket holders individually. If you have a ticket to an upcoming game, get in touch with the team if it doesn’t get in touch with you first. Most clubs seem to be accommodating, and at least willing to transfer your tickets to next season.
Q: Are the players still getting paid?
A: The players’ salaries are tied to hockey-related revenue (HRR), which is obviously minimal with no gate receipts. So if they do end up getting paid, they would likely have to give it back anyway so that their split of HRR evens out to the 50-50 ratio negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement.
Q: Are the hourly workers at arenas getting paid?
A: This might be the most hard-hit of any sector involved in putting on NHL games. From stadium vendors to ushers to security, individual teams are hopefully going to try to find some means of compensation.
Q: How will this affect next season?
A: Most notably with the salary cap. Based off of HRR, the cap was expected to go up a few million dollars from the current $81.5 million — and go up substantially once the next broadcasting contracts are negotiated in a year. Teams planned for this. Now, the penny-pinching might go to an extreme.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Australian Home Minister Peter Dutton tests positive for coronavirus

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs said on Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus .
Peter Dutton , an Australian Liberal Party politician serving as Minister for Home Affairs since 2017 , said in a statement that he had been feeling ill and took a test for the illness .
“ This morning I woke up with a temperature and a sore throat , ” the statement read .
“ I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive.
” The Australian Department of Home Affairs deals with “ law enforcement , national and transport security , criminal justice , emergency management , multicultural affairs , settlement services and immigration and border-related functions , ” according to its website .
On Thursday , the country advised against gatherings of more than 500 people due to the spread of the virus .
Australia ’ s tally of coronavirus cases stood at 156 , with three fatalities .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel overseas .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The Australian Minister for Home Affairs said on Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
Peter Dutton, an Australian Liberal Party politician serving as Minister for Home Affairs since 2017, said in a statement that he had been feeling ill and took a test for the illness.
“This morning I woke up with a temperature and a sore throat,” the statement read.
“I immediately contacted the Queensland Department of Health and was subsequently tested for COVID-19.
“I was advised by Queensland Health this afternoon that the test had returned positive.”
The Australian Department of Home Affairs deals with “law enforcement, national and transport security, criminal justice, emergency management, multicultural affairs, settlement services and immigration and border-related functions,” according to its website.
On Thursday, the country advised against gatherings of more than 500 people due to the spread of the virus.
Australia’s tally of coronavirus cases stood at 156, with three fatalities.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians should reconsider their need to travel overseas.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Yankees’ Aaron Boone recognizes it’s a ‘fluid’ situation

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. — As Angel Hernandez jogged slowly away from the premature end of spring training , the umpire uttered words that nobody hopes are right .
“ See you guys in June , ’ ’ Hernandez said to a group of baseball writers outside the Yankees ’ clubhouse Thursday afternoon at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches .
MLB suspended spring training games and delayed the start of the regular season at least two weeks on Thursday because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a conference call and consulted with the Players Association .
According to manager Aaron Boone , the Yankees have plans to continue workouts in Tampa and possibly hold intrasquad games in order to stay baseball-ready for whenever the regular season starts .
A two-week stoppage would result in the Yankees opening the season on April 10 in Oakland if MLB picks up the original schedule .
“ From my understanding right now , we stay [ in Florida ] to work out as a club and everything is within our club , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win over the Nationals .
“ My guess is that it remains a fluid situation , obviously .
We will take MLB ’ s lead and the situation ’ s lead and hopefully get to the point where we get back out there.
’ ’ Asked if the players are obligated to remain with the Yankees for workouts , Boone said he believed they were but was aware it was too early to tell with MLB and the Players Association holding conference calls on the subject .
Boone put the awkwardness of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams , players and the game .
“ This is a unique situation that is bigger than baseball , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ You want to do your part on behalf of the world , not contributing to be a part of this becoming a real poor situation .
We will be cooperative in trying to play our part the best we can.
’ ’ If the regular season resumes two weeks later than originally scheduled , the Yankees could have Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back from injuries .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by March 26 , when the Yankees were supposed to open the season in Baltimore .
Stanton is recovering from a strained right calf and Judge from a stress fracture in his top right rib .
“ It definitely gives guys time to heal up , but first things first is you want to be part of helping this thing not become an even bigger situation , ’ ’ Boone said .
As for playing a 162-game season when play resumes , Boone said , “ I am hearing that but I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
’ ’ With no games , the players can begin working out Friday , but Boone said he didn ’ t know if the Yankees would start that soon .
“ That is something we will discuss on the way home , ’ ’ Boone said of the 3¹/₂–hour bus ride across Florida to Tampa .
“ I know there is a conference call going on right now that might give us more information and clarity .
Hopefully we will decide that on the way home.
’ ’ The decision was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steinbrenner Field .
Boone was the Reds ’ player representative in 2002 when the feud between owners and players came within hours of leading to a work stoppage , but didn ’ t .
“ I guess it has a little similarity to those kind of things only we might stay together and work out , ’ ’ Boone said .
The question now becomes how long those workouts last .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Angel Hernandez jogged slowly away from the premature end of spring training, the umpire uttered words that nobody hopes are right.
“See you guys in June,’’ Hernandez said to a group of baseball writers outside the Yankees’ clubhouse Thursday afternoon at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
MLB suspended spring training games and delayed the start of the regular season at least two weeks on Thursday because of the coronavirus pandemic after all 30 clubs participated in a conference call and consulted with the Players Association.
According to manager Aaron Boone, the Yankees have plans to continue workouts in Tampa and possibly hold intrasquad games in order to stay baseball-ready for whenever the regular season starts. A two-week stoppage would result in the Yankees opening the season on April 10 in Oakland if MLB picks up the original schedule.
“From my understanding right now, we stay [in Florida] to work out as a club and everything is within our club,’’ Boone said after a 6-3 win over the Nationals. “My guess is that it remains a fluid situation, obviously. We will take MLB’s lead and the situation’s lead and hopefully get to the point where we get back out there.’’
Asked if the players are obligated to remain with the Yankees for workouts, Boone said he believed they were but was aware it was too early to tell with MLB and the Players Association holding conference calls on the subject.
Boone put the awkwardness of the situation ahead of what it means to teams, players and the game.
“This is a unique situation that is bigger than baseball,’’ Boone said. “You want to do your part on behalf of the world, not contributing to be a part of this becoming a real poor situation. We will be cooperative in trying to play our part the best we can.’’
If the regular season resumes two weeks later than originally scheduled, the Yankees could have Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge back from injuries. They weren’t expected to be ready by March 26, when the Yankees were supposed to open the season in Baltimore. Stanton is recovering from a strained right calf and Judge from a stress fracture in his top right rib.
“It definitely gives guys time to heal up, but first things first is you want to be part of helping this thing not become an even bigger situation,’’ Boone said.
As for playing a 162-game season when play resumes, Boone said, “I am hearing that but I don’t have that [confirmed].’’
With no games, the players can begin working out Friday, but Boone said he didn’t know if the Yankees would start that soon.
“That is something we will discuss on the way home,’’ Boone said of the 3¹/₂–hour bus ride across Florida to Tampa. “I know there is a conference call going on right now that might give us more information and clarity. Hopefully we will decide that on the way home.’’
The decision was made to hold an optional workout Friday at Steinbrenner Field.
Boone was the Reds’ player representative in 2002 when the feud between owners and players came within hours of leading to a work stoppage, but didn’t.
“I guess it has a little similarity to those kind of things only we might stay together and work out,’’ Boone said.
The question now becomes how long those workouts last.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--What’s next for the NCAA? Some questions and answers

Your heart breaks for all the student-athletes , all these kids ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The college basketball season came to a close Thursday afternoon, with the NCAA announcing it was canceling the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The inevitable news came a few hours after every conference canceled its postseason tournament.
The Post’s Zach Braziller asks a few questions, provided with answers, about what led to this decision and where the sport goes from here:
Q: How come the NCAA didn’t consider just postponing its men’s and women’s tournaments and playing them later?
A: There were just too many moving parts, from venues to hotels to travel accommodations, to make it work a month, or longer, down the road. Schools are closing and already canceling athletic programs for the spring semester. It’s also uncertain how long coronavirus will last.
Q: So basically, there are no champions, right? Has that ever happened before?
A: This is a first. Since the men’s NCAA Tournament was established in 1939, there has always been a winner. This year made history. Louisville’s title in 2013 was technically vacated for rule violations if you want to count that.
Q: Would any players be able to claim an extra year of eligibility because of this?
A: Not under the current rules. Once a student-athlete appears in 30 percent of his or her season schedule or past the halfway point of that season, it counts as a year of eligibility. Seniors will have to settle for their last year not including March Madness unless the NCAA makes an exception.
Q: What happens to those fans who have tickets for suspended games?
A: Anyone who ordered NCAA Tournament tickets from an official NCAA Championship vendor online or over the phone will be refunded automatically. The Big East also is planning to refund tickets.
Q: So what’s next? Will there be coaching movement? Players announcing their NBA decisions, etc.?
A: Sources believe there will be less movement by coaches this year, since school presidents will be dealing with the pandemic and deciding when to reopen their institutions rather than firing a coach because of a losing season or two. As for players, expect the timeline to be moved up. You’ll see them enter their names into the NBA draft or put their names in the transfer portal, though visiting schools and in-person recruiting is on hold.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell who tested positive for coronavirus has Mets link

The fact that Jazz star Donovan Mitchell tested positive for ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell’s positive test for coronavirus brought the international crisis much closer to the Mets on Thursday.
The Jazz played the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 4, and Donovan Mitchell Sr., the Mets’ director of player relations and community engagement, attended the game and will be tested for the virus, the Mets said.
He returned to Florida the following day and had been regularly at work at the Mets’ spring training complex through Wednesday. No other team employees were scheduled for tests as of Thursday.
“We have been in regular communication with medical professionals and public health authorities over the past several weeks. When news surfaced [Wednesday] night of the situation involving the Utah Jazz, we immediately contacted Donovan Mitchell Sr. to advise him to not report at our facility this morning,” the Mets said in a statement. “Upon learning today that his son, Donovan Mitchell Jr., tested positive for the Coronavirus, we brought that fact to the attention of our medical team, who recommended, as a precautionary measure, that Donovan Sr. be tested, and we are making those arrangements. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and the medical staff will advise us if any additional testing becomes advisable.”
Mitchell Jr. became the second professional U.S. athlete known to have tested positive for the virus. Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert tested positive Wednesday night before a Utah-Oklahoma City was canceled. That was the trigger that led the NBA to suspend operations. MLB and other leagues throughout the country followed suit Thursday.
It is not publicly known when the Jazz players contracted the coronavirus, but the Knicks are among the teams that the Jazz had played in a 10-day period before the revelation about Gobert, and players from those opposing squads have been told to self-quarantine, according to ESPN.
It was part of an unprecedented day in baseball and around sports, as MLB suspended spring training and delayed the start of the regular season.
The Mets had an off day Thursday and no major league players were scheduled to be at their complex, but dozens of minor leaguers worked out.
The team was slated to head to North Port, Fla., on Friday for the first of two games on the state’s Gulf Coast. Instead, they spent much of Thursday in limbo before commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 team owners had a conference call that resulted in MLB announcing spring training games were canceled as of 4 p.m. Thursday and the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks in response to the pandemic.
For now, the team expects to stay in Florida and work out.
The Mets had been scheduled to open the regular season at Citi Field on March 26 against the Nationals, with Jacob deGrom on the mound.
After his Grapefruit League start on Wednesday, deGrom was asked about the possibility of Opening Day being in jeopardy.
“It’s unfortunate, all this going on,’’ deGrom said. “As of right now, I’m just preparing as if everything was gonna happen normal. I think that’s the plan. It could change. For me, I just have to prepare for that day.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Coronavirus in NY: Two Staten Island schools close after student tests positive

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
Two public schools @ @ @ @ @ after a student who attends both locations tested positive for the coronavirus , the city @ @ @ @ @ New Dorp High School and The Hungerford School were shuttered “ in an abundance of @ @ @ @ @ department announced on Twitter early Friday morning .
Also , St. Teresa Catholic school on @ @ @ @ @ Thursday after a basketball coach who works at the school tested positive for the virus @ @ @ @ @ Academy , a public high school on Brooklyn College ’ s campus , is also @ @ @ @ @ College student had tested positive for the bug , leading to the campus closure , @ @ @ @ @ the school ’ s president .
The woman , who was last on campus on @ @ @ @ @ in the hospital .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Two public schools on Staten Island closed Friday after a student who attends both locations tested positive for the coronavirus, the city department of education said.
New Dorp High School and The Hungerford School were shuttered “in an abundance of caution,” the education department announced on Twitter early Friday morning.
Also, St. Teresa Catholic school on Staten Island was closed on Thursday after a basketball coach who works at the school tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn College Academy, a public high school on Brooklyn College’s campus, is also closed Friday.
A Brooklyn College student had tested positive for the bug, leading to the campus closure, according to a statement from the school’s president.
The woman, who was last on campus on March 3, is recovering in the hospital.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Pornhub offers free premium service in Italy to ease coronavirus pains

Italians can receive free premium porn content from a giant hub for Internet smut after Pornhub announced they will open @ @ @ @ @ the entire country .
The adult website said Thursday that quarantined web surfers can get @ @ @ @ @ site will donate money to help the European nation get through their hard times .
@ @ @ @ @ March proceeds from Modelhub to support Italy during this unfortunate time , ” the company @ @ @ @ @ Italy will also have free access to Pornhub Premium throughout the month .
Forza Italia @ @ @ @ @ ” Pornhub also recently rolled out coronavirus-themed porn on their site including a one featuring @ @ @ @ @ in a hazmat suit .
The Italian peninsula is suffering a crisis of infections and @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus tearing across the globe .
Deaths in the country topped 1,000 this week , @ @ @ @ @ positive .

When in Rome?
Italians can receive free premium porn content from a giant hub for Internet smut after Pornhub announced they will open their vaults of videos to the entire country.
The adult website said Thursday that quarantined web surfers can get free premium service while the site will donate money to help the European nation get through their hard times.
“Pornhub is donating its March proceeds from Modelhub to support Italy during this unfortunate time,” the company said on Twitter.
“Italy will also have free access to Pornhub Premium throughout the month. Forza Italia, we love you!”
Pornhub also recently rolled out coronavirus-themed porn on their site including a one featuring a “healthcare worker” in a hazmat suit.
The Italian peninsula is suffering a crisis of infections and death due to the new coronavirus tearing across the globe.
Deaths in the country topped 1,000 this week, with more than 15,000 testing positive.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Potential revenue-enhancing plan could rescue NHL

It has not come up thus far in CBA talks ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
No group of major league athletes in North America is more vulnerable to the economic ramifications of the coronavirus’ impact on sports than hockey players.
That is why I believe the NHL, with substantial input from the NHL Players’ Association, will attempt to be as creative as possible in either saving some remaining portion of the regular season that would precede a somewhat traditional playoff format or in creating an expanded playoff tournament.
Because generating revenue is critical not only to the athletes’ short-term needs, but for the long-term sustainability of the NHL’s hard-cap league. How ugly do you think it will get if the cap is reduced next season because of this pandemic?
According to individuals with ties to both management and labor, it was unclear whether teams would continue to pay players during the “pause” in the season that was announced Thursday afternoon.
“No details about anything, yet,” one front office executive texted, while an agent said, “Haven’t been told.”
Section 17 of the Standard Player’s Contract grants teams permission to withhold pay if the NHL, “suspend[s], cease[s] or reduce[s] operations … because of any condition arising from a state of war or other cause beyond the control of the League …”
But the NHL, run by attorneys who understand the meaning of terminology, chose to use the word, “pause,” rather than, “suspend.” And we are told there are those within the NHLPA who believe that the teams will be obligated to continue paying their players on a twice-monthly basis through the scheduled end of the season on April 4.
The problem for the players is that even if they do get paid during the shutdown, they’d likely have to return all of it if the league does not reopen or cannot generate commensurate revenues upon reopening. The players are locked into a 50-50 partnership with the league. Approximately 15 percent of the regular season remains with 100 percent of postseason revenue outstanding.
If the season is not resumed, or if revenues do not meet projections upon reopening, then not only would players likely receive no refund of the 14 percent escrow deduction that has been applied to their paychecks this season, they’d all but certainly wind up giving money back to the league to correspond to a 50-50 split.
This is what partnership is all about.
Next year’s cap is based on a formula that relies on this year’s revenue. If the season is canceled, the league and union could agree to set the cap at, say, this year’s $81.5 million number if both parties envision an immediate rebound to traditional consumer habits and ticket-buying behavior.
But maybe not. Regardless of a bargained number, no one should expect the PA to use an escalator. And a flat cap — if that — would wreak havoc on the league in which half of the teams are using long-term injury exemptions to be cap compliant.
Indeed, there is a possibility the league and union could adopt an amnesty buyout policy for this offseason in which buyouts are not applied against the cap, as was the case coming out of each of the past two Owners’ Lockouts.
In this league, it is all about the cap and to a huge number of players in the union, it is all about escrow. Which is why, if pro sports return to somewhat normal within the next two-to-three months, the NHL is going to want and need to generate a splash for the playoffs to generate excitement and revenue. Hard to work up enthusiasm for a May 14, Game 81 between say, the Ducks and Kings.
Which is why I can envision adoption of an expanded tournament, including perhaps 20-24 teams, featuring knockout rounds and whatever other bells and whistles the league could create in order to attract interest across the continent. As the Red Wings are the only team to have been eliminated from playoff contention, the league could adopt a 30-team invitational.
This would obviously not be about the integrity of the competition — and why would it be now, when it never is? — but about maximizing revenue. Hey, maybe bid out the final or the final two rounds to a neutral site willing to pay enormous sponsorship dollars for the tournament. The final, you realize, could be played in the middle of July.
The NFL moved to a 16-team Super Bowl tournament following its 1982 strike season. Things like this can be done. More playoff teams, more playoff games, more playoff revenue, healthier cap.
Of course, nobody knows. But we do know that the NHL, which was the second pro league to announce a “pause,” is also the league that would be affected the most seriously if forced to cancel it all.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Maximum Security trainer is reminder how deep conspiracies can run

Everything is on the table for the NBA , from canceling ...

This is all too weird. Tuesday, the sports column I planned to write for today seemed to hold some significance. Wednesday, the World Health Organization announced the coronavirus has become pandemic.
And yesterday, what I expected to write for today, couldn’t possibly contain a flake of significance.
Still, I suppose, that while the Luftwaffe bombed London, a fellow on the radio was reporting cricket scores. He was fulfilling his assignment, his terms of engagement.
I feel foolish, small, in my assignment, yet it’s my assignment. So on we go:
Apparently, few in the thoroughbred racing business were surprised to learn Jersey-based Jason Servis, trainer of cash-cow Maximum Security was among the 27 indicted for a widespread conspiracy to dope horses then, in too many cases, leave their dropped-dead carcasses to rot.
Servis’ sudden, stunning successes against the most accomplished stables and trainers in the game have for several years invited suspicions that he was playing with a marked deck.
Last month Maximum Security won the world’s richest race, the $20 million Saudi Cup, in Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors now claim Servis administered PEDs “to virtually all racehorses in his control.”
As for others, the prosecution revealed a text message from trainer Nicholas Surick’s cellphone about co-defendant Jorge Navarro, a well-known trainer who has done business with Servis:
“You know how many [expletive] horses he [expletive] killed and broke down and that I made disappear? … You know how much trouble he could get in if they found out … the six horses we killed?”
And as we’ve seen with most bilk-the-system conspiracies, once two people, then three, then four, then 27 are in the know the conspiracy’s lid is pried looser until it hits the conspirators right between the eyes.
Van Gundy’s intense situation
Don’t know if Jeff Van Gundy, Sunday on ABC/ESPN, was experiencing a selective memory, if he doesn’t embarrass easily or if he was in the mood for mindless pandering.
But, without knowing what went on, he got all over a ref for doing his job and clearly doing it well.
Early against the Clippers, the Lakers’ Avery Bradley followed an inside shot by getting right into defender Patrick Beverley’s face, taunting and hollering. If he was looking to start trouble, referee Tre Maddox wouldn’t play along.
Maddox, unlike Van Gundy, was right there to hear it and see it, thus hit Bradley with a T.
Van Gundy jumped in with protests, stating Bradley did nothing wrong, claiming, “we need more like that because that was about intensity.” Mark Jackson agreed.
We hear similar too often during MLB telecasts, when the announcers trash an ump for ejecting a player or manager without knowing what happened and/or what was said.
And perhaps Van Gundy, as the 5-foot-9 coach of the 1998 Knicks, forgot where such intensity placed him in a playoff game against the Heat:
Sprawled on the court and clutching Alonzo Mourning’s leg to prevent being trampled in a brawl caused by such “intensity.”
New York radio icon Ingles was one of the greats
The passing of Ed Ingles, last week at 87, brought a sweet stream of memories and gratitude for a man, first as the sports director at WCBS-AM then as the chief mentor-in-residence at Hofstra’s radio station, WRHU, where he was always generous with his time and wisdom.
Ingles was the greatest common denominator in launching dozens of internships and careers in media.
Common sense and college basketball telecasts remain strangers.
During Saturday’s Kansas-Texas Tech, CBS sideline reporter Kris Buddin, accompanied by a graphic that read “All Roads Lead To Lubbock,” was delighted to state that five of TT’s players are from far-flung places: Cameroon, Italy, Russia, the Congo and France.
She then cheerfully added that in the locker room, “four different languages are spoken.”
OK, but give us more.
Having been recruited to play basketball in Northwest Texas, how many of the five speak enough English to take classes, succeed in them and then matriculate? Don’t leave us to guess.
Earlier Saturday, during Kentucky-Florida, CBS’s Ian Eagle said that UF’s 6-10 Kerry Blackshear “is a graduate transfer from Va. Tech.” He left it at that.
But that means that Blackshear is enrolled at UF as a grad student, ostensibly in pursuit of his Masters degree. Why not tell us in what?
Or is it that he, and so many other “grad transfers” have basketball or football eligibility to exhaust, and the academic angle is just another loophole, another con?
Greed Kills, Case, 2,940: As did many last week, reader Rich Leary received a missive from the Jets carrying their latest special “Limited Time” tickets offer:
A $100 gift card with the purchase of season tickets.
Leary’s reply: “Really? And you once tried to charge me $50 annually for the privilege of being on your tickets waiting list. My, how the tables have turned.
“I’m sorry but a $100 gift card is not going to cover your PSLs, ticket prices, outrageous parking fees, overpriced concessions and must-buy preseason game tickets. You’re done gouging this sucker.
“Take a hike!”
The Jets no doubt placed his response in the “undecided” bin.
But here’s hoping Leary cc’d Roger “PSLs Are Good Investments” Goodell.
As Creighton beat Seton Hall to a loose ball on the floor Saturday, Fox analyst Donny Marshall gave solid advice in three words: “Low man wins.”
Seems the coronavirus pulled the plug on this time of season, normally when NBA players let everyone know how unhappy they are playing for their team.
Sick world in so many ways. My email inbox has been pervaded by come-ons pitching immunologists and other medical experts seeking to exploit the coronavirus for some shameless ink, some publicity.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--PGA Tour’s cancellation call: Better late than never

PONTE VEDRA BEACH , Fla. — Even with the uneasy specter ...

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The PGA Tour was playing a dangerous game.
Thankfully, after hours of head scratching based on a decision that had potential to blow up in its face, the Tour came to its senses.
Beginning Wednesday night, one by one, every major sports league and organization had been canceling and suspending operations with the global threat of coronavirus looming.
First, the NBA suspended its season until further notice on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the NHL and MLS did the same. Then the NCAA Tournament was canceled completely. And finally, Major League Baseball canceled the rest of spring training and postponed the start of the regular season.
The PGA Tour, meanwhile, carried on its merry way, playing Thursday’s opening round of The Players Championship, the organization’s flagship tournament, in front of any fan who had a ticket to get in at TPC Sawgrass.
It was not a good look.
Nor was PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, in a noon press conference Thursday, announcing that The Players would play on without spectators and so, too, would the next three tournaments — next week’s Valspar in Tampa, the WGC Match Play in Austin, Texas, and the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.
Who knows what finally got to Monahan over dinner, but shortly before 10:30 p.m. Thursday, the PGA Tour reversed field and announced that it was canceling the rest of The Players and the three tournaments following it.
Now the golf ball rests on the first tee of Augusta National, which was curiously radio silent on Thursday while the rest of the sports world crumbled before our disbelieving eyes.
Masters week is April 9-13, and it’s anyone’s guess whether it will go on — with or without its “patrons’’ … or go on at all.
Asked after his round Thursday whether he’d given any thought to The Masters, Rory McIlroy said, “Yeah, I have a little bit. I don’t see how they can let spectators in if they do play it at this point.’’
That was the original tack taken by Monahan in the afternoon. And, given the black-and-white decisions the other leagues and organizations made, that never felt like enough considering the uneasy, if frightening, times we live in at the moment.
God forbid anyone involved contracted the virus at Sawgrass this week as a result of the tournament playing on the next three days.
What if one of the players was stricken as a result of the tournament going on? That would be a stain the powers of Ponte Vedra would never be able to erase. Never mind that, what about a potential lawsuit the Tour might face if that happened?
I wanted The Players Championship to be played. I want The Masters and all of the tournaments to be played. I’m a golf junkie. I love playing the game recreationally and covering it professionally.
But I, too, have had an uneasy feeling since Wednesday night as I watched the landscape of the sports world begin to change in a way it never has in my lifetime. Sports not only are my recreational outlet, they are my livelihood.
These are nervous times for everyone. We’ve all become germophobes even if we never thought about such things before. Despite never having been a germophobe, I found myself stopping at two pharmacies on my way to the golf course Thursday morning to buy disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer only to find the shelves empty.
Before he arrived for his 7:51 a.m. tee time for the opening round, Lucas Glover teed off on the PGA Tour on Twitter.
The 40-year-old with three career PGA Tour victories, including the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, tweeted: “Rest of sports and media: why don’t they drug test the @PGATOUR, Tour: okay, we better start doing that too. Rest of sports and media: think we better stop and stay away from crowds. Tour: hold our beers it’s @THEPLAYERSChamp week!!!’’
Later in the morning, C.T. Pan posted a statement on Twitter about withdrawing from The Players before his scheduled 2:02 p.m. tee time, citing the “risk of exposure to the Coronavirus.’’
A big part of Monahan’s initial reasoning for not canceling the tournament altogether was because golf is an outdoor sport. “We’re comfortable having our players continue to play at this time,’’ he said.
Apparently, that comfort level evaporated inside the PGA Tour offices somewhere between lunch and dinner time.
Maybe Monahan listened to the powerful comments LPGA Tour commissioner Michael Whan delivered to the Golf Channel on Thursday night when speaking about canceling the next three events on the women’s calendar, including a major championship.
Whan said he thought maybe the LPGA could play the next two events, but added, “Can I live with it if I’m wrong? If I’m wrong, I regret that the rest of my life. If this is a decision that’s wrong the other way, [that] we should have played, I feel terrible about it, but I can live with that. This is a decision that I may not like but I don’t think it’s one I’ll regret.’’
By night’s end Thursday, even if it took him a little too long to come to the right conclusion, Monahan left himself with no regrets.


newyorkpost--2020-03-13--Florida man arrested for throwing rocks at cars while naked

A Florida man was arrested for chucking rocks at passing cars while naked on his driveway on Tuesday , a @ @ @ @ @ witnessed the bizarre behavior of 34-year-old Duy Khanh and called authorities , according to WKMG @ @ @ @ @ Deputies showed up and found the naked suspect , the report said .
It wasn @ @ @ @ @ man was naked and throwing rocks .
Khanh was charged with the exposure of sexual @ @ @ @ @ records .

A Florida man was arrested for chucking rocks at passing cars while naked on his driveway on Tuesday, a report said.
Multiple people witnessed the bizarre behavior of 34-year-old Duy Khanh and called authorities, according to WKMG News 6.
Brevard County Deputies showed up and found the naked suspect, the report said.
It wasn’t clear why the man was naked and throwing rocks.
Khanh was charged with the exposure of sexual organs, according to jail records.