newyorkpost--2020-03-14--‘Catfish’ co-host Kamie Crawford reveals why she’ll never diet again

Kamie Crawford used to be a traditional pageant girl : All smiles and pleasing others .
But the Miss Teen USA 2010 has transformed herself .
It showed on a recent episode of the MTV show “ Catfish , ” which she began co-hosting this season .
Gesturing to longtime host Nev Schulman , a woman told Crawford : “ I ’ m talking to him , he ’ s the host and you ’ re the help.
” Crawford ’ s response ?
“ You are the one who is impersonating other people on the Internet .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re here on our show with our cameras .
Let ’ s be respectful.
” Crawford credits her new chutzpah to a coach she hired to help her “ unlearn ” her pageant training — by getting Crawford to say what was on her mind .
Competing in beauty competitions , she had been taught to remain neutral in all situations .
“ It ’ s a different way of speaking so that you don ’ t offend anybody .
You have to always see both sides of everything , ” the 27-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my point of view matters .
[ Learning that ] took time.
” Growing up in Maryland as one of the six daughters of a CEO father and a businesswoman mother , Crawford got good at whipping up “ comebacks ” to kids who teased her .
She got into pageants at age 17 as another way to pursue leadership , like being the captain of her high-school cheerleading team .
“ I was enamored , ” said Crawford .
“ I was like , ‘ These girls are so young but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended up winning on my first try , ” she said of the Miss Maryland Teen USA title .
But as she learned to become more submissive , she restricted her diet , too .
“ I dropped from [ size ] six or a four to a zero , ” she remembered of her early pageant days .
Still , “ I got so much flak because next to [ someone who is ] naturally a size zero I am going to look bigger — because I ’ m not supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll never put my body through that ever again , ” Crawford said .
After capturing the national crown , she briefly studied dermatology before moving to New York City to pursue a communications degree at Fordham .
Restless in the classroom , she often spent that time pitching news stations , trying to get on the airwaves .
She started taping fashion and beauty segments for an ABC affiliate in Connecticut .
Just as she was moving to Los Angeles in 2018 , Crawford got a call from the producers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosts help people in online relationships figure out if their digital suitors are who they claim to be .
But she wondered if she was being catfished .
“ This is a really elaborate joke , right ?
” she remembers thinking .
During the show ’ s previous season , Crawford was part of a rotating cast of guest hosts .
But she proved so popular with fans , producers made her a permanent fixture for Season 8 , now airing .
Now she bounces around the country with Schulman , investigating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People [ tell ] me , ‘ The things that I ’ m thinking , you say , ’ ” said Crawford .
“ I ’ m very comfortable and confident in my opinion.
” She ’ s also happy to have found a partner — a music-industry professional named Gordon — who supports her independent lifestyle and the nontraditional schedule that comes with it .
“ I ’ ve been in relationships in the past where the person ’ s like , ‘ Why are you sleeping in ’ til 10 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Because I work Friday until Wednesday !
It ’ s a different kind of dynamic.
” Photos : Stephen Yang ; Stylist : Elise Sandvik ; Hair : T. Cooper using ECRU NY ; Markphong Tram using Cover FX ; Location : Dear Irving on Hudson , 310 W 40th St .

Kamie Crawford used to be a traditional pageant girl: All smiles and pleasing others. But the Miss Teen USA 2010 has transformed herself.
It showed on a recent episode of the MTV show “Catfish,” which she began co-hosting this season. Gesturing to longtime host Nev Schulman, a woman told Crawford: “I’m talking to him, he’s the host and you’re the help.”
Crawford’s response? “You are the one who is impersonating other people on the Internet. I’m talking to you, you’re here on our show with our cameras. Let’s be respectful.”
Crawford credits her new chutzpah to a coach she hired to help her “unlearn” her pageant training — by getting Crawford to say what was on her mind. Competing in beauty competitions, she had been taught to remain neutral in all situations.
“It’s a different way of speaking so that you don’t offend anybody. You have to always see both sides of everything,” the 27-year-old explained. Now, however, “my point of view matters. [Learning that] took time.”
Growing up in Maryland as one of the six daughters of a CEO father and a businesswoman mother, Crawford got good at whipping up “comebacks” to kids who teased her.
She got into pageants at age 17 as another way to pursue leadership, like being the captain of her high-school cheerleading team. “I was enamored,” said Crawford. “I was like, ‘These girls are so young but they can speak so eloquently.’
“I ended up winning on my first try,” she said of the Miss Maryland Teen USA title. But as she learned to become more submissive, she restricted her diet, too.
“I dropped from [size] six or a four to a zero,” she remembered of her early pageant days. Still, “I got so much flak because next to [someone who is] naturally a size zero I am going to look bigger — because I’m not supposed to be a size zero.
“I’ll never put my body through that ever again,” Crawford said.
After capturing the national crown, she briefly studied dermatology before moving to New York City to pursue a communications degree at Fordham. Restless in the classroom, she often spent that time pitching news stations, trying to get on the airwaves. She started taping fashion and beauty segments for an ABC affiliate in Connecticut.
Just as she was moving to Los Angeles in 2018, Crawford got a call from the producers of “Catfish” — on which the hosts help people in online relationships figure out if their digital suitors are who they claim to be. But she wondered if she was being catfished. “This is a really elaborate joke, right?” she remembers thinking.
During the show’s previous season, Crawford was part of a rotating cast of guest hosts. But she proved so popular with fans, producers made her a permanent fixture for Season 8, now airing. Now she bounces around the country with Schulman, investigating cases and speaking her mind.
“People [tell] me, ‘The things that I’m thinking, you say,’ ” said Crawford. “I’m very comfortable and confident in my opinion.”
She’s also happy to have found a partner — a music-industry professional named Gordon — who supports her independent lifestyle and the nontraditional schedule that comes with it.
“I’ve been in relationships in the past where the person’s like, ‘Why are you sleeping in ’til 10 a.m. on a Thursday?’ ” Crawford said. “Because I work Friday until Wednesday! It’s a different kind of dynamic.”
Photos: Stephen Yang; Stylist: Elise Sandvik; Hair: T. Cooper using ECRU NY; Markphong Tram using Cover FX; Location: Dear Irving on Hudson, 310 W 40th St.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Nathaniel Woods’ sister calls governor a murderer after his execution

The sister of a convicted murderer whose execution was temporarily stayed by the Supreme Court after protesters raised doubts about his guilt confronted the Alabama governor who approved his execution .
“ You killed my brother , ” said Pamela Woods , sister of Nathaniel Woods , who died March 5 .
“ He ’ s an innocent man and you killed him , ” she said to Gov .
Kay Ivey at a press conference .
Ivey was then rushed away by aides .
Pamela and other protestors shouted “ murderer ” at her as she walked away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted as an accomplice in the 2004 murder of three Birmingham police officers .
Carlos Owen , Harley A. Chisolm III and Charles R. Bennett were killed while serving Woods a misdemeanor domestic assault warrant .
Kerry Spencer was also convicted and it is believed he was the triggerman .
An execution date has yet to be set for him .
Spencer has said he was solely responsible for the deaths of the police officers .
Many supporters believe Woods is an innocent man .
In a last-ditch attempt to save his life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Martin Luther King III , the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. , urged Ivey to delay the execution .
The Supreme Court issued Woods a temporary stay , but Ivey denied the request for clemency .
“ This is not a decision that I take lightly , but I firmly believe in the rule of law and that justice must be served .
My thoughts and most sincere prayers are for the families of Officers Chisholm , Owen and Bennett .
May the God of all comfort be with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace and heal from this terrible crime , ” Ivey said in a statement after Woods passed .
Pamela has been a longtime proponent of her brother .
“ He is actually innocent , ” she told reporters hours before he died .

The sister of a convicted murderer whose execution was temporarily stayed by the Supreme Court after protesters raised doubts about his guilt confronted the Alabama governor who approved his execution.
“You killed my brother,” said Pamela Woods, sister of Nathaniel Woods, who died March 5.
“He’s an innocent man and you killed him,” she said to Gov. Kay Ivey at a press conference. Ivey was then rushed away by aides.
Pamela and other protestors shouted “murderer” at her as she walked away from reporters.
Woods, 43, was convicted as an accomplice in the 2004 murder of three Birmingham police officers. Carlos Owen, Harley A. Chisolm III and Charles R. Bennett were killed while serving Woods a misdemeanor domestic assault warrant.
Kerry Spencer was also convicted and it is believed he was the triggerman. An execution date has yet to be set for him.
Spencer has said he was solely responsible for the deaths of the police officers.
Many supporters believe Woods is an innocent man. In a last-ditch attempt to save his life, protesters like Kim Kardashian West and Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., urged Ivey to delay the execution. The Supreme Court issued Woods a temporary stay, but Ivey denied the request for clemency.
“This is not a decision that I take lightly, but I firmly believe in the rule of law and that justice must be served. My thoughts and most sincere prayers are for the families of Officers Chisholm, Owen and Bennett. May the God of all comfort be with these families as they continue to find peace and heal from this terrible crime,” Ivey said in a statement after Woods passed.
Pamela has been a longtime proponent of her brother. “He is actually innocent,” she told reporters hours before he died.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--NYC Human Rights Commission probing reports of coronavirus-related racism

Jing Fong , the city ’ s largest Chinese restaurant , has closed .
After ...

The New York City Human Rights Commission is probing five complaints of coronavirus-fueled acts of racism reported in the past two weeks, the agency said.
Like the virus itself, attacks on people of Asian descent wrongly assumed to be carriers of COVID-19 have multiplied across the globe since the disease originated in Wuhan, China in January.
The Big Apple — home to the largest Chinatown in the Western world, in Flushing, Queens — has been no exception.
On Tuesday, a 59-year-old Asian man told police a teen kicked him to the ground on the Upper East Side on Tuesday night, while yelling “F–king Chinese coronavirus.,” and then spat in his face.
The alleged teen attacker was busted Saturday.
Earlier that day, a woman reportedly slugged an unmasked Asian woman in Midtown while screaming “where is your corona mask, you Asian b—h.”
And on Thursday, a man repeatedly harassed an Asian man and his 10-year-old son in Queens.
Gov. Cuomo said he was “disgusted” by the Midtown attack he said was “apparently motivated by the bigoted notion that an Asian person is more likely to carry or transmit the novel coronavirus.”
He has asked the state Hate Crimes Task Force to assist the NYPD in investigating the incident.
Some Chinatown businesses say the rise in xenophobia and racism is hurting their bottom line.
The owner of one of the city’s oldest and its largest Chinese restaurants, Jing Fong in Manhattan’s Chinatown, decried the desertion of his neighborhood and restaurant in an interview in early March.
“They’re just scared to get infected by Chinese people,” Kin Lam told CBS News on March 6.
Less than a week later, Jing Fong shuttered, citing an unsustainable loss of business.
The human rights commission declined to say if any of the recent attacks are among the five they are investigating.
“Hate and discrimination against anyone on the basis of their race, national origin, or other status is not tolerated in New York City,” spokeswoman Alicia McCauley said. “The New York City Commission on Human Rights, Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and NYPD are monitoring and responding to reported hate and bias incidents resulting from fear and stigma related to COVID-19.”
She encouraged New Yorkers who experience discrimination to file a complaint with the commission.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Coronavirus hits staffers at embattled Washington State nursing home

Coronavirus keeps taking a toll on the nursing home at the center of Washington State ’ s coronavirus outbreak .
This time , employees are the ones who are coming down sick .
Of the 180-plus workers at the Life Care Center in Kirkland , 47 have tested positive and 24 have tested negative for COVID-19 , KIRO-TV reporter Alison Grande tweeted .
One employee had an inconclusive test and five are still waiting for their results .
Another 18 were scheduled for testing Saturday and 95 are symptomatic , according to Grande ’ s tweet .
It wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms have been tested .
At least 25 residents have died from COVID-19 , and more than half have tested positive .
Four days before the coronavirus outbreak was confirmed , the nursing home threw a Mardi Gras party .
Residents who were sick with a respiratory illness , which the staff thought was the flu , were asked not to participate , according to KIRO .
Family members are upset about a lack of information being provided , Grande reported , and have been attending media briefings to find out what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been confirmed in at least 11 nursing homes or senior apartments in western Washington , the AP reported .
A cluster also has emerged at a veterans home in Lebanon , Oregon , where eight cases were confirmed .
Washington State has the highest number of cases in the country — 569 confirmed cases .
New York is right behind , with 524 cases , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Saturday .
Nursing homes nationwide are on high alert for coronavirus , boosting their cleaning regimens and restricting or banning visitors .

Coronavirus keeps taking a toll on the nursing home at the center of Washington State’s coronavirus outbreak. This time, employees are the ones who are coming down sick.
Of the 180-plus workers at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, 47 have tested positive and 24 have tested negative for COVID-19, KIRO-TV reporter Alison Grande tweeted. One employee had an inconclusive test and five are still waiting for their results.
Another 18 were scheduled for testing Saturday and 95 are symptomatic, according to Grande’s tweet. It wasn’t clear if the 95 who have symptoms have been tested.
At least 25 residents have died from COVID-19, and more than half have tested positive.
Four days before the coronavirus outbreak was confirmed, the nursing home threw a Mardi Gras party. Residents who were sick with a respiratory illness, which the staff thought was the flu, were asked not to participate, according to KIRO.
Family members are upset about a lack of information being provided, Grande reported, and have been attending media briefings to find out what’s going on.
The virus has been confirmed in at least 11 nursing homes or senior apartments in western Washington, the AP reported. A cluster also has emerged at a veterans home in Lebanon, Oregon, where eight cases were confirmed.
Washington State has the highest number of cases in the country — 569 confirmed cases. New York is right behind, with 524 cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
Nursing homes nationwide are on high alert for coronavirus, boosting their cleaning regimens and restricting or banning visitors.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--FDNY Coney Island captain tests positive for coronavirus

A New York City fire captain has tested positive for the coronavirus , sources said Saturday .
The captain is @ @ @ @ @ West 8th Street in Coney Island , where his firehouse is being decontaminated .
In @ @ @ @ @ worked with him will be quarantined , according to a source .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ But we have to go on what the medical professionals are telling us , ” @ @ @ @ @ This is a very serious situation that needs to be monitored closely while all firefighters @ @ @ @ @ duties protecting the citizens of New York , ” Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Jake @ @ @ @ @ told the Post on Friday that it had only one confirmed case , an EMS @ @ @ @ @ were in quarantine .
It ’ s unclear if the 30 who are quarantined after @ @ @ @ @ are among that total .

A New York City fire captain has tested positive for the coronavirus, sources said Saturday.
The captain is assigned to Batallion 43 on West 8th Street in Coney Island, where his firehouse is being decontaminated.
In addition, 30 people who worked with him will be quarantined, according to a source.
“We are not happy about it. But we have to go on what the medical professionals are telling us,” the insider said.
“This is a very serious situation that needs to be monitored closely while all firefighters and fire officers continue their duties protecting the citizens of New York,” Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Jake Lemonda said.
The FDNY told the Post on Friday that it had only one confirmed case, an EMS worker, and 38 members were in quarantine.
It’s unclear if the 30 who are quarantined after working with the infected captain are among that total.


newyorkpost--2020-03-15--JFK, Newark airports see large crowds under new coronavirus ‘enhanced screenings’

Americans returning from Europe found themselves in a crowded hell of delays and long lines Saturday night at the 13 airports selected to handle their incoming flights under new rules enacted by the Trump administration to combat the spread of the coronavirus .
John F. Kennedy , Newark and O ’ Hare international airports — three of the 13 airports selected to handle the flights — had massive crowds and hours-long waits as they attempted to return to the states .
“ Just waiting in a very long line with thousands of people to clear Customs at JFK T4 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ things seriously , ” tweeted Jake Vinson with photos of a sea of people waiting in line .
Vice President Mike Pence announced the new policy Thursday in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 — but the crowds only heightened flyers ’ anxiety around the deadly virus .
“ People coming from everywhere packed together without enough distancing & waiting for at least an hour… like a giant Petri dish , ” tweeted Claudia Gonzaga from JFK .
“ So the enhanced screening for # COVIDー19 also includes having everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ l flights stand super close together in massively long lines at customs ?
Cool , cool .
Just making sure , ” Lindsey Irwin posted .
Waits were so long at O ’ Hare that airport staff were handing out water and food to the mobs of people .
“ The crowds & lines O ’ Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately , ” Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker wrote .
Each airport attributed the lines to the “ enhanced screening procedures ” Pence and the federal government had put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases climb in Europe and the U.S. “ The enhanced screening procedures have been established by our federal partners @ CDCgov and @ CBPNewYorkCity , ” Tweeted the official account for JFK .
“ They are working hard to process all passengers as quickly as they can .
Thank you for your continued patience.
” The screenings target all passengers flying from the 26 European countries of the Schengen area , as well as anyone returning from China and Iran .
Those passengers are also ordered to self-quarantine for two weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be disruptive to some travelers , however , this action is needed to protect the general public from further exposure and spread of the coronavirus , ” said Chad Wolf , the acting secretary Department of Homeland Security , when the policy was announced last week .

Americans returning from Europe found themselves in a crowded hell of delays and long lines Saturday night at the 13 airports selected to handle their incoming flights under new rules enacted by the Trump administration to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
John F. Kennedy, Newark and O’Hare international airports — three of the 13 airports selected to handle the flights — had massive crowds and hours-long waits as they attempted to return to the states.
“Just waiting in a very long line with thousands of people to clear Customs at JFK T4. Not sure who’s really taking things seriously,” tweeted Jake Vinson with photos of a sea of people waiting in line.
Vice President Mike Pence announced the new policy Thursday in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 — but the crowds only heightened flyers’ anxiety around the deadly virus.
“People coming from everywhere packed together without enough distancing & waiting for at least an hour… like a giant Petri dish,” tweeted Claudia Gonzaga from JFK.
Flyers at Newark were equally bothered.
“So the enhanced screening for #COVIDー19 also includes having everyone trying to get home from int’l flights stand super close together in massively long lines at customs? Cool, cool. Just making sure,” Lindsey Irwin posted.
Waits were so long at O’Hare that airport staff were handing out water and food to the mobs of people.
“The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote.
Each airport attributed the lines to the “enhanced screening procedures” Pence and the federal government had put in place as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases climb in Europe and the U.S.
“The enhanced screening procedures have been established by our federal partners @CDCgov and @CBPNewYorkCity,” tweeted the official account for JFK. “They are working hard to process all passengers as quickly as they can. Thank you for your continued patience.”
The screenings target all passengers flying from the 26 European countries of the Schengen area, as well as anyone returning from China and Iran. Those passengers are also ordered to self-quarantine for two weeks.
“I understand this new process will be disruptive to some travelers, however, this action is needed to protect the general public from further exposure and spread of the coronavirus,” said Chad Wolf, the acting secretary Department of Homeland Security, when the policy was announced last week.


newyorkpost--2020-03-15--How YouTube can be salvation in coronavirus sports desert

The Knicks , apparently , have finally gotten around to organizing a ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
We are all looking for ways to Fill the Void right now. There are missions both noble (for me: clean the attic!) and trivial (for me: filling inexplicable pop-culture voids by planned binge-watching of “The Simpsons” and “The Office”).
We can pretend to be excited if we can pull in a cricket match somewhere deep in our channel lineup (I’ve actually covered a cricket match in my day, and I still have no idea what’s happening), or if the odd bowling tournament should happen upon our screen.
We are, of course, fortunate to live in a time of YouTube, so that means there is no reason to go cold turkey in this time of sporting absence. A few helpful readers, notably Marc Aronin, have suggested what I think is the perfect solution: Take advantage of the times we live in, find a full game on YouTube, and watch one per day.
I’ll start with Marc’s picks for how he spent his Thursday and Friday night. I endorse both. The ones that follow are also available, in their entirety, by doing a basic search on YouTube. You will no doubt find others. Hey, it isn’t perfect, but what about out world right now is?
Super Bowl XXV: Look, if you’re a Giants fan, you can kill a whole week sitting back and watching Big Blue play in five Super Bowls (they’re all available) — and only one of those will end badly (and since that one was, in essence, over before it began, no harm, no foul). But XXV — from Whitney Houston’s forever “Star-Spangled Banner” on — remains gripping, all these years later, even if you know all the details by heart.
LJ’s Four-Point Play Game: Also known as Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference finals, when Larry Johnson’s late 3-pointer (aided by a phantom foul) helped the Knicks beat the Pacers. Notable not only for a quick reminder of what the Garden is supposed to look and sound like at this time of the year, but also for Bill Walton’s unique game-long commentary, which is an underrated national treasure.
1985 NCAA Championship Game: Maybe you have to be a certain age to understand just how thrilling Villanova 66, Georgetown 64 was, but watching this start to finish gives you a pretty good sense. The Hoyas show just enough of themselves early to give a taste of just how dominant they were, then, in the second half, the Wildcats simply refuse to miss. Ever. By game’s end, even 35 years later, you wonder who’s doing all the yelling and you realize it’s you.
1978 American League East playoff: The images are all timeless by now — Old Man Yaz’s early home run off Ron Guidry, Bucky Dent’s homer, Goose Gossage popping up Yaz to end it. But the old Ch. 11 broadcast is timeless, from Bill White’s “Deep to LEFT!” call of the homer to Scooter Rizzuto not even bothering to slip on an objective mask, his fandom on display for the world to see.
Game 6, part 1: That would be the ’86 NLCS, Mets 7, Astros 6. Some have called it the Greatest Game Ever Played. Here’s all I know: It is impossible not to know every detail of the game already. And yet the Mets’ stirring comeback in the ninth, and Jesse Orosco barely hanging on in the 16th, still gets the heart pounding the way it did back on Oct. 15, 1986.
Game 6, part 2: Of course, 10 nights later this happened. And Vin Scully describes it thusly, forever: “Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!”
Game 7, 1970 NBA Finals: From the moment the great Jack Twyman spots Willis Reed coming out of the tunnel until the moment the Knicks sprint off the Garden floor with their first NBA title, it is a reminder that all the poetry we’ve heard about that ’70 Knicks team was absolutely gospel truth.
Game 6, 1976 ABA Finals: The last game ever played in that red-white-and-blue league, and it offers a rare glimpse of just how much fun that league was with two peerless players — Julius Erving for the Nets, David Thompson for the Nuggets — at the absolute top of their game. Steve Albert on the call, a nice bonus.
Super Bowl III: You’ve seen the NFL Films highlights ad nauseam. Watching the whole game offers insight as to just what a brilliant game Joe Namath played. And the whole time it seems like the great Curt Gowdy can’t believe what he’s watching.
Start with these. Maybe we’ll add a few others in the weeks to come. Enjoy!
Vac’s Whacks
In these trying times, I am fairly certain that all I need are the essentials in life: food, water and @Super70sSports.
It should be lost on no one that in a year when zero — maybe less than that — was expected from St. John’s, the Johnnies managed to go 17-15 and maintain Mike Anderson’s streak of 18 winning seasons in 18 years as a head coach. Things are going to be bright on Utopia Parkway for many years to come.
Joe Mihalich at Hofstra, Steve Pikiell at Rutgers and Kevin Willard at Seton Hall would be the first to tell you that if you’re going to feel empathy for anyone, direct it toward their players who missed out on this year’s NCAA Tournament. And that is fair. And it is also absolutely right to point out just how much top-shelf coaching was on display throughout the area this college hoops season. Many coaches at the very top of their craft.
In lieu of any actual March Madness this year, may I recommend the latest gem from college basketball’s poet laureate, John Feinstein: “The Back Roads to March.”
Whack Back at Vac
Steven Schafler: I never thought I would say this but … I wouldn’t mind watching a Knicks game right now.
Vac: My kingdom for an indoor lacrosse game. Just one.
Eric Vetter: Ugh. Now we’ll have to stand on the streets and yell “Sell the team!! Sell the team!!” instead of at Madison Square Garden.
Vac: If ever I worried about the resilience of the New York sports fan in the face of this sporting blackout … worry is over. You guys are the best. Ever.
@j_ducketts: Can MLB Network just run a constant loop of the Astros getting brushed back in spring training — kind of like “24 Hours of ‘Christmas Story’ ” on WTBS?
@MikeVacc: I know one team that wouldn’t mind spending the season playing in empty ballparks, how about you?
Christopher Bogner: The Yankees are so flummoxed by their recent rash of injuries, I hear they’ve hired a new medical team — Drs. Howard, Fine and Howard. And they may call in Dr. Seuss for a second opinion.
Vac: Remember the good old days — like last week — when this seemed like the most pressing stuff in the universe? I miss the good old days.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Liga MX is last North American soccer league standing

Major League Soccer is suspending its season for 30 days ...

With Major League Soccer announcing a 30-day suspension of their season Thursday because of the coronavirus, Mexico’s top soccer leagues were primed to be the closest outlet to play games in front of fans.
On Saturday afternoon, Liga MX reversed course in a preventive measure against the virus by agreeing to hold men’s and women’s top division games behind a closed-door policy to fans. The men’s top division Liga MX, along with the Liga MX Femenil women’s division and second men’s division Ascenso MX, will play to empty stadiums because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Four men’s games on Saturday and three more on Sunday will be closed to the public. Two Liga MX men’s games had been played Friday, with one match featuring Club Tijuana’s 3-2 victory over Pachuca broadcast last night on Fox Sports 2.
“The LIGA MX/ASCENSO MX reports that, as a preventive and prudent measure, the Ministry of Health of the Federal Government and the League agreed that the matches of Day 10 of the LIGA BBVA MX and LIGA BBVA MX Women, Day 8 of ASCENSO BBVA MX, as well as the Basic Forces Tournaments, will be played behind closed doors,” a Liga MX statement said.
“We will continue in constant communication with the Ministry of Health to attend to their recommendations and, of course, health and prevention measures will continue to be carried out in the stadiums for players, club staff and the media.”
Liga MX’s announcement to play games without any fans present was a similar policy to the ones expected to be enacted by Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue One for this weekend’s games. But those leagues reversed course on Friday to suspend the season until further notice.
The Premier League in England was scheduled to play in front of fans, but then suspended all matches after an emergency meeting held on Friday afternoon once news came out that Arsenal manager Mike Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The only European leagues currently playing are the Russian Premier League and the Super League of Turkey.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Tom Brady’s choice is a simple one — if it’s about winning

One of Tom Brady ’ s former teammates thinks there ’ s at least ...

It was nearly 10 years ago when LeBron James sat across from Jim Gray on ESPN with children from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Conn., seated in the background.
It was trumpeted as “The Decision,” and it had the NBA on pins and needles waiting for its transcendent free agent in his prime to change the face of the league and alter the balance of power.
The Decision comes now to the NFL, as the legal tampering period arrives Monday.
Tom Brady won’t be announcing that he is taking his talents to South Beach.
Whatever he will announce will send shock waves through the league and potentially precipitate a frenzied game of quarterback musical chairs.
LeBron had yet to win a championship when he left his hometown Cavaliers after eight seasons to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, going on to win two with the Heat.
“I feel like it’s gonna give me the best opportunity to win, and to win for multiple years. … I want to be able to win championships,” he told Gray.
It is much different for Brady. For reasons known only to him, he has yearned to dip his toes in the free agent waters for the first time. GOATs have suitors, even GOATs who turn 43 in August.
His idol, Joe Montana, was 37 when he left the 49ers for the Chiefs in a futile attempt to capture a fifth Super Bowl championship. So Brady knows the grass isn’t always greener. The landscape is littered with examples, in every sport.
Brady saying goodbye after 20 seasons in New England — after six Super Bowl championships, after 541 regular-season TD passes, after 249 wins against 75 losses (.769 winning percentage) — would deflate New England in a way only Bill Russell, Larry Bird or Ted Williams leaving would have. Shame on fans who might feel compelled to burn TB12’s jersey should he decide he is taking Gisele’s talents elsewhere.
But where?
Chargers?
Brady would seamlessly replace Philip Rivers (and Tyrod Taylor) and be a box-office boon for spanking new SoFi Stadium. But former Brady teammate Willie McGinest said the following on “The Dave Dameshek Football Program” podcast in December: “Somebody really important to Tom Brady … who he spends every day with … his other half … doesn’t like it out here in California.” But Brady did launch a Hollywood production company, for what it’s worth.
There are weapons in wide receiver Keenan Allen, pass-catching running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Hunter Henry. Something for Tom Terrific to consider: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are on the schedule twice every season.
Raiders?
If Brady is a fan of impressionist comedian Frank Caliendo, he might be intrigued by helping Jon Gruden make a splash in his new Las Vegas digs — which would precipitate a Derek Carr trade, perhaps to the Patriots.
Any quarterback would salivate over the prospect of throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and playing for an offensive guru like Bruce Arians. And nearly $80 million in salary-cap space always helps. But there is a growing sense Teddy Bridgewater will be the designated successor to Jameis Winston.
Titans?
Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel won three Super Bowls with Brady and got to the 2019 AFC Championship. The Titans’ ground-and-pound attack will continue if free-agent RB bulldozer Derrick Henry stays. But there is late momentum for Comeback Player of the Year Ryan Tannehill to return.
49ers?
Next question.
Patriots?
Thought you’d never ask.
I’ve tried to identify possible reasons why Brady would want to leave the greatest NFL dynasty:
1. He’s grown tired of Bill Belichick. The growing influence of Alex Guerrero, Brady’s body coach and friend, rubbed Belichick the wrong way back in 2017. It didn’t stop Belichick and Brady from winning Super Bowl LIII together.
2. He wants to be more appreciated. Belichick hasn’t said, “There’s no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady,” as often as he once did. All the offseason silence from Belichick has been deafening.
3. He wants Robert Kraft to show him the money. Brady has made a fortune, but was cheap labor compared to other franchise quarterbacks for the sake of a better supporting cast.
4. He wants to prove he can win a Super Bowl without Belichick, his GOAT counterpart.
5. He grew disillusioned because Julian Edelman was his only trustworthy receiver after Rob Gronkowski retired and Antonio Brown lasted one game.
6. He’s afraid of the Jets. (Just kidding.)
It may be that Belichick has been waiting for the new CBA to be agreed upon before he makes his move. Kraft doesn’t want Brady going anywhere. The unanswered questions are how much does Belichick still believe in Brady, and would Brady buy in if and when Belichick promises to shop for better groceries for him before they cook the meal together one more time?
If Brady wants to win a championship, or championships, The Decision should be: Once a Patriot, always a Patriot.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Bernie Sanders’ student loan bailout faces scrutiny

Don ’ t call him Crazy Bernie — at least in front of student-debt-laden college grads .
Many of them are banking on Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to honor his pledge to abolish the nation ’ s $ 1.7 trillion in student debt by taxing Wall Street .
Sanders , whose prospects as the Democratic nominee are fading , has a controversial bailout proposal that may be responsible for a big share of his support among the 45 million Americans with student loans , political analysts say .
And regardless of the November election outcome , the Vermont senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student debt crisis is now a major campaign issue , front and center , these analysts add .
On Friday , in a nod to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on student loan borrowers , President Trump announced a waiver on interest on student loans owed to federal agencies until further notice .
“ We are supporters of any programs that reduce student loan debt , ” said Michael Bloch , a young businessman who heads the startup Pillar in New York , which helps people manage student loans .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bloch ’ s wife graduated from law school with over $ 300,000 in student loans — and he wasn ’ t too far behind .
“ I was staring down the prospect of $ 250,000 in student loans on top of her loans , ” Bloch told The Post .
“ So I ultimately decided to drop out of business school.
” Sanders ’ student relief manifesto is a massive tax and spend giveaway for student loan borrowers like Bloch and his wife , analysts note .
But Sanders ’ bold plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and analysts have questioned who would really benefit .
His campaign said the plan will be bankrolled to the tune of $ 2.4 trillion over 10 years , by a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades , or 50 cents on each $ 100 of stock ; a 0.1 percent charge on bond trades ; and a 0.05 percent fee on derivative transactions .
“ A decade ago , America committed trillions of dollars to bail out Wall Street banks , whose greed had cratered the economy , ” according to Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to commit a fraction of that to cancel the student debt that is crushing 45 million Americans and dragging down our economy.
” In reality , says Street veteran and industry consultant Bill Harts , the taxes imposed under the plan would be paid by customers .
“ Sanders ’ scheme is actually a tax on the pensions and retirement plans of every single cop , firefighter and teacher in the country , ” Harts told The Post .
“ It ’ s just a bad idea.
” Harts said it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for other seemingly well-intended purposes .
“ When you buy a car , the dealer doesn ’ t pay the tax , you do , ” he said .
“ When you buy gas , the oil company doesn ’ t pay the tax , you do .
And when your pension plan buys stocks , it sure as heck won ’ t be Wall Street that pays the tax.
” The Sanders plan could actually exacerbate economic inequality , analysts say .
“ The majority of the benefit is for people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians , lawyers , dentists , and others , as they have the highest salaries , ” said Travis Hornsby , CEO at Student Loan Planner .
“ Those with the smallest balances and who have lower salaries would benefit the least.
” There are other concerns .
“ Forgiveness sounds great , but then what about the student who gets a loan the day after the forgiveness ?
” said Wes Shannon of SJK Financial Planning .
Bloch is not waiting for Sanders to fix the student loan mess .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of Americans , ” explained Bloch , whose Pillar recently launched an app to help users determine the most cost-saving way to pay off loans .
“ Student loans are at the forefront of the national conversation and among the political candidates , ” he added , “ so I am personally excited to see it talked about at the level it is .
”

Don’t call him Crazy Bernie — at least in front of student-debt-laden college grads.
Many of them are banking on Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to honor his pledge to abolish the nation’s $1.7 trillion in student debt by taxing Wall Street.
Sanders, whose prospects as the Democratic nominee are fading, has a controversial bailout proposal that may be responsible for a big share of his support among the 45 million Americans with student loans, political analysts say. And regardless of the November election outcome, the Vermont senator has shifted the political goalposts: The student debt crisis is now a major campaign issue, front and center, these analysts add.
On Friday, in a nod to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on student loan borrowers, President Trump announced a waiver on interest on student loans owed to federal agencies until further notice.
“We are supporters of any programs that reduce student loan debt,” said Michael Bloch, a young businessman who heads the startup Pillar in New York, which helps people manage student loans. He recalls the stress of borrowing for education. Bloch’s wife graduated from law school with over $300,000 in student loans — and he wasn’t too far behind.
“I was staring down the prospect of $250,000 in student loans on top of her loans,” Bloch told The Post. “So I ultimately decided to drop out of business school.”
Sanders’ student relief manifesto is a massive tax and spend giveaway for student loan borrowers like Bloch and his wife, analysts note.
But Sanders’ bold plan has raised a ruckus on Wall Street, and analysts have questioned who would really benefit.
His campaign said the plan will be bankrolled to the tune of $2.4 trillion over 10 years, by a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades, or 50 cents on each $100 of stock; a 0.1 percent charge on bond trades; and a 0.05 percent fee on derivative transactions.
“A decade ago, America committed trillions of dollars to bail out Wall Street banks, whose greed had cratered the economy,” according to Sanders. “Now, it is time to commit a fraction of that to cancel the student debt that is crushing 45 million Americans and dragging down our economy.”
In reality, says Street veteran and industry consultant Bill Harts, the taxes imposed under the plan would be paid by customers. “Sanders’ scheme is actually a tax on the pensions and retirement plans of every single cop, firefighter and teacher in the country,” Harts told The Post. “It’s just a bad idea.”
Harts said it’s the same principle whenever taxes are used for other seemingly well-intended purposes. “When you buy a car, the dealer doesn’t pay the tax, you do,” he said. “When you buy gas, the oil company doesn’t pay the tax, you do. And when your pension plan buys stocks, it sure as heck won’t be Wall Street that pays the tax.”
The Sanders plan could actually exacerbate economic inequality, analysts say.
“The majority of the benefit is for people with the highest amounts of debt, including physicians, lawyers, dentists, and others, as they have the highest salaries,” said Travis Hornsby, CEO at Student Loan Planner. “Those with the smallest balances and who have lower salaries would benefit the least.”
There are other concerns.
“Forgiveness sounds great, but then what about the student who gets a loan the day after the forgiveness?” said Wes Shannon of SJK Financial Planning.
Bloch is not waiting for Sanders to fix the student loan mess. “We realized this was a huge problem for millions of Americans,” explained Bloch, whose Pillar recently launched an app to help users determine the most cost-saving way to pay off loans.
“Student loans are at the forefront of the national conversation and among the political candidates,” he added, “so I am personally excited to see it talked about at the level it is.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--New Zealand mourns 1st anniversary of Christchurch mosque massacre

New Zealand marks the grim first anniversary Sunday of the Christchurch mosque massacre — but while coronavirus concerns led to the canceling of an official remembrance service , a crowd still gathered to sing and dance in honor of the 51 dead .
The canceled event had been expected to draw large crowds to honor those killed last March 15 at the Masjid An-Nur mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center , allegedly by white supremacist Brenton Tarrant , 29 .
“ We ’ re very saddened to cancel , but in remembering such a terrible tragedy , we shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being done , ” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement on Saturday , The Guardian reported .
Muslim mourners were still seen sorrowfully greeting each other Sunday at the Masjid An-Nur mosque , with young girls from the Marlborough Girls College in Blenheim holding hands and singing at its entrance .
The Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu Motorcycle Club also lent its support , taking selfies with survivors of the tragedy .
The Australian accused gunman is now facing terrorism charges , as well as 51 charges of murder and 40 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go on trial in June .
The small country has seen an influx of private jets arriving as billionaires worldwide seek a coronavirus safe haven , New Zealand Herald reported .
The country has also issued some of the toughest border restrictions , forcing everyone coming in to isolate themselves for 14 days .
New Zealand reportedly has six coronavirus cases , according to data from Johns Hopkins University which has been tracking the pandemic .
Ardern attended a joint prayer with members of the two mosques on Friday .

New Zealand marks the grim first anniversary Sunday of the Christchurch mosque massacre — but while coronavirus concerns led to the canceling of an official remembrance service, a crowd still gathered to sing and dance in honor of the 51 dead.
The canceled event had been expected to draw large crowds to honor those killed last March 15 at the Masjid An-Nur mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center, allegedly by white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 29.
“We’re very saddened to cancel, but in remembering such a terrible tragedy, we shouldn’t create the risk of further harm being done,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement on Saturday, The Guardian reported.
Muslim mourners were still seen sorrowfully greeting each other Sunday at the Masjid An-Nur mosque, with young girls from the Marlborough Girls College in Blenheim holding hands and singing at its entrance.
The Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu Motorcycle Club also lent its support, taking selfies with survivors of the tragedy.
The Australian accused gunman is now facing terrorism charges, as well as 51 charges of murder and 40 for attempted murder. He is expected to go on trial in June.
The small country has seen an influx of private jets arriving as billionaires worldwide seek a coronavirus safe haven, New Zealand Herald reported. The country has also issued some of the toughest border restrictions, forcing everyone coming in to isolate themselves for 14 days.
New Zealand reportedly has six coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University which has been tracking the pandemic.
Ardern attended a joint prayer with members of the two mosques on Friday.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Nets coach search may included Kyrie Irving favorite Tyronn Lue

Now that the NBA has suspended its season because of ...

Whenever the coronavirus pandemic slows and the world regains some semblance of normalcy, the Nets will ostensibly have a season to play and eventually a coaching decision to make.
If interim coach Jacque Vaughn doesn’t get the full-time job, a prime candidate is expected to be Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue — who already has positive history with Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris.
The Nets parted ways with coach Kenny Atkinson because his voice stopped carrying weight in the locker room and Irving tuned him out. Whether this suspended season resumes or gets canceled, Vaughn doesn’t have much time to impress. But Lue and Lakers assistant Phil Handy both already have impressed Irving and Harris in Cleveland.
Lue coached both of them with the Cavaliers, first as the associate head coach before being elevated to head coach during the 2015-16 season. Irving capped that season by hitting the game-winner to seal the NBA title for Cleveland, and Lue coached him back to the Finals the next year, too.
Now Irving, according to a Yahoo report, would like to see Lue as the Nets’ next head coach. While that report has been disputed, Irving has won under Lue. And when The Post asked Harris about Lue and Handy, he praised his former coaches, singling out Lue.
“I had nothing but good and positive experiences in my time in Cleveland. It was an unbelievable coaching staff I learned a lot from,” Harris said. “Every time I see those guys — whether it’s at Summer League or when we play against them — good positive interactions with them, guys I had a lot of respect for.”
Handy, who was a developmental coach in Cleveland, is a Lakers assistant now thanks to LeBron James. Irving reportedly tried to get him to Brooklyn last July, and The Post spoke with Handy last week about Irving and the Nets job.
Handy hasn’t been a head coach, but Lue has a far more extensive résumé. The former guard has a 128-83 regular-season mark as a head coach, with three trips to the NBA Finals and a championship under his belt.
“They’re both excellent coaches, Ty Lue especially,” Harris said. “Playing in this league, being an assistant for a long time, just the way he was able to relate with the players, especially just day-to day was pretty unique in terms of a coaching perspective. I always liked that about him, just his ability to jell and mesh with everybody.
“He seemed like, to me, to be one of those guys when he did play he was probably close with everybody in the locker room, just the way he was able to interact with every single guy on the team.”
Considering Atkinson’s fate in Brooklyn — if not outright insurrection, certainly a lack of support from his stars — Lue could be a good fit. He has made The Finals, won titles and managed stars such as Irving, James and Kevin Love. That experience — especially managing in chaos — would be useful in handling Irving and Kevin Durant.
After the Cavaliers traded Irving in 2017, reports emerged about him not speaking to teammates for weeks, taking umbrage over Lue’s suggestion that he get his teammates more involved on offense, and chafing at James’ outsized control over the organization.
Still, Lue made it all work and navigated the choppy waters. If the Nets had reservations about Atkinson’s ability to do that, Lue has already proven he can. And Harris, who spent two years under Lue — the first with Lue as an assistant, the second with him as head coach — specifically praised his ability to relate to players.
Whether he’ll get a chance to do that in Brooklyn remains to be seen. But if he does, the skill will serve him well.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--‘Dear John’ helps make the world a little fairer, reader says

Dear John : I read your column regularly and appreciate what you do to alleviate the unfairness and frustration the average person shares when trying to deal with a business or organization .
I believe there should be a consumer information source that lists the contact info for various organizations that supervise and/or regulate consumer consumption .
Company websites deliberately make it very difficult to get comments to a person , ombudsmen , advocate or corporate executive .
Is there a website where one can post comments across a broad spectrum of media outlets ?
D.Z .
Dear D.Z .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is one road to go .
Post a complaint there , and maybe the company will take notice .
Angie ’ s List and similar sites also help .
And you can always spread the ( bad ) news on Facebook or Twitter .
The list is endless .
In fact , I think it might be a little too easy these days to file a complaint and tarnish someone ’ s reputation .
But this is the most important thing .
Aside from venting your frustrations , I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites are at getting a problem solved .
I ’ m glad The Post is making the world a little fairer with the “ Dear John ” column .
But , really , that ’ s what the media is supposed to do — although I don ’ t think it ’ s done enough in this day and age .

Dear John: I read your column regularly and appreciate what you do to alleviate the unfairness and frustration the average person shares when trying to deal with a business or organization.
I believe there should be a consumer information source that lists the contact info for various organizations that supervise and/or regulate consumer consumption.
Company websites deliberately make it very difficult to get comments to a person, ombudsmen, advocate or corporate executive. Is there a website where one can post comments across a broad spectrum of media outlets? D.Z.
Dear D.Z.: The website Yelp, of course, is one road to go. Post a complaint there, and maybe the company will take notice. Angie’s List and similar sites also help. And you can always spread the (bad) news on Facebook or Twitter. The list is endless.
In fact, I think it might be a little too easy these days to file a complaint and tarnish someone’s reputation.
But this is the most important thing. Aside from venting your frustrations, I’m not sure how much good any of these sites are at getting a problem solved.
I’m glad The Post is making the world a little fairer with the “Dear John” column. But, really, that’s what the media is supposed to do — although I don’t think it’s done enough in this day and age.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Teen killed after jumping out of stolen vehicle pursued by NYPD

A joyride in an allegedly stolen SUV turned into a car-crash tragedy for two teen boys in Morningside Heights on @ @ @ @ @ dying and the other suffering injuries as they tried to elude police .
The victim @ @ @ @ @ lifted the Nissan Pathfinder with a 15-year-old boy , who was at the wheel , @ @ @ @ @ pair were heading west on 116th Street when police say they spotted the SUV running @ @ @ @ @ right onto Morningside Drive .
As police attempted to pull them over , the teenagers @ @ @ @ @ moving Pathfinder , which careened into a parked Ford Fiesta , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ the two vehicles and pronounced dead at the scene , police said .
The 15-year-old @ @ @ @ @ transported to Mount Sinai Saint Luke ’ s Hospital .

A joyride in an allegedly stolen SUV turned into a car-crash tragedy for two teen boys in Morningside Heights on Saturday night, with one dying and the other suffering injuries as they tried to elude police.
The victim, 13, had allegedly lifted the Nissan Pathfinder with a 15-year-old boy, who was at the wheel, according to police.
The pair were heading west on 116th Street when police say they spotted the SUV running a red light and turn right onto Morningside Drive.
As police attempted to pull them over, the teenagers both jumped out of the moving Pathfinder, which careened into a parked Ford Fiesta, police said.
The younger boy was pinned between the two vehicles and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The 15-year-old sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mount Sinai Saint Luke’s Hospital.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--UFC holds full fight card without fans: ‘It was a bit weird’

BRASILIA , Brazil — The UFC staged a full fight card in an empty arena Saturday night in Brazil ’ s capital city , sticking to its plan to keep fighting in the face of the coronavirus pandemic .
Charles Oliveira stopped lightweight Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round of the main event in the UFC ’ s first show since many other sports organizations around the world postponed and canceled competitions .
The world ’ s biggest mixed martial arts promotion held 12 bouts in Brasilia with just the fighters , their camps , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential personnel inside Nilson Nelson Gymnasium .
“ It was a bit weird not having any fans inside the arena , ” said Bea Malecki , a Swedish bantamweight who won a decision over Veronica Macedo in the show ’ s opening bout .
“ But I was able to hear everything my coaches were saying , and it was good .
Sometimes it is so loud out there .
It was a crazy week .
We didn ’ t know if the fight was going to happen or not , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really emotional.
” .
The UFC also plans to stage a show with fans inside London ’ s O2 Arena next weekend , and it intends to hold fan-free shows in Las Vegas on March 28 and April 11 .
UFC President Dana White has claimed the sports world is “ panicking ” with its cancellations .
Oliveira ( 29-8 ) ended the show by finishing Lee ( 18-6 ) , a former lightweight title contender who missed weight for the bout .
Oliveira has won seven straight fights by stoppage , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed through the empty arena .
In the show ’ s penultimate bout , Gilbert Burns knocked out Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia , who hadn ’ t lost by stoppage in 25 fights since August 2009 at UFC 102 .
The absence of fans led to a unique atmosphere .
The UFC still played its fighters ’ walk-in music as they walked to the cage , and ring announcer Joe Martinez declaimed the fighters ’ names with no fans in attendance to hear it .
After conducting an in-cage interview , UFC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd to “ Make some noise !
” The absence of crowd energy perhaps played a role in the card ’ s first nine fights all going to decisions .
Brazil ’ s Jussier Formiga lost a narrow unanimous decision to Mexican lightweight Brandon Moreno in the type of close bout that might have been influenced by thousands of fans cheering for the home fighter .
Lightweight contender Renato Moicano got the card ’ s first stoppage victory nearly 4¹/₂ hours into the show , finishing Damir Hadzovic in 44 seconds with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m very frustrated because today I fought in my hometown , and I don ’ t see nobody , ” Moicano said .
“ I didn ’ t see familiar faces .
I didn ’ t see my family over here .
I don ’ t know what to say.
” The atmosphere outside the arena was equally strange .
The UFC had already erected signage and cordoned off gathering areas normally placed outside venues for fans , but the areas sat unused and empty .
The show was broadcast around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of live sports during what ’ s usually one of the busiest weeks of the international sporting calendar .
The fights were initially scheduled to be aired in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service , but instead were shown live on ESPN .
The 42-year-old Maia ( 28-10 ) , a UFC stalwart since 2007 , had won his last three bouts in a late-career surge .
He was stopped by Burns ( 18-3 ) , a fellow Brazilian who has won five straight fights .
Another touted Brazilian also lost .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to Ukraine ’ s Nikita Krylov for his second straight defeat since a nine-fight winning streak that had moved him into contention for a title shot at Jon Jones .
The UFC has not canceled any events in the wake of the pandemic , going against the plans of nearly all major sports leagues and organizations .
The promotion apparently doesn ’ t plan to ban fans from its event in London next week unless compelled by regulatory officials .
The UFC is also moving its following two events , scheduled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its UFC Apex training complex in Las Vegas , where they will be held without fans .
The events were previously scheduled for Columbus , Ohio , and for Portland , Ore .
The Nevada State Athletic Commission held an emergency meeting Saturday and suspended any scheduled combat sports competition through March 25 , when it will meet again .
The commission said nothing about whether it would allow the UFC to hold its events as planned .
The UFC also still hopes to hold its next pay-per-view event in Brooklyn on April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constant promotion of the event .
UFC 249 would be headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson in a matchup that has been booked four previous times , but canceled each time because of injuries or other circumstances .

BRASILIA, Brazil — The UFC staged a full fight card in an empty arena Saturday night in Brazil’s capital city, sticking to its plan to keep fighting in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles Oliveira stopped lightweight Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round of the main event in the UFC’s first show since many other sports organizations around the world postponed and canceled competitions.
The world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion held 12 bouts in Brasilia with just the fighters, their camps, the television production crew and a few dozen essential personnel inside Nilson Nelson Gymnasium.
“It was a bit weird not having any fans inside the arena,” said Bea Malecki, a Swedish bantamweight who won a decision over Veronica Macedo in the show’s opening bout. “But I was able to hear everything my coaches were saying, and it was good. Sometimes it is so loud out there. It was a crazy week. We didn’t know if the fight was going to happen or not, but we stuck to the plan. It was really emotional.”.
The UFC also plans to stage a show with fans inside London’s O2 Arena next weekend, and it intends to hold fan-free shows in Las Vegas on March 28 and April 11. UFC President Dana White has claimed the sports world is “panicking” with its cancellations.
Oliveira (29-8) ended the show by finishing Lee (18-6), a former lightweight title contender who missed weight for the bout. Oliveira has won seven straight fights by stoppage, and tThe Brazilian veteran’s celebratory screams echoed through the empty arena.
In the show’s penultimate bout, Gilbert Burns knocked out Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Demian Maia, who hadn’t lost by stoppage in 25 fights since August 2009 at UFC 102.
The absence of fans led to a unique atmosphere. The UFC still played its fighters’ walk-in music as they walked to the cage, and ring announcer Joe Martinez declaimed the fighters’ names with no fans in attendance to hear it. After conducting an in-cage interview, UFC broadcaster Michael Bisping instinctively exhorted the absent crowd to “Make some noise!”
The absence of crowd energy perhaps played a role in the card’s first nine fights all going to decisions. Brazil’s Jussier Formiga lost a narrow unanimous decision to Mexican lightweight Brandon Moreno in the type of close bout that might have been influenced by thousands of fans cheering for the home fighter.
Lightweight contender Renato Moicano got the card’s first stoppage victory nearly 4¹/₂ hours into the show, finishing Damir Hadzovic in 44 seconds with a rear naked choke.
“I’m very frustrated because today I fought in my hometown, and I don’t see nobody,” Moicano said. “I didn’t see familiar faces. I didn’t see my family over here. I don’t know what to say.”
The atmosphere outside the arena was equally strange. The UFC had already erected signage and cordoned off gathering areas normally placed outside venues for fans, but the areas sat unused and empty.
The show was broadcast around the world, and it filled a yawning void of live sports during what’s usually one of the busiest weeks of the international sporting calendar. The fights were initially scheduled to be aired in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service, but instead were shown live on ESPN.
The 42-year-old Maia (28-10), a UFC stalwart since 2007, had won his last three bouts in a late-career surge. He was stopped by Burns (18-3), a fellow Brazilian who has won five straight fights.
Another touted Brazilian also lost. Light heavyweight Johnny Walker surrendered a one-sided decision to Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov for his second straight defeat since a nine-fight winning streak that had moved him into contention for a title shot at Jon Jones.
The UFC has not canceled any events in the wake of the pandemic, going against the plans of nearly all major sports leagues and organizations. The promotion apparently doesn’t plan to ban fans from its event in London next week unless compelled by regulatory officials.
The UFC is also moving its following two events, scheduled for March 28 and April 11, to its UFC Apex training complex in Las Vegas, where they will be held without fans. The events were previously scheduled for Columbus, Ohio, and for Portland, Ore.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission held an emergency meeting Saturday and suspended any scheduled combat sports competition through March 25, when it will meet again. The commission said nothing about whether it would allow the UFC to hold its events as planned.
The UFC also still hopes to hold its next pay-per-view event in Brooklyn on April 18, and the television broadcast included constant promotion of the event. UFC 249 would be headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson in a matchup that has been booked four previous times, but canceled each time because of injuries or other circumstances.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Credit card age is often considered — even if it’s been closed

I thought I ’ d briefly point out that our models do in many cases consider the credit history and age of closed credit card accounts .
As with many things , it depends on what else resides in a person ’ s credit file .
But it is not correct to state that the age of the closed credit card account is not considered universally .
I have connected with Ted Rossman [ from CreditCards.com , who was quoted in the column ] and he understands the nuance .
Dear Jeff : Thanks for the clarification .
Since VantageScore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives people their credit scores , I guess you would know .
Readers : I ’ m going to leave the Nano hearing aid giveaway open for a few more days .
But already there are over 800 people who have requested a pair of the free devices .
Here , again , are the rules : If you need hearing aids and can ’ t afford them , tell us your story in an email to TheNanoHearingAidGiveaway @ nanohearingaids.com .
Request deadline is March 18 .
Representatives from Nano will decide who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inability to buy them for yourself .
Please send emails to that address only .
Don ’ t email me .
Don ’ t call me .
Don ’ t send me a letter .
I will not forward your requests .
You ’ ll know soon the lucky winners of the Nano hearing aids .
The company will only notify the people who won .

Dear John: Jeff Richardson here from VantageScore.
I thought I’d briefly point out that our models do in many cases consider the credit history and age of closed credit card accounts. As with many things, it depends on what else resides in a person’s credit file.
But it is not correct to state that the age of the closed credit card account is not considered universally. I have connected with Ted Rossman [from CreditCards.com, who was quoted in the column] and he understands the nuance.
Dear Jeff: Thanks for the clarification.
Since VantageScore is one of the leading organizations that gives people their credit scores, I guess you would know.
Readers: I’m going to leave the Nano hearing aid giveaway open for a few more days. But already there are over 800 people who have requested a pair of the free devices.
Here, again, are the rules: If you need hearing aids and can’t afford them, tell us your story in an email to TheNanoHearingAidGiveaway@nanohearingaids.com. Request deadline is March 18.
Representatives from Nano will decide who gets the devices based on need and inability to buy them for yourself.
Please send emails to that address only. Don’t email me. Don’t call me. Don’t send me a letter. I will not forward your requests.
You’ll know soon the lucky winners of the Nano hearing aids. The company will only notify the people who won.
Good luck.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--How much will oil crash impact Elon Musk’s e-car company Tesla?

Tesla stock is being battered along with the rest of the market , but how significantly will the crash in the price of oil impact the electric-car company ?
Alternative fuel plays almost always head south when oil gets cheaper , and that is likely to be exacerbated if consumer spending contracts .
Will 2020 go down as the year the reviled ( in some circles ) Tesla short sellers get proven correct ?
So far , the short sellers are losing their bets that the stock will decline catastrophically .
While Tesla stock is currently down more than 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feb. 1 — when it closed at around $ 667 — the drop is hardly any more pronounced than the rest of the market , and even its current price is about twice the $ 279 quoted in early March 2019 .
“ We ’ ll likely never come out ahead [ on the Tesla short ] as I reduced the position size considerably in January , ” admits Mark Spiegel , who began betting against the automaker in 2015 .
But he says he is still awaiting vindication .
“ We remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which I still consider to be the biggest single stock bubble in this whole bubble market , ” Spiegel wrote in a Feb. 28 Stanphyl Capital monthly newsletter , issued just ahead of the bursting of the bubble market .
Now that the bubble has burst , Spiegel says he still expects Tesla stock to tank , citing the troubles in China , weak revenues and the entrance of big automakers like BMW and Audi into the electric car competition .
Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research agreed , noting , “ Lower gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As gas goes down to $ 1.50 , not as many people will want to buy electric cars , and at the same time a credit crunch will mean that fewer people will be able to finance them .
“ This whole halo around Elon Musk is going to disappear , ” Johnson added , predicting that Tesla will fall to less than $ 200 this year and around $ 90 in 2021 .

Tesla stock is being battered along with the rest of the market, but how significantly will the crash in the price of oil impact the electric-car company?
Alternative fuel plays almost always head south when oil gets cheaper, and that is likely to be exacerbated if consumer spending contracts. Will 2020 go down as the year the reviled (in some circles) Tesla short sellers get proven correct?
So far, the short sellers are losing their bets that the stock will decline catastrophically. While Tesla stock is currently down more than 16 percent from the level it attained on Feb. 1 — when it closed at around $667 — the drop is hardly any more pronounced than the rest of the market, and even its current price is about twice the $279 quoted in early March 2019.
“We’ll likely never come out ahead [on the Tesla short] as I reduced the position size considerably in January,” admits Mark Spiegel, who began betting against the automaker in 2015.
But he says he is still awaiting vindication.
“We remain short Tesla Inc. (TSLA), which I still consider to be the biggest single stock bubble in this whole bubble market,” Spiegel wrote in a Feb. 28 Stanphyl Capital monthly newsletter, issued just ahead of the bursting of the bubble market.
Now that the bubble has burst, Spiegel says he still expects Tesla stock to tank, citing the troubles in China, weak revenues and the entrance of big automakers like BMW and Audi into the electric car competition.
Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research agreed, noting, “Lower gas prices are very bad for alternative energy. As gas goes down to $1.50, not as many people will want to buy electric cars, and at the same time a credit crunch will mean that fewer people will be able to finance them.
“This whole halo around Elon Musk is going to disappear,” Johnson added, predicting that Tesla will fall to less than $200 this year and around $90 in 2021.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Miami beaches close early to keep spring breakers from spreading coronavirus

Spring Break Miami now has a buzz-killing curfew — courtesy of the coronavirus .
Officials are closing the most popular @ @ @ @ @ daily to keep partying college students from spreading the contagion , Miami Beach Mayor Dan @ @ @ @ @ Morales announced Saturday .
The move is one in a host of measures the city @ @ @ @ @ gatherings .
“ It would be irresponsible for us not to limit crowd sizes in @ @ @ @ @ only for our residents and visitors , but for the health and safety of our @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Miami Beach has also banned restaurants and nightclubs from hosting @ @ @ @ @ a time and has reopened sections of Ocean Drive that are typically closed to accommodate @ @ @ @ @ Police will be deployed to enforce the beach curfew between Seventh and Tenth Streets , @ @ @ @ @ groups from gathering at the beachfront Lummus Park .
Map of coronavirus cases in the @

Spring Break Miami now has a buzz-killing curfew — courtesy of the coronavirus.
Officials are closing the most popular city beaches at 5 p.m. daily to keep partying college students from spreading the contagion, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and City Manager Jimmy Morales announced Saturday.
The move is one in a host of measures the city is taking to limit large gatherings.
“It would be irresponsible for us not to limit crowd sizes in these public areas. Not only for our residents and visitors, but for the health and safety of our first responders,” Gelber said in a statement.
Miami Beach has also banned restaurants and nightclubs from hosting more than 250 people at a time and has reopened sections of Ocean Drive that are typically closed to accommodate larger spring break crowds.
Police will be deployed to enforce the beach curfew between Seventh and Tenth Streets, with officers also stopping large groups from gathering at the beachfront Lummus Park.
Map of coronavirus cases in the US


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--‘An eerie feeling’: Ernie Accorsi talks Giants and sports after 9/11

If you could do it all over again , would you ?
...

Longtime Giants exec/GM Ernie Accorsi, who brought Eli Manning to the Big Apple and built the foundation for the Super Bowl XLII champions, discusses how the coronavirus outbreak compares with 9/11, how the team and nation healed after that attack, and what it was like to be without sports for that short period of time.
Q: As the GM of the New York Football Giants on 9/11, how would you compare the fear around the city then to the fear now over the coronavirus?
A: I think the fear now is greater because it’s the fear of the unknown. It was always a chance there was gonna be another attack, but nobody knows how far this is gonna go. You had some fear, but you felt that the country was so fortified after that, so vigilant after that … sure there could have been another attack, but we had some defense for it. Right now, we don’t have any defense. Nobody knows what’s gonna happen.
Q: How do you expect New Yorkers to deal with this?
A: I’ve been there 26 years now, and I live in the city. They’re resilient, they’re tough. I have no doubt that they’ll lead the nation as far as strength through this. New Yorkers are tough people.
Q: Sports was our diversion, a salvation of sorts after 9/11. What do we do now?
A: There’s no game plan, because we haven’t been through anything like this. I was thinking [recently], the famous letter that Judge Landis wrote to Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Mr. President, do you want me to stop playing baseball?” And Roosevelt wrote him back and said, “No the public needs baseball. I want you to continue to play baseball.” The NFL wasn’t that big in the ’40s. At that time, baseball was the staple of sports in this country. But this is the first time we don’t have that. There’s nothing to watch. And it’s not that sports are that important, but there’s nothing to take your mind off of it.
Q: You’ll miss baseball more than anything, right?
A: March Madness I’ll miss a lot, I love that. … You always had baseball, every day you get up … it’s like a companion.
Q: You’re at your Hershey [Pa.] home with your son Michael. How scared are you?
A: If you’re over 75, it’s a serious matter. Well I’m 78.
Q: What happened after the Giants flew back to Newark Airport from the Sept. 10, 2001 Monday night opener in Denver?
The Maras and Bob Papa and some other people went right to their cars for home — the team went on the bus back to the Stadium — and they walked right by the gate where the terrorists were boarding the next flight. And that was the flight I’m pretty sure that crashed into Pennsylvania.
Q: Giants PR director Pat Hanlon alerted you back at the office to the first plane hitting the tower?
A: Dave Gettleman [then the Giants’ pro personnel director] and I walked down to the parking lot to get a closer look at this with our binoculars, and I saw the United Airlines flight bank around, and I said to Dave, “The plane’s awful close to this thing.” I didn’t see it hit. We walked back in and then Hanlon said, “The second plane hit.” So that night, Hanlon and I and the guy they called “The Commish,” who was there since World War II who was like a clubhouse guy and was retired, the three of us couldn’t get home, because Hanlon and I lived in Manhattan, he lived in Staten Island. I think I slept on my couch, and Hanlon and The Commish slept downstairs. The next night, Hanlon and I were able to get home. It took us forever.
Q: You were supposed to play the Packers at home in Week 2?
A: We didn’t know whether we were gonna play or not. We then heard a rumor, no official word, that they were gonna send us to Green Bay. Jason Sehorn was the player rep. He said, “We are not playing.”
Q: And the Week 2 games were canceled.
A: I remember the Sunday after 9/11, which was the day there was no football. It was also an incredibly beautiful autumn day, and Joel Bussert [former NFL senior vice president of player personnel/football operations] and [sportscaster] Dick Stockton and I met for breakfast and took a long walk. We walked all around town. It was an eerie feeling. First of all, it’s an eerie feeling to have a fall Sunday and you’re not playing football. It was quiet, there weren’t a lot of people around.
Q: The next day you took a bus to Ground Zero.
A: We had a group of players, and Mr. [Wellington] Mara and I, Pat Hanlon — no coaches, ’cause they were preparing at that point. Smoke was still fuming, and the Chief of Police of the Southern District of Manhattan, Mike Esposito, met us and we were walking through the rubble. And [backup quarterback] Jason Garrett was there. And it was amazing the reaction of the workers, the first responders, when they saw those guys. Mr. Mara was the main attraction, and they were all yelling at him, good wishes and, “Go Giants.” They were cheering us on, like, “You gotta win this week,” and, “Go beat the Chiefs.” The things the fans say. It was so helpful to them. Mike Esposito took us all the way through all that rubble. We went to about five or six fire stations all through Manhattan. Everybody was in shock. There was a lot of emotion. … The fact that it was so close — from our practice field you could still see the smoke. When you saw these poor men and what they were going through … it was just very emotional. You lived through it, you know the impact of that whole day. None of us has ever gotten over it, really.
Q: Describe resuming play in Week 3.
A: Listen, I don’t play and I don’t coach, but I never felt so much pressure about a game that we had to win. We had to win that game, and our players knew that. We had to give the city, the fans, something. It was a lot like [Mike] Piazza’s homer, he had to give ’em something to cheer for. That’s probably the worst thing that those of us lived through and ever went through. It’s amazing the value, and what a relief that sports becomes at a time like that. And I was thinking about that [this week] — we don’t have sports to fall back on. … I remember the day of my dad’s funeral, I remember Mike Schmidt had four home runs. I was in my mother’s house, and that time got me through the day. You always had sports. That’s why I felt that “We have to win this game.” New York teams aren’t necessarily loved in other cities. When we came out on the field, we got a standing ovation, from the Kansas City fans. And then when we won the game, when we left the field we got a standing ovation again.
Q: How do you think the NFL will handle free agency?
A: That player that tested positive [the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert] changed everything. In an instant. So you don’t know what’s gonna happen. I’m sure they’re on alert to do what they have to do. It’s so fluid that I have no idea what’s gonna happen.
Q: You had lots of good free-agent signings.
A: Dave Gettleman was a big factor. He was a tremendous evaluator of talent. I always said about Dave, “He could find players.” If I really liked a player, I always ran it by Dave.
Q: Describe offensive tackle Lomas Brown.
A: We didn’t have a left tackle. He was a veteran, he had been around, we were only gonna get a year or two out of him, but he got us through that year [2000].
Q: Offensive lineman Glenn Parker?
A: He was a tough street fighter.
Q: Linebacker Micheal Barrow?
A: During that era, nobody put out more winning football players than the University of Miami. He was a classic tough, smart, University of Miami player.
Q: Linebacker Antonio Pierce?
A: Marty Schottenheimer got fired by the Redskins. We were thinking about Pierce, Dave and I, and [Schottenheimer] told me, “Sign Antonio Pierce but put him in the middle. I played him out of position. He can be a great middle linebacker. He’ll run your defense.” He and Plaxico [Burgess] were our two best signings.
Q: Center Shaun O’Hara?
A: He’s one of those guys you could trust him, you could depend on him. That was an under-the-radar signing.
Q: Offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie?
A: A couple of people took shots at us that we overpaid for him, we did not as it turned out. He was not an overachiever, he was a good athlete. He was a good player.
Q: Defensive tackle Fred Robbins?
A: He was a great supportive player. He was a guy that could come off the bench.
Q: Punter Jeff Feagles?
A: He kept wanting to go back to Arizona and retire. I had to beg him to stay. When you have an outstanding punter like that, it’s one of those positions where you sleep better.
Q: Burress?
A: I felt we needed a big-time receiver — a big big-time receiver. We needed a big wide receiver who could get Eli out of trouble. He could be covered, he’s still gonna make the play. I had a great relationship with the Steelers and [GM] Kevin Colbert. I said, “Are you gonna re-sign Plaxico?” If he would have said, “Yes, we want to re-sign him,” then I would have said, “OK, this conversation’s over.” But he said, “We can’t re-sign him, because we have to sign Hines Ward.” I said, “OK, tell me about him.” And he really vouched for him: “He’s a great guy, he’s a great teammate, studies the job,” so that’s who we went after. His agent [Michael Harrison] was overpricing him. I’ve only done this once in my career — I knew he wanted to come with us, I had Tiki [Barber] talk to him, but the agent was gonna take him to Minnesota — and I announced, I gambled and announced, “We’re out of it.” What I wanted to do was get Plaxico’s attention so he would put pressure on the agent. So Plaxico goes to Minnesota, I get a call from [agent] Drew Rosenhaus. He said, “Well how are you doing with Burress?” I said, “I think I just lost him.” He said, “Sit tight. I’ll have him within 48 hours.” And he did. He stole him.
Q: Kerry Collins?
A: I felt we really had to upgrade the quarterback. Now I liked Danny Kanell, he took over for [Dave] Brown. Because I knew the people who coached [Collins at Penn State] and trusted them, I thought we could take that chance.
Q: When you sat down with Collins, did he talk about his alcohol battles?
A: I confronted him. I met him at Newark Airport. He was transparent, he was direct, he explained himself. We had a common ground. His former head coach was the guy who broke me in in the business, we both were raised by [Joe] Paterno in the business. Not only that, he grew up 15 miles from where I grew up.
Q: Did you enjoy the free-agent process?
A: No. because it was a lot like college recruiting, and a lot of the coaches will tell you one of the reasons a lot of coaches want to go to the pros is because they don’t like the recruiting. I enjoyed the draft a lot more than free agency. That’s your lifeblood.
Q: You think the Giants are in good hands with Gettleman?
A: I really do, yeah. I really do.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--StuyTown made me buy new door after FDNY busted it down

Dear John : I live in StuyTown , and about a year ago I was ill and had to call 911 .
The New York City Fire Department responded by breaking down my door , even after me telling them I could answer it .
StuyTown made me buy a new door to the tune of $ 1,700 .
That was the tuition money for my college course at Baruch College .
So this term I couldn ’ t go back to school and am out a lot of money .
StuyTown also refused to lower the bill .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elderly and disabled lady .
Can you help me ?
A.A. Dear A.A. : Even before I called , StuyTown had lowered your bill by $ 200 .
That represented the late fee on top of the $ 1,500 door repair .
And , I ’ m told by you in a subsequent email , that you have since moved out of state .
So the question is only about the $ 1,500 .
And since you moved , I guess you aren ’ t going back to Baruch .
I really wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But this is the problem .
When the FDNY is called in an emergency , they are going to do whatever they can to get into your apartment or your house when that is the case .
And I ’ m told you called 911 twice , and one of the times you told the operator that you couldn ’ t get out of bed .
Firemen don ’ t really like breaking down doors .
But if they think someone ’ s life is in danger , that ’ s what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens , someone has to pay to fix the door .
And it ’ s not fair to the other residents of StuyTown to foot that bill .
I don ’ t know if $ 1,500 is an unreasonable price for a door in StuyTown .
But I looked up the average cost of having a door installed in Manhattan on a website called HowMuch.com , and it said the price was $ 2,000 .
And that doesn ’ t include any damage to the frame that might have occurred when they broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or damage to the lock .
Anyway , at least you are safe .
I hope everything else works out .

Dear John: I live in StuyTown, and about a year ago I was ill and had to call 911.
The New York City Fire Department responded by breaking down my door, even after me telling them I could answer it. StuyTown made me buy a new door to the tune of $1,700. That was the tuition money for my college course at Baruch College.
So this term I couldn’t go back to school and am out a lot of money. StuyTown also refused to lower the bill.
I find this upsetting as I am an elderly and disabled lady. Can you help me? A.A.
Dear A.A.: Even before I called, StuyTown had lowered your bill by $200. That represented the late fee on top of the $1,500 door repair.
And, I’m told by you in a subsequent email, that you have since moved out of state.
So the question is only about the $1,500. And since you moved, I guess you aren’t going back to Baruch.
I really wish I could have helped you here. But this is the problem.
When the FDNY is called in an emergency, they are going to do whatever they can to get into your apartment or your house when that is the case. And I’m told you called 911 twice, and one of the times you told the operator that you couldn’t get out of bed.
Firemen don’t really like breaking down doors. But if they think someone’s life is in danger, that’s what they have to do.
And when that happens, someone has to pay to fix the door. And it’s not fair to the other residents of StuyTown to foot that bill.
I don’t know if $1,500 is an unreasonable price for a door in StuyTown. But I looked up the average cost of having a door installed in Manhattan on a website called HowMuch.com, and it said the price was $2,000. And that doesn’t include any damage to the frame that might have occurred when they broke the door down. Or painting. Or damage to the lock.
Anyway, at least you are safe. I hope everything else works out.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Soon-to-be free agent Tom Brady still has his beach bod

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Still a hunk at 42 @ @ @ @ @ waves days before his big career decision .
This past week , the legendary NFL @ @ @ @ @ Costa Rica and smooched model wife Gisele Bündchen .
Brady , who has played with @ @ @ @ @ entire 20-year NFL career , becomes a free agent late Tuesday , free to join @ @ @ @ @ his price .
( He earned some $ 23 million for the 2019 season .
@ @ @ @ @ career decision , the future NFL Hall of Famer didn ’ t have a care @ @ @ @ @ on the beach , far from the coronavirus shutdowns roiling the sports world .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
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Still a hunk at 42, Tom Brady is making waves days before his big career decision.
This past week, the legendary NFL quarterback took a swim in Costa Rica and smooched model wife Gisele Bündchen.
Brady, who has played with the New England Patriots his entire 20-year NFL career, becomes a free agent late Tuesday, free to join any team willing to pay his price. (He earned some $23 million for the 2019 season.)
Though approaching a climactic career decision, the future NFL Hall of Famer didn’t have a care in the world while relaxing on the beach, far from the coronavirus shutdowns roiling the sports world.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--Teacher’s union escalates fight with de Blasio over NYC school closures amid coronavirus

The powerful New York teacher ’ s union has escalated its latest beef with Mayor Bill de Blasio , urging parents to demand school closures over coronavirus concerns .
“ Because of his irresponsible decision to keep the public schools open , Mayor Bill de Blasio can no longer assure the health and safety of our students and school communities , ” wrote Michael Mulgrew , president of the United Federation of Teachers , in an email to its members .
“ The mayor is recklessly putting the health of our students , their families and school staff in jeopardy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a small window of time to contain the coronavirus before it penetrates into our communities and overwhelms our health care system ’ s capacity to safely care for all the New Yorkers who may become gravely ill , ” he continued .
The UFT wants parents to call 311 — which has already been flooded with calls regarding the coronavirus — to demand that the city close schools and maintain services for “ medically fragile students and other vulnerable children.
” Teachers have already called for a “ mass sick out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick to defy the mayor — who has repeatedly defended his stance that schools should remain open .
More than 1.1 million students attend more than 1,900 public schools in the city .

The powerful New York teacher’s union has escalated its latest beef with Mayor Bill de Blasio, urging parents to demand school closures over coronavirus concerns.
“Because of his irresponsible decision to keep the public schools open, Mayor Bill de Blasio can no longer assure the health and safety of our students and school communities,” wrote Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, in an email to its members.
“The mayor is recklessly putting the health of our students, their families and school staff in jeopardy by refusing to close public schools. We have a small window of time to contain the coronavirus before it penetrates into our communities and overwhelms our health care system’s capacity to safely care for all the New Yorkers who may become gravely ill,” he continued.
The UFT wants parents to call 311 — which has already been flooded with calls regarding the coronavirus — to demand that the city close schools and maintain services for “medically fragile students and other vulnerable children.”
Teachers have already called for a “mass sick out,” urging teachers to call in sick to defy the mayor — who has repeatedly defended his stance that schools should remain open.
More than 1.1 million students attend more than 1,900 public schools in the city.


newyorkpost--2020-03-14--An Rx to calm America’s coronavirus panic

The US is now in the throes of the novel coronavirus scare , and panic has ensued .
To stabilize the economy , we have to act now .
The ideas in the Pelosi-Mnuchin bill are a start , but we need to go full-throttle .
Deficits are of no importance when saving lives and rescuing the economy from pandemic fallout are the priorities .
To do the right thing , it will take between $ 3 trillion and $ 4 trillion , much of which will be paid back .
My suggestions follow .
Direct stimulus : Each household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an additional $ 500 per child .
Payroll tax holiday : A payroll tax cut on the corporate side will free up cash during this temporary slump and help prevent layoffs — and it ’ s also a big plus for the gig worker .
In addition , it will increase take-home pay .
Delay tax filing : The IRS deadline should be postponed by at least 60 days .
Bail out airlines and small energy : After 9/11 , when planes couldn ’ t fly , we helped the airlines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time with Troubled Asset Relief Program capital injections .
Small Energy needs this , too , so jobs aren ’ t lost due to Russian and Saudi saboteurs .
Low-rate SBA loans : Small Business Administration loans need to be covenant-lite for businesses with fewer than 50 workers .
Paid sick leave : Government should assist companies to continue to pay employees who are sick , quarantined or unable to work due to shutdowns .
Expand government debt : Float new , large , ultra-long-term bonds of up to 30 to 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so capital should be freed up for this crisis and the unexpected .
Federal Reserve action : The Fed needs to say it “ is prepared to do whatever it takes ” to recover , including coordinated intervention with Japan , the EU , the UK , Australia , etc .
Map of coronavirus cases in the US

The US is now in the throes of the novel coronavirus scare, and panic has ensued.
To stabilize the economy, we have to act now. The ideas in the Pelosi-Mnuchin bill are a start, but we need to go full-throttle.
Deficits are of no importance when saving lives and rescuing the economy from pandemic fallout are the priorities. To do the right thing, it will take between $3 trillion and $4 trillion, much of which will be paid back. My suggestions follow.
Direct stimulus: Each household should receive a check for $2,000 and an additional $500 per child.
Payroll tax holiday: A payroll tax cut on the corporate side will free up cash during this temporary slump and help prevent layoffs — and it’s also a big plus for the gig worker. In addition, it will increase take-home pay.
Delay tax filing: The IRS deadline should be postponed by at least 60 days.
Bail out airlines and small energy: After 9/11, when planes couldn’t fly, we helped the airlines and we need to help them again, this time with Troubled Asset Relief Program capital injections. Small Energy needs this, too, so jobs aren’t lost due to Russian and Saudi saboteurs.
Low-rate SBA loans: Small Business Administration loans need to be covenant-lite for businesses with fewer than 50 workers.
Paid sick leave: Government should assist companies to continue to pay employees who are sick, quarantined or unable to work due to shutdowns.
Expand government debt: Float new, large, ultra-long-term bonds of up to 30 to 50 years. Rates are at all-time lows, so capital should be freed up for this crisis and the unexpected.
Federal Reserve action: The Fed needs to say it “is prepared to do whatever it takes” to recover, including coordinated intervention with Japan, the EU, the UK, Australia, etc.
Map of coronavirus cases in the US