newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Jets ties helped rising coaching star Heather Marini make NCAA history

Heather Marini will never forget the first NFL game day she was a part of .
It was the first preseason game of the 2018 season , and Marini , then a scouting intern for the Jets , couldn ’ t wait to see all the hard work from the past few weeks culminate on the field .
She remembers feeling as if she were part of the team , like she belonged .
Only she just might not have looked like it as she and three other interns struggled to navigate MetLife Stadium before kickoff .
“ The security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a look like , ‘ You don ’ t really seem to know where you ’ re going , are you sure you ’ re supposed to be here ?
’ ” Marini said , giggling , in a recent phone interview .
But Marini was already halfway through a six-week internship with the Jets ’ scouting department , which began at the start of training camp and was set to conclude after the final preseason game .
She was exactly where she was supposed to be and doing what ultimately led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In April , Marini became the first female positions coach in Division I football when she was promoted from quality control coach to quarterbacks coach at Brown .
“ What I ’ ve definitely learned is that you never know which handshake is going to be your job interview , which interaction is going to lead to the next job or lead to the next recommendation , which leads to the next job , ” Marini , 30 , said .
“ I definitely think that getting the job with the Jets was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I was from Australia , being hired in the U.S. in football was a big step for me for sure.
” The Jets found Marini through the NFL ’ s Women ’ s Careers in Football Forum , which was founded by the Samantha Rapoport , the NFL ’ s senior director of football development .
Marini was part of the second wave of interviews and , according to the Jets , stood out because of her well-rounded history in football .
Her first gig in football was as the strength coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melbourne , Australia in 2008 .
After a sports performance internship at Oregon State in 2010 , Marini went on to be the Monash Warriors ’ quarterbacks coach before stepping up as the Under-19 affiliate ’ s head coach .
Marini served in four different coaching roles despite having never played a single down of football competitively .
That changed in 2016 , when the Monash Warriors established a women ’ s team , and Marini became starting quarterback .
She also remained the team ’ s offensive coordinator and was able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing what she refers to as a “ DIY internship ” before she heard from the Jets : attending a lot of clinics , accepting all invitations from coaches to sit in on practices , meetings and film and essentially doing anything to get her foot in the door .
While volunteering at summer football camp at the University of California , Berkley in 2018 , Marini received a call from the Jets offering her the internship position she had been working for .
Dan Zbojovsky was the coordinator of college scouting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marini .
It was the second year the Jets had been working with the NFL ’ s Women ’ s Careers in Football Forum and Marini ’ s résumé , according to Zbojovsky , showed she had more experience than a majority of the interns who preceded her .
“ She ’ s a really good people person , ” Zbojovsky , now the Jets ’ director of player personnel , said .
“ She goes out of her way to make connections with people , which in our world , the scouting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Really , just how hard she worked .
We ’ ve had a lot of interns that come through our building and she wanted to learn the entire time that she was there .
“ She wanted to have as much instruction as possible , she wanted to soak everything in , whether it be pro scouting , college scouting , different aspects of football administration .
She had an open mind about the process and wanted to make sure she used it to the fullest.
” While her day-to-day mostly revolved around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of year Marini was involved with professional personnel work as well .
After being around the team for walk-throughs and practices , Marini realized how much she missed interacting with players and the coaching side of the game .
She said she ’ d try to pick then-head coach Todd Bowles ’ brain whenever she had the chance , adding the usually stoic Bowles , now the Buccaneers defensive coordinator , was always “ really generous with his time.
” As much as she longed to be doing more coaching work , Marini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Jets ’ scouting department to be invaluable .
“ It was really awesome insight into a completely different world that I really didn ’ t know much about , ” she said .
“ Scouting is a completely different language and it really helped me look at players differently and now as a college coach , that ’ s what I ’ m doing with high school players when I ’ m recruiting .
“ The way that I ’ m looking at players has a lot to do with what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jets.
” Marini made sure to pass along all she had been doing and learning from the Jets to Brown football head coach James Perry , who was coaching at Bryant when he first met Marini .
Rapoport connected Perry with women who were interested in coaching , and Perry said Marini was hard to ignore .
“ What I remember most about meeting Heather is actually just the persistence that she showed in following up , ” Perry said in a recent phone call .
“ Because it was mostly follow-up phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of two years , that I kind of got to know her and developed a relationship with her .
She was very determined , knowing that I had a woman on my staff [ already ] .
The next opportunity she wanted to make sure I knew that she wanted it .
And when I did go from Bryant to Brown , I had an opportunity and she was all over me about it.
” Perry knew Marini was coming off of an internship with the Jets .
And considering his brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receivers coach for the Texans , Perry was familiar with the grueling commitment that comes with working an NFL preseason .
“ I knew this is someone who ’ s really serious about her pursuit of coaching , ” he said .
“ And she was working with some of the best , having a chance to do that [ internship with the Jets ] .
Even for periods of time , that ’ s a great learning experience.
” It was ultimately Marini ’ s unequivocal dedication to the football program at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is today , according to Perry .
Initially , Marini said she didn ’ t think much about stepping into positions that women had never occupied before .
But over time , she realized how lucky she was to have grown up in an environment that encouraged her to do whatever she wanted to do and how being a role model can do that for others who don ’ t have that kind of support .
“ It just so happens to be that I was the first and I ’ m sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be a next .
And there will be a second and a third , ” she said .
Marini doesn ’ t know if the NFL will be the next step for her , but believes that every football coach should take the next opportunity that is the best for him or her .
She does know that her time with the Jets opened endless doors for her and created opportunities that may not have existed without it .
“ You see it all the time now , coaches going from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back again .
What we ’ re starting to see is the game , when you step onto the field , is still football , ” Marini said .
“ That ’ s the case for countries that play football all over the world and the Pee Wee football down the street , it ’ s the complexities and the nuances that are specific to each program that really makes each program special .
“ When you can go between them , you become a much better coach .
”

Heather Marini will never forget the first NFL game day she was a part of.
It was the first preseason game of the 2018 season, and Marini, then a scouting intern for the Jets, couldn’t wait to see all the hard work from the past few weeks culminate on the field. She remembers feeling as if she were part of the team, like she belonged.
Only she just might not have looked like it as she and three other interns struggled to navigate MetLife Stadium before kickoff.
“The security guards were giving us a bit of a look like, ‘You don’t really seem to know where you’re going, are you sure you’re supposed to be here?’ ” Marini said, giggling, in a recent phone interview.
But Marini was already halfway through a six-week internship with the Jets’ scouting department, which began at the start of training camp and was set to conclude after the final preseason game.
She was exactly where she was supposed to be and doing what ultimately led to the next phase of her career. In April, Marini became the first female positions coach in Division I football when she was promoted from quality control coach to quarterbacks coach at Brown.
“What I’ve definitely learned is that you never know which handshake is going to be your job interview, which interaction is going to lead to the next job or lead to the next recommendation, which leads to the next job,” Marini, 30, said. “I definitely think that getting the job with the Jets was a big step for me, given that I was from Australia, being hired in the U.S. in football was a big step for me for sure.”
The Jets found Marini through the NFL’s Women’s Careers in Football Forum, which was founded by the Samantha Rapoport, the NFL’s senior director of football development. Marini was part of the second wave of interviews and, according to the Jets, stood out because of her well-rounded history in football.
Her first gig in football was as the strength coach for the Monash Warriors Gridiron Club in Melbourne, Australia in 2008. After a sports performance internship at Oregon State in 2010, Marini went on to be the Monash Warriors’ quarterbacks coach before stepping up as the Under-19 affiliate’s head coach.
Marini served in four different coaching roles despite having never played a single down of football competitively.
That changed in 2016, when the Monash Warriors established a women’s team, and Marini became starting quarterback. She also remained the team’s offensive coordinator and was able to call her own plays.
Marini was doing what she refers to as a “DIY internship” before she heard from the Jets: attending a lot of clinics, accepting all invitations from coaches to sit in on practices, meetings and film and essentially doing anything to get her foot in the door.
While volunteering at summer football camp at the University of California, Berkley in 2018, Marini received a call from the Jets offering her the internship position she had been working for.
Dan Zbojovsky was the coordinator of college scouting for the Jets when he reached out to Marini. It was the second year the Jets had been working with the NFL’s Women’s Careers in Football Forum and Marini’s résumé, according to Zbojovsky, showed she had more experience than a majority of the interns who preceded her.
“I definitely think that getting the job with the Jets was a big step for me” — Heather Marini
“She’s a really good people person,” Zbojovsky, now the Jets’ director of player personnel, said. “She goes out of her way to make connections with people, which in our world, the scouting world, is a huge asset. Really, just how hard she worked. We’ve had a lot of interns that come through our building and she wanted to learn the entire time that she was there.
“She wanted to have as much instruction as possible, she wanted to soak everything in, whether it be pro scouting, college scouting, different aspects of football administration. She had an open mind about the process and wanted to make sure she used it to the fullest.”
While her day-to-day mostly revolved around college scouting, because of the time of year Marini was involved with professional personnel work as well. After being around the team for walk-throughs and practices, Marini realized how much she missed interacting with players and the coaching side of the game.
She said she’d try to pick then-head coach Todd Bowles’ brain whenever she had the chance, adding the usually stoic Bowles, now the Buccaneers defensive coordinator, was always “really generous with his time.”
As much as she longed to be doing more coaching work, Marini considers the things she learned while with the Jets’ scouting department to be invaluable.
“It was really awesome insight into a completely different world that I really didn’t know much about,” she said. “Scouting is a completely different language and it really helped me look at players differently and now as a college coach, that’s what I’m doing with high school players when I’m recruiting.
“The way that I’m looking at players has a lot to do with what I learned during the scouting internship with the Jets.”
Marini made sure to pass along all she had been doing and learning from the Jets to Brown football head coach James Perry, who was coaching at Bryant when he first met Marini. Rapoport connected Perry with women who were interested in coaching, and Perry said Marini was hard to ignore.
“What I remember most about meeting Heather is actually just the persistence that she showed in following up,” Perry said in a recent phone call.
“Because it was mostly follow-up phone calls, follow-up emails, over the course of two years, that I kind of got to know her and developed a relationship with her. She was very determined, knowing that I had a woman on my staff [already]. The next opportunity she wanted to make sure I knew that she wanted it. And when I did go from Bryant to Brown, I had an opportunity and she was all over me about it.”
Perry knew Marini was coming off of an internship with the Jets. And considering his brother, John, serves as the wide receivers coach for the Texans, Perry was familiar with the grueling commitment that comes with working an NFL preseason.
“I knew this is someone who’s really serious about her pursuit of coaching,” he said. “And she was working with some of the best, having a chance to do that [internship with the Jets]. Even for periods of time, that’s a great learning experience.”
It was ultimately Marini’s unequivocal dedication to the football program at Brown that got her to where she is today, according to Perry.
Initially, Marini said she didn’t think much about stepping into positions that women had never occupied before. But over time, she realized how lucky she was to have grown up in an environment that encouraged her to do whatever she wanted to do and how being a role model can do that for others who don’t have that kind of support.
“It just so happens to be that I was the first and I’m sure because I’m the first, there will be a next. And there will be a second and a third,” she said.
Marini doesn’t know if the NFL will be the next step for her, but believes that every football coach should take the next opportunity that is the best for him or her. She does know that her time with the Jets opened endless doors for her and created opportunities that may not have existed without it.
“You see it all the time now, coaches going from college to NFL and back again and back again. What we’re starting to see is the game, when you step onto the field, is still football,” Marini said. “That’s the case for countries that play football all over the world and the Pee Wee football down the street, it’s the complexities and the nuances that are specific to each program that really makes each program special.
“When you can go between them, you become a much better coach.”


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Giants rookie Chris Williamson could be defense’s Darius Slayton

You are coming off the high of getting taken in ...

Easy targets beware: Chris Williamson is coming.
Williamson already proved he can deliver a cutting punch line at the expense of childhood-rival-turned-Giants teammate Darius Slayton. Whenever NFL practices resume, the rookie seventh-round draft pick will show he can lower the boom on ball-carriers, too.
“He is the one in the meeting room that keeps the energy going,” Joe Harasymiak, Williamson’s position coach at Minnesota, told The Post. “If he knows he can joke with you and bust on you, he is going to. He will be a great teammate.”
Williamson’s material on Slayton dates to when they were on opposite sides of the 9-year-old championship game in the Gwinnett (Ga.) Football League. Slayton’s team arrived at the field in two Hummer stretch limousines escorted by 20 motorcycles, but Williamson’s team cruised to a 14-0 victory to avenge a previous mercy-rule loss.
“His team hadn’t lost a game in 2-3 years,” Williamson said. “These are 9-year-old kids, pulling up in limousines. They were expecting to win. I know it had to be kind of embarrassing pulling up in a limousine and losing. It’s something I still hold over Darius to this day. I don’t think they even rode the limos home.”
Slayton immediately endorsed Williamson to Giants fans on his Twitter account as a “late pick y’all will love.” Bygones be bygones — except for Slayton’s joke to leave a “bag of poop” in Williamson’s locker to even the score.
“We were the greatest 9-year-old team ever,” Slayton wrote, defending the overconfident grand entrance. “It was deserved at the time.”
Fourteen years later, the Giants determined Williamson deserved a shot to compete at their defense’s so-called “star” position — a hybrid safety and slot cornerback — because of his size-speed combination. A coordinator change late in Williamson’s junior season afforded him the opportunity to blossom in blitzing, run defense and man-to-man coverage.
“Every team I talked to kind of had that same idea for me,” Williamson said. “I’d be a guy who’d kind of be like a Swiss Army knife and can do multiple things on the back end.”
The 6-foot, 205-pound Williamson played offense until senior year of high school — he likes to boast about being an all-state receiver in talent-rich Georgia — but switched positions at the urging of mentor and trainer Ray Buchanan, a former NFL All-Pro cornerback.
Submit questions on your favorite New York teams to be answered in an upcoming mailbag
“The one nugget that Ray always put in my head was you’re an average-size receiver, but you’re a big defensive back that can move,” Williamson said. “There’s a lot of things about the game he teaches me. Things I may not see. I have the opportunity to send him clips of film from practice and he’ll break down for me stuff that I did wrong.”
Harasymiak estimates Williamson, a Florida transfer, would have hit the coveted sub-4.5 seconds mark in the 40-yard dash if Minnesota held its pro day. Williamson totaled 57 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception for a touchdown in his one full season starting and has a future lining up on kickoffs and an edge protector on punts.
“He’s got feet like a corner, he’s built like an inside slot nickel and he can cover from depth as a safety,” Harasymiak said. “He’s really physical fitting the run. He’s not going to shy away from contact.”
The Giants drafted three defensive backs to add to five youngsters brought in by GM Dave Gettleman during his first two seasons, so competition will be stiff for developmental roster spots. The irony is Slayton set the bar for all Giants’ rookie steals when he had 48 catches for 740 yards and eight touchdowns as a fifth-rounder in 2019.
Can Willamson be the defense’s version of Slayton?
“When he learns something, he is really good mentally,” Harasymiak said. “He got better and better every game once he found his role.”


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--It took a pandemic, but you can finally view Supreme Court hearings live

The Supreme Court will hear arguments by teleconference instead of ...

The case that the Supreme Court hears on Monday, a trademark dispute involving the travel service Booking.com, is probably of little interest to the general public. But the manner in which the justices will hear oral arguments — via a teleconference with a live audio feed for anyone who wants to listen — is unprecedented and could represent a significant step toward the kind of transparency the Supremes have long resisted.
While the official justification for the unusual arrangement is “public-health guidance in response to COVID-19,” the fact that the high court decided to allow online streaming of oral arguments in 10 sets of cases it will hear from May 4 to May 13 may signal a new openness. As Gabe Roth of the advocacy group Fix the Court notes, “Supreme Court arguments [are] going live,” and “all it took was a global pandemic.”
The court publishes transcripts of oral arguments on the day they are held and makes audio recordings available at the end of that week. But because it has always rejected requests for video or live audio coverage, anyone who wanted to watch or hear the proceedings as they happened was out of luck unless he could secure a coveted spot in the court’s public gallery, which accommodates about 250 people.
That arbitrary restriction has created scenes surpassing the queues for openings of blockbuster movies or sales of must-have toys. Before the court heard arguments in the 2012 Obamacare case, Drexel University law professor Lisa McElroy notes, would-be spectators “slept outside (in the rain) for at least three nights (some more), all to see history in the making.”
At a time when Americans can watch gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congress on C-SPAN and can’t turn on the news or go online without seeing the president in action, the camera-shyness of the federal government’s third branch is hard to understand and even harder to justify.
Over the years, various justices have offered various reasons for banning cameras from their courtroom, none of them persuasive.
Would cameras inhibit members of the court, as former Justice Anthony Kennedy worried? Since everything the justices say during oral arguments is already heard by people in the gallery and becomes public eventually, that concern is hard to take seriously.
Would cameras encourage lawyers to grandstand? Since they have strong incentives to avoid antagonizing the justices and focus on substantive points in the limited time they have, that, too, seems unlikely.
Would cameras deprive justices of their “anonymity,” as Justice Clarence Thomas has argued? Since the justices go through a highly visible confirmation process, sit for official photographs and don’t shy away from public appearances, that ship has already sailed.
Would cameras “raise additional security concerns,” as Thomas also claimed? That concern likewise seems overblown, since the justices are protected by their own police force, anyone with an interest already recognizes their faces and violence against public officials is rare.
Would video of oral arguments encourage the news media to feature misleading excerpts, shorn of context, as the late Justice Antonin Scalia warned? That hazard already exists, since we have transcripts and delayed audio recordings, not to mention reporters in the courtroom.
In Canada and Britain, where the supreme courts have long allowed cameras, citizens see “able public servants with a complete mastery of difficult materials grappling seriously with matters of surpassing consequence,” observes Adam Liptak, who covers the US Supreme Court for The New York Times. Such visibility, he suggests, “probably inspires confidence” and “certainly dispels ignorance.”
The issue is “very simple,” as C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb, who for decades unsuccessfully urged the high court to accept cameras, told my Reason colleague Nick Gillespie in 2010. “It’s a government institution that’s funded by the American taxpayers,” Lamb said. “The oral arguments are a public discussion [that] completes the picture that the public could have of the government they pay money to.”
Twitter: @JacobSullum


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--How Big Tech is exploiting the coronavirus crisis to expand its power

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
Small businesses and tech startups are closing in droves .
Yet by most accounts , Big Tech is sitting pretty .
It ’ s another glaring inequity of the coronavirus fallout .
Indeed , the dominant players will attempt to turn COVID-related surges in traffic and demand into long-term gains or simply scoop up bruised smaller competitors on the cheap .
Such opportunism should have antitrust authorities and lawmakers in Washington expediting the multiple ongoing inquiries and reviews into Big Tech .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much deeper level — since many of the giants have taken the opportunity of a crisis to double down on harmful practices and their cavalier attitude toward accountability and privacy .
Take Facebook ’ s content-review process , at once heavy-handed and inept .
Despite a vow to crack down on truly dangerous anti-vaccination crankery , such content continues to blight the company ’ s social-media platforms , which include Instagram .
Meanwhile , Facebook has been caught censoring perfectly legitimate content , such as a Post column by Steven Mosher raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s potential role in the outbreak .
Meanwhile , Google has come under fire for running ads for essential products related to COVID-19 .
Like Facebook , Google had pledged not to cash in on the crisis and announced a ban on ads that capitalized on the virus .
But Google ’ s policy also turned out to be woefully inadequate .
Sens .
Mark Warner ( D-Va. ) and Richard Blumenthal ( D-Conn. ) wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission slamming Google ’ s failure to prevent the misuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made repeated representations to consumers that its policies prohibit ads for products such as protective masks , ” they wrote .
“ Yet the company appears not to be taking even rudimentary steps to enforce that policy.
” Taking a much different approach , Verizon donated millions in free advertising space “ to support mental- and public-health-response efforts to address the novel coronavirus.
” In particular , Verizon ’ s donation is meant to support diverse and high-risk populations impacted by the pandemic .
The company is also offering creative and staff resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations .
Perhaps the worst example of a Big Tech company saying one thing and doing the opposite is Amazon , whose coronavirus response has been a disaster from the get-go .
Early on , an investigation found that some 100 masks on sale on Amazon fell short of critical safety standards .
Then came the price-gouging : Amazon said it had warned sellers about sudden price hikes , but sellers said the company ’ s enforcement approach was haphazard .
Amazon ’ s failure to protect its warehouse workers has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon employees have been taking place from the start of the pandemic .
In March , after an assistant manager at an Amazon warehouse in New York organized an employee walkout , Amazon fired him and hatched a plan to smear his name .
Just last week , Amazon doubled down on its apparent intimidation campaign and canned two internal critics of its coronavirus response .
Amazon has been trying to do damage control with hiring announcements , but what good are new jobs at a company that treats workers as disposable ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some of Amazon ’ s more traditional retail competitors have done far more to serve the public good .
Walmart , for example , immediately sprang to action , with decisions like reserving designated shopping times for vulnerable populations .
Walmart has also demonstrated a strong command of its supply chain .
Others might say this is Amazon ’ s first go-round as a major retailer with a crisis of this magnitude .
And that ’ s partly true ; the likes of Walmart have had more experience , having participated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t this always the excuse of Big Tech : that they are learning in real-time and adjusting as best they can ?
It ’ s time to hold Amazon , Facebook , Google and others to the same standards as everyone else .
Their response to the coronavirus has provided a stark reminder of their reckless practices , greed and shirking of accountability .
They are leveraging this crisis to expand their power , putting profits first .
John Burnett is the managing director and founder of 1 Empire Group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at New York University and a former candidate for city comptroller .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Small businesses and tech startups are closing in droves. Yet by most accounts, Big Tech is sitting pretty. It’s another glaring inequity of the coronavirus fallout. Indeed, the dominant players will attempt to turn COVID-related surges in traffic and demand into long-term gains or simply scoop up bruised smaller competitors on the cheap.
Such opportunism should have antitrust authorities and lawmakers in Washington expediting the multiple ongoing inquiries and reviews into Big Tech. But Americans at large should be concerned on a much deeper level — since many of the giants have taken the opportunity of a crisis to double down on harmful practices and their cavalier attitude toward accountability and privacy.
Take Facebook’s content-review process, at once heavy-handed and inept. Despite a vow to crack down on truly dangerous anti-vaccination crankery, such content continues to blight the company’s social-media platforms, which include Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has been caught censoring perfectly legitimate content, such as a Post column by Steven Mosher raising questions about a Chinese virology lab’s potential role in the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Google has come under fire for running ads for essential products related to COVID-19. Like Facebook, Google had pledged not to cash in on the crisis and announced a ban on ads that capitalized on the virus. But Google’s policy also turned out to be woefully inadequate.
Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission slamming Google’s failure to prevent the misuse of its advertising platform. “Google has made repeated representations to consumers that its policies prohibit ads for products such as protective masks,” they wrote. “Yet the company appears not to be taking even rudimentary steps to enforce that policy.”
Taking a much different approach, Verizon donated millions in free advertising space “to support mental- and public-health-response efforts to address the novel coronavirus.” In particular, Verizon’s donation is meant to support diverse and high-risk populations impacted by the pandemic. The company is also offering creative and staff resources to help stand up campaigns for participating organizations.
Perhaps the worst example of a Big Tech company saying one thing and doing the opposite is Amazon, whose coronavirus response has been a disaster from the get-go. Early on, an investigation found that some 100 masks on sale on Amazon fell short of critical safety standards. Then came the price-gouging: Amazon said it had warned sellers about sudden price hikes, but sellers said the company’s enforcement approach was haphazard.
Amazon’s failure to protect its warehouse workers has also been well-documented. Criticism and protests organized by Amazon employees have been taking place from the start of the pandemic.
In March, after an assistant manager at an Amazon warehouse in New York organized an employee walkout, Amazon fired him and hatched a plan to smear his name. Just last week, Amazon doubled down on its apparent intimidation campaign and canned two internal critics of its coronavirus response.
Amazon has been trying to do damage control with hiring announcements, but what good are new jobs at a company that treats workers as disposable?
It’s notable, too, that some of Amazon’s more traditional retail competitors have done far more to serve the public good. Walmart, for example, immediately sprang to action, with decisions like reserving designated shopping times for vulnerable populations. Walmart has also demonstrated a strong command of its supply chain.
Others might say this is Amazon’s first go-round as a major retailer with a crisis of this magnitude. And that’s partly true; the likes of Walmart have had more experience, having participated in the response to Hurricane Katrina. But isn’t this always the excuse of Big Tech: that they are learning in real-time and adjusting as best they can?
It’s time to hold Amazon, Facebook, Google and others to the same standards as everyone else. Their response to the coronavirus has provided a stark reminder of their reckless practices, greed and shirking of accountability. They are leveraging this crisis to expand their power, putting profits first.
John Burnett is the managing director and founder of 1 Empire Group, a consulting firm, an adjunct instructor at New York University and a former candidate for city comptroller.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Trump predicts coronavirus vaccine will be ready by end of 2020

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President Trump on @ @ @ @ @ vaccine will be ready by the end of 2020 .
“ We think we are @ @ @ @ @ by the end of this year , ” Trump said during a Fox News virtual @ @ @ @ @ Memorial .
Asked about another country possibly beating the US in developing immunization , Trump @ @ @ @ @ ’ t care , ” adding that he just wants a vaccine .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ off to them , ” he said .
Last month , Dr. Anthony Fauci said @ @ @ @ @ the “ realm of possibility ” that millions of vaccines could be ready by January @ @ @ @ @ ” Fauci told NBC ’ s “ Today Show ” when asked whether a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ distribution .
“ I mean , I ’ m obviously part of the team that @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
President Trump fielded questions from worried Americans during a televised town hall about the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday — and predicted that a vaccine would be ready by the end of 2020.
“We think we are going to have a vaccine by the end of this year,” Trump said during the two-hour Q&A aired on Fox News.
Experts had previously estimated that a vaccine would take up to 18 months, if not longer — but White House coronavirus task force expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said last month he thought it was within the “realm of possibility” that millions of vaccines could be ready by January.
Speaking from the Lincoln Memorial, Trump said he didn’t care if another country had an immunization ready first, adding: “I really just want to get a vaccine that works.”
News of the vaccine timeline came as Trump increased his projection for the total number of US fatalities from the virus to 80,000 or 100,000 — up more than 20,000 from what he’d suggested just a few weeks ago.
“That’s a horrible thing,” Trump said. “We shouldn’t lose one person over this.”
As of Sunday, more than 66,000 Americans had been felled by the disease, according to a tally of reported deaths from Johns Hopkins University.
Trump said he’d like to see “therapeutics” to combat COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized the emergency use of anti-viral drug Remdesivir, and Trump also continued to tout the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine.
Facing questions from people put out of work as a result of the outbreak, Trump stressed the importance of revving up the virus-stricken economy.
“We have to get it back open safely but as quickly as possible.”
Roughly 30.3 million people have filed for unemployment aid in the six weeks since nonessential businesses were ordered closed to stem the spread of the outbreak.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Brazil’s Bolsonaro headlines anti-democratic rally, amid alarm over handling of virus

BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Congress and the courts in a speech to hundreds of supporters on Sunday as the number of coronavirus cases blew past 100,000 in Brazil , underlining the former army captain ’ s increasing isolation as he downplays the impacts of the pandemic .
Right-wing Bolsonaro has drawn widespread criticism from across the political spectrum for dismissing the threat of the virus in Brazil , which has registered 101,147 confirmed cases and 7,025 deaths , according to the most recent data from the Health Ministry .
On Sunday , dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Brazilian government calling on officials to protect the nation ’ s indigenous people , who often live in remote locations with limited access to healthcare .
At the same time , Bolsonaro faces the most serious political crisis of his mandate , after his popular justice minister , Sergio Moro , quit last week and accused the president of firing the federal police chief in a bid to appoint a personal ally to the post and obstruct graft probes targeting his sons .
Brazil ’ s Supreme Court blocked Bolsonaro ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , enraging the president .
On Saturday , former justice minister Moro , among Brazil ’ s most popular public figures due to his tough stance on graft , presented testimony regarding possible obstruction of justice by Bolsonaro .
Hours before , the president called Moro “ Judas ” on Twitter , referring to the apostle that betrayed Jesus .
As Bolsonaro ’ s relationship with legislators and the courts has cooled , he has become increasingly dependent on a cadre of advisers in his government who are active or former military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended by Bolsonaro , demonstrators on Sunday called for the closing of the Supreme Court and Congress , and a return to authoritarian measures used during Brazil ’ s 1964 to 1985 military regime .
“ We have the armed forces at the people ’ s side : the side of order , democracy , liberty , ” Bolsonaro said in a speech transmitted live on Facebook .
“ We want the best for our country .
We want three truly independent branches ( of government ) .
”

BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Congress and the courts in a speech to hundreds of supporters on Sunday as the number of coronavirus cases blew past 100,000 in Brazil, underlining the former army captain’s increasing isolation as he downplays the impacts of the pandemic.
Right-wing Bolsonaro has drawn widespread criticism from across the political spectrum for dismissing the threat of the virus in Brazil, which has registered 101,147 confirmed cases and 7,025 deaths, according to the most recent data from the Health Ministry.
On Sunday, dozens of public figures signed an open letter to the Brazilian government calling on officials to protect the nation’s indigenous people, who often live in remote locations with limited access to healthcare.
At the same time, Bolsonaro faces the most serious political crisis of his mandate, after his popular justice minister, Sergio Moro, quit last week and accused the president of firing the federal police chief in a bid to appoint a personal ally to the post and obstruct graft probes targeting his sons.
Brazil’s Supreme Court blocked Bolsonaro’s pick for a new chief on Wednesday, enraging the president.
On Saturday, former justice minister Moro, among Brazil’s most popular public figures due to his tough stance on graft, presented testimony regarding possible obstruction of justice by Bolsonaro. Hours before, the president called Moro “Judas” on Twitter, referring to the apostle that betrayed Jesus.
As Bolsonaro’s relationship with legislators and the courts has cooled, he has become increasingly dependent on a cadre of advisers in his government who are active or former military.
As in an April rally also attended by Bolsonaro, demonstrators on Sunday called for the closing of the Supreme Court and Congress, and a return to authoritarian measures used during Brazil’s 1964 to 1985 military regime.
“We have the armed forces at the people’s side: the side of order, democracy, liberty,” Bolsonaro said in a speech transmitted live on Facebook.
“We want the best for our country. We want three truly independent branches (of government).”


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Closing NYC subways at night is ominous step toward giving up on them

Gov .
Cuomo should temporarily shut down the NYC subways to ...

Last week, in forcing the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority to end overnight service, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio sent the wrong signal to a city that needs, slowly and uncertainly, to recover: lights out. President Trump must keep them on — not least because Manhattan real estate depends on it.
The MTA doesn’t need to shutter its 472-stop system for four hours — inconveniencing 11,000 critical private-economy workers — to aid homeless people or deep-clean trains. It has rules against sleeping on trains, and the NYPD can better enforce them than it can secure 472 empty stations from potential terror. As for cleaning: Most trains are out of service at night. The MTA could set an hourly schedule for that.
The ominous truth was buried in the MTA’s statement: It will bring back 24/7 service “when customer demand” returns.
This is backward. Ridership is low now — a quarter of the 41,312 people who generally use transit during these hours. (Although the fact that 11,000 still need this transit shows remarkable resilience, which we should be building, not cutting off.)
But riders won’t come back unless they know there’s a train.
Consider the signal the state and city are sending to New York’s theater, nightlife and restaurant industry with this move. If you try to open up soon, your workers and customers will have no cheap, safe way to get home.
That isn’t just if they leave a bar at 1:30 a.m. Closures will compress ridership into the 11 p.m. and midnight hours, crowding less reliable trains when people need space. After a bad experience, people won’t take the train, further harming demand and pressuring the MTA for more cuts. If you close at 1, why not close at midnight?
This backwards philosophy applies to daytime hours. It may be years before white-collar workers commute to Manhattan in pre-corona numbers — because of job cuts and work-at-home policies.
If ridership is at 50 percent by fall — an optimistic projection — the MTA will find itself more abandoned by the political class.
The state and city are already washing their hands of transit. The Legislature wants the MTA to borrow $10 billion for operating expenses: more than half of any one year’s $17 billion budget; de Blasio has never cared about subways.
What happens in September, when the MTA, with fare revenues and tax subsidies crashed, has used up its bailout money, including the $4 billion already coming in from the feds? It will cut more service — and drive away more customers.
The MTA is in a chicken-and-egg situation that will get even more chicken-and-eggy: With bad or no service, there is less demand. Without demand, service deteriorates further. Like the 1970s, just on a faster timeline. And when the MTA should run even better and more frequent service to assuage an anxious public.
Failing spells the end of Manhattan and the core of a three-state economy. There is no other way to move 2.2 million people onto the dense island each day.
President Trump should understand: For the value of Manhattan real estate, important to him and his family and friends, nothing matters more than transit.
Trump could reopen a refurbished Grand Hyatt hotel in 1980 and see it thrive, because the state was about to pump billions of dollars into a then-failing transit system, including the four subway lines and commuter rail that sit under the hotel.
He could redevelop much of the Upper West Side, because of the 72nd Street subway station. The Trump International Hotel and Tower sits above another key transit hub, Columbus Circle.
His friend, Steve Ross, could build Hudson Yards, opening its luxury mall last year, because the city built a subway stop.
His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner: Good luck refilling buildings in and around Manhattan with tenants, if workers lose confidence in the train. Congress and the president need to do something they don’t usually do: subsidize transit operations indefinitely, so that the MTA can throw resources at subway and bus service to coax New Yorkers back.
Frequent service, masks, temperature checks — whatever it takes. Along with extraordinary operating aid, the feds should audit the MTA for savings. But now isn’t the time to hold up transit as some sort of parable or a petri dish.
Without transit underpinning the country’s richest city, the national tax base falters — and with it, the president’s family legacy.
Nicole Gelinas is a Manhattan Institute senior fellow. She is at work on a book about how transit saved New York.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Venezuela’s sending its gold reserves to Iran: This is where socialism leads

It ’ s come to this : Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is now sending a good chunk of the nation ’ s gold to Iran in exchange for help propping up the decrepit oil industry .
At least nine tons of gold , worth about $ 500 million , flew off to Iran last month , government officials told Bloomberg News .
That leaves the crisis-plagued nation with a scant $ 6.2 billion in hard-currency assets , the lowest amount in three decades .
For decades , Venezuela ’ s oil industry thrived .
But under Maduro and his predecessor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over — and began milking it for fast cash while firing expert workers and managers and slashing spending on maintenance , repairs and other vital capital investment .
As a result , everything ’ s breaking down and output has crashed — even as global oil prices have also collapsed during the pandemic , further squeezing revenues .
Because Maduro won ’ t allow safe private investment , he has to turn to his “ allies ” in Tehran — except the regime there insists on hard payment for its expertise .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nor is oil the only industry in collapse : Reliable electricity , health care and even food are increasingly rare in Venezuela thanks to the Chávez-Maduro regime ’ s “ Bolivarian socialism.
” For years , Sen. Bernie Sanders and lefties around the globe cheered the Chávez-Maduro socialist approach to industry and the economy .
But now those economics are forcing Maduro to loot his country ’ s last reserves to buy help from a pack of theocratic terrorists .
That ’ s the anti-utopia that progressives ’ policies actually deliver .

It’s come to this: Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is now sending a good chunk of the nation’s gold to Iran in exchange for help propping up the decrepit oil industry.
At least nine tons of gold, worth about $500 million, flew off to Iran last month, government officials told Bloomberg News. That leaves the crisis-plagued nation with a scant $6.2 billion in hard-currency assets, the lowest amount in three decades.
For decades, Venezuela’s oil industry thrived. But under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, the government took over — and began milking it for fast cash while firing expert workers and managers and slashing spending on maintenance, repairs and other vital capital investment.
As a result, everything’s breaking down and output has crashed — even as global oil prices have also collapsed during the pandemic, further squeezing revenues.
Because Maduro won’t allow safe private investment, he has to turn to his “allies” in Tehran — except the regime there insists on hard payment for its expertise. No honor among thieves, y’know.
Nor is oil the only industry in collapse: Reliable electricity, health care and even food are increasingly rare in Venezuela thanks to the Chávez-Maduro regime’s “Bolivarian socialism.”
For years, Sen. Bernie Sanders and lefties around the globe cheered the Chávez-Maduro socialist approach to industry and the economy. But now those economics are forcing Maduro to loot his country’s last reserves to buy help from a pack of theocratic terrorists.
That’s the anti-utopia that progressives’ policies actually deliver.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--New York’s charter schools are sending hundreds of kids to college

The city ’ s public middle and elementary schools plan to toss ...

All 98 seniors at Success Academy’s HS of the Liberal Arts are headed to college this fall, including to the University of Chicago, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, Tufts, Wharton and Georgetown.
Other top local charter networks will add hundreds more to that exciting total — a tremendous sign of how these alternative public schools boost opportunity, especially for the lower-income, black and Hispanic students who are so often served badly by the regular system.
More than 95 percent of the 200-plus graduates a year from KIPP NYC College Prep in The Bronx, for example, also head to college — including Columbia-Barnard, Duke and other top-ranked universities. And the four high-schools in the Brooklyn-centered Uncommon Schools network have similar success.
“Charters have more flexibility to think about the system as K-16 for their kids, while district schools are more rigidly caught in an outmoded K-12 dynamic where higher education is separate and apart,” notes James Merriman of the NYC Charter Center.
Just as important, charters actually put education first — even as many regular public schools throw up their hands when challenged, because their true top priority is serving the needs of the adult staff and administrators. Notably, Chancellor Richard Carranza’s system has basically given up on enforcing standards in the face of the coronavirus crisis: Meaningful graduation requirements, and normal grades for K-8 kids, are out the window.
Heck, Carranza’s schools can’t even manage to make teachers communicate with students on a daily basis: The United Federation of Teachers won’t allow it, because rules for remote learning aren’t spelled out in the union contract.
Success and other charters, meanwhile, are not only making remote learning work — they’re still grading normally and generally upholding standards despite the challenges of the pandemic.
KIPP, Uncommon and other high-performance charters like Ascend have yet to compile and release final numbers for their graduating seniors this year. But the 98 Success grads between them have earned $26 million in college scholarships and financial aid — after the class achieved an average SAT score of 1268, almost 200 points above the national average.
And future Success senior classes will be larger: The network’s been growing rapidly for over a decade — though that growth rate has slowed thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s hostility, which has forced Success to open fewer new elementary schools than it wanted to start more city children on a real path to higher ed.
From the start of kindergarten and now pre-K, Success works to prepare children for college — making sure they learn enough in lower grades to progress to the right subjects in middle school so they can do genuine college-prep work in high school.
Without the charter-school law that then-Gov. George Pataki rammed through in 1998 — and the work of hundreds of charter-school teachers and staff in the decades since — tens of thousands of city children would lack the opportunities that Success and its fellow charters provide.
It’s disgraceful that de Blasio and so many other local politicians still seek to limit such opportunity, and even deny it altogether.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--The coronavirus’ boon to the elite ‘smug club’ and other commentary

“ In the Trump years , the sector of society we used to describe as liberal America became a giant finger-wagging machine , ” laments Matt Taibbi in his latest newsletter .
“ The news media , academia , the Democratic Party , show-business celebrities and masses of blue-checked Twitter virtuosos became a kind of umbrella agreement society , united by loathing of Trump and fury toward anyone who dissented with their preoccupations.
” The coronavirus crisis gave this “ scolding utopia ” an opportunity to move beyond “ abstraction ” : “ Failure to take elite advice was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not heeding experts was now murder.
” Think pieces range from cheering China ’ s control of the Internet over the “ unwashed ” to accusing governors who want to reopen their states of “ human sacrifice.
” Dangerously , “ we ’ ve lost the ability to decouple scientific or policy discussions , or simple issues of fact , from a political argument.
” Discussion of “ the COVID-19 crisis has become the latest in a line of moral manias with Donald Trump in the middle.
” At City Journal , Lawrence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the months ahead , how will dancers , actors and athletes perform in intimate concert halls and theater quarters and arenas ?
” After all , “ the show must go on , ” and as audiences tend to “ make up the majority of people at any performance , ” that means arenas and performing-arts institutions are going to have to figure out how to respond .
“ The now-standard ‘ no-cellphones ’ announcement , for example , could be accompanied by a new warning : ‘ If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be here.
’ Carnegie Hall could replace its Ricola lozenge dispensers with masks and Purell.
” But one thing is certain : “ The performance arts can ’ t afford months of inactivity.
” Urban beat : The End of New York ?
New York City , “ the predominant urban center in North America , ” faces “ a looming existential crisis ” thanks to the coronavirus , Joel Kotkin warns at Tablet .
While all cities “ pay a price for being both dense and cosmopolitan ” during pandemics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s economy and “ social fabric ” especially hard — because they were “ already unraveling before the outbreak began.
” In large part , that ’ s because of mayors like Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio , whose policies “ starkly divided ” the city , hurting the middle class and accelerating homelessness .
If the Big Apple “ does not change direction ” and focus on the middle class rather than the ruling “ city employee unions , professional ideologues ” and the “ mega-rich , ” Kotkin worries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very deep hole ” indeed .
Conservative : Of Accusers and Their Parents Democrats and their media allies are doing all they can to sidestep , ignore , bury or outright debunk Tara Reade ’ s sexual-assault allegations against Joe Biden — “ a far cry , ” sighs The Federalist ’ s Mollie Hemingway , “ from their shared attempt to destroy the life and reputation of Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings.
” They insist the cases are different , and in one crucial sense , they are : Reade ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whatever happened with Biden to call into a national television show to discuss it ” in 1993 .
Meanwhile , “ Christine Blasey Ford ’ s family was conspicuously quiet during the Kavanaugh ordeal.
” Indeed , her extended family had significant doubts about her allegations , and her father went so far as to privately express his support for Kavanaugh ’ s nomination .
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recently invited Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade into a “ space for all women to come forward to speak their truth ” — prompting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask : “ What does it mean to suggest that Reade and other women who claim to have been sexually assaulted have a truth all their own , one to which something other than a definite article is prefixed ?
” Whatever Gillibrand ’ s intentions , such postmodern rhetoric doesn ’ t help alleged victims — rather , it places their claims “ outside the boundaries of truth .
”

Leftist: Corona’s Boon to the Smug Club
“In the Trump years, the sector of society we used to describe as liberal America became a giant finger-wagging machine,” laments Matt Taibbi in his latest newsletter. “The news media, academia, the Democratic Party, show-business celebrities and masses of blue-checked Twitter virtuosos became a kind of umbrella agreement society, united by loathing of Trump and fury toward anyone who dissented with their preoccupations.” The coronavirus crisis gave this “scolding utopia” an opportunity to move beyond “abstraction”: “Failure to take elite advice was no longer just a deplorable faux pas. Not heeding experts was now murder.” Think pieces range from cheering China’s control of the Internet over the “unwashed” to accusing governors who want to reopen their states of “human sacrifice.” Dangerously, “we’ve lost the ability to decouple scientific or policy discussions, or simple issues of fact, from a political argument.” Discussion of “the COVID-19 crisis has become the latest in a line of moral manias with Donald Trump in the middle.”
Culture critic: NYC Arts After Corona
At City Journal, Lawrence Perelman wonders: “As commerce resumes in the months ahead, how will dancers, actors and athletes perform in intimate concert halls and theater quarters and arenas?” After all, “the show must go on,” and as audiences tend to “make up the majority of people at any performance,” that means arenas and performing-arts institutions are going to have to figure out how to respond. “The now-standard ‘no-cellphones’ announcement, for example, could be accompanied by a new warning: ‘If you’re not feeling well, you shouldn’t be here.’ Carnegie Hall could replace its Ricola lozenge dispensers with masks and Purell.” But one thing is certain: “The performance arts can’t afford months of inactivity.”
Urban beat: The End of New York?
New York City, “the predominant urban center in North America,” faces “a looming existential crisis” thanks to the coronavirus, Joel Kotkin warns at Tablet. While all cities “pay a price for being both dense and cosmopolitan” during pandemics, the virus will hit New York’s economy and “social fabric” especially hard — because they were “already unraveling before the outbreak began.” In large part, that’s because of mayors like Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, whose policies “starkly divided” the city, hurting the middle class and accelerating homelessness. If the Big Apple “does not change direction” and focus on the middle class rather than the ruling “city employee unions, professional ideologues” and the “mega-rich,” Kotkin worries, it will dig itself into “a very deep hole” indeed.
Conservative: Of Accusers and Their Parents
Democrats and their media allies are doing all they can to sidestep, ignore, bury or outright debunk Tara Reade’s sexual-assault allegations against Joe Biden — “a far cry,” sighs The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway, “from their shared attempt to destroy the life and reputation of Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings.” They insist the cases are different, and in one crucial sense, they are: Reade’s late mother “was upset enough about whatever happened with Biden to call into a national television show to discuss it” in 1993. Meanwhile, “Christine Blasey Ford’s family was conspicuously quiet during the Kavanaugh ordeal.” Indeed, her extended family had significant doubts about her allegations, and her father went so far as to privately express his support for Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Iconoclast: Enough Talk of ‘Her’ Truth
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand recently invited Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade into a “space for all women to come forward to speak their truth” — prompting The Week’s Matthew Walther to ask: “What does it mean to suggest that Reade and other women who claim to have been sexually assaulted have a truth all their own, one to which something other than a definite article is prefixed?” Whatever Gillibrand’s intentions, such postmodern rhetoric doesn’t help alleged victims — rather, it places their claims “outside the boundaries of truth.”
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Jets’ Sam Darnold will make or break embattled Adam Gase

There are no excuses for Adam Gase , and no excuses ...

The NFL schedule will be released this week. While it feels like optimistic thinking to believe the NFL season will start on time, that won’t stop us from analyzing every aspect of the slate.
For the Jets, there will be plenty of questions about the 2020 season. Will the Jamal Adams contract situation be resolved by then? How much did general manager Joe Douglas improve the offensive line? Can Le’Veon Bell have a better second season with the Jets than his first?
Judging from my email and questions I have gotten from Jets fans, a big one on their minds is: How many games does Adam Gase need to win to remain as head coach in 2021? It is no secret Gase is as popular as a colonoscopy with a large segment of Jets fans. An 0-2 start this year will have fans calling for his head.
Gase’s first season as head coach is not simple to evaluate. It has to be divided into two categories. As the leader of the football team, Gase managed to pull his team out of a 1-7 hole and keep the locker room from fracturing. The Jets went 6-2 in the second half of the season and ended up with more wins than the team had in four years.
Is anyone throwing a parade for that performance? No. But it also should not just be dismissed. Jets fans have seen plenty of seasons spiral out of control after a few losses. That did not happen in 2019.
The other half of the equation was not as pretty for Gase. He was hired partially because of his background as an offensive coach. It was the first time the Jets hired someone who had been primarily an offensive coach to be the head man since Rich Kotite in 1995.
Gase’s offense was putrid in his first year. The unit ranked dead last overall and at or near the bottom in plenty of categories. It was not all his fault. The offensive line was terrible and there were costly injuries to Chris Herndon and Quincy Enunwa, among others. But it was on Gase to find answers to the offense’s problems and he largely could not in 2019.
That brings us to this year and the question of how many games it will take to keep his job.
I think the question is the wrong one when it comes to Gase’s job security. The right one is: What does Sam Darnold have to show to save Gase’s job?
This year is going to be all about how much Gase can get out of the third-year quarterback. It is their second season together and the 22-year-old needs to show marked improvement for CEO Christopher Johnson to stand by Gase in 2021.
That may mean the Jets go 7-9 again but Darnold is showing more consistency and looks like the elite player the Jets believe they drafted in 2018.
Setting win totals or playoff mandates is not smart. Think about this: The Jets went 9-7 both in 2008 and 2009. The 9-7 record in 2008 got Eric Mangini fired. The 9-7 record in 2009 got Rex Ryan a contract extension. The 2008 Jets collapsed. The 2009 Jets caught fire and made it to the AFC Championship game.
Every season tells a story. We need to see what the 2020 story is before determining whether Gase should be back in 2021.
Darnold made some positive strides last year after returning from his three-game absence with mono. He went 7-6 as the starter and saw an uptick in his completions, attempts, completion percentage, yards, touchdowns and QB rating while his interceptions went down.
Now, he needs those 19 touchdown passes to get closer to 30, the 13 interceptions to get closer to five, the 3,024 yards to get closer to 4,000 and the 61.9 completion percentage to get closer to 70.
If Darnold does that, the wins will come and Gase will be safe.
Gase has talked about Darnold taking ahold of the offense in Year 2 and becoming an extension of the coaching staff. Gase is excited about seeing Darnold play again.
“We’ve had some really good meetings,” Gase said on The Post’s “Gang’s All Here” podcast. “The way he’s talking through football situations, that’s what makes this a tougher time for us because I just want to get on the field when I hear him talking like this.”
Darnold should benefit from Year 2 in Gase’s system. But Gase also must take what he’s learned about his quarterback in Year 1 and make his offense fit Darnold in Year 2.
If Gase can get the most out of his quarterback this fall, no one will be asking about his job come winter.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Madonna attends party after claiming to test positive for antibodies

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Madonna appeared to flout social-distancing rules at a birthday party Saturday — just two days after announcing she tested positive for coronavirus antibodies , which would suggest she ’ s been exposed to the contagion , reports said .
The aging Material Girl , 61 , joked that her birthday-boy pal , photographer Steven Klein , was being honored with a “ COVID cake ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Sun of Britain , Video and photos showed the “ Like a Virgin ” singer getting up close and personal with Klein , 55 , while hugging him , according to the Daily Mail .
It was unclear how many people attended the party , but there were at least eight , the Mail said .
Just two days ago , Madonna posted a bizarre video to Instagram saying she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and was now ready to “ breathe the COVID-19 air.
” “ Took a test the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I have the antibodies , ” she said .
“ So tomorrow , I ’ m just going to go for a long drive in a car , and I ’ m gon na roll down the window and I ’ m gon na breathe in — I ’ m gon na breathe in the COVID-19 air.
” Health experts have said it is unclear whether the presence of antibodies , which result from exposure , makes one immune to the contagion and recommend continued social-distancing .
A source close to Madonna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that her Instagram posting was “ clearly performance art .
Look at the set , the lighting , the poetry she cites .
It is not meant to be literal .
”

Madonna appeared to flout social-distancing rules at a birthday party Saturday — just two days after announcing she tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, which would suggest she’s been exposed to the contagion, reports said.
The aging Material Girl, 61, joked that her birthday-boy pal, photographer Steven Klein, was being honored with a “COVID cake” during the livestreamed private gig, reported the Sun of Britain.
Video and photos showed the “Like a Virgin” singer getting up close and personal with Klein, 55, while hugging him, according to the Daily Mail. It was unclear how many people attended the party, but there were at least eight, the Mail said.
Just two days ago, Madonna posted a bizarre video to Instagram saying she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and was now ready to “breathe the COVID-19 air.”
“Took a test the other day, and I found out that I have the antibodies,” she said. “So tomorrow, I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m gonna roll down the window and I’m gonna breathe in — I’m gonna breathe in the COVID-19 air.”
Health experts have said it is unclear whether the presence of antibodies, which result from exposure, makes one immune to the contagion and recommend continued social distancing.
A source close to Madonna’s camp later told Page Six that her Instagram posting was “clearly performance art. Look at the set, the lighting, the poetry she cites. It is not meant to be literal.”


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Jacob deGrom’s Cy Young quest gets harder with coronavirus break

The Mets were the accidental contenders of 2019 .
When they ...

Eighth in a series about the Mets
The relative sprint of a shortened season, should MLB decide to play this year, may hurt Jacob deGrom’s chances of winning a third straight National League Cy Young award.
Often, it’s the marathon of a full season that separates the best from the contenders. Exhibit A was last season, when Hyun-jin Ryu carried a 1.45 ERA into mid-August. If the Cy Young vote was taken at that point, it would have been considered an upset if anybody other than the Dodgers left-hander won the award.
Ryu faded over the final six weeks and deGrom strengthened, allowing the Mets ace to win the Cy Young for a second straight year. In a half-season, or thereabouts, the pack of contenders will be thick.
But deGrom, who turns 32 next month, shouldn’t necessarily view a potential half-season layoff as a negative, at least when viewed through the prism of affecting his performance.
After three straight seasons of 200-plus innings, the downtime provided by the COVID-19 outbreak could actually benefit deGrom, leading to an even crisper version of the right-hander when play begins.
“I think it helps him, the rest that he is getting,” a talent evaluator from a National League team said Sunday. “He’s a guy, with his mechanics and his mentality, with his work ethic, I think he will be just as good. I don’t know how much you can say ‘better’ — he’s arguably the best pitcher, one of the two or three in the game — but it’s going to be helpful for him.”
DeGrom last season went 11-8 with a 2.43 ERA and led the NL with 255 strikeouts in 204 innings. He and Max Scherzer have won the last four NL Cy Young awards, creating a healthy debate over who is the league’s top gun. It comes after a stretch in which Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw formed the nucleus of such a debate.
Though deGrom appreciates the respect he’s earned, he refuses to acknowledge he’s at or near the pinnacle of his profession.
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“I don’t think there was ever a point, because I think even how I view it today, I’m still trying to figure out a way to get better,” deGrom told The Post in spring training.
“In 2016, I had my [ulnar] nerve moved in my elbow and I pitched with lesser velocity, but still had a decent year. I think still to this day, every year is different. You don’t know how you are going to feel. You go into the offseason feeling good. But you don’t know how you are going to come in feeling, so it’s constantly working on getting back to where you were and then realizing what you need to do to get ready.”
With Noah Syndergaard rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and out until 2021 and Zack Wheeler now Phillies property, the Mets are counting on deGrom to continue his magic of recent seasons and lead a high-upside veteran rotation.
Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz, Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha are the other components of that unit, with questions looming about the depth behind the starting five.
DeGrom still throws a plus-fastball, but that is only one weapon in an extensive arsenal.
“The thing about deGrom, what makes him the best or how good he is, is the command,” the talent evaluator said. “Players will tell you deGrom is maybe the toughest pitcher in baseball to hit because of his tunneling, his release point. He is the toughest guy to pick up, so it gives him an extra foot or whatever, plus hitters can’t pick the pitch out. [DeGrom] is so out in front more than anybody else in the game, that gives him that extra three or four miles per hour.”


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Charles Barkley snubs Kobe Bryant, LeBron James in top 5 NBA players list

It was April 6 , when NBA commissioner Adam Silver declared ...

Charles Barkley isn’t putting LeBron James and Kobe Bryant into the elite of the elite in NBA history.
The Hall of Famer left the two modern-era stars out of his top 5 NBA players of all-time when asked what his list would be during an appearance on Kentucky coach John Calipari’s “Coffee with Cal” show this week.
“Michael’s [Jordan] one, Oscar Robertson’s two,” Barkley said. “[Bill] Russell, Wilt [Chamberlain] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], no particular order after Michael.”
While James and Bryant and their eight combined NBA championships didn’t make the first five, they did get into Barkley’s top 10.
“Kobe six, LeBron seven, then you’ve got Elgin Baylor, Jerry West,” the former 76ers, Suns and Rockets star said.
Barkley did go on to explain his decision to keep James on the outside looking in, making it a little clearer why his list was slanted more toward the old-school era players.
“You know, I love LeBron and everything about him but I still think that the way they play the game today he didn’t want any part of those bad boy Pistons,” Barkley said. “Let me tell you something, those guys were out there trying to hurt people. I used to always tell people when you were playing the Pistons you had to call home and tell your family you love them just in case you never saw them again.”
James still has time to work his way up and win a fourth championship. If the NBA season restarts after its coronavirus shutdown, James’ Los Angeles Lakers had the second-best record in the league this season behind the Milwaukee Bucks.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Rep. Nunes: California Gov. Newsom ‘declared war on open space’ with closures

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes , told “ Fox & Friends Sunday ” that California Gov .
Gavin Newsom has “ declared war on open space ” after he announced additional closures of beaches and state parks , prompting loud protests over the weekend .
“ This governor decided to declare war on open space , ” Nunes , R-Calif. , said .
“ We have a lot of open space here in California even though we have 40 million people , but we have places like Yosemite National Park , the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local parks across the state have also been shut per Newsom ’ s orders and turned into what Nunes called “ a murder scene , ” taped off to block residents from entering .
“ I ’ ve said if we can do mosh pits at grocery stores why can ’ t we go out and if it ’ s not six feet , maybe you could be 16 feet apart in a park or on a beach , maybe you can be 26 feet , maybe 106 feet .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level that people could get on to the beaches… , ” Nunes said .
Newsom on Thursday ordered Orange County beaches to close until further notice , saying it was necessary to protect public health , while allowing other beaches in California to remain open with some restrictions .
His announcement came days after tens of thousands of people in Orange County packed beaches during a sunny weekend .
An original memo to the state ’ s police chiefs indicated Newsom planned to close all beaches in the state .
But on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to beaches in Orange County — potentially driven by a “ political vendetta ” against Mayor Jerry Demings , Nunes said .
“ The worst thing the governor did … is that he picked winners and losers , ” Nunes explained .
“ He didn ’ t want to get into a fight with the mayor of San Diego who ’ s a Republican who ’ s probably going to run against and challenge Gov .
Newsom in the next election so he cowered down to the San Diego mayor … other places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but for some reason in Orange County , it ’ s like he had a political vendetta against him and I have no idea why he started this , but it just infuriates people.
” Nunes added , “ People are becoming infuriated seeing some people being treated differently than others , and in the meantime … we still have problems protecting our older population in nursing homes.
” On Friday , protesters flooded the city of Huntington Beach to demonstrate against Newsom ’ s orders .
Holding signs with slogans such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ All Jobs are Essential ” and “ Surfing Not a Crime/Newsom is a Kook , ” as they took to the street , the protesters — many without face masks and not practicing social distancing — backed up traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway for at least a mile .
The protest followed a similar one in the city two weekends ago , when demonstrators called for a reopening of the state ’ s economy after a month under Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order .
In an act of defiance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the weekend — but county sheriffs have agreed to look the other way , Nunes said .
“ Another thing that isn ’ t being reported is every county has an elected county sheriff .
Most of the county sheriffs have told the governor , ‘ sorry we ’ re not going to do this.
’ If somebody goes through the murder scene tape , that yellow tape that ’ s in a local park , I ’ ve had a lot of the local sheriffs around me say ‘ look we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you go walking around in a park .
We ’ re just not going to do it.
’ ” Fox News ’ Bradford Betz and Brie Stimson contributed to this report .

House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes, told “Fox & Friends Sunday” that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has “declared war on open space” after he announced additional closures of beaches and state parks, prompting loud protests over the weekend.
“This governor decided to declare war on open space,” Nunes, R-Calif., said. “We have a lot of open space here in California even though we have 40 million people, but we have places like Yosemite National Park, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park … those have been closed.”
Many local parks across the state have also been shut per Newsom’s orders and turned into what Nunes called “a murder scene,” taped off to block residents from entering.
“I’ve said if we can do mosh pits at grocery stores why can’t we go out and if it’s not six feet, maybe you could be 16 feet apart in a park or on a beach, maybe you can be 26 feet, maybe 106 feet. There’s got to be some point at some level that people could get on to the beaches…,” Nunes said.
Newsom on Thursday ordered Orange County beaches to close until further notice, saying it was necessary to protect public health, while allowing other beaches in California to remain open with some restrictions.
His announcement came days after tens of thousands of people in Orange County packed beaches during a sunny weekend.
An original memo to the state’s police chiefs indicated Newsom planned to close all beaches in the state. But on Thursday, Newsom said the order applied only to beaches in Orange County — potentially driven by a “political vendetta” against Mayor Jerry Demings, Nunes said.
“The worst thing the governor did … is that he picked winners and losers,” Nunes explained. “He didn’t want to get into a fight with the mayor of San Diego who’s a Republican who’s probably going to run against and challenge Gov. Newsom in the next election so he cowered down to the San Diego mayor … other places across the state he cowered down to, but for some reason in Orange County, it’s like he had a political vendetta against him and I have no idea why he started this, but it just infuriates people.”
Nunes added, “People are becoming infuriated seeing some people being treated differently than others, and in the meantime … we still have problems protecting our older population in nursing homes.”
On Friday, protesters flooded the city of Huntington Beach to demonstrate against Newsom’s orders. Holding signs with slogans such as, “Open Cali Now,” “All Jobs are Essential” and “Surfing Not a Crime/Newsom is a Kook,” as they took to the street, the protesters — many without face masks and not practicing social distancing — backed up traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway for at least a mile.
The protest followed a similar one in the city two weekends ago, when demonstrators called for a reopening of the state’s economy after a month under Newsom’s stay-at-home order.
In an act of defiance, some residents managed to enter local parks over the weekend — but county sheriffs have agreed to look the other way, Nunes said.
“Another thing that isn’t being reported is every county has an elected county sheriff. Most of the county sheriffs have told the governor, ‘sorry we’re not going to do this.’ If somebody goes through the murder scene tape, that yellow tape that’s in a local park, I’ve had a lot of the local sheriffs around me say ‘look we’re not going to arrest people if you go walking around in a park. We’re just not going to do it.’ ”
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--It’s time to care for non-COVID patients as pandemic lessens, NY doctors say

FDNY statistics show that the number of New Yorkers who ...

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A state group representing New York physicians is urging people to go to doctors’ offices for crucial medical care amid the pandemic — while a major health provider e-mailed its patients with the same message, too.
“Please do not risk your health by delaying care,” NYU Langone Hospital wrote in a recent e-mail to its patients, emphasizing that its doctors are available for “essential” in-person appointments, testing and surgeries in “thoroughly cleaned and sanitized’’ locations.
The Medical Society of the State of New York, an industry group for doctors, noted that physicians’ offices and hospitals have seen “massive drops in patient visits” that would have been unrelated to COVID-19 — and issued safety guidelines for members to boost public confidence in them as the contagion appears to be on the wane.
The group insisted that “with proper safety precautions, a doctor’s office is one of the safest places for a patient. Reopening physician offices is an important step for New York state.
“MSSNY recommends that all practices and facilities adopt comprehensive safety protocols including managing patient flow, limiting visitation, checking temperatures, remote check-in, etc,” it said.
The coronavirus pandemic has all but shut down many medical practices, as people are wary of going to doctors’ offices and hospitals for fear of getting the contagion. The state Health Department also ordered hospitals to postpone elective surgeries and instead devote resources to care for a massive wave of infected and often very sick coronavirus patients admitted to their facilities.
“The pandemic caused many other parts of the healthcare system to be idled in order to preserve resources and capacity in the system and limit opportunity for transmission or exposure to the virus,” the Medical Society said.
“Physician practices and healthcare facilities have seen massive drops in patient visits, caused by a combination of shelter in place orders and patient fear. This may lead to much more complex problems in the future, as patients miss routine screenings and preventative care.”
The Post reported last month that the number of patients refusing medical aid from city EMS ambulance crews skyrocketed during the pandemic, because of fear of going to hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients.
The reopening of the healthcare system for non-COVID services will require a public-education campaign to persuade worried patients that it’s OK to see the doctor in the office or in another “healthcare setting,” the doctors’ group said. The re-openings will vary by location and depend on the severity of the virus in different regions of the state, the group added.
There were 280 deaths caused by COVID-19 on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported during his press briefing Sunday. That’s down from a daily peak of 799 on April 8.
NYU Langone hospital told patients its safe to seek care.
“It’s understandable that there might be concern about coming to a doctor’s office or a hospital right now. Rest assured that we have put in place strict safety procedures to protect our patients,” NYU Langone said in its e-letter to patients.
The medical provider said it has put in place infection control procedures to protect non-COVID patients during the pandemic.
The note to patients said all NYU Langone staff have been tested for COVID-19 and wear masks and other protective equipment. All patients are screened for COVID-19 symptoms before arriving for their visit, it added, and all staff and patients are screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the entrance of its practices and given a temperature check with a “no-touch” thermometer.
All patients are also required to wear a mask, and social-distancing measures “will be enforced” in waiting areas, NYU Langone said
“All of our sites are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized throughout the day,” patients were told.
The hospital stressed that it set up “strict procedures” for surgeries and that the operating room “is still the safest place to have a baby.”
Mothers who had routine deliveries are discharged within 24 hours, the letter said.
NYU Langone also stressed that it separates COVID from non-COVID patients at its four emergency rooms in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island. The ERs all have “separate areas for patients coming in with COVID-19 symptoms,” the letter said.
The hospital system said “video visits” are still an option for patients who do not need urgent care.


newyorkpost--2020-05-03--Andy Dalton’s wife ‘excited’ about surprise Cowboys signing

Jordan Dalton is forever grateful to Bengals faithful .
After news ...

Jordan Dalton cannot wait to see husband Andy Dalton in Cowboys’ colors.
On Sunday, the wife of the former Bengals quarterback posted a photo-shopped image of the 32-year-old signal-caller decked out in Cowboys gear, one day after he agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $7 million with Dallas.
It was a move that surprised some considering Dallas already has Dak Prescott as its starter.
“We are so excited to be a part of this amazing organization!! @andydalton14 I couldn’t be more proud of the man you are!” Jordan began on Instagram.
“Watching you grow through these last 9 years in the NFL has been incredible! There is truly no one else like you! I can’t wait to see what God does this next season of life!! I am so proud of you! Go Cowboys!! Ephesians 2:10,” she continued, adding three blue heart emojis.
The Bengals released Dalton last week after nine seasons. They selected former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first-overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Following Dalton’s departure, Jordan posted farewell wishes from Bengals fans to her Instagram story.
Dalton, a Texas native, has been married to Jordan since 2011. They share three children.


newyorkpost--2020-05-04--Country singer Cady Groves dies weeks after revealing mental health struggle

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Country singer Cady Groves has died just weeks after complaining about mental health fears during the coronavirus lockdown , her family has revealed .
She was just 30 .
“ @ cadygroves has left this world , ” her brother , Cody , tweeted on Sunday , breaking the news to fans of the “ This Little Girl ” star .
“ Details are limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get them and will keep people updated .
Rest In Peace little sis , ” he wrote .
Her death came just weeks after she posted a series of despairing messages about the toll from staying home alone in Nashville .
“ Some days my mental health is AWFUL , ” she admitted on April 15 , saying , “ I feel completely alone and scared and far from everyone I love.
” She complained in other posts of “ feeling defeated ” from what seemed to be the “ beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m going bats–t crazy.
” However , her brother later fought back against “ a cluster of twisted misinformation ” online sparked by her posts and his vague initial announcement .
“ The medical examiner has completed autopsy and there was no indication of foul play or self harm , ” he insisted .
He explained , “ She had some medical problems last fall and our best guess at this point until further testing is complete is that they had resurfaced.
” He gave no further details on the medical problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts , he insisted she was “ really looking forward to the next few months and release of her new album.
” “ Our latest in depth conversation ( since most were witty banter ) was her sending me songs to critique and give feedback on , ” he wrote .
He also said he hoped she was reunited with her brothers Casey and Kelly , who died in 2007 and 2014 respectively — both from drug overdoses , The Oklahoman reports .

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Country singer Cady Groves has died just weeks after complaining about mental health fears during the coronavirus lockdown, her family has revealed.
She was just 30.
“@cadygroves has left this world,” her brother, Cody, tweeted on Sunday, breaking the news to fans of the “This Little Girl” star.
“Details are limited right now but family is trying to get them and will keep people updated. Rest In Peace little sis,” he wrote.
Her death came just weeks after she posted a series of despairing messages about the toll from staying home alone in Nashville.
“Some days my mental health is AWFUL,” she admitted on April 15, saying, “I feel completely alone and scared and far from everyone I love.”
She complained in other posts of “feeling defeated” from what seemed to be the “beginning of the world ending,” admitting “I’m going bats–t crazy.”
However, her brother later fought back against “a cluster of twisted misinformation” online sparked by her posts and his vague initial announcement.
“The medical examiner has completed autopsy and there was no indication of foul play or self harm,” he insisted.
“Simply put, Cady Groves died of natural causes.”
He explained, “She had some medical problems last fall and our best guess at this point until further testing is complete is that they had resurfaced.”
He gave no further details on the medical problems.
Despite his sister’s alarming posts, he insisted she was “really looking forward to the next few months and release of her new album.”
“Our latest in depth conversation (since most were witty banter) was her sending me songs to critique and give feedback on,” he wrote.
He also said he hoped she was reunited with her brothers Casey and Kelly, who died in 2007 and 2014, respectively — both from drug overdoses, The Oklahoman reports.


newyorkpost--2020-05-04--Dog who lost her owners to coronavirus finds a new home

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Bon voyage, Che-Che! The shelter dog who lost her owners to COVID-19 was cheered out by Monmouth County SPCA staff after the lucky pooch found a new home. Watch Che-Che’s walk of honor in Eatontown, New Jersey, here.
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newyorkpost--2020-05-04--Bloody brawl breaks out on Spirit Airlines flight over noise complaint

A Spirit Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing in Des Moines after a passenger was pummeled when he complained that his fellow fliers were making too much noise while he was trying to sleep , according to reports .
Flight 709 made the unscheduled stop in Iowa on Thursday after the fight , which left the passenger badly beaten , according to clickondetroit.com .
“ We were in shock , really .
We couldn ’ t believe it was happening , ” a woman aboard told the news outlet .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids with me and everybody was like , ‘ Oh my God !
’ ” The woman said passengers called on flight attendants to end the fisticuffs .
“ Everyone was like , ‘ Why aren ’ t you doing anything ?
’ They were like , ‘ We don ’ t get paid enough to deal with this , ’ ” the woman recalled .
After the plane landed in Des Moines , the attackers changed out of their bloody clothing .
“ They went and changed their clothes before the marshals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They hurried up and ran to the bathroom because they had blood all over their clothes and they didn ’ t want to be recognized.
” Passengers were shocked that the people involved in the fracas were allowed to board the flight after the two-hour delay , the outlet reported .
Police Sgt .
Paul Parizek said one passenger was escorted off the plane , KETV reported .
“ We did not arrest anyone .
Pretty unique situation .
It was determined that the incident took place over Nebraska , so DMPD has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s request , we escorted one passenger off the plane , and it continued on to Detroit , ” he said .
“ He was free to go .
It appears that he was the victim of the assault but initiated the dispute on the flight .
It started because he wanted to sleep and he protested other people , including a flight attendant , for talking too loudly , ” Parizek added .
The woman who witnessed the flight said she also was shocked that the flight was packed after Spirit told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns .
“ They didn ’ t clean the blood , ” she said .
“ Sat there for two hours , everyone sucking everyone ’ s coronavirus.
” Spirit did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Post .

A Spirit Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing in Des Moines after a passenger was pummeled when he complained that his fellow fliers were making too much noise while he was trying to sleep, according to reports.
Flight 709 made the unscheduled stop in Iowa on Thursday after the fight, which left the passenger badly beaten, according to clickondetroit.com.
“We were in shock, really. We couldn’t believe it was happening,” a woman aboard told the news outlet. “It was really scary. I had my kids with me and everybody was like, ‘Oh my God!’”
The woman said passengers called on flight attendants to end the fisticuffs.
“Everyone was like, ‘Why aren’t you doing anything?’ They were like, ‘We don’t get paid enough to deal with this,’” the woman recalled.
After the plane landed in Des Moines, the attackers changed out of their bloody clothing.
“They went and changed their clothes before the marshals came,” she said. “They hurried up and ran to the bathroom because they had blood all over their clothes and they didn’t want to be recognized.”
Passengers were shocked that the people involved in the fracas were allowed to board the flight after the two-hour delay, the outlet reported.
Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said one passenger was escorted off the plane, KETV reported.
“We did not arrest anyone. Pretty unique situation. It was determined that the incident took place over Nebraska, so DMPD has no jurisdiction. At the crew’s request, we escorted one passenger off the plane, and it continued on to Detroit,” he said.
“He was free to go. It appears that he was the victim of the assault but initiated the dispute on the flight. It started because he wanted to sleep and he protested other people, including a flight attendant, for talking too loudly,” Parizek added.
Related Video Video of TikTok star licking plane toilet seat for 'coronavirus challenge'
The woman who witnessed the flight said she also was shocked that the flight was packed after Spirit told her it would distance passengers amid coronavirus concerns.
“They didn’t clean the blood,” she said. “Sat there for two hours, everyone sucking everyone’s coronavirus.”
Spirit said in a statement to The Post that it “does not tolerate any type of physical altercation on board our aircraft and appropriate action will be taken. We thank the law enforcement officers in Des Moines for their assistance upon arrival.”
Airline spokesman Erik Hofmeyer also denied the allegation that flight attendants stood idly by, saying they tried to “de-escalate” the situation before it became too dangerous for them.
He also said the crew used onboard decontamination kits to clean the area after the fight.
Hofmeyer added that the flight was not full and that middle seats would have been left empty to promote social distancing. The airline also makes it mandatory for passengers to wear protective masks.