newyorkpost--2020-03-18--There’s plenty of new TV shows to watch during coronavirus lockdown

There is still a lot of fresh TV content premiering over the next few months — despite the industry shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic .
There are new series replacing departing shows , limited-run series perking up the schedule with starry performances and bold subjects and new episodes of procedurals running into next month .
Here is a handy guide to help you navigate which TV path is right for you .
Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum became unlikely TV stars 15 years ago on “ Project Runway , ” which was fresh , original and often very funny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gunn patrolled the sewing room and told contestants , “ Make it work.
” Here , these seasoned pros attempt to recreate that magic with new contestants and celebrity judges .
Pauley Perrette ( “ NCIS ” ) returns to network TV in something very different : a comedy about a single mother whose estranged sister and wealthy husband show up at her doorstep in need of a place to live after the couple ’ s money dries up .
Could be this spring ’ s timeliest new show , given the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming service will unveil a dozen , very short new programs designed to be watched on your phone .
Among the premieres are “ Flipped ” with Will Forte and a reboot of “ Punk ’ d ” with Chance the Rapper .
“ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ” Jimmy Kimmel segues from his late-night duties hosting “ Jimmy Kimmel Live ” to preside over a special run of episodes featuring celebrity contestants playing for charity .
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the toast of Hollywood after her trophy haul for Season 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on her again as her first post- “ Fleabag ” series debuts .
Ruby Richardson ( Merritt Wever ) walks away from her life in the suburbs to revisit her past with her college boyfriend , Billy Johnson ( Domnhall Gleeson ) , with whom she made a pact 17 years prior : that if either one of them texted the word “ RUN ” and the other replied with the same , they would drop everything and meet in Grand Central Station and travel across America together .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a complacent town and shaking things up .
Kerry Washington plays a renegade artist who gets under the skin of suburban gatekeeper and micromanager Reese Witherspoon .
Based on the novel by Celeste Ng .
“ Downton Abbey ” creator Julian Fellowes delivers more eye candy for Anglophiles .
It ’ s another story about another wealthy family who dress impeccably well to attend very stuffy functions hosted by even more wealthy people .
Since “ Belgravia ” kicks off on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo , we know something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tug of war between iconic 1970s feminists Betty Friedan , Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug against Midwestern reactionary Phyllis Schlafly over the Equal Rights Amendment is the subject of this very interesting limited series , which welcomes Cate Blanchett to her first American TV role as Schlafly .
This former Netflix series was saved from extinction by a passionate fan campaign , moving to the Pop network for its fourth season .
Marty Byrde ( Jason Bateman ) tries to keep his casino going while evading the Feds .
Wendy Byrde ( Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the head of a Mexican drug cartel .
“ How to Get Away with Murder ” Annalise ’ s ( Viola Davis ) disappearance is uncovered .
Michaela ( Aja Naomi King ) and Connor ( Jack Falahee ) are booked on murder charges .
Only gluttons for punishment will tune in for the last episodes of this overwrought drama ’ s final season .
After seeing his food truck go up in flames , Tray ( Tracy Morgan ) lands in gentrified Brooklyn , where he begins to give “ hood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Diane Lockhart ( Christine Baranski ) and her colleagues chafe at their loss of independence now that their boutique law firm has been gobbled up by a huge , multi-national firm , STR Laurie .
Jodie Comer picked up a Best Actress ( Drama Series ) Emmy last year for her amazing performance as Villanelle , the assassin who keeps Eve Polastri ( Sandra Oh ) up at night .
Production may have halted on the following shows , but there are still enough episodes in the can to get us into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Anatomy , ” “ FBI , ” “ FBI : Most Wanted , ” the “ Chicago ” shows , the “ NCIS ” trilogy .

There is still a lot of fresh TV content premiering over the next few months — despite the industry shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are new series replacing departing shows, limited-run series perking up the schedule with starry performances and bold subjects and new episodes of procedurals running into next month.
Here is a handy guide to help you navigate which TV path is right for you.
What’s New
“Making the Cut”
March 27, Amazon
Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum became unlikely TV stars 15 years ago on “Project Runway,” which was fresh, original and often very funny, as School of Visual Arts administrator Gunn patrolled the sewing room and told contestants, “Make it work.” Here, these seasoned pros attempt to recreate that magic with new contestants and celebrity judges.
“Broke”
April 2, 9:30 p.m., CBS
Pauley Perrette (“NCIS”) returns to network TV in something very different: a comedy about a single mother whose estranged sister and wealthy husband show up at her doorstep in need of a place to live after the couple’s money dries up. Could be this spring’s timeliest new show, given the current state of the world.
Quibi
April 6
The new streaming service will unveil a dozen, very short new programs designed to be watched on your phone. Among the premieres are “Flipped” with Will Forte and a reboot of “Punk’d” with Chance the Rapper.
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
April 8, 10 p.m., ABC
Jimmy Kimmel segues from his late-night duties hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to preside over a special run of episodes featuring celebrity contestants playing for charity.
“Run, Run”
April 12, 10:30 p.m., HBO
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the toast of Hollywood after her trophy haul for Season 2 of “Fleabag.” All eyes will be on her again as her first post-“Fleabag” series debuts. Ruby Richardson (Merritt Wever) walks away from her life in the suburbs to revisit her past with her college boyfriend, Billy Johnson (Domnhall Gleeson), with whom she made a pact 17 years prior: that if either one of them texted the word “RUN” and the other replied with the same, they would drop everything and meet in Grand Central Station and travel across America together.
Limited Series Premieres
“Little Fires Everywhere”
March 18, Hulu
It’s the classic story of an outsider coming into a complacent town and shaking things up. Kerry Washington plays a renegade artist who gets under the skin of suburban gatekeeper and micromanager Reese Witherspoon. Based on the novel by Celeste Ng.
“Belgravia”
April 12, 9 p.m., Epix
“Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes delivers more eye candy for Anglophiles. It’s another story about another wealthy family who dress impeccably well to attend very stuffy functions hosted by even more wealthy people. Since “Belgravia” kicks off on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, we know something big will happen. Tut-tut.
“Mrs. America”
April 15, 9 p.m., FX
The tug of war between iconic 1970s feminists Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem and Bella Abzug against Midwestern reactionary Phyllis Schlafly over the Equal Rights Amendment is the subject of this very interesting limited series, which welcomes Cate Blanchett to her first American TV role as Schlafly.
What’s Coming Back
“One Day at a Time”
March 24, 9:30 p.m., Pop
This former Netflix series was saved from extinction by a passionate fan campaign, moving to the Pop network for its fourth season.
“Ozark”
March 27, Netflix
Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his casino going while evading the Feds. Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) tries to make a deal with the head of a Mexican drug cartel.
“How to Get Away with Murder”
April 2, 10 p.m., ABC
Annalise’s (Viola Davis) disappearance is uncovered. Michaela (Aja Naomi King) and Connor (Jack Falahee) are booked on murder charges. Only gluttons for punishment will tune in for the last episodes of this overwrought drama’s final season.
“The Last OG”
April 7, 10:30 p.m., TBS
After seeing his food truck go up in flames, Tray (Tracy Morgan) lands in gentrified Brooklyn, where he begins to give “hood legend” walking tours of the city.
“The Good Fight”
April 9, CBS All Access
Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and her colleagues chafe at their loss of independence now that their boutique law firm has been gobbled up by a huge, multi-national firm, STR Laurie.
“Killing Eve”
April 26, 10 p.m, BBC and AMC
Jodie Comer picked up a Best Actress (Drama Series) Emmy last year for her amazing performance as Villanelle, the assassin who keeps Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) up at night.
What’s Still Running
Production may have halted on the following shows, but there are still enough episodes in the can to get us into the month of April:
“Grey’s Anatomy,” “FBI,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” the “Chicago” shows, the “NCIS” trilogy.


newyorkpost--2020-03-18--Tom Brady joins Joe Namath as greats to finish in wrong uniform

For New York fans of a certain vintage , the date always circled in red on the calendar of memory is June 15 , 1977 .
That was the day the Mets gave away Tom Seaver for a song , the day the music died for a couple of generations of sports fans who learned a harsh lesson that midnight massacre , that nothing is truly forever .
Still , for many of those fans , there had already been a dress rehearsal for all of those feelings of loss and dread .
Because for so much of the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York sports was defined by a two-man band : Seaver for the Mets , and Joe Namath for the Jets .
If the sight of Seaver in his Mets No .
41 was as reliable as the sunrise , so too was Joe Willie and his No .
12 jersey , his white cleats , his birdcage facemask .
But it was Namath who , in early January of ’ 77 , had gone on “ The Tonight Show ” and told Johnny Carson in no uncertain terms : “ I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can ’ t be worked out , I ’ m giving up pro football.
” That was news to the Jets , although they were more than happy to pass on the $ 450,000 option they ’ d been pondering .
So on May 12 , the Rams signed Namath .
Namath said he hoped to play “ four years at least ” in Los Angeles .
He wound up getting four games .
The last , a rainy October Monday night at Chicago ’ s Soldier Field , he chucked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were caught ; the problem was , four of those wound up in the hands of the Bears .
He never took another snap .
But the damage was already done .
To his ribs , thanks to the Bears ’ defense , and to his knees , which were always made of ribbon and Scotch tape .
But , more tellingly , to something else .
Because the last image of Joe Namath on a football field — at a time when “ Monday Night Football ” reached 20 million fans each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaten up and bloody .
He was wearing a helmet with a yellow horn on it .
He was wearing a completely foreign white-blue-and-gold uniform .
That was an outfit befitting Bob Waterfield , Norm Van Brocklin , Roman Gabriel , later Kurt Warner .
Certainly not for those who thought the epitome of cool was a green No .
12 .
Tom Brady doesn ’ t appear anywhere as close to the end of the line in 2020 as Joe Namath was in 1977 , but that won ’ t make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bay orange and pewter No .
12 vestments belonging to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers any less jarring .
Maybe we can prepare for these things better now ; the back page of Wednesday ’ s Post , for instance , provided a nice preview of what that will look like thanks to the magic of Photoshop .
Still : after two decades of Brady wearing blue and white , with the ultra-stern looking patriot on either side of his Patriots helmet , it ’ s going to take some getting used to , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finagle his old number away from Chris Godwin , Tampa ’ s incumbent No .
12 ( and as Godwin is a wide receiver newly dependent on Brady for his livelihood , that might be a sound career choice ) .
We are intimately familiar with the roster of athletes who made regrettable late-career choices , looking like impersonators in their final acts upon the public stage .
Michael Jordan always looked like someone dressed as Michael Jordan for Halloween during his two-year career coda as a Washington Wizard .
Johnny Unitas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old powder blues , forever uniform , and yet that ending was bloodier than “ Uncut Gems.
” Willie Mays as a Met fell down in the outfield once ; alas , it was Game 2 of the 1973 World Series , and so “ Willie-Mays-falling-down-in-the-outfield ” has become a catch-all to describe a superstar sadly robbed of his superpowers .
Joe Montana played well as a Kansas City Chief , but his final moments in the league were being carried off , senseless , after taking a playoff beating by the Buffalo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked like he ’ d been body-snatched ; as a Viking he merely suffered the dueling indignities of an ill-timed interception and an ill-advised cellphone selfie .
You know the rest of the roster by heart : Hank Aaron , Milwaukee Brewer ?
Clyde Frazier , Cleveland Cavalier ?
Martin Brodeur , St. Louis Blue ?
Patrick Ewing , Seattle Sonic/Orlando Magic ?
Surely , Tom Brady , Tampa Bay Buccaneer , has too much game left to join this list , or to suffer the same late-game fate as that other famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in his day , to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman .
Even in the ghastly colors of red ( yikes ) , bay orange ( ugh ) and pewter ( blech ) .

For New York fans of a certain vintage, the date always circled in red on the calendar of memory is June 15, 1977. That was the day the Mets gave away Tom Seaver for a song, the day the music died for a couple of generations of sports fans who learned a harsh lesson that midnight massacre, that nothing is truly forever.
Still, for many of those fans, there had already been a dress rehearsal for all of those feelings of loss and dread. Because for so much of the late ’60s and early ’70s, New York sports was defined by a two-man band: Seaver for the Mets, and Joe Namath for the Jets. If the sight of Seaver in his Mets No. 41 was as reliable as the sunrise, so too was Joe Willie and his No. 12 jersey, his white cleats, his birdcage facemask.
But it was Namath who, in early January of ’77, had gone on “The Tonight Show” and told Johnny Carson in no uncertain terms: “I want to play for the Rams. If that can’t be worked out, I’m giving up pro football.” That was news to the Jets, although they were more than happy to pass on the $450,000 option they’d been pondering.
So on May 12, the Rams signed Namath. Namath said he hoped to play “four years at least” in Los Angeles. He wound up getting four games. The last, a rainy October Monday night at Chicago’s Soldier Field, he chucked the ball 40 times, half of which were caught; the problem was, four of those wound up in the hands of the Bears.
He never took another snap.
But the damage was already done. To his ribs, thanks to the Bears’ defense, and to his knees, which were always made of ribbon and Scotch tape. But, more tellingly, to something else.
Because the last image of Joe Namath on a football field — at a time when “Monday Night Football” reached 20 million fans each week — he wasn’t just beaten up and bloody. He was wearing a helmet with a yellow horn on it. He was wearing a completely foreign white-blue-and-gold uniform. That was an outfit befitting Bob Waterfield, Norm Van Brocklin, Roman Gabriel, later Kurt Warner.
But not Joe Willie Namath.
Certainly not for those who thought the epitome of cool was a green No. 12.
Tom Brady doesn’t appear anywhere as close to the end of the line in 2020 as Joe Namath was in 1977, but that won’t make the sight of him in the red, bay orange and pewter No. 12 vestments belonging to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers any less jarring. Maybe we can prepare for these things better now; the back page of Wednesday’s Post, for instance, provided a nice preview of what that will look like thanks to the magic of Photoshop.
Still: after two decades of Brady wearing blue and white, with the ultra-stern looking patriot on either side of his Patriots helmet, it’s going to take some getting used to, even if he’s able to finagle his old number away from Chris Godwin, Tampa’s incumbent No. 12 (and as Godwin is a wide receiver newly dependent on Brady for his livelihood, that might be a sound career choice).
We are intimately familiar with the roster of athletes who made regrettable late-career choices, looking like impersonators in their final acts upon the public stage.
Michael Jordan always looked like someone dressed as Michael Jordan for Halloween during his two-year career coda as a Washington Wizard. Johnny Unitas, forever quarterback, donned the Chargers’ old powder blues, forever uniform, and yet that ending was bloodier than “Uncut Gems.”
Willie Mays as a Met fell down in the outfield once; alas, it was Game 2 of the 1973 World Series, and so “Willie-Mays-falling-down-in-the-outfield” has become a catch-all to describe a superstar sadly robbed of his superpowers. Joe Montana played well as a Kansas City Chief, but his final moments in the league were being carried off, senseless, after taking a playoff beating by the Buffalo Bills. Brett Favre as a Jet looked like he’d been body-snatched; as a Viking he merely suffered the dueling indignities of an ill-timed interception and an ill-advised cellphone selfie.
You know the rest of the roster by heart: Hank Aaron, Milwaukee Brewer? Clyde Frazier, Cleveland Cavalier? Martin Brodeur, St. Louis Blue? Patrick Ewing, Seattle Sonic/Orlando Magic? Surely, Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneer, has too much game left to join this list, or to suffer the same late-game fate as that other famous No. 12 who was also known, in his day, to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman.
Even in the ghastly colors of red (yikes), bay orange (ugh) and pewter (blech).
Right?


newyorkpost--2020-03-18--Harvey Weinstein sent to prison near Buffalo

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 ) Harvey Weinstein is trading in the world of red carpets for a world of rust-belt ruin .
The disgraced movie mogul on Wednesday was sent just about as far from the bright lights of sunny Hollywood as one can get , when he was transported from Rikers Island to an upstate prison east of Buffalo .
The convicted rapist — now known as inmate No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another prison in Elmira , New York , earlier in the day but ended up at a maximum-security facility in frigid , rural Wende , officials said .
It ’ s unclear why he made the stop in Elmira , but at Wende Weinstein will go through his state-prison reception process .
Correction officials will treat him like a starlet on an audition , as they give him a review in which he ’ ll get a security classification and learn at what facility he ’ ll serve his 23-year sentence .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in yet another state prison after his reception , which can take up to about 60 days , said Herbert Morales , a fellow at the Correctional Association of New York and himself a former state jailbird who during 33 years behind bars earned a bachelor ’ s degree in behavioral science .
When new inmates like Weinstein are processed , they ’ re forced to turn over their property before given a shower , shaved clean and “ deliced , ” Morales said .
And he can forget ever wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a temporary set of “ greens ” — the name for prison-issued clothes .
“ He ’ ll get boots , sneakers , three pairs of state pants , four pairs of state shirts , a state coat , several pairs of state underwear , several T-shirts , ” Morales said .
He ’ ll then likely have to visit a doctor , a correction counselor and take a series of tests to determine his reading level and intellect to help determine his security classification .
Weinstein will be housed in Wende for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Corrections spokesperson said .
“ There is no standard time frame for this process , as it varies based on the individual ’ s programmatic , medical and other needs , ” the rep said .
Weinstein ’ s lawyers had previously urged the sentencing judge to send the fallen mogul to one of the state ’ s regional medical units because of his ailing health .
The units , which are similar to hospital wards , are typically reserved for terminally ill inmates or those recovering from surgeries while incarcerated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of using his power and influence to be a sexual predator , was hit with the more than two-decade sentence last week for raping an aspiring actress and sexually abusing a TV and film production assistant .

Click to email a link 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)
Harvey Weinstein is trading in the world of red carpets for a world of rust-belt ruin.
The disgraced movie mogul on Wednesday was sent just about as far from the bright lights of sunny Hollywood as one can get, when he was transported from Rikers Island to an upstate prison east of Buffalo.
The convicted rapist — now known as inmate No. 20B0584 — was electronically processed at another prison in Elmira, New York, earlier in the day but ended up at a maximum-security facility in frigid, rural Wende, officials said.
It’s unclear why he made the stop in Elmira, but at Wende Weinstein will go through his state-prison reception process.
Correction officials will give him a review in which he’ll get a security classification and learn at what facility he’ll serve his 23-year sentence.
He’ll likely end up serving his time in yet another state prison after his reception, which can take up to about 60 days, said Herbert Morales, a fellow at the Correctional Association of New York who spent 33 years behind bars, where he turned his life around and earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science.
When new inmates like Weinstein are processed, they’re forced to turn over their property before given a shower, shaved clean and “deliced,” Morales said.
And he can forget ever wearing a tuxedo again, as he is given a temporary set of “greens” — the name for prison-issued clothes.
“He’ll get boots, sneakers, three pairs of state pants, four pairs of state shirts, a state coat, several pairs of state underwear, several T-shirts,” Morales said.
He’ll then likely have to visit a doctor, a correction counselor and take a series of tests to determine his reading level and intellect to help determine his security classification.
Weinstein will be housed in Wende for his entire classification process, a Department of Corrections spokesperson said.
“There is no standard time frame for this process, as it varies based on the individual’s programmatic, medical and other needs,” the rep said.
Weinstein’s lawyers had previously urged the sentencing judge to send the fallen mogul to one of the state’s regional medical units because of his ailing health.
The units, which are similar to hospital wards, are typically reserved for terminally ill inmates or those recovering from surgeries while incarcerated.
Weinstein, who numerous women have accused of using his power and influence to be a sexual predator, was hit with the more than two-decade sentence last week for raping an aspiring actress and sexually abusing a TV and film production assistant.


newyorkpost--2020-03-18--This was one very strange Yankees batting practice

TAMPA — A day in the life of the Yankees , ...

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TAMPA — With the world slowing down around them, the Yankees that have so far remained in town tried to maintain some kind of normalcy, which is why several of them showed up to take batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday with hitting coach Marcus Thames.
Not surprisingly, even that has been modified in the age of the coronavirus, which as of Wednesday morning, had infected two Yankees minor leaguers.
Working with Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, Tyler Wade and Clint Frazier, Thames said he wore latex gloves to try to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus that has stopped virtually all sports — including MLB.
“We try to space ourselves out and not touch the ball,’’ Thames said of the drills they did Wednesday. “I have to wear latex gloves and guys wore batting gloves. We’re trying to stay safe and listen to the health [department] to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”
Thames said Stanton, who suffered a strained calf early in spring training, looked “good” and hit both inside and outside.
He almost certainly wouldn’t have been ready for Opening Day if the start of the season hadn’t been pushed back from March 26 in Baltimore, but with MLB heeding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that they limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people until mid-May, Stanton may be ready in time.
“He’s doing good,’’ Thames said.
Though about a dozen players on the 40-man roster have so far stayed in Tampa and can work at Steinbrenner Field, minor leaguers remain in quarantine after a pair of players tested positive.
They will be quarantined at least until March 25 and then will likely be encouraged to return home. Those unable to do so will be able to stay in Tampa and continue to get the three meals per day and the added stipend the team is currently providing.
The two minor leaguers who tested positive for the virus remain symptom-free.
The Yankees declined to say if any other player had undergone testing, which has been administered independently by the Florida Department of Health.
Though the pair of minor leaguers are not believed to have had contact with anyone on the major league side, Thames said it got the Yankees’ attention.
“It’s concerning, especially with what’s going on,’’ Thames said. “You try to stay away from people as much as you can. It’s hard, just with the industry we’re in.”
Still, Thames intends to keep coming to Steinbrenner Field as long as it’s open and hitters are around.
“I live here [in Tampa] and if guys want to work out, I’ll still come and try to help,’’ Thames said. “We’ll see if everybody can get through this together.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Parents are losing their minds having kids home during coronavirus

It was with much fanfare that Jenn Falik and her ...

Natalie Musumeci, Kevin Sheehan, Melkorka Licea

Home sweet home? More like home fresh hell.
New York City parents are losing their minds trying to balance working from home and playing teacher to their cooped-up kids amid the coronavirus outbreak. Schools shut down Monday, leaving mom and dad to their own devices.
“It’s definitely chaos,” says a 37-year-old Brooklyn lawyer and mom of two, who asked to withhold her name for work reasons. “Everything is out. Toys are everywhere. It’s complete mayhem in here. Do you know how hard it is to research and write while I have two f - - king kids running around?”
This isn’t the first time the Bay Ridge attorney has had to work from home with her kids in tow (a boy, 4, and a girl, 5), but having to stay on top of their schoolwork for weeks on end is almost too much to handle, she says.
“To teach them and to do my work is f - - king insane,” she says. “I’ve worked from home before, but I never had to teach them.”
Her daughter, who attends a private school, still has daily assignments that she has to complete as part of the curriculum.
“I have to check her homework and it disrupts what I’m doing,” says the frazzled mother.
Many parents agree that keeping their children entertained — and on top of their work — is a constant struggle now.
“It’s difficult, we do not want them playing on the computer all the time,” says Jenny Beguero, 37, who was playing tag with her two kids and hubby at Juniper Valley Park in Queens Wednesday. “They miss school.”
City officials say it’s still OK for people to visit green spaces as long as they practice proper social distancing and aren’t experiencing any sickness symptoms. They should also be sure to wash their hands after using playground equipment.
“Parks are open and great places to get fresh air and exercise, but we want New Yorkers to use their common sense,” said Parks Department spokeswoman Crystal Howard in a statement. “When in a park, we recommend activities where social distancing is easy like walking, running, and hiking.”
The Parks Department is working closely with both the mayor’s office and the Health Department, and Howard urges parents to check its website daily for updates.
A dad playing with his 5-year-old son at the park said even the schools themselves are bungling the move to online learning.
“With the school, things didn’t work. Nothing worked!” says Jerry, 44, who asked to withhold his last name for employment reasons. “They were supposed to set up online classes but it didn’t work. We don’t know what to do.”
It’s not just Big Apple parents who are ripping their hair out — North Carolina mom Stephanie Caudle is feeling the pressure to suddenly be a good teacher to her 5-year-old daughter, too.
“It’s stressful because I am receiving six to seven emails from my daughter’s school each day,” says Caudle, 31. “I often stress if I’m doing it right and if my child is going to fall behind because I am currently juggling so much.”
Caudle, who runs the freelance staffing agency Black Girl Group for African-American women, has had to pacify a few tantrums along the way.
“I had a brief moment of frustration when my daughter randomly decided to throw her shoe across the room for no reason but that she thought it seemed cool,” says Caudle. That is, “before it hit me.”
Getting her daughter to switch into learning mode while still at home has been a big issue for the mom as well.
“The hardest part is trying to remind my daughter that [while] we are at home, this is still ‘school time,’ ” she says.
As if the homework weren’t enough, there’s also the question of feeding them, says the unnamed attorney from Bay Ridge.
“Living with little kids is like living with dogs,” she says. “All they want to do is eat all day.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--MLB’s coronavirus relief plan hung up on service time

Major League Baseball is considering skipping its amateur draft this ...

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Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office announced a deal Thursday to provide financial relief to minor leaguers by giving them a lump sum commensurate to what their spring training allowances would have been through April 8, the day before the minor league season was to begin.
MLB’s plan was not to work out a package for the minor leaguers until it had finalized a deal with how to handle 40-man roster players. That no deal had yet to be reached by Thursday afternoon indicates what a hurdle working out service time is in negotiations between MLB and the Players Association.
Service time is among the most vital elements in the game, impacting when players become eligible for arbitration and free agency, while also determining how vested a player is in the pension plan.
The union’s recent proposal was that even if no games were played in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, players would receive full service time for the 2020 season as long as they had reached certain service time criteria in 2019 — the initial plan was at least 60 days of service. MLB countered that a full service year (normally 172 days) would be credited for 130 games or more and that after that players would receive credit for actual days played. Thus, if a season were reduced to 110 days (even if with doubleheaders more games were played than days), a player would get the 110 days of service.
An example of why this is important: In a normal season, Mookie Betts (who has five years, 70 days of service) would get the 102 days he needs to reach the six-year threshold and be the biggest free agent next offseason. But if enough games are lost that could be in jeopardy. But that would be even more true for players such as Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has five years, 38 days of service and Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray (five years, seven days).
Super Two eligibility for arbitration starts roughly at two years, 120 days. Gleyber Torres is 132 days short of that — again no problem in a normal year. This is anything but normal.
Once President Donald Trump declared a “national emergency” on Friday, it meant that via a clause in the uniform player’s contract the commissioner had the right to withhold salary. However, that has not been a substantial sticking point in MLB/union negotiations. MLB’s plan called for lump payments through May that the Players Association was free to distribute how it wanted to 40-man roster players.
It is service time that has been the problem with MLB intractable about bestowing it without games being played — and no revenue coming in. Again consider the Betts case, that would mean the Dodgers traded for Betts, would receive zero games played and then would lose him to free agency. Conversely, James Paxton (five years, 151 days) and Marcus Stroman (five years, 148 days) are so close to free agency that to get zero credit would make them a year older and yet still having to play a full season to get to free agency.
This is why the service time issue has become such a hornet’s nest between MLB and the union.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--US needs to move fast to end coronavirus-related shortage of basic medical supplies

Hospital workers battling the coronavirus in Washington State have been ...

Frontline US medical workers are getting desperate — with some turning to craft stores for supplies to fashion makeshift personal protective equipment.
It’s not just pricey items like ventilators in short supply: Top hospitals like Sloan Kettering and Mass General are low on face masks, gowns and gloves, even nasal swabs.
President Trump just invoked the 1950 Defense Production Act, which gives the feds the power to push for faster turnaround in the manufacture of needed supplies and the ability to take priority in getting them — but then implied it was really just about being set for “a worst-case scenario in the future.”
No, sir: The need is now. Get US industry moving faster, so the country can avoid that worst-case scenario.
In the hot spot of Washington state, hospital workers have taken to hitting craft stores and Home Depot for vinyl, industrial tape, foam and elastic to improvise face shields.
Doctors and nurses across the nation report having to ration and reuse masks and other personal protective equipment. Shortages increase their risk of exposure — which can put them in quarantine, unable to help treat the growing number of patients.
Italy has seen some 1,700 medical workers test positive, about 8 percent of its corona cases.
The Pentagon says it’ll ship out 5 million N95 air-filtering masks and 2,000 ventilators from its reserves. That’s great — but it’s not enough. Five years ago, government scientists estimated that we’d need at least 1.7 billion N95 masks for a severe flu epidemic infecting 30 percent of Americans.
Trump just signed a law OKing use of “industrial” N95 respirators in medical settings (which probably should never have been illegal). Construction companies are handing their N95 masks over to needy hospitals, while mask-makers like 3M are boosting production as fast as they can.
Trump said Thursday, “I’ve asked the FDA to eliminate outdated rules and bureaucracy.” Don’t ask, Mr. President: Tell.
The medical front line needs every bureaucrat to get the hell out of the way.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Crises demand the (completely constitutional) use of major presidential power

President Trump said Thursday that the head of Carnival Corporation ...

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We are in the throes of a once-a-generation emergency. As a novel coronavirus smacks our economy, upends our way of life and threatens to cripple health care, Americans expect a bold response from our government. And rightly so: Government exists, foremost, to secure the public good, and there’s nothing like a pandemic to remind us of this duty.
President Trump has asserted a vast federal power to address supply shortages, help the financially vulnerable and see us through this. State and local governments, meanwhile, have restricted public gatherings to prevent the virus’ spread. Right on.
Predictably, a small but vocal and influential minority of anti-government types are accusing the president of unlawfully seizing power and claiming that bar closures are tyrannical. All hogwash. Let’s break it down.
On Wednesday, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, an obscure Korean War-era law that allowed then-President Harry Truman to mobilize privately owned domestic manufacturing capacity for the war effort. Now, the act allows Trump to alleviate medical-supply shortages. A Wednesday White House executive order states that Trump will use the act to procure “health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19,” including masks and ventilators.
It’d take a hard heart to respond to such an anodyne measure with howls of “tyranny.” Trump’s action follows authority delegated by Congress. Truman may have lost the steel-seizure-case of 1952, but as the great Justice Robert Jackson noted in his now-canonical concurrence, the president’s authority is at its “maximum” when lawmakers have already authorized an action.
Trump’s action isn’t merely legal — it’s just. Americans have always looked to the president in times of desperation. FDR’s “fireside chats” provided comfort to many at the nadir of the Great Depression. No New Yorker who was alive at the time will ever forget George W. Bush’s bullhorn speech from the Ground Zero rubble. We look to our leaders to, well, lead.
Trump’s use of a wartime law to mitigate public-health concerns amid an outbreak accords with this tradition of presidential leadership. And it is perfectly consonant with pursuing “the common good of the society,” which James Madison told us in Federalist 57 is the “aim of every political constitution.”
Trump also announced this week that the Federal Housing Administration will suspend mortgage foreclosures and evictions until the end of April. Plus, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is suspending foreclosures and evictions for single-family mortgages for at least 60 days.
There is direct precedent for this, as presidents in the past have instituted similar forbearance measures after natural disasters. Trump is yet again on sound legal footing. His common-sense actions are just and proper, the minimum a decent political community can do right now to allay suffering borrowers.
Less officially, Trump has issued strong rhetorical guidance to state and local officials to promote “social distancing” and shutter gatherings of 10 or more people. And we hear the refrain from some quarters that state or local government still shouldn’t be able to close businesses.
America’s Founders would have scoffed at this prioritization of the profit motive over the common good in a time of grave crisis. Our constitutional framework is perhaps best summarized by Madison in Federalist 45: The “powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined,” while those “which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite.”
State governments and municipalities have wide “police power” to regulate the health, morals and public safety of their citizens.
That police power means nothing if it doesn’t encompass sweeping measures to ward off a novel pestilence wreaking havoc upon a populace. Nineteenth-century Massachusetts, the cradle of the American Revolution, expressly instructed its townships to “use all possible care to prevent the spreading” of such an “infection” in order to protect the commonwealth’s “common safety.”
If the social-compact theory behind America’s Founding means anything, it means the state can compel millennials to forgo two weeks of Brooklyn debauchery to prevent granny from catching a lethal disease.
Trite though it may sound, the reality has never been starker: We are all in this together. It is past time that we ditch Ayn Randian dogmatism that has no roots in the Founding and embrace the ties that bind our destinies.
Josh Hammer is a syndicated columnist and of counsel at First Liberty Institute. Twitter: @Josh_Hammer


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Coronavirus could leave top students unprepared for high school

Students who won admission to the city ’ s hyper-competitive specialized high schools next year are concerned about falling behind due to coronavirus school closures .
While the Department of Education is marshaling remote learning to keep kids engaged , students headed to juggernauts like Stuyvesant High School are worried about lags in coursework and preparation for the next level .
Frances Kweller , founder and director of Kweller Prep , said the potentially lengthy stoppage will rob city kids of crucial instruction — especially those who are academically advanced .
“ There will inevitably be learning loss , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplement their instruction and the time in now .
If they fall behind they might not be able to catch up later.
” Kweller said top high schools require mastery of courses like AP physics — subjects not easily taught through computer screens and cyber-teachers .
One of Kweller ’ s students , Mason Grant of Brooklyn , learned Thursday that he earned a spot at Stuyvesant — considered one of the most rigorous high schools in the country .
While there was no quieting her jubilation , the coronavirus closure did give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son ’ s preparedness .
“ We are just going to try to keep him on a regimen , ” said Shawn Grant .
“ Of course if you give any kid too much free time they are going to get distracted.
” Grant said she is going to use some of the down time to enroll her son in Kweller ’ s supplemental classes to ensure that he ’ s ready to go once the bell rings at Stuyvesant — whenever that might be .
“ We just have to let him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Mason was one of 10 black city kids to secure a spot at the top school .
Meanwhile , Asian and white students dominated admissions to the city ’ s specialized high schools yet again this year — figures that will likely reignite the debate over entry criteria for the eight coveted campuses .
“ They deserve to take a moment to celebrate their hard work and achievements , ” said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza .
“ At the same time , diversity in our specialized high schools remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test does not capture our students ’ full potential .
I am hopeful we ’ ll move towards a more equitable system next year .
”

Students who won admission to the city’s hyper-competitive specialized high schools next year are concerned about falling behind due to coronavirus school closures.
While the Department of Education is marshaling remote learning to keep kids engaged, students headed to juggernauts like Stuyvesant High School are worried about lags in coursework and preparation for the next level.
Frances Kweller, founder and director of Kweller Prep, said the potentially lengthy stoppage will rob city kids of crucial instruction — especially those who are academically advanced.
“There will inevitably be learning loss,” she said. “They need to supplement their instruction and the time is now. If they fall behind they might not be able to catch up later.”
Kweller said top high schools require mastery of courses like AP physics — subjects not easily taught through computer screens and cyber-teachers.
One of Kweller’s students, Mason Grant of Brooklyn, learned Thursday that he earned a spot at Stuyvesant — considered one of the most rigorous high schools in the country.
While there was no quieting her jubilation, the coronavirus closure did give Mason’s mother pause about her son’s preparedness.
“We are just going to try to keep him on a regimen,” said Shawn Grant. “Of course if you give any kid too much free time they are going to get distracted.”
Grant said she is going to use some of the down time to enroll her son in Kweller’s supplemental classes to ensure that he’s ready to go once the bell rings at Stuyvesant — whenever that might be.
“We just have to let him know that he can do it,” she said. Mason was one of 10 black city kids to secure a spot at the top school.
Meanwhile, Asian and white students dominated admissions to the city’s specialized high schools yet again this year — figures that will likely reignite the debate over entry criteria for the eight coveted campuses.
“They deserve to take a moment to celebrate their hard work and achievements,” said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. “At the same time, diversity in our specialized high schools remains stagnant, because we know a single test does not capture our students’ full potential. I am hopeful we’ll move towards a more equitable system next year.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--California man who recently visited Disney World dies of coronavirus

Walt Disney World in Florida has closed due to the ...

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A cancer survivor has reportedly died in California just days after he tested positive for the coronavirus and after a recent visit to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida.
Jeffrey Ghazarian, 34, died Thursday morning at a Pasadena hospital two weeks after he developed a cough while visiting the Florida theme parks, according to a report from TMZ.
Ghazarian began coughing while in Florida on Saturday, March 7 and flew to LAX on March 9, where he immediately went to the ER with a high fever, according to the gossip site.
His test for coronavirus came back positive on Friday and by the next day he was rushed to the ICU with his lungs 60 to 70 percent blocked with pneumonia. TMZ said Ghazarian was approved to receive antiviral medication, but the medicine was delayed and never reached him.
Ghazarian had a medical history that could have made him more susceptible to the virus, including asthma, childhood bronchitis, and testicular cancer, which he beat back in 2016, according to the report.
Ghazarian flew to Orlando on March 2 for a conference and decided to stay in town to go with friends to Disney and Universal. Both parks announced they would close on March 16 due to the growing pandemic until at least the end of the month.
“He suffered a lot and put up a good fight,” the man’s sister told TMZ. “We will miss our Jeff everyday but we are thankful for all the fun happy memories of the times we had together.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--NFL free agency 2020: Giants add Colt McCoy as Daniel Jones backup

The Giants have their Daniel Jones insurance policy .
The team agreed to a deal with former Redskins quarterback Colt @ @ @ @ @ NFL Network .
The 33-year-old McCoy , who also played for the Browns and 49ers @ @ @ @ @ Giants mainstay Alex Tanney to be Jones ’ top backup this season .
He also @ @ @ @ @ mentor to the second-year starter .
McCoy has started just seven games in the past @ @ @ @ @ .
He lost in his only start last year , throwing for 122 yards and @ @ @ @ @

The Giants have a new quarterback.
Daniel Jones’ starting job is safe, but there is a new favorite for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart — last occupied somewhat uncomfortably by two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning before retirement.
Colt McCoy, 33, agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year contract, giving the Giants a backup with 39 games played and 28 starts over his 10-year career with the Browns, 49ers and Redskins. He made three starts over the last two seasons in the NFC East.
The base value of McCoy’s deal is $2.25 million, with $1.5 million guaranteed and a max value of $3 million, a source told The Post.
McCoy, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist while at Texas, will be challenged by fellow veteran Alex Tanney, who has played in two games during his eight-year career with eight teams.
Tanney, 32, first joined the Giants in 2018 and was Manning’s backup that season. He was the No. 3 quarterback last season, but played a significant behind-the-scenes preparation role in Jones’ development.
The Giants exercised a $1 million contractual option on Tanney earlier this month. But Tanney’s contract is not guaranteed — McCoy’s guarantees mean greater security — so he could be cut with no dead money.
However, the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement allows teams more flexibility to carry three quarterbacks by getting rid of the restrictions preventing veterans from holding a spot on the practice squad.
The Giants previously showed interest in Matt Moore, a 13-year veteran who spent last season with the Chiefs and filled in for two games when Patrick Mahomes was injured.
The Giants hired Craig Fitzgerald from the University of Tennessee to be their strength and conditioning coach, as he confirmed on his Twitter account. He previously directed the program for four seasons with the Texans.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Iran releases American held since 2018 on medical furlough, State Dept. says

More than 200,000 coronavirus cases have now been reported worldwide , ...

A US Navy veteran held in Iran since 2018 and serving a 13-year sentence has been released on medical furlough, the State Department announced on Thursday.
Michael White of California was released on humanitarian grounds but must remain in Iran, a statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
White is in the custody of the Swiss Embassy where he will undergo testing and evaluation.
“The United States will continue to work for Michael’s full release as well as the release of all wrongfully detained Americans in Iran,” the statement said.
Pompeo also called on Iran to release other Americans who are being held in Iran.
White was arrested after visiting a girlfriend in July 2018 when he was detained.
Iranian officials said he insulted Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and posted private information online.
A White family spokesman said they were thankful for Iran taking the “interim humanitarian step.”
“We continue to urge them to release Michael unconditionally so that he can return to the United States to receive the advanced medical care he needs,” spokesman Jon Franks said in a statement.
Iran is being ravaged by the coronavirus.
The Islamic Republic has more than 18,000 cases and 1,284 people have died.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Why J Balvin is a man of the people

Why J Balvin is a man of the people

For J Balvin , what a difference a month — and a pandemic — makes .
In February , the reggaeton superstar was grinding up thisclose to Jennifer Lopez ’ s famous booty at the Super Bowl halftime show in front of thousands in Miami .
But now — even though he ’ s launching a new album , “ Colores , ” out Friday — he ’ s in self-isolation in his Colombian hometown .
“ I ’ m in quarantine right now in Medellín , man , ” Balvin , 33 , tells The Post over a WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re taking care of each other .
Sometimes it gets a little frustrating because you wan na be out there spreading your music all around the world , but I ’ m positive.
” In fact , Balvin decided not to postpone his album release despite the coronavirus crisis and the limited promotion he ’ ll be able to do outside of his Instagram .
“ The environment and the situation might not be the best , but I think this time I ’ m gon na do it from the heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why I ’ m dropping the album no matter what .
I was like , ‘ Let ’ s bring some joy to the world .
Let ’ s bring some happiness right now.
’ ” Since making his debut with 2013 ’ s “ La Familia , ” Balvin — whose J stands for José — has been spreading plenty of hip-swerving happiness with hits such as 2017 ’ s international smash “ Mi Gente ” ( “ My People ” ) , winning four Latin Grammys along the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the top of the US pop charts with “ I Like It , ” his No .
1 single with Cardi B and Bad Bunny , and made a guest appearance during Beyoncé ’ s epic Coachella takeover to perform their “ Mi Gente ” remix .
Balvin had another one of those “ cultural moments , ” bringing Spanish-language music to the US masses , when he opened the 2019 Grammys with Camila Cabello and Ricky Martin .
“ That ’ s always been my dream — taking our culture and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I think we ’ re doing it , ” he says .
“ I just wan na keep raising the bar and make my people feel proud.
” He certainly did just that when he joined Lopez , Shakira and Bad Bunny for a Super Bowl halftime show that celebrated Latin pride — and murdered the stage .
“ We found out about it , like , six months before , ” says Balvin of his surprise appearance during Lopez ’ s portion of the show .
“ It was really hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amazing .
I got a lot of respect for her … her discipline , how humble she is , how real she is .
Man , it ’ s crazy.
” Like the Bronx-born Lopez , Balvin has a local connection : Before his career began , he came to New York to learn English .
“ I went to Oklahoma first and then , for some reasons , I ended up being in New York , the city that opened up my dreams [ to ] dream bigger , ” says Balvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Manhattan : “ When I ’ m in the States , I ’ m in New York.
” Balvin says he titled his new Spanish language album “ Colores ” ( “ Colors ” ) “ because it ’ s about inclusion.
” Each track is named after a different color , including new single “ Amarillo , ” which paints his vision of yellow .
“ Every color is a different vibe , ” says the singer , who plans to release a video for each of the 10 songs on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect on his album release , Balvin knows well to appreciate life and his success , having survived after a small private plane he was on crashed following takeoff from the Bahamas in 2016 .
“ I ’ m just grateful , man , ” he says .
“ It was a miracle .
We were , like , perfect .
Nothing happened , not even one scratch … We ’ re here for a reason .
God wanted me to put some colors in this world .
”

For J Balvin, what a difference a month — and a pandemic — makes.
In February, the reggaeton superstar was grinding up thisclose to Jennifer Lopez’s famous booty at the Super Bowl halftime show in front of thousands in Miami. But now — even though he’s launching a new album, “Colores,” out Friday — he’s in self-isolation in his Colombian hometown.
“I’m in quarantine right now in Medellín, man,” Balvin, 33, tells The Post over a WhatsApp call from his home. “We’re taking care of each other. Sometimes it gets a little frustrating because you wanna be out there spreading your music all around the world, but I’m positive.”
In fact, Balvin decided not to postpone his album release despite the coronavirus crisis and the limited promotion he’ll be able to do outside of his Instagram. “The environment and the situation might not be the best, but I think this time I’m gonna do it from the heart,” he says. “That’s why I’m dropping the album no matter what. I was like, ‘Let’s bring some joy to the world. Let’s bring some happiness right now.’”
Since making a big splash with 2013’s “La Familia,” Balvin — whose J stands for José — has been spreading plenty of hip-swerving happiness with hits such as 2017’s international smash “Mi Gente” (“My People”), winning four Latin Grammys along the way. In 2018, he crossed over to the top of the US pop charts with “I Like It,” his No. 1 single with Cardi B and Bad Bunny, and made a guest appearance during Beyoncé’s epic Coachella takeover to perform their “Mi Gente” remix.
Balvin had another one of those “cultural moments,” bringing Spanish-language music to the US masses, when he opened the 2019 Grammys with Camila Cabello and Ricky Martin. “That’s always been my dream — taking our culture and music in Spanish to another level — and I think we’re doing it,” he says. “I just wanna keep raising the bar and make my people feel proud.”
He certainly did just that when he joined Lopez, Shakira and Bad Bunny for a Super Bowl halftime show that celebrated Latin pride — and murdered the stage. “We found out about it, like, six months before,” says Balvin of his surprise appearance during Lopez’s portion of the show. “It was really hard to keep the secret. J.Lo was amazing. I got a lot of respect for her … her discipline, how humble she is, how real she is. Man, it’s crazy.”
Like the Bronx-born Lopez, Balvin has a local connection: Before his career began, he came to New York to learn English. “I went to Oklahoma first and then, for some reasons, I ended up being in New York, the city that opened up my dreams [to] dream bigger,” says Balvin, who now keeps his US base in Manhattan: “When I’m in the States, I’m in New York.”
Balvin says he titled his new Spanish language album “Colores” (“Colors”) “because it’s about inclusion.” Each track is named after a different color, including new single “Amarillo,” which paints his vision of yellow. “Every color is a different vibe,” says the singer, who plans to release a video for each of the 10 songs on the LP.
Despite the coronavirus’ effect on his album release, Balvin knows well to appreciate life and his success, having survived after a small private plane he was on crashed following takeoff from the Bahamas in 2016. “I’m just grateful, man,” he says. “It was a miracle. We were, like, perfect. Nothing happened, not even one scratch … We’re here for a reason. God wanted me to put some colors in this world.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--The secrets behind creating a new ‘Westworld’ universe

`` It 's kind of a blessing and a curse , '' he says .

In the future, mankind will have automated cars and an app for outsourcing crime — at least on Season 3 of HBO’s “Westworld.”
“Somehow in the future climate change has been conquered, traffic has been reduced — which in LA is a miracle — and there’s order,” says production designer Howard Cummings. “There seems to be no homelessness. Somehow, something has organized society in a way that has brought this great progress.”
Season 3, with returning stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright, has changed up the “Westworld” narrative. The show’s first two seasons (Sundays at 9 p.m.) were set in a luxury park with historical settings, such as the Wild West, where wealthy people could canoodle and often violently frolic with human-looking robots without consequences — while Delos, the shadowy company running the park, collected their personal data.
The real world outside of the parks was not revealed, until this season, when the “Blade Runner”-esque future was introduced through new character Caleb (Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”). To create the look of LA a few decades from now — which is where the majority of the “real world” scenes are set — the show turned to real world locations that exist today.
“Since 2058 isn’t terribly far in the future, we wanted it to be a grounded futurism and not something where everything was completely unfamiliar,” says Cummings. “So we actually looked at Singapore as inspiration for what this could be. In the end, we ended up filming and shooting in Singapore. The city you see in Episode 1 is a mix between Los Angeles and locations in Singapore.”
In the season opener, which aired March 15, a striking dome-like building where Charlotte (Tessa Thompson) appears is an actual site in Spain. “This season you finally get to see a full Delos corporation,” says Cummings. “So the idea is [that] it’s set up like a campus, like Google or Apple has. So we decided this campus could be the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. We thought rather than make something completely digital, what could be used as real architecture?
“It’s a structure with swooping curves and lots of freeform that echoed a lot of what you’d seen in previous seasons for the laboratory at the park, at Westworld,” he says. “That connected to what the language of the show was.”
As for the automated cars, they took their inspiration from a surprising source: New York City cabs.
“For the automated ride-share [creator Jonathan Nolan] had some ideas — there would be a vehicle people would use almost like a New York Cab,” Cummings says. “That was actually the inspiration. I was like, how could it be futurized and autonomous? It had to have a certain amount of room and be used by multiple people [and] it could go backwards or forwards. It would have to be very see-through as a way of being almost more secure.
“We do have this one rich head of a large corporation. He’s still driving an analog car,” he says. “And that car came from Porsche, in what’s meant to be more like a classic car — the idea that rich people collect classic cars.”
Caleb also uses Rico, an app that outsources crimes and is a mixture of Tinder and TaskRabbit that, Cummings says, was inspired by Snapchat.
“That was sort of the underground organization of what was going on,” he says. “You find out on the show that there’s an overarching [Artificial Intelligence] that’s controlling things. This [app] is the underground version.”
While the season premiere has echoes of “Blade Runner,” Cummings says that was not the inspiration.
“There are some ‘Blade Runner’ aspects to it, except that it’s not dystopian in the way that ‘Blade Runner was,” he says. “In some ways, we tried to go the opposite of ‘Blade Runner’ and lean more into something like the movie ‘Her.’
“It’s almost like we blended ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Her’ together,” he says. “We have the sense of order that is present in ‘Her.’ That inspired us.”


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--First New York state judge tests positive for coronavirus

A Queens judge has tested positive for the coronavirus — the first known case among state justices , officials said @ @ @ @ @ Parisi McGowan was last in her courtroom in the Sutphin Boulevard Queens Supreme Courthouse on @ @ @ @ @ courts said .
Parisi McGowan is the first known judge in the state to have @ @ @ @ @ Lucian Chalfen confirmed .
People who may have been in contact with the Parisi McGowan @ @ @ @ @ the areas where she had been in the building were cleaned and disinfected , according @ @ @ @ @ website .
The new case comes on the heels of both state and federal courthouses @ @ @ @ @ and hearings to curb the spread of the virus .
There were more than 4,000 @ @ @ @ @

A Queens judge has tested positive for the coronavirus — the first known case among state justices, officials said Thursday.
Divorce Judge Margaret Parisi McGowan was last in her courtroom in the Sutphin Boulevard Queens Supreme Courthouse on Friday, officials with the courts said.
Parisi McGowan is the first known judge in the state to have contracted COVID-19, courts spokesman Lucian Chalfen confirmed.
People who may have been in contact with the Parisi McGowan have been notified, and the areas where she had been in the building were cleaned and disinfected, according to the state courts’ website.
The new case comes on the heels of both state and federal courthouses throughout New York postponing trials and hearings to curb the spread of the virus.
There were more than 4,000 confirmed cases statewide Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Wait — who’s unpresidential? and other commentary

Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden “ has attempted to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to gain political leverage from the moment the outbreak spread to the United States , ” rails The American Spectator ’ s David Catron .
Last Friday , The Washington Post awarded Biden “ four ‘ Pinocchios ’ ” for “ deceptively ” editing President Trump ’ s words , and Catron notes that ’ s “ by no means an isolated offense.
” Biden ’ s attempt “ to blame Trump will backfire , ” because it “ simply isn ’ t presidential ” — while “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear statesmanlike is show up and do his job.
” Biden best beware : Voters will see his decision to “ criticize the man tasked with solving the problem , ” while the ex-veep himself stands “ on the outside with no responsibility , ” as nothing more than “ cheap partisanship.
” Conservative : Medicare for All = Rx for Disaster Medicare for All — even Joe Biden ’ s “ mild ” version — “ would spell disaster amid a cataclysmic pandemic where countless Americans suddenly require intensive care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Examiner , because socialized systems always wind up stinting on basic infrastructure .
America “ has the most intensive-care-unit beds per person of any developed country , ” 34.7 per 100,000 people .
Italy has only 12.5 , “ and it has paid the price , ” as its ICUs have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus outbreak .
Britain , “ whose National Health Service is held up as an exemplar of government-run care , ” has just 6.6 beds per 100,000 .
“ Americans need a better approach than hoping they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationed out of hospital care when they do.
” Surely “ Italy ’ s experience shows that already struggling bureaucratized health-care systems ” can ’ t handle “ a large-scale catastrophe on top of the needs posed by a rapidly aging population.
” If we succeed in containing the coronavirus outbreak , Tom Bossert argues at ABC News , it “ will look like we overreacted.
” That ’ s the “ paradox of apparent overreaction , ” and it ’ s why President Trump this week “ yelled fire while we still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overreact , ” the virus ’ effects might seem like “ a bad year of seasonal flu ” — but if not , “ this virus could kill 200,000 people.
” That ’ s why we mustn ’ t view “ fewer cases ” as “ permission to let down our guard.
” Instead , we have to prepare for the “ long game.
” And if we acknowledge the paradox as we “ take care of each other , ” we could make this “ terrible moment ” our “ finest hour.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to soften the financial blow to workers and to protect their health , reports Veronique de Rugy at Reason .
Walmart , Target and other firms are offering two weeks ’ paid sick leave .
Uber , whose drivers are self-employed , is providing those with COVID-19 or quarantined up to 14 days of aid .
The Metropolitan Opera is streaming performances for free .
Hoop star Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is covering salaries of workers at the Smoothie King Center while the NBA season is suspended .
Local restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need .
From private companies to private citizens , “ examples abound of the generosity and sense of community of the American people.
” For inspiration during this period of social distancing , suggests de Rugy , just check out Facebook .
“ America , you ’ ve got this !
” While the media have decided to “ elevate the petty over the substantive ” and scold Trump for “ calling the virus from China the ‘ China virus , ’ ” few people are discussing “ the culpability of the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out around the world , ” sigh the editors of National Review .
Beijing made “ the problem dramatically worse by trying to cover it up.
” It  “ silenced ” doctors and anti-corruption activists .
This “ cowardice and dishonesty in the early days of the outbreak ” gave the virus a “ head start.
” So don ’ t blame China for being the place where the virus first appeared — but do “ blame Beijing for the other Chinese virus : the repression it practices at home and seeks @ @ @ @

2020 watch: Wait — Who’s Unpresidential?
Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden “has attempted to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to gain political leverage from the moment the outbreak spread to the United States,” rails The American Spectator’s David Catron. Last Friday, The Washington Post awarded Biden “four ‘Pinocchios’ ” for “deceptively” editing President Trump’s words, and Catron notes that’s “by no means an isolated offense.” Biden’s attempt “to blame Trump will backfire,” because it “simply isn’t presidential” — while “all Trump has to do in order to appear statesmanlike is show up and do his job.” Biden best beware: Voters will see his decision to “criticize the man tasked with solving the problem,” while the ex-veep himself stands “on the outside with no responsibility,” as nothing more than “cheap partisanship.”
Conservative: Medicare for All = Rx for Disaster
Medicare for All — even Joe Biden’s “mild” version — “would spell disaster amid a cataclysmic pandemic where countless Americans suddenly require intensive care,” warns Ross Marchand in The Washington Examiner, because socialized systems always wind up stinting on basic infrastructure. America “has the most intensive-care-unit beds per person of any developed country,” 34.7 per 100,000 people. Italy has only 12.5, “and it has paid the price,” as its ICUs have been overwhelmed by the coronavirus outbreak. Britain, “whose National Health Service is held up as an exemplar of government-run care,” has just 6.6 beds per 100,000. “Americans need a better approach than hoping they don’t get sick and then being rationed out of hospital care when they do.” Surely “Italy’s experience shows that already struggling bureaucratized health-care systems” can’t handle “a large-scale catastrophe on top of the needs posed by a rapidly aging population.”
Health beat: A Coronavirus Paradox
If we succeed in containing the coronavirus outbreak, Tom Bossert argues at ABC News, it “will look like we overreacted.” That’s the “paradox of apparent overreaction,” and it’s why President Trump this week “yelled fire while we still have time”: If we “overreact,” the virus’ effects might seem like “a bad year of seasonal flu” — but if not, “this virus could kill 200,000 people.” That’s why we mustn’t view “fewer cases” as “permission to let down our guard.” Instead, we have to prepare for the “long game.” And if we acknowledge the paradox as we “take care of each other,” we could make this “terrible moment” our “finest hour.”
Libertarian: Americans Are Stepping Up
Companies and private citizens are rushing to soften the financial blow to workers and to protect their health, reports Veronique de Rugy at Reason. Walmart, Target and other firms are offering two weeks’ paid sick leave. Uber, whose drivers are self-employed, is providing those with COVID-19 or quarantined up to 14 days of aid. The Metropolitan Opera is streaming performances for free. Hoop star Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is covering salaries of workers at the Smoothie King Center while the NBA season is suspended. Local restaurants are offering free lunches to kids in need. From private companies to private citizens, “examples abound of the generosity and sense of community of the American people.” For inspiration during this period of social distancing, suggests de Rugy, just check out Facebook. “America, you’ve got this!”
Foreign desk: The Other Chinese Virus
While the media have decided to “elevate the petty over the substantive” and scold Trump for “calling the virus from China the ‘China virus,’ ” few people are discussing “the culpability of the Chinese government in the disaster that is playing out around the world,” sigh the editors of National Review. Beijing made “the problem dramatically worse by trying to cover it up.” It “silenced” doctors and anti-corruption activists. This “cowardice and dishonesty in the early days of the outbreak” gave the virus a “head start.” So don’t blame China for being the place where the virus first appeared — but do “blame Beijing for the other Chinese virus: the repression it practices at home and seeks to export.”
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--NBA closing facilities because of coronavirus comes with a new season plan

Kevin Durant came out and said he has tested positive ...

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In a blow to keeping players in game shape during the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA issued a memo to the players’ union stating team practice facilities are to be closed starting Friday. It also prohibits players from working out in public gyms or at universities.
The edict doesn’t bode well for picking up the regular season with all 30 clubs. According to an NBA source, one of the several contingency plans is reviving the season with just 16 teams — the current top eight seeds in each conference — to start the playoffs.
Thursday’s notification departs from a memo sent two days earlier in which individual players were allowed to report to their teams’ facilities to work privately, but kept away from teammates.
The Knicks also have been advised to be in self-quarantine because they faced Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Christian Wood earlier this month and all three since have tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to the memo obtained by The Post: “Effective tomorrow, March 20, and until further notice, team practice and training facilities (including the facilities of teams’ G League affiliates) will be closed to players and staff. This directive is consistent with an increasing number of state and local government restrictions, and an emerging consensus regarding how to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus with which the NBA’s infectious disease and public health experts agree.
“Players are thus prohibited from using public health clubs, fitness centers, gyms, college facilities, or the like,’’ it read. “With the team facilities closed, teams are now prohibited from organizing or engaging with players in any group or individual practices or workouts. Teams may provide players with training, conditioning or other instructional materials for players to use at their homes, if they so choose.”
The Post reported earlier this week players could travel out of their home markets as long as they stay in North America. The new message still permits it, but appears to discourage such travel.
In addition, the letter to the union asks players not to work out at gyms other than in their own homes, encouraging self-isolation.
“As a general matter, players are recommended to remain in their team markets and avoid all non-essential travel,’’ the letter read. “If a player, following coordination and consultation with his team, travels away from the team’s market, he should travel to his destination and stay in that city. Players should continue to take aggressive measures to avoid contact with others and remain home as much as possible, leaving only for essential activities, such as buying food, medicine, or other necessary supplies; obtaining critical medical services; providing necessary care for a family member in another household; or attending to some other emergency.”
The Post has reported Mitchell Robinson and Elfrid Payton flew to New Orleans. A social media photo appears to show Damyean Dotson in Houston with a trainer after a gym workout.
The Knicks released a statement Wednesday night confirming The Post’s report of last Thursday that, in keeping with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, their players won’t be tested for coronavirus without symptoms. The statement said no Knicks had shown symptoms.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Best online sales after coronavirus store closures: Nordstrom, Macy’s and more

NY Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links .
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on , and social distancing has most of us housebound , an afternoon at the mall feels like a distant dream .
But there ’ s a silver lining for shoppers : There are some really sweet deals online right now .
From homewares to clothing , we rounded up the best cyber sales to shop while self-isolating .
Take up to 70 % off cozy knits , outerwear , accessories and more .
Ongoing Get up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women ’ s select wardrobe essentials .
Ongoing The affordable fashion site is offering up to 60 % off new season styles .
Ongoing Receive 30 % off your purchase and an extra 50 % off sale items with code NEWNEW at checkout .
Ongoing The beloved label known for its handbags and colorful prints is offering up to 75 % off everything , plus free ground shipping on orders to the U.S. and Canada .
Through Monday Denim devotees can enjoy 30 % off easy-to-style separates and free shipping with code FRIEND @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand is offering mega markdowns on watch straps .
Ongoing Stock up on thousands of styles at up to 50 % off .
Ongoing Save on men ’ s and women ’ s clothing and accessories from emerging designer brands and free shipping on orders over $ 100 .
Ongoing The online shopping destination has thoughtfully curated a special sample-sale edition of men ’ s , women ’ s and kids ’ items from top brands like Alice + Olivia , Burberry , Gucci , Milly and more .
Through Sunday Get your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 % off designer finds .
Through Saturday Enjoy savings up to 55 % off on fashion forward staples .
Ongoing Get $ 50 off for every $ 200 you spend on stylish home items .
Through Sunday Take 20 % off clothing , accessories , home goods and more with code GET20 at checkout .
Through Sunday Get up to 70 % off on apparel , accessories , home and more , plus get free shipping on orders over $ 25 .
Ongoing Enjoy limited-time savings up to 25 % off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home goods , beauty and more .
Ongoing Get outfitted for spring with deep discounts on clothing for the entire family .
Through Saturday Enjoy up to 20 % savings on select makeup and skincare kits .
Through Monday The all-natural skin and body brand knows hand sanitzer is a hot commodity .
They ’ re offering buy one , get one 50 % off on Fresh EiR hand sanitizer spray with code FRESH50 .
Through Saturday Brush up on your beauty vlogging skills with 25 % off products , including fragrances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mer and more .
Ongoing Stock up on beauty essentials from top brands like Fenty Beauty , Too Faced , Tweezerman , Cover FX and more .
Enter code FREESHIP at checkout to get free shipping on your order .
Ongoing In celebration of its 25th birthday the beauty retailer is offering 25 % off select products when you use code DISCOUNT at checkout .
Plus , get a free Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 15ml Deluxe Travel Size when you spend $ 130 .
Ongoing Enjoy $ 20 off for every $ 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since kicking off its 21 Days of Beauty sale the cosmetic site is offering 50 % off beauty must-haves , spanning makeup , skincare , haircare and body products .
Through April 4 Get a head start on spring cleaning with 20 % off cleaning and organization products , kitchen gadgets and outdoor furniture .
Ongoing Give your apartment some extra TLC with 25 % all furniture , plus free white glove delivery on orders over $ 5,000 with code SPRINGCHIC at checkout .
Through March 26 Stock up on homewares and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promo code LUCKYFS .
Through Tuesday Spice up things in the bedroom with drastically slashed prices on bedroom sets and free shipping .
Through Saturday

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy through our links.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, and social distancing has most of us housebound, an afternoon at the mall feels like a distant dream. But there’s a slight silver lining for shoppers: There are some major deals online. From homewares to clothing, we rounded up the best cyber sales to shop now.
NEW SALES
The size-inclusive shopping site is offering up to 60% off on exclusive archive styles from top brands like Altuzarra, Brandon Maxwell, Christian Siriano, Dolce & Gabbana and more. Through April 30
Get 25% off select footwear and handbags. Ongoing
Step up your shoe game with 50% off new arrivals and up to 70% off on select sale styles. Ongoing
Save on classic staples like the “Modern Utility” shirtdress for $44 (originally $88) and “’90s” flats for $75 (originally $150). Ongoing
Sports fans can get up to 65% off sitewide with code PINCH at checkout. Ongoing
Save on the brand’s boho staples, including dresses, intimates, accessories and more.
Ongoing
Get up to 50% off select footwear, including the men’s “Harrier” suede trainers for $45 (originally $90) and women’s “Bullet Pearl” trainers for $43 (originally $85). Ongoing
Take 50% off all wear-now styles with code REFRESH at checkout. Ongoing
Snag 25% off sitewide with code FRIENDS at checkout. Through April 15
Cook up big savings with 50% off select cookware from the foodie-favorite brand. Ongoing
Score up to 70% off clothing and accessories from cool indie labels. Ongoing
Snag 30% sitewide savings on sunglasses and eyeglasses. Ongoing
Enjoy up to 60% off clothing, footwear, jewelry and more. Ongoing
Rihanna’s intimates label is offering sizzling savings, including two bras or bralettes for $29, plus 50% off all other items. Ongoing
Save on beauty essentials, including the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Avalanche All-Over PowderSet for $49 (originally $99) and T3 SinglePass Curl 1” Professional Curling Iron for $129 (originally $160). Ongoing
Although the footwear brand has put a temporary hold on shipping, you can still shop for the future and save 30% on full-priced items with code SWBRANDNEW30. Ongoing
Get 20% off sitewide, plus free domestic shipping. Shop the brand’s beaded handbags,
including the “Gorgine” rainbow bag for $300 (originally $375) and the new “Picnic” bag for $320 (originally $400). Ongoing
Enjoy up to 40% off luggage. Ongoing
Shop soothing savings on the brand’s percussive therapy devices, including the “Liv” for $199 (originally $249). Ongoing
FASHION
Enjoy deep discounts on womenswear and accessories. Ongoing
Get up to 60% off on WFH essentials and discounts on intimates, including 6 pairs of undies for $25. Ongoing
The bijoux site is offering free U.S. shipping on orders over $35 and free returns. Ongoing
To ensure nothing gets in between you and your Calvins the label is offering 30% sitewide savings, an extra 40% on sale items, and complimentary shipping on 2 or more items. Ongoing
Take 25% off select spring styles with code SPRING25 at checkout. Ongoing
Get 30% off the entire site and free shipping + returns with code EASTERFC30 at checkout. Ongoing
The beloved label known for its handbags and colorful prints is offering up to 75% off everything, plus free ground shipping on orders to the U.S. and Canada. Ongoing
Enjoy 35% off men’s and women’s “Tempo” sneakers. Through Thursday
Get 25% off select styles, including footwear, handbags, leather goods and more with code SPRING25. Ongoing
Take up to 70% off men’s, women’s and home items, including the Which We Want “Ines” tie dye jacket for $44 (originally $98) and LoQ “Nonal” slides for $210 (originally $350). Ongoing
Get an extra 25% off footwear with code LOGIN25. Ongoing
Enjoy 25% off everything, including cult favorites like the “Denali” jacket and “Thermoball Eco” vest with code STAYCOZY at checkout. Through April 19
Upgrade your WFH look with 30% sitewide savings with code WFH30. Through Thursday
Take up to 60% off select earrings and necklaces, including the “Jem” rainbow star earrings for $46 (originally $78) and “Lydia” starburst necklace for $75 (originally $108). Ongoing
Score great deals on men’s, women’s and kids’ footwear. Ongoing
DEPARTMENT STORES
Get up to 60% off select items and an extra 25% off items labeled “25% OFF.” Through Sunday
Save $10 on select home items with code HOME10, plus free shipping on orders over $75. Ongoing
Shop markdowns on menswear, womenswear and kidswear. Ongoing
Get up to 30% off select styles and 25% off jewelry. Though Sunday
BEAUTY
Score savings on beauty sets, including the Eye Trio for $36 (originally $44) and Body Duo for $35 (originally $40), plus free shipping on orders over $30.
Get your April Glossybox for $16 with code BLOSSOM16. Ongoing
Indulge in 10% off beauty products with code 10LF. Plus, receive a complimentary Organic Pharmacy 2 piece set (worth $21) when you spend $90 or more on your purchase. Ongoing
HOME
Enjoy 25% off the entire site, including furniture, dishware, rugs and more. Ongoing
Save on blanket and pillow bundles, rugs and more. Ongoing
Enjoy 15% off and free shipping on roomy desks, task chairs, organization solutions and more. Ongoing
Get up to 65% off furniture, lighting, home decor, and more. Ongoing
Get up to 70% off homewares. Ongoing
Get 15% off mattresses. Ongoing


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Chinatown souvenir shops open amid coronavirus outbreak: ‘I’m scared but what can I do?’

In a sweeping , unprecedented move , the governors of New York , ...

A trio of lonely souvenir stores remained open in Chinatown on Thursday as the coronavirus crisis continued to pummel Big Apple businesses, turning some of the city’s most bustling shopping streets into ghost towns.
“Who is going to pay our rent? We made $100 today. I need to pay rent for my house,” said Safikul Uzzal, 28, who owns two of the open stores, Shah Jalal Gift Shop on Canal Street and Gifts and Souvenirs on Mulberry Street.
“I’m scared but what can I do?”
Uzzal managed to scrape together the measly earnings by selling a few “I Love New York” T-shirts and a couple of magnets depicting the New York license plate to tourists visiting from Florida and Pennsylvania.
He typically sells the shirts for around $10 a pop but had to lower the price to about $6.
“I don’t have any choice,” Uzzal acquiesced.
“Right now there are no tourists.”
One of Uzzal’s employees, who only identified himself as Hassan, was manning the Shah Jalal store while Uzzal worked out of the Mulberry Street outpost.
“It’s very dead, I only made $20 today. A lot of stores closed. I was closed yesterday,” the worker said.
Another shop on Mulberry Street, Little Italy Famous Gifts, also remained open but they were yet to make a sale as of 2:40 p.m. Thursday.
“My owner told me to work today and they made no money,” said the worker, who didn’t give their name.
The open stores were outliers on the deserted streets where the rest of the neighboring businesses, typically swamped with tourists from every corner of the globe, remained closed.
Only a handful of people were seen walking by, all wearing masks on their faces. No one stopped to shop.
Currently, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is allowing non-essential businesses like these to remain open, as long as the store is less than 100,000 square feet and has their own entrance.
Uzzal said he’ll think about closing if he gets some help from the city but right now, that just isn’t an option.
“A couple of stores are open,” he said.
“So I am open, too.”
Additional reporting by Bernadette Hogan and Julia Marsh


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Amazon looking to buy four Fairway stores

Amazon is on the prowl once again — and this time it ’ s eyeing a handful of supermarkets owned by New York City grocer Fairway Market , The Post has learned .
The tech juggernaut run by Jeff Bezos is bidding on four stores owned by the bankrupt Fairway in New York and New Jersey , including one in Brooklyn , home to the popular waterfront mega-market in Red Hook , sources told The Post .
The auction , which kicked off Monday and continued into Thursday , comes as the coronavirus brings the country to its knees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also proven a boon for Amazon ’ s online ordering business as people hunker down at home .
Shares of Amazon — based in Seattle , the epicenter of the crisis in the US — are up 4.6 percent this year , compared to a drop of 25 percent in the S & P 500 .
And Bezos — the richest man in the world worth an estimated $ 118 billion , according to Forbes — is its biggest shareholder .
Amazon has been focused on just four of Fairway ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been held online and via phone due to the coronavirus , sources said .
They include a store in Pelham , New York , about a half-hour north of Manhattan , a store in Brooklyn and two in New Jersey , sources said .
The New Jersey stores , sources said , are in Woodland Park and Paramus , both about 30 minutes west of Manhattan .
In Brooklyn , Fairway owns a store in Red Hook , which boasts views of the Statue of Liberty , and is in the Georgetown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airport .
Amazon is keeping its plans for the stores close to its vest , however .
While some watchers speculated that the tech giant could use the stores as distribution centers , its interest in Fairway comes as Bezos ramps up his supermarket footprint .
Amazon bought upscale grocery chain Whole Foods in 2017 for $ 13.4 billion and recently launched a cashierless grocery store in Seattle ’ s Capitol Hill neighborhood .
It ’ s also been working on a 20,000-square-foot grocery store in Woodland Hills , California , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shelves , as The Post reported in February .
Amazon ’ s Seattle store is a supermarket version of its Amazon Go convenience stores , which allow people to grab and go , paying via their phones .
The Woodland store is slated to be even more high tech , focused on pickup and delivery with a separate section for shoppers to grab fresh groceries , according to a New York Times report last year .
And while business at Fairway has soared in recent weeks as people stock up on toilet paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been interested pre-virus , ” a source confirmed .
The Seattle company is expected to win the auction , which resumed at 4 p.m. on Thursday , said one person familiar with the proceedings .
“ Amazon has deep pockets , ” added the source , who did not want to be identified .
“ It ’ s like pocket change for them .
If they want something they probably won ’ t be outbid.
” The Seattle company has not , however , expressed interest in buying the entire Fairway chain or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become synonymous with Manhattan ’ s Upper West Side , where Fairway got its start , sources added .
Fairway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January — for a second time since the Glickberg family that founded it sold an 80 percent stake to private-equity firm Sterling Investment for $ 140 million in 2007 .
Sterling loaded Fairway down with debt in order to expand it even as it was facing growing competition from physical supermarkets like Trader Joe ’ s and online delivery services like Amazon and Fresh Direct @

Amazon is on the prowl once again — and this time it’s eyeing a handful of supermarkets owned by New York City grocer Fairway Market, The Post has learned.
The tech juggernaut run by Jeff Bezos is bidding on four stores owned by the bankrupt Fairway in New York and New Jersey, including one in Brooklyn, home to a popular waterfront mega-market in Red Hook, sources told The Post.
The auction, which kicked off Monday and continued into Thursday, comes as the coronavirus brings the country to its knees, raising recession fears. But COVID-19 has also proven a boon for Amazon’s online ordering business as people hunker down at home.
Shares of Amazon — based in Seattle, the epicenter of the crisis in the US — are up 4.6 percent this year, compared to a drop of 25 percent in the S&P 500. And Bezos — the richest man in the world — is its biggest shareholder.
Amazon has been focused on just four of Fairway’s 14 stores in recent negotiations, which have been held online and via phone due to the coronavirus, sources said. They include a store in Pelham, New York, about a half-hour north of Manhattan, a store in Brooklyn and two in New Jersey, sources said.
The New Jersey stores, sources said, are in Woodland Park and Paramus, both about 30 minutes west of Manhattan. In Brooklyn, Fairway owns a store in Red Hook, which boasts views of the Statue of Liberty, and is in the Georgetown neighborhood, near JFK Airport.
Amazon is keeping its plans for the stores close to its vest, however. While some watchers speculated that the tech giant could use the stores as distribution centers, its interest in Fairway comes as Bezos ramps up his supermarket footprint.
Amazon bought upscale grocery chain Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.4 billion and recently launched a cashierless grocery store in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It’s also been working on a 20,000-square-foot grocery store in Woodland Hills, California, which is expected to be equipped with robots stocking shelves, as The Post reported in February.
Amazon’s Seattle store is a supermarket version of its Amazon Go convenience stores, which allow people to grab and go, paying via their phones. The Woodland store is slated to be even more high tech, focused on pickup and delivery with a separate section for shoppers to grab fresh groceries, according to a New York Times report last year.
And while business at Fairway has soared in recent weeks as people stock up on toilet paper and canned goods, Amazon “had been interested pre-virus,” a source confirmed.
The Seattle company is expected to win the auction, which resumed at 4 p.m. on Thursday, said one person familiar with the proceedings. “Amazon has deep pockets,” added the source, who did not want to be identified. “It’s like pocket change for them. If they want something they probably won’t be outbid.”
The Seattle company has not, however, expressed interest in buying the entire Fairway chain or its nearly century-old brand name, which has become synonymous with Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where Fairway got its start, sources added.
Fairway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January — for a second time since the Glickberg family that founded it sold an 80 percent stake to private-equity firm Sterling Investment for $140 million in 2007. Sterling loaded Fairway down with debt in order to expand it even as it was facing growing competition from physical supermarkets like Trader Joe’s and online delivery services like Amazon and Fresh Direct.


newyorkpost--2020-03-19--Coronavirus worse for NYC hotels than recession, 9/11 combined, union says

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The coronavirus epidemic could be more devastating to the Big Apple ’ s hotel business than the 1987 stock market crash , the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 recession combined , the head of the 40,000-member hotel workers union said Thursday .
“ This is worse than all of those put together .
9/11 was insignificant compared to this , ” Hotel and Motel Trades Council chief Peter Ward told New York 1 on Thursday .
“ Hotels never dipped below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] … and that was only for a 20-day period .
The effect of 9 /11 on the hotel industry was very brief , ” Ward said .
One of the city ’ s largest hotels , the 1,878-room Hilton Midtown , has shut down entirely , Ward told the local news network .
Ward projected that as much as 95 percent of the hotel industry ’ s union staff could be laid off as soon as next week — cuts that will hit waiters , cleaners , engineers , security , lobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There will be closings and just massive layoffs , ” he said , adding that he ’ s negotiating with hotel management to allow employees to use their paid-time-off to lessen the financial blow and to extend medical coverage for employees .
“ They have zero convention business , zero commercial business travelers , and zero tourists , ” he said , referring to an occupancy rate of under ten percent .
“ They simply had to shutter their doors , ” he added .
“ You can ’ t even pay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hotels can temporarily reopen for alternative use , perhaps serving as sites for COVID-19 patients that would put some employees back to work .
The consequences could be enormous for the city ’ s bottom line , Ward warned .
“ This is the second-largest taxpayer as a business in the City of New York .
”

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus epidemic could be more devastating to the Big Apple’s hotel business than the 1987 stock market crash, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 recession combined, the head of the 40,000-member hotel workers union said Thursday.
“This is worse than all of those put together. 9/11 was insignificant compared to this,” Hotel and Motel Trades Council chief Peter Ward told New York 1 on Thursday. “Hotels never dipped below 60 percent occupied [after Sept. 11] … and that was only for a 20-day period. The effect of 9 /11 on the hotel industry was very brief,” Ward said.
“This,” he added, “is just crushing.”
One of the city’s largest hotels, the 1,878-room Hilton Midtown, has shut down entirely, Ward told the local news network.
Ward projected that as much as 95 percent of the hotel industry’s union staff could be laid off as soon as next week — cuts that will hit waiters, cleaners, engineers, security, lobby clerks and other job types.
“There will be closings and just massive layoffs,” he said, adding that he’s negotiating with hotel management to allow employees to use their paid-time-off to lessen the financial blow and to extend medical coverage for employees.
“They have zero convention business, zero commercial business travelers, and zero tourists,” he said, referring to an occupancy rate of under ten percent. “They simply had to shutter their doors,” he added. “You can’t even pay the electrical bills.”
He said he hopes the hotels can temporarily reopen for alternative use, perhaps serving as sites for COVID-19 patients that would put some employees back to work.
The consequences could be enormous for the city’s bottom line, Ward warned.
“This is the second-largest taxpayer as a business in the City of New York.”