newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Man runs ‘Boston Marathon’ by doing 1,098 laps on NYC roof

Stephen England ran the Boston Marathon on Monday — by jogging around the rooftop of his Manhattan apartment building more than 1,000 times .
Initially scheduled for Monday , April 20 , the historic race was moved to Sept. 14 due to the ban on gatherings necessitated by the coronavirus .
It has taken place every year since 1897 , even during the World Wars .
England , a 40-year-old general contractor who has run 90 marathons and ultramarathons , was committed to honoring his race entry — hoofing it for 26.2 miles all while adhering to stay-at-home guidelines .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of my life , ” England , 40 , tells The Post .
“ I ’ ve done it seven times and was there during the 2013 bombing .
So , as soon as it got postponed , I knew I had to do something to honor Marathon Monday.
” To accomplish the feat , England calculated the distance he could run around the perimeter of his 38-by-25-foot rooftop in South Harlem , determining the maximum space he could use given various planters and other obstructions .
The result : he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,098 laps would equal 26.2 miles .
He started at 6 a.m. Monday , after setting up a custom aid station with water bottles , energy gels and even a finisher ’ s medal on a table .
Five hours , 29 minutes and 37 seconds later , he crossed a makeshift finish line — a far cry from his best Boston Marathon time of two hours and 45 minutes during 2018 ’ s notoriously rainy , windy event .
The 2:45 personal record , or PR , means England ’ s average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Monday ’ s rooftop run was significantly slower , at about 13 minutes per mile .
One reason : he loped around 4,392 turns , which tend to slow runners down and shave seconds off total times .
There also just wasn ’ t enough distance to gain any momentum , which also stymied his running watch .
“ My GPS was confused by my marathon antics , ” adds England .
“ After lap 999 , my screen displayed ‘ – – – .
’ So , I had to count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch stopped recording with about 6½ miles to go . )
No fans along the course ?
No problem .
His wife Tiffany England — a ultramarathoner herself — checked in on him while friends on Facebook watched him circling via livestream .
“ Every mile , I would get back to my aid station , grab a gel , do a blood test for my diabetes and would answer questions on the Facebook stream , ” England says .
“ It made me feel like I was giving positive energy to everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need right now .
Plus , one friend helped me count the last 98 laps to make sure it was accurate.
” Neighbors , who accidentally stumbled into the course mid-run , were confused .
“ I told them I was just doing a little run , ” says England .
“ They were slightly intrigued , hung out for a few minutes to smoke and went back to their apartments.
” For the last mile , Tiffany brought up their dog Miles used knitted blue-and-yellow fabric for the finish line by holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bench while shaking a cowbell .
And although England is used to running much longer races — he recently completed the Tor des Geants , a 200-plus-mile race that ’ s considered one of the hardest in the world and took him five days — he wasn ’ t sure how to prepare for Monday ’ s little laps .
“ After recently completing a five-day race with 80,000 feet gained , I knew I could do a rooftop marathon , ” he says .
“ I just didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hard because of the monotony , because I couldn ’ t get into a normal stride or go fast.
” But England , who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14 , was intent on reaching his goal .
And , like with other races , he used the opportunity to raise money for the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University , where he ’ s been a patient for the past eight years .
“ They emailed a few days ago saying that they needed funding because a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulled to the front lines of hospitals in NYC to help fight against coronavirus , ” he says .
“ It was a real calling to me .
… As a [ high-risk ] diabetic , living in the coronavirus pandemic , this was even more of a reason to open up about why it ’ s important to have great diabetes control.
” England also had another goal for his solo rooftop race , which has already earned $ 1,000 for his chosen cause — to raise awareness that diabetics can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this desire to share my Type 1 diabetes endurance with the world , ” adds England , who an ambassador for Team Novo Nordisk , the world ’ s first sports team where all the athletes have diabetes .
“ There ’ s a stigma about diabetes that you shouldn ’ t push your body .
It is fear-based .
I want to show the world what was possible while living with diabetes .
”

Talk about running in circles.
Stephen England ran the Boston Marathon on Monday — by jogging around the rooftop of his Manhattan apartment building more than 1,000 times.
Initially scheduled for Monday, April 20, the historic race was moved to Sept. 14 due to the ban on gatherings necessitated by the coronavirus. It has taken place every year since 1897, even during the World Wars.
England, a 40-year-old general contractor who has run 90 marathons and ultramarathons, was committed to honoring his race entry — hoofing it for 26.2 miles all while adhering to stay-at-home guidelines.
“The Boston Marathon is a huge part of my life,” England, 40, tells The Post. “I’ve done it seven times and was there during the 2013 bombing. So, as soon as it got postponed, I knew I had to do something to honor Marathon Monday.”
To accomplish the feat, England calculated the distance he could run around the perimeter of his 38-by-25-foot rooftop in South Harlem, determining the maximum space he could use given various planters and other obstructions. The result: he could log 126 feet per lap, so 1,098 laps would equal 26.2 miles.
He started at 6 a.m. Monday, after setting up a custom aid station with water bottles, energy gels and even a finisher’s medal on a table. Five hours, 29 minutes and 37 seconds later, he crossed a makeshift finish line — a far cry from his best Boston Marathon time of two hours and 45 minutes during 2018’s notoriously rainy, windy event.
The 2:45 personal record, or PR, means England’s average minute-per-mile pace is a speedy 6:17 — but Monday’s rooftop run was significantly slower, at about 13 minutes per mile. One reason: he loped around 4,392 turns, which tend to slow runners down and shave seconds off total times. There also just wasn’t enough distance to gain any momentum, which also stymied his running watch.
“My GPS was confused by my marathon antics,” adds England. “After lap 999, my screen displayed ‘ – – – .’ So, I had to count the last 98 manually.” (His watch stopped recording with about 6½ miles to go.)
No fans along the course? No problem. His wife Tiffany England — a ultramarathoner herself — checked in on him while friends on Facebook watched him circling via livestream.
“Every mile, I would get back to my aid station, grab a gel, do a blood test for my diabetes and would answer questions on the Facebook stream,” England says. “It made me feel like I was giving positive energy to everyone watching because that’s what we need right now. Plus, one friend helped me count the last 98 laps to make sure it was accurate.”
Neighbors, who accidentally stumbled into the course mid-run, were confused. “I told them I was just doing a little run,” says England. “They were slightly intrigued, hung out for a few minutes to smoke and went back to their apartments.”
For the last mile, Tiffany brought up their dog Miles used knitted blue-and-yellow fabric for the finish line by holding one end and placing the other on a bench while shaking a cowbell.
And although England is used to running much longer races — he recently completed the Tor des Geants, a 200-plus-mile race that’s considered one of the hardest in the world and took him five days — he wasn’t sure how to prepare for Monday’s little laps.
“After recently completing a five-day race with 80,000 feet gained, I knew I could do a rooftop marathon,” he says. “I just didn’t know what it would look like. It was hard because of the monotony, because I couldn’t get into a normal stride or go fast.”
But England, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14, was intent on reaching his goal. And, like with other races, he used the opportunity to raise money for the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University, where he’s been a patient for the past eight years.
“They emailed a few days ago saying that they needed funding because a lot of their valuable staff was being pulled to the front lines of hospitals in NYC to help fight against coronavirus,” he says. “It was a real calling to me. … As a [high-risk] diabetic, living in the coronavirus pandemic, this was even more of a reason to open up about why it’s important to have great diabetes control.”
England also had another goal for his solo rooftop race, which has already earned $1,000 for his chosen cause — to raise awareness that diabetics can be athletes, too.
“I have this desire to share my Type 1 diabetes endurance with the world,” adds England, who an ambassador for Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first sports team where all the athletes have diabetes. “There’s a stigma about diabetes that you shouldn’t push your body. It is fear-based. I want to show the world what was possible while living with diabetes.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--The big, extra obstacle NHL could face in any restart plan

We can tell you that while it is true that ...

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Baseball, football, basketball and hockey all face common obstacles as these respective sports leagues spitball plans that would allow for either the 2020 opening of MLB and the NFL or the 2020-21 resumption of the NBA and NHL.
But there is a distinction that the NHL will have to address if it does indeed become possible to get back onto the ice this summer, and that is how to integrate the athletes returning from Europe into the general playing population.
Different countries have developed different guidelines in the response to the coronavirus. And while most European nations have enacted restrictions similar to those in the U.S. and Canada, Sweden has stood as an outlier, opting instead for more of a “herd immunity” philosophy.
The country has yet to enact a lockdown order. Though social distancing has been recommended and gatherings of 50 or more persons have been banned, primary and secondary schools and recreation facilities, including gyms and rinks, have remained open.
So The Post asked deputy commissioner Bill Daly whether the NHL would have to adopt different protocols for those players returning from Sweden upon reconvening for either training camp or pre-camp practices? For instance, would these players be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon landing in the US?
“I will tell you at the time we are prepared to reconvene the groups,” Daly replied in our latest email exchange. “It depends on a lot of other things.”
Of course, one of those “things” to which Daly alluded could be the availability of mass testing. If pro sports leagues are considered “essential businesses,” as the verbiage out of the White House would seem to indicate, testing might be available to all athletes returning to their jobs.
That might eliminate the need for the NHL to map out different strategies for players returning from different countries operating under different guidelines. But it also might not. The NHL is monitoring all attendant issues on a daily basis.
The NHL has not mandated self-quarantine for its players and hockey-related personnel, but instead has issued the guidelines. On April 15, the league “extend[ed] the self-quarantine recommendation for NHL players, coaches and hockey staff through, and including, Thursday, April 30.
But the league also put all practices and workouts (and team meetings) on pause during the COVID-19-induced hiatus, making an exception that allowed injured players to rehab at team facilities.
But in Sweden, where rinks are open, at least some players are presumed skating. Teams are reticent to divulge information about individual athletes.
The NHL is not particularly pleased that a subsection of the playing population might be skating — and hypothetically gaining an advantage — but Daly told The Post the league would not issue a directive banning those in Sweden from skating.
“No,” was the deputy commissioner’s concise response to that question.
We’re told that the league would prefer to reopen in multiple locales rather than in just one. So, hypothetically, perhaps in Florida and Arizona? This, of course, would be totally dependent upon getting clearances from local governments and health boards.
Club officials on NHL conference calls continue to reiterate their support for completing the regular season before moving to a 16-team playoffs. But under that scenario, completing the season would mean that teams advancing to the final would be sequestered for up to 10 weeks. That may not fly. As The Post reported Sunday, another idea up for consideration is a 24-team Stanley Cup tournament, with the bottom seven teams not returning to action.
Again, remember, this is all hypothetical, this is all fluid, and it can all change in a day. That is what makes the task so daunting for all concerned.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Ads for breakfast foods a ray of sunshine for media amid coronavirus cutbacks

Shoppers are stocking up on Oreos , Kraft Macaroni & Cheese ...

Breakfast is proving the rare bright spot in the coronavirus advertising slump.
Companies that help provide the first meal of the day, like cereal makers, upped their ad spending more than 13 percent from February to March as more quarantined Americans suddenly find the time they need to eat breakfast, according to a new report.
The trend is expected to accelerate through April and will benefit TV and weekly magazines, according to Todd Krizelman, CEO of MediaRadar, which tracks the industry.
“With Americans settling in and establishing new routines working from home, people will be consuming much more breakfast at their kitchen table,” Krizelman said. “In fact, we predict there will be a race to capture all the new demand and lock in new customers.”
Breakfast food makers spent an average of $11.1 million a week in March, compared with $9.8 million a week in Feb, Krizelman said. He pointed at four brands itching to get in front of quarantined families: Kellogg’s Rice Krispies (+76 percent), Honey Bunches of Oats (+46 percent), Cheerios (+40 percent) and Pop-Tarts (+29 percent).
And what’s a good breakfast without milk? Organic Valley Grass-Fed Milk tripled its ad spending month over month while Planet Oat Oatmilk was up 69 percent, Krizelman said.
Ads for breakfast food were seen across 17 different weekly publications in March, including People, Entertainment Weekly, OK! Weekly and more. Although the digital spend is small, Krizelman said, pandemic creative is starting to show up on Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat.
April is on track to be even better. In the week ending April 6, the ad spend was up even more, to $12.6 million, across TV, digital, weekly magazines and daily newspapers, up 29 percent from February, before the coronavirus hit.
Krizelman sees print, including monthly magazines, getting 17 percent of the news spending, “with TV taking 82 percent and digital getting 1 percent.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Trump pledged to help New York with coronavirus testing, Cuomo says

Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that President Trump pledged to help New York double its coronavirus testing capacity to 40,000 a day .
The president committed to making the federal government responsible for sourcing the testing materials during the pair ’ s Oval Office meeting earlier in the day , Cuomo said .
The Empire State , meanwhile , will focus on having laboratories conduct the tests .
“ We agreed that a state government should be responsible for managing the actual tests in their own laboratories , ” Cuomo said , adding that he wants both diagnostic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former .
The governor acknowledged that antibody tests aren ’ t foolproof and may not mean that a person is now immune from catching the disease again .
Reaching the “ very aggressive goal ” will take several weeks at best .
“ This is an enormous undertaking , ” Cuomo said .
The governor said he also spoke with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about the need to secure more funding for states in the next federal relief package , if there is one .
And the president agreed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Emergency Management Agency aid funding by 25 percent , given how hard-hit the state has been , Cuomo said .
“ I said to the president there is no way New York can pay that match because we don ’ t have the funding , ” Cuomo said .
“ The incongruity , the state that had the most pain and death should get a bill because they endured pain and death , it makes no sense.
” Trump “ said he understood and he would work to waive the local match.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USNS Comfort ship — which Cuomo said was no longer needed to treat COVID-19 patients — the state will also stop construction of temporary hospitals in the four boroughs outside of Manhattan .
“ We stopped any new construction when we saw the rates starting to stabilize , but I ’ m not ready to close anything down yet either , ” Cuomo said .
Citing the CDC ’ s warning of another possible outbreak in the fall , Cuomo said : “ This is no time to pop the champagne bottles @ @

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that President Trump pledged to help New York double its coronavirus testing capacity to 40,000 a day.
The president committed to making the federal government responsible for sourcing the testing materials during the pair’s Oval Office meeting earlier in the day, Cuomo said.
The Empire State, meanwhile, will focus on having laboratories conduct the tests.
“We agreed that a state government should be responsible for managing the actual tests in their own laboratories,” Cuomo said, adding that he wants both diagnostic and antibody testing, with an emphasis on the former.
The governor acknowledged that antibody tests aren’t foolproof and may not mean that a person is now immune from catching the disease again.
Reaching the “very aggressive goal” will take several weeks at best.
“This is an enormous undertaking,” Cuomo said.
The governor said he also spoke with Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about the need to secure more funding for states in the next federal relief package, if there is one.
New York is set to receive $1.5 billion for the testing effort as part of the $484 billion coronavirus rescue package approved by the Senate on Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office said.
The bill allocates $25 billion for testing, with $11 billion of that set to go to states and localities. The remainder is under discretion of the Dept. of Health and Human services, and New York is eligible to receive more.
And the president agreed it was unreasonable to have New York match Federal Emergency Management Agency aid funding by 25 percent, given how hard-hit the state has been, Cuomo said.
“I said to the president there is no way New York can pay that match because we don’t have the funding,” Cuomo said.
“The incongruity, the state that had the most pain and death should get a bill because they endured pain and death, it makes no sense.”
Trump “said he understood and he would work to waive the local match.”
In addition to agreeing to return the USNS Comfort ship — which Cuomo said was no longer needed to treat COVID-19 patients — the state will also stop construction of temporary hospitals in the four boroughs outside of Manhattan.
“We stopped any new construction when we saw the rates starting to stabilize, but I’m not ready to close anything down yet either,” Cuomo said.
Citing the CDC’s warning of another possible outbreak in the fall, Cuomo said: “This is no time to pop the champagne bottles.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different strains, Chinese study finds

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The novel coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different genetic variations , according to a new study in China .
The results showed that medical officials have vastly underestimated the overall ability of the virus to mutate , in finding that different strains have affected different parts of the world , leading to potential difficulties in finding an overall cure .
The study , which was carried out by professor Li Lanjuan and colleagues from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou , China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released on Sunday .
The researchers analyzed the strains from 11 randomly chosen coronavirus patients from Hangzhou , where there have been 1,264 reported cases , and then tested how efficiently they could infect and kill cells .
China ’ s coronavirus numbers , however , have been questioned , as they have not been verified .
More than 30 different mutations of the virus were detected , of which 19 were previously undiscovered .
“ Sars-CoV-2 has acquired mutations capable of substantially changing its pathogenicity , ” Li wrote in the paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has infected more than 804,000 people in the United States and killed at least 43,200 .
More than 4 million tests have been conducted in the US , but experts believe that number must be increased in order to reopen society .
Worldwide , there are at least 2.5 million cases of the disease .
Li ’ s team found that some of the most aggressive strains of the virus were able to generate 270 times the viral load as the weakest strains ; in addition , the aggressive strains killed the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the “ true diversity ” of the viral strains is underappreciated and must be understood in order to find a treatment or vaccine .
“ Drug and vaccine development , while urgent , need to take the impact of these accumulating mutations , especially the founding mutations , into account to avoid potential pitfall , ” the authors wrote .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The novel coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different genetic variations, according to a new study in China.
The results showed that medical officials have vastly underestimated the overall ability of the virus to mutate, in finding that different strains have affected different parts of the world, leading to potential difficulties in finding an overall cure.
The study, which was carried out by professor Li Lanjuan and colleagues from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, was published in a non-peer-reviewed paper released on Sunday.
The researchers analyzed the strains from 11 randomly chosen coronavirus patients from Hangzhou, where there have been 1,264 reported cases, and then tested how efficiently they could infect and kill cells. China’s coronavirus numbers, however, have been questioned, as they have not been verified.
More than 30 different mutations of the virus were detected, of which 19 were previously undiscovered.
“Sars-CoV-2 has acquired mutations capable of substantially changing its pathogenicity,” Li wrote in the paper.
As of Tuesday afternoon, COVID-19 has infected more than 804,000 people in the United States and killed at least 43,200. More than 4 million tests have been conducted in the US, but experts believe that number must be increased in order to reopen society. Worldwide, there are at least 2.5 million cases of the disease.
Li’s team found that some of the most aggressive strains of the virus were able to generate 270 times the viral load of the weakest strains; in addition, the aggressive strains killed the human cells fastest.
According to their findings, the “true diversity” of the viral strains is underappreciated and must be understood in order to find a treatment or vaccine.
“Drug and vaccine development, while urgent, need to take the impact of these accumulating mutations, especially the founding mutations, into account to avoid potential pitfall,” the authors wrote.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Donald Trump and Cindy Adams reminisce about Miss Universe on birthday call

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) This is not to complain or moan .
This is just to tell a story .
Friday is my birthday .
This special age usually gets you a statue in Central Park .
I refused one because I hate pigeons leaving their opinions on me .
For six months , I planned my once-in-a-lifetime party .
The guest list had everyone less those few unavoidably detained due to faulty arithmetic .
A friend from years before I joined the NYP in ’ 81 , and who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say happy birthday .
We recalled when I was a Miss Universe official — long before he bought it — and he a single guy .
Looking to meet the contestants .
Who were chaperoned .
With a monitor .
Under lock and key .
And yet he did it .
He managed to date them .
At one point on the phone yesterday , I said : “ Listen , honey , if you could handle a locked skirt you can handle a locked-down country.
” His whole Oval Office broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had me on speaker .
For my birthday , I bypassed where everyone celebrates ballroom weddings or bar mitzvahs .
I picked West 42nd ’ s new venue Cnvs ( it stands for Canvas ) run by Arthur Backal , who ’ s organized worldwide galas .
Col Allan and Stephen Lynch , the NY Post ’ s semi-geniuses , blew up my 500 front pages and crateloads of my photos ( predating Attila the Hun ) for the walls .
Designers re-created the space into NYC streets .
Charlie Chaplin silents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waiters in old-timey barbershop quartet outfits .
The president of 1930s-famous restaurant Schrafft ’ s re-created its menu for me .
Music ?
Songs of yesterday .
A cowbell for attention .
Lazy Susans for each table came wrapped in headlines .
Menus were mini newspapers .
The sidewalk was being wrapped in scenery .
My floor-length gown , 18-karat-gold-dipped threads , a vintage from Japan ’ s Hanae Mori .
And as NY Post colleague Miranda Devine reported , a throne for me .
Why ?
Because not everyone makes it this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the collection plate and it ’ s no contribution , it ’ s an investment — you can celebrate .
Last year , Judge Judy flew a planeload of my friends to an outing for my birthday .
That ’ s the one that will have to stand forever .
This one ?
Canceled .
Done .
Over .
Never will try it again .
I ’ m up to Week 8 of my quarantine .
Others whose birthday it is — Streisand , Shirley MacLaine , Kelly Clarkson , Eric Bogosian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re doing .
I ’ ll be in pajamas .
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich .
Being a special high holy day , my housekeeper Nazalene says she ’ ll shmear it on raisin bread .
Felicity Huffman has a new movie .
Her first to come out since that little trip to the can .
Dark comedy .
“ Tammy ’ s Always Dying.
” It deals with an illness knocking her off , except she won ’ t knock off .
Not sure that for the laugh riot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great idea .
However , it was filmed before Operation Jail and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival the same time as her sentencing .
She will not be providing any quotes or interviews .
The film will have to do the talking when it premieres on demand May 1 .
So , changing the clocks we went from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone .
If you don ’ t social-distance from the refrigerator , you either come out of this quarantine as a cook or a drunk .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re on “ Wheel of Fortune ” or carefully fingering it like cracking a safe .
Everyone ’ s absorbing so much soap and disinfectant that when you pee , it cleans the toilet .
See you Monday , from the only place that really matters , only in New York , kids , only in New York .

This is not to complain or moan. This is just to tell a story. Friday is my birthday. This special age usually gets you a statue in Central Park. I refused one because I hate pigeons leaving their opinions on me.
For six months, I planned my once-in-a-lifetime party. The guest list had everyone less those few unavoidably detained due to faulty arithmetic.
A friend from years before I joined the NYP in ’81, and who is now in the White House, rang to say happy birthday. We recalled when I was a Miss Universe official — long before he bought it — and he a single guy. Looking to meet the contestants. Who were chaperoned.
With a monitor. Under lock and key. And yet he did it. He managed to date them.
At one point on the phone yesterday, I said: “Listen, honey, if you could handle a locked skirt you can handle a locked-down country.”
His whole Oval Office broke out laughing. I had no idea he had me on speaker.
Would’ve been nice
For my birthday, I bypassed where everyone celebrates ballroom weddings or bar mitzvahs. I picked West 42nd’s new venue Cnvs (it stands for Canvas) run by Arthur Backal, who’s organized worldwide galas.
Col Allan and Stephen Lynch, the NY Post’s semi-geniuses, blew up my 500 front pages and crateloads of my photos (predating Attila the Hun) for the walls. Designers re-created the space into NYC streets. Charlie Chaplin silents were to play against a backdrop.
Waiters in old-timey barbershop quartet outfits. The president of 1930s-famous restaurant Schrafft’s re-created its menu for me.
Music? Songs of yesterday. A cowbell for attention. Lazy Susans for each table came wrapped in headlines. Menus were mini newspapers. The sidewalk was being wrapped in scenery. My floor-length gown, 18-karat-gold-dipped threads, a vintage from Japan’s Hanae Mori. And as NY Post colleague Miranda Devine reported, a throne for me.
Why? Because not everyone makes it this far. When you drop a fiver in the collection plate and it’s no contribution, it’s an investment — you can celebrate. Last year, Judge Judy flew a planeload of my friends to an outing for my birthday. That’s the one that will have to stand forever.
This one? Canceled. Done. Over. Never will try it again.
Birthday mates
I’m up to Week 8 of my quarantine. Others whose birthday it is — Streisand, Shirley MacLaine, Kelly Clarkson, Eric Bogosian — I don’t know what they’re doing. I’ll be in pajamas. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Being a special high holy day, my housekeeper Nazalene says she’ll shmear it on raisin bread.
From pokey to black comedy
Felicity Huffman has a new movie. Her first to come out since that little trip to the can. Dark comedy. “Tammy’s Always Dying.” It deals with an illness knocking her off, except she won’t knock off. Not sure that for the laugh riot we need right now this is such a great idea. However, it was filmed before Operation Jail and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival the same time as her sentencing. She will not be providing any quotes or interviews. The film will have to do the talking when it premieres on demand May 1.
So, changing the clocks we went from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone. If you don’t social-distance from the refrigerator, you either come out of this quarantine as a cook or a drunk.
And forget spinning bathroom paper like you’re on “Wheel of Fortune” or carefully fingering it like cracking a safe. Everyone’s absorbing so much soap and disinfectant that when you pee, it cleans the toilet.
I’m taking tomorrow off. I’m knocked out.
See you Monday, from the only place that really matters, only in New York, kids, only in New York.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--De Blasio’s call to snitch is an insult — and worse

Mayor Bill de Blasio ’ s critics let him know how they ...

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If you thought the pandemic would see Mayor Bill de Blasio show a more unifying, dignified side of himself, well, you thought wrong.
Witness his call for New Yorkers to report alleged lockdown violations. Rather than inspiring people to come together against a common foe, Hizzoner’s approach and tone would turn us all into grade-school tattletales, bringing out the worst, rather than the best, in us. It’s also likely to do more to undermine support for social-distancing measures than to bolster it.
The mayor says that mobilizing the citizenry to call in possible rules violations is no different than encouraging people to report suspicious activity related to terrorism. But it’s one thing to “see something, say something” when it comes to terror. It’s quite another for New Yorkers to deluge already-overwhelmed cops with complaints about fellow shoppers failing to keep six feet apart on the line at the supermarket — or neighbors failing to wear masks.
It may be that, as the mayor insists, it’s a matter of “saving lives” by enforcing measures aimed at halting the spread of the contagion. And there is no doubt that the willingness of some people to flout the rules by holding gatherings is infuriating and potentially dangerous. But true leaders should encourage respect for the exercise of rightful authority — rather than the spreading of fear and social mistrust.
Anti-terror reporting protects us from the potential plots of a few sociopaths and ideological fanatics. But the mayor’s invitation for New Yorkers to text pictures of alleged infractions to the authorities would turn Gotham into a scene of Hobbesian civil war, pitting all of us against each other.
To object to his approach isn’t to endorse some of the nuttier anti-lockdown protesters elsewhere in the country, with their fervid and false equivalences between the likes of Gretchen Whitmer and Heinrich Himmler (even if some of the Michigan governor’s decrees are arbitrary and unnecessary).
But de Blasio has gone a step further than even Whitmer by trying to turn New Yorkers against each other in this way. The effort to encourage mass snitching inevitably encourages comparisons to totalitarian societies — such as, well, the mayor’s choice of a honeymoon spot in Cuba, where “Committees for the Defense of the Revolution” blackmail and coerce neighbors into ratting each other out to enforce the rule of the Communist regime.
As de Blasio has admitted, New Yorkers have already done a great job in carrying out social distancing even at the expense of their livelihoods and emotional well-being. For de Blasio to launch this scheme now — when the curve of the rate of reported coronavirus cases has finally begun to flatten — isn’t really so much about protecting public health. Rather, it is a mean-spirited exercise in wielding raw power and intimidation.
There are examples of activities where a large gathering in a public space would require the police to come to break it up. But de Blasio’s move would allow the NYPD — which has itself been decimated by the pandemic — to be dragged away from real emergencies to deal with minor incidents. There are many instances better dealt with by a friendly word, rather than calling out the cops; plus, de Blasio is sure to invite false alarms and spiteful false accusations.
The crisis has already brought out the better angels of our nature — from the widespread spirit of volunteerism and solidarity taken up by New Yorkers to the bravery and dedication of health-care workers and others performing essential services during the lockdown. But de Blasio isn’t encouraging that side of us. Instead, he would unleash our worst instincts, fueling unnecessary arguments between neighbors and giving succor to busybodies.
If de Blasio’s goal was to encourage lockdown scofflaws and to breed resentment against social distancing rather than the opposite, he couldn’t have done better than to seek to turn us against each other in this manner. His appeal for more snitching rather than more sacrifice and good deeds marks a new low for a failed mayor. He will be remembered, at any rate, for being utterly overshadowed in this crisis by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. There is justice in this world.
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS.org. Twitter at: @JonathanS_Tobin


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--NYC restaurants worry customer-density rules will sour reopenings

US restaurants are on track to take a $ 50 billion ...

Owners of many shuttered Big Apple restaurants are less worried about making rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic than they are about customer-density rules likely to be put in place once they reopen.
Le Bernardin chef and co-owner Eric Ripert is hopeful that he can work with his landlord to keep the great, three-Michelin-star seafood palace afloat during the shutdown despite having no revenue.
“We have a very good relationship with our landlord [calPERS management arm CommonWealth Partners] and they are working with us to go through this difficult time,” Ripert said, without going into detail.
But like many owners of the city’s 26,000 eateries, he’s concerned about the future customer-density rules. He said that if Le Bernardin was able to serve, for example, only 50 people at night compared with 150 previously, “We could reopen with a smaller team and survive for a short period of time — not for a year.”
Mermaid Inn and downtown J.G. Melon owner Danny Abrams ruefully recalled that during the few days of 50-percent capacity before the shutdown, revenue at the Mermaid Inn in the former Red Cat space on Tenth Avenue plunged from $10,000 to $4,000 a night — not enough to cover overhead, much less to make a profit.
The venues with the highest exposure to density rules are party-scene mammoths like the Tao Group’s collection of Tao outposts and French-themed jumbo Cathedrale, each with 300-plus seats, where close-packed crowds swarm bars, lounges and even toilet lines.
A Tao Group rep said, “Thank you for thinking of us. We are just not commenting on anything related to the pandemic at this time.”
Meanwhile, despite dire forecasts that the crisis could wipe out half of the city’s restaurants, several well-known operators told The Post that they’re confident they’ll reopen even if the shutdown goes on for several more months.
They didn’t want their names used, fearful that any hint of optimism would encourage their landlords to demand full rent and send the wrong signal when many other owners face bleaker outcomes.
CBRE global brokerage chief Stephen Siegel, who’s also the main owner of Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, said, “I think it’s unlikely that Danny Meyer’s restaurants will not reopen.” But he added, “It’s a different story for others unless they’re fortunate enough to own their buildings.”
Even those who own their property can be in a pickle. Dino Arpaia owns the four-story building at 65 E. 54th St. that’s home to his popular trattoria Cellini. But his upstairs apartment tenants moved out after the virus hit town. He still must pay nearly $200,000 in annual real estate taxes — less than a lease would cost but there are mortgage payments on top of that.
Once he can reopen, Cellini might have only 30 percent of its usual business, due to density rules and customer wariness. “But our overhead would be almost the same. You’re paying as much for Con Ed gas as if you had 300 customers a day.”
In a climate where national chains as large as Panera Bread and Dunkin paid between zero percent and fifty percent of their April rent, according to the Commercial Observer, New York’s owners are just as far apart on landlord-negotiation strategy.
Yann de Rochefort, who owns the Boqueria tapas eatery mini-empire, proposed in a column that, “We stop time. We institute a moratorium on commercial and residential rents, mortgage and debt payments for the duration of the crisis. Banks can and will be backstopped by the government.”
But until and unless that happens, most small and medium-size operators are talking to landlords about rent forgiveness or at least deferments. The smart strategy, dealmakers say, is conversation — not confrontation.
Independent commercial broker Stacey Kelz, who’s negotiated many Manhattan eatery leases, advised, “Reach out to your landlord. Call them. Don’t just stop paying rent.”
Jeffrey Bank, the CEO of Alicart Restaurant Group, which owns big-volume Carmine’s and Virgil’s Real BBQ, said, “Here are words you never thought you’d hear out of a restaurateur’s mouth — please help my landlords so they can help me.”
But lawyer David Helbraun, whose firm represents nearly 1,000 restaurants, advises clients not to rush into landlord talks yet.
“Everyone says they want to make a deal. We say to them, ‘How can you do that until you know what the new landscape will be?’”
The most confident voice is that of hotelier Ian Schrager, whose Edition by Marriott hotels and The Public hotel have high-volume eateries.
He said, “I think the restaurant business will respond quicker than the hotel business,” which depends on travel volume.
“I don’t believe there’ll be a paradigm shift,” Schrager said. “Everybody always says things will permanently change — and they don’t.
“I’m certain things will return to normal, not in years but in months. We will absorb trauma and learn how to adapt.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Howie Rose blew off history for legendary Tom Seaver game: ‘A keeper’

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are looking to pick up ...

Howie Rose can’t swear that Cardozo High gave the students the day off on April 22, 1970 in order to celebrate the first-ever Earth Day, which will celebrate its golden anniversary Wednesday.
But there was a terrible overcrowding problem that spring at many of the city’s schools. Many were divided into two sessions; Rose was assigned the afternoon half, usually attending classes from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Anyway: a whole lot of his classmates were bound for Manhattan that Wednesday afternoon, for a rally that would draw tens of thousands of ecology-minded souls. School seemed, at best, optional that day.
So Rose and his buddies took advantage the best way they knew: they hopped on the Q-27 bus at 73rd Avenue and Springfield Boulevard in Bayside, took it to Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in Flushing, then hiked the final portion over the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge to their own important rally: Mets versus Padres, Shea Stadium, 2:05 p.m.
Tom Seaver on the bump for the Mets.
“We could’ve taken the subway that last portion of the trip,” Rose says. “But that was 20 cents better saved for a soda or a hot dog. And, look, we were 16 years old. It was Seaver. That was a lot more of a draw for us than Earth Day. I’ll admit that completely.”
What Rose and his buddies saw that day made their decision seem all the more inspired. Seaver scuffled early, allowing a home run to Al Ferrara. The Mets scratched across runs in the first and third, and that was going to be it for Seaver, who spent his entire Mets career guarding slim one-run leads.
With two outs in the sixth, Seaver struck out Ferrara with a 1-and-2 fastball. That gave him 10 whiffs on the day, which already justified the field trip.
“It was the Padres, an expansion team and a terrible one, and it was Seaver, coming off 25-7 and the Cy Young Award,” Rose says. “To us it was a simple choice: we had a very good chance of seeing a win.”
In fact, the day had started off with Seaver officially presented his Cy Young plaque in a pregame ceremony. As the innings passed, the modest gathering of 14,197 seemed to quadruple in volume, quintuple in force.
Seaver struck out Nate Colbert, Dave Campbell and Jerry Morales in the seventh. He fanned Bob Barton looking, Ramon Webster swinging and Ivan Murrell swinging in the eighth. That gave him 16, breaking by one the team record Nolan Ryan had set only four days earlier. Rose already had one forever Seaver memory engraved in his soul: he’d been to Seaver’s Imperfect Game against the Cubs the previous July 9, the night Jimmy Qualls spoiled Seaver’s bid for immortality.
“The thing about Seaver, it wasn’t the same as years later, when Dwight Gooden was at his peak,” Rose says. “In Gooden’s case, when he got a hitter to pop up there was an audible groan. It was different with Seaver. You just knew he was the best in the sport and you just had to be a part of that.”
Van Kelly stepped up in the ninth, flailed at a high fastball. Cito Gaston stared at a nose-to-knees curveball for strike three. And up stepped Ferrara.
“The whole day, basically what we were watching was Seaver and Jerry Grote having a catch,” Rose says. “But it was a 2-1 game. Ferrara had already hit one. That’s what we were worried about. Every game he pitched was 2-1 or 1-0.”
(That’s not hyperbole. In his career as a Met Seaver won six 1-0 games — and lost nine of them. And he pitched, incredibly, in 38 2-1 games, winning 23.)
Seaver got to 1-and-2 on Ferrara. One more drop, one more drive, one more smudge on his right knee. Ferrara never saw it (and Shea’s shadows had grown awfully long by then).
“Forget Ferrara,” Rose says, laughing. “I’m amazed Grote saw it.”
The 19 strikeouts were amazing enough, but that record had been topped four times across the past 50 years. The 10 in a row to end the game? That’s a record that still stands. That one Seaver keeps all these years later. He never got his perfect game. Others have won 300. Nobody has ever struck out 10 in a row. Not since Earth Day, April 22, 1970.
“That,” says Rose, “is a keeper.”
Wednesday night, WFAN will rebroadcast the game. Rose, who long ago made the trip from Bayside to broadcast booth, will host the pregame. His research will consist of scouring an encyclopedic brain programmed with more Mets memory than just about anyone alive.
“I’ll be honest,” he says. “I’m glad I didn’t give a rat’s tail about Earth Day when I was 16.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Hear our prayers: Coronavirus cuts off France’s Mont Saint-Michel

Many working people are expecting greatly reduced or no wages ...

MONT SAINT-MICHEL, France — The sound of prayer flowed around the centuries-old abbey atop the Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal islet amidst vast sandbanks off France’s northwest coast, drifting down towards its deserted alleyways and past empty restaurants.
In normal times, the mount draws more than 2 million visitors a year. Now it lies empty except for 30 local residents whose restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes depend on the influx of tourists.
For Yan Galton, the commune’s outgoing mayor, the coronavirus lockdown has returned the Mont Saint-Michel to a charming bygone era — but with painful consequences.
“It takes me back years, reminds me of how it was when I was a kid,” Galton said. “Armed with my wooden sword, I used to pretend I was an Ivanhoe and would have the run of the fortress.
“Mont Saint-Michel is resting now. But from an economic point of view, it is a little sad.”
The abbey was founded in 966, built on a sanctuary dedicated to the Archangel Michel, but it was in the 13th century that work began on the Gothic centre-piece of its architecture, with towering walls and soaring pinnacles.
Tourists began swarming to the abbey and the village that arose in the shadows of its walls in the 1980s after it was designated a World Heritage Site.
Now with France under virtual lockdown, however, the Mont Saint-Michel is closed to the public and tourism is almost the only source of income.
At the foot of the mount, a shovel barred the doorway of the 132-year-old La Mere Poulard restaurant, through which the likes of Pablo Picasso, Glenn Close and Coco Chanel have passed to dine on its woodfire-cooked puff omelettes.
Eric Bellon, who heads the La Mere Poulard business, said the group’s 250 employees were temporarily unemployed on a government furlough scheme.
“Their jobs ground to a halt over the course of a weekend,” Bellon said, referring to the Saturday and Sunday before a March 17 virtual lockdown was imposed.
Souvenir shop owner Marc Yreux also worries for his 20 staff and his business. He counts April as the month his summer season begins.
There will be no easing of the restrictions on public life until at least May 11 and even then it is unclear when France will re-open its borders, permit festivals and allow the tourism sector to reboot.
“It’s not like I’m going to make up for lost revenues in November,” Yreux said.
For centuries the Mont Saint-Michel has been a sacred destination for pilgrims. While the pandemic has not altered a routine of work and prayer for the abbey’s five monks and six nuns, a profound sense of misfortune pervades, said Brother Philippe.
“In all the crises we have known, never have people been prevented people from praying among us,” he said.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--To soften the pandemic’s economic blow, extend 2019 tax year through June

At least 43,000 American millionaires who are too rich to ...

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Many working people are expecting greatly reduced or no wages in 2020. The US Treasury wisely extended the tax-payment deadline to July, but that only solved half the problem. Now, millions of households and small businesses will owe taxes on their 2019 income at exactly the time when they can least afford it: when the economy will — we hope — be beginning to recover.
Another modification is needed. To complement both the needed rescue bill, which provides financial support to distressed individuals and small businesses, and the Federal Reserve’s massive monetary initiatives, the Treasury should take the bold step of expanding the 2019 tax year to include the period from Jan. 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020, and extend the filing deadline so payments are due Oct. 15, 2020.
This isn’t crazy. Lumping together the first half of 2020 with 2019 for tax purposes would provide timely benefits to working people and small businesses. By averaging their wages from 2019 with the first half of 2020, they will drop into lower tax brackets, increasing their refunds just when they need the money most.
The boom preceding the pandemic will have businesses facing large 2019 tax payments in July — but tax year 2020 will be the exact opposite. The economic collapse will mean large losses for all of 2020, even if the economy begins to recover in the second half. Come April 2021, many businesses will be forced to carry losses into future years. But with taxes due this July, we can expect a liquidity squeeze that will have already forced some businesses to close down, further contributing to skyrocketing unemployment.
Blending the first half of 2020 into 2019 for tax purposes would smooth business tax burdens, avoiding the current schedule, which would collect large tax payments upfront and lower payments in future years.
The Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service will need to designate when the new tax year, beginning on July 1, 2020, will end — presumably either Dec. 31, 2020, or 2021. Under either end date, both businesses and households would be expected to pay taxes for the two tax periods based on estimated smoothed income.
States, too, would have the option of adjusting their tax schedules to conform.
This change would reduce federal tax receipts for 2020 and widen the deficit for fiscal year 2020. But in the present crisis, the goal in the second half of the year should be getting people back to work and keeping businesses afloat.
Compassionate? Yes. But it also makes economic common sense. The loans and grants currently being provided are merely a bridge. For small businesses, staying alive will require a recovery in consumer spending and demand. An untimely tax bill this summer could force many closures and untold lost jobs. Without productive jobs, and sustained economic growth, future deficits would rise even more.
In the past three weeks, unemployment has increased by a whopping 22 million, well over 10 percent of the total workforce, and hours worked have been cut sharply. The vast majority of the job losses have been in the hospitality, leisure and retail trades. A reasonable one-time adjustment in taxes would lift demand and save thousands of small businesses and millions of jobs.
The deficit hit wouldn’t be as bad as you might imagine. Over a 10-year budget projection, the impact on deficits would be trivial. In fact, accounting for the jobs that are saved by our proposal, the budget impact will be positive.
No matter what the deficit, the government is far better able to borrow and absorb the financial shock of the crisis than are small businesses and the people they employ. There would be minor administrative costs to changing the tax calendar year, but by saving jobs and businesses, the benefits to the economy and our national well-being would be much greater in the long run.
Mickey D. Levy is chief economist, Americas and Asia, at Berenberg Capital Markets LLC. Scott F. Richard is a former managing director of Morgan Stanley. Adapted from E21.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Testing shows at least 200K in LA County may have been infected with coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles County is believed to have infected at least 200,000 people by early April , which would far surpass the number of officially confirmed cases , according to a report on Monday .
A large scale study by the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found that 4.1 percent of the county ’ s adult population has antibodies to the virus in their blood , which is an indicator of past exposure .
Based on the county ’ s population , that means that between 221,000 and 442,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected , the study estimated .
“ We haven ’ t known the true extent of COVID-19 infections in our community because we have only tested people with symptoms , and the availability of tests has been limited , ” said lead investigator Neeraj Sood , professor of public policy at the USC Price School for Public Policy .
“ The estimates also suggest that we might have to recalibrate disease prediction models and rethink public health strategies.
” The results were determined from antibody testing of about 863 people who were representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the L.A. Times .
The estimated infection numbers are 28 to 55 times higher than the 7,994 confirmed COVID-19 cases L.A. County had reported at the time of the study in early April .
Barbara Ferrer , director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health , said the results show that a large percentage of the population unknowingly had the virus and are “ at risk of transmitting the virus to others.
” Due to the greater infection numbers , it also means the fatality rate from the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Though the results indicate a lower risk of death among those with infection than was previously thought , the number of COVID-related deaths each day continues to mount , highlighting the need for continued vigorous prevention and control efforts , ” said Paul Simon , chief science officer at the L.A. County Department of Public Health and co-lead on the study .
At least 615 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the county as of Tuesday morning , according to data from Johns Hopkins .
Researchers intend to repeat the study every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to track the spread of the virus , the L.A. Times reported .

The coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles County is believed to have infected at least 200,000 people by early April, which would far surpass the number of officially confirmed cases, according to a report on Monday.
A large scale study by the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found that 4.1 percent of the county’s adult population has antibodies to the virus in their blood, which is an indicator of past exposure.
Based on the county’s population, that means that between 221,000 and 442,000 adults in the area have previously been infected, the study estimated.
“We haven’t known the true extent of COVID-19 infections in our community because we have only tested people with symptoms, and the availability of tests has been limited,” said lead investigator Neeraj Sood, professor of public policy at the USC Price School for Public Policy. “The estimates also suggest that we might have to recalibrate disease prediction models and rethink public health strategies.”
The results were determined from antibody testing of about 863 people who were representative of L.A. County, the researchers said, according to the L.A. Times.
The estimated infection numbers are 28 to 55 times higher than the 7,994 confirmed COVID-19 cases L.A. County had reported at the time of the study in early April.
Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said the results show that a large percentage of the population unknowingly had the virus and are “at risk of transmitting the virus to others.”
Due to the greater infection numbers, it also means the fatality rate from the virus is much lower than originally thought.
“Though the results indicate a lower risk of death among those with infection than was previously thought, the number of COVID-related deaths each day continues to mount, highlighting the need for continued vigorous prevention and control efforts,” said Paul Simon, chief science officer at the L.A. County Department of Public Health and co-lead on the study.
At least 615 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the county as of Tuesday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
Researchers intend to repeat the study every few weeks over several months in order to track the spread of the virus, the L.A. Times reported.


newyorkpost--2020-04-21--Military continues to diagnose more than 100 new coronavirus cases a day

The Air Force is putting the finishing touches on an ...

It’s been over a month since the Defense Department instituted a travel ban and issued new policy requiring social distancing wherever possible throughout the force, but the spread of coronavirus among troops continues unabated.
Since late March, the services have averaged between 100 and 200 new cases daily among service members. The most recent count, according to DoD’s data, shows 3,438 cases, up from 2,986 on Friday.
The infection rate among service members stands at 1,637-per-million as of Monday, compared with the overall U.S. rate of 2,283-per-million. With 22 deaths so far, DoD’s death rate is at 0.4 percent versus the overall U.S. rate of 5 percent.
Senior Defense officials have acknowledged that asymptomatic carriers could mean hundreds or thousands of unknown COVID-19 cases among the ranks, prompting a new push for more thorough testing.
“From a military perspective, we have to figure out how to use testing in ways to validate the readiness of our forces to deploy,” Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Friday. “Testing is going to become a critical part of that.”
Nowhere has that concern more starkly come to life than on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which has been pierside in Guam for more than three weeks. According to the Navy’s latest count, about 95 percent of the ship’s crew had been tested for COVID-19, with 678 positives.
More than half of those have either been asymptomatic or developed symptoms after testing, Hyten said. In other cases, sailors who originally tested negative were re-tested and found positive after developing symptoms.
DoD’s labs are able to test about 9,000 samples a day currently, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters Tuesday, but the department wants to grow that several times over.
“We’ve got an objective here of ramping that up to about 60,000 tests in about 45 days or so,” Army Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs chairman, said.
More widespread testing, especially for deploying units and new recruits, would help the services get a handle on the virus’ spread.
As of Monday, the Navy is still far outpacing the other services in its diagnosed cases, thanks to thorough testing aboard TR. In total, they have 1,240 cases, up 22 percent over the weekend, from 1,017.
The Army is next, with 819 cases, up 13 percent from 726 on Friday. The Air Force added two cases over the weekend, coming to 330, while the Marine Corps added 14, for a total of 250.
The National Guard, which has mobilized tens of thousands of airmen and soldiers in support of local pandemic response efforts, has 672 cases as of Monday morning. Those grew 10 percent over the weekend, from 609.
Of those troops, 97 total have been hospitalized, while 859 have recovered.
So far, service members make up two of DoD’s overall deaths: a New Jersey Army National Guard soldier and a chief who had been part of the TR outbreak.
The remaining 17 deaths have back civilians, dependents and contractors ― 10, 3 and 7, respectively.
As of Monday, 837 civilians have tested positive for COVID-19, and that number has stayed level still Friday, with 204 recoveries so far; among dependents, there have been 702 cases, up 4 percent over the weekend from 675, with 161 recoveries; and among contractors, there are 358 cases, with seven new cases over the weekend, including 80 recoveries.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Sports media mailbag: The contenders to replace Charles Davis at Fox

You ask , we answer .
The Post is fielding questions from ...

You ask, we answer. The Post is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: sports media.
Who do you think Fox will hire to replace Charles Davis? Who would you put in that position? — @Neilschoolnik
This could be a gap year for Fox, because it has its eyes on Greg Olsen to be Kevin Burkhardt’s partner after Olsen retires from playing.
In the meantime, Fox is going to be patient in replacing Davis, who is leaving for CBS to replace Dan Fouts on its No. 2 NFL team.
So it could move up Chris Spielman or Daryl Johnston or one of its analysts and, maybe give them a contract extension, while explaining the short-term plan.
It also could look to its college analysts, like Brock Huard or Joel Klatt. If there is no college football season in the fall, but there is NFL, this could become more of a reality. Fox will not rush into anything as it waits to see how sports adjusts post-pandemic.
As for me, a guy I’d like to see do games is ABC/ESPN’s Jon Vilma. He wouldn’t get the No. 2 gig at Fox, but he is someone who might be able to excel in a booth. No guarantees, but I could see it. He was a Super Bowl champion and on perhaps the greatest college team of all-time at Miami in 2001.
From all your reporting ESPN is desperate to make a big splash for Monday Night Football. Is there someone out there who could still be that huge splash, or have they exhausted all those options? — @MillManner
Kurt Warner is still a possibility and is a Hall of Famer.
However, ESPN passed on him for Jason Witten a few years ago so there has been hesitancy. They also like Nate Burleson, who is under contract with CBS.
ESPN’s DNA has been developing stars, such as Dick Vitale, Jay Bilas and Kirk Herbstreit. With that in mind, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese make some sense. If there is no college football in the fall, then maybe Herbstreit and Chris Fowler are more fully considered. It is doubtful that they would give up college, though.
I wouldn’t necessarily call ESPN desperate. They were going to go big for Tony Romo, but they were disciplined on Drew Brees, allowing him to go to NBC when they could have had him for $10-plus million per season after he retires.
Andrew, I’ve been enjoying seeing some live baseball from the CPBL via Eleven Sports Taiwan. Are any of the US sports networks in a position to make deals to carry these games, or perhaps Korean baseball league games, if they start playing? — @Jeanette607
ESPN will try to add more live events, as it showed with the H-O-R-S-E tournament. The bigger question is whether it will be able to add more major league games when sports begins again. If baseball, for example, is playing all day, could it add more national-window telecasts?
MLB and ESPN are going to have to figure that out, because ESPN is paying for “Sunday Night Baseball” and that schedule has already been slashed. Same for Fox and TBS.
Who do you predict takes Sam Rosen’s place when he decides to retire from the Rangers booth? — @msilvers1979
Let’s not retire Rosen just yet, but when he does Kenny Albert is the no-brainer choice. Albert has been doing radio for years and, of course, national TV so it would be hard to believe that he would not get it. Brendan Burke, who does the Islanders, is the other guy that I think could possibly be considered. Rosen is 72, but there have been no indication that he has plans to hang up his mic anytime too soon.
Do you anticipate ESPN 98.7 going 100 percent local? Especially with national changes to their morning show incoming? — @Amrmets15
Possible, but not probable. Locally, ESPN New York has wanted to be New York-centric for a long time. In the morning, ESPN’s national show, “Golic & Wingo,” is being crushed by WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio” in New York and ESPN is considering a change there. It is for a variety of reasons, not just New York.
It wouldn’t surprise me if ESPN had a little New York presence if it goes through with mixing up its national programming.
If ESPN wanted to go with a local morning show just in New York, it could still, in theory, support its ESPN Radio’s national advertising model by putting it on 1050 AM.
But with the post-pandemic advertising slump, it is unlikely the time is now.
Will more sports do calls from studios when on-site once play resumes? — @Zanerzas
Yes, it is very likely that when the games begin that broadcasters will not be on site. Things could change in development in treating COVID-19, but, without a vaccine, networks are trying to figure out how to broadcast events with fewer people on site.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Germany, UK approve human trials for coronavirus vaccine

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Germany and the United Kingdom are forging ahead with plans for clinical trials using human volunteers in the race for a vaccine against COVID-19 , according to reports .
The Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany on Wednesday green-lighted the trials for a vaccine developed by local firm BioNTech and US pharma giant Pfizer , according to Agence France-Presse .
“ The Paul-Ehrlich-Institute … has authorized the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19 in Germany , ” PEI , the federal Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tests of the vaccine candidate — named BNT162 — also are planned in the US , once regulatory approval for testing on humans are secured in the country , according to Reuters .
The trials will include “ 200 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years ” who will be vaccinated with variants of the RNA vaccine .
A second phase could include volunteers from high-risk groups .
Neither PEI nor the developers specified when the trial will begin , though Biontech said in a statement that it would be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expectations.
” The trial is only the fourth worldwide of a preventive agent targeting the coronavirus , which has so far killed more than 177,000 people and infected about 2.5 million , according to figures from Johns Hopkins University .
In the UK , meanwhile , scientists will soon start recruiting volunteers for clinical trials on a second vaccine that are set to start in June with Imperial College London , according to the Sun .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged $ 22.5 million pounds sterling – almost $ 28 million – for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shattock acknowledged there was “ absolutely no guarantee they will work , ” but that recent animal trials have been successful , according to the news outlet .
Healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 are being sought for the trials , which are expected to last six months .
Hancock also announced that scientists at Oxford University will begin testing a vaccine on humans on Thursday after the British government pledged the equivalent of almost $ 25 million .
Oxford hopes to boost the immune system using a common cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists are using a liquid to carry genetic material into the bloodstream , according to the Sun .
Oxford team leader Prof. Sarah Gilbert last week said that a vaccine could be available for use by the general public by autumn .
“ Personally , I have a high degree of confidence .
And , I think , it has a very strong chance of working , ” she said .

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Germany and the United Kingdom are forging ahead with plans for clinical trials using human volunteers in the race for a vaccine against COVID-19, according to reports.
The Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany on Wednesday green-lighted the trials for a vaccine developed by local firm BioNTech and US pharma giant Pfizer, according to Agence France-Presse.
“The Paul-Ehrlich-Institute … has authorized the first clinical trial of a vaccine against COVID-19 in Germany,” PEI, the federal institute for vaccines, said in a statement.
Tests of the vaccine candidate — named BNT162 — also are planned in the US, once regulatory approval for testing on humans is secured in the country, according to Reuters.
The trials will include “200 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years” who will be vaccinated with variants of the RNA vaccine. A second phase could include volunteers from high-risk groups.
Neither PEI nor the developers specified when the trial will begin, though Biontech said in a statement that it would be “soon” and “ahead of our expectations.”
The trial is only the fourth worldwide of a preventive agent targeting the coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 177,000 people and infected about 2.5 million, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
In the UK, meanwhile, scientists will soon start recruiting volunteers for clinical trials on a second vaccine that are set to start in June with Imperial College London, according to the Sun.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledged 22.5 million pounds sterling — almost $28 million — for the effort.
Project leader Dr. Robin Shattock acknowledged there was “absolutely no guarantee they will work,” but that recent animal trials have been successful, according to the news outlet.
Healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 are being sought for the trials, which are expected to last six months.
Hancock also announced that scientists at Oxford University will begin testing a vaccine on humans on Thursday after the British government pledged the equivalent of almost $25 million.
Oxford hopes to boost the immune system using a common cold virus derived from chimps, while Imperial scientists are using a liquid to carry genetic material into the bloodstream, according to the Sun.
Oxford team leader Prof. Sarah Gilbert last week said a vaccine could be available for use by the general public by autumn.
“Personally, I have a high degree of confidence. And, I think, it has a very strong chance of working,” she said.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Texas lt. Gov Dan Patrick: ‘There are more important things than living’ during pandemic

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The lieutenant governor of Texas is pushing to completely reopen the Lone Star state — insisting “ there are more important things than living ” during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ In Texas , we have 29 million people and we ’ ve lost 495 , ” Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick , 70 , told Fox News , calling it a “ low ” death rate .
“ Every life is valuable , but 500 people out of 29 million and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re crushing the average worker .
We ’ re crushing small business .
We ’ re crushing the markets .
We ’ re crushing this country , ” Patrick told interviewer Tucker Carlson Monday night .
“ There are more important things than living .
And that ’ s saving this country for my children , and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us , ” he insisted , echoing comments he made earlier in the pandemic .
“ And I don ’ t want to die , nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we got to take some risks and get back in the game , and get this country back up and running .
“ We can not endure this much longer.
” Patrick insisted that “ Democrats have total control ” and are “ destroying our country ” with lockdowns which were based on “ the wrong numbers , the wrong science.
” “ It ’ s time to get back to work .
Texas is taking the lead , and we ’ re going to get rolling , ” he insisted .

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The lieutenant governor of Texas is pushing to completely reopen the Lone Star State — insisting “there are more important things than living” during the coronavirus pandemic.
“In Texas, we have 29 million people and we’ve lost 495,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 70, told Fox News, calling it a “low” death rate.
“Every life is valuable, but 500 people out of 29 million and we’re locked down, and we’re crushing the average worker. We’re crushing small business. We’re crushing the markets. We’re crushing this country,” Patrick told interviewer Tucker Carlson on Monday night.
“There are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us,” he insisted, echoing comments he made earlier in the pandemic.
“And I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but man, we got to take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running.
“We cannot endure this much longer.”
Patrick insisted that “Democrats have total control” and are “destroying our country” with lockdowns that were based on “the wrong numbers, the wrong science.”
“It’s time to get back to work. Texas is taking the lead, and we’re going to get rolling,” he insisted.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Trump demands Harvard return $8.6 million in coronavirus aid

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President Donald Trump demanded again that Harvard pay back the $ 8.6 million it received under a stimulus package to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus lockdown – hours after the school said it planned to keep the funds .
“ Harvard should give back the money now .
Their whole ‘ endowment ’ system should be looked at !
” the president said in a tweet late Tuesday .
Earlier in the day , the world ’ s wealthiest university tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the historic $ 2.2 trillion package passed last month to stimulate the collapsing economy .
The school said all of the funds would be given to students “ facing urgent financial needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic ” — and stressed that the funds did not fall under the Paycheck Protection Program for small business relief .
“ President Trump is right that it would not have been appropriate for our institution to receive funds that were designated for struggling small businesses , ” Harvard tweeted .
During a White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institution ’ s massive endowment — worth almost $ 41 billion — as the reason why it should hand over the money .
“ Harvard is going to pay back the money and they shouldn ’ t be taking it , ” the president said , adding that Harvard has one of the largest endowments “ in the country , maybe in the world .
”

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President Donald Trump demanded again that Harvard pay back the $8.6 million it received under a stimulus package to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus lockdown — hours after the school said it planned to keep the funds.
“Harvard should give back the money now. Their whole ‘endowment’ system should be looked at!” the president said in a tweet late Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the world’s wealthiest university tweeted that it was allocated the money as part of the historic $2.2 trillion package passed last month to stimulate the collapsing economy.
The school said all of the funds would be given to students “facing urgent financial needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic” — and stressed that the funds did not fall under the Paycheck Protection Program for small-business relief.
“President Trump is right that it would not have been appropriate for our institution to receive funds that were designated for struggling small businesses,” Harvard tweeted.
During a White House briefing, Trump cited the Ivy League institution’s massive endowment — worth almost $41 billion — as the reason why it should hand over the money.
“Harvard is going to pay back the money and they shouldn’t be taking it,” the president said, adding that Harvard has one of the largest endowments “in the country, maybe in the world.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Clever cat leads supermarket shopper to the pet food section

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This kitty may not have a tail, but it sure has street smarts. Watch as a stray cat in Piedras, Mexico, waits outside a grocery store and leads strangers to the cat food section. The trick worked. Tania Lizbeth Santos Coy Tovar, a teacher who filmed the cute video, decided to keep the cat and named him Conejo, which means “rabbit” in Spanish.
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newyorkpost--2020-04-22--How low can celebrities go?

How low can celebrities go?

`` If you keep prosecuting me in this way , somebody ’ s going ...

While the rest of us are on lockdown, Andie MacDowell and her daughters turned a closed public park into their own private playground.
Chris Cuomo is officially released from his fancy basement after coronavirus quarantine. And Maya Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, is dropping f-bombs at her parents’ generation.
Here’s a closer look at today’s stories:
Andie MacDowell caught in the act
Previous 1 of 15 Next Advertisement Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Advertisement Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Advertisement Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Advertisement Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Andie MacDowell and daughters Rainey and Margaret Qualley crawl under the gate of an LA park. TheImageDirect.com Advertisement
Actress Andie MacDowell and her kids were seen allegedly crawling out of a park in LA that is temporarily off-limits amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 61-year-old and her daughters, Rainey and Margaret Qualley, were seen on Friday limboing their way out from under a large, iron gate at the Audubon Center in Debs Park. To make matters worse, the gate had a big red sign with white letters that said, “Entrance gate closed at 5 p.m.”
MacDowell had the family’s small dog on a leash as she wiggled her way under the gate. Margaret, 25, followed behind her mother, and Rainey, 30, can be seen with a different leash as she also snuck out.
According to the park’s website, the Audubon Center and its trails are closed until April 30.
MacDowell and the Qualleys’ reps didn’t immediately return Page Six’s requests for comment. Though the park’s reps didn’t seem too upset by the family’s antics.
Unleash the Cuomo
Coronavirus-stricken Chris Cuomo posted a video of his “official re-entry” – a week after he was seen out and about in the Hamptons.
“All right, here it is … the official re-entry from the basement, cleared by the CDC,” the 49-year-old CNN anchor says in a short video shot by his 17-year-old daughter, Bella, and posted on Instagram.
He can be seen entering the living room of his $2.9 million home and joining his wife, Cristina, and two other kids, Carolina and Mario.
“This is what I’ve been dreaming of literally for weeks. This is the dream, just to be back here, doing normal things,” he says.
“My wife. She was cleared by the CDC,” the anchor adds. “She doesn’t have fever. She doesn’t have the symptoms anymore.”
Maya Hawke: The voice of Gen Z?
Maya Hawke, the 21-year-old daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, says her parents’ generation “f - - ked us.”
The “Stranger Things” star admits Thurman warned her about Hollywood: “This industry is so much tougher on women, my mom had reservations,” Hawke told Nylon’s April digital issue. “The emphasis that the business puts on your appearance … on your age.” She encouraged her to “follow your gut and … don’t get trapped in the starlet tornado.”
However, she feels the entertainment industry “just used to be more glamorous,” and, citing declining major-studio picture budgets, continues: “It’s not so glamorous anymore. There’s almost no such thing as a movie star anymore. There can be an appearance of one for a second. Now there’s a bajillion actors with a following. It’s a lot more everyman.”
Catch up on all episodes of “We Hear” by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Yankees minor league team presents an offer to Tom Brady

Tom Brady apparently needs to work on his coronavirus compliance ... .

Tom Brady received a public smackdown Monday for working out in a Tampa park in violation of coronavirus rules, but a Yankees minor league team is welcoming the 42-year-old quarterback with open arms.
On Tuesday, the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate, tweeted out a message of support for the six-time Super Bowl champion, who is moving his family into Derek Jeter’s 30,000-square-foot compound on Davis Islands in Tampa.
“Hey @TomBrady……We know of a #TampaPark you can workout at,” the team tweeted with a picture of George M. Steinbrenner Field — home of the Tampa Tarpons and the Yankees’ spring training ballpark. The ballpark is across the street from Raymond James Stadium, Brady’s new home field.
On Monday, Tampa Bay mayor Jane Castor confirmed that Brady, who recently signed a two-year, fully guaranteed $50 million deal with the Buccaneers in March, was told to leave the park while talking about the incident on a Facebook Live session with St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
He was not cited or given a fine, according to TMZ.
“You know our parks are closed down and so a lot of our parks staff, they patrol around just to make sure people aren’t doing contact sports and things and saw an individual working out in one of our downtown parks,” said Castor, who didn’t indicate exactly when it happened. “And she went over to tell him that it was closed and it was Tom Brady.”
The city on Monday also posted a social media message on the incident to reinforce the message of complying with stay-at-home orders.
“Sorry Tom Brady Our @tampaparksrec team can’t wait to welcome you and our entire community back with even bigger smiles — until then, stay safe and stay home as much as you can to help flatten the curve,” the Tampa Parks & Recreation account posted to Twitter on Monday.
The 42-year-old Brady received some good news on Tuesday, however.
He will be reunited with tight end Rob Gronkowski, 30, who was traded from the Patriots to the Buccaneers, along with a seventh-round pick in this week’s draft, according to ESPN. New England received Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick in the deal.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Iran says it launched country’s first military satellite into orbit

TEHRAN , Iran — Iran ’ s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Wednesday that it launched a military satellite into orbit amid wider tensions with the United States , describing it as a successful launch after months of failures .
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite , which the Guard called “ Noor , ” or light .
The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon , which contend that such launches advance Iran ’ s ballistic missile program , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
On its official website , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an orbit of 425 kilometers ( 264 miles ) above the Earth ’ s surface .
The Guard called it the first military satellite ever launched by Tehran .
The two-stage satellite launch took off from Iran ’ s Central Desert , the Guard said , without elaborating or saying when exactly the launch took place .
The paramilitary force said it used a Ghased , or “ Messenger , ” satellite carrier to put the device into space , a previously unheard-of system .
The launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January .
Iran has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent months .
The latest came in February , when Iran failed to put its Zafar 1 communications satellite into orbit .
That failure came after two failed launches of the Payam and Doosti satellites last year , as well as a launchpad rocket explosion in August .
A separate fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February 2019 also killed three researchers , authorities said at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the attention of President Donald Trump , who later tweeted what appeared to be a classified surveillance image of the launch failure .
The successive failures raised suspicion of outside interference in Iran ’ s program , something Trump himself hinted at by tweeting at the time that the U.S. “ was not involved in the catastrophic accident.
” The U.S. alleges such satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Iran to undertake no activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons .
American officials , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these launches could help Iran develop intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons .
Iran , which long has said it does not seek nuclear weapons , previously maintained its satellite launches and rocket tests do not have a military component .
The Guard launching its own satellite now calls that into question .
Tehran also says it hasn ’ t violated a U.N. resolution on its ballistic missile program as it only “ called upon ” Iran not to conduct such tests .
Western missile experts have also questioned the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a dual use for nuclear weapons .
Over the past decade , Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space .
The launch comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018 .
Iran since has broken all the deal ’ s limitations while still allowing U.N. inspectors to its sites .
On Sunday , the Guard acknowledged it had a tense encounter with U.S. warships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but alleged without offering evidence that American forces sparked the incident .

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday it launched a military satellite into orbit amid wider tensions with the United States, describing it as a successful launch after months of failures.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite, which the Guard called “Noor,” or light. The US State Department and the Pentagon, which contend that such launches advance Iran’s ballistic missile program, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On its official website, the Guard said the satellite successfully reached an orbit of 425 kilometers (264 miles) above the Earth’s surface. The Guard called it the first military satellite ever launched by Tehran.
The two-stage satellite launch took off from Iran’s Central Desert, the Guard said, without elaborating or saying when exactly the launch took place. The paramilitary force said it used a Ghased, or “Messenger,” satellite carrier to put the device into space, a previously unheard-of system.
The launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a US drone strike in Iraq killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January.
Iran has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent months. The latest came in February, when Iran failed to put its Zafar 1 communications satellite into orbit.
That failure came after two failed launches of the Payam and Doosti satellites last year, as well as a launchpad rocket explosion in August. A separate fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February 2019 also killed three researchers, authorities said at the time.
The rocket explosion in August drew even the attention of President Trump, who later tweeted what appeared to be a classified surveillance image of the launch failure. The successive failures raised suspicion of outside interference in Iran’s program, something Trump himself hinted at by tweeting at the time that the US “was not involved in the catastrophic accident.”
The US alleges such satellite launches defy a UN Security Council resolution calling on Iran to undertake no activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. American officials, as well as European nations, worry that these launches could help Iran develop intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Iran, which long has said it does not seek nuclear weapons, previously maintained its satellite launches and rocket tests do not have a military component. The Guard launching its own satellite now calls that into question.
Tehran also says it hasn’t violated a UN resolution on its ballistic missile program as it only “called upon” Iran not to conduct such tests. Western missile experts have also questioned the US contention that Iran’s program could have a dual use for nuclear weapons.
Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space.
The launch comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. Iran since has broken all the deal’s limitations while still allowing UN inspectors to its sites.
On Sunday, the Guard acknowledged it had a tense encounter with US warships in the Persian Gulf last week, but alleged without offering evidence that American forces sparked the incident.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--California hospital reinstates suspended nurses who demanded masks

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At least 10 @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 ward this week after being suspended for demanding protective respirator masks , the @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
Their Southern California hospital has reinstated them and is now supplying the N95 @ @ @ @ @ infected patients .
Last week , the Associated Press reported that nurses at Providence Saint @ @ @ @ @ in Santa Monica were on administrative leave after telling their managers they wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ the masks .
The N95 mask filters out 95 % of all airborne particles , @ @ @ @ @ be blocked by regular masks .
But hospital administrators said they weren ’ t necessary @ @ @ @ @ them , the nurses said .
Last week , Providence said in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ system to disinfect and reprocess the masks , which are in huge demand amid global @ @ @ @ @ not immediately available for comment Tuesday .

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At least 10 nurses are heading back to the COVID-19 ward this week after being suspended for demanding protective respirator masks, the National Nurses United union said Tuesday.
Their Southern California hospital has reinstated them and is now supplying the N95 masks to nurses working with infected patients.
Last week, the Associated Press reported that nurses at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica were on administrative leave after telling their managers they wouldn’t enter COVID-19 patient rooms without the masks.
The N95 mask filters out 95% of all airborne particles, including ones too tiny to be blocked by regular masks. But hospital administrators said they weren’t necessary and didn’t provide them, the nurses said.
Last week, Providence said in a statement that it had set up a system to disinfect and reprocess the masks, which are in huge demand amid global shortages.
The hospital was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.


newyorkpost--2020-04-22--Philly hospital delivers bodies to medical examiner in open bed of pickup truck

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Numerous bodies were transported in an open pickup truck bed to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner ’ s office Sunday — with a worker caught stepping on the deceased as he unloaded them .
A photographer with The Philadelphia Inquirer captured the horrific delivery of up to six corpses from a hospital to an area with several refrigerated trailers that the city obtained to help store extra bodies during the coronavirus outbreak .
The deceased in the pickup truck were inside white body bags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photos published by the newspaper .
It ’ s unclear if the bodies were people who died of coronavirus , as the refrigeration trailers also hold patients who died of other causes .
James Garrow , a spokesman for Philadelphia ’ s public health department , on Tuesday said the delivery “ is not normal or acceptable.
” Garrow said there are “ long-standing transportation protocols ” for the transfer of bodies from hospitals to the city medical examiner ’ s office that “ were not followed.
” “ The Health Department is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminded the referring hospital of the existing protocols , ” he said .

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Numerous bodies were transported in an open pickup truck bed to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s office Sunday — with a worker caught stepping on the deceased as he unloaded them.
A photographer with The Philadelphia Inquirer captured the horrific delivery of up to six corpses from a hospital to an area with several refrigerated trailers that the city obtained to help store extra bodies during the coronavirus outbreak.
The deceased in the pickup truck were inside white body bags and covered in mats, according to photos published by the newspaper.
It’s unclear if the bodies were people who died of coronavirus, as the refrigeration trailers also hold patients who died of other causes.
James Garrow, a spokesman for Philadelphia’s public health department, on Tuesday said the delivery “is not normal or acceptable.”
Garrow said there are “long-standing transportation protocols” for the transfer of bodies from hospitals to the city medical examiner’s office that “were not followed.”
“The Health Department is appalled that this happened, and strongly reminded the referring hospital of the existing protocols,” he said.
With Post Wires