newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Corey Johnson plots long-range overhaul to NYC housing development

The next battle between Big Apple builders and anti-development activists ...

Council Speaker Corey Johnson rolled out a long-shot and long-range plan Wednesday aimed at breaking what he sees a New York City housing development logjam — a plan that would mandate development goals for each of the city’s 59 community districts and then let their individual boards determine where that housing could best fit.
The proposed overhaul comes just weeks after City Hall revealed that the construction of fewer than 200,000 new apartments and houses had been OK’d over the last decade, with Johnson noting the city has not built more than 200,000 new units of housing during any decade since the 1960s, something he aims to cure with this plan.
“This is streamlining the process, it’s creating coordination, it’s creating more transparency,” Johnson told reporters during a Wednesday press conference.
“Right now, it’s completely disjointed,” he added. “You have almost a dozen city agencies that work separately from each other on issues that impact land use, that impact planning, that impact the things that communities need and ask for on an annual basis.”
Johnson’s plan would attempt to unify the city’s long-term planning functions under a new commission with members appointed by the Mayor, Council and the borough presidents. The commission would set building targets for each community district, assess the infrastructure for jobs and transportation already there and determine what improvements are needed with or without new development.
Each community district would be required to approve up to three plans for new development that meet those requirements and the Council would be required to meld them into a single citywide plan. The next mayor would be able to impose a plan if the Council fails to ratify one.
Johnson, who like Mayor de Blasio is term limited and will be out of office after 2021, argues the new new plan would unify the city’s planning functions and speed development by effectively providing pre-approvals for time-consuming zoning and environmental reviews for new projects.
Under his legislation, the city would have until 2025 to craft its first version of the plan, which would have to be updated and amended in 2030 — a process that would repeat every 10 years afterward.
There aren’t many fans of New York’s highly balkanized and much-amended planning processes, which are driven by the Big Apple’s zoning code passed in 1961, historic preservation laws enacted that same decade and a neighborhood review process enacted in the 1970s.
Since the enactment of all of the laws and regulations, housing production in New York City has plunged.
The city built more than 300,000 new units of housing in the 1950s and 1960s, but has never exceeded more than 200,000 new units in a decade since then.
A report published by the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development in October revealed the city built more new housing during the Fear City-era of the 1970s than during the 2010s.
The new plan comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio finally pressed ahead with controversial plans to rezone the wealthy South and North of Houston Street neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan and to transform Brooklyn’s once-industrial Gowanus neighborhood into a new housing district.
And it comes after de Blasio abandoned plans to rezone Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood after fierce push back from local residents and progressive activists.
Critics offered a plan that would have further restricted new development across broad swaths of the neighborhood, confined new construction to a few major corridors and required that any new housing be subsidized — without allowing the construction of new market-rate units to help pay for it.
Activists argued that aiming new construction at neighborhoods like Bushwick was part of a pattern by the de Blasio administration of targeting new construction in working-class neighborhoods where there is often less organized opposition than wealthy white neighborhoods, like those on Manhattan’s East and West sides.
There, city preservation laws often make new construction difficult and locals can often raise the needed funds to turn any new project into a years-long court fight.
Johnson’s new plan received a cool reception from the other side of City Hall, where de Blasio spokesman Mitch Schwartz pointed out that a recent charter commission nixed a similar proposal.
“We’ll review the Speaker’s plan and work closely with the Council on creative, flexible ways to grow this city responsibly,” he added.


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--How NYC’s DNA database helps not only solve crime, but prevent it

In a pretty blatant pander to the left , the NYPD ...

In October, the City Council introduced a bill to limit the NYPD’s collection of DNA samples. Co-sponsors Diana Ayala and Donovan Richards seek to prevent gathering samples from minors without their knowledge or parental consent. But if anything, new research suggests we should not only be maintaining these DNA samples, but putting everyone who is in the database on notice.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner houses the local DNA database for the five boroughs. It operates completely independent of police and of prosecutors’ offices. In the database, samples are associated solely with a serial number: There is no information about identity, race, age or health. The information can’t be used in paternity suits or insurance claims. It exists exclusively to establish or disprove guilt.
There is only one downside to being in the DNA database: If you commit a crime, you might get caught. The upsides to our city, however, may be even bigger than previously thought.
Newly published research from the Manhattan Institute reveals that DNA databases deter crime to a gobsmacking degree — especially among young people. Superstar economist Jennifer Doleac found that in the United States, adding people convicted of a violent felony offense to a DNA database reduced the likelihood of another conviction within five years by 17 percent. The effect on those convicted of property felonies was a smaller 6 percent decline, but that group also changed its behavior.
Doleac conducted analogous research in Denmark, where they have a similar system but richer data. In 2005, Denmark expanded its DNA database from including just a small subset of the most serious violent offenders to capturing everyone charged with the equivalent of a felony. For this group, being added to the DNA database reduced the likelihood of a new conviction by 42 percent in the first year. The effect persisted for at least three years.
These findings have direct implications for the council bill in Gotham, since the deterrent effect was found most pronounced among still-developing young people: Beyond deterring wrongdoing, database-inclusion improved life outcomes. The cohort that reduced its criminal behavior the most, ages 18 to 23, shifted from employment to education or training programs. Those from the older group, ages 24 to 30, shifted from unemployment into employment.
Doleac explains these life course corrections: “We don’t know whether being added to the DNA database caused this shift in behavior directly, as a conscious investment in noncriminal skills — or indirectly, as the result of no longer having work or schooling interrupted by arrests and incarcerations. Either way, the reduction in criminal behavior due to the deterrent effect of the DNA database appears to have put these individuals on a better track.”
Richards, now Queens borough president, cheered on by the Legal Aid Society, decried youth DNA collection as “genetic stop-and-frisk,” claiming it targets black and brown New Yorkers.
The truth is there is no faster, less biased way to the truth than DNA. Yes, the cops may take abandonment samples — collecting DNA off of soda bottles, for instance — from minors who are in custody following a crime. But this DNA isn’t random, and its collection and storage does only one thing: solve crime.
Like so many cries for drastic police reform, this bill’s advocates portray cops solely as victimizers and completely sidestep any consideration of preventing crime and seeing justice done for victims and the innocent.
And if, as Doleac’s research indicates, being admitted to the database actually steers youth toward more pro-social behavior and better lives, it is an advantage not just for the Big Apple but for entrants themselves. It decreases an individual’s likelihood of incarceration by discouraging criminal activity. And all with no more incursion into privacy than the mandatory fingerprinting of everyone from daycare employees to lawyers to cops and private investigators, me included.
Limiting the database simply risks solving fewer crimes — especially those committed against black New Yorkers, who make up the majority of the city’s homicide victims. It risks fewer exonerations for the wrongly accused. And now research suggests it risks more kids going down a path of crime and incarceration. Is this bill really in city kids’ best interest?
Hannah Meyers is director of the policing and public-safety initiative at the Manhattan Institute.


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Six injured in 27-vehicle crash on NYC parkway amid Winter Storm Gail

Six people were injured in a 27-vehicle crash that shut down all southbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway on @ @ @ @ @ sources said .
The chain-reaction crash occurred in snowy conditions on the parkway near West @ @ @ @ @ at about 6:10 p.m. , authorities said .
Four of the injuries were considered serious @ @ @ @ @ , while two were minor , the FDNY said .
All of the victims were @ @ @ @ @ the Citizen app show a line of cars at a standstill on the parkway that @ @ @ @ @ .

Six people were injured in a 27-vehicle crash that shut down all southbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway on Wednesday night, officials and sources said.
The chain-reaction crash occurred in snowy conditions on the parkway near West 181 Street in Upper Manhattan at about 6:10 p.m., authorities said.
Four of the injuries were considered serious, but not life threatening, while two were minor, the FDNY said. All of the victims were hospitalized.
Videos posted to the Citizen app show a line of cars at a standstill on the parkway that connects Manhattan and The Bronx.


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Mike Pence will be vaccinated Friday with cameras rolling

Seven out of 10 Americans say they will “ definitely or ...

Vice President Mike Pence will be vaccinated for COVID-19 on Friday in front of cameras as a vaccine confidence-building public relations effort.
Pence, who led the White House coronavirus task force, will be injected with the recently approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine alongside his wife, Karen Pence.
The White House announced the plans in a Wednesday evening email blast.
The all-caps announcement said, “VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE TO PUBLICLY RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE TO BUILD CONFIDENCE AMONG AMERICANS.”
“On Friday, December 18th, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence will publicly receive a COVID-19 vaccine to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people,” the White House release said.
“Vice President Pence and Second Lady Pence will be joined by Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who will also receive the vaccine. This event will take place at the White House.”
Pence, 61, is one of the only senior US officials with a ground-floor office in the West Wing who did not contract COVID-19 this year. He was a ready adopter of the “chicken wing” elbow-bump salutation as a risk-reduction tactic during the pandemic.
President Trump battled the virus in October and was hospitalized for three nights. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and counselor to the president Hope Hicks also contracted and recovered from the virus.
Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short also contracted COVID-19.
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be vaccinated next week, also to encourage the public to receive the two-dose treatment when it becomes more widely available.
A member of the press who joined Biden for a Tuesday Senate campaign trip to Georgia tested positive for COVID-19, Biden’s press office said Wednesday.


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Federal Reserve chair urges more COVID-19 stimulus from Congress ASAP

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the US economy urgently needs more relief from Congress as COVID-19 cases surge .
Democratic and Republican leaders are wrangling over details for stimulus legislation ahead of a Friday government funding deadline .
“ The case for fiscal policy right now is very , very strong and I think that ’ s widely understood , ” Powell said following a Federal Reserve meeting , the New York Times reports .
“ Now that we can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel , it would be bad to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ’ s work , even generations ’ worth of work.
” Powell said now was not the time for budget hawks to fret about the national debt .
“ From my way of thinking the time to focus on that is when the economy is strong , unemployment is low and taxes are pouring in and there ’ s room to get on a sustainable path because the economy is doing well , ” Powell said .
The remarks come as the pandemic worsens , despite the start of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine distribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at near all-time highs , but unemployment is expected to grow as state and local governments order businesses to close to prevent spread of the virus that ’ s infected nearly 17 million Americans and killed more than 300,000 since March .
Additional stimulus checks of between $ 500 and $ 1,200 are anticipated as part of stimulus legislation , in addition to boosted unemployment pay , more small business loans and funds for health care and other government response efforts .

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the US economy urgently needs more relief from Congress as COVID-19 cases surge.
Democratic and Republican leaders are wrangling over details for stimulus legislation ahead of a Friday government funding deadline.
“The case for fiscal policy right now is very, very strong and I think that’s widely understood,” Powell said following a Federal Reserve meeting, the New York Times reports.
“Now that we can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel, it would be bad to see people losing their business, their life’s work, even generations’ worth of work.”
Powell said now was not the time for budget hawks to fret about the national debt.
“From my way of thinking the time to focus on that is when the economy is strong, unemployment is low and taxes are pouring in and there’s room to get on a sustainable path because the economy is doing well,” Powell said.
The remarks come as the pandemic worsens, despite the start of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine distribution this week.
The stock market remains at near all-time highs, but unemployment is expected to grow as state and local governments order businesses to close to prevent spread of the virus that’s infected nearly 17 million Americans and killed more than 300,000 since March.
Additional stimulus checks of between $500 and $1,200 are anticipated as part of stimulus legislation, in addition to boosted unemployment pay, more small business loans and funds for health care and other government response efforts.


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Only 4,000 COVID-19 vaccinations given in New York so far

Only 4,000 coronavirus vaccines have been administered in New York since Monday — out of more than 80,000 the state has received .
Between Monday and Tuesday , around 87,000 of the 170,000 Pfizer vaccines that the state is expecting were delivered to local hospitals , the state Department of Health said .
But fewer than 10 percent of those had actually been administered to healthcare workers as of Wednesday , according to Health Commissioner Howard Zucker .
That ’ s despite Cuomo ’ s fanfare-filled announcement about the vax rollout on Monday — when the first batch of 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today we ’ re in the process of administering 10,000 vaccines , ” the governor had said .
A much larger allocation of 77,000 shots have arrived since Monday , when just 10 hospitals received vaccines , the DOH said .
Since then , around 90 hospitals statewide are estimated to have gotten deliveries of the shot , according to the department .
In New York City , only 73 shots were given on Monday — but that number jumped to 1,500 on Tuesday .
It ’ s unclear how many were administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pace of the “ staggered ” rollout will pick up , anticipating that healthcare facilities will now vaccinate 100s of their staffers daily .
A DOH spokesman defended the early snails-pace rollout , saying that “ This is the start of the process.
” “ The governor said on Monday , ‘ today we ’ re in the process of administering 10,000 vaccines , ’ that very clearly indicates the start of an aggressive vaccination program , ” said spokesman Gary Holmes .
“ We ’ re following very rigorous protocols while ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as safety , as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
” The state said that the remaining 83,000 doses that have yet to arrive will go to nursing homes , to be administered next week by the federal program with CVS and Walgreens .
Vivan Zayas , who heads the advocacy group Voices for Seniors — and whose father died of COVID-19 in a Long Island nursing home during the spring — said that the vaccine rollout is “ slow for the nursing homes.
” “ Nursing homes have the most vulnerable population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been first in line , ” Zayas said , along with hospital workers .
Another shipment of 346,000 vaccines from Moderna is expected to get to New York by Dec. 22 .
One Wednesday , Cuomo said he anticipated that phase 2 of the vaccine rollout plan will begin in late January , for first responders and some essential workers to get the shot .
However , the governor said it could take more than half a year of vaccinating the public for it to begin having an effect .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to nine-month period , ” he said .
“ We have to get the vaccination out as soon as we can .
That will bring the COVID rate down .
”

Only 4,000 coronavirus vaccines have been administered in New York since Monday — out of more than 80,000 the state has received.
Between Monday and Tuesday, around 87,000 of the 170,000 Pfizer vaccines that the state is expecting were delivered to local hospitals, the state Department of Health said.
But fewer than 10 percent of those had actually been administered to healthcare workers as of Wednesday, according to Health Commissioner Howard Zucker.
That’s despite Cuomo’s fanfare-filled announcement about the vax rollout on Monday — when the first batch of 10,000 arrived in the Empire State.
“Today we’re in the process of administering 10,000 vaccines,” the governor had said.
A much larger allocation of 77,000 shots have arrived since Monday, when just 10 hospitals received vaccines, the DOH said.
Since then, around 90 hospitals statewide are estimated to have gotten deliveries of the shot, according to the department.
In New York City, only 73 shots were given on Monday — but that number jumped to 1,500 on Tuesday. It’s unclear how many were administered on Wednesday.
The DOH hopes the pace of the “staggered” rollout will pick up, anticipating that healthcare facilities will now vaccinate 100s of their staffers daily.
A DOH spokesman defended the early snails-pace rollout, saying that “This is the start of the process.”
“The governor said on Monday, ‘today we’re in the process of administering 10,000 vaccines,’ that very clearly indicates the start of an aggressive vaccination program,” said spokesman Gary Holmes.
“We’re following very rigorous protocols while ensuring we can get as many individuals vaccinated as safety, as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”
The state said that the remaining 83,000 doses that have yet to arrive will go to nursing homes, to be administered next week by the federal program with CVS and Walgreens.
Vivan Zayas, who heads the advocacy group Voices for Seniors — and whose father died of COVID-19 in a Long Island nursing home during the spring — said that the vaccine rollout is “slow for the nursing homes.”
“Nursing homes have the most vulnerable population. The nursing home staff should have been first in line,” Zayas said, along with hospital workers.
Another shipment of 346,000 vaccines from Moderna is expected to get to New York by Dec. 22.
One Wednesday, Cuomo said he anticipated that phase 2 of the vaccine rollout plan will begin in late January, for first responders and some essential workers to get the shot.
However, the governor said it could take more than half a year of vaccinating the public for it to begin having an effect.
“It’s a foot race over a six- to nine-month period,” he said. “We have to get the vaccination out as soon as we can. That will bring the COVID rate down.”
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile and Nolan Hicks


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--‘Greenland’ review:  Comet hits Earth in bleak disaster movie

Did Gerard Butler take acting lessons from the MGM Lion ?
He growls and snarls just like Leo in his latest role , as an engineer trying to save his wife and young son from an apocalyptic comet ’ s impact in “ Greenland.
” Butler ’ s pretty bad — not horrible — but the movie itself is quite watchable , if a lot bleaker than your average disaster flick .
“ The Day After Tomorrow ” and “ Poseidon Adventure ” did not , in my recollection , have cruel kidnappings of young boys or murders by hammer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth , John ( Butler ) gets an automated text message from the Department of Homeland Security saying his family has been chosen for relocation .
He ’ s told to head to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia with his wife Allison ( Morena Baccarin ) , 8-year-old son Nathan ( Roger Dale Floyd ) — and no one else .
They ’ re confused .
Is it a test ?
The comet had Hale-Bopp-level excitement around it .
That ’ s when the family turns on the news and sees that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit Florida .
“ TAMPA GONE , ” the ticker says .
Hop in the car , guys !
From then on , the revelations in director Ric Roman Waugh ’ s film are shrewdly unveiled .
We learn John is one of a small number of highly skilled professionals who have been picked for survival in an underground base in Greenland : home to glaciers and a population the size of White Plains .
Those not lucky enough to receive a government text turn to any method , including crime , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Sparling ’ s script shows humanity at its worst .
Of course , it wouldn ’ t be much of a story if Butler and Co. just caught a flight and arrived on the island with ease .
Roadblocks pop up that make their journey harrowing and sad .
Much of the heft is owed to the smallest cast member , Floyd , a deep-feeling child actor who has a hard-hitting scene outside another air force base .
Poor kid has to cry buckets .
The ending , however , is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this messy story .
It lacks any element of the unexpected , and we ’ ve all seen better CGI images of destroyed cities in disaster films for years .
Roland Emmerich probably has a folder on his laptop full of them .
Whatever .
As far as Butler ’ s films go , “ Greenland ” could have been so much worse .
“ The Bounty Hunter ” was so awful , after watching it I felt like … a comet had just hit Earth !

Did Gerard Butler take acting lessons from the MGM Lion? He growls and snarls just like Leo in his latest role, as an engineer trying to save his wife and young son from an apocalyptic comet’s impact in “Greenland.”
movie review greenland Running time: 119 minutes. Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of disaster action, some violence, bloody images and brief strong language). On Demand.
Butler’s pretty bad — not horrible — but the movie itself is quite watchable, if a lot bleaker than your average disaster flick. “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Poseidon Adventure” did not, in my recollection, have cruel kidnappings of young boys or murders by hammer.
As a comet called Clarke approaches Earth, John (Butler) gets an automated text message from the Department of Homeland Security saying his family has been chosen for relocation. He’s told to head to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia with his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), 8-year-old son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) — and no one else. They’re confused. Is it a test? The comet had Hale-Bopp-level excitement around it.
That’s when the family turns on the news and sees that a shard of the space rock has hit Florida. “TAMPA GONE,” the ticker says. Hop in the car, guys!
From then on, the revelations in director Ric Roman Waugh’s film are shrewdly unveiled. We learn John is one of a small number of highly skilled professionals who have been picked for survival in an underground base in Greenland: home to glaciers and a population the size of White Plains. Those not lucky enough to receive a government text turn to any method, including crime, to snag a spot on the planes. Chris Sparling’s script shows humanity at its worst.
Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story if Butler and Co. just caught a flight and arrived on the island with ease. Roadblocks pop up that make their journey harrowing and sad. Much of the heft is owed to the smallest cast member, Floyd, a deep-feeling child actor who has a hard-hitting scene outside another air force base. Poor kid has to cry buckets.
The ending, however, is too squeaky clean and obvious to wrap up this messy story. It lacks any element of the unexpected, and we’ve all seen better CGI images of destroyed cities in disaster films for years. Roland Emmerich probably has a folder on his laptop full of them.
Whatever. As far as Butler’s films go, “Greenland” could have been so much worse. “The Bounty Hunter” was so awful, after watching it I felt like … a comet had just hit Earth!


newyorkpost--2020-12-16--Latest Google antitrust lawsuit accuses it of ‘unlawful’ union with Facebook

Alphabet-owned Google was slapped with a fresh antitrust lawsuit on Wednesday accusing it of teaming up with Facebook to rig the lucrative online advertising market .
The complaint , led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , marks the second lawsuit questioning Google ’ s dominance in the online ad space in just two months .
It says that Google reached out to Mark Zuckerberg ’ s Facebook after the social media company emerged as a powerful online ad rival in 2017 .
The two tech giants then allegedly struck “ an unlawful agreement ” to give Facebook “ information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ad auctions it ran in exchange for the social network backing down from its competitive threats .
“ Attorney General Paxton ’ s ad tech claims are meritless , yet he ’ s gone ahead in spite of all the facts .
We ’ ve invested in state-of-the-art ad tech services that help businesses and benefit consumers , ” a Google spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in a statement .
“ We will strongly defend ourselves from his baseless claims in court.
” Facebook , which was named as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal court , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The lawsuit follows a separate complaint from the Department of Justice , which also attacked Google ’ s ad practices in October , claiming its maintained “ unlawful monopolies ” in online search services in order to keep the ad dollars flowing .
In that lawsuit , the DOJ referred to Google ’ s deal to pay tech giant Apple billions of dollars a year in exchange for Apple making Google the default search engine on the iPhone .
Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which it has used to build the dominant digital ad marketplace , known as an ad exchange .
The investment has paid off handsomely : Its parent company , Alphabet posted digital advertising revenue of $ 37.1 billion in its latest quarterly report .
But the company ’ s ad dominance has also been a sore subject for web publishers , including news agencies and information websites like lyrics provider Genius .
“ This internet Goliath used its power to manipulate the market , destroy competition , and harm YOU , the consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
“ Google repeatedly used its monopolistic power to control pricing ( and ) engage in market collusions to rig auctions in a tremendous violation of justice , ” Paxon said in a video posted on the social media sites .
“ Google effectively eliminated its competition and crowned itself the head of online advertising .
If the free market were a baseball game , Google positioned itself as the pitcher , the batter and the umpire.
” Paxton was joined by Arkansas , Indiana , Kentucky , Missouri , Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah and Idaho .
The states ’ case is pivotal for Google , which is reliant on advertising for much of its profits .
Its parent company , Alphabet posted digital advertising revenue of $ 37.1 billion in its latest quarterly report .
Google ’ s fortunes will likely dim further this week as a third antitrust lawsuit is expected to be filed against Google as soon as Thursday from another coalition of bipartisan state attorneys general , Politico reported on Tuesday .
That suit is also expected to target Google ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how its changing design has disadvantaged rivals , according to Politico .

Alphabet-owned Google was slapped with a fresh antitrust lawsuit on Wednesday accusing it of teaming up with Facebook to rig the lucrative online advertising market.
The complaint, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, marks the second lawsuit questioning Google’s dominance in the online ad space in just two months.
It says that Google reached out to Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook after the social media company emerged as a powerful online ad rival in 2017. The two tech giants then allegedly struck “an unlawful agreement” to give Facebook “information, speed, and other advantages” in the ad auctions it ran in exchange for the social network backing down from its competitive threats.
“Attorney General Paxton’s ad tech claims are meritless, yet he’s gone ahead in spite of all the facts. We’ve invested in state-of-the-art ad tech services that help businesses and benefit consumers,” a Google spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal in a statement. “We will strongly defend ourselves from his baseless claims in court.”
Facebook, which was named as a co-conspirator in the lawsuit filed in Texas federal court, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit follows a separate complaint from the Department of Justice, which also attacked Google’s ad practices in October, claiming its maintained “unlawful monopolies” in online search services in order to keep the ad dollars flowing.
In that lawsuit, the DOJ referred to Google’s deal to pay tech giant Apple billions of dollars a year in exchange for Apple making Google the default search engine on the iPhone.
Google acquired ad-technology provider DoubleClick in 2009, which it has used to build the dominant digital ad marketplace, known as an ad exchange. The investment has paid off handsomely: Its parent company, Alphabet posted digital advertising revenue of $37.1 billion in its latest quarterly report.
But the company’s ad dominance has also been a sore subject for web publishers, including news agencies and information websites like lyrics provider Genius.
“This internet Goliath used its power to manipulate the market, destroy competition, and harm YOU, the consumer,” the office of Paxton wrote on Twitter.
“Google repeatedly used its monopolistic power to control pricing (and) engage in market collusions to rig auctions in a tremendous violation of justice,” Paxon said in a video posted on the social media sites. “Google effectively eliminated its competition and crowned itself the head of online advertising. If the free market were a baseball game, Google positioned itself as the pitcher, the batter and the umpire.”
Paxton was joined by Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho.
The states’ case is pivotal for Google, which is reliant on advertising for much of its profits. Its parent company, Alphabet posted digital advertising revenue of $37.1 billion in its latest quarterly report.
Google’s fortunes will likely dim further this week as a third antitrust lawsuit is expected to be filed against Google as soon as Thursday from another coalition of bipartisan state attorneys general, Politico reported on Tuesday. That suit is also expected to target Google’s search services, but focus primarily on how its changing design has disadvantaged rivals, according to Politico.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Enter FOX Bet’s free Week 15 Thursday night  contest for a chance to win $25,000

My most recent attempt at picking FOX Bet ’ s Super 6 contest was both a big success and a bit of a disappointment as I nailed the first three questions last Tuesday in the Dallas Cowboys-Baltimore Ravens game , then came oh-so-close on two more , losing one in the final five minutes and the other on the last play of the game .
Still , that three-spot was my high-water mark in four tries in this harder-than-it-looks endeavor , and it reversed a trend that had seen me get two , one and then zero questions correct .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FOX Super 6 app for free and you can win this week ’ s $ 25,000 jackpot !
Download now at foxsuper6.com !
With that , we turn our attention to Thursday night ’ s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium — aka the “ Death Star ” — right off The Strip .
1 .
How many total points will be scored in the first half ?
This is a different opening question than all the previous weeks , which figures because it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I predicted a Justin Tucker field goal would be the last scoring play of the first half .
I ’ m looking at the odds board first to try to figure this one out .
FOX Bet lists Over 26.5 points as a -118 favorite vs .
Under 26.5 points , which is even money .
So that takes me to the highest option , which I also like because it ’ s open-ended .
I don ’ t have to thread a needle to fit the total into a small window .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Chargers average 12.7 points in the first half and the Raiders average 13.2 for a sum of 25.9 , just a bit low .
But if you look at average points allowed in the first half by the two teams , it ’ s Chargers 13.2 and Raiders 15.1 for a sum of 28.3 .
On a fast indoor track in perfect conditions there ’ s no bad weather to get in the way , either .
So , 26+ it is .
2 .
How will the first TD of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another bullseye for me last week .
I correctly predicted the first touchdown of the third quarter would come on a Ravens passing play .
This one is largely dependent on the opening coin toss , as the team that is set up to receive the second-half kickoff obviously has the edge here , and we have no way of knowing which one that will be .
I ’ m expecting a high-scoring game so “ No TD ” is probably not an option , but “ Any other TD ” could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sack-fumble or kick return .
Looking at the FOX Bet props for this game , the top two favorites to score an “ anytime ” touchdown are Josh Jacobs of the Raiders ( -150 ) and Austin Ekeler of the Chargers ( -120 ) .
The most unstoppable player on the field is third on the board at -105 , and that ’ s where I ’ ll stop , with Darren Waller catching a pass from Derek Carr for the first touchdown of the third quarter .
3 .
Which of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the game ?
The Raiders ’ leading scorer this season is Daniel Carlson with 116 points , and it ’ s not even close .
Next is Jacobs with 54 followed by Waller and Nelson Agholor with 42 apiece .
It ’ s a little closer on the Chargers ’ side as Michael Badgley leads with 76 points .
Keenan Allen has 50 and no one else has as many as 25 .
So the odds are way in your favor if you pick a kicker , and Carlson of the Raiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
How many total points will be scored in the game ?
The Over/Under for this game at FOX Bet is 52.5 , which is a pretty good place to start because you know a lot of analytics have been put into that number .
Combining the spread with the total , you get an expected final score of Raiders 28 , Chargers 24.5 .
I ’ m thinking it ’ ll probably be a little lower at 27-24 ( Unders have been a good bet in prime-time games this season at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same 50-53 points bucket as the FOX Bet total , so I figure that ’ s not a bad place to be .
5 .
Choose the team with the most RECEIVING yards…and how many ?
Rookie Justin Herbert has thrown for 311 or more yards in six of his 12 starts , and the Raiders are a bottom-eight passing defense allowing 256 passing yards per game .
As I mentioned earlier , I ’ d prefer to have an open-ended bucket such as 301+ rather than hope to land in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think the quarterback can get me there ( note that the question says “ receiving yards ” but that ’ s basically the same as the quarterback ’ s individual passing yards ) .
I think Herbert can get there .
Can Carr and the Raiders beat that ?
I don ’ t think so , not with deep threat Henry Ruggs III being placed on the reserve/COVID list .
6 .
Choose team to win & by how many points .
My handicap of the game is Raiders 27 , Chargers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Chargers at the current 3.5-point spread .
I ’ m comfortable with that score for several reasons .
One is the absence of Ruggs , which will make it harder for the Raiders to stretch the field .
The others are a few trends courtesy of VSiN ’ s Josh Appelbaum , who points out that divisional ‘ dogs are 38-30 ATS this season , short road ‘ dogs +6 or less are 48-28 ATS and prime-time ‘ dogs are 25-15 ATS .

Comin’ in hot!
My most recent attempt at picking FOX Bet’s Super 6 contest was both a big success and a bit of a disappointment as I nailed the first three questions last Tuesday in the Dallas Cowboys-Baltimore Ravens game, then came oh-so-close on two more, losing one in the final five minutes and the other on the last play of the game. Still, that three-spot was my high-water mark in four tries in this harder-than-it-looks endeavor, and it reversed a trend that had seen me get two, one and then zero questions correct.
Enter the NFL Thursday Challenge contest on the FOX Super 6 app for free and you can win this week’s $25,000 jackpot! Download now at foxsuper6.com!
With that, we turn our attention to Thursday night’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium — aka the “Death Star” — right off The Strip.
1. How many total points will be scored in the first half?
0-7
8-10
11-14
15-21
22-25
26+
This is a different opening question than all the previous weeks, which figures because it was one of my winners in Ravens-Cowboys as I predicted a Justin Tucker field goal would be the last scoring play of the first half. I’m looking at the odds board first to try to figure this one out. FOX Bet lists Over 26.5 points as a -118 favorite vs. Under 26.5 points, which is even money. So that takes me to the highest option, which I also like because it’s open-ended. I don’t have to thread a needle to fit the total into a small window. A few other stats to consider: The Chargers average 12.7 points in the first half and the Raiders average 13.2 for a sum of 25.9, just a bit low. But if you look at average points allowed in the first half by the two teams, it’s Chargers 13.2 and Raiders 15.1 for a sum of 28.3. On a fast indoor track in perfect conditions there’s no bad weather to get in the way, either. So, 26+ it is.
2. How will the first TD of the third quarter be scored?
Raiders passing
Raiders rushing
Chargers passing
Chargers rushing
Any other TD/No TD
This was another bullseye for me last week. I correctly predicted the first touchdown of the third quarter would come on a Ravens passing play. This one is largely dependent on the opening coin toss, as the team that is set up to receive the second-half kickoff obviously has the edge here, and we have no way of knowing which one that will be. I’m expecting a high-scoring game so “No TD” is probably not an option, but “Any other TD” could be live with a pick six, a sack-fumble or kick return. Looking at the FOX Bet props for this game, the top two favorites to score an “anytime” touchdown are Josh Jacobs of the Raiders (-150) and Austin Ekeler of the Chargers (-120). The most unstoppable player on the field is third on the board at -105, and that’s where I’ll stop, with Darren Waller catching a pass from Derek Carr for the first touchdown of the third quarter.
3. Which of the following players will score the most points in the game?
Michael Badgley
Daniel Carlson
Austin Ekeler
Josh Jacobs
Darren Waller
Tie
The Raiders’ leading scorer this season is Daniel Carlson with 116 points, and it’s not even close. Next is Jacobs with 54 followed by Waller and Nelson Agholor with 42 apiece. It’s a little closer on the Chargers’ side as Michael Badgley leads with 76 points. Keenan Allen has 50 and no one else has as many as 25. So the odds are way in your favor if you pick a kicker, and Carlson of the Raiders has been a reliable points machine.
4. How many total points will be scored in the game?
Less than 40 points
40-45 points
46-49 points
50-53 points
54-57 points
58+ points
The Over/Under for this game at FOX Bet is 52.5, which is a pretty good place to start because you know a lot of analytics have been put into that number. Combining the spread with the total, you get an expected final score of Raiders 28, Chargers 24.5. I’m thinking it’ll probably be a little lower at 27-24 (Unders have been a good bet in prime-time games this season at 25-15). That score leaves me in the same 50-53 points bucket as the FOX Bet total, so I figure that’s not a bad place to be.
5. Choose the team with the most RECEIVING yards…and how many?
0-230
231-240
241-250
251-260
261-270
271-280
281-290
291-300
301+ (Chargers)
Rookie Justin Herbert has thrown for 311 or more yards in six of his 12 starts, and the Raiders are a bottom-eight passing defense allowing 256 passing yards per game. As I mentioned earlier, I’d prefer to have an open-ended bucket such as 301+ rather than hope to land in a 10-yard patch, but only if I think the quarterback can get me there (note that the question says “receiving yards” but that’s basically the same as the quarterback’s individual passing yards). I think Herbert can get there. Can Carr and the Raiders beat that? I don’t think so, not with deep threat Henry Ruggs III being placed on the reserve/COVID list.
6. Choose team to win & by how many points.
1-2
3-4 (Raiders)
5-6
7-9
10-14
15-17
18-21
22-24
25+
My handicap of the game is Raiders 27, Chargers 24, which would be a cover for the Chargers at the current 3.5-point spread. I’m comfortable with that score for several reasons. One is the absence of Ruggs, which will make it harder for the Raiders to stretch the field. The others are a few trends courtesy of VSiN’s Josh Appelbaum, who points out that divisional ‘dogs are 38-30 ATS this season, short road ‘dogs +6 or less are 48-28 ATS and prime-time ‘dogs are 25-15 ATS.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Ellen DeGeneres reveals ‘excruciating’ COVID-19 symptom

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 ) Ellen DeGeneres said she endured “ excruciating back pain ” but is now feeling “ 100 percent ” after testing positive for COVID-19 .
In a health update Wednesday , the embattled talk show host , 62 , posed at home with her dog and addressed the public via video .
“ I ’ m feeling 100 percent , ” she said in the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel really good.
” Last Thursday , DeGeneres revealed that she ’ d contracted COVID-19 , noting at the time she was “ feeling fine.
” In Wednesday ’ s clip , however , DeGeneres addressed the “ excruciating back pain ” she endured .
“ One thing that they don ’ t tell you is you get , somehow , excruciating back pain , ” DeGeneres said .
“ Didn ’ t know that that was a symptom but I talked to some other people — back pain .
Who knew , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fever or chills , shortness of breath , fatigue , and a new loss of taste or smell are among the symptoms of COVID-19 , according to the CDC .
DeGeneres ’ diagnosis followed a BuzzFeed report alleging the “ Ellen DeGeneres Show ” was struggling to book talent and had lost sponsors in the wake of toxic workplace claims from over the summer .

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Ellen DeGeneres said she endured “excruciating back pain” but is now feeling “100 percent” after testing positive for COVID-19.
In a health update Wednesday, the embattled talk show host, 62, posed at home with her dog and addressed the public via video.
“I’m feeling 100 percent,” she said in the video posted to social media. “I feel really good.”
Last Thursday, DeGeneres revealed that she’d contracted COVID-19, noting at the time she was “feeling fine.” In Wednesday’s clip, however, DeGeneres addressed the “excruciating back pain” she endured.
Twitter
“One thing that they don’t tell you is you get, somehow, excruciating back pain,” DeGeneres said. “Didn’t know that that was a symptom but I talked to some other people — back pain. Who knew, how come? Back pain, bad.”
Fever or chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, and a new loss of taste or smell are among the symptoms of COVID-19, according to the CDC.
DeGeneres’ diagnosis followed a BuzzFeed report alleging “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was struggling to book talent and had lost sponsors in the wake of toxic workplace claims from over the summer.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Team Biden deletes old campaign ad criticizing Pete Buttigieg

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s transition team appeared to delete an old campaign ad that criticized Pete Buttigieg for his lack of experience — after the former Indiana mayor was nominated to serve as Transportation secretary , according to a report .
The ad ran in February before the New Hampshire primary election and contrasted Biden ’ s long career as a senator and as vice president in the Obama administration with Buttigieg ’ s time as mayor of South Bend , Ind .
— a city of 100,000 , Fox News reported .
“ We ’ re electing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters , ” the narrator in the ad said .
The ad ran on Facebook and YouTube on Feb. 8 and came days after Buttigieg won the Iowa caucuses and Biden finished in fourth place .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign at the time hit back , calling it “ classic Washington-style ” politics .
The YouTube link now says the video is unavailable and has been “ removed by the uploader.
” Now , speaking on Wednesday in Wilmington , Del.
, Biden struck a much different tone , calling his former rival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll ever meet and one of the most humble.
” “ A mayor from the heartland , a management expert , a policy wonk with a big heart , a veteran , lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve , an intelligence officer deployed to Afghanistan while he was mayor .
A new voice with new ideas , determined to move past old politics , ” Biden gushed .
Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race on March 1 after finishing poorly South Carolina primary .
He endorsed Biden the next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries about 4,300 people per day and consists of 66 buses , according to a 2019 report from the Indiana Department of Transportation .

President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team appeared to delete an old campaign ad that criticized Pete Buttigieg for his lack of experience — after the former Indiana mayor was nominated to serve as transportation secretary, according to a report.
The ad ran in February before the New Hampshire primary election and contrasted Biden’s long career as a senator and as vice president in the Obama administration with Buttigieg’s time as mayor of South Bend, Ind. — a city of 100,000, Fox News reported.
“We’re electing a president. What you’ve done matters,” the narrator in the ad said.
The ad ran on Facebook and YouTube on Feb. 8 and came days after Buttigieg won the Iowa caucuses and Biden finished in fourth place.
Buttigieg’s campaign at the time hit back, calling it “classic Washington-style” politics.
The YouTube link now says the video is unavailable and has been “removed by the uploader.”
Speaking on Wednesday in Wilmington, Del., Biden struck a much different tone, calling his former rival “one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet and one of the most humble.”
“A mayor from the heartland, a management expert, a policy wonk with a big heart, a veteran, lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve, an intelligence officer deployed to Afghanistan while he was mayor. A new voice with new ideas, determined to move past old politics,” Biden gushed.
Buttigieg dropped out of the presidential race March 1 after finishing poorly in the South Carolina primary.
Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden Getty Images
He endorsed Biden the next day.
South Bend’s transit system carries about 4,300 people per day and consists of 66 buses, according to a 2019 report from the Indiana Department of Transportation.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Man didn’t know how to swim before using jet ski to cross  Irish Sea to visit girlfriend

A love-struck British Romeo has been jailed for breaking strict ...

A love-struck British Romeo who landed in hot water after riding a jet ski across the Irish Sea to visit his gal pal amid the coronavirus pandemic had less than 10 minutes of fuel left — and doesn’t even know how to swim, according to reports.
Scotsman Dale McLaughlan, 28, who never rode a water scooter before, spent four-and-a-half hours on the craft in his madcap dash to visit his new girlfriend on the Isle of Man.
The North Ayrshire man was jailed for four weeks on Monday after admitting to arriving there unlawfully, according to reports.
“The craziest thing is he can’t even swim,” a family source told the Daily Mail about McLaughlan, describing him as a “nice lad, but thick as a brick.”
A police source also told the Isle of Man Newspapers that the man’s watercraft only had 10 minutes of fuel left after the 25-mile journey, which he initially thought would only take 40 minutes, when he encountered rough weather.
And making matters even worse for the romantic adventurer, his trip also got him in trouble with his mother, because he’ll miss Christmas with his two kids since he’ll spend it behind bars, the Daily Mail reported.
Jessica Radcliffe Facebook
But his supporters have said he “deserves a medal, not prison” for surviving the dangerous trip from Scotland’s Isle of Whithorn since he had never been on a jet ski before.
He walked 15 miles to his girlfriend Jessica Radcliffe’s home in the Isle of Man’s capital, Douglas, on Friday, but was arrested after being stopped during a night of drinking, according to the news outet.
McLaughlan’s defense attorney told Douglas Courthouse that the roofer was suffering from depression from not being unable to see his new partner, who was not identified in the report.
However, Deputy High Bailiff Christopher Arrowsmith said McLaughlan had made a “deliberate and intentional attempt to circumnavigate” the border restrictions.
Dale McLaughlan and Jessica Radcliffe Facebook
Meanwhile, Radcliffe, who has two school-age daughters, is not in trouble with the law but will have to spend Christmas in quarantine because of her boyfriend’s ill-fated voyage.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Will Boba Fett Die in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Finale?

Only a few weeks ago , The Mandalorian resurrected Boba Fett ( Temuera Morrison ) as a rugged and savvy warrior who was far more than just his iconically cool armor .
In a thrilling action set piece directed by Robert Rodriguez , the famous bounty hunter wrecked a ton of stormtroopers with the swing of his gaffi stick and some well-timed shots .
It was mind-meltingly awesome and Fett ’ s cool cache only grew exponentially when we saw the dazzling interior of his ship , Slave I .
However , I ’ m afraid that The Mandalorian has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun character with something sinister in mind .
All signs point to one logical conclusion to Boba Fett ’ s arc this season : he ’ s totally going to die !
Again !
First of all , let me state I really hope I am wrong about this theory .
One of the many joys The Mandalorian offers life-long Star Wars nerds like me is the ability to see fan favorite characters like Boba Fett and Ahsoka Tano ( Rosario Dawson ) in vivid new light .
I ’ ve honestly enjoyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mando ( Pedro Pascal ) and Grogu only to become our Mandalorian ’ s greatest Mandalorian ally .
( I love you Bo-Katan [ Katee Sackhoff ] , but you did not do all that much to help Din Djarin and Baby Yoda ) .
For the last two episodes of The Mandalorian , Boba Fett and Din Djarin have been allies in the fight to protect Grogu , and it ’ s been thrilling to watch .
But I think Boba Fett ’ s on borrowed time and it ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crest .
While The Mandalorian has been teasing all season that Mando ’ s ship is rather worse for wear , the alacrity with which Moff Gideon ( Giancarlo Esposito ) blew it up was still shocking .
Mostly because that was the primary vessel for literally moving the story forward in The Mandalorian .
In just about every episode , we watched as Din Djarin would use his ship to get to the next quarry , the next clue , or the next adventure .
Without a ship at his disposal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the galaxy .
So how will the show solve this issue in Season 3 ?
And what ship could be cool enough to replace the Razor Crest we knew and loved ?
And how will Mando become the new captain of the Slave I ?
And how will Boba Fett die ?
Honoring his word and fighting for little Grogu ’ s protection .
Look , tomorrow ’ s Mandalorian Season 2 finale is bound to be all sorts of epic .
There have been teases of Moff Gideon fighting ( Din Djarin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Darksaber and of the arrival of whomever Baby Yoda reached during his wee glowing séance .
It would make sense that someone has to die , and as Temuera Morrison isn ’ t a series regular , he ’ s in far more peril than someone like Gina Carano ’ s Cara Dune ( whom I still think should be replaced by Frog Lady ) .
So The Mandalorian will not only redeem Boba Fett as a living character , but they will reframe his death as a noble sacrifice for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character .
He will no longer be the rube who fell , Wilhelm-screaming , into the sarlacc pit .
He will be the hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for Baby Yoda .
Of course , I could be wrong .
Lucasfilm could be setting up an even more devastating twist : the death of Din Djarin .
But I don ’ t think The Mandalorian is going to replace Din Djarin with Boba Fett .
For one , the heart of the show is Mando ’ s connection to Grogu .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in every Friday morning to find out if our little buddy and his hot , hidden adoptive daddy are going to be okay .
So , again , while I hope I am wrong .
I think The Mandalorian is setting the stage for Boba Fett ’ s true death — a noble death — and for Din Djarin to inherit Fett ’ s iconic ship , the Slave I .
Where to stream The Mandalorian

Where to Stream: The Mandalorian
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Only a few weeks ago, The Mandalorian resurrected Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) as a rugged and savvy warrior who was far more than just his iconically cool armor. In a thrilling action set piece directed by Robert Rodriguez, the famous bounty hunter wrecked a ton of stormtroopers with the swing of his gaffi stick and some well-timed shots. It was mind-meltingly awesome and Fett’s cool cache only grew exponentially when we saw the dazzling interior of his ship, Slave I.
However, I’m afraid that The Mandalorian has re-established Boba Fett as such a bonkers fun character with something sinister in mind. All signs point to one logical conclusion to Boba Fett’s arc this season: he’s totally going to die! Again!
First of all, let me state I really hope I am wrong about this theory. One of the many joys The Mandalorian offers life-long Star Wars nerds like me is the ability to see fan favorite characters like Boba Fett and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in vivid new light. I’ve honestly enjoyed watching Fett start the season seemingly stalking Mando (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu only to become our Mandalorian’s greatest Mandalorian ally. (I love you Bo-Katan [Katee Sackhoff], but you did not do all that much to help Din Djarin and Baby Yoda). For the last two episodes of The Mandalorian, Boba Fett and Din Djarin have been allies in the fight to protect Grogu, and it’s been thrilling to watch. But I think Boba Fett’s on borrowed time and it’s all because the Empire blew up the Razor Crest.
While The Mandalorian has been teasing all season that Mando’s ship is rather worse for wear, the alacrity with which Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) blew it up was still shocking. Mostly because that was the primary vessel for literally moving the story forward in The Mandalorian. In just about every episode, we watched as Din Djarin would use his ship to get to the next quarry, the next clue, or the next adventure. Without a ship at his disposal, Mando has no way to get around the galaxy. So how will the show solve this issue in Season 3? And what ship could be cool enough to replace the Razor Crest we knew and loved?
The Slave I.
And how will Mando become the new captain of the Slave I?
Boba Fett will die.
And how will Boba Fett die?
Honoring his word and fighting for little Grogu’s protection.
Look, tomorrow’s Mandalorian Season 2 finale is bound to be all sorts of epic. There have been teases of Moff Gideon fighting (Din Djarin and his beskar spear?) with the Darksaber and of the arrival of whomever Baby Yoda reached during his wee glowing séance. It would make sense that someone has to die, and as Temuera Morrison isn’t a series regular, he’s in far more peril than someone like Gina Carano’s Cara Dune (whom I still think should be replaced by Frog Lady).
So The Mandalorian will not only redeem Boba Fett as a living character, but they will reframe his death as a noble sacrifice for the Star Wars universe’s most beloved character. He will no longer be the rube who fell, Wilhelm-screaming, into the sarlacc pit. He will be the hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for Baby Yoda.
Of course, I could be wrong. Lucasfilm could be setting up an even more devastating twist: the death of Din Djarin. But I don’t think The Mandalorian is going to replace Din Djarin with Boba Fett. For one, the heart of the show is Mando’s connection to Grogu. That’s what compels folks to tune in every Friday morning to find out if our little buddy and his hot, hidden adoptive daddy are going to be okay.
So, again, while I hope I am wrong. I think The Mandalorian is setting the stage for Boba Fett’s true death — a noble death — and for Din Djarin to inherit Fett’s iconic ship, the Slave I.
Where to stream The Mandalorian


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Underwear-sniffing thief caught with  200 dirty bras

Police forced a suspected bra thief in Thailand to pose with his sordid stash of more than 200 bras .
@ @ @ @ @ sniff any of the bras or masturbate with them .
I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ , ” Itthiphon Suriwong , 25 , said before later confessing , according to police @

Police forced a suspected bra thief in Thailand to pose with his sordid stash of more than 200 bras. "I didn't sniff any of the bras or masturbate with them. I don't know why they're dirty," Itthiphon Suriwong, 25, said before later confessing, according to police.
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newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Five staffers reportedly quit after Tom Cruise launches another rant

The `` Top Gun '' star was apparently set off by seeing ...

Five staffers on Tom Cruise’s new movie have quit, apparently feeling it was mission impossible to continue working for him after he launched a second rant on set, according to a report.
The 58-year-old actor went on another tirade Tuesday night as news of his first expletive-laced meltdown emerged, the Sun reported.
“The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw. Since it became public, there has been more anger and several staff have walked,” a source told the UK outlet.
“But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he’s the one who carries the can,” the source added.
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News of the departures comes after the “Mission: Impossible 7” star was captured tearing into his crew in a full-throated, F-word-laden attack at the Warner Bros. Studios in Hertfordshire.
The “Top Gun” megastar was reportedly furious that two crew members violated COVID-19 safety protocols while he has been working behind the scenes to enforce strict social-distancing rules.
“If I see you do it again, you’re f—ing gone! And if anyone in this crew does it, that’s it — and you too and you too! And you, don’t you ever f—ing do it again!” Cruise was heard yelling in a leaked audio clip from the Sun.
In October, the actor held crisis talks with director Christopher McQuarrie days after a dozen people on set in Italy were said to have tested positive for the killer bug, the outlet reported.
The Post has reached out to Cruise’s reps for comment about the latest reported outburst.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--French President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for COVID-19

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the coronavirus and will self-isolate for the next week , the presidential Elysee Palace announced Thursday .
“ The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today , ” his office said in a statement .
“ This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.
” Macron “ will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance , ” the statement added .
The brief statement did not say what symptoms Macron experienced and it was unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at a European Union heads of state meeting on Dec. 10-11 .
He had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and met with the prime minister of Portugal .
A spokeswoman said that all of Macron ’ s trips have been canceled , including an upcoming visit to Lebanon on Tuesday , according to Agence France-Presse .
Prime Minister Jean Castex also will self -solate after coming into contact with Macron in the past few days , said Gerard Larcher , head of the Senate , the upper house of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macron is one of several heads of state and government around the world who have contracted the illness , including President Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
Earlier this week , France eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high .
There is still a nationwide overnight curfew from 8 p.m. to stop the spread of the virus while restaurants , cafes and movie theaters remain closed .
Over 59,300 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , Castex said the country will receive around 1.16 million vaccine doses by year ’ s end .
Macron is following French health authorities ’ recommendations that since September have reduced the period of self-isolation from 14 days to seven — the time they say there is the greatest risk of contagion .

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the coronavirus and will self-isolate for the next week, the presidential Elysee Palace announced Thursday.
“The President of the Republic has been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 today,” his office said in a statement. “This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms.”
Macron “will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” the statement added.
The brief statement did not say what symptoms Macron experienced and it was unclear where he contracted the bug. He was at a European Union heads of state meeting Dec. 10-11.
He had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and met with the prime minister of Portugal.
A spokeswoman said all of Macron’s trips have been canceled, including an upcoming visit to Lebanon on Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse.
Prime Minister Jean Castex also will self-isolate after coming into contact with Macron in the past few days, said Gerard Larcher, head of the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament, Reuters reported.
Macron is one of several heads of state and government around the world who have contracted the illness, including President Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Earlier this week, France eased restrictions imposed to battle the second wave of the coronavirus but infection rates remain high.
There is still a nationwide overnight curfew from 8 p.m. to stop the spread of the virus while restaurants, cafes and movie theaters remain closed.
Over 59,300 people have died in France of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.
On Wednesday, Castex said the country will receive around 1.16 million vaccine doses by year’s end.
Macron is following French health authorities’ recommendations that since September have reduced the period of self-isolation from 14 days to seven — the time they say there is the greatest risk of contagion.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Twitter reverses changes to retweet function following election

Twitter Inc. is reversing changes made to its retweet function intended to curb the spread of misinformation during the U.S. presidential election , the company said .
The microblogging site had in October made it difficult for users to retweet a tweet with misinformation and promoted the use of quote tweets , which included commentary from the user .
It had also imposed curbs including labeling and removal of tweets calling for people to interfere with the election process or implementation of results .
Twitter said it will no longer prompt quote tweets from the retweet icon .
“ Retweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was before , ” the company said in a statement on Wednesday .
Quote tweets instead of retweets was intended to encourage thoughtful amplification , but that has not happened in practice , the company said .
“ The use of Quote Tweets increased , but 45 % of them included single-word affirmations and 70 % had less than 25 characters , ” it said .
“ The increase in Quote Tweets was also offset by an overall 20 % decrease in sharing through both Retweets and Quote Tweets.
” Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolled back their algorithm that lifted news from authoritative outlets over hyperpartisan sources after November ’ s election , according to a report in the New York Times .
Facebook did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment .
The implementation of the algorithm had resulted in a reduction in traffic for partisan sites like Breitbart and Occupy Democrats and an increase for mainstream news publishers , the report said .

Twitter Inc. is reversing changes made to its retweet function intended to curb the spread of misinformation during the U.S. presidential election, the company said.
The microblogging site had in October made it difficult for users to retweet a tweet with misinformation and promoted the use of quote tweets, which included commentary from the user.
It had also imposed curbs including labeling and removal of tweets calling for people to interfere with the election process or implementation of results.
Twitter said it will no longer prompt quote tweets from the retweet icon. “Retweet functionality will be returning to the way it was before,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Quote tweets instead of retweets was intended to encourage thoughtful amplification, but that has not happened in practice, the company said.
“The use of Quote Tweets increased, but 45% of them included single-word affirmations and 70% had less than 25 characters,” it said.
“The increase in Quote Tweets was also offset by an overall 20% decrease in sharing through both Retweets and Quote Tweets.”
Meanwhile, Facebook has in the past few days rolled back their algorithm that lifted news from authoritative outlets over hyperpartisan sources after November’s election, according to a report in the New York Times.
Facebook did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
The implementation of the algorithm had resulted in a reduction in traffic for partisan sites like Breitbart and Occupy Democrats and an increase for mainstream news publishers, the report said.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Armed robbers steal $100k from NYC jewelry store

Two men robbed a Bronx jewelry store of $ 100,000 at gunpoint on Wednesday afternoon , police said .
One @ @ @ @ @ 58-year-old employee at A & K Jewelry in Foxhurst as his accomplice swiped the jewels @ @ @ @ @ cops said .
The thieves made off with neck chains and pendants in the 1:55 @ @ @ @ @ .
The employee suffered a cut to the back of his head and was treated @ @ @ @ @ suspects are believed to be between 35 and 40 years old , authorities said .
@ @ @ @ @ , they were both still in the wind .

Two men robbed a Bronx jewelry store of $100,000 at gunpoint on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
One of the crooks pistol-whipped a 58-year-old employee at A & K Jewelry in Foxhurst as his accomplice swiped the jewels from behind the counter, cops said.
The thieves made off with neck chains and pendants in the 1:55 p.m. heist, police said.
The employee suffered a cut to the back of his head and was treated at Lincoln Hospital.
Both suspects are believed to be between 35 and 40 years old, authorities said. As of early Thursday morning, they were both still in the wind.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Colombian woman killed after beheading owl on video

A woman who posted a video of herself beheading an owl on social media was reportedly shot and killed Sunday @ @ @ @ @ home in Colombia .
Mileydis Aldana , who the internet dubbed “ Owl Killer ” @ @ @ @ @ clip , was killed Sunday when a pair of men on motorcycles opened fire outside @ @ @ @ @ Aldana was leaving her home when the incident occurred , according to The Daily Mail @ @ @ @ @ the local hospital by family members who heard the shots but was pronounced dead upon @ @ @ @ @ by police in June after they were made aware of a video showing Aldana decapitating @ @ @ @ @ but was not charged , the outlet reported .
Police have released no motive for @ @ @ @ @ had reportedly received several death threats on social media relating to the incident .

A woman who posted a video of herself beheading an owl on social media was reportedly shot and killed Sunday by two assailants outside her home in Colombia.
Mileydis Aldana, whom the internet dubbed “Owl Killer” after she posted the gruesome clip, was killed Sunday when a pair of men on motorcycles opened fire outside her home in Corozal.
Aldana was leaving her home when the incident occurred, according to the Daily Mail.
She was rushed to a local hospital by family members who heard the shots but was pronounced dead on arrival.
She was questioned by police in June after they were made aware of a video showing Aldana decapitating a white barn owl, but she was not charged, the outlet reported.
Police have released no motive for the slaying, though Aldana had reportedly received several death threats on social media relating to the incident.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic sues Justice Department over rejected pardon

“ Tiger King ” star Joe Exotic is suing the US Justice Department over the Trump Administration ’ s rejection of his official pardon request , according to a report .
Exotic — whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage — argues that the denial is not valid because the request was not presented directly to President Trump himself .
The suit names Acting Pardon Attorney Rosalind Sargent-Burns , according to a six-page complaint filed by Exotic ’ s lawyers and obtained by Courthouse News .
The big-cat aficionado first submitted a pardon application on Sept. 8 .
— and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response two days later denying the application .
In the complaint , Exotic alleges that Sargent-Burns never forwarded a formal recommendation to the president — something the lawsuit alleges she was required to do as an advisor , due to the fact that President Trump has the sole authority to issue pardons .
The complaint also names Donald Trump , Jr. as a supporter .
“ Many people have come out and publicly expressed their disagreement with Joe Exotic ’ s conviction and subsequent sentence .
Among those , are members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Junior has been an advocate for Joe Exotic to be Pardoned.
” Exotic , whose exploits were the subject of a hit Netflix documentary series titled “ Tiger King , ” was convicted of 2 counts of murder-for-hire after trying to hire a hitman targeting rival big cat sanctuary owner Carole Baskin .
He was also convicted on eight counts of falsifying wildlife records and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act , and is one year into his 22-year sentence .
Exotic has been angling for a presidential pardon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would “ take a look ” at the former zoo owner ’ s pardon request .
Advocates for Exotic reportedly spent $ 10,000 at Trump ’ s hotel in Washington , DC.
, recently in an attempt to curry favor with the president .

“Tiger King” star Joe Exotic is suing the US Justice Department over the Trump administration’s rejection of his official pardon request, according to a report.
Exotic — whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage — argues that the denial is not valid because the request was not presented directly to President Trump himself.
The suit names Acting Pardon Attorney Rosalind Sargent-Burns, according to a six-page complaint filed by Exotic’s lawyers and obtained by Courthouse News.
The big-cat aficionado first submitted a pardon application on Sept. 8 — and the Office of the Pardon Attorney emailed a response two days later denying the application.
In the complaint, Exotic alleges that Sargent-Burns never forwarded a formal recommendation to the president — something the lawsuit alleges she was required to do as an adviser, due to the fact that Trump has the sole authority to issue pardons.
The complaint also names Donald Trump Jr. as a supporter.
“Many people have come out and publicly expressed their disagreement with Joe Exotic’s conviction and subsequent sentence. Among those, are members of the President’s own family. Donald Trump Junior has been an advocate for Joe Exotic to be Pardoned.”
Exotic, whose exploits were the subject of a hit Netflix documentary series titled “Tiger King,” was convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire after trying to hire a hitman to take out rival big-cat sanctuary owner Carole Baskin.
He also was convicted on eight counts of falsifying wildlife records and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act, and is one year into his 22-year sentence.
Exotic has been angling for a presidential pardon for months. In April, Trump said he would “take a look” at the former zoo owner’s pardon request.
Advocates for Exotic reportedly spent $10,000 at Trump’s hotel in Washington, DC, recently in an attempt to curry favor with the president.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Florida man bitten by shark walks home before being hospitalized

A Florida man who was bleeding profusely from a shark bite managed to walk home on Tuesday before being hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ attacked by a shark in the waters off Siesta Key , Fox 13 reported , @ @ @ @ @ and hospital staff .
After returning home , a woman called 911 to report the @ @ @ @ @ death ” from wounds to his hand and arm .
On the call , the @ @ @ @ @ the man , who was conscious , that “ everything ’ s going to OK. @ @ @ @ @ the woman directions on how to control the bleeding , the report said .
The @ @ @ @ @ to Sarasota Memorial Hospital .

A Florida man who was bleeding profusely from a shark bite managed to walk home on Tuesday before being hospitalized.
The 39-year-old man was attacked by a shark in the waters off Siesta Key, Fox 13 reported, citing Sarasota County Fire Rescue and hospital staff.
After returning home, a woman called 911 to report the victim was “bleeding to death” from wounds to his hand and arm.
On the call, the woman can be heard telling the man, who was conscious, that “everything’s going to OK.”
The 911 dispatcher gave the woman directions on how to control the bleeding, the report said.
The shark bite victim was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley making mock drafts look silly

This is a fact : the Knicks trailed by 18 points ...

The Knicks passed on solving their point-guard issue with their lottery pick — instead taking forward Obi Toppin.
But the Knicks may have just hit the point-guard jackpot with their other first-rounder — Kentucky combo guard Immanuel Quickley, who continues to make the mock drafts look silly.
In his second game after not getting off the bench in the preseason opener, Quickley, selected 25th, showed he just may be able to handle the point-guard role in the NBA.
Quickley’s electricity and joie de vivre spurred the Knicks to a fourth-quarter comeback in Wednesday’s 100-93 victory over the Cavaliers at the fan-less Garden.
His ability to slither through the Cavaliers’ zone defense, setting up his mates, and get to the free-throw line sparked a dead team that was losing the game from the 3-point line. Quickley scored nine points with seven assists in 24 minutes.
“I thought Quick was terrific — ball pressure, the fact that he can shoot the way he can, it opens up the floor,’’ Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
His 3-of-11 shooting ledger didn’t tell the tale of his effectiveness. Normally a solid 3-point shooter, he was 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, but teams have to respect him, unlike, say, starting point guard Elfrid Payton.
The bigger story was how Quickley fearlessly runs the offense that flowed majestically during that 34-13 fourth quarter.
Immanuel Quickley NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve been a point guard all my life. I feel I’m versatile playing off the ball, on the ball,” Quickley said. “I feel like, coming in, I was trying to tell all the NBA teams that I’m somebody who just happened to play off the ball at Kentucky that one year, my sophomore year. I can really do both. And I’m glad the Knicks picked me. I’m glad to be here. The fans are great. So I just feel like I can really do both.’’
In most mock drafts, Quickley was positioned as a mid-to-late second-round pick despite being named SEC Player of the Year. The Knicks have that Kentucky pipeline going with their two executives, Leon Rose and William Wesley, former agents of John Calipari.
Plus new assistant Kenny Payne was Calipari’s right-hand man and lobbied for Quickley’s selection. Maybe that extra intel is going to pay off.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still is out with an illness and hasn’t made his debut, which could put his chances of making the team in jeopardy . … Omari Spellman made his debut when Mitchell Robinson got in early foul trouble. He bricked two outside shots. … Frank Ntilikina (Achilles), Nerlens Noel (knee soreness) and Alec Burks missed Wednesday’s game. Reggie Bullock started for Burks at small forward and struggled with his 3-point shot (1 of 6). … Austin Rivers (pulled groin) will miss all four preseason games.
Toppin was pegged in most mock drafts to head to Cleveland at No. 5, but the Cavaliers took Isaac Okoro, a defensive wing who has scored in double figures in each of their three games.
“It went all the way up to draft night,’’ Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It was back and forth. It was a debate. We decided on the need he filled on the defensive end of the floor.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Wisconsin motorist pulled over for driving car covered in Christmas lights

A Wisconsin driver was pulled over for driving a car decked out in colorful Christmas lights , police said Tuesday .
A state trooper credited the driver for his creativity , but warned him it is against state law to drive with the festive lights display .
Wisconsin State Patrol posted a photo of the sports vehicle covered in bulbs to their Facebook page .
One of the commenters to the post was a man who said he was the driver ’ s father .
“ Yep this was my kid !
As a retired cop myself I warned him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we all know kids , ” Larry Kamholz wrote .
“ Anyways , my son said this Trooper was really nice and she kinda laughed at him .
Trooper , whoever you are , thanks !
” he said .
Kamholz added that his son is getting requests to stop by from nursing homes , activity centers and different neighbors .
“ The joy that my kid has brought has left me speechless , ” he said .
“ As a fellow brother of blue , I initially cringed , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has def brought unexpected joy to so many and for that I ’ m proud of my kid !
”

A Wisconsin driver was pulled over for driving a car decked out in colorful Christmas lights, police said Tuesday.
A state trooper credited the driver for his creativity, but warned him it is against state law to drive with the festive lights display.
Wisconsin State Patrol posted a photo of the sports vehicle covered in bulbs to their Facebook page.
One of the commenters to the post was a man who said he was the driver’s father.
“Yep this was my kid! As a retired cop myself I warned him of the violations of these lights. But we all know kids,” Larry Kamholz wrote.
“Anyways, my son said this Trooper was really nice and she kinda laughed at him. Trooper, whoever you are, thanks!” he said.
Kamholz added that his son is getting requests to stop by from nursing homes, activity centers and different neighbors.
“The joy that my kid has brought has left me speechless,” he said.
“As a fellow brother of blue, I initially cringed, but I’m over that now. It has def brought unexpected joy to so many and for that I’m proud of my kid!”


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Two killed in Pennsylvania highway crash amid snowstorm

A crash involving dozens of cars on a Pennsylvania highway killed two people Wednesday amid a snowstorm , authorities said @ @ @ @ @ the westbound lanes on Interstate 80 in Clinton County , closing the road for several @ @ @ @ @ State Police .
Initial reports said at least 30 to 60 cars were involved in @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t say whether the crash was weather-related , but they urged the public @ @ @ @ @ do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary.
” The National Weather Service issued a @ @ @ @ @ saying northern Pennsylvania is expected to receive heavy snow with accumulations of 10 to 24 @ @

A crash involving dozens of cars on a Pennsylvania highway killed two people Wednesday amid a snowstorm, authorities said.
The crash occurred on the westbound lanes on Interstate 80 in Clinton County, closing the road for several hours, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Initial reports said at least 30 to 60 cars were involved in a multi-vehicle crash.
Authorities didn’t say whether the crash was weather-related, but they urged the public to “stay home and do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary.”
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning late Wednesday saying northern Pennsylvania is expected to receive heavy snow with accumulations of 10 to 24 inches.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Knicks turned a meaningless game into a glimmer of hope

The irony is that it was another iconic Milwaukee Buck ...

This is a fact: The Knicks trailed by 18 points at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, snow falling outside Penn Plaza and frost filling the big gym on the fifth floor. They still trailed by 17 points, 83-66, with just over 10 minutes left in the game.
This, too, is a fact: The Cavaliers are a dreadful basketball team, one of only five to win fewer games than the Knicks last year. They were also short-handed: Kevin Love didn’t play. Collin Sexton didn’t play. Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t play.
This, too, is an inconvenient fact: The game doesn’t count. It was an exhibition game. The Knicks roared back and won the game 100-93, turning the piped-in melancholy soundtrack of quarters 1-3 into a holiday-happy one in the fourth, but it still didn’t count.
OK. Get all of that out of the way.
Line up all the qualifiers. Line up all the explanations. Emphasize, as you surely must, that it is a quintessential loser’s lament to place a lot of stock behind exhibition games. Casey Stengel used to celebrate Mayor’s Trophy wins with champagne when he managed the Mets. All of that is right. All of that is fair. All of that is true.
But this is also a fact:
If you are in this Knicks narrative for both the long game and the big picture, you are allowed to savor this one, ever so briefly, ever so modestly. Across the game’s final 10 minutes, 83-66 down became 100-93 up. All the worries that fill Knicks’ fans’ most deep-seated anxieties — still-spotty defense, terrible shooting, really bad shooting from 3 — were on display.
Mitchell Robinson seemed like he was going to drown in foul trouble. Kevin Knox looked perplexed. Immanuel Quickley, the kid from Kentucky, looked like an unbroken colt. Even RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin were having one-of-those-nights nights.
All true.
Also true: As the Knicks thrilled their teammates, the coaches and the Garden’s janitorial staff with their comeback, all of the things you’ll want to see this year were also on public display. Robinson never did get his sixth foul. Knox played a glorious quarter on both ends of the floor, scoring 14 points. Quickley was fearless, and with every drive and jumper provided testimony to get early rotation time.
Most remarkable of all:
As the Knicks were making that comeback, here were the principal contributors:
Barrett (20 years, 158 days).
Knox (21 years, 127 days).
Quickley (21 years, 182 days).
Robinson (22 years, 259 days).
And Toppin, their big-ticket draft pick (22 years, 287 days).
That is what should make you feel best about what happened on the Garden floor Wednesday night. Look, is it a good thing to not only erase that huge hole but to come all the way back and to finish it off? Sure it is. Young players need positive muscle memory.
Obi Toppin NBAE via Getty Images
Will it matter when the other team is wearing “Brooklyn” or “Boston” or “Miami” or “Toronto” on its jerseys instead of “Cleveland?” No, probably not even a little. Nobody was making any bold, silly declarations after this, least of all coach Tom Thibodeau, who has coached enough good teams to understand how foolish it would be to laud a team for winning a pretend game of any kind.
Still, it beats losing by 30. Even beats losing by a deuce. If someone’s going to keep score, why not win?
“I think you learn from each game,” he said. “Obviously, you’d rather win instead of losing and you take it for what it is, which is a preseason game. It’s an opportunity to evaluate where the team is with the season right around the corner. We really can’t waste one second every day about getting better and getting ready.”
You can identify a fun, surprising night at the Garden without going overboard. The kids were able to imagine what the joint feels like, and sounds like, when the crowd noise is real and not prefabricated. Maybe this experience will help them steal a coming game on a cold night in Charlotte or Chicago.
“We just played hard,” Quickley said. “We kept fighting to keep the faith and the coaches said if we did that we could win the game. And we did that.”
Don’t plan the parade. No need to price playoff tickets. Heck, we may look back from the safe remove of May and identify this as one of the season’s highlights; you hope not, but that’s certainly in play at this point of the process. For a night, for a quarter, you were able to glimpse something real about this team, something intriguing, something hopeful.
It is exactly that: It is something.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Mark Cuban dishes to Jalen Rose on being a new era owner, changing the NBA

When Tony Dungy , my guest for this week ’ s podcast , was ...

Growing up, I was noticeably taller than my classmates, and my foot size always matched my age, which made me ripe for teasing.
But I eventually learned to embrace what made me different because that was the thing that helped me succeed. While most of us learn that lesson with age, that principle seemed to be inherently baked in at birth for my guest this week. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has never been afraid to stand out, and his boldness has made him one of the most recognizable businessmen in the world.
Some stats on my friend: He dropped out of high school and got his GED, so he could take college level business classes (without telling his parents, mind you). He went to the University of Pittsburgh for a year, but he wanted a true business school education so he switched to the University of Indiana because it was in the top 10 but also the cheapest.
There he threw dorm parties, where he paid off the resident advisers to look the other way. And eventually, his ragers grew so large, he was throwing them at the National Guard Armory in Bloomington, transporting students via school buses and charging them $10 for the honor. That’s how he paid his tuition.
“I was always a hustler,” he told me.
In 2000, when he purchased the Mavs, he pulled a Frank Sinatra. He did it his way — becoming a new era type owner who shuffled the deck on how to run a team. And even though he was the new guy in the room, he did it with unshakeable confidence.
“I would go to these board of governors meetings, and the old school owners, the guys who inherited the teams and were in their 70s and 80s, they would yell at me in meetings,” he told me. “They would give me a hard time all the time. I am like ‘dude this is the only way I know how to do it. It’s how I run my businesses and it’s not going to change.’ “
It was he who made the league change to his ways. For example, he ushered in the now ubiquitous player development roles. And when he took over the team, he made a shocking discovery.
“I was looking at stuff, and I realized that we spent more money on computer repairs than we did on player development,” Cuban said. “I am like, ‘This is backwards.’ I’m like, ‘We have all of these former players who want to get back in the game, bring them all in.’ We had like 10 player development coaches, almost one for every guy and people destroyed me. I’m like, ‘You guys are the idiots.’
Mark Cuban Getty Images
“That started the whole player movement,” he said, adding that Chip Engelland who is a coach with the San Antonio Spurs always thanks him for his job — at a completely different team.
And he changed the relationship between players and coaches because he wanted to understand his product fully. He sat near the huddle instead of in the owner’s box.
“I wanted to listen to what coaches had to say but more importantly I wanted to see how guys reacted,” Cuban said. He sits in on sales meetings and programming meetings because he wants to know who is good at their jobs and how the whole machine functions together.
“Culture and approach, all that stuff is critical to winning basketball,” he said. His approach didn’t come without blowback. “Literally they passed a rule in like 2005 or 2006 saying that only coaches and players and immediate staff were allowed to be by any huddles or by the bench. I just ignored it.”
Mark wanted to make the league player-friendly and as a result, he was able to keep the legendary Dirk Nowitzki a Maverick during his entire career. He eliminated that barrier between player and owner.
I love that Mark has also made business sexy. He brought us the addictive “Shark Tank.” These wheeling dealing conversations have been happening for decades behind closed doors, but he let the public in the room. As for his dream sharks, he didn’t hesitate to drop Shaq and Kevin Hart’s name.
And since he basically went from being a bartender to a billionaire, I had to ask him about his favorite cocktails.
If he’s the one imbibing, he prefers to keep it simple with a Tito’s and soda. “I’m a sipper,” he said. But he likes to serve up a “Milky Way,” which is essentially a white Russian with half a Milky Way bar — a boozy milkshake.
And after the long week I’ve had, I’m going to turn Chez Rose into the Cuban Tavern and make myself his signature cocktail, if you don’t mind.
Detroit native Jalen Rose is a member of the University of Michigan’s iconoclastic Fab Five, who shook up the college hoops world in the early ’90s. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, before transitioning into a media personality. Rose is currently an analyst for “NBA Countdown” and “Get Up,” and co-host of “Jalen & Jacoby.” He executive produced “The Fab Five” for ESPN’s “30 for 30” series, is the author of the best-selling book, “Got To Give the People What They Want,” a fashion tastemaker, and co-founded the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, a public charter school in his hometown.


newyorkpost--2020-12-17--Listen to Tom Cruise yell at crew who broke COVID rules: Full rant audio

`` No apologies .
You can tell it to the people that ...

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This is the moment Tom Cruise blew up at workers for breaking COVID-19 rules on the set of his new movie — unleashing a profanity-laced rant that his Hollywood heavy-hitter friends rushed to defend Wednesday.
The furious 58-year-old can be heard erupting into a more than three-minute-long, F-word-filled diatribe while filming “Mission: Impossible 7” at Warner Bros. Studios in Hertfordshire, UK.
“They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf—ers,” he yells in the leaked audio clip from Britain’s the Sun.
“I don’t ever want to see it again! Ever!,” he continues.
Cruise then warns: “If I see you do it again, you’re f—ing gone.”
“And if anyone on this crew does it, that’s it — and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f—ing do it again.”
The “Top Gun” star was apparently set off by seeing two crew members standing less than 6 feet apart at a computer, according to the Sun.
Cruise is said to have been policing the set to ensure that filming can continue amid the pandemic after several COVID-related delays.
He even paid $676,000 for an old cruise ship for the cast and crew to isolate on, the Sun said.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Tom Cruise on the “Mission: Impossible 7” set in Rome on Oct. 13 REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Tom Cruise takes a break while filming “Mission: Impossible 7” in Rome on Oct. 13. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini Advertisement
“We are not shutting this f—ing movie down! Is it understood?,” he screams in the clip.
He also told the crew that he was done with apologies.
“You can tell it to the people that are losing their f—ing homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education,” Cruise can be heard saying.
“That’s what I sleep with every night. The future of this f—ing industry! So I’m sorry, I am beyond your apologies.”
“If I see it again, you’re f—ing gone,” he repeats. “And you are — so you’re going to cost him his job, if I see it on the set, you’re gone and you’re gone.”
“That’s it. Am I clear?”
The R-rated outburst was backed by other film legends, including Whoopi Goldberg and George Clooney, on Wednesday.
“You know, some people don’t understand why he would get so angry,” Goldberg said on “The View,” adding, “I get it.”
In an interview with Howard Stern, Clooney said Cruise “didn’t overreact because it is a problem.”
“I understand why he did it. He’s not wrong at all about that,” Clooney said.