newyorkpost--2020-09-13--Why the left shouldn’t bash ‘populism’ and other commentary

At The Guardian , Thomas Frank admits he cringes every time he hears fellow progressives treat “ populism ” as a “ synonym for everything that is wrong ” with conservative-nationalist leaders like President Trump or Hungary ’ s Viktor Orbán .
After all , the word traces its roots to left-wing movements in the late 19th century — including “ the rough American equivalent of the labor parties and social-democratic unions springing up in other lands.
” The original populists formed “ a mass movement of farmers and industrial workers demanding action by the government to improve the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
a war on corruption , as well.
” It wasn ’ t until the 1950s that intellectuals soured on populism , and the word became a byword for “ irrational ” resentments — this , even though historians have since disproved that assessment .
Elite anti-populist disdain persists today , especially among “ a certain class of people ” — professional-managerial elites — for whom “ hating populism ” is part of their “ grand vision of how society ought to be directed ” : namely , by them .
From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s a dark moment in American life — but not without its “ good news , ” Glenn Harlan Reynolds writes at USA Today .
The recent Arab-Israeli accords have “ taken the poison ” out of the “ biggest destabilizing force in the region.
” The US economy is starting to look up , too , with unemployment numbers down , promising a return to “ something like pre-pandemic levels in the next few months.
” Finally , take comfort that “ the new frontier keeps getting closer , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lander in the works .
While President Trump ’ s critics accuse him of mishandling the pandemic , Joe Biden ’ s “ follow-the-science ” plan is less a strategy than a “ slogan ” — and one that misunderstands “ the nature of science and its limitations , ” explains Bloomberg Opinion ’ s Faye Flam .
Countries like Sweden , China and New Zealand , after all , have set wildly different priorities in responding to the same scientific facts .
“ How we weigh those priorities is a matter for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t that lawmakers are ignoring science , but that they have followed a “ patchwork ” approach , marked by the same “ polarization ” that disfigures so much of our national life .
We can ’ t decide where the line should be between “ protesting even the most basic , voluntary measures ” and “ wanting to forbid face-to-face human interactions indefinitely.
” But contra Biden ’ s talking points , that isn ’ t a scientific question — it ’ s a political one .
Israeli and Bahraini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House “ to sign a historic peace deal , ” Charles Lipson notes at Spectator USA .
What prompted this “ significant ” achievement , following on the earlier Israeli-Emirati accord ?
It ’ s all thanks to President Trump ’ s approach , which differs radically from his two immediate predecessors ’ .
“ Unlike George W. Bush , who fought a land war in Iraq post 9/11 and deployed thousands of troops throughout the region , Trump is pulling back ” — thus impelling Sunni Arab states to form a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( rather than depend on US power ) .
Unlike President Barack Obama , however , Trump has reassured the Arab states , even declining to criticize Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on human rights .
“ Noxious or not , his policy had a larger strategic purpose , one that is bearing fruit in recent agreements.
” After months of COVID-19 grimness , The Week ’ s Matthew Walther cheers , “ I and millions of other Americans were able to forget about the last half year and enjoy a football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game wasn ’ t “ one for the ages , ” as the Kansas City Chiefs utterly and predictably crushed the Houston Texans .
And the sight of “ sentient adults ” pretending that on-and-off masks help fight the virus was plain “ absurd.
” But never mind all that : “ I have a serious sinus infection .
My wife ’ s right foot is in a cast boot .
And Thursday night was the most fun we have had since March .
”

From the left: Don’t Bash ‘Populism’
At The Guardian, Thomas Frank admits he cringes every time he hears fellow progressives treat “populism” as a “synonym for everything that is wrong” with conservative-nationalist leaders like President Trump or Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. After all, the word traces its roots to left-wing movements in the late 19th century — including “the rough American equivalent of the labor parties and social-democratic unions springing up in other lands.” The original populists formed “a mass movement of farmers and industrial workers demanding action by the government to improve the economic situation of ordinary people and . . . a war on corruption, as well.” It wasn’t until the 1950s that intellectuals soured on populism, and the word became a byword for “irrational” resentments — this, even though historians have since disproved that assessment. Elite anti-populist disdain persists today, especially among “a certain class of people” — professional-managerial elites — for whom “hating populism” is part of their “grand vision of how society ought to be directed”: namely, by them.
From the right: Good News Is Out There
It’s a dark moment in American life — but not without its “good news,” Glenn Harlan Reynolds writes at USA Today. The recent Arab-Israeli accords have “taken the poison” out of the “biggest destabilizing force in the region.” The US economy is starting to look up, too, with unemployment numbers down, promising a return to “something like pre-pandemic levels in the next few months.” Finally, take comfort that “the new frontier keeps getting closer,” with a Venus mission and a moon lander in the works.
Pandemic Journal: Biden’s COVID Sloganeering
While President Trump’s critics accuse him of mishandling the pandemic, Joe Biden’s “follow-the-science” plan is less a strategy than a “slogan” — and one that misunderstands “the nature of science and its limitations,” explains Bloomberg Opinion’s Faye Flam. Countries like Sweden, China and New Zealand, after all, have set wildly different priorities in responding to the same scientific facts. “How we weigh those priorities is a matter for public policy.” America’s problem isn’t that lawmakers are ignoring science, but that they have followed a “patchwork” approach, marked by the same “polarization” that disfigures so much of our national life. We can’t decide where the line should be between “protesting even the most basic, voluntary measures” and “wanting to forbid face-to-face human interactions indefinitely.” But contra Biden’s talking points, that isn’t a scientific question — it’s a political one.
Foreign desk: Behind Don’s Diplomatic Triumph
Israeli and Bahraini leaders will gather Tuesday at the White House “to sign a historic peace deal,” Charles Lipson notes at Spectator USA. What prompted this “significant” achievement, following on the earlier Israeli-Emirati accord? It’s all thanks to President Trump’s approach, which differs radically from his two immediate predecessors’. “Unlike George W. Bush, who fought a land war in Iraq post 9/11 and deployed thousands of troops throughout the region, Trump is pulling back” — thus impelling Sunni Arab states to form a “common front” against Iran with Israel (rather than depend on US power). Unlike President Barack Obama, however, Trump has reassured the Arab states, even declining to criticize Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on human rights. “Noxious or not, his policy had a larger strategic purpose, one that is bearing fruit in recent agreements.”
Iconoclast: Recovering the Joy of Football
After months of COVID-19 grimness, The Week’s Matthew Walther cheers, “I and millions of other Americans were able to forget about the last half year and enjoy a football game” last Thursday night. The game wasn’t “one for the ages,” as the Kansas City Chiefs utterly and predictably crushed the Houston Texans. And the sight of “sentient adults” pretending that on-and-off masks help fight the virus was plain “absurd.” But never mind all that: “I have a serious sinus infection. My wife’s right foot is in a cast boot. And Thursday night was the most fun we have had since March.”
— Compiled by Sohrab Ahmari & Ashley Adams


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--YouTuber explains why he livestreamed himself pooping on Nancy Pelosi’s driveway

The YouTube star who filmed himself defecating on the driveway of Rep. Nancy Pelosi ’ s San Francisco residence said he did so as a “ peaceful protest ” — but admitted it was a “ joke that got out of hand.
” The man , who identifies himself as “ Mando ” or “ Armando ” on his online channels and requested to have his last name withheld for fear of retribution , told The Post that the incident started with a joke from commenters on his livestream .
The 28-year-old said he ’ s part of a niche @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or “ in real life ” livestream videos chronicling long stretches of unfiltered daily life .
He began the channel after he became homeless six years ago , and hoped to show his viewers the realities of living on the street as he traveled from city to city .
But recently coronavirus-related lockdowns made daily life increasingly difficult , Mando said — especially when businesses are closed to customers and no longer allow people to use their bathrooms .
As a result , Saturday ’ s livestream video , titled “ Poopalosi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of resources for people living on the streets — while people in power , such Pelosi , are able to get haircuts and live their daily lives fairly unchanged .
“ I ’ d been hunting for a toilet all week , and the joke came up in the comments on one of my streams that ‘ Hey , you should take a crap at Pelosi ’ s house , ' ” Mando told The Post .
“ Everyone was enjoying the idea of it , and eventually I just couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , Mando can be seen wandering the streets of San Francisco in search of Pelosi ’ s home .
Once there , he sets up a camera across the street and stands in what appears to be Pelosi ’ s driveway for several minutes .
He eventually salutes his viewers before squatting down to relieve himself on the pavement .
“ That was for President Trump , ” he says after exiting the frame .
Mando told The Post that the comment was meant to be “ satire , ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political , ” although he supports President Trump ’ s accomplishments and is scared about rising crime and the state of the country .
“ I fear America is becoming one big burned down city , ” he said .
Just a few hours after the incident , Mando said he was stopped by officers with the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department , who detained him at the behest of Capitol Police , the agency tasked with protecting members of Congress .
“ It was scary !
I thought my life was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ They kept asking me , ‘ Are you this ?
Are you that ?
Are you Antifa ?
’ And the Capitol Police were definitely watching my channel , because I could hear them on the radio like , ‘ Tell him to turn off the stream . '
” Speaker Pelosi ’ s office , Capitol Police and BART PD did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Immediately following the incident , Mando apologized to Pelosi on Twitter , saying , “ @ SpeakerPelosi I know you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want you to know , I meant no foul harm yesterday when I did what I did .
I ’ m not proud of it at all and I just would like for you to know that .
I have no ill will against you or anyone in an elected officials position.
” Mando also told The Post that the act is “ not something I ’ m particularly proud of , ” and that he does not mean any ill will towards Pelosi , or anyone else — although he hopes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in power to provide more resources to those who are homeless or otherwise down on their luck .
“ What better way to show someone the message , you know ?
” he said .
“ We need more access to bathrooms , we need more access to resources out here .
”

The YouTube star who filmed himself defecating on the driveway of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco residence said he did so as a “peaceful protest” — but admitted it was a “joke that got out of hand.”
The man, who identifies himself as “Mando” on his online channels and requested to have his last name withheld for fear of retribution, told The Post that the incident started with a joke from commenters on his livestream.
The 28-year-old said he’s part of a niche YouTube community that creates “IRL” or “in real life” livestream videos chronicling long stretches of unfiltered daily life.
He began the channel after he became homeless six years ago, and hoped to show his viewers the realities of living on the street as he traveled from city to city.
But recent coronavirus-related lockdowns made daily life increasingly difficult, Mando said — especially when businesses are closed to customers and no longer allow people to use their bathrooms.
As a result, Saturday’s livestream video, titled “Poopalosi,” began as a protest against a lack of resources for people living on the streets — while people in power, such as Pelosi, are able to get haircuts and live their daily lives fairly unchanged.
“I’d been hunting for a toilet all week, and the joke came up in the comments on one of my streams that ‘Hey, you should take a crap at Pelosi’s house,'” Mando told The Post.
“Everyone was enjoying the idea of it, and eventually I just couldn’t hold it anymore.”
In the video, Mando can be seen wandering the streets of San Francisco in search of Pelosi’s home. Once there, he sets up a camera across the street and stands in what appears to be Pelosi’s driveway for several minutes.
He eventually salutes his viewers before squatting down to relieve himself on the pavement.
“That was for President Trump,” he says after exiting the frame.
Mando told The Post that the comment was meant to be “satire,” and that he’s “not really very political,” although he supports Trump’s accomplishments and is scared about rising crime and the state of the country.
“I fear America is becoming one big burned-down city,” he said.
Just a few hours after the incident, Mando said, he was stopped by officers with the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department, who detained him at the behest of Capitol Police, the agency tasked with protecting members of Congress.
“It was scary! I thought my life was over in that moment,” he said.
“They kept asking me, ‘Are you this? Are you that? Are you Antifa?’ And the Capitol Police were definitely watching my channel, because I could hear them on the radio like, ‘Tell him to turn off the stream.'”
A BART Police spokesperson confirmed the account, but said it did not have any further information. Pelosi’s office and Capitol Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Immediately following the incident, Mando apologized to Pelosi on Twitter, saying, “@SpeakerPelosi I know you may not ever see this but I want you to know, I meant no foul harm yesterday when I did what I did. I’m not proud of it at all and I just would like for you to know that. I have no ill will against you or anyone in an elected officials position.”
Mando also told The Post that the act is “not something I’m particularly proud of,” and that he does not hold any ill will toward Pelosi or anyone else — although he hopes that his “peaceful protest” will inspire those in power to provide more resources for those who are homeless or otherwise down on their luck.
“What better way to show someone the message, you know?” he said.
“We need more access to bathrooms, we need more access to resources out here.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Lock of Abraham Lincoln’s hair sells for more than $81,000

A lock of President Abraham Lincoln ’ s hair that was removed after his death has sold for over $ 81,000 – along with a blood-stained telegram about his 1865 assassination .
The 2-inch-long thatch of hair and telegram sold during an auction that ended Saturday , according to RR Auction of Boston , which did not disclose information about the buyer .
The $ 81,250 selling price was more than the $ 75,000 the auction house was hoping the items would fetch .
The hair was removed during the 16th president ’ s postmortem examination after he was fatally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , DC , by John Wilkes Booth .
It was presented to Dr. Lyman Beecher Todd , a Kentucky postmaster and a cousin of the president ’ s widow , Mary Todd Lincoln , according to RR Auction .
Todd was present when Lincoln ’ s body was examined .
The hair is affixed to the official War Department telegram sent to Todd by George Kinnear , his assistant in the Lexington , Kentucky , post office .
The missive was received in Washington at 11 p.m. April 14 , 1865 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hair and telegram .
Todd ’ s son , James Todd , wrote in a 1945 letter that the clipping “ has remained entirely in the custody of our family since that time.
” It was last sold in 1999 , the auction house said .
“ When you are dealing with samples of Lincoln ’ s hair , provenance is everything — and in this case , we know that this came from a family member who was at the President ’ s bedside , ” Bobby Livingston , RR Auction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .

A lock of President Abraham Lincoln’s hair that was removed after his death has sold for over $81,000 – along with a blood-stained telegram about his 1865 assassination.
The 2-inch-long thatch of hair and telegram sold during an auction that ended Saturday, according to RR Auction of Boston, which did not disclose information about the buyer.
The $81,250 selling price was more than the $75,000 the auction house was hoping the items would fetch.
The hair was removed during the 16th president’s postmortem examination after he was fatally shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, by John Wilkes Booth.
It was presented to Dr. Lyman Beecher Todd, a Kentucky postmaster and a cousin of the president’s widow, Mary Todd Lincoln, according to RR Auction. Todd was present when Lincoln’s body was examined.
The hair is affixed to the official War Department telegram sent to Todd by George Kinnear, his assistant in the Lexington, Kentucky, post office. The missive was received in Washington at 11 p.m. April 14, 1865.
RR Auction vouched for the authenticity of the hair and telegram.
Todd’s son, James Todd, wrote in a 1945 letter that the clipping “has remained entirely in the custody of our family since that time.” It was last sold in 1999, the auction house said.
“When you are dealing with samples of Lincoln’s hair, provenance is everything — and in this case, we know that this came from a family member who was at the President’s bedside,” Bobby Livingston, RR Auction’s executive vice president, said in a statement.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Fantasy football injury report for Week 1: Marlon Mack, Le’Veon Bell

When Bills 27 , Jets 17 was mercifully over , Sam Darnold ...

Running backs Marlon Mack and Le’Veon Bell were among the most notable injuries during Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season. Here’s a recap of the biggest injuries to players across the league and how it could impact fantasy football:
Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts (Achilles)
Mack suffered a devastating ankle injury in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Jaguars, with multiple reports saying the Colts fear their incumbent starter has torn his Achilles. If those reports are true, Mack will — at a minimum — miss the remainder of the season.
The Colts’ backfield was a question mark heading into the season with the addition of 2020 second-round draft pick Jonathan Taylor. The versatile Big Ten back saw nine carries for 22 yards and six catches for 67 yards in his NFL debut. He is expected to be the primary beneficiary of Mack’s absence and should take over the featured role.
Nyheim Hines was also featured heavily and saw seven carries for 28 yards and a touchdown, as well as eight catches for 45 yards and a score. He will be a popular waiver add come Week 2.
Le’Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets (hamstring)
Bell left Sunday’s messy 27-17 loss to the Bills during the second half with a hamstring injury he apparently suffered during the first half, but remained in the game. Afterward, head coach Adam Gase told the media that he was “mad at [himself]” for not pulling Bell earlier, but did not offer further updates on the running back’s status.
If Bell were to miss time, the Jets would be seriously hampered in light of their very shallow running back depth chart. Next in line are 37-year-old Frank Gore and Josh Adams, who was just promoted from the practice squad on Saturday.
Jets 2020 fourth-round pick La’Mical Perine was carted off the field in training camp with a low-ankle sprain and was inactive for Sunday’s game.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers (leg)
Kittle had a scary ending to the first half of the 49ers’ Week 1 contest against the Cardinals after sustaining a hard hit to his left leg, which got caught under Cardinals safety Budda Baker. The 49ers tight end — who just signed the richest contract in NFL history for a tight end — limped to the locker room with 30 seconds remaining, but later returned for the second half. He finished the game with four catches for 44 yards and a rush for 9 yards.
Given Kittle’s value, the situation is worth monitoring for now. For reference, the 49ers second-string tight end is oft-injured Jordan Reed, who saw two catches for 12 yards in the team’s 24-20 loss.
Boston Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (unknown)
Scott was escorted to the locker room with a mysterious injury during the Eagles’ 27-17 loss to the Washington Football Team.
He had been heralded as a solid start with Miles Sanders (hamstring) inactive, but posted just nine carries for 35 yards and two catches for 19 yards before exiting the game. It remains unclear what the issue is or its severity at this time. Corey Clement would be the next man up on the Eagles depth chart, but hopefully Sanders’ setback is minor and he will return come Week 2 hosting the LA Rams.
Henry Ruggs, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (knee)
Ruggs suffered an injury scare in the first half of the Raiders’ season opener against the Panthers. It appeared he injured his left knee after he was tackled while making a catch and limped to the locker room.
Thankfully for the Raiders, their speedy first-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft was able to return after halftime and finished the day with three catches on five targets for a team-high 55 yards.
“I just got tackled a little awkward, but I feel good,” Ruggs told reporters on Zoom after his debut. “Kinda went down a little crazy, but I’ll be all right.”
Blake Jarwin, TE, Dallas Cowboys (knee)
Jarwin went down in the second quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Rams with a non-contact injury. He was quickly ruled out for return. The awkwardness of the fall and quick action by the Cowboys led many to speculate that the injury could be an ACL tear, which would be season-ending.
Next up on the Cowboys’ tight end depth chart is veteran Blake Bell. The 29-year-old was signed this offseason from the Chiefs and is unlikely to be a factor for fantasy.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Jets miss CJ Mosley the most in a truly disturbing performance

BUFFALO – The Bills rolled over the Jets 27-17 on Sunday to open the 2020 season in a game that was not as close as the final score .
Here are some thoughts and observations from the game : 1 .
The most disturbing part of this game was just how uncompetitive the Jets were in the first half .
Most people expected the Bills to win this game .
They were a favorite by nearly a touchdown , a playoff team last year and the Jets are in the early stages of a rebuild .
Still , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it felt like we were watching Alabama playing Austin Peay in the first half .
This has happened too often in the year-plus that Adam Gase has been the Jets coach .
This was the eighth time in 17 games the Jets have lost by double digits under Gase .
Last season , there were some easy explanations why – Sam Darnold missed three games with mono and they were ravaged by injuries along the offensive line .
On Sunday , there was no explanation for how ill prepared the Jets looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their first three drives .
These are the plays the Jets practice over and over all week because they are in the script and the Jets could not get one first down .
The “ Fire Gase ” crowd is overreacting .
It is one game .
He went 7-9 last year , which is not a first-year record that gets you fired .
But Gase needs to fix this … fast .
He needs to get Darnold on track .
He needs to come up with a way to move the ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He needs to get this team competitive against good teams .
2 .
One player I thought the Jets did not miss Sunday was safety Jamal Adams , who the team traded to Seattle in July .
Adams had a great debut for the Seahawks on Sunday in Atlanta with 12 tackles and a sack against the Falcons .
After the game , he ran his mouth , of course .
But I did not think the Jets missed him because Marcus Maye had a great game in Adams ’ old spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of scrimmage and came away with 10 tackles , two sacks , two passes defensed and a forced fumble .
Maye was one of the only bright spots for the Jets .
Maye had a phenomenal training camp and looks poised to take a step forward in his career .
Maye is a free agent after this season so his timing could end up with a nice payday .
3 .
On the other hand , the player I kept thinking about in the first half was linebacker C.J .
Mosley .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Jets defense looked confused and on its heels in the first half .
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was extending plays with his feet and getting around the edge .
Mosley would have made a difference , both in his play and his ability to calm his teammates down and provide direction .
When Mosley opted out of this season due to COVID-19 concerns , it was a crushing blow .
It was a bigger loss for the Jets than Adams , who might be a better player and is younger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important player for the Jets as their inside linebacker and quarterback of the defense .
Neville Hewitt did OK last year in Mosley ’ s place , but he ’ ll never be Mosley .
The Jets really missed him Sunday and you wonder how much they ’ ll miss him all season .
4 .
While the focus of Sunday ’ s loss will fall on Gase and Darnold , general manager Joe Douglas should not escape blame .
Douglas took a gamble this offseason by trying to fill holes on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put his focus on giving himself salary cap flexibility next year , but he sacrificed some things this year .
That was on display Sunday .
It is hard to judge his rebuilt offensive line yet , although the running game was non-existent .
The bigger problems were at cornerback , wide receiver and edge rusher .
These were three spots that were obvious holes this offseason .
Douglas signed Pierre Desir to a one-year , $ 3.5 million deal to play cornerback rather than spending big on Byron Jones or James Bradberry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision in the long run .
On Sunday , it looked like a disaster .
Desir committed two penalties and gave up a touchdown before getting benched in the second quarter .
At wide receiver , the Jets gave Breshad Perriman a one-year , $ 6.5 million contract rather than paying Robby Anderson , who got a two-year , $ 20 million deal from the Panthers .
Perriman had three catches for 17 yards on Sunday .
Anderson had a 75-yard touchdown for Carolina .
The Jets ’ best pass rusher was Maye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GMs have ignored for the last decade .
Douglas passed on signing Jadeveon Clowney or trading for Yannick Ngakoue this offseason .
Again , those might be the right calls long-term , but they sure could have used an impact pass rusher Sunday .
The Jets sacked Allen three times – all by defensive backs ( Brian Poole and Maye ) .
They only had four quarterback hits in the game .
Allen had way too much time .
Douglas ’ roster looked bad on Sunday .
The coaching and playing will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction should not escape unscathed .
The Jets ’ average starting field position was their own 21 .
The Bills ’ average starting field position was their own 40 .
The Jets had tons of issues Sunday and field position was one of them .
Rookie safety Ashtyn Davis played zero defensive snaps in the game .
I did not expect Davis to take snaps away from Marcus Maye or Bradley McDougald , but thought Gregg Williams might deploy some three safety looks , especially with linebacker Blake Cashman hurt .
Davis is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the obvious choice here .
He was disruptive with two sacks and all over the field with 10 tackles .

BUFFALO – The Bills rolled over the Jets 27-17 on Sunday to open the 2020 season in a game that was not as close as the final score. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. The most disturbing part of this game was just how uncompetitive the Jets were in the first half. Most people expected the Bills to win this game. They were a favorite by nearly a touchdown, a playoff team last year and the Jets are in the early stages of a rebuild. Still, this is the NFL. Games should be competitive and it felt like we were watching Alabama playing Austin Peay in the first half.
This has happened too often in the year-plus that Adam Gase has been the Jets coach. This was the eighth time in 17 games the Jets have lost by double digits under Gase. Last season, there were some easy explanations why – Sam Darnold missed three games with mono and they were ravaged by injuries along the offensive line. On Sunday, there was no explanation for how ill prepared the Jets looked.
The Jets managed four yards on their first three drives. These are the plays the Jets practice over and over all week because they are in the script and the Jets could not get one first down.
The “Fire Gase” crowd is overreacting. It is one game. He went 7-9 last year, which is not a first-year record that gets you fired. But Gase needs to fix this … fast. He needs to get Darnold on track. He needs to come up with a way to move the ball against a tough 49ers defense this week. He needs to get this team competitive against good teams.
2. One player I thought the Jets did not miss Sunday was safety Jamal Adams, whom the team traded to Seattle in July. Adams had a great debut for the Seahawks on Sunday in Atlanta with 12 tackles and a sack against the Falcons. After the game, he ran his mouth, of course.
But I did not think the Jets missed him because Marcus Maye had a great game in Adams’ old spot. Maye played close to the line of scrimmage and came away with 10 tackles, two sacks, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Maye was one of the only bright spots for the Jets. Maye had a phenomenal training camp and looks poised to take a step forward in his career. Maye is a free agent after this season, so his timing could end up with a nice payday.
3. On the other hand, the player I kept thinking about in the first half was linebacker C.J. Mosley. The Jets could have used him on Sunday. The Jets defense looked confused and on its heels in the first half. Bills quarterback Josh Allen was extending plays with his feet and getting around the edge. Mosley would have made a difference, both in his play and his ability to calm his teammates down and provide direction.
When Mosley opted out of this season due to COVID-19 concerns, it was a crushing blow. It was a bigger loss for the Jets than Adams, who might be a better player and is younger than Mosley. But Mosley is a more important player for the Jets as their inside linebacker and quarterback of the defense. Neville Hewitt did OK last year in Mosley’s place, but he’ll never be Mosley. The Jets really missed him Sunday and you wonder how much they’ll miss him all season.
4. While the focus of Sunday’s loss will fall on Gase and Darnold, general manager Joe Douglas should not escape blame. Douglas took a gamble this offseason by trying to fill holes on this team without spending big money. He put his focus on giving himself salary cap flexibility next year, but he sacrificed some things this year. That was on display Sunday.
It is hard to judge his rebuilt offensive line yet, although the running game was non-existent. The bigger problems were at cornerback, wide receiver and edge rusher. These were three spots that were obvious holes this offseason. Douglas signed Pierre Desir to a one-year, $3.5 million deal to play cornerback rather than spending big on Byron Jones or James Bradberry. That may look like a good decision in the long run. On Sunday, it looked like a disaster. Desir committed two penalties and gave up a touchdown before getting benched in the second quarter.
At wide receiver, the Jets gave Breshad Perriman a one-year, $6.5 million contract rather than paying Robby Anderson, who got a two-year, $20 million deal from the Panthers. Perriman had three catches for 17 yards on Sunday. Anderson had a 75-yard touchdown for Carolina.
The Jets’ best pass rusher was Maye. Edge rusher is a position Jets GMs have ignored for the last decade. Douglas passed on signing Jadeveon Clowney or trading for Yannick Ngakoue this offseason. Again, those might be the right calls long-term, but they sure could have used an impact pass rusher Sunday. The Jets sacked Allen three times — all by defensive backs (Brian Poole and Maye). They only had four quarterback hits in the game. Allen had way too much time.
Douglas’ roster looked bad on Sunday. The coaching and playing will get most of the attention but the roster construction should not escape unscathed.
Revealing stat
The Jets’ average starting field position was their own 21. The Bills’ average starting field position was their own 40. The Jets had tons of issues Sunday and field position was one of them.
Surprising snap count
Rookie safety Ashtyn Davis played zero defensive snaps in the game. I did not expect Davis to take snaps away from Marcus Maye or Bradley McDougald, but thought Gregg Williams might deploy some three safety looks, especially with linebacker Blake Cashman hurt. Davis is athletic and can cover ground.
Game ball
Maye is the obvious choice here. He was disruptive with two sacks and all over the field with 10 tackles.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Tropical Storm Sally expected to hit New Orleans as Category 2 hurricane

Tropical Storm Sally is still growing and could hit the US near New Orleans late Monday as a “ life-threatening ” Category 2 hurricane , officials have warned .
“ Sally is likely to produce life-threatening storm surge , hurricane-force winds and flash flooding along the northern Gulf Coast starting late today , ” the National Hurricane Center warned early Monday .
“ Right now we have it at a strong Category 1 , but we ’ re trying to message people to prepare for a Category 2 , ” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Efferson told the Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued from Morgan City , Louisiana , east to Ocean Springs , Mississippi , including New Orleans , Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas , CNN noted .
Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday , and officials in the New Orleans area issued a mandatory evacuation order for areas outside of levee protection .
“ I know for a lot of people this storm seemed to come out of nowhere , ” Edwards said .
“ We need everybody to pay attention to this storm .
Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat is terrifying an area that was devastated in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina .
“ I mean , after Katrina , anything around here and anything on the water , you ’ re going to take serious , ” Jeffrey Gagnard , a resident of Chalmette , Louisiana , said as he evacuated his family .
Another resident , Chris Yandle , plans to bunker down with his family of four and their dog in Mandeville , a city about 35 miles north of New Orleans — but admitted he is alarmed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurricanes growing up in Louisiana , but I haven ’ t felt this anxious about a hurricane in my life , ” he said .
Meanwhile , Mississippi man Joey Chauvin was trying to tie down all his possessions in Waveland before evacuating — having already been damaged by Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer .
“ If this one hits the coast as a Cat 2 , I ’ m thinking we ’ re gon na have at least six to seven feet of water where we ’ re standing at , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yeah , we ’ re definitely not going to stay.
” This isn ’ t the only storm in the Atlantic basin .
Paulette gained hurricane status late Saturday and was expected to bring storm surge , coastal flooding and high winds to Bermuda , while Rene — once a tropical storm — was forecast to become a remnant low Monday .
Tropical Depression Twenty strengthened into Tropical Storm Teddy on Monday morning , and was expected to become a hurricane later in the week , forecasters said .
In addition , Tropical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portion of the Atlantic Ocean .

Tropical Storm Sally strengthened into a hurricane Monday and could remain that way when it’s expected to hit the US near New Orleans — creating “life-threatening” conditions, officials said.
“Sally is likely to produce life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and flash flooding along the northern Gulf Coast starting late today,” the National Hurricane Center warned early Monday.
The center said Sally “rapidly” turned into a hurricane with 85 mile-per-hour maximum sustained winds “and some additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or so.”
Hurricane warnings are in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, and officials in the New Orleans area issued a mandatory evacuation order for areas outside of levee protection.
“I know for a lot of people this storm seemed to come out of nowhere,” Edwards said. “We need everybody to pay attention to this storm. Let’s take this one seriously.”
The threat is terrifying an area that was devastated in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.
“I mean, after Katrina, anything around here and anything on the water, you’re going to take serious,” Jeffrey Gagnard, a resident of Chalmette, Louisiana, said as he evacuated his family.
Another resident, Chris Yandle, plans to hunker down with his family of four and their dog in Mandeville, a city about 35 miles north of New Orleans — but admitted he is alarmed.
“I’ve lived through many hurricanes growing up in Louisiana, but I haven’t felt this anxious about a hurricane in my life,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mississippi man Joey Chauvin was trying to tie down all his possessions in Waveland before evacuating — having already been damaged by Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer.
“If this one hits the coast as a Cat 2, I’m thinking we’re gonna have at least six to seven feet of water where we’re standing at,” Chauvin said. “So, yeah, we’re definitely not going to stay.”
This isn’t the only storm in the Atlantic basin.
Paulette gained hurricane status late Saturday and was expected to bring storm surge, coastal flooding and high winds to Bermuda, while Rene — once a tropical storm — was forecast to become a remnant low Monday.
Tropical Depression Twenty strengthened into Tropical Storm Teddy on Monday morning, and was expected to become a hurricane later in the week, forecasters said.
In addition, Tropical Depression Twenty-One formed Monday in the eastern portion of the Atlantic Ocean.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Listen to Episode 34 of ‘Gang’s All Here’: Jets Open Season With Dismal Performance

The Jets came out Sunday in their season opener at Buffalo looking like a college team going up against an NFL team .
They were quickly down 21-0 and looked putrid offensively .
They gave Josh Allen plenty of time to throw and run freely .
It resulted in a 27-17 loss and a lot of head scratching from Jets fans .
To recap the rough loss , we present a new episode of the “ Gang ’ s All Here ” podcast with Brian Costello and yours truly .
We open the show reacting to the dismal performance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ score does not show just how badly the Jets were outplayed by the Bills .
There weren ’ t many good things to take away from this game besides the strong play from safety Marcus Maye .
Coz compared the start of this game to Alabama taking on Austin Peay , feeling like it was 50-0 and not 21-0 .
We talk about just how atrocious Sam Darnold looked , comparing it to the game where he was seeing ghosts .
We get into Pierre Desir getting benched early , the defense having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a career day , passing for 300 yards for the first time in his career and the Jets offense not moving the ball .
They had tons of plays that were thrown at the line or behind the line of scrimmage .
We talk about how badly Adam Gase and Gregg Williams were outcoached and the questionable future of Gase as head coach .
Coz believes Le ’ Veon Bell could potentially miss some significant time with his hamstring injury .
Coz touches on when we could end up seeing Denzel Mims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what Darnold and Gase said after the game .
Longtime NY Post football columnist Steve Serby then joins the podcast .
Serby gets into what it was like covering the game at home this week vs. the experience Coz had at the stadium in Orchard Park .
We get into the Gase decision to put Bell back in the game after the hamstring injury and how he got hurt .
We examine Darnold not progressing at all and concerns that this might just be the quarterback he is .
Would a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting better ?
When might Gase be let go and could it be this year ?
How good are the Bills ?
We also look ahead to the matchup against the 49ers , with both teams coming into the game off a loss .
Catch up on all episodes of “ Gang ’ s All Here , ” a New York Jets podcast , by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts .
Follow Coz and Jake on Twitter @ BrianCoz and @ JakeBrownRadio for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episode of the podcast drops Thursday with special guest Nick Mangold .

The Jets came out Sunday in their season opener at Buffalo looking like a college team going up against an NFL team. They were quickly down 21-0 and looked putrid offensively. They gave Josh Allen plenty of time to throw and run freely. It resulted in a 27-17 loss and a lot of head scratching from Jets fans. To recap the rough loss, we present a new episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast with Brian Costello and yours truly.
We open the show reacting to the dismal performance from the Jets, noting that the final score does not show just how badly the Jets were outplayed by the Bills. There weren’t many good things to take away from this game besides the strong play from safety Marcus Maye. Coz compared the start of this game to Alabama taking on Austin Peay, feeling like it was 50-0 and not 21-0. We talk about just how atrocious Sam Darnold looked, comparing it to the game where he was seeing ghosts. We get into Pierre Desir getting benched early, the defense having a nonexistent pass rush, Allen having a career day, passing for 300 yards for the first time in his career and the Jets offense not moving the ball. They had tons of plays that were thrown at the line or behind the line of scrimmage. We talk about how badly Adam Gase and Gregg Williams were outcoached and the questionable future of Gase as head coach. Coz believes Le’Veon Bell could potentially miss some significant time with his hamstring injury. Coz touches on when we could end up seeing Denzel Mims and La’Mical Perine and lets us know what Darnold and Gase said after the game.
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Longtime NY Post football columnist Steve Serby then joins the podcast. Serby gets into what it was like covering the game at home this week vs. the experience Coz had at the stadium in Orchard Park. We get into the Gase decision to put Bell back in the game after the hamstring injury and how he got hurt. We examine Darnold not progressing at all and concerns that this might just be the quarterback he is. Would a new coach make a big difference in him getting better? When might Gase be let go and could it be this year? How good are the Bills? We also look ahead to the matchup against the 49ers, with both teams coming into the game off a loss.
Catch up on all episodes of “Gang’s All Here,” a New York Jets podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Coz and Jake on Twitter @BrianCoz and @JakeBrownRadio for updates on the show. The next episode of the podcast drops Thursday with special guest Nick Mangold.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Giants vs. Steelers: Preview, predictions, what to watch for

It is going to take all of them .
Every single ...

Paul’s Pick
No fans in the stands mean no noise to bother the Steelers offense, no noise to inspire the Giants and — this could be important – no rumblings of impatient frustration if the Giants struggle. It is all very strange. Hard to think there will be many areas the Giants are capable of exploiting on what looks to be a very sound Pittsburgh outfit.
Steelers 27, Giants 17
Marquee Matchup
Steelers outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree vs. Giants tackles Cam Fleming and Andrew Thomas
Want to know how Daniel Jones fares in this game? How his two offensive tackles hold up will provide much of the answer.
Fleming was signed to be a backup swing tackle but, with Nate Solder’s opt-out, he’s the starter on the right side. He gets Watt, a terror with 34.5 sacks in his three-year career, including 14.5 last season. Thomas, in his NFL debut, gets Dupree, coming off a career-high 11.5-sack season. Cannot have a more challenging opening act for the Daniel Jones protectors.
“Here is the thing, if you overplay T.J. Watt, you have Bud Dupree on the other edge, and he’s just as fierce,’’ Judge said.
Four Downs
Center of Attention: One of the reasons the previous coaching regime liked Nick Gates was his versatility. He was an offensive tackle at Nebraska and there were some who thought he might be better-suited to guard. So what happens? A new coaching staff arrives, sees a hole at center and before long Gates is snapping the ball — something he had never done before on a serious basis.
Gates, with three NFL starts on his résumé, debuts by knocking heads with a rugged Steelers group intent on confusion and disruption, anxious to see if the inexperienced Gates can handle what comes his way. Cameron Heyward (54 career sacks) is an All-Pro defensive tackle.
“I think I always get butterflies before my first game,’’ Gates said. “It’s just the first game of the football season, especially this year, it will be a lot different. But I’m excited. I think it’s good to have butterflies.’’
Ball Security: Might as well get tested right off the bat, right? Daniel Jones gained nearly 10 pounds and the added bulk and strength should help him secure the ball.
His one glaring failing as a rookie: 18 fumbles, 11 lost fumbles. He gets careless with his mechanics, especially when he runs and forgets to tuck the ball away.
Here comes a ball-thirsty defense. The Steelers led or tied the NFL last season in sacks (54), quarterback hits (117) and takeaways (36). Jones did a good job seeing the field (12 interceptions) last year, but he must show improved awareness in the pocket.
Clock Ticking on Big Ben: If the Giants, back in 2004, could not complete the draft-day trade with the Chargers for Eli Manning, they would have taken Ben Roethlisberger with the No. 4 overall pick. Roethlisberger enters his 17th NFL season coming off right elbow surgery — he played in only two games in 2019. In 2018, Big Ben led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards. Is he, at age 38, fully healthy?
“We just need to approach him based off his history, his track record,” cornerback James Bradberry said. “I’m sure he’s had a few injuries that people don’t know about. He’s able to take care of his body. He’s going to make the checks at the line, he’s smart, he’s been around for a long time. Of course, he has that strong arm.”
The Saquon: By this time next year, Saquon Barkley figures to have a lucrative new contract. How lucrative? Will it match running back pacesetter Christian McCaffrey ($16 million a year) or more in line with the deals given out this past week to Alvin Kamara ($15 million a year) or Dalvin Cook ($12.6 million a year)? It all depends on Barkley’s production.
He has 2,310 rushing yards, 143 receptions and 23 total touchdowns in two seasons. He stayed healthy as a rookie. Not so in Year 2. “Man, he’s going to be a big-time challenge for us,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “This is a guy that’s capable of really impacting the game in all circumstances, and really in many ways.’’


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--‘The Vow’ on HBO: Who Are Catherine and India Oxenberg?

Halfway through HBO ’ s chilling deep dive into NXIVM , The Vow has introduced yet another of the group ’ s famous members .
India Oxenberg , the daughter of actor Catherine Oxenberg , is a committed member of NXIVM ’ s alleged sex cult .
And there ’ s a reason why that name is familiar .
From directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer comes a look into one of the most shocking abuses of power in years .
NXIVM was sold to its members as a self-help MLM .
But hiding beneath its empowering lessons and seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branded its members and pressured them into having sex with NXIVM ’ s founder .
Here ’ s what you need to know about the concerned parent fighting this disturbing group .
Oxenberg is the mother of India Oxenberg , a devoted NXIVM member who is also part of the subgroup DOS .
As she explains in Episode 4 Oxenberg initially left her daughter alone , hoping that she ’ d one day “ wake up ” and leave the organization .
But when Bonnie Piesse contacted Oxenberg and told her the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she became a lot more involved .
The back half of The Vow revolves around Oxenberg trying to get her daughter away from NXIVM and its leader Keith Rainere by any means necessary .
It ’ s a heart-breaking account of one parent who just wants to protect her child .
But what makes this particular story so fascinating is Catherine Oxenberg ’ s accomplished Hollywood career and these women ’ s ties to the British Royal Family .
The daughter of Catherine Oxenberg , the way The Vow tells it India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her mother ’ s long-running role on Dynasty , she was part of a branch of Hollywood royalty .
And because of who her grandmother was , she was connected to actual royalty as well .
This powerful resume greatly appealed to NXIVM and its sub-group DOS , which often used powerful , accomplished , and beautiful people to recruit new members into its folds .
India Oxenberg was all three .
As India became more involved in DOS her close friend Bonnie Piesse noticed that she would lie more often and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close watch on calories was a big part of DOS , so much so that many “ masters ” required their “ slaves ” to request permission before they ate anything .
The more her mother and her former friends attempt to separate India from this organization , the more dedicated she seems to be toward NXIVM .
How Are Catherine and India Oxenberg Related to the Royal Family ?
What Has Catherine Oxenberg Been In ?
That would be through Catherine Oxenberg ’ s mother and India Oxenberg ’ s grandmother .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark .
She is the second cousin to Queen Sofía of Spain and Charles , Prince of Wales as well as the first cousin of Prince Edward , Duke of Kent .
Princess Elizabeth is still alive and appears via phone conversations in The Vow .
Fans of soap operas are already well versed in this name .
Throughout the ’ 80s Oxenberg portrayed Amanda Carrington in the drama about wealthy families , Dynasty .
She ’ s also appeared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Miracle of the Cards .
Watch The Vow on HBO NOW and HBO Max

Halfway through HBO’s chilling deep dive into NXIVM, The Vow has introduced yet another of the group’s famous members. India Oxenberg, the daughter of actor Catherine Oxenberg, is a committed member of NXIVM’s alleged sex cult. And there’s a reason why that name is familiar.
From directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer comes a look into one of the most shocking abuses of power in years. NXIVM was sold to its members as a self-help MLM. But hiding beneath its empowering lessons and seemingly fun retreats was a secret group that branded its members and pressured them into having sex with NXIVM’s founder. Here’s what you need to know about the concerned parent fighting this disturbing group.
Who Is Catherine Oxenberg?
Oxenberg is the mother of India Oxenberg, a devoted NXIVM member who is also part of the subgroup DOS. As she explains in Episode 4 Oxenberg initially left her daughter alone, hoping that she’d one day “wake up” and leave the organization. But when Bonnie Piesse contacted Oxenberg and told her the full extent of what was happening in DOS, she became a lot more involved.
The back half of The Vow revolves around Oxenberg trying to get her daughter away from NXIVM and its leader Keith Rainere by any means necessary. It’s a heart-breaking account of one parent who just wants to protect her child. But what makes this particular story so fascinating is Catherine Oxenberg’s accomplished Hollywood career and these women’s ties to the British Royal Family.
Who Is India Oxenberg?
The daughter of Catherine Oxenberg, the way The Vow tells it India was a perfect recruit. Because of her mother’s long-running role on Dynasty, she was part of a branch of Hollywood royalty. And because of who her grandmother was, she was connected to actual royalty as well. This powerful resume greatly appealed to NXIVM and its sub-group DOS, which often used powerful, accomplished, and beautiful people to recruit new members into its folds. India Oxenberg was all three.
As India became more involved in DOS her close friend Bonnie Piesse noticed that she would lie more often and would rigorously count her calories. Maintaining a close watch on calories was a big part of DOS, so much so that many “masters” required their “slaves” to request permission before they ate anything. The more her mother and her former friends attempt to separate India from this organization, the more dedicated she seems to be toward NXIVM.
How Are Catherine and India Oxenberg Related to the Royal Family?
That would be through Catherine Oxenberg’s mother and India Oxenberg’s grandmother. Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia was the only daughter of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark. She is the second cousin to Queen Sofía of Spain and Charles, Prince of Wales as well as the first cousin of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Princess Elizabeth is still alive and appears via phone conversations in The Vow.
What Has Catherine Oxenberg Been In?
Fans of soap operas are already well versed in this name. Throughout the ’80s Oxenberg portrayed Amanda Carrington in the drama about wealthy families, Dynasty. She’s also appeared in The Omega Code, Watch Over Me, and Miracle of the Cards.
Watch The Vow on HBO NOW and HBO Max


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Did You Know That Both ‘Goodfellas’ And ‘My Blue Heaven’ Are About The Same Notorious Mafia Informan

Did You Know That Both ‘Goodfellas’ And ‘My Blue Heaven’ Are About The Same Notorious Mafia Informant, Henry Hill?

Martin Scorsese ’ s mob epic , Goodfellas , opened theatrically on September 19 , 1990 — thirty years ago this week .
The film was based on Nicholas Pileggi ’ s 1985 crime book Wiseguy , which told the true story of Henry Hill , a Mafia figure turned government informant ( portrayed in the film by Ray Liotta ) .
But did you know that Goodfellas was not the first film to make it to movie theaters based on Hill ’ s incredible story ?
In this exclusive excerpt from the first chapter of Decider contributor Glenn Kenny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Story Of Goodfellas ( Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins ) , he details how Nora Ephron ’ s Henry Hill movie , My Blue Heaven , beat Goodfellas into theaters .
“ I think Wiseguy would have been a very different book had Henry Hill not been Henry Hill , ” Nicholas Pileggi says .
It wasn ’ t just that Hill , who was hidden by the feds after assisting in cases against Paul “ Paulie ” Vario and Jimmy “ the Gent ” Burke among others , had approached Pileggi ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready but eager to talk .
It was Hill ’ s ability to talk , and to remember .
After the initial contact , which led to Hill ’ s flouting of his protected-witness status , Pileggi learned that Hill had both the vocabulary and the memory of a born storyteller .
“ I had asked a hundred mobsters , ‘ What was your first big score on the numbers ?
’ And they would say , ‘ I don ’ t remember.
’ Didn ’ t remember the score , didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money , shrugged , and said , ‘ What the hell , you ’ re talking twenty years ago , I don ’ t remember.
’ Henry Hill , I asked the same question , ‘ What was your first big score with the numbers ?
’ He said , ‘ I got six hundred dollars.
’ I said , ‘ What ’ d you do with the money ?
’ He said , ‘ I bought a yellow Bonneville convertible , it was the greatest day of my life .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean , that ’ s golden .
“ These mob guys , most of them , had lived a life of not telling stories .
They had dedicated their lives to being monosyllabic .
Henry was the opposite .
He was the Irishman .
“ He was playing to the crowd .
He would dance .
And the 30 wiseguys liked him for that .
The fully Italian guys didn ’ t hold anything against him , because he was not one of them .
“ He was like the court jester.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so , too , to Martin Scorsese .
When Scorsese tried to contact Pileggi about getting the rights to the book and adapting it , Pileggi was skeptical .
Not about Wiseguy ‘ s potential as a movie , but as to whether the calls he was getting were actually from Scorsese .
“ I had seen all of his movies , down to his great documentary about his parents , Italianamerican .
So doing a movie with him was a kind of dream I didn ’ t think could necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , while he was in the middle of directing The Color of Money.
” Pileggi wasn ’ t at his New York magazine office when the first call came ; the receptionist gave him a pink slip with the message when he came in .
“ I got this message to call Marty Scorsese.
” Pileggi laughs at the memory .
“ I knew that it was bullshit , I knew it was David Denby , my friend who at the time was the movie critic for the magazine .
The son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much I loved Marty ’ s movies because we had seen a bunch of them together .
So I figured if I called the number I ’ d just get Denby , and Denby was gon na bust my balls , so I didn ’ t call .
“ And then , next day , there was the same message , and again I didn ’ t call.
” Pileggi and the writer Nora Ephron had been romantically involved for some time by the mid- ’ 80s , and Ephron ’ s career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later director , was well on its way .
They married in 1987 .
“ I think the only reason she even talked to me and got married to me was that she was fascinated by this world of mobsters that I wrote about , because it was the opposite of hers , ” Pileggi says of Ephron , fondly and kiddingly .
“ The day I didn ’ t return the call for the second time , I got home that night , and Nora was home , and she says to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ And I said , ‘ What do you mean , am I crazy ?
’ She said , ‘ Why won ’ t you call Marty Scorsese ?
’ And I said , ‘ That ’ s not Marty , that ’ s Denby busting my balls . '
” Ephron informed him no , it was Marty—a crew member on Money who had worked with Ephron had called her to ask what was up .
Chastened , Pileggi called Scorsese immediately .
“ I couldn ’ t think of anybody I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of this book .
And once we spoke , that was it.
” This despite the fact that at the time , Scorsese could offer Pileggi nothing beyond his desire to make the book into a movie .
“ He said , ‘ I can ’ t do it right away , ’ because there was no deal , and he had to finish Money , and then he really needed to get The Last Temptation of Christ squared away .
But I didn ’ t care .
We made a handshake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak.
” Once the book was out of galleys and in bookstores in the early spring of 1986 , offers intensified .
“ The book was huge , and a lot of people were coming at me .
I threw them all out .
I told my agent , we ’ re not selling it .
A whole slew of directors wanted to do it , and would have done it instantly .
Including Brian De Palma , and I like Brian , and I like his movies .
But I just knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this was where he was from , in a way that Brian wasn ’ t. ” Pileggi held faith that Scorsese was the filmmaker to do justice to Wiseguy , and he was proven more than correct .
But because Pileggi waited , a different movie about Henry Hill made it into theaters before Goodfellas .
My Blue Heaven , directed by Herbert Ross and produced and distributed by Warner Brothers , the same studio that put together Goodfellas ( this despite Scorsese already having a production deal with Touchstone in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 , 1990 , a full month before the Scorsese/Pileggi collaboration .
It stars Steve Martin as Vincent “ Vinnie ” Antonelli , a New York mobster enrolled in the witness protection program ; Rick Moranis plays Barney Coopersmith , his neat-as-a-pin , by-the-book , tenderhearted FBI keeper .
This broad comedy relocated its mobster to California rather than the Midwest .
Made well before fusion cuisine and such hit the West Coast , it finds Vinnie perplexed on a visit to a supermarket where not only can he not find arugula , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
“ Arugula !
I haven ’ t had arugula in SIX WEEKS , ” he cries .
Shades of the lament of the exiled Hill at the end of Goodfellas : “ Can ’ t even get decent food .
Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles with ketchup.
” The screenwriter of My Blue Heaven is Nora Ephron .
“ She was the daughter of playwrights , screenwriters , ” says Pileggi .
“ It was a very refined world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And everybody she met [ from Pileggi ’ s world ] , and I tell you , she met major people , they loved her .
So she wound up being included in lots of—well , I wouldn ’ t say mob meetings , but dinners .
Like the ninetieth birthday of a mob boss from Las Vegas , in Staten Island , we ’ d get in the car .
She loved meeting these people , and as they got to know her movies , the wives really connected to her.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ based her screenplay for 1989 ’ s Cookie , a comedy about the feisty daughter of a mob boss , on Nina Galante .
Nina was the daughter of mobster Carmine Galante , and in the 1970s she served as her dad ’ s chauffeur .
( “ She was the best wheel man in the city , ” Pileggi insists . )
Pileggi stayed close to Henry Hill after the publication of Wiseguy , indeed , up to the end of Hill ’ s life .
Hill kept up with the showbiz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a possible movie based on Wiseguy came up .
“ A lot of the conversations were ‘ how ’ s the book doing , where ’ s the movie now , when am I going to get a paycheck , ’ that sort of thing.
” Sometimes in the early days of their association , when Hill called , one of Ephron ’ s boys from her marriage to Carl Bernstein , then in their preteens , would answer the phone , and the caller would announce himself as Henry .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ephron ’ s father , Henry Ephron .
So they ’ d say hello , and hand the phone to their mom .
“ And they would spend a lot of time on the phone , ” Pileggi says .
“ She was fascinated , because , like anybody else , you want to know , how do you live in the witness protection program ?
He got a little more far-fetched with her than he did with me .
I think because it was clear to him that she found it so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Heaven is a broad , amiable farce , which ends with its mobster character turning local hero by dedicating the proceeds of a new criminal scam to a youth baseball construction project—an ending probably more inspired by the exigencies of Hollywood narrative than Hill ’ s own yarn-spinning .
Excerpted from Made Men : The Story Of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny © 2020 by Glenn Kenny , used with permission from Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins .
It is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com , Barnes & Noble , or wherever you buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be released and available at bookstores everywhere on Tuesday , September 15 , 2020 — that ’ s tomorrow !
Where to stream My Blue Heaven

Martin Scorsese’s mob epic, Goodfellas, opened theatrically on September 19, 1990 — thirty years ago this week. The film was based on Nicholas Pileggi’s 1985 crime book Wiseguy, which told the true story of Henry Hill, a Mafia figure turned government informant (portrayed in the film by Ray Liotta). But did you know that Goodfellas was not the first film to make it to movie theaters based on Hill’s incredible story? In this exclusive excerpt from the first chapter of Decider contributor Glenn Kenny‘s forthcoming book, Made Men: The Story Of Goodfellas (Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins), he details how Nora Ephron’s Henry Hill movie, My Blue Heaven, beat Goodfellas into theaters.
“I think Wiseguy would have been a very different book had Henry Hill not been Henry Hill,” Nicholas Pileggi says. It wasn’t just that Hill, who was hidden by the feds after assisting in cases against Paul “Paulie” Vario and Jimmy “the Gent” Burke among others, had approached Pileggi (initially through an attorney) not just ready but eager to talk. It was Hill’s ability to talk, and to remember.
After the initial contact, which led to Hill’s flouting of his protected-witness status, Pileggi learned that Hill had both the vocabulary and the memory of a born storyteller. “I had asked a hundred mobsters, ‘What was your first big score on the numbers?’ And they would say, ‘I don’t remember.’ Didn’t remember the score, didn’t remember what they did with the money, shrugged, and said, ‘What the hell, you’re talking twenty years ago, I don’t remember.’ Henry Hill, I asked the same question, ‘What was your first big score with the numbers?’ He said, ‘I got six hundred dollars.’ I said, ‘What’d you do with the money?’ He said, ‘I bought a yellow Bonneville convertible, it was the greatest day of my life. I’ve played the numbers ever since.’ I mean, that’s golden.
“These mob guys, most of them, had lived a life of not telling stories. They had dedicated their lives to being monosyllabic. Henry was the opposite. He was the Irishman.
“He was playing to the crowd. He would dance. And the 30 wiseguys liked him for that. The fully Italian guys didn’t hold anything against him, because he was not one of them.
“He was like the court jester.”
That vivid voice spoke to Pileggi, and so, too, to Martin Scorsese. When Scorsese tried to contact Pileggi about getting the rights to the book and adapting it, Pileggi was skeptical. Not about Wiseguy‘s potential as a movie, but as to whether the calls he was getting were actually from Scorsese.
“I had seen all of his movies, down to his great documentary about his parents, Italianamerican. So doing a movie with him was a kind of dream I didn’t think could necessarily come true. He first called from Chicago, while he was in the middle of directing The Color of Money.”
Pileggi wasn’t at his New York magazine office when the first call came; the receptionist gave him a pink slip with the message when he came in. “I got this message to call Marty Scorsese.” Pileggi laughs at the memory. “I knew that it was bullshit, I knew it was David Denby, my friend who at the time was the movie critic for the magazine. The son of a bitch. He knew how much I loved Marty’s movies because we had seen a bunch of them together. So I figured if I called the number I’d just get Denby, and Denby was gonna bust my balls, so I didn’t call.
“And then, next day, there was the same message, and again I didn’t call.”
Pileggi and the writer Nora Ephron had been romantically involved for some time by the mid-’80s, and Ephron’s career in film as a screenwriter, and later director, was well on its way. They married in 1987. “I think the only reason she even talked to me and got married to me was that she was fascinated by this world of mobsters that I wrote about, because it was the opposite of hers,” Pileggi says of Ephron, fondly and kiddingly.
“The day I didn’t return the call for the second time, I got home that night, and Nora was home, and she says to me, ‘Are you crazy?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean, am I crazy?’ She said, ‘Why won’t you call Marty Scorsese?’ And I said, ‘That’s not Marty, that’s Denby busting my balls.'”
Ephron informed him no, it was Marty—a crew member on Money who had worked with Ephron had called her to ask what was up. Chastened, Pileggi called Scorsese immediately.
“I couldn’t think of anybody I’d rather have make a movie out of this book. And once we spoke, that was it.”
This despite the fact that at the time, Scorsese could offer Pileggi nothing beyond his desire to make the book into a movie. “He said, ‘I can’t do it right away,’ because there was no deal, and he had to finish Money, and then he really needed to get The Last Temptation of Christ squared away. But I didn’t care. We made a handshake deal over the telephone, so to speak.”
Once the book was out of galleys and in bookstores in the early spring of 1986, offers intensified. “The book was huge, and a lot of people were coming at me. I threw them all out. I told my agent, we’re not selling it. A whole slew of directors wanted to do it, and would have done it instantly. Including Brian De Palma, and I like Brian, and I like his movies. But I just knew this was Marty’s material, that this was where he was from, in a way that Brian wasn’t.”
Pileggi held faith that Scorsese was the filmmaker to do justice to Wiseguy, and he was proven more than correct. But because Pileggi waited, a different movie about Henry Hill made it into theaters before Goodfellas.
My Blue Heaven, directed by Herbert Ross and produced and distributed by Warner Brothers, the same studio that put together Goodfellas (this despite Scorsese already having a production deal with Touchstone in place), opened in theaters on August 17, 1990, a full month before the Scorsese/Pileggi collaboration. It stars Steve Martin as Vincent “Vinnie” Antonelli, a New York mobster enrolled in the witness protection program; Rick Moranis plays Barney Coopersmith, his neat-as-a-pin, by-the-book, tenderhearted FBI keeper.
This broad comedy relocated its mobster to California rather than the Midwest. Made well before fusion cuisine and such hit the West Coast, it finds Vinnie perplexed on a visit to a supermarket where not only can he not find arugula, but where no one has heard of it. “Arugula! I haven’t had arugula in SIX WEEKS,” he cries. Shades of the lament of the exiled Hill at the end of Goodfellas: “Can’t even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles with ketchup.”
The screenwriter of My Blue Heaven is Nora Ephron.
“She was the daughter of playwrights, screenwriters,” says Pileggi. “It was a very refined world. So I just brought her along. And everybody she met [from Pileggi’s world], and I tell you, she met major people, they loved her. So she wound up being included in lots of—well, I wouldn’t say mob meetings, but dinners. Like the ninetieth birthday of a mob boss from Las Vegas, in Staten Island, we’d get in the car. She loved meeting these people, and as they got to know her movies, the wives really connected to her.” Prior to writing Heaven, Ephron based her screenplay for 1989’s Cookie, a comedy about the feisty daughter of a mob boss, on Nina Galante. Nina was the daughter of mobster Carmine Galante, and in the 1970s she served as her dad’s chauffeur. (“She was the best wheel man in the city,” Pileggi insists.)
Pileggi stayed close to Henry Hill after the publication of Wiseguy, indeed, up to the end of Hill’s life. Hill kept up with the showbiz trades and became very animated when word about a possible movie based on Wiseguy came up. “A lot of the conversations were ‘how’s the book doing, where’s the movie now, when am I going to get a paycheck,’ that sort of thing.”
Sometimes in the early days of their association, when Hill called, one of Ephron’s boys from her marriage to Carl Bernstein, then in their preteens, would answer the phone, and the caller would announce himself as Henry. That was the name by which they knew Ephron’s father, Henry Ephron. So they’d say hello, and hand the phone to their mom.
“And they would spend a lot of time on the phone,” Pileggi says. “She was fascinated, because, like anybody else, you want to know, how do you live in the witness protection program? He got a little more far-fetched with her than he did with me. I think because it was clear to him that she found it so entertaining, he made some things up.”
Heaven is a broad, amiable farce, which ends with its mobster character turning local hero by dedicating the proceeds of a new criminal scam to a youth baseball construction project—an ending probably more inspired by the exigencies of Hollywood narrative than Hill’s own yarn-spinning.
Excerpted from Made Men: The Story Of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny © 2020 by Glenn Kenny, used with permission from Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins. It is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you buy books, but Made Men will officially be released and available at bookstores everywhere on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 — that’s tomorrow!
Where to stream Goodfellas
Where to stream My Blue Heaven


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Pfizer says it should know if COVID-19 vaccine works by end of October

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Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will likely know by the end of next month if its coronavirus vaccine is effective , CEO Albert Bourla said .
There ’ s a “ more than 60 percent ” chance that the drugmaker ’ s clinical research will produce results by the end of October showing whether or not the shot works , Bourla said in a Sunday TV interview .
Pfizer has already started producing the vaccine it ’ s developing with German biotech firm BioNTech even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Phase 3 study will be successful , according to Bourla , who said it ’ s a “ likely scenario ” that the US Food and Drug Administration will approve the shot by the end of 2020 .
“ We have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses , so just in case we have a good study readout , conclusive , and FDA plus the advisory committee feels comfortable , that we will be ready , ” Bourla told CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation , ” apparently referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer is working to diversify the sample of its Phase 3 trial as it increases the number of participants to 44,000 from 30,000 , Bourla said .
The company is trying to recruit subjects as young as 16 as well as vulnerable people with chronic conditions such as HIV and AIDS , he said .
Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s vaccine is one of 35 potential coronavirus inoculations currently in some phase of clinical testing , according to the World Health Organization .
Massachusetts-based Moderna and British drugmaker AstraZeneca are among the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials .
All four companies were among nine that issued a joint statement last week pledging to make safety their top priority as they race to produce a shot that could help end the deadly COVID-19 pandemic .
Pfizer shares were up 2.1 percent in premarket trading at $ 36.86 as of 7:16 a.m. Monday .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will likely know by the end of next month if its coronavirus vaccine is effective, CEO Albert Bourla said.
There’s a “more than 60 percent” chance that the drugmaker’s clinical research will produce results by the end of October showing whether or not the shot works, Bourla said in a Sunday TV interview.
Pfizer has already started producing the vaccine it’s developing with German biotech firm BioNTech even though there’s no guarantee that its Phase 3 study will be successful, according to Bourla, who said it’s a “likely scenario” that the US Food and Drug Administration will approve the shot by the end of 2020.
“We have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses, so just in case we have a good study readout, conclusive, and FDA plus the advisory committee feels comfortable, that we will be ready,” Bourla told CBS’s “Face the Nation,” apparently referring to the FDA’s vaccine panel.
Pfizer is working to diversify the sample of its Phase 3 trial as it increases the number of participants to 44,000 from 30,000, Bourla said. The company is trying to recruit subjects as young as 16 as well as vulnerable people with chronic conditions such as HIV and AIDS, he said.
Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine is one of 35 potential coronavirus inoculations currently in some phase of clinical testing, according to the World Health Organization. Massachusetts-based Moderna and British drugmaker AstraZeneca are among the other candidates that have started late-stage Phase 3 trials.
All four companies were among nine that issued a joint statement last week pledging to make safety their top priority as they race to produce a shot that could help end the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Pfizer shares were up 2.1 percent in premarket trading at $36.86 as of 7:16 a.m. Monday.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--French, Swedish labs confirm Alexei Navalny poisoned with Novichok: Germany

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday night called on ...

Specialized labs in France and Sweden have independently confirmed that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-style nerve agent Novichok, the German government said Monday.
Meanwhile, Berlin’s Charite hospital — to which the Kremlin critic was evacuated after taking ill on a flight over Siberia last month — said Navalny has been removed from ventilation and can leave his bed, the BBC reported.
The hospital said in a tweet that he continued to improve and was “currently undergoing mobilization and is able to leave his bed for short periods of time.”
Military doctors at the hospital were the first to say Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok
Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov canceled his trip to Berlin for talks, which has been scheduled for Tuesday, according to Russian media, which cited a change in schedule by German officials.
Lavrov accused the West of using Navalny’s poisoning as a pretext to impose additional sanctions on Russia, according to the Interfax news agency, Reuters reported.
The 44-year-old had been in an induced coma since he was flown to Germany on Aug. 22 for treatment two days after he became sick on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow.
Aides believe he sipped tea laced with poison at the airport, and his family has always pointed the finger at the Kremlin.
German chemical weapons experts have said tests proved “without doubt” that he was poisoned with Novichok. Navalny awoke from a coma last week.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said samples taken from Navalny had also been sent to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague for tests in their labs, Reuters reported.
“Independently of the OPCW’s investigations, three laboratories have now independently identified a military nerve agent as the cause of Mr. Navalny’s poisoning,” Seibert said.
He said Germany had asked France and Sweden for an “independent review” of the German findings using new samples from the opposition leader.
Moscow has insisted it has seen no evidence that Navalny was poisoned.
But Seibert on Monday renewed Germany’s demand that “Russia explain itself” on the matter, adding that “we are in close consultation with our European partners on further steps.”
The Kremlin has prodded Germany to share the evidence that led it to conclude “without doubt” that Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, the Soviet-era agent that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018.
With Post Wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--US ambassador to China Terry Branstad to step down as tensions escalate

Terry Branstad will be stepping down as US ambassador to China , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed Monday , as tensions between the two nations escalate .
Pompeo announced the news regarding Branstad ’ s departure in a series of tweets sent Sunday night into Monday morning .
“ I thank Ambassador Terry Branstad for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S .
Ambassador to the People ’ s Republic of China , ” the nation ’ s top diplomat began .
While Pompeo declined to provide a reason for Branstad ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa governor ’ s work for the Trump administration overseas .
“ President @ realDonaldTrump chose Ambassador Branstad because his decades-long experience dealing with China made him the best person to represent the Administration and to defend American interests and ideals in this important relationship , ” he continued .
“ Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented , reciprocal , and fair , ” Pompeo said , adding , “ This will have lasting , positive effects on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-term Iowa governor and early supporter of the commander-in-chief , began his tenure as US ambassador to China in mid-2017 .
According to the South China Morning Post , the outgoing ambassador was formerly referred to by Beijing as “ an old friend of the Chinese people.
” The move comes as relations between the US and China continue to plunge to new lows .
US-China relations tanked this year over Chinese concealment of early coronavirus data and the central government ’ s elimination of political autonomy in Hong Kong .

Terry Branstad will be stepping down as US ambassador to China, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed Monday, as tensions between the two nations escalate.
Pompeo announced the news regarding Branstad’s departure in a series of tweets sent Sunday night into Monday morning.
“I thank Ambassador Terry Branstad for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China,” the nation’s top diplomat began.
While Pompeo declined to provide a reason for Branstad’s sudden departure, he praised the former Iowa governor’s work for the Trump administration overseas.
“President @realDonaldTrump chose Ambassador Branstad because his decades-long experience dealing with China made him the best person to represent the Administration and to defend American interests and ideals in this important relationship,” he continued.
“Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair,” Pompeo said, adding, “This will have lasting, positive effects on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.”
Branstad, the former two-term Iowa governor and early supporter of the commander-in-chief, began his tenure as US ambassador to China in mid-2017.
According to the South China Morning Post, the outgoing ambassador was formerly referred to by Beijing as “an old friend of the Chinese people.”
The move comes as relations between the US and China continue to hit new lows.
US-China relations tanked this year over Chinese concealment of early coronavirus data and the central government’s elimination of political autonomy in Hong Kong.
It appears that Branstad may be returning to the campaign trail in his next act.
Over the weekend, President Trump spoke with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) by phone at her campaign headquarters, according to Radio Iowa.
During the call, Ernst placed the phone on speaker so others could hear. While discussing Branstad’s son, Eric, who is serving as a senior adviser to Trump’s Iowa re-election effort, the president mentioned his father.
“I just want to thank everybody there. I hear on the ground it’s fantastic. Eric Branstad’s fantastic and you know, Eric’s father is coming home because he wants to campaign,” the commander-in-chief told the room of volunteers and staffers.
“We have a real team.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--The most important thing to remember in Joe Judge’s debut

Joe Judge will be on the sidelines as a head ...

This is only a first Judgment Day for Joe Judge. Let us not forget that Bill Parcells lost his home opener and Ray Handley won his. Judge has a five-year contract and an ownership starving for stability and continuity — and he will coach here for a long time, starting Monday night against the Steelers at MetLifeless Stadium.
It is a first Judgment Day for his Giants, our first glimpse of the glass-jawed team he is hellbent on picking up off the mat and teaching it how to stand tall and proud again and play and act like Giants.
Joe Judge was summoned to rescue a franchise mired in the muck of a losing syndrome that has failed to deliver a single playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI.
And look, Bill Belichick, Judge’s prominent mentor not named Nick Saban, was 5-11 in his first year with the Patriots — the year when a rookie named Tom Brady threw three passes and completed one — for six yards. As a rookie coach in Cleveland, Belichick was 5-11. As the rookie coach of the Giants, Parcells was 3-12-1. As a rookie coach with the expansion Jaguars, Tom Coughlin was 4-12.
So let’s not expect miracles just yet from Joe Judge.
Judge would have gotten a honeymoon period anyway, but his old-school, blue-collar coaching style has quickly won him the love of Giants fans who have longed for the days of a no-nonsense disciplinarian who one minute is spewing F-bombs and ordering practice to start over or Daniel Jones to run a penalty lap, and the next minute is diving in the mud to conclude a ball-security drill to the delight of his astounded players.
Judge is not Belichick, and he won’t try to be Belichick. The Giants linebackers used to call Belichick Captain Sominex because of his monotone delivery during meetings, while Judge’s rapid-fire speaking style almost forces you to stay awake and alert.
It doesn’t mean Judge is reluctant to implement tried and true Belichickian methods when he deems fit. The last thing he wants is to field a team that resembles the 2017 or 2018 or 2019 Giants. It would hardly be the worst thing in the world for Judge to demand a team that goes about its business the way the Patriots have year after year after year.
Judge and the coaching staff he hired have proven to be such eye-opening teachers that Giants players all but wonder if they’d previously been reading from some “Football for Dummies” playbook.
He is urgent — a word he uses often — in his mission to build a football-only factory in East Rutherford, N.J., an assembly line of smart, tough, versatile and fundamentally sound Giants who worship at the altar of T-E-A-M.
Judge has seamlessly weathered a pandemic storm that would have rattled lesser rookie head coaches. No OTAs at 1925 Giants Drive, no preseason games, no excuses.
He has checked all the boxes to this point. The most important box is Jones, and the nurturing by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will help him hold onto the ball and take the much-ballyhooed second-year leap. There are plenty of other boxes Judge will have to check, because a series of bad drafts that preceded GM Dave Gettleman forced Gettleman in 2017 to reluctantly tear the teetering house down and begin a rebuilding project that remains ongoing.
The players respect Judge because of his passion and love of the game and his smarts, and they like him because he cares about them. The buy-in has been stunning. Almost to a man, you hear the players parroting his get-better-every-day mantra at the expense of grandiose Super Bowl proclamations. Judge has that Parcellsian gift of knowing what makes each player tick.
The Giants have spent too much of the past decade beating themselves. Their lack of situational awareness has been galling. They have been lacking in physical and mental toughness. Their defense has caused Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Carl Banks and Michael Strahan to recoil in horror. Their offensive line caused a faded Eli Manning to recoil in horror.
Now along comes a CEO of a head coach who removes the names on the back of his players’ jerseys. Who tapes tennis balls to the palms of defensive backs’ hands so they can break their holding habit. Who does not tolerate anything or anyone that deters from winning.
Judge is the third Giants head coach since Coughlin left following the 2015 season. The Giants have lost 36 of 48 games since then. First Judgment Day for Joe Judge and his Giants. The Ultimate Judgment Day will come when no one will recognize them. When they remind us of who and what the Giants used to be. Or what the Patriots have been. Of course the verdict won’t be in on Monday night. But when it is one day, everyone around the Giants is convinced there will be justice.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Toddler tucks in baby bro in this cute video

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While most toddlers resist nap time, this tot in England wanted in. Watch the adorable moment Logan, 2, helped tucked in his younger sibling, 3-month-old Luca, by putting a blanket over them, gently rubbing his face and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Their relationship is so beautiful, there is so much love there already!” said mom Rowan Hill, 25.
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newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Yoshihide Suga wins party vote, all but assuring election as Japan PM

The two Los Angeles County deputies who were shot in ...

Yoshihide Suga, a loyal aide to outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, won a landslide victory in a ruling party leadership election Monday — all but assuring he will become the new prime minister when a parliamentary election is held later in the week.
The 71-year-old chief Cabinet secretary — who has said he would pursue Abe’s major economic and foreign policies — won 377 votes out of 534 votes cast, and 535 possible votes, in the Liberal Democratic Party election, according to Reuters.
Rival Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister, won 68 votes, while former foreign minister Fumio Kishida got 89.
Suga is a virtual shoo-in to be elected prime minister in a parliamentary vote Wednesday because of the LDP’s majority in the lower house. He will serve out Abe’s term as party leader through September 2021.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving premier, said last month that he would step down after nearly eight years in office because of ill health.
Suga thanked Abe and promised to push ahead with reforms.
“I was born as the oldest son of a farmer in Akita,” Suga said. “Without any knowledge or blood ties, I launched into the world of politics, starting from zero – and have been able to become leader of the LDP, with all its traditions and history.”
He added: “I will devote all of myself to work for Japan and its citizens.”
Suga has said his top priorities will be fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and turning around an economy battered by the outbreak.
“Now I’m handing the baton to new LDP President Suga,” Abe said after the vote. “We can count on him.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--Two LA County deputies out of surgery after ambush shooting in Compton

New York lawmakers have proposed the “ No Citizen is Above ...

The two Los Angeles County deputies who were shot in the head during a caught-on-video ambush in their patrol car are expected to survive after emerging from surgery, according to reports.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva called the condition of the deputies — a 31-year-old mother and a 24-year-old man — a “double miracle.”
“It looks like they’re going to be able to recover,” Villanueva said Sunday afternoon,” CNN reported.
“We’ll see what the long-term impact is. We don’t know that yet, but they survived the worst,” he said during a community dialogue event.
The sheriff’s department announced it is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, who was caught on video firing at the deputies at point-blank range about 7 p.m. Saturday in Compton.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Two L.A. County sheriffs deputies shot, gravely injured in attack in Compton, CA. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag A large number of Sheriffs deputies converged on the area surrounding St. Francis Medical Center Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag Advertisement St. Francis Medical Centers security reported what they thought to be protesters on the property on Saturday Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag A Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department vehicle is towed from the scene where two deputies were shot in an ambush style shooting in Compton, California REUTERS Advertisement
The suspect, seen wearing black clothing and a black cap, then took off running.
“This is just a somber reminder that this is a dangerous job, and actions and words have consequences. Our job does not get any easier because people do not like law enforcement,” Villanueva said. “It pisses me off, it dismays me at the same time. There’s no pretty way to say it.”
Law enforcement sources told the LA Times that at least one of the victims was shot in the face and the other in the head.
On Sunday, anti-police protesters descended on the hospital where two deputies were fighting for their lives and chanted, “We hope they die!”
Police described the protest an unlawful assembly, and arrested two people who refused to move — including a reporter without credentials who “ran towards the deputies, ignored repeated commands to stay back” and “interfered with the arrest,” the department said.
LAist identified the reporter as its own Josie Huang, who said she was released early Sunday.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden both condemned the shooting.
“When we find that person we got to get much faster with our courts, and we got to get much tougher with our sentencing,” Trump told a group of Latino supporters in Las Vegas on Sunday, according to CNN.
Biden called the shooting “absolutely unconscionable.”
“Acts of lawlessness and violence directed against police officers are unacceptable, outrageous, and entirely counterproductive to the pursuit of greater peace and justice in America — as are the actions of those who cheer such attacks on,” he said in a statement.


newyorkpost--2020-09-14--NY lawmakers propose law to prevent Trump from avoiding prosecution

The 2nd Circuit Court of appeals ordered the documents remain ...

New York lawmakers have proposed “No Citizen Is Above the Law” legislation that would make it harder for President Trump or any other future president to avoid state prosecution if accused of criminal wrongdoing.
A sitting president is immune from arrest or prosecution while in office, according to a pair of Justice Department memos — one from 1973 and another from 2000 — which interpret the US Constitution. The US Supreme Court has never made a determination on the issue.
But during that period, the statute of limitations could expire and bar a prosecutor from bringing a criminal case once a president leaves office.
The bill introduced by Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) and Assemblyman Nick Perry (D-Brooklyn) will “toll” the statute of limitations in order to bring a case — meaning freezing or stopping the clock on the limitations period until the president leaves office.
The offices of state Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. are investigating Trump’s business dealings.
Vance is also trying to get his hands on Trump’s tax returns, over the president’s objections.
“Donald Trump is trying to run out the clock on all these investigations. We want to make sure he doesn’t succeed in escaping accountability because the clock on the statute of limitations has run out,” Gianaris said.
Gianaris said the bill, if signed into law, will apply to all future presidents — regardless of party. It would apply to potential state, not federal, criminal cases against a president.
Perry said, “Clearly the privileges of the Office of president were not intended to make the holder of the office above the law, and was not intended to empower a president with the ability to thwart and sabotage an active, legitimate investigation as New York prosecutors have accused the president of doing.
“Tolling the statute of limitations for the full period of a president’s tenure will ensure that if the president did participate in any of the numerous criminal activities alleged by his former counsel to have occurred, he like every other New York citizen will be held to account for all crimes against the people and state of New York.”
Perry was referring to accusations leveled against Trump by his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature — the Assembly and Senate — so there’s a chance the measure will pass and be looked on favorably by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
But Ed Cox, a Trump campaign official in New York, said such a law would be struck down as unconstitutional.
“It is aimed at one person — Donald Trump. You can’t do that,” said lawyer Cox, the Trump campaign’s New York co-fundraising chairman and former head of the state Republican Party.
“They don’t like Donald Trump and what he stands for. It’s all political. He’s been too good a conservative,” Cox said.
Trump claims that he’s the victim of a partisan “witch hunt” by New York prosecutors and Cuomo.