newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Chris Kreider returns in style after dealing with neck injury

You ’ ll know what Rangers management believes about the rebuilding timeline ...

Very jokingly, Chris Kreider had sympathy for Mika Zibanejad’s knee.
Kreider came back in a big way for the Rangers, notching a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs in his return from a one-game absence due to an inadvertent knee to the head from Zibanejad on Saturday in Detroit. Kreider was dynamic from start to finish, and no worse for the wear while dealing what he described as neck injury.
“I feel good,” Kreider said. “Just worried about Mika’s knee, really.”
The injury occurred early in the second period against the Red Wings, and Kreider left that game and didn’t play in Monday night’s 5-3 Garden loss to the Stars. There was immediate concern that he might have had a concussion — which coach David Quinn squashed right away — and it turned out to be not nearly as bad as it looked.
“I felt OK, didn’t feel great when it happened,” Kreider said. “I twisted my neck pretty good. … You never want to miss games, but you have to listen to your body.”
The 28-year-old, the best player possibly available on the trade market, was ready to go in this one. He displayed his speed and strength when he flew around defenseman Justin Holl and then buried a backhand at 17:24 of the first period — just six seconds after he had won a draw back to Zibanejad, who fired a wrist shot past goalie Michael Hutchinson.
The line, rounded out by Pavel Buchnevich, combined for seven points.
“I think we just kept it simple,” Kreider said.
Quinn had benched Pavel Buchnevich for most of the third period on Monday, but started him right back on the top line and he delivered his fourth goal in the past five games, adding two assists. So it goes with the mercurial 24-year-old Russian.
“It’s like going to an amusement park,” Quinn said. “Sometime you have the high rides, and you’re having a hell of a time, then you’re waiting on line and waiting to get on the ride and you get frustrated and aggravated. He’s a good player, he’s a real good player, and he’s had a good year for us.
“Sometimes guys just need a little jolt.”
Winger Phillip Di Giuseppe stayed in the lineup for the second straight game after making his Rangers debut on Monday. He played mostly on the fourth line with Greg McKegg and Brett Howden.
Rookie winger Kaapo Kakko got just four third-period shifts and played 11:24. … Brendan Smith joined Micheal Haley and Alexandar Georgiev as the healthy scratches.
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--The move the Rangers must make regarding Chris Kreider

The smile is hiding underneath , and the sense of humor ...

You’ll know what Rangers management believes about the rebuilding timeline by the decision on Chris Kreider.
Because if president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton believe the Blueshirts can be legitimate playoff contenders (or more) in a volatile NHL within the next two or three years, then trading Kreider, rather than signing No. 20 to an extension, wouldn’t make the slightest bit of sense.
Because there is nothing the Rangers could get in return for Kreider that will make them a better team over the next one, two or three seasons.
On the other hand, if the front office believes the future won’t arrive for another four or five seasons, then they might as well deal Kreider by the Feb. 24 deadline in exchange for another prospect and another draft choice.
Then again, this implies the choice belongs to management, when it could just as well rest with Kreider, who at the deadline will be just under five months away from hitting the open market as a free agent.
I get the conundrum on management’s side. Kreider, who was explosive in Wednesday’s impressive 5-3 Garden victory over the Maple Leafs, is going to turn 29 at the end of April. A six-year or seven-year deal may not be optimal. And a cap hit presumably of between $6.5 million and $7 million per isn’t going to be easy peasy to accommodate.
And yes, there are too many nights when “Did. You. See. Chris.” ends with a question mark.
So OK.
But what I don’t understand at all is management’s failure to communicate with Kreider’s party about what the organization might be thinking. I don’t understand the absence of substantive talks between the sides. And I don’t think waiting until this late date to talk numbers and open negotiations, if that actually does take place, enhances the Rangers’ position.
And this: Who on earth is worried about what might happen in six years with the Rangers more likely than not to miss the playoffs for the third straight season? The Rangers probably weren’t all that worried about what Jacob Trouba would look like in six years when they signed the defenseman to a seven-year, $56 million deal after acquiring the 25-year-old from Winnipeg in June.
Maybe Kreider might have been somewhat amenable to taking some sort of hometown discount last summer. Probably not, though, given that no one asked marquee offseason acquisitions Trouba and Artemi Panarin to take one for the team. But it might have been worthwhile to start the dialogue.
There is a reason why Kreider is at the top of essentially every contender’s wish list heading into the deadline. His size. His speed. His ability to disrupt play, His conscientious back-checking work. His ability to score. That adds up to more than one reason.
But his attributes make him most valuable to the Rangers, boosted to the victory by the play of No. 1 goaltender Igor Shesterkin — you bet he is — and by the dynamic play of the Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Buchnevich unit that accounted for three even-strength goals, one by each. Oh, and by the work of Adam Fox, perhaps the best player on the ice.
Kreider missed Monday’s desultory 5-3 loss to the Stars after having been kneed in the head by Zibanejad in Detroit on Saturday. There were no aftereffects last night, no drag on the burners, No. 20 steaming in on the left wing before cutting across to beat Michael Hutchinson on a backhand to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead at 17:24 of the first period just six seconds after his left circle faceoff win enabled Zibanejad to score from the circle.
Lightning striking again and again.
“We’re at home, we have the match, [the Leafs] kept the line out there we’re matched against, so we stayed on,” Kreider said of Toronto’s Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner unit. “Nothing more to it than that.”
You’re not going to get much hyperbole from Kreider. And the Rangers are not going to get anywhere close to equal value for him in a trade. A late first-rounder and a prospect? Not even close.
It is two days shy of the two-year anniversary of The Letter, in which management informed its fan base that the organization would change direction and rebuild after a solid decade of contention. The course correction was warranted.
But the time has come to stop taking a step back in the hopes of taking two steps forward three, four or five years down the road. The time has come. The time is now to keep Kreider.
If, that is, the Rangers can.
They might want to find out.
For more on the Rangers, listen to the latest episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Mookie Betts trade hits speed bump over medical review

The blockbuster three-team trade that sent Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday has hit a snag , according to The Athletic .
The deal was held up on Wednesday because of questions regarding the health of at least one player , though officials involved in the deal remain confident it will be completed , according to ESPN .
The deal would send superstar right fielder Betts , pitcher David Price and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a three-way deal that also includes the Minnesota Twins .
Boston acquired Dodgers ’ 23-year-old outfielder Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games last season , and Brusdar Graterol from the Twins .
Minnesota acquired 31-year-old righty hurler Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers , who was 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA in 153 innings as mostly a reliever and spot starter .
According to the ESPN report , the Red Sox were alarmed by a medical review of Graterol , who has undergone Tommy John surgery and missed time in 2019 with a shoulder injury .
The 21-year-old right-hander was among the Twins ’ top prospects , and is known for a fastball that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nevertheless , the chance this speed bump could derail the trade is highly unlikely because other options exist to complete the deal , sources told ESPN .
The players could be changed or the Red Sox could alter the amount of money amount they send Los Angeles to cover a portion of the $ 96 million Price is still owed .
Another possible option , according to the report , is the Dodgers and Red Sox could work out a two-team deal or include a new third team if the Graterol injury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The blockbuster three-team trade that sent Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday has hit a snag, according to The Athletic.
The deal was held up on Wednesday because of questions regarding the health of at least one player, though officials involved in the deal remain confident it will be completed, according to ESPN.
The deal would send superstar right fielder Betts, pitcher David Price and cash to the Dodgers as part of a three-way deal that also includes the Minnesota Twins. Boston acquired Dodgers’ 23-year-old outfielder Alex Verdugo, who hit .294/.342/.475 in 106 games last season, and right-hander Brusdar Graterol from the Twins.
Minnesota acquired 31-year-old righty hurler Kenta Maeda, who was 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA in 153 innings for the Dodgers last season as a reliever and spot starter.
According to the ESPN report, the Red Sox were alarmed by a medical review of Graterol, who has undergone Tommy John surgery and missed time in 2019 with a shoulder injury. The 21-year-old right-hander was among the Twins’ top prospects, and is known for a fastball that can reach triple digits, according to MLB.com.
Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely this snag will derail the trade because other options exist to complete the deal, sources told ESPN. The players could be changed or the Red Sox could alter the amount of money amount they send Los Angeles to cover a portion of the $96 million Price is still owed.
Another possible option, according to the report, is the Dodgers and Red Sox could work out a two-team deal or include a new third team if the Graterol injury proves to be a non-starter for Boston.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg in virtual tie in Iowa with 97% of precincts reporting

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were in a virtual dead heat in the Iowa caucuses as the results from 97 percent of precincts in the state were reported on early Thursday , officials said .
Sanders narrowed the gap on Buttigieg ’ s lead when results from three of the four satellite caucuses in the Hawkeye State were recorded soon after midnight .
Buttigieg has 550 state delegate equivalents , while Sanders trails by three with 547 , according to results from the Iowa ’ s Democratic Party .
Sanders performed extremely well in the satellite caucuses , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t make their assigned precinct in each of Iowa ’ s four congressional districts .
The party said the results from the final precinct were “ in transit ” and would not be released until later Thursday .
“ The IDP has reported 1,711 precincts across the state , nation , and overseas – accounting for 97 percent of the precincts .
We have collected information from all but one precinct , and those records are in transit , ” they said in a statement .
Caucus night on Monday descended into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ inconsistencies ” in the caucuses ended with zero results being announced .

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were in a virtual dead heat in the Iowa caucuses as the results from 97 percent of precincts in the state were reported on early Thursday, officials said.
Sanders narrowed the gap on Buttigieg’s lead when results from three of the four satellite caucuses in the Hawkeye State were recorded soon after midnight.
Buttigieg has 550 state delegate equivalents, while Sanders trails by three with 547, according to results from the Iowa’s Democratic Party.
Sanders performed extremely well in the satellite caucuses, which were set up for caucus-goers who couldn’t make their assigned precinct in each of Iowa’s four congressional districts.
The party said the results from the final precinct were “in transit” and would not be released until later Thursday.
“The IDP has reported 1,711 precincts across the state, nation, and overseas – accounting for 97 percent of the precincts. We have collected information from all but one precinct, and those records are in transit,” they said in a statement.
Caucus night on Monday descended into chaos into Tuesday morning, as reporting “inconsistencies” in the caucuses ended with zero results being announced.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Son of Watergate operative Gordon Liddy convicted of possessing child porn

SAN DIEGO — Raymond Liddy , a former California state prosecutor and son of Watergate break-in organizer Gordon Liddy , was convicted Wednesday of possessing child pornography .
Liddy was convicted after a non-jury trial in San Diego federal court and could face up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 1 , the San Diego Union-Tribune reported .
Liddy had been free on bond since his 2017 arrest .
FBI agents searched his home in the San Diego Bay resort city of Coronado after an Internet service provider contacted a national tip line to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images , the paper said .
Liddy had been a state prosecutor since 2008 .
After his arrest , the state attorney general ’ s office placed him on administrative leave and said Wednesday that he had stopped working there in November 2017 , the Union-Tribune said .
Liddy is the son of G. Gordon Liddy , who helped orchestrate the 1972 burglary of the Watergate headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington , D.C .
The scandal surrounding the break-in and subsequent cover-up led to the resignation of President Richard M. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in prison for conspiracy , burglary and refusing to testify to a Senate committee .

SAN DIEGO — Raymond Liddy, a former California state prosecutor and son of Watergate break-in organizer Gordon Liddy, was convicted Wednesday of possessing child pornography.
Liddy was convicted after a non-jury trial in San Diego federal court and could face up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 1, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Liddy had been free on bond since his 2017 arrest. FBI agents searched his home in the San Diego Bay resort city of Coronado after an Internet service provider contacted a national tip line to report a user had uploaded child pornography images, the paper said.
Liddy had been a state prosecutor since 2008. After his arrest, the state attorney general’s office placed him on administrative leave and said Wednesday that he had stopped working there in November 2017, the Union-Tribune said.
Liddy is the son of G. Gordon Liddy, who helped orchestrate the 1972 burglary of the Watergate headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C.
The scandal surrounding the break-in and subsequent cover-up led to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon and Liddy spent nearly 4 1/2 years in prison for conspiracy, burglary and refusing to testify to a Senate committee.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--China cuts tariffs on $75 billion of US imports in trade truce

BEIJING — China cut tariffs on $ 75 billion of U.S. imports including auto parts on Thursday in response to American reductions as part of their truce in a trade war .
The cuts come as China struggles with the mounting cost of measures imposed to contain a virus outbreak that has closed factories , stores and other businesses .
The reductions apply to tariffs imposed Sept. 1 as the two sides were ratcheting up their dispute over Beijing ’ s technology ambitions and trade surplus , the Ministry of Finance said .
It said two groups of tariffs would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % to 7.5 % and from 10 % to 5 % .
The Trump administration announced similar reductions last month .
Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 in response to Beijing ’ s multibillion-dollar trade surplus and complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology .
China retaliated with its own increased duties on American goods .
Both sides have announced conciliatory steps since agreeing in October to a “ Phase 1 ” deal under which Washington canceled planned additional tariff hikes and Beijing committed to buy more U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hikes imposed previously by both sides on billions of dollars of each other ’ s good are still in place .
“ The next steps depend on the development of the Chinese-U.S. economic and trade situation , ” said a Ministry of Finance statement .
“ We hope to work with the United States toward the final elimination of all tariff increases .
”

BEIJING — China cut tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. imports including auto parts on Thursday in response to American reductions as part of their truce in a trade war.
The cuts come as China struggles with the mounting cost of measures imposed to contain a virus outbreak that has closed factories, stores and other businesses.
The reductions apply to tariffs imposed Sept. 1 as the two sides were ratcheting up their dispute over Beijing’s technology ambitions and trade surplus, the Ministry of Finance said. It said two groups of tariffs would be reduced by half, from 15% to 7.5% and from 10% to 5%.
The Trump administration announced similar reductions last month. Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 in response to Beijing’s multibillion-dollar trade surplus and complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. China retaliated with its own increased duties on American goods.
Both sides have announced conciliatory steps since agreeing in October to a “Phase 1” deal under which Washington canceled planned additional tariff hikes and Beijing committed to buy more U.S. farm exports.
However, most tariff hikes imposed previously by both sides on billions of dollars of each other’s good are still in place.
“The next steps depend on the development of the Chinese-U.S. economic and trade situation,” said a Ministry of Finance statement. “We hope to work with the United States toward the final elimination of all tariff increases.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--76ers land Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks in trade with Warriors

The struggling Philadelphia 76ers , who are looking to improve their playoff position , landed forward Glenn Robinson III and guard Alec Burks in a trade with the Golden State Warriors early Thursday , according to ESPN .
The Warriors — who are looking to reload for next year and beyond when they hope to have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back at full strength — received a 2020-second-round pick via the Dallas Mavericks , a 2021 second-round selection via the Denver Nuggets and a 2022 second-round pick via the Toronto Raptors , league sources told the website .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are 31-20 , tied for the No .
5 seed with the Indiana Pacers .
Philadelphia also is working on additional trades to create roster spots needed to add Burks and Robinson III , according to the report .
If the 76ers can ’ t make a trade before Thursday ’ s 3 p.m. deadline , they will have have to waive two players .
It has been a tough season for the league-worst 12-40 Warriors , who were blown out 129-88 by the Nets on Wednesday night at Barclays center Golden State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) can return to the lineup sometime in March .
Klay Thompson , who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season , will be reevaluated after the All-Star break .
Robinson and Burks have played well and given veteran leadership to the short-handed Warriors and are expected to give a boost to the 76ers ’ bench .
Robinson , a six-year NBA veteran , is averaging 12.9 points in 31.6 minutes this season .
He is shooting 48.1 percent from the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burks , who has been in the league for nine seasons , is averaging 16.1 points in 29 minutes , shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range .
“ Tough night to go out and play , ” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said before the trade was made .
“ Two of our leaders , elder statesmen , guys who are really beloved in the locker room .
For the team to find out those two guys are most likely going to be traded is pretty tough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepare for a game when something like that happens .
”

The struggling Philadelphia 76ers, who are looking to improve their playoff position, landed forward Glenn Robinson III and guard Alec Burks in a trade with the Golden State Warriors early Thursday, according to ESPN.
The Warriors — who are looking to reload for next year and beyond when they hope to have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back at full strength — received a 2020-second-round pick via the Dallas Mavericks, a 2021 second-round selection via the Denver Nuggets and a 2022 second-round pick via the Toronto Raptors, league sources told the website.
The 76ers have lost three consecutive games and are 31-20, tied for the No. 5 seed with the Indiana Pacers. Philadelphia also is working on additional trades to create roster spots needed to add Burks and Robinson III, according to the report. If the 76ers can’t make a trade before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline, they will have to waive two players.
It has been a tough season for the league-worst 12-40 Warriors, who were blown out 129-88 by the Nets on Wednesday night at Barclays Center. Golden State is hoping Curry (broken hand) can return to the lineup sometime in March; Thompson, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season, will be reevaluated after the All-Star break.
Robinson and Burks have played well and given veteran leadership to the short-handed Warriors and are expected to give a boost to the 76ers’ bench.
Robinson, a six-year NBA veteran, is averaging 12.9 points in 31.6 minutes this season. He is shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. Burks, who has been in the league for nine seasons, is averaging 16.1 points in 29 minutes, shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
“Tough night to go out and play,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said before the trade was made. “Two of our leaders, elder statesmen, guys who are really beloved in the locker room. For the team to find out those two guys are most likely going to be traded is pretty tough. … Not a good way to prepare for a game when something like that happens.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Department of Homeland Security suspends Global Entry program for New Yorkers

The Department of Homeland Security announced the suspension of renewals and enrollments for Global Entry and other Trusted Travel Programs for New York residents .
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday that the move was a response to the state ’ s “ Green Light Law ” supporting undocumented immigrants .
“ Today , we sent a letter to New York indicating , because they took these measures , that New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs , ” Wolf said .
Other programs suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FAST .
They have millions of members and allow them to bypass long Customs and Border Protection lines .
The change will also prohibit vehicle exports .
The letter does not refer to TSA ’ s PreCheck program .
“ Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives , this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS ’ s efforts to protect the Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a letter sent to New York State Officials .
The Green Light Law , enacted in December 2019 , allows undocumented individuals to apply for New York driver licenses while protecting their information .
According to Wolf , the Green Light Law prohibits the state ’ s DMV from sharing criminal records with Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) .
Wolf said the change would go into immediate effect .
The change comes a day after President Trump ’ s State of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities , ” including New York City , for protecting undocumented individuals .

The Department of Homeland Security announced the suspension of renewals and enrollments for Global Entry and other Trusted Travel Programs for New York residents.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday that the move was a response to the state’s “Green Light Law” supporting undocumented immigrants.
“Today, we sent a letter to New York indicating, because they took these measures, that New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs,” Wolf said.
Other programs suspended by DHS include NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. They have millions of members and allow them to bypass long Customs and Border Protection lines.
The change will also prohibit vehicle exports. The letter does not refer to TSA’s PreCheck program.
“Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS’s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised,” Wolf wrote in a letter sent to New York state officials.
The Green Light Law, enacted in December 2019, allows undocumented individuals to apply for New York driver licenses while protecting their information.
According to Wolf, the Green Light Law prohibits the state DMV from sharing criminal records with Customs and Border Protection and with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Wolf said the change would go into immediate effect.
The change comes a day after President Trump’s State of the Union address, in which he attacked “sanctuary cities,” including New York City, for protecting undocumented individuals.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Trump rips ‘failed presidential candidate’ Mitt Romney after impeachment vote

President Trump slammed Sen. Mitt Romney for breaking with his party and voting to convict him on one of the articles of impeachment at his Senate trial on Wednesday .
Trump , writing on Twitter early Thursday , again pointed out that Romney was the GOP candidate who lost to Barack Obama in 2012 , calling the Utah senator a “ failed presidential candidate.
” “ Had failed presidential candidate @ MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me , he could have won the election .
Read the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted Wednesday to convict Trump of abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine , doing so because he said he pledged an oath to God to act impartially .
“ I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice .
I am profoundly religious .
My faith is at the heart of who I am .
I take an oath before God as enormously consequential , ” he said on the Senate floor before the vote .
Trump , who has maintained his innocence , was acquitted of the articles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate .
Earlier Wednesday , the president ’ s son , Donald Trump Jr. , posted a meme of Romney , calling him a “ a p—y.
” Trump Jr. shared the image — which features Romney wearing “ mom jeans ” and the words “ because you ’ re a p—y ” — on Instagram and demanded Romney be booted from the Republican Party .

President Trump slammed Sen. Mitt Romney for breaking with his party and voting to convict him on one of the articles of impeachment at his Senate trial Wednesday.
Trump, writing on Twitter early Thursday, again pointed out that Romney was the GOP candidate who lost to Barack Obama in 2012, calling the Utah senator a “failed presidential candidate.”
“Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!” Trump wrote.
Romney voted Wednesday to convict Trump of abuse of power in his dealings with Ukraine, doing so because, he said, he pledged an oath to God to act impartially.
“I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential,” he said on the Senate floor before the vote.
Trump, who has maintained his innocence, was acquitted by the full Senate of the articles of impeachment brought against him.
Earlier Wednesday, the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., posted a meme of Romney, calling him “a p—y.”
Trump Jr. shared the image — which features Romney wearing “mom jeans” and the words “because you’re a p—y” — on Instagram and demanded Romney be booted from the Republican Party.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Nightclub apologizes for hosting ‘Corona Chinese New Year Special’

A post shared by The Love Life Of An Asian Guy ( @ the.llag ) on Jan 31 , 2020 at 10:26am PST A nightclub in Australia has apologized for an event marketed as the “ Corona Chinese New Year Special , ” which offered club-goers a face mask and Corona beer for $ 8 , a report said .
A promotional flyer for last Friday ’ s event at Pawn & Co in Melbourne featured a racist depiction of an Asian person , the Sydney Morning Herald reported .
The event was promoted by an independent company called Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
After a backlash from social media users who panned the marketing material as xenophobic and racist , both the club and Mr. Chan ’ s have apologized .
“ We recognize that a promotional post that was made last week was offensive and we unreservedly apologize for this , ” Mr Chan ’ s said in a statement , according to the report .
“ We also recognize that some of our past promotional material was inappropriate , once again we apologize for this .
We are taking action and reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is important for us to run a night that is inclusive for all , ” they added .
The nightclub placed blame on the promotional company for the racist material .
“ From the team at Pawn & Co , we would like to unreservedly apologize for the insensitive and inappropriate marketing that has been circulated from Mr Chan ’ s , ” they told the newspaper .
“ Whilst it is an external promotional company that owns the Mr Chan ’ s brand , we acknowledge that we should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being marketed and how it might be perceived , ” Pawn & Co added .
China on Thursday reported 73 more coronavirus deaths , bringing the total number of people killed to 563 .

A nightclub in Australia has apologized for an event marketed as the “Corona Chinese New Year Special,” which offered club-goers a face mask and Corona beer for $8, a report said.
A promotional flyer for last Friday’s event at Pawn & Co in Melbourne featured a racist depiction of an Asian person, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The event was promoted by an independent company called Mr. Chan’s, according to the report. After a backlash from social media users who panned the marketing material as xenophobic and racist, both the club and Mr. Chan’s have apologized.
“We recognize that a promotional post that was made last week was offensive and we unreservedly apologize for this,” Mr Chan’s said in a statement, according to the report.
“We also recognize that some of our past promotional material was inappropriate, once again we apologize for this. We are taking action and reviewing the Mr Chan’s branding immediately, it is important for us to run a night that is inclusive for all,” they added.
The nightclub placed blame on the promotional company for the racist material.
“From the team at Pawn & Co, we would like to unreservedly apologize for the insensitive and inappropriate marketing that has been circulated from Mr Chan’s,” they told the newspaper.
“Whilst it is an external promotional company that owns the Mr Chan’s brand, we acknowledge that we should have been more active in understanding the communication being marketed and how it might be perceived,” Pawn & Co added.
China on Thursday reported 73 more coronavirus deaths, bringing the total number of people killed to 563.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Nancy Pelosi’s State of the Union stunt may have broken the law, Rep. Matt Gaetz says

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz filed an ethics complaint against Nancy Pelosi that said the House Speaker possibly violated numerous House rules — and maybe even broke the law — by tearing up a copy of President Trump ’ s State of the Union speech .
The Florida legislator sent a letter to the House Committee on Ethics requesting they open an investigation and shared the missive on Twitter .
Gaetz wrote that “ Speaker Pelosi ’ s gesture was deeply offensive and appears to violate clauses 1 and 2 of House Rule XXIII , ” which dictate the House ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her behaviour does not ‘ reflect creditably on the House , ’ nor does it follow “ the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House.
” Gaetz , in his letter , said Pelosi ’ s “ unseemly behaviour certainly warrants censure.
” The lawmaker asked that after conducting the ethics probe , the committee make referrals to the Department of Justice “ for further investigation and prosecution.
” Pelosi , Gaetz alleges in the letter , “ appears to be in violation ” of a law that prohibits willfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deposited ” in public office .
“ There is no question that Speaker Pelosi ‘ mutilated , obliterated , or destroyed ’ the copy of the President ’ s address provided to her at the beginning of the evening , ” Gaetz wrote , quoting language from the law .
After Tuesday night ’ s State of the Union , Pelosi told reporters that she shredded the papers because it was “ the courteous thing to do , ” a point Gaetz mentions in his letter as evidence to her alleged wrongdoing .

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz filed an ethics complaint against Nancy Pelosi that said the House speaker possibly violated numerous House rules — and maybe even broke the law — by tearing up a copy of President Trump’s State of the Union speech.
The Florida legislator sent a letter to the House Committee on Ethics requesting that it open an investigation and shared the missive on Twitter.
Gaetz wrote that “Speaker Pelosi’s gesture was deeply offensive and appears to violate clauses 1 and 2 of House Rule XXIII,” which dictate the House’s official code of conduct.
“Her behaviour does not ‘reflect creditably on the House,’ nor does it follow ‘the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House.'”
Gaetz, in his letter, said Pelosi’s “unseemly behaviour certainly warrants censure.”
The lawmaker asked that after conducting the ethics probe, the committee make referrals to the Department of Justice “for further investigation and prosecution.”
Pelosi, Gaetz alleges in the letter, “appears to be in violation” of a law that prohibits willfully destroying paper or documents “filed or deposited” in public office.
“There is no question that Speaker Pelosi ‘mutilated, obliterated, or destroyed’ the copy of the President’s address provided to her at the beginning of the evening,” Gaetz wrote, quoting language from the law.
After Tuesday night’s State of the Union, Pelosi told reporters that she shredded the papers because it was “the courteous thing to do,” a point Gaetz mentions in his letter as evidence of her alleged wrongdoing.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--New York City renters no longer have to pay broker fees

Tenants will no longer be forced to pay a broker ’ s fee when renting an apartment in New York City , a report said Wednesday .
The ruling — which was made on Friday and went into effect Wednesday — came as a welcome reprieve for city residents who have been forced to plunk down broker costs in addition to a security deposit and first month ’ s rent , according to The Wall Street Journal .
New York is one of a few cities in the US where residents are charged a fee to rent an apartment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating more favorable rules for tenants .
The apartment listing site StreetEasy said about 45 percent of New York City rental listings last year included a broker ’ s fee .
Renters may still , however , choose to hire a broker to help them rent an apartment and then pay a fee .
Landlord groups said the change would force them to raise rents on their apartments .
“ You might have some owners who decide to just try to do it on their own , “ Andrew Barrocas , founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m leasing thousands of apartments a year and all of these landlords , if they thought they could do it better themselves , they would .
”

Tenants will no longer be forced to pay a broker’s fee when renting an apartment in New York City, a report said Wednesday.
The ruling — which was made on Friday and went into effect Wednesday — came as a welcome reprieve for city residents who have been forced to plunk down broker costs in addition to a security deposit and first month’s rent, according to the Wall Street Journal.
New York is one of a few cities in the US where residents are charged a fee to rent an apartment. The move is the latest push to create more favorable rules for tenants.
The apartment listing site StreetEasy said about 45 percent of New York City rental listings last year included a broker’s fee.
Renters may still, however, choose to hire a broker to help them rent an apartment and then pay a fee.
Landlord groups said the change would force them to raise rents on their apartments.
“You might have some owners who decide to just try to do it on their own,“ Andrew Barrocas, founder of the brokerage MNS, told the Journal.
“I’m leasing thousands of apartments a year and all of these landlords, if they thought they could do it better themselves, they would.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--‘Shawskank’ Joyce Mitchell may be released from prison Thursday

The “ Shawskank ” says Hollywood ’ s portrayal of her — as a ...

Joyce Mitchell, the prison tailor who helped two convicted murderers escape from an upstate maximum-security prison, is expected to be released on parole Thursday.
Mitchell, 55, is being held at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County for assisting the escape of murderer Richard Matt and cop-killer David Sweat from Clinton Correction Facility in Dannemora in June 2015.
While her tentative release date was scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said Wednesday inmates cannot be released on the weekend.
Instead, Mitchell’s release will likely be pushed to tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 6.
“The Commissioner, in his or her discretion, may advance the release date of an incarcerated individual, who is scheduled to be released on a Friday, to a Thursday in order to enhance public safety by giving the individual time to fulfill a next day reporting requirement,” DOCCS said, meaning Mitchell will have 24 hours to report to her parole officer as required by state law.
Mitchell’s role in the wild 23-day manhunt during the summer of 2015 was later depicted in the Showtime miniseries “Escape from Dannemora” directed by Ben Stiller.
She worked as a seamstress at Clinton Correctional, and was able to smuggle hacksaw blades from Walmart and a drill bit to help Matt and Sweat’s eventual jailbreak. Mitchell has also been accused of having sex with the pair, which she’s denied.
She’s been denied parole three times since her September 2015 sentencing for promotion of prison contraband.
Her maximum sentence runs through June 2022.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Netflix finally lets users turn off annoying auto-playing previews

Netflix is rolling out a plan to help you binge ...

Netflix has never really been chill.
Scrolling through the streaming service can be sensory overload, and the autoplaying previews on the homepage, which are meant to catch viewers’ eyes, are actually catching viewers’ ire.
Apparently, Netflix has heard the complaints. The multibillion-dollar company responded to a tweet Thursday with some welcome news, offering its users a reprieve.
“Some people find this feature helpful. Others not so much. We’ve heard the feedback loud and clear — members can now control whether or not they see autoplay previews on Netflix. Here’s how:”
The tweet leads to the company’s website with instructions on how to turn off the force-fed trailers. The one catch is it can’t be turned off through the app alone.
To turn off autoplaying previews, after signing in through a web browser, head to “Manage Profiles,” select your own, and uncheck the option to “autoplay previews while browsing on all devices.”
It’s as simple as that. Although the jury is still out on whether or not it will help you make a decision on what to watch any faster.
Twitter users responded as Twitter users do, with snark, sarcasm and making suggestions for other things they think could be improved.
“I cancelled my Netflix subscription when they put out a Goop show, but letting me turn off autoplay is almost enough to bring me back,” wrote @RyeCarrigan.
“How about an easy way to let *every* movie and show play all the way to the very end of the credits without having to opt out of having something else start playing?” wrote @tracygarza.
“What about going back in time to unwatch a movie?” joked @PVarga, who must have just sat through The Irishman.
Netflix has tried to roll out numerous new features over the years, including letting mobile users speed up the pace of shows, which drew criticism from Hollywood heavyweights such as Judd Apatow.
“We’re always experimenting with new ways to help members use Netflix,” a Netflix spokesperson told The Post last fall.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Rep. Paul Gosar trolls Nancy Pelosi with claim he ‘found’ torn State of the Union

Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona went viral Thursday with a tweet claiming he rummaged through Capitol Hill trashcans and found the copy of the State of the Union speech that Nancy Pelosi tore in half .
The joke became apparent upon inspecting the attached image .
The jaggedly torn paper included annotations attributed to Pelosi including “ orange man bad ” and “ look sober ” with sober crossed out and replaced by “ somber.
” The former dentist delighted fellow Republicans but enraged Democrats sore about Trump ’ s Wednesday impeachment acquittal by the Senate .
“ BREAKING : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Capitol is Tuesday and Friday .
I went to the trash bins and found the ripped up copy of @ realDonaldTrump # SOTU speech , ” Gosar wrote on Twitter .
“ I delicately taped it and will give to Library of Congress .
I think the Speaker wrote her notes on it too , ” he wrote .
Opponents of Gosar and Trump weren ’ t laughing about his joke at the expense of the House speaker , who ripped up her copy of the speech Tuesday night .
“ Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family campaigned against you , ” wrote a non-fan , recalling a 2018 attack ad against the pro-border wall Arizonan .
“ This is why there aren ’ t any conservative comedians , ” sneered another detractor .
Venting their outrage , yet another tweeted : “ Dumpster .
At least you know your place.
” Gosar ’ s spokesman Ben Goldey confirmed that the paper was not fished out of the trash .
“ That was a joke .
And that Twitter account is not monitored or maintained by congressional staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office has not answered questions about the whereabouts of the papers , which she waved in the air as she left the House chamber .

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) went viral Thursday with a tweet claiming he rummaged through Capitol Hill trash cans and found the copy of the State of the Union speech that Nancy Pelosi tore in half.
The joke became apparent upon inspecting the attached image. The jaggedly torn paper included annotations attributed to Pelosi including “orange man bad” and “look sober” with sober crossed out and replaced by “somber.”
The former dentist delighted fellow Republicans but enraged Democrats sore about Trump’s Wednesday impeachment acquittal by the Senate.
“BREAKING: It occurred to me trash day at the Capitol is Tuesday and Friday. I went to the trash bins and found the ripped up copy of @realDonaldTrump #SOTU speech,” Gosar wrote on Twitter.
“I delicately taped it and will give to Library of Congress. I think the Speaker wrote her notes on it too,” he wrote.
“This is EPIC LEVEL troll! My god it’s glorious,” wrote a supportive Twitter user.
Opponents of Gosar and Trump weren’t laughing about his joke at the expense of the House speaker, who ripped up her copy of the speech Tuesday night.
“Not hard to figure out why your own family campaigned against you,” wrote a non-fan, recalling a 2018 attack ad against the pro-border-wall Arizonan.
“This is why there aren’t any conservative comedians,” sneered another detractor.
Venting their outrage, yet another tweeted: “Dumpster. At least you know your place.”
Gosar’s spokesman Ben Goldey confirmed that the paper was not fished out of the trash.
“That was a joke. And that Twitter account is not monitored or maintained by congressional staff,” Goldey wrote.
Pelosi’s office has not answered questions about the whereabouts of the papers, which she waved in the air as she left the House chamber.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Bloomberg’s naked bid to buy the White House is an assault on democracy

The rich are different from you and me — they can buy themselves instant presidential campaigns .
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has elbowed himself into the Democratic nomination race solely on the basis of his fortune .
His campaign is high-handed as only a billionaire many times over could even contemplate .
He entered late , is skipping the early contests and hasn ’ t participated in any of the debates to date  ( although that will change soon , thanks to the Democratic National Committee retrofitting its rules for Bloomberg ) .
Without more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would almost certainly be running a campaign like another late entrant , former Massachusetts Gov .
Deval Patrick , who hasn ’ t been heard from .
Bloomberg ’ s political strategy has always been built on the belief that nothing succeeds like excess .
If he wants it , he can buy it ; money is no object .
It ’ s a free country , and Bloomberg can spend as much money as he likes on whatever suits his fancy .
But Bloomberg 2020 is still an affront to small- “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to his superior political skills or messaging compared with the other candidates , but his access to an enormous personal bank account .
The level of his spending is truly astonishing — Croesus goes all in on Super Tuesday .
He has spent more than $ 300 million on various forms of advertising .
By the end , he is going to make the profligate self-funder Tom Steyer — who managed to pointlessly buy himself onto the Democratic debate stage — look like a spendthrift .
Bloomberg is running a presidential campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airwaves every single day .
He has single-handedly changed the market for TV ads in many places .
He spent $ 10 million on a Super Bowl spot , or about half of what Joe Biden raised in the entire fourth quarter .
This is the Bloomberg way .
He spent $ 250 million dollars to become and stay New York mayor for three terms .
He was only eligible for his third term because he got a term-limit law changed , with the support of charities that he happened to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this approach in his presidential campaign .
Many of his endorsers among mayors around the country just happen to represent cities that have enjoyed his largesse .
What ’ s wrong with all this , beyond the cynicism of thinking everything has a price tag ?
Maybe Bloomberg is right , that trying to go in and convince voters of your appeal at town-hall events and meet-and-greets in places like Iowa and New Hampshire is for suckers .
But there is much to be said for grassroots politics .
It forces candidates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of what their voters believe and want .
As president , Abraham Lincoln devoted serious time to meeting with random people who showed up to see him , in what he called “ public-opinion baths.
” The candidate who does countless of these early-state events must have the ability to inspire and impress , think on his feet , show endless patience and stamina .
If he isn ’ t up for it , or is a pretender , he will inevitably be exposed .
In comparison to the other candidates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shielded and inflated by his TV ads .
Another advantage of the traditional approach is that anyone can do it .
Peter Buttigieg , the unknown mayor of a small Indiana town , finished strong in Iowa through sheer talent , tireless work and clever messaging .
All this said , perhaps Bloomberg will break all the rules and be the last man standing between Bernie Sanders and the cusp of the American presidency .
Then , his spending might look to a lot of Democrats like a public service .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a genuinely talented man .
Yet this style of campaigning shouldn ’ t be the norm .
If Bloomberg succeeds , he will enrich many TV stations , consultants , pollsters and campaign workers — but impoverish our politics .

The rich are different from you and me — they can buy themselves instant presidential campaigns.
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has elbowed himself into the Democratic nomination race solely on the basis of his fortune.
His campaign is high-handed as only a billionaire many times over could even contemplate. He entered late, is skipping the early contests and hasn’t participated in any of the debates to date (although that will change soon, thanks to the Democratic National Committee retrofitting its rules for Bloomberg).
Without more than $50 billion to his name, Bloomberg would almost certainly be running a campaign like another late entrant, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who hasn’t been heard from.
Bloomberg’s political strategy has always been built on the belief that nothing succeeds like excess. If he wants it, he can buy it; money is no object.
It’s a free country, and Bloomberg can spend as much money as he likes on whatever suits his fancy. But Bloomberg 2020 is still an affront to small-“d” democratic sensibilities, a tribute not to his superior political skills or messaging compared with the other candidates, but his access to an enormous personal bank account.
The level of his spending is truly astonishing — Croesus goes all in on Super Tuesday. He has spent more than $300 million on various forms of advertising. By the end, he is going to make the profligate self-funder Tom Steyer — who managed to pointlessly buy himself onto the Democratic debate stage — look like a spendthrift.
Bloomberg is running a presidential campaign that Curtis LeMay would love, carpet-bombing the airwaves every single day. He has single-handedly changed the market for TV ads in many places. He spent $10 million on a Super Bowl spot, or about half of what Joe Biden raised in the entire fourth quarter.
This is the Bloomberg way. He spent $250 million dollars to become and stay New York mayor for three terms. He was only eligible for his third term because he got a term-limit law changed, with the support of charities that he happened to make generous donations to.
He is replicating this approach in his presidential campaign. Many of his endorsers among mayors around the country just happen to represent cities that have enjoyed his largesse.
What’s wrong with all this, beyond the cynicism of thinking everything has a price tag? Maybe Bloomberg is right, that trying to go in and convince voters of your appeal at town-hall events and meet-and-greets in places like Iowa and New Hampshire is for suckers.
But there is much to be said for grassroots politics. It forces candidates to take account, up close and personal, of what their voters believe and want. As president, Abraham Lincoln devoted serious time to meeting with random people who showed up to see him, in what he called “public-opinion baths.”
The candidate who does countless of these early-state events must have the ability to inspire and impress, think on his feet, show endless patience and stamina. If he isn’t up for it, or is a pretender, he will inevitably be exposed.
In comparison to the other candidates, Bloomberg is a Wizard of Oz candidate, shielded and inflated by his TV ads.
Another advantage of the traditional approach is that anyone can do it. Peter Buttigieg, the unknown mayor of a small Indiana town, finished strong in Iowa through sheer talent, tireless work and clever messaging.
All this said, perhaps Bloomberg will break all the rules and be the last man standing between Bernie Sanders and the cusp of the American presidency. Then, his spending might look to a lot of Democrats like a public service. There is also no denying that Bloomberg is a genuinely talented man.
Yet this style of campaigning shouldn’t be the norm. If Bloomberg succeeds, he will enrich many TV stations, consultants, pollsters and campaign workers — but impoverish our politics.
Twitter: @RichLowry


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Jordan Montgomery has inside track to Yankees rotation spot

As fans try to recover from the Yankees ’ World Series ...

Three years ago, Jordan Montgomery came from far off the pace to win the final spot in the Yankees’ rotation, then impressed in the first taste of the big leagues.
A 9-7 ledger with a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts at 24 years old provided a glimpse of what the 6-foot-6, 228-pound left-hander could develop into.
Now, after Tommy John surgery in 2018, when he was limited to six starts at the beginning of the season, and working in two September big-league games late in 2019, Montgomery enters spring training as the betting favorite to cop a rotation spot that opened Wednesday when James Paxton underwent back surgery that could keep him out through May.
Joining Montgomery in the field of candidates are Luis Cessa, Jonathan Loaisiga, Mike King and longshot Deivi Garcia, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect.
“He has good stuff, he battles out there and attacks the strike zone,’’ an NL scout said of Montgomery. “Pre-surgery he and King had the best command. They throw a lot of strikes.’’
With 36 major league starts, Montgomery has more starting experience than the other four combined. Of Cessa’s 86 outings, 19 have been as a starter, though his 232 big-league innings lead the group. Loaisiga has started eight of 24 games. King, who was sidelined early last year with a stress reaction in the right arm, made his major league debut late last season in relief. Garcia hasn’t pitched above Triple-A.
With that kind of depth, the Yankees don’t look as if they will need to use an opener as much as they did last year, when reliever Chad Green made 15 starts.
Aaron Boone didn’t establish a leading candidate for the fifth spot, but spoke highly of Montgomery on Thursday at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa.
“I think he has proven himself at this level. For him to get back last year was big, just for his frame of mind,’’ Boone said. “The fact he was able to make it back and get some work done, get into some games, I think was big for him and his mindset moving forward.’’
Despite the edge in starting experience and the success of 2017, Montgomery is locked into the mindset he carried three years ago.
“I’ll treat it like 2017. I’ll do my best to compete. Things always happen, so the more arms you have the better. I’ve got to be ready,’’ Montgomery said this week in Tampa. “I just want to pitch and be healthy. Whatever the Yankees need, I’ll bring something to the table. I had a normal offseason, finally. Good to get home and just work out and throw. I feel pretty strong right now. It’s good to have a new arm.’’
As for the 20-year-old Garcia who dominated at Single-A and Double-A but struggled at Triple-A, Boone pointed out Garcia is young and about to experience his first big-league camp.
“I don’t want to put anything on anyone. These things will kind of declare themselves. Bottom line is Deivi is someone we’re very excited about. … We’ll try to get him in the best position to be successful and potentially impact us,’’ Boone said. “I don’t want to put any expectations on him right away. It is his first camp, he’s got a really bright future and we’ll see where it leads.’’
Boone said he hopes Paxton’s back surgery repairs the problem for good and saves the veteran left-hander’s best for the latter part of the season.
“Hopefully this is what knocks it out for good and puts it past him and he ends up saving his bullets for the end,’’ Boone said. “Feel good about the surgery and look forward to him being back soon.’’


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--R. Kelly appears by video in Brooklyn courtroom as judge reveals trial details

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) A subdued R. Kelly was beamed into a Brooklyn federal courtroom via video Thursday — where a judge said she will need to round up hundreds of potential jurors when the high-profile sex-trafficking case goes to trial this summer .
The “ Trapped in the Closet ” singer , who is now trapped in a Chicago lockup , kept mostly quiet and looked attentive as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video screen .
He listened with his brow furrowed and his fingers laced , occasionally biting his lower lip .
“ Good afternoon , ma ’ am , ” Kelly , wearing an orange , short-sleeved jail top , said to Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly as the hearing began .
The Brooklyn case had been scheduled to go to trial in May , but Donnelly said that the date was “ somewhat unrealistic ” and moved it to July 7 , citing the fact that Kelly ’ s federal case in Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donnelly said Kelly ’ s trial would need a pool of about 200 potential jurors and she expects about to send out 500 questionnaires to pre-screen candidates .
“ We need to leave enough time to get our jury in place , ” the judge said .
By comparison , 1,000 questionnaires were sent out for drug kingpin Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman ’ s trial in Brooklyn federal court .
For the sexual assault trial against fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein , a Manhattan judge called up 2,000 potential jurors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or four weeks .
Kelly faces a raft of charges in Brooklyn that include sex trafficking , racketeering and child pornography .
The “ I Believe I Can Fly ” crooner , who has a fear of flying in airplanes , last appeared by video in Brooklyn federal in December , when he pleaded not guilty to a bribery charge added to his New York case related to his illicit marriage to Aaliyah .
Kelly , whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly , is also charged in Chicago federal court with enticing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and receiving child pornography .
He also faces state court sex abuse charges in Chicago and prostitution charges in Minneapolis .

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A subdued R. Kelly was beamed into a Brooklyn federal courtroom via video Thursday — where a judge said she will need to round up hundreds of potential jurors when the high-profile sex-trafficking case goes to trial this summer.
The “Trapped in the Closet” singer, who is now trapped in a Chicago lockup, kept mostly quiet and looked attentive as he appeared at the hearing on a video screen. He listened with his brow furrowed and his fingers laced, occasionally biting his lower lip.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” Kelly, wearing an orange, short-sleeved jail top, said to Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly as the hearing began.
The Brooklyn case had been scheduled to go to trial in May, but Donnelly said that the date was “somewhat unrealistic” and moved it to July 7, citing the fact that Kelly’s federal case in Illinois is going to trial in April.
Donnelly said Kelly’s trial would need a pool of about 200 potential jurors and she expects about to send out 500 questionnaires to pre-screen candidates.
“We need to leave enough time to get our jury in place,” the judge said.
By comparison, 1,000 questionnaires were sent out for drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s trial in Brooklyn federal court. For the sexual assault trial against fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a Manhattan judge called up 2,000 potential jurors.
Donnelly said the trial should take three or four weeks.
Kelly faces a raft of charges in Brooklyn that include sex trafficking, racketeering and child pornography.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” crooner, who has a fear of flying in airplanes, last appeared by video in Brooklyn federal in December, when he pleaded not guilty to a bribery charge added to his New York case related to his illicit marriage to Aaliyah.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is also charged in Chicago federal court with enticing minors to have sex and with producing and receiving child pornography.
He also faces state court sex abuse charges in Chicago and prostitution charges in Minneapolis.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--James Dolan did right by Knicks with intriguing Leon Rose pick

Putting Leon Rose in charge of the Knicks will do ...

Leon Rose forged a career as a top basketball agent the old-fashioned way: he worked tirelessly, fueled by bottomless ambition, and built something out of nothing. He started with one client — a backup guard named Rick Brunson, who spent three of his nine seasons occupying the last seat on the Knicks bench.
Early on, he made the acquaintance of William Wesley — known across the basketball universe as World Wide Wes. Together they assembled a star-dappled roster of stars — Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, start there — and sold Rose’s practice to Creative Artists Agency in 2007, and under CAA’s flag Rose kept planting roots inside every patch of fertile basketball communities. Karl-Anthony Towns is his big fish now.
He takes over the Knicks now, and it is an out-of-the-box selection, and one that might even be widely praised if the track record of the man who hired him, James L. Dolan, wasn’t so besmirched. And look: until Dolan starts to get a thing or two right with the Knicks, there will only be worries about all he has done wrong.
I think this one will work out. Success in pro basketball, more than any other sport, is boiled down to simple, primal terms: talent. Presidents in other sports — baseball, football, hockey — have to be acutely conversant in organization building, in infrastructure, in top-down management. Basketball is simpler than that.
You start and you end with talent. You start and end with players. You start with assembling as many great players as you can. There is no camouflaging that. Stars win titles in the NBA, in far greater percentages than they do in other sports, because that’s where it all starts. Stars. Players. Talent.
And as an agent of the highest order, this is what Rose knows. This is what World Wide Wes knows, too, which is why it is little surprise that one of Rose’s first hires is to bring Wesley into the basketball operations fold. They have spent their professional lifetimes building relationships and earning the trust of the sport’s greatest assets — star players.
Immediately, that makes the Knicks a more attractive destination than they were Wednesday, than they were last week, than they have been in decades. Twenty-plus years of Dolan leadership and the relentless pileup of failed seasons lying in its wake have yielded a toxic shield at Penn Plaza, one Kevin Durant more than hinted at after choosing Brooklyn over Manhattan, one that has plagued the Knicks’ hopes at rebirth like an unrelenting miasma floating over the Garden.
Ideally, the most useful skills for a team president are the same ones that make for a successful agent: identifying talent, cultivating it, assembling it, servicing it. And the Knicks roster is in dire need of as much talent as it can attract, especially after losing Marcus Morris in a smart deadline-day deal with the Clippers on Thursday that brought a couple of extra draft picks to the team coffers.
Is this a no-brainer choice? It isn’t. Look, Bob Myers has worked out wonderfully with Golden State, going from an agent to an assistant GM to running the Warriors in one dizzying 13-month stretch in 2012. The record speaks for itself: three championship rings, two executive of the year awards.
Similarly, ex-agent Rob Pelinka has the Lakers at the top of the Western Conference this year, though he had a rocky beginning to his tenure and has certainly been helped along by LeBron James’ recruiting himself to Los Angeles thanks to his desire for a post-career life in Hollywood.
It is also impossible not to look to the Knicks’ orange-and-blue cousins in Queens, the Mets, and take a long look at what Brodie Van Wagenen — also a CAA alum — has done in little over a year with the Mets, a dossier that can best be described, so far, at best, as “uneven.”
It will take Knicks fans a while to give this move a fair shake, and that is absolutely as it should be. The credibility gap between the owner and the team’s fans has never been wider, and it is a chasm well earned by years of bad faith and bad choices. It was certainly an option to wait here, see if something could be worked out with the Raptors for Masai Ujiri or the Thunder with Sam Presti.
Instead, Dolan strikes quickly. He goes outside the envelope in a big way. It is certainly a fascinating choice. Is it the right one? I say yes. But only Leon Rose will be able to answer that one for sure. Stay tuned.
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast:


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--NBA trade deadline: Andre Drummond was in dark about Cavaliers stunner

Andre Iguodala has gotten his wish .
His now-former teammates did ...

It perhaps was the most surprising deal ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, at least in terms of the return and the final destination.
The Pistons had been shopping Andre Drummond for several weeks, but the two-time All-Star center surprisingly was shipped to last-place Cleveland for the expiring contracts of John Henson and Brandon Knight and a future second-round pick.
Drummond, who has a $28.75 million player option for next season, leads the NBA in rebounds with 15.8 per game. Cleveland (last in the Eastern Conference at 13-39) could look to extend the 26-year-old former UConn star’s contract, especially with center Tristan Thompson’s deal set to expire.
“If there’s one thing I learned about the NBA, there’s no friends or loyalty,” Drummond tweeted. “I’ve given my heart and soul to the Pistons, and to be have this happen with no heads up makes me realize even more that this is just a business! I love you Detroit…You will always have a special place in my heart! But on to the next @cavs hope you’re ready! Let’s finish the year off the right way.”
In addition to Marcus Morris heading from the Knicks to the Clippers, Andre Iguodala, D’Angelo Russell and Andrew Wiggins also were among the other big names on the move before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
Russell, the former Nets All-Star in whom the Knicks had expressed interest, was traded for the third time in five years, going from Golden State to Minnesota with Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman for Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2021 second-rounder.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia cleared a roster spot by dealing guard James Ennis III to Orlando for a second-round pick. The Sixers had acquired Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III from Golden State for three second-round picks Wednesday night.
The Timberwolves made a second move, picking up forward James Johnson from Memphis for center Gorgui Dieng. The Grizzlies previously had acquired Johnson, along with Justise Winslow and Dion Waiters, from Miami for Iguodala and forwards Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill. Memphis also swapped forward Bruno Caboclo to Houston for forward Jordan Bell.
Atlanta also received forward Skal Labissiere and guard Derrick Walton Jr. in separate trades with Portland and the Clippers.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--The Democratic Party is telling millions of pro-lifers to get out

President Trump on Friday called it a “ profound honor ” to ...

Until recently, I spent much of my time working hard to elect Democrats to public office — but the early presidential campaigning pushed me away from the party, as well prompting my resignation from the board of Democrats for Life, where I had served since 2014.
For someone who is progressive on most issues, this decision doesn’t come easy. Like most Democrats, I believe government has an energetic role to play to support women, families and children. I support paid family leave, help with unaffordable child care, labor union rights, the Affordable Care Act, child and adoption tax credits and much else of the kind.
I’m worried about climate change. I’m an outspoken vegetarian. I believe in welcoming refugees and immigrants. I oppose needless wars.
But the party gave me no choice. Yes, ours was a small group, but as many as a third of Democrats identify as pro-life. Even when party leadership finally met with us, they didn’t take us seriously.
When we showed them that pro-life Democrats would beat Republicans in certain districts, it didn’t matter. Even when we called for more reproductive choices for women with difficult pregnancies through services like perinatal hospice care, party leaders ignored us.
Anything even hinting that abortion is less than good now violates party orthodoxy.
Normally, Democrats are the party of energetic government protecting the vulnerable from violence. But when it comes to abortion, elite Democrats turn into hard-core libertarians, believing the state has no business getting involved in the private choices of individuals. Abortion is merely “health care,” and the unborn child, unimaginably vulnerable even when wanted, is made invisible and violently discarded.
On this topic, at least, the party has dug in on the side of what Pope Francis calls the “throwaway culture” — the troubling modern tendency to discard people seen as inconvenient. The Democratic elite even rejects conscience protections for medical practitioners who object to abortion. Opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions, once acceptable, has become taboo.
The straw that broke this camel’s back was Pete Buttigieg’s extremism. Here was a mainstream Democratic candidate suggesting, at one point, that abortion is OK up to the point the baby draws her first breath.
When I heard that, I realized we were fighting a losing battle.
If the party was willing to go all-in on the most volatile issue of our time with a position held by only 13 percent of the population, it was time to take no for an answer.
Many find it difficult to understand how a single issue could be so motivating for so many millions of people. If that’s you, put abortion out of your mind for the moment and consider the following thought experiment.
Suppose that hundreds of thousands of children are being killed each year in horrific ways. Often they are killed because they have Down syndrome. Sometimes, it is because their grandparents thought their parents were too young and irresponsible to have a child. Very often, it is because an abusive partner demands that the child be killed on threat of violence.
And then suppose a political party claimed this killing was a social good. Just another kind of health care. Something to shout about with pride.
This party, it should go without saying, would be unsupportable.
Then keep in mind pro-lifers rightly see no moral distinction between a living human child at seven weeks gestation with a four-chambered heart pumping blood, a prenatal child at 20 weeks gestation who, we now know, can almost certainly feel pain, and older children who have already been born.
Then do the math. The reasoning should be clear.
My broader values mean I can’t vote Republican, however, and this makes me one of many millions of Americans for whom our political duopoly doesn’t work.
I decided to play the long game by joining the American Solidarity Party, a small but growing group that refuses to compromise on support for women, protection for prenatal children and solidarity for working people and the poor and vulnerable.
But millions of others who don’t share my broader values will reluctantly feel forced to check the box for a Republican in November. And Democrats will have no one to blame but their own extremism.
Charles Camosy is associate professor of theological and social ethics at Fordham University and author of the new book “Resisting Throwaway Culture.” Twitter: @CCamosy


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--State Democrats rip Nassau officials for ‘blatantly lying’ about MS-13 witness death

Long Island officials were “ blatantly lying ” when they linked the criminal justice reforms to the death of a witness in an MS-13 gang-assault case , state Democratic officials charged Thursday .
“ It ’ s clear that the officials charged with implementing these reforms are hoping they ’ ll fail , ” Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy said in a statement to The Post .
“ Even worse , they are blatantly lying , politicizing tragedies , and trying to scare the public.
” The scapegoating came Wednesday when Nassau County authorities announced the death of 36-year-old Wilmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the platform to slam New York ’ s new discovery laws that took effect Jan. 1 , requiring prosecutors hand over a list of witnesses to defense attorneys in criminal cases .
“ This man is dead because we didn ’ t do enough … and this law is not helping us , ” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a press conference and called on Albany to change the reform that the top cop claimed has led to a 5 % uptick in crime .
“ Justice reform is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ryder added .
County Executive Laura Curran piled on the attacks , saying in a statement , “ We can not let another murder happen because a witness may have been disclosed.
” But Rodriguez ’ s death had “ no direct link ” to the new criminal justice reform , Ryder would later concede — walking back his framing of the case during the presser .
Rodriguez , who was homeless , was slated to testify this year against a group of MS-13 gang members over an attack in October 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 in New Cassel before he could take the stand , according to cops .
Police say the witness was killed by associates of the gang members .
The Nassau County police commissioner claimed that Rodriguez began to face a “ pattern of intimidation ” on Jan. 6 , when the defendants were supposed to learn of the names of the witnesses in their trial .
Officials latched on , using this to attack the new discovery laws Wednesday .
But Ryder appeared to cite a judge ’ s earlier ruling , assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the defendants .
Turns out , the two men facing trial , both of whom have been jailed since 2018 , were never told the witnesses ’ names and a protective order shielding Rodriguez ’ s name was never lifted , according to court records .
The Nassau County District Attorney ’ s Office and defense attorneys agreed in court on Jan. 6 , 2020 , to keep the victims unnamed , only referring to them as numbers , court records show .
This overruled a prior order from the court in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to share witness information with their clients at the start of the trial , originally scheduled for Jan. 6 , the records show .
To boot , officials familiar with the criminal justice reform pointed out that nothing changed under the new laws when it comes to protective orders and district attorneys can still protect witness names if a judge sides with the state .
A joint statement from Innocence Project , The Legal Aid Society , Brooklyn Defender Services , the Bronx Defenders , the New York State Association of Criminal Defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the incident an “ extremely disturbing ” move to exploit Rodriguez ’ s murder .
“ These statements by law enforcement are again another attempt to use lies and misrepresentations to create the illusion that the new laws are a danger to public safety , ” the statement said .
Curran said in a statement she appreciated the Commissioner ’ s clarification — but did not respond for comment on her criminal justice reform comments .
The Nassau Police Department did not respond to a request for comment .

Long Island officials were “blatantly lying” when they linked the criminal justice reforms to the death of a witness in an MS-13 gang-assault case, state Democratic officials charged Thursday.
“It’s clear that the officials charged with implementing these reforms are hoping they’ll fail,” Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy said in a statement to The Post. “Even worse, they are blatantly lying, politicizing tragedies, and trying to scare the public.”
The scapegoating came Wednesday when Nassau County authorities announced the death of 36-year-old Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez over the weekend — and used the platform to slam New York’s new discovery laws that took effect Jan. 1, requiring prosecutors hand over a list of witnesses to defense attorneys in criminal cases.
“This man is dead because we didn’t do enough … and this law is not helping us,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a press conference and called on Albany to change the reform that the top cop claimed has led to a 5% uptick in crime.
“Justice reform is not taking care of our victims,” Ryder added.
County Executive Laura Curran piled on the attacks, saying in a statement, “We cannot let another murder happen because a witness may have been disclosed.”
“Change this law now!”
But Rodriguez’s death had “no direct link” to the new criminal justice reform, Ryder would later concede — walking back his framing of the case during the presser.
Rodriguez, who was homeless, was slated to testify this year against a group of MS-13 gang members over an attack in October 2018 but was found shot dead on Jan. 30 in New Cassel before he could take the stand, according to cops.
Police say the witness was killed by associates of the gang members.
The Nassau County police commissioner claimed that Rodriguez began to face a “pattern of intimidation” on Jan. 6, when the defendants were supposed to learn of the names of the witnesses in their trial.
Officials latched on, using this to attack the new discovery laws Wednesday.
But Ryder appeared to cite a judge’s earlier ruling, assuming Rodriguez’s name was turned over to the defendants.
Turns out, the two men facing trial, both of whom have been jailed since 2018, were never told the witnesses’ names and a protective order shielding Rodriguez’s name was never lifted, according to court records.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and defense attorneys agreed in court on Jan. 6, 2020, to keep the victims unnamed, only referring to them as numbers, court records show.
This overruled a prior order from the court in December that would have allowed the defense to share witness information with their clients at the start of the trial, originally scheduled for Jan. 6, the records show.
To boot, officials familiar with the criminal justice reform pointed out that nothing changed under the new laws when it comes to protective orders and district attorneys can still protect witness names if a judge sides with the state.
A joint statement from Innocence Project, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, the Bronx Defenders, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Citizen Action of New York called the incident an “extremely disturbing” move to exploit Rodriguez’s murder.
“These statements by law enforcement are again another attempt to use lies and misrepresentations to create the illusion that the new laws are a danger to public safety,” the statement said.
Curran said in a statement she appreciated the Commissioner’s clarification — but did not respond for comment on her criminal justice reform comments.
The Nassau Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Man pays hooker with bad check that bounces, complains to cops, gets arrested

A Nebraska man who stiffed a prostitute with a bounced check got busted after he called the cops to report that she and two men were trying to collect the debt , police said .
Wyatt Walker , 23 , was arrested for solicitation of prostitution on Wednesday in Norfolk after paying for sex with 20-year-old Emma Fuhrman — who was arrested for prostitution , police records show .
One of the men Fuhrman recruited to help retrieve the cash , Hans V. Berg , was also cuffed Wednesday for threatening to kill Walker .
Walker and Fuhrman met on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spoke throughout the day before planning to meet for their sordid affair .
“ [ Walker ] picked [ Fuhrman ] up and returned to his Norfolk residence for the sexual encounter , ” Norfolk Nebraska Police Division said in a press release .
“ The male gave the female a personal check for an agreed-upon price , and the two parted ways.
” But every time Fuhrman went to cash the check over several days it bounced because of insufficient funds , cops said .
So Fuhrman asked Berg , 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her to Walker ’ s home to fetch the missing money .
Berg allegedly threatened to kill Walker unless he paid up twice the amount originally agreed upon , cops said .
When they left , Walker reported Berg ’ s threats to cops .
Berg was also busted for theft by extortion and is currently housed in Madison County Jail .

A Nebraska man who stiffed a prostitute with a bounced check got busted after he called the cops to report that she and two men were trying to collect the debt, police said.
Wyatt Walker, 23, was arrested for solicitation of prostitution on Wednesday in Norfolk after paying for sex with 20-year-old Emma Fuhrman — who was arrested for prostitution, police records show.
One of the men Fuhrman recruited to help retrieve the cash, Hans V. Berg, was also cuffed Wednesday for threatening to kill Walker.
Walker and Fuhrman met on an online dating application in late January and spoke throughout the day before planning to meet for their sordid affair.
“[Walker] picked [Fuhrman] up and returned to his Norfolk residence for the sexual encounter,” Norfolk Nebraska Police Division said in a press release. “The male gave the female a personal check for an agreed-upon price, and the two parted ways.”
But every time Fuhrman went to cash the check over several days it bounced because of insufficient funds, cops said.
So Fuhrman asked Berg, 23, and another man to show up with her to Walker’s home to fetch the missing money.
Berg allegedly threatened to kill Walker unless he paid up twice the amount originally agreed upon, cops said.
When they left, Walker reported Berg’s threats to cops.
Berg was also busted for theft by extortion and is currently housed in Madison County Jail.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Mitt Romney’s mystery mission and other commentary

From the right : Mitt ’ s Mystery Mission “ What does Mitt Romney stand for ?
” wonders The Federalist ’ s Christopher Bedford .
Answers from “ just shy of two dozen Senate staffers , reporters and observers around town ” ranged from “ bewildered to hysterical to depressing.
” Of course , we know what the Utah senator and failed presidential nominee is against : “ The first thing he did when he got to town was write an op-ed for The Washington Post ” attacking Trump .
It got Romney “ some great TV , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pouring in.
” He announced his decision to convict the president “ by giving three different reporters ‘ exclusive ’ stories.
” “ Precious few ” in the media ask Romney “ about the military , the economy or social issues .
Most invite him to hammer the president , and he obliges.
” There it is : “ We ’ ve identified one thing the man who succeeded Sen. Orrin Hatch is for , and it ’ s positive media for Mitt Romney.
” At Mediaite , Sarah Rumpf argues that President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Address highlighted a major challenge for Democrats : overcoming his edge in messaging .
“ Trump largely stuck to the TelePrompter , ” delivering his remarks “ with a serious tone and accompanied by a parade of moving , made-for-TV moments.
” Speaker Nancy Pelosi , by contrast , went viral for tearing up his speech .
“ It would be a stretch ” to call that “ a win for her side.
” Even beyond that , Democrats ’ messaging “ seemed muddled , at best.
” How many Americans knew why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or what they were saying when they chanted “ HR 3 !
HR 3 !
” ?
— never mind why .
Trump told Americans good things are happening .
If Dems hope to beat him , they will need a competing message “ much clearer and stronger ” than any they offered Tuesday .
“ Joe Biden was always a weak establishment front-runner , ” The American Conservative ’ s Curt Mills contends , and not even a good fit for the new Democratic elite , since “ Amtrak Joe ” lacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chops .
So naturally the establishment ’ s now embracing Pete Buttigieg , “ McKinsey ’ s man in the Midwest.
” Never mind that the former South Bend mayor “ is Barack Obama without the charm , the youthful visage of the technocratic elite , ” offering “ the audacity of hope with little audacity and only a perfunctory pretense of hope.
” Still , Buttigieg isn ’ t a septuagenarian “ with a half-century of political baggage .
He is not a socialist .
He is not Donald Trump.
” Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa Democrats thought so .
2020 desk : All That Bloomy ’ s Money Can Buy “ Political operatives throughout the country ” are expressing “ disbelief and jealousy ” at a Team Bloomberg campaign-finance report , notes Lance Trover at RealClearPolitics .
Most candidacies run on “ shoestring budgets ” ; seasoned campaign workers will “ regale you with tales of .
.
.
sleeping in the office and living off donated candy and booze.
” Yet not only has Mike Bloomberg bought all those TV ads , he is also able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furniture for his headquarters — where other campaigns “ blast their entire e-mail list asking ( begging ) for furniture donations.
” Bloomberg is “ a striking reminder of just how far money can get you in politics.
” And though he isn ’ t the first billionaire candidate to “ spend large sums of personal wealth , ” the “ amount and rate at which he is doing it ” is unprecedented .
Campaign watch : Dems Have Failed Their Voters Iowa ’ s Democratic Party has been tallying Monday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quips National Review ’ s Jim Geraghty , that it “ may or may not ” finish “ before the next George R.R .
Martin novel.
” Over the week , party officials couldn ’ t “ provide the full results , ” say “ when they will be able [ to ] provide full results ” or even “ explain why they can not provide full results.
” That it was the Democratic National Committee that “ entrusted the Iowa state party ” with running the caucuses has further eroded trust in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ get stuck ” with a terrible candidate , they know “ the democratic process works as intended.
” After Iowa , Democrats “ can ’ t say that with confidence .
”

From the right: Mitt’s Mystery Mission
“What does Mitt Romney stand for?” wonders The Federalist’s Christopher Bedford. Answers from “just shy of two dozen Senate staffers, reporters and observers around town” ranged from “bewildered to hysterical to depressing.” Of course, we know what the Utah senator and failed presidential nominee is against: “The first thing he did when he got to town was write an op-ed for The Washington Post” attacking Trump. It got Romney “some great TV,” and now “the press invites are pouring in.” He announced his decision to convict the president “by giving three different reporters ‘exclusive’ stories.” “Precious few” in the media ask Romney “about the military, the economy or social issues. Most invite him to hammer the president, and he obliges.” There it is: “We’ve identified one thing the man who succeeded Sen. Orrin Hatch is for, and it’s positive media for Mitt Romney.”
Media critic: Nancy’s Messaging Headache
At Mediaite, Sarah Rumpf argues that President Trump’s State of the Union Address highlighted a major challenge for Democrats: overcoming his edge in messaging. “Trump largely stuck to the TelePrompter,” delivering his remarks “with a serious tone and accompanied by a parade of moving, made-for-TV moments.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, by contrast, went viral for tearing up his speech. “It would be a stretch” to call that “a win for her side.” Even beyond that, Democrats’ messaging “seemed muddled, at best.” How many Americans knew why they wore white for the speech? Or what they were saying when they chanted “HR 3! HR 3!”? — never mind why. Trump told Americans good things are happening. If Dems hope to beat him, they will need a competing message “much clearer and stronger” than any they offered Tuesday.
Conservative: The Establishment’s New Man
“Joe Biden was always a weak establishment front-runner,” The American Conservative’s Curt Mills contends, and not even a good fit for the new Democratic elite, since “Amtrak Joe” lacked the proper “education and meritocracy” chops. So naturally the establishment’s now embracing Pete Buttigieg, “McKinsey’s man in the Midwest.” Never mind that the former South Bend mayor “is Barack Obama without the charm, the youthful visage of the technocratic elite,” offering “the audacity of hope with little audacity and only a perfunctory pretense of hope.” Still, Buttigieg isn’t a septuagenarian “with a half-century of political baggage. He is not a socialist. He is not Donald Trump.” Is that enough? A good chunk of Iowa Democrats thought so.
2020 desk: All That Bloomy’s Money Can Buy
“Political operatives throughout the country” are expressing “disbelief and jealousy” at a Team Bloomberg campaign-finance report, notes Lance Trover at RealClearPolitics. Most candidacies run on “shoestring budgets”; seasoned campaign workers will “regale you with tales of . . . sleeping in the office and living off donated candy and booze.” Yet not only has Mike Bloomberg bought all those TV ads, he is also able to spend $250,000 just on office furniture for his headquarters — where other campaigns “blast their entire e-mail list asking (begging) for furniture donations.” Bloomberg is “a striking reminder of just how far money can get you in politics.” And though he isn’t the first billionaire candidate to “spend large sums of personal wealth,” the “amount and rate at which he is doing it” is unprecedented.
Campaign watch: Dems Have Failed Their Voters
Iowa’s Democratic Party has been tallying Monday’s caucus results “so slowly,” quips National Review’s Jim Geraghty, that it “may or may not” finish “before the next George R.R. Martin novel.” Over the week, party officials couldn’t “provide the full results,” say “when they will be able [to] provide full results” or even “explain why they cannot provide full results.” That it was the Democratic National Committee that “entrusted the Iowa state party” with running the caucuses has further eroded trust in an already-discredited national party. When Republicans “get stuck” with a terrible candidate, they know “the democratic process works as intended.” After Iowa, Democrats “can’t say that with confidence.”
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Bill Cosby calls out Gayle King from jail over Kobe Bryant interview

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Several celebrities have expressed disappointment in CBS correspondent Gayle King , who recently questioned WNBA star Lisa Leslie about late basketball player — and Leslie ’ s close friend — Kobe Bryant and his 2003 sexual assault charge .
Rapper Snoop Dogg has been the most vocal against King , and has now been joined by incarcerated comedian Bill Cosby , who tweeted from behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being used to target successful black men .
“ It ’ s so sad and disappointing that successful Black Women are being used to tarnish the image and legacy of successful Black Men , even in death , ” Cosby , 82 , wrote .
“ Are these people that are in need of fame , ratings and/or money ?
On behalf of myself , Camille and my family , thank you , thank you and thank you .
My heartfelt prayers are with Kobe and his family , as well as with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their legacies live on forever.
” Cosby went on to add the hashtags # ThankYouSnoopDogg , # BetOnBlackLegacy , # StopTearingDownBlackMen , # EnoughIsEnough , # KobeLegacyLivesOn , # GiannaLegacyLivesOn , # MichaelJacksonLegacyLivesOn , and # BillCosbyFarFromFinished .
King slammed her own network for distributing the “ out-of-context ” clip and said she plans to hold a “ very intense ” conversation with CBS News executives .
“ I ’ ve been up reading the comments about the interview I did with Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant , and I know that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you saw , I ’ d be extremely angry with me too , ” King said in an Instagram video .
“ I am mortified .
I am embarrassed and I am very angry.
” Cosby is serving a three-to-10-year sentence for his 2018 conviction on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and molesting Temple University staffer Andrea Constand .

Several celebrities have expressed disappointment in CBS correspondent Gayle King, who recently questioned WNBA star Lisa Leslie about late basketball player — and Leslie’s close friend — Kobe Bryant and his 2003 sexual assault charge.
Rapper Snoop Dogg has been the most vocal against King, and has now been joined by incarcerated comedian Bill Cosby, who tweeted from behind bars that he believes black women are being used to target successful black men.
“It’s so sad and disappointing that successful Black Women are being used to tarnish the image and legacy of successful Black Men, even in death,” Cosby, 82, wrote. “Are these people that are in need of fame, ratings and/or money? On behalf of myself, Camille and my family, thank you, thank you and thank you. My heartfelt prayers are with Kobe and his family, as well as with Michael Jackson and his family. May their legacies live on forever.”
Cosby went on to add the hashtags #ThankYouSnoopDogg, #BetOnBlackLegacy, #StopTearingDownBlackMen, #EnoughIsEnough, #KobeLegacyLivesOn, #GiannaLegacyLivesOn, #MichaelJacksonLegacyLivesOn, and #BillCosbyFarFromFinished.
King slammed her own network for distributing the “out-of-context” clip and said she plans to hold a “very intense” conversation with CBS News executives.
“I’ve been up reading the comments about the interview I did with Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant, and I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” King said in an Instagram video. “I am mortified. I am embarrassed and I am very angry.”
Cosby is serving a three-to-10-year sentence for his 2018 conviction on three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and molesting Temple University staffer Andrea Constand.


newyorkpost--2020-02-06--Kobe Bryant’s public memorial service will be held at Staples Center

A public memorial service for Kobe Bryant , his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash is set for Feb. 24 at the Staples Center — the Los Angeles arena where the Lakers legend shot to fame , according to a report .
The city is planning the event , set to take place roughly a month after Bryant ’ s chopper went down in the hilly terrain of Calabasas , killing all nine aboard , sources told The Los Angeles Times .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti indicated last week that the city was working out details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide a date at the time , the report said .
“ I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player .
This is about a father , this is about a leader , this is about a filmmaker , this is about an artist , this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court , ” Garcetti told reporters of Bryant .
Information on exact timing and how to obtain tickets to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source told the paper that there will be no procession .
Los Angeles has used the Staples Center in the past to mourn some of the city ’ s most notable entertainers , including Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle .

A public memorial service for Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash is set for Feb. 24 at the Staples Center — the Los Angeles arena where the Lakers legend shot to fame, according to a report.
The city is planning the event, set to take place roughly a month after Bryant’s chopper went down in the hilly terrain of Calabasas, killing all nine aboard, sources told The Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti indicated last week that the city was working out details for a memorial, but could not provide a date at the time, the report said.
“I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player. This is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court,” Garcetti told reporters of Bryant.
Information on exact timing and how to obtain tickets to the sought-after service was unclear.
One source told the paper that there will be no procession.
Los Angeles has used the Staples Center in the past to mourn some of the city’s most notable entertainers, including Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle.