newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Why is Joe Biden addicted to reading his handlers’ scripts?

Even in his basement , Joe Biden bungles .
If it wasn ’ t already obvious by the tracking of his eyes and the cadence of his speech , the Democratic presidential nominee confirms his addiction to scripts by regularly reading parts of his notes that he ’ s not supposed to say .
“ End of quote , ” he said in the middle of a talk attacking President Trump .
“ Look , Venezuela topline message is .
.
.
” he said during an interview with NBC Miami .
He even reads the headings of talking-point notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems unable to get through any interview without scripts : During countless TV spots , viewers can see him looking down at his notes while he answers questions — a mistake routinely avoided by politicians with a hundredth of Biden ’ s decades of experience .
( The Trump campaign has collected a series of such footage . )
And during what are supposed to look like real conversations , as in one with Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf , a supporter , he motions to staff to move the teleprompter text .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent speech : “ And uh , in addition to that , uh , in addition to that , we have to , uh , make sure that we , uh , we are in a position that we are , well , let me , let me go to the second thing .
I ’ ve spoke enough on that , ” he said as he made hand gestures to tell aides he needed the teleprompter moved .
It ’ s even more notable when you realize how rarely Biden makes himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Sharpton seems to have given him questions ahead of time for an MSNBC appearance , judging from the ready answers Biden had .
( MSNBC has been particularly helpful to him : It cropped his script out of the photo it aired of Biden calling Kamala Harris to ask her to be his running mate . )
For all the ex-veep ’ s long history of gaffes , this is new for Biden .
Maybe it ’ s simply an overelaborate effort to avoid prompting questions about his mental acuity — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceal just how much he ’ s lost off his fastball .
If he ’ s going to inspire confidence among the voters , Biden needs to get out a lot more — and leave his scripts behind .

Even in his basement, Joe Biden bungles.
If it wasn’t already obvious by the tracking of his eyes and the cadence of his speech, the Democratic presidential nominee confirms his addiction to scripts by regularly reading parts of his notes that he’s not supposed to say.
“End of quote,” he said in the middle of a talk attacking President Trump. “Look, Venezuela topline message is . . .” he said during an interview with NBC Miami. He even reads the headings of talking-point notes from his handlers.
Indeed, Biden seems unable to get through any interview without scripts: During countless TV spots, viewers can see him looking down at his notes while he answers questions — a mistake routinely avoided by politicians with a hundredth of Biden’s decades of experience. (The Trump campaign has collected a series of such footage.)
And during what are supposed to look like real conversations, as in one with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a supporter, he motions to staff to move the teleprompter text.
He did the same thing in a recent speech: “And uh, in addition to that, uh, in addition to that, we have to, uh, make sure that we, uh, we are in a position that we are, well, let me, let me go to the second thing. I’ve spoke enough on that,” he said as he made hand gestures to tell aides he needed the teleprompter moved.
It’s even more notable when you realize how rarely Biden makes himself available, especially to probing reporters. Al Sharpton seems to have given him questions ahead of time for an MSNBC appearance, judging from the ready answers Biden had. (MSNBC has been particularly helpful to him: It cropped his script out of the photo it aired of Biden calling Kamala Harris to ask her to be his running mate.)
For all the ex-veep’s long history of gaffes, this is new for Biden. Maybe it’s simply an overelaborate effort to avoid prompting questions about his mental acuity — or maybe it’s an effort to conceal just how much he’s lost off his fastball.
If he’s going to inspire confidence among the voters, Biden needs to get out a lot more — and leave his scripts behind.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Trump asks ‘muffled’ reporter to remove mask — is rebuffed

President Trump on Monday asked a reporter to remove his mask while asking a question , but the journalist instead offered to speak louder .
Trump told Reuters reporter Jeff Mason that his face mask “ muffled ” his question during an outdoors North Portico press conference .
Mason , a former president of the White House Correspondents ’ Association , which requires reporters to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic , politely rebuffed Trump .
“ You ’ re going to have to take that off , please .
Just , you can take it off .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away ?
” Trump said .
Trump objected : “ Well , if you don ’ t take it off , you are very muffled .
So if you would take it off , it would be a lot easier.
” Mason insisted : “ I ’ ll just speak a lot louder .
Is that better ?
” Trump previously failed to persuade Mason to remove his face mask during a Rose Garden press conference in late May .
“ Can you take it off ?
Because I can not hear you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Mason offered to speak louder instead , Trump said , “ you want to be politically correct.
” Mason , who Trump praised in the past , often defends the independence of the press corps .
“ I don ’ t think any of us came here for a lecture about our questioning , ” he told former acting intelligence director Richard Grenell at a press briefing on Friday , defending another journalist .
On Monday , some journalists did remove their masks , including a correspondent for One America News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You sound so clear , as opposed to everybody else , ” Trump told The Guardian ’ s correspondent .
Most reporters did not wear masks during White House coronavirus press briefings in March and April , nor did health leaders such as Drs .
Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx .
More recently , journalists have embraced the health precaution as White House aides and some reporters test positive for the virus .
Reporters at press briefings with Trump generally are not tested for COVID-19 unless they are part of a small @ @ @ @

President Trump on Monday asked a reporter to remove his mask while asking a question, but the journalist instead offered to speak louder.
Trump told Reuters reporter Jeff Mason that his face mask “muffled” his question during an outdoors North Portico press conference.
Mason, a former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, which requires reporters to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic, politely rebuffed Trump.
“You’re going to have to take that off, please. Just, you can take it off. You’re, how many feet are you away?” Trump said.
Mason countered: “I’ll speak a lot louder.”
Trump objected: “Well, if you don’t take it off, you are very muffled. So if you would take it off, it would be a lot easier.”
Mason insisted: “I’ll just speak a lot louder. Is that better?”
Trump, visibly annoyed, said, “It’s better. Yeah — it’s better.”
Trump previously failed to persuade Mason to remove his face mask during a Rose Garden press conference in late May.
“Can you take it off? Because I cannot hear you,” Trump told Mason in May. When Mason offered to speak louder instead, Trump said, “You want to be politically correct.”
Mason, whom Trump praised in the past, often defends the independence of the press corps.
“I don’t think any of us came here for a lecture about our questioning,” he told former acting intelligence director Richard Grenell at a press briefing Friday, defending another journalist.
On Monday, some journalists did remove their masks, including a correspondent for One America News and a reporter for the Guardian.
“You sound so clear, as opposed to everybody else,” Trump told the Guardian’s correspondent.
Most reporters did not wear masks during White House coronavirus press briefings in March and April, nor did health leaders such as Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx.
More recently, journalists have embraced the health precaution as White House aides and some reporters test positive for the virus. Reporters at press briefings with Trump generally are not tested for COVID-19 unless they are part of a small daily press pool.


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--NYC pols join eateries in suing governor, mayor to reopen indoor dining

A pair of city politicians is joining a group of restaurant owners to sue Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the Big Apple ’ s continued ban on indoor dining .
Republican state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis , GOP City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo and the beleaguered eateries will file the lawsuit Tuesday in Richmond County Supreme Court ahead of an 11 a.m. press conference , the parties told The Post .
“ New York City meets the [ coronavirus reopening ] metrics like every other municipality in the state , yet restaurants are being prohibited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no justification for this , ” said Malliotakis — who along with others in the suit is demanding that all restaurants in the five boroughs be allowed to resume indoor dining at at least half capacity .
“ We ’ ve tried to reason with the mayor and the governor , and we have been left with no choice but to proceed with legal action , ” she said .
The governor shut down the city ’ s bars and restaurants in mid-March as coronavirus infections spiked .
Mark Fonte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers involved in the suit , said the filing argues that Cuomo and de Blasio are acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner by keeping indoor dining closed and want a judge to intervene .
“ These businesses are incensed at the mayor ’ s dismissive attitude toward their plight , ” Fonte said .
“ If the weather turns cold and outdoor dining is shut down , we anticipate that about 75 percent of them will close for good.
” Robert Hanley , the general manager of fine-dining eatery Bocelli in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has had to furlough or lay off two-thirds of his staff .
“ The closure has affected us deeply .
It has been painful and disheartening , ” he said of his reason for joining the suit to reopen indoor dining .
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant has been relegated to serving a handful of socially distanced customers in four outdoor parking spots .
“ It ’ s unsustainable no matter how deep your pockets may be , ” he said .
Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi defended the continued ban on indoor dining to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that New York City was hit the hardest , and the governor took action to reduce infections in the areas that were driving clusters in other large cities around the country , ” Azzopardi said in a statement .
“ We understand that some people are unhappy , but better unhappy than sick or worse.
” City Hall spokesman Mitch Schwartz declined to comment on the pending litigation but said the mayor is focused on safely opening schools and continuing to evaluate the “ extremely dynamic health situation throughout the fall .
“

A pair of city politicians are backing a group of restaurant owners suing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio over the Big Apple’s continued ban on indoor dining.
Republican state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and GOP City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo will join the beleaguered eateries as they file the lawsuit Tuesday in Richmond County Supreme Court ahead of an 11 a.m. press conference, the parties told The Post.
“New York City meets the [coronavirus reopening] metrics like every other municipality in the state, yet restaurants are being prohibited from having any indoor dining, and there’s no justification for this,” said Malliotakis, who is also running for Congress.
The suit is demanding that all restaurants in the five boroughs be allowed to resume indoor dining at at least half capacity.
“We’ve tried to reason with the mayor and the governor, and we have been left with no choice but to proceed with legal action,” Malliotakis said.
The governor shut down the city’s bars and restaurants in mid-March as coronavirus infections spiked.
Mark Fonte and Louis Gelormino, two of the lawyers involved in the suit, said the filing argues that Cuomo and de Blasio are acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner by keeping indoor dining closed and want a judge to intervene.
“These businesses are incensed at the mayor’s dismissive attitude toward their plight,” Fonte said. “If the weather turns cold and outdoor dining is shut down, we anticipate that about 75 percent of them will close for good.”
Robert Hanley, the general manager of fine-dining eatery Bocelli in the Grasmere neighborhood of Staten Island, said he has had to furlough or lay off two-thirds of his staff.
“The closure has affected us deeply. It has been painful and disheartening,” he said of his reason for joining the suit to reopen indoor dining.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant has been relegated to serving a handful of socially distanced customers in four outdoor parking spots.
“It’s unsustainable no matter how deep your pockets may be,” he said.
Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi defended the continued ban on indoor dining to The Post.
“The bottom line is that New York City was hit the hardest, and the governor took action to reduce infections in the areas that were driving clusters in other large cities around the country,” Azzopardi said in a statement. “We understand that some people are unhappy, but better unhappy than sick or worse.”
City Hall spokesman Mitch Schwartz declined to comment on the pending litigation but said the mayor is focused on safely opening schools and continuing to evaluate the “extremely dynamic health situation throughout the fall. “


newyorkpost--2020-09-07--Signed Bible inspired by Trump’s photo op going to auction

After President Donald Trump posed with a Bible during the notorious June photo op outside St. John ’ s Church , Moments In Time auctioneer Gary Zimet reached out to an inside contact to have Trump autograph a Bible .
The event made headlines around the world after cops used tear gas to disperse protesters so that Trump could walk from the White House to the famed church .
Now memorabilia dealer Gary Zimet claims that he ’ s selling the tome — with Trump ’ s signature in it .
“ A few days after Trump famous photo opp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church I had a contact of mine in the White House get him to sign it .
It took forever to get in contact with them to send it to me but I will have it for auction on Tuesday.
” The starting bid will go for $ 37 , 500 “ Moments in Time ” dealer Gary Zimet tells Page Six .
“ The Bible is not so much important in terms of history but given what Trump has done during protest and being in the White House the fact that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary .
Inaugural copies the Bible that Obama was sworn in on Grover Cleveland was sworn in on , those are signed but I never seen another sign by a president especially by a sitting president.
” Zimet adds , “ I think a lot of Trump supporters will like to get their hands on this item .
Knowing that it was signed I was very excited to finally get it .
It ’ s a great rarity to have .
”

After President Donald Trump posed with a Bible during the notorious June photo op outside St. John’s Church, Moments In Time auctioneer Gary Zimet reached out to an inside contact to have Trump autograph a Bible.
The event made headlines around the world after cops used tear gas to disperse protesters so that Trump could walk from the White House to the famed church. Now memorabilia dealer Gary Zimet claims that he’s selling the tome — with Trump’s signature in it.
“A few days after Trump famous photo opp with the Bible in front of the church I had a contact of mine in the White House get him to sign it. It took forever to get in contact with them to send it to me but I will have it for auction on Tuesday.” The starting bid will go for $37, 500 “Moments in Time” dealer Gary Zimet tells Page Six.
“The Bible is not so much important in terms of history but given what Trump has done during protest and being in the White House the fact that he would dare to sign a Bible is extraordinary. Inaugural copies the Bible that Obama was sworn in on Grover Cleveland was sworn in on, those are signed but I never seen another sign by a president especially by a sitting president.”
Zimet adds, “I think a lot of Trump supporters will like to get their hands on this item. Knowing that it was signed I was very excited to finally get it. It’s a great rarity to have.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Check out New Order’s new ‘Be a Rebel’ song, live tour dates

New Order have dropped “ Be a Rebel , ” their first new song since they released 2015 ’ s “ Music Complete.
” On the buoyant synth-pop track , Bernard Sumner sings of optimism and embracing self-love , despite challenging times .
“ Take a look at yourself/You may not be the same as everyone else/You ’ re just different , that ’ s OK/We all follow our own way , ” he sings on the chorus .
“ And if you find that they won ’ t listen/Then they ’ ve got nothing to say/So don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sad/Be a rebel.
” New Order initially planned to drop “ Be a Rebel ” ahead of their fall tour , but with the postponement and rescheduling of live shows due to COVID-19 , they decided to release it now .
“ In tough times we wanted to reach out with a new song , ” Sumner said in a statement .
“ We can ’ t play live for a while , but music is still something we can all share together .
We hope you enjoy it… until we meet again.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shop Boys , which was originally planned to kick off this month , has been rescheduled to next year .
Their 2021 North American trek begins on September 18th at Budweiser Stage in Toronto and wraps with a two-date stint at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 15th and 16th .
New Order will also perform a one-off London show on November 6th at The O2 .
On October 2nd , the band will release a comprehensive box set of their second album , “ Power , Corruption and Lies.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the four 12-inch singles that came out around “ Power , Corruption and Lies ” for tracks that didn ’ t make the album , including “ Blue Monday , ” “ Confusion , ” “ Thieves Like Us ” and “ Murder .
”

New Order have dropped “Be a Rebel,” their first new song since they released 2015’s “Music Complete.”
On the buoyant synth-pop track, Bernard Sumner sings of optimism and embracing self-love, despite challenging times. “Take a look at yourself/You may not be the same as everyone else/You’re just different, that’s OK/We all follow our own way,” he sings on the chorus. “And if you find that they won’t listen/Then they’ve got nothing to say/So don’t get mad and don’t feel sad/Be a rebel.”
New Order initially planned to drop “Be a Rebel” ahead of their fall tour, but with the postponement and rescheduling of live shows due to COVID-19, they decided to release it now. “In tough times we wanted to reach out with a new song,” Sumner said in a statement. “We can’t play live for a while, but music is still something we can all share together. We hope you enjoy it… until we meet again.”
Their co-headlining Unity Tour with Pet Shop Boys, which was originally planned to kick off this month, has been rescheduled to next year. Their 2021 North American trek begins on September 18th at Budweiser Stage in Toronto and wraps with a two-date stint at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 15th and 16th. New Order will also perform a one-off London show on November 6th at The O2.
On October 2nd, the band will release a comprehensive box set of their second album, “Power, Corruption and Lies.” In conjunction, they will also individually reissue the four 12-inch singles that came out around “Power, Corruption and Lies” for tracks that didn’t make the album, including “Blue Monday,” “Confusion,” “Thieves Like Us” and “Murder.”
New Order, Pet Shop Boys 2021 Tour Dates


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--‘The Venture Bros.’ canceled at Adult Swim after seven seasons

“ The Venture Bros. ” has been canceled by Adult Swim after seven seasons , creator Christopher McCulloch announced on Twitter on Monday .
McCulloch said he and the writers had been in the middle of writing season 8 when they received the news a few months ago that the show would not be returning to air .
“ Unfortunately , it ’ s true : ‘ Venture Bros. ’ has been canceled .
We got the highly disappointing news a few months ago , while we were writing what would have been season 8 .
We thank you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of your kind ( and patient ) attention .
And , as always , we love you , ” wrote McCulloch , who uses the pseudonym Jackson Publick on the show and on Twitter .
When contacted by Variety , Adult Swim said it was looking for a way to continue the story with McCulloch and co-writer Doc Hammer .
“ We also want more Venture Bros. and have been working with Jackson [ Publick ] and Doc [ Hammer ] to find another way to continue the Venture Bros. story , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sources tell Variety that one possible avenue to continue the series would be moving it to HBO Max .
That possibility is being discussed , but is still far from becoming a reality , sources say .
The show was one of the longest-running original series on Adult Swim , spanning seven seasons over 17 years .
The pilot episode aired on Adult Swim in 2003 , and the first season premiered in 2004 .
Fans typically had to wait between two and three years between seasons , and the final one ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoofed many superhero and pop culture tropes , and the main characters were a riff on the “ Johnny Quest ” crew .
The show followed the Venture family , made up of incompetent teen brothers Dean and Hank , their insecure scientist father Rusty , their family bodyguard Brock Sampson and a colorful cast of supervillains , like The Monarch , Dr .
Girlfriend , Sergeant Hatred and Phantom Limb .
McCulloch and Hammer voiced several of the characters along with Michael Sinterniklaas , James Urbaniak , Patrick Warburton , Steven Rattazzi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farewell to the series on Twitter , calling it “ one of the great gifts ” of his life .
“ So , as it must to all , cancellation has come for ‘ The Venture Bros. ’ The pilot aired 17 years ago , which means the show was almost old enough to vote , ” he wrote .
“ It was one of the great gifts of my life & career .
The fans were , quite simply , the best .
Thank you , everybody .
Go .
Team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .

“The Venture Bros.” has been canceled by Adult Swim after seven seasons, creator Christopher McCulloch announced on Twitter on Monday.
McCulloch said he and the writers had been in the middle of writing season 8 when they received the news a few months ago that the show would not be returning to air.
“Unfortunately, it’s true: ‘Venture Bros.’ has been canceled. We got the highly disappointing news a few months ago, while we were writing what would have been season 8. We thank you, our amazing fans, for 17 years of your kind (and patient) attention. And, as always, we love you,” wrote McCulloch, who uses the pseudonym Jackson Publick on the show and on Twitter.
When contacted by Variety, Adult Swim said it was looking for a way to continue the story with McCulloch and co-writer Doc Hammer.
“We also want more Venture Bros. and have been working with Jackson [Publick] and Doc [Hammer] to find another way to continue the Venture Bros. story,” Adult Swim said in a statement.
Sources tell Variety that one possible avenue to continue the series would be moving it to HBO Max. That possibility is being discussed, but is still far from becoming a reality, sources say.
The show was one of the longest-running original series on Adult Swim, spanning seven seasons over 17 years. The pilot episode aired on Adult Swim in 2003, and the first season premiered in 2004. Fans typically had to wait between two and three years between seasons, and the final one ended in 2018.
The adult animated cartoon spoofed many superhero and pop culture tropes, and the main characters were a riff on the “Johnny Quest” crew. The show followed the Venture family, made up of incompetent teen brothers Dean and Hank, their insecure scientist father Rusty, their family bodyguard Brock Sampson and a colorful cast of supervillains, like The Monarch, Dr. Girlfriend, Sergeant Hatred and Phantom Limb.
McCulloch and Hammer voiced several of the characters along with Michael Sinterniklaas, James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Steven Rattazzi and Dana Snyder.
Urbaniak also said farewell to the series on Twitter, calling it “one of the great gifts” of his life.
“So, as it must to all, cancellation has come for ‘The Venture Bros.’ The pilot aired 17 years ago, which means the show was almost old enough to vote,” he wrote. “It was one of the great gifts of my life & career. The fans were, quite simply, the best. Thank you, everybody. Go. Team. Venture!”
Will Thorne contributed to this report.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Teyana Taylor welcomes baby with Iman Shumpert, gives birth in bathroom — again

Singer Teyana Taylor debuted her baby bump in her new ...

Teyana Taylor and husband Iman Shumpert’s new addition is already following in her big sister’s footsteps.
On Monday, Taylor and Shumpert announced the arrival of their second child together, daughter Rue Rose, revealing she was also born in a bathroom, just like their older daughter, 4-year-old Iman Tayla, a.k.a Junie.
“At 3:28 am on Sept 6th 2020 Rue Rose 🌹 decided that the baby shower thrown for her and mommy was too lit,” Shumpert said on Instagram of Sunday’s special delivery. “She didn’t make the party but she managed to make the next day her birthdate!!!”
The NBA shooting guard then quipped, “Now…when we buy homes, we always find a bathroom with great energy… but not in a million years would you be able to tell me we’d deliver both of our daughters in a bathroom without the assistance of a hospital!”
Shumpert, 30, who has been married to Taylor, 29, for four years, confirmed baby Rue had “entered the world in the water and came out looking around and ready to explore!”
“A healthy child. A little sister. Another daughter. Black love wins….again. Welcome babygirl…we love you! 🌹 @babyruerose,” he continued.
Taylor also posted an Instagram video of her baby girl, adding the message: “We love you Rue, welcome baby girl @babyruerose 😢😍🌹❤.”
Taylor announced her pregnancy in June via a music video. Later that month, Taylor also shared that Erykah Badu planned to be her midwife.
“I don’t know if I want to go to the hospital for this next baby,” Taylor said on Nick Cannon’s podcast at the time before adding: “I’ll make sure it’s not on the toilet or the bathroom floor.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Drugmakers pledge to put safety first in race for COVID-19 vaccine

Nine drugmakers pledged Tuesday to make safety their top priority as they race to develop a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus — vowing they would not seek emergency authorization before large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials are completed .
The biopharma firms said in a joint statement that they would follow “ high ethical standards and sound scientific principles ” in their efforts to study and produce an inoculation that could help end the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statement from AstraZeneca , BioNTech , GlaxoSmithKline , Johnson & Johnson , Merck , Moderna , Novavax , Pfizer and Sanofi .
The companies added that they would not seek approval or emergency authorization for a vaccine until it is shown to be safe and effective through a so-called Phase 3 clinical trial , which generally involves a large number of participants and a scientifically rigorous design .
Such studies are currently underway for several vaccine candidates , including those developed by AstraZeneca , Moderna and Pfizer , which is collaborating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine race in the US won ’ t take Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn up on his offer to possibly fast-track a shot by granting an emergency use authorization before Phase 3 research is complete .
Such an authorization would make the vaccine available to certain groups before it is fully approved .
The pledge came amid a push by the Trump administration to distribute a coronavirus shot quickly through Operation Warp Speed , a federal initiative that has committed billions of dollars to vaccine research and development .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ready as soon as next month , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently told states to be ready to distribute one by Nov. 1 — a timeline that runs close to the Nov. 3 presidential election .
The drugmakers said their pledge was consistent with the FDA ’ s guidance for developing a COVID-19 vaccine , which requires that “ scientific evidence for regulatory approval must come from large , high-quality clinical trials that are randomized and observer-blinded.
” “ FDA has established clear guidance for the development of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential authorization or approval in the US , ” the statement says .
“ FDA ’ s guidance and criteria are based on the scientific and medical principles necessary to clearly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of potential COVID-19 vaccines .
The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Nine drugmakers pledged Tuesday to make safety their top priority as they race to develop a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus — vowing they would not seek emergency authorization before large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials are completed.
The biopharma firms said in a joint statement that they would follow “high ethical standards and sound scientific principles” in their efforts to study and produce an inoculation that could help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved,” says the statement from AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer and Sanofi.
The companies added that they would not seek approval or emergency authorization for a vaccine until it is shown to be safe and effective through a so-called Phase 3 clinical trial, which generally involves a large number of participants and a scientifically rigorous design.
Such studies are currently underway for several vaccine candidates, including those developed by AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer, which is collaborating with BioNTech.
That indicates the leaders of the vaccine race in the US won’t take Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn up on his offer to possibly fast-track a shot by granting an emergency use authorization before Phase 3 research is complete. Such an authorization would make the vaccine available to certain groups before it is fully approved.
The pledge came amid a push by the Trump administration to distribute a coronavirus shot quickly through Operation Warp Speed, a federal initiative that has committed billions of dollars to vaccine research and development.
President Trump suggested Monday that a vaccine could be ready as soon as next month, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently told states to be ready to distribute one by Nov. 1 — a timeline that runs close to the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The drugmakers said their pledge was consistent with the FDA’s guidance for developing a COVID-19 vaccine, which requires that “scientific evidence for regulatory approval must come from large, high-quality clinical trials that are randomized and observer-blinded.”
“FDA has established clear guidance for the development of COVID-19 vaccines and clear criteria for their potential authorization or approval in the US,” the statement says.
“FDA’s guidance and criteria are based on the scientific and medical principles necessary to clearly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of potential COVID-19 vaccines.”
The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Daniel Prude’s brother says ‘cold-blooded’ Rochester cops ‘assassinated’ him

The brother of Daniel Prude ripped Rochester police as “ some cold-blooded damn killers ” who “ assassinated ” the father of five back in March .
Joe Prude made the impassioned speech Monday night to hundreds of protesters who gathered for the sixth straight night in the upstate New York city .
“ They didn ’ t want that tape to come out , ” Joe said , referring to the newly released police body camera footage showing Daniel suffocating while in custody .
“ They did not want that visual of my brother being assassinated by some cold-blooded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting in name of his brother , who was naked and placed in a “ spit hood ” by cops who then pushed his head to the ground on March 23 .
He died a week later after he was taken off of life support .
“ If you look deep down inside your heart , you understand that all we was really asking for is justice , ” Joe told the crowd .
“ That ’ s all I want for my brother .
Nothing else but justice.
” Joe then thanked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s right , ” telling them , “ Let ’ s love each other and let ’ s continue to fight the good fight.
” The deadly encounter unfolded after Joe called 911 around 3:15 a.m. seeking help for Daniel , 41 , who was acting erratically .
Twelve minutes of bodycam footage was released last week , showing Prude yelling while handcuffed and naked , as cops laugh .
A mesh hood was then placed over his head to stop him from spitting , with the recording showing an officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pavement for about two minutes until he stopped breathing .
The medical examiner ruled Daniel ’ s death a homicide , caused by “ complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint , excited delirium [ and ] acute phencyclidine [ PCP ] intoxication.
” New York Attorney General Letitia James has convened a grand jury to investigate Daniel ’ s death .
Protesters have taken to the streets demanding police reform and more accountability , including on Monday night , when they had a tense standoff with cops for nearly three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported .
The protests ended around 1 a.m. , police said .

The brother of Daniel Prude ripped Rochester police as “some cold-blooded damn killers” who “assassinated” the father of five back in March.
Joe Prude made the impassioned speech Monday night to hundreds of protesters who gathered for the sixth straight night in the upstate New York city.
“They didn’t want that tape to come out,” Joe said, referring to the newly released police body camera footage showing Daniel suffocating while in custody.
“They did not want that visual of my brother being assassinated by some cold-blooded damn killers.”
Joe vowed to continuing fighting in the name of his brother, who was naked and placed in a “spit hood” by cops who then pushed his head to the ground on March 23. He died a week later after he was taken off life support.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Joe Prude, the brother of Daniel Prude, addresses a crowd of demonstrators in front of the Public Safety Building. Getty Images Demonstrators march for Daniel Prude in Rochester. Getty Images Advertisement A line of black men stand guard as organizers read off a list of demands in front of City Hall. Getty Images Demonstrators march for Daniel Prude in Rochester. Getty Images Advertisement
“If you look deep down inside your heart, you understand that all we was really asking for is justice,” Joe told the crowd. “That’s all I want for my brother. Nothing else but justice.”
Joe then thanked the crowd for “standing up for what’s right,” telling them, “Let’s love each other and let’s continue to fight the good fight.”
The deadly encounter unfolded after Joe called 911 around 3:15 a.m. seeking help for Daniel, 41, who was acting erratically. Twelve minutes of bodycam footage was released last week, showing Daniel yelling while handcuffed and naked, as cops laugh.
A mesh hood was then placed over his head to stop him from spitting, with the recording showing an officer pressing Daniel’s head into the pavement for about two minutes until he stopped breathing.
The medical examiner ruled Daniel’s death a homicide, caused by “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint, excited delirium [and] acute phencyclidine [PCP] intoxication.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James has convened a grand jury to investigate Daniel’s death.
Protesters have taken to the streets demanding police reform and more accountability, including on Monday night, when they had a tense standoff with cops for nearly three hours, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.
The protests ended around 1 a.m., police said.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--GoFundMe campaign for salon owner who released footage of Pelosi raises $300,000

The owner of the San Francisco salon where Nancy Pelosi ...

A fundraiser for the San Francisco-based hair salon whose owner says she needs to relocate her business after releasing video of a maskless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reached its goal of $300,000, the salon owner announced.
Speaking to Fox News Monday, a tearful Erica Kious thanked those who donated to a GoFundMe page for her amid her feud with Pelosi (D-Calif.).
“I wish I could personally thank every person who sent me their prayers, words of encouragement and support, especially at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet in their own lives,” Kious said before adding thanks to her family and friends for supporting her.
“I am very humbled and grateful to have received such an outpouring of kindness, empathy and generosity from people I don’t even know, and from all walks of life and all sides of the political spectrum. It’s a powerful reminder that the common things that bind us all together as Americans are far more meaningful and lasting than political and ideological differences that get so much attention and focus,” she continued.
The fundraiser was set up for Kious when she came forward saying she was the target of threats and would need to move her business after releasing video of Pelosi breaking local ordinances related to coronavirus in her salon.
“Erica Kious, a single mother of two and owner of eSalon, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got her hair done on Monday, is now being forced to shut down and relocate her business and family due to outrage and threats she is receiving,” the GoFundMe page read.
Kious released video of Pelosi walking around her business bare-faced, sparking charges of hypocrisy amid her continuous calls to wear masks to protect others from the coronavirus pandemic.
Kious said she rents out chairs to independent stylists and claimed she did not leak the video for “political” reasons.
“Hairstylists and other small business owners in San Francisco and elsewhere are doing what they need to do to survive,” Kious said in a virtual news conference last week.
Pelosi, meanwhile, has said she was “set up” by Kious.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--California fire sparked by gender reveal party rages across 10,000 acres

Two people are in custody after a stabbing during a ...

The family whose gender-reveal party started a massive California wildfire tried to douse the initial flames with water bottles, officials said — as the inferno spread to more than 10,500 acres and was only 16 percent contained by Tuesday afternoon.
The blaze began in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, San Bernadino County, on Saturday morning when a small group of people set off a pyrotechnic device to release pink or blue smoke to reveal a yet-to-be-born baby’s sex, officials have said.
Surveillance footage from the scene showed a couple with several kids walking into the grass while another person appears to light the device, CalFire investigator Capt. Bennet Milloy told CNN.
After a fire ignites, the family is seen grabbing water bottles to try to put out the flames, the official said.
The El Dorado Fire had destroyed 10,574 acres, or more than 16 square miles, as of early Tuesday afternoon, according to authorities. Evacuations have been ordered as homes have been threatened by the spreading flames.
“In my 30 years as a citizen in Yucaipa, I have never seen such a large fire,” Yucaipa Mayor David Avila told reporters. “As a retired firefighter with 32 years of experience, I can assure you I witnessed one of the most dangerous fires that we can have in this area.”
No injuries have been reported, and no structures have so far been destroyed, CalFire spokeswoman Cathey Mattingly told CNN.
Previous 1 of 9 Next Advertisement Embers fly off burning trees as flames push toward homes during the Creek Fire in the Cascadel Woods in California. AFP via Getty Images The El Dorado Fire burns a hillside near Yucaipa in the San Bernardino National Forest. EPA Advertisement The El Dorado Fire burns a hillside near Yucaipa in the San Bernardino National Forest. EPA Thick smoke permeates the area near Yucaipa, California. AP The El Dorado Fire burns a hillside near Yucaipa in the San Bernardino National Forest. EPA Advertisement A firefighter douses flames as they push toward homes during the Creek Fire in the Cascadel Woods in California. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement
Investigators have identified at least three laws that have been broken with the accidental setting of the fire, including “igniting the land” and arson, CNN reported. The level of recklessness will determine whether those are filed as misdemeanors or felonies.
If the district attorney pursues the case, the person who set off the pyrotechnic device would be the one charged, Milloy told the network.
“It really is a tragedy, it’s sad. They were hoping to remember the day in a different way,” Milloy said. “You need to be extra cautious because you could be liable.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Two people in custody after fight leads to stabbing at Jersey Shore beach

Two people are in custody after a stabbing during a Labor Day skirmish at a Jersey Shore beach .
A fight broke out between two groups of people on Point Pleasant Beach — during which at least one person pulled out a knife , stabbing two others , WABC reported .
“ I saw a man who was sitting on a blanket , ” one eyewitness told the outlet .
“ He was hunched over and there were people yelling and screaming for help.
” When authorities arrived , two men were found with stab wounds and rushed to Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Joseph Michigan said in a statement .
Their conditions are unknown , though both men were alert when they were carried off the beach , the station reported .
Two men are in custody at the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department and the investigation is ongoing , Michigan said .
Another person told WABC that such violence is unacceptable at a family beach .
“ People come down from all over , ” he said .
“ There should not be these [ types ] of things going on between families @ @

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stabbing two men during a Labor Day skirmish at a Jersey Shore beach, authorities announced.
The teen, whose name wasn’t released because he’s underage, was charged with two counts of attempted murder in Monday’s brawl at Point Pleasant Beach, police and prosecutors said.
Witnesses said the fight broke out between two groups of people at the beach — during which at least one person pulled out a knife, stabbing two others, WABC reported.
When authorities arrived, two men were found with stab wounds and rushed to Jersey Shore Medical Center, Point Pleasant Beach Police Chief Joseph Michigan said in a statement.
They were identified by police as Alex Galdamez, 22, and William Mazariegogo, 18, both of West Haverstraw in Rockland County, New York.
Both were in serious but stable condition at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune as of Tuesday, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Two men were taken into custody after the scuffle but police found that “only one of them is responsible for both stabbings,” Michigan said.
The suspect, who is from Newark, was being held in the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.
Another person told WABC that such violence is unacceptable at a family beach.
“People come down from all over,” he said. “There should not be these [types] of things going on between families.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Two arrested in Oregon as Trump supporters, BLM protesters clash

The U.S. Open carried on without fans and Novak Djokovic ...

Two people were arrested in Oregon’s capital on Labor Day as clashes between supporters of President Trump and Black Lives Matter activists descended into violence.
Chaos ensued Monday afternoon when more than 100 Trump supporters — including members of the all-male alt-right group the Proud Boys — arrived at the Capitol building in Salem, about 45 miles south of Portland, in a caravan of vehicles.
The group, waving Trump 2020 signs and American flags — and some carrying weapons — clashed with about 20 Black Lives Matter protesters gathered there.
The rival demonstrators fired pepper spray at each other — with at least one Trump supporter beating a Black Lives Matter protester with a baseball bat, and another Trump supporter spraying a fire extinguisher.
A witness told Reuters that about a dozen Oregon State Police officers initially stood by as Trump supporters charged at and hit Black Lives Matter protesters. But they later tackled and arrested two people who had been punching BLM demonstrators, the witness said.
Previous 1 of 9 Next Advertisement Police detain a right-wing demonstrator following clashes with left-wing demonstrators after a pro-Trump caravan rally convened at the Oregon Capitol. Getty Images Police arrest a far-right protester after a clash with counter-protesters. Getty Images Advertisement Michael Miller reacts after being pepper-sprayed by far-right protesters during a rally. Getty Images Trump supporters and members of the alt-right conservative groups Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys clash with Antifa protesters. Getty Images A police officer breaks up a fight between supporters of President Trump and Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Oregon Capitol. REUTERS Advertisement A Black Lives Matter activist falls to the ground during a scuffle with supporters of President Trump outside the Oregon Capitol. REUTERS Advertisement
State police officers and the Salem Police Department responded to the scene across from the Capitol when an “American Lives Matter Rally group” chased and pushed counter-protesters, a state police spokesman said in a statement.
Two men were arrested, charged with misdemeanor assault and subsequently released, according to the spokesman.
Monday marked the 102nd day that protests — often violent — have ensued in nearby Portland.
Portland police arrested more than 100 people during violent clashes over the weekend.
The majority — 59 — were arrested Saturday as officials declared a riot in which they said officers were hit with multiple firebombs, mortars and rocks.
Protests began in the city three days after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in May.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Army veteran fatally shoots himself in the head in Facebook livestream

A 33-year-old Army veteran from Mississippi who served in Iraq shot himself in the head live on Facebook — and social media sites are still scrambling to remove the harrowing footage , which went viral more than a week ago , according to reports .
Ronnie McNutt , who worked at a Toyota plant in Blue Springs , New Albany , killed himself in front of his computer on Aug. 31 during a livestream on Facebook , the Daily Star reported .
There were unconfirmed reports that McNutt had lost his job and broken up with his girlfriend .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been shared on multiple social media platforms , including TikTok , where it reportedly ended up on the video-sharing app ’ s “ For You ” trending homepage .
A flood of social media users have expressed their alarm at stumbling on the clip and warned others to avoid watching the bearded vet commit suicide .
“ If you see this guy on your FYP [ For You page ] please scroll up immediately , it ’ s very gruesome and I highly suggest you stay away from TikTok for a while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Daily Star .
“ I was scrolling TikTok and suddenly there ’ s a video of a guy that killed themselves with a shotgun and I am seriously warning you DO NOT watch it DO NOT SEARCH FOR IT because it ’ s very terrifying and gory so pls BE CAREFUL god damn I ’ m shaking , ” another user said .
The man ’ s friends also posted messages conveying their futile attempts to stop him from taking his life .
“ Please say a prayer right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” one wrote , according to The Sun .
“ I tried but apparently it wasn ’ t quick enough to reach him , ” another said .
McNutt was a member of Celebration Church Tupelo , which confirmed his death on its Facebook page , the Daily Star reported .
“ In the midst of a sudden tragedy that occurred last night , we grieve with the McNutt Family during this time because passing of our brother in Christ , Ronnie McNutt , ” it said .
“ Ronnie will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
He was very caring , committed , loyal , dependable , and eccentric .
He served his church faithfully and was loved by many , ” the church continued .
“ Although events surrounding his death were tragic , we take comfort in our Creator , believing that because of Ronnie ’ s confession and conversion as a believer in Christ Jesus , he is currently before our loving Father.
” Facebook said the gruesome video was removed the day it was streamed , the Mirror reported .
A TikTok rep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays , praises , glorifies , or promotes suicide .
“ We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips , and we appreciate our community members who ’ ve reported content and warned others against watching , engaging , or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family , ” the spokesperson said .
“ If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to seek support , and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Center , ” the rep added .

A 33-year-old Army veteran from Mississippi who served in Iraq shot himself in the head live on Facebook — and social media sites are still scrambling to remove the harrowing footage, which went viral more than a week ago, according to reports.
Ronnie McNutt, who worked at a Toyota plant in Blue Springs, New Albany, killed himself in front of his computer on Aug. 31 during a livestream on Facebook, the Daily Star reported.
There were unconfirmed reports that McNutt had lost his job and broken up with his girlfriend.
In the days since, the horrifying footage has been shared on multiple social media platforms, including TikTok, where it reportedly ended up on the video-sharing app’s “For You” trending homepage.
A flood of social media users have expressed their alarm at stumbling on the clip and warned others to avoid watching the bearded vet commit suicide.
“If you see this guy on your FYP [For You page] please scroll up immediately, it’s very gruesome and I highly suggest you stay away from TikTok for a while,” one user said on Twitter, according to the Daily Star.
“I was scrolling TikTok and suddenly there’s a video of a guy that killed themselves with a shotgun and I am seriously warning you DO NOT watch it DO NOT SEARCH FOR IT because it’s very terrifying and gory so pls BE CAREFUL god damn I’m shaking,” another user said.
The man’s friends also posted messages conveying their futile attempts to stop him from taking his life.
“Please say a prayer right now for the family of Ronnie McNutt,” one wrote, according to the Sun.
“I tried but apparently it wasn’t quick enough to reach him,” another said.
McNutt was a member of Celebration Church Tupelo, which confirmed his death on its Facebook page, the Daily Star reported.
“In the midst of a sudden tragedy that occurred last night, we grieve with the McNutt Family during this time because passing of our brother in Christ, Ronnie McNutt,” it said.
“Ronnie will be missed by all who loved and knew him. He was very caring, committed, loyal, dependable, and eccentric. He served his church faithfully and was loved by many,” the church continued.
“Although events surrounding his death were tragic, we take comfort in our Creator, believing that because of Ronnie’s confession and conversion as a believer in Christ Jesus, he is currently before our loving Father.”
Facebook said the gruesome video was removed the day it was streamed, the Mirror reported.
A TikTok rep told the Daily Star: “Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide.
“We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who’ve reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family,” the spokesperson said.
“If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Center,” the rep added.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--The men mostly likely to win US Open with Novak Djokovic out

The U.S. Open female line judge hit in the throat ...

The U.S. Open carried on without fans and Novak Djokovic on Labor Day.
There will be a first-time Grand Slam men’s champion crowned Sunday with the stunning disqualification of Djokovic for accidentally hitting a female line judge with a ball Sunday.
The last 13 Grand Slams have been won by a member of the “Big 3.’’
With the prohibitive favorite out, it’s wide open with defending champion Rafael Nadal grinding on clay practice courts in Mallorca, Spain and Roger Federer rehabbing from a minor knee cleanup.
John McEnroe pointed out that Stan Wawrinka, who also pulled out, would probably be the favorite now if the Swiss star had entered.
Instead, ESPN’s Pam Shriver told The Post her new favorite is Daniil Medvedev, who hasn’t dropped a set yet and steamrolled Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 Monday night in a fourth-round match to eliminate the last of the American men at the Open.
“It’s a very good chance for all of us,’’ said Croatia’s Borna Coric, the 27th seed who upset No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas last week and now faces No. 5 Alexander Zevrev in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Here are the five top men’s contenders in the Novak-free Open as the men got down to its final eight late Monday night.
Alexander Zverev: Maybe the best men’s player who has not advanced to a Grand Slam final. The rocket-serving 23-year-old, 6-foot-6 German is on a roll, firing off 74 aces in his first four victories. The country that produced Boris Becker and Steffi Graf hadn’t seen a men’s quarterfinalist in 13 years before Zverev zipped through. The last German in this spot was Tommy Haas. As I wrote in an earlier column, when God built a tennis player, he built Zverev, whose shirtlessness around the grounds has become a hot topic in the Open’s first week.
Dominic Thiem: The rock-solid baseliner from Austria is seeded second and is on a roll after coasting through his fourth-round Labor Day match 7-6, 6-1, 4-1 over up-and-comer Felix Auger-Aliassime. Thiem lost in the first round of the Open last year but claimed he had a cold. A better clay-court player, Thiem is the only player on the ATP tour to win at least 20 matches on clay and hard courts. But he’s been part of the “NextGen’’ group for an agonizingly long time. He’s now 27.
Daniil Medvedev: The 24-year-old 6-foot-5 Russian likes these courts as he showed in making the Open finals last September, losing in five sets to Nadal. In 2019, Medvedev won an ATP-tour-leading 59 matches. He doesn’t have one particularly defining shot, but he’s well-rounded and has a change of pace to his game that can be befuddling.
Denis Shapovalov: American men’s tennis wished it could lay claim to this 21-year-old Canadian with the booming left-handed forehand. The Israeli-born Shapovalov has got personality, too. “It’s been getting pretty boring with these three guys winning every tournament,’’ cracked Shapovalov, who faces Djokovic-killer Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarters.
Shapovalov is the first Canadian man to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals in the Open era (since 1968).
Andrey Rublev: The 10th-seeded Russian rallied from a set down to take out Italian No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini and gain revenge. Last year, Berrettini beat Rublev on the way to his breakthrough semifinal. Berrettini had the best mascot of the Open in Italian restaurant owner Giovanni Bartocci, who attended all his matches last year and stood outside the Flushing grounds by the boardwalk Saturday cheering him on from match updates. Now Bartocci can go home as Rublev took care of business. Rublev, 22, has now beaten three top-10 players at the Open since 2017.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--This corgi doubles the cuteness with two noses

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Double the smells means double the love for this pup! Nekku, an 8-year-old corgi residing in Finland, was born with a genetic defect that left her with one eye and two noses. Though vets suggested Nekku be put down as a puppy due to the defect, Jarmo Korhonen decided to save the dog instead. Korhonen was determined to give Nekku the best life possible and it looks like things have worked out. Watch the cute video and see Nekku, along with Korhonen’s other two corgis, Niisku-Neiti and Karkki, gleefully play.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--John Bolton denies claim that Trump called fallen American soldiers ‘losers’

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton reiterated his skepticism over a report alleging that President Trump disparaged America ’ s war dead during a 2018 trip to France .
Bolton , who turned from friend to foe to the commander-in-chief after leaving the White House , said during an interview Monday with Fox News ’ Martha MacCallum that the allegations were “ simply false.
” “ According to what that article said , the president made disparaging remarks about soldiers and people buried in the cemetery in connection with the decision for him not to go to the ceremony that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was simply false , ” Bolton told the network .
“ I don ’ t know who told the author that , but that was false.
” “ The main issue was whether or not weather conditions permitted the president to go out to the cemetery , ” Bolton added .
Bolton was still serving in the Trump administration at the time and was present on the trip in question .
Last Thursday , The Atlantic published a report citing four unidentified sources that accused the president of refusing to go on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the graves of fallen US Marines during a 2018 trip .
“ Why should I go to that cemetery ?
It ’ s filled with losers , ” the commander-in-chief allegedly said .
The White House and President Trump and former West Wing staffers have vehemently denied the allegations .
According to Bolton , Trump was advised by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly that there were “ logistical reasons why the trip couldn ’ t take place and the president assented to the recommendation that he not go.
” In response , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they were , ” going on to describe the cancelation as a “ very straight weather call.
” “ I can ’ t prove the negative that he never said those things .
The president has a habit of disparaging people .
He ends up denigrating almost everybody that he comes in contact with whose last name is not Trump.
” “ I was simply responding to what I thought the main point of the Atlantic article , that at the critical point Saturday morning when the decision was made not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparaging remarks , and he did not , ” Bolton added .

Former national security adviser John Bolton reiterated his skepticism over a report alleging that President Trump disparaged America’s war dead during a 2018 trip to France.
Bolton, who turned from friend to foe of the commander-in-chief after leaving the White House, said during an interview Monday with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the allegations were “simply false.”
“According to what that article said, the president made disparaging remarks about soldiers and people buried in the cemetery in connection with the decision for him not to go to the ceremony that was planned that afternoon, and that was simply false,” Bolton told the network.
“I don’t know who told the author that, but that was false.”
“The main issue was whether or not weather conditions permitted the president to go out to the cemetery,” Bolton added.
Bolton was still serving in the Trump administration at the time and was present on the trip in question.
Last Thursday, The Atlantic published a report citing four unidentified sources that accused the president of refusing to go on a scheduled visit to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery to see the graves of fallen US Marines during a 2018 trip.
“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” the commander-in-chief allegedly said.
The White House, Trump and former West Wing staffers have vehemently denied the allegations.
According to Bolton, Trump was advised by then-chief of staff John Kelly that there were “logistical reasons why the trip couldn’t take place and the president assented to the recommendation that he not go.”
In response, Trump “sort of took the facts as they were,” going on to describe the cancellation as a “very straight weather call.”
“I can’t prove the negative that he never said those things. The president has a habit of disparaging people. He ends up denigrating almost everybody that he comes in contact with whose last name is not Trump.”
“I was simply responding to what I thought the main point of the Atlantic article, that at the critical point Saturday morning when the decision was made not to go to Aisne-Marne that he made the disparaging remarks, and he did not,” Bolton added.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--UN rights chief urges Russia to probe suspected poisoning of Alexei Navalny

Navalny , 44 , had been in an induced coma in the ...

The top UN human rights chief on Tuesday called on Moscow to conduct or cooperate with a full independent investigation into Germany’s “unequivocal proof” that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent.
“It is incumbent on the Russian authorities to fully investigate who was responsible for this crime, a very serious crime that was committed on Russian soil,” Michelle Bachelet said in a statement, Agence France-Presse reported.
Navalny, 44, has come out of his induced coma in a Berlin hospital, where he has been treated after being flown to Germany on Aug. 22. He became sick two days earlier on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow.
Aides believe Navalny sipped tea laced with poison at the airport, and his family has always pointed the finger at the Kremlin.
German chemical weapons experts said last week that tests proved “without doubt” that he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok — though Russia has always denied that the Kremlin was involved in his poisoning.
“The number of cases of poisoning, or other forms of targeted assassination, of current or former Russian citizens, either within Russia itself or on foreign soil, over the past two decades is profoundly disturbing,” Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.
“And the failure in many cases to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice for the victims or their families, is also deeply regrettable and hard to explain or justify,” she added.
Novichok is the agent British authorities said was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
Russia also has rejected any involvement in the Skripal case, as well as in the death of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with highly radioactive polonium-210 at a hotel in London in 2006.
While the UN rights office said it was not in a position to make direct accusations against Moscow, Bachelet said nerve agents and radioactive substances such as Novichok and polonium-210 are very difficult to get hold of.
“This raises numerous questions,” she said. “Why use substances like these? Who is using them? How did they acquire them?”
Bachelet also pointed out that before Navalny’s alleged poisoning, he had been harassed, arrested and assaulted either by authorities or by unknown assailants.
“Navalny was clearly someone who needed state protection, even if he was a political thorn in the side of the government,” she said.
“It is not good enough to simply deny he was poisoned, and deny the need for a thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into this assassination attempt,” Bachelet added.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Cal Clutterbuck takes one for the team, but Islanders could pay price

This most assuredly was not what Barry Trotz had in ...

Islanders fourth-line winger Cal Clutterbuck was visibly shaken up after blocking a hard shot from Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev in the second period of Monday night’s 8-2 blowout loss.
After absorbing the shot, Clutterbuck was slow to skate to the bench and was immediately helped to the Islanders’ locker room. Clutterbuck wasn’t on the Islanders bench to start the third period but he reemerged a couple minutes in.
The 32-year-old Clutterbuck then retreated to the dressing room once again, but he didn’t return this time.
“No update on Clutterbuck,” coach Barry Trotz said on a Zoom call following the loss. “I thought he [played] fine, you always get a consistent play from him. Once we have an update we’ll get it to you.”
Clutterbuck finished the game a minus-one with one blocked shot and three hits in just over six minutes of ice time. He’s recorded a goal and two assists through 15 playoff games this year.
“You never want to see any of your teammates go down,” linemate Matt Martin said. “Obviously [a] big block by him. We got a lot of guys in this lineup who are willing to sacrifice their body for the benefit of the team. He showed that there.
“He’s a key player for us and on our line. We’d obviously love to have him out there, not really sure what his status is. Hopefully he’ll be all right and ready to go in a couple days.”
Trotz gave Thomas Greiss the starting nod for the second straight game after he pitched a shutout in Game 7 against the Flyers on Saturday night.
It was Greiss’ first back-to-back start and third start of the postseason. However, Greiss gave up three goals on nine shots and was replaced by usual starter Semyon Varlamov early in the first period.
“The plan has taken some twists and turns,” Trotz said of his goaltending situation. “Obviously went with Greisser in Game 7, knowing that we had traveled, there was a fatigue level and all that going to a Game 7 and trying to get the fresh guy in net. He didn’t have a lot of work in that Philly game, I felt after a shutout you never want to take anything away from someone who gets a shutout.
“It’s hard to do in the National Hockey League and it’s hard to do in the playoffs. Went back with Greisser and really there’s not a whole lot our goalies could do tonight.”
The Tampa Bay Lightning only missed the net once in their rout of the Islanders on Monday night.
After going 58:53 without missing, the Lightning recorded their first miss with 67 seconds left in the game. It was Tampa Bay’s fourth-line center Cedric Paquette who tipped the puck wide. Of the Lightning’s 34 shots, the Islanders blocked 12.
“I think that’s on everyone,” Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy said. “We all have to be better in that area. We’ve always talked about our team defense and that’s what the Islanders are about. As far as them getting their shots, I think we can get on them quicker, I think we can take away their time and space and maybe force them to make a quicker decision.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Logan Ryan has ‘dream come true’ with hometown Giants

Logan Ryan made it back home .
But will he find a place to live ?
“ If anybody is out there in Hoboken , please allow my pit bulls and my dogs to rent your place , they ’ re great dogs , ’ ’ the new Giants defensive back said Monday .
“ Hopefully I have somewhere to sleep this season.
’ ’ Ryan ’ s wife and two kids are back in Nashville and so for now , he is on his own and it is unlikely he will have to find a teammate ’ s sofa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if he is an unwanted visitor .
The Giants signed him last week to be a versatile member of their secondary and the affable 29-year-old figures to fit in quickly and easily .
He grew up in Berlin , N.J. , and stayed home to play college ball at Rutgers .
His first two NFL stops were with the Patriots and Titans .
“ To be able to come home and play 20 minutes from Rutgers and an hour from where I grew up , it ’ s a dream come true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m so grateful for the opportunity.
’ ’ The opportunity took a while to surface .
He waited out a five-month free-agency period , changed agents , dropped his contract demand of $ 10 million a year and came to the Giants on a one-year deal worth up to $ 7.5 million .
Waiting for a call , working out by himself and sorting through family time amid the coronavirus pandemic “ gave me a ton of perspective , ’ ’ he said .
“ The last five months have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s been that for me , been that for everybody .
It ’ s been a crazy year , you never know where you ’ re going to end up , never know how it ’ s going to go .
Coming home was definitely something I always thought about.
’ ’ Ryan said he hopes he can be in inspiration “ for any kid in New Jersey who is working hard on a football field , in a park with their dad , throwing the ball … bring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ After wearing No .
26 throughout his career , Ryan donned jersey No .
23 for his first practice with the Giants .
Saquon Barkley wears No .
26 with the Giants .
“ I wasn ’ t here to buy the number off anybody , I don ’ t have time for that , ’ ’ Ryan said .
“ I have time to come and fit in with the team.
’ ’ He chose No .
23 because it was available and he felt inspiration after watching Michael Jordan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 is not gone forever .
“ Saquon comes to me and says , ‘ Hey , why didn ’ t you ask me for No .
26 ?
’ ’ ’ Ryan said .
“ I said , ‘ I didn ’ t know it ’ s available.
’ He said , ‘ It ’ s available for a price.
’ I said , ‘ I think that ’ s probably out of my price range.
’ I don ’ t think I got a contract sizeable to pay Nike to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did say it ’ s up for negotiation .
’ ’

Logan Ryan made it back home. But will he find a place to live?
“If anybody is out there in Hoboken, please allow my pit bulls and my dogs to rent your place, they’re great dogs,’’ the new Giants defensive back said Monday. “Hopefully I have somewhere to sleep this season.’’
Ryan’s wife and two kids are back in Nashville and so for now, he is on his own and it is unlikely he will have to find a teammate’s sofa to crash on. It is not as if he is an unwanted visitor. The Giants signed him last week to be a versatile member of their secondary and the affable 29-year-old figures to fit in quickly and easily.
He grew up in Berlin, N.J., and stayed home to play college ball at Rutgers. His first two NFL stops were with the Patriots and Titans.
“To be able to come home and play 20 minutes from Rutgers and an hour from where I grew up, it’s a dream come true,’’ Ryan said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity.’’
The opportunity took a while to surface. He waited out a five-month free-agency period, changed agents, dropped his contract demand of $10 million a year and came to the Giants on a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million.
Waiting for a call, working out by himself and sorting through family time amid the coronavirus pandemic “gave me a ton of perspective,’’ he said.
“The last five months have been 2020,’’ Ryan said. “It’s been that for me, been that for everybody. It’s been a crazy year, you never know where you’re going to end up, never know how it’s going to go. Coming home was definitely something I always thought about.’’
Ryan said he hopes he can be in inspiration “for any kid in New Jersey who is working hard on a football field, in a park with their dad, throwing the ball … bring that familiarity and humility home to Jersey.’’
After wearing No. 26 throughout his career, Ryan donned jersey No. 23 for his first practice with the Giants. Saquon Barkley wears No. 26 with the Giants.
“I wasn’t here to buy the number off anybody, I don’t have time for that,’’ Ryan said. “I have time to come and fit in with the team.’’
He chose No. 23 because it was available and he felt inspiration after watching Michael Jordan in “The Last Dance.’’
Perhaps 26 is not gone forever.
“Saquon comes to me and says, ‘Hey, why didn’t you ask me for No. 26?’ ’’ Ryan said. “I said, ‘I didn’t know it’s available.’ He said, ‘It’s available for a price.’ I said, ‘I think that’s probably out of my price range.’ I don’t think I got a contract sizeable to pay Nike to get 26 from Saquon Barkley. But he did say it’s up for negotiation.’’


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Joe Douglas has an explanation for Jets’ lack of spending

The Jets enter the season with $ 31 million in salary-cap space , according to Over The Cap .
Only the Browns and Patriots have more .
Fans may wonder , why not spend that money to improve the 2020 team ?
But general manager Joe Douglas said the Jets have a long-term plan and they want to maintain flexibility for next year and beyond .
Any cap space not used this year rolls over into next year and 2021 has a lot of uncertainty around it because of the financial repercussions of COVID-19 and the lack of fans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a dollar you spend today could be a dollar you don ’ t have for next year ’ s cap , ” Douglas said .
“ We ’ re sitting here and we have a lot of uncertainly in terms of next year ’ s cap number .
We know what the floor is at 175 [ million dollars ] .
We know that that could change .
We don ’ t know when we ’ ll have the answers for that .
We have to have a game plan on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year and next year and the years moving forward.
” Douglas made one thing clear : The lack of spending is not because of any directive from ownership .
“ I ’ m not bound to any restrictions when it comes to ownership , ” Douglas said .
“ There ’ s been reports out there .
I have full autonomy when it comes to roster decisions .
I work hand-in-hand with Dave Socie from football administration on salary cap .
Basically , we have a vision , we have a game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accomplish .
We want to have the right flexibility when the right player presents itself , the right opportunity , we are going to be aggressive .
I ’ m sure it may seem like we ’ re not doing that right now but we do have a vision.
” Sam Darnold was asked if there is one statistic he would like to improve upon this season .
“ Completion percentage , always looking to improve completion percentage , ” Darnold said .
“ I don ’ t get super into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the biggest stat is the win column , you know the wins and losses .
But I feel like if I do get my completion percentage up , we ’ ll see more wins on the table.
” Darnold completed 61.9 percent of his passes last season , which ranked 25th in the NFL .
Coach Adam Gase sounded optimistic that WRs Breshad Perriman ( knee ) and Denzel Mims ( hamstring ) would be able to practice this week .
“ I ’ m feeling a lot better about where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , ” Gase said .
The Jets placed five players on injured reserve : WR Vyncint Smith , WR Jeff Smith , OL Cameron Clark , DL Jabari Zuniga and LB Patrick Onwuasor .
Under the new rules this year , the Jets can bring an unlimited number of players back from IR after they miss three games .
… The Jets re-signed to the roster TE Daniel Brown , OL Josh Andrews , CB Nate Hairston and S Matthias Farley .
All were cut over the weekend .

The Jets enter the season with $31 million in salary-cap space, according to Over The Cap. Only the Browns and Patriots have more.
Fans may wonder, why not spend that money to improve the 2020 team? But general manager Joe Douglas said the Jets have a long-term plan and they want to maintain flexibility for next year and beyond. Any cap space not used this year rolls over into next year and 2021 has a lot of uncertainty around it because of the financial repercussions of COVID-19 and the lack of fans in the stands.
“We see it as a dollar you spend today could be a dollar you don’t have for next year’s cap,” Douglas said. “We’re sitting here and we have a lot of uncertainly in terms of next year’s cap number. We know what the floor is at 175 [million dollars]. We know that that could change. We don’t know when we’ll have the answers for that. We have to have a game plan on how we’re going to handle both this year and next year and the years moving forward.”
Douglas made one thing clear: The lack of spending is not because of any directive from ownership.
“I’m not bound to any restrictions when it comes to ownership,” Douglas said. “There’s been reports out there. I have full autonomy when it comes to roster decisions. I work hand-in-hand with Dave Socie from football administration on salary cap. Basically, we have a vision, we have a game plan of what we’re trying to accomplish. We want to have the right flexibility when the right player presents itself, the right opportunity, we are going to be aggressive. I’m sure it may seem like we’re not doing that right now but we do have a vision.”
Sam Darnold was asked if there is one statistic he would like to improve upon this season.
“Completion percentage, always looking to improve completion percentage,” Darnold said. “I don’t get super into the statistics of what’s going on, the biggest stat is the win column, you know the wins and losses. But I feel like if I do get my completion percentage up, we’ll see more wins on the table.”
Darnold completed 61.9 percent of his passes last season, which ranked 25th in the NFL.
Coach Adam Gase sounded optimistic that WRs Breshad Perriman (knee) and Denzel Mims (hamstring) would be able to practice this week.
“I’m feeling a lot better about where we are now than where we were two weeks ago,” Gase said.
The Jets placed five players on injured reserve: WR Vyncint Smith, WR Jeff Smith, OL Cameron Clark, DL Jabari Zuniga and LB Patrick Onwuasor. Under the new rules this year, the Jets can bring an unlimited number of players back from IR after they miss three games. … The Jets re-signed to the roster TE Daniel Brown, OL Josh Andrews, CB Nate Hairston and S Matthias Farley. All were cut over the weekend.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Gary Sanchez’s Yankees benching has no end in sight

Gary Sanchez didn ’ t start for a second straight game Monday night and it is not a lock the slumping catcher returns to the lineup Tuesday either .
“ We will see , it could be [ Tuesday ] or [ Wednesday ] , ’ ’ Aaron Boone said before Monday night ’ s 12-7 loss to the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo .
“ Talk through with the coaches and see how we want to move forward.
’ ’ Forward hasn ’ t been a direction Sanchez has been moving this year .
He took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average and 48 strikeouts in 100 at-bats , and fanned in his last seven plate appearances before being benched Sunday in Baltimore .
According to Boone , Sanchez isn ’ t using the break to just clear his head .
In pregame hitting sessions , the two-time All Star and once among the most feared right-handed hitters in baseball has been searching for something to get him out of a funk that is largely responsible for the free fall the Yankees are in .
“ I think it is all about making that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fastball .
As a hitter I think that is where it all begins .
You want to be able to handle the fastball , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ When you are on time and in a good position to really hit the fastball well that is when you recognize and lay off off-speed pitches out of the zone .
I really want to see him go up there and dominate the heater and if he can get back to doing that we know he can go on a special run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kratz on Sunday in Baltimore and paired Kyle Higashioka with Jordan Montgomery on Monday .
Looking for something bright in a miserable loss ?
Try Miguel Andujar .
He homered and drove in two runs a game after going 3-for-4 Sunday when he made a big error at third .
DJ LeMahieu started at third Monday night when Andujar was the DH .
When Giancarlo Stanton suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 8 it was possible that the designated hitter could return in as few as three or four weeks .
Tuesday marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite being encouraged his progress during a rehab program there is no exact date when the much-needed right-handed bat will return to the lineup .
“ I think it is making sure that thing is completely healed and he is in a position where he can go out and hopefully not be in a position to re-injure .
When you are talking about soft tissue you have to be all the way healed , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ It ’ s been a little bit slow but we feel he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days have been pretty encouraging.
’ ’ As for Aaron Judge , Boone said “ everything went well in his first running on the field.
’ ’ James Paxton ( flexor strain ) didn ’ t throw Monday after throwing consecutive days at 100 feet , but Boone didn ’ t have a date when the lefty starter will throw off a mound .
Clarke Schmidt ’ s second big-league outing wasn ’ t clean but it was better than his first .
Brought into start the eighth inning Monday night Schmidt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That was better than his debut Friday night in the second game of a doubleheader against the Orioles when he gave up two runs and three hits in 1 ¹/₃ innings .
Boone said he didn ’ t believe Luke Voit ’ s lingering foot issue was the reason the first baseman ’ s production at the plate has dropped off recently .
Entering Monday night ’ s game , Voit was 2-for-23 ( .087 ) with a .380 OPS in the previous six games .
“ Even though he hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few days I think his at-bat quality has been very similar , ’ ’ Boone said .
“ He has hit ball hard , right at guys.
’ ’ Boone then watched Voit homer in the first inning Monday night .
However , when Voit scored in the fifth inning with a hard slide he got up favoring his right leg .
Voit contributed to the Yankees ’ meltdown in the sixth inning by making a fielding error .

Gary Sanchez didn’t start for a second straight game Monday night and it is not a lock the slumping catcher returns to the lineup Tuesday either.
“We will see, it could be [Tuesday] or [Wednesday],’’ Aaron Boone said before Monday night’s 12-7 loss to the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. “Talk through with the coaches and see how we want to move forward.’’
Forward hasn’t been a direction Sanchez has been moving this year. He took a seat Monday night with an embarrassing .130 average and 48 strikeouts in 100 at-bats, and fanned in his last seven plate appearances before being benched Sunday in Baltimore.
According to Boone, Sanchez isn’t using the break to just clear his head. In pregame hitting sessions, the two-time All Star and once among the most feared right-handed hitters in baseball has been searching for something to get him out of a funk that is largely responsible for the free fall the Yankees are in.
“I think it is all about making that fine-tune adjustment, getting back to dominating the fastball. As a hitter I think that is where it all begins. You want to be able to handle the fastball,’’ Boone said. “When you are on time and in a good position to really hit the fastball well that is when you recognize and lay off off-speed pitches out of the zone. I really want to see him go up there and dominate the heater and if he can get back to doing that we know he can go on a special run for us.’’
Boone started Erik Kratz on Sunday in Baltimore and paired Kyle Higashioka with Jordan Montgomery on Monday.
Looking for something bright in a miserable loss? Try Miguel Andujar. He homered and drove in two runs a game after going 3-for-4 Sunday when he made a big error at third.
DJ LeMahieu started at third Monday night when Andujar was the DH.
When Giancarlo Stanton suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 8 it was possible that the designated hitter could return in as few as three or four weeks. Tuesday marks a month since Stanton went down and despite being encouraged his progress during a rehab program there is no exact date when the much-needed right-handed bat will return to the lineup.
“I think it is making sure that thing is completely healed and he is in a position where he can go out and hopefully not be in a position to re-injure. When you are talking about soft tissue you have to be all the way healed,’’ Boone said. “It’s been a little bit slow but we feel he is making really good progress and the last few days have been pretty encouraging.’’
As for Aaron Judge, Boone said “everything went well in his first running on the field.’’
James Paxton (flexor strain) didn’t throw Monday after throwing consecutive days at 100 feet, but Boone didn’t have a date when the lefty starter will throw off a mound.
Clarke Schmidt’s second big-league outing wasn’t clean but it was better than his first.
Brought into start the eighth inning Monday night Schmidt walked two and struck out two. That was better than his debut Friday night in the second game of a doubleheader against the Orioles when he gave up two runs and three hits in 1 ¹/₃ innings.
Boone said he didn’t believe Luke Voit’s lingering foot issue was the reason the first baseman’s production at the plate has dropped off recently. Entering Monday night’s game, Voit was 2-for-23 (.087) with a .380 OPS in the previous six games.
“Even though he hasn’t gotten a lot of hits the last few days I think his at-bat quality has been very similar,’’ Boone said. “He has hit ball hard, right at guys.’’
Boone then watched Voit homer in the first inning Monday night. However, when Voit scored in the fifth inning with a hard slide he got up favoring his right leg. Voit contributed to the Yankees’ meltdown in the sixth inning by making a fielding error.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--Islanders don’t have many excuses for Game 1 disaster

The Islanders may have left their game in Toronto .
In ...

This most assuredly was not what Barry Trotz had in mind on Monday morning when he said, “Time is going to go quicker the deeper you go into this,” but the Islanders coach might as well have been talking about the pace the Lightning would bring to the rink in this conference finals series in Edmonton.
Because right out of the gate in Game 1, Tampa Bay played a decidedly more uptempo attack than the Islanders’ three victims in this tournament. The Panthers couldn’t match the Lightning’s talent and speed, nor could the Caps and neither could the Flyers.
More to the point, the Islanders seemed frazzled and undone by their opponents, yielding three goals within the first 10:46 of this 8-2 rout that did nothing at all to flatter the lone surviving member of the 16 teams that competed in the qualifying round.
Tampa Bay and western finalists Vegas and Dallas represent seeded teams. The Islanders alone emerged from the initial best-of-five to this exalted status. In fact, the Islanders and the Canucks were the only two qualifying-round winners to win the best-of-seven official first round.
“I don’t know if it’s a badge of honor but you do take some personal pride because we did have to go through an extra playoff round,” Trotz said hours before the match. “You can call it a qualifying round but that was playoffs. If you don’t get through that, you’re going home.
“So I think there is a little bit of a badge of honor, we’re the only team to have done that, the others have been top-four seeds, so we’ll take it as a badge of honor. It’s not worth anything but it’s part of the understanding of the process you have to go through. It’s helped us and it will help our team and organization going forward as well.
“There’s four teams left and that’s pretty special to get to this point. The energy is different. You know that you’re getting closer. I’ve said that the time is going to go quicker the deeper you go into this.”
The Islanders may have been somewhat compromised following Sunday’s cross-continent flight from Toronto in the wake of Saturday’s Game 7 victory over the Flyers, But that would represent a weak excuse for the team’s deficient performance. There was nothing the Islanders should not have seen coming, nothing for which they would not have been prepared.
Yet, they were forced into hurried mistakes they could not overcome, repeatedly beaten to spots and to the puck. They were backpedaling when they should have been able to hold their ground, tentative when decisiveness was required.
The Lightning carried the game, scoring three times on nine shots to drive Thomas Greiss from the nets before recording four goals on their first 17 shots against relief netminder Semyon Varlamov. Neither goaltender was particularly at fault, but for this night, the club looked like it was a holding pair of twos. Trotz needs one to come up aces.
It is likely, if not all but certain, that Varlamov will receive that chance on Wednesday. They need a restoration of No. 40’s mojo against an opponent that created a succession of point-blank chances that it converted at will.
The Islanders will need much better from Mat Barzal, outshined in his matchup against Brayden Point, who scored twice and played tricks with the puck throughout on a five-point night. Nikita Kucherov also recorded five points in this horrendously imbalanced power-against-power ledger. The Islanders will need better from pretty much everyone. The team’s puck support was wanting in the offensive zone while requisite numbers were lacking at the defensive end. Poor puck management led to bad gaps and impossible scenarios. One-on-ones were lacking. In the tone-setting first period, the team was able to send all of two unblocked attempts on goal at five-on-five.
Once was the time when Tampa Bay could be known as Rangers South. Five one-time Blueshirts — Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh, Anton Stralman, Dan Girardi and J.T. Miller — wore the Bolt during the 2018 playoffs. Now it is just McDonagh, who scored the 3-1 goal that drove Greiss to the bench, and Kevin Shattenkirk.
“All the teams are here for a reason,” McDonagh said. “It’s because they’ve done a good job of not getting distracted by their surroundings and what the bubble life is like and have done a good job of staying focused on the game, individually and as a team.”
In Toronto, yes. In Edmonton, not yet.
Life moved pretty fast on Monday. The Islanders will get another chance not to miss it on Wednesday.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--House Dems to probe Postmaster Louis DeJoy for alleged fundraising violations

House Democrats will probe Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for allegedly encouraging former employees to contribute to his preferred political candidates and then later reimbursing them , according to a new report .
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney ( D-N.Y. ) said late Monday that the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will investigate the charges against DeJoy and said that he should be immediately removed from his position .
The Washington Post reported this weekend that DeJoy encouraged staffers at his former North Carolina logistics firm to donate to select political figures between 2003 and 2014 and then unlawfully recompensed them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during testimony before the House Oversight panel last month in statements Maloney said may have been untruthful .
With the postal service slated to play a key role in the November presidential election , DeJoy has come under heavy political scrutiny .
After his appointment in May , he instituted a raft of cost cutting measures — including overtime curbs that resulted in delivery delays .
Some critics accused DeJoy of purposefully weakening the postal service to hobble the viability of mail-in ballots .
President Trump has suggested that that process is vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity , despite evidence that voter fraud is incredibly rare .
Democrats and Trump ’ s detractors have countered that alternative voting methods should be embraced given ongoing coronavirus fears .

House Democrats will probe Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for allegedly encouraging former employees to contribute to his preferred political candidates and then later reimbursing them, according to a new report.
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) said late Monday that the House Committee on Oversight and Reform will investigate the charges against DeJoy and that he should be immediately removed from his position. The Washington Post reported this weekend that DeJoy encouraged staffers at his former North Carolina logistics firm to donate to select political figures between 2003 and 2014 and then unlawfully recompensed them with bonuses. DeJoy denied any wrongdoing during testimony before the House Oversight panel last month in statements that Maloney said may have been untruthful. With the Postal Service slated to play a key role in the November presidential election, DeJoy has come under heavy political scrutiny.
After his appointment in May, he instituted a raft of cost-cutting measures — including overtime curbs that resulted in delivery delays.
Some critics accused DeJoy of purposefully weakening the Postal Service to hobble the viability of mail-in ballots.
President Trump has suggested that that process is vulnerable to widespread fraud and could threaten voting integrity, despite evidence that voter fraud is incredibly rare.
Democrats and Trump’s detractors have countered that alternative voting methods should be embraced given ongoing coronavirus fears.


newyorkpost--2020-09-08--College football player dies of COVID-19 complications

Jamain Stephens — a 20-year-old defensive lineman at the California University of Pennsylvania and the son of a former pro-football player — has died after suffering complications from the coronavirus , according to the school and his obituary on Tuesday .
Known by his nickname “ Juice , ” the Pittsburgh native would have turned 21 on Sept. 21 .
His dad , also named Jamain Stephens , was a Steelers offensive tackle who played five seasons in the NFL in the mid-90s .
“ Jamain was such a wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Athletic Director Dr. Karen Hjerpe in a statement .
“ His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met.
” A senior majoring in business administration , the 6-foot-3 athlete appeared in 32 games in three prior seasons at Cal U .
University officials did not detail his cause of death , but his obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted he had “ died of COVID-19 complications.
” Central Catholic High School , where Stephens graduated in 2017 , said that “ Jamain went to his eternal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Jamain was an avid Central Catholic supporter , and could often be found cheering on the Vikings and sending videos and messages of support and encouragement to his younger Viking brothers , ” the school said in a statement .
His high school football coach , Terry Totten , added to the Post-Gazette that Stephens “ lit up a room.
” “ Whether you were a freshman or senior in class , you knew who he was.
” In addition to his dad , Stephens is survived by his mother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for funeral expenses .

Jamain Stephens — a 20-year-old defensive lineman at the California University of Pennsylvania and the son of a former pro-football player — has died after suffering complications from the coronavirus, according to the school and his obituary on Tuesday.
Known by his nickname “Juice,” the Pittsburgh native would have turned 21 on Sept. 21. His dad, also named Jamain Stephens, was a Steelers offensive tackle who played five seasons in the NFL in the mid-90s.
“Jamain was such a wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you saw him,” said Cal U Athletic Director Dr. Karen Hjerpe in a statement. “His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met.”
A senior majoring in business administration, the 6-foot-3 athlete appeared in 32 games in three prior seasons at Cal U. University officials did not detail his cause of death, but his obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted he had “died of COVID-19 complications.”
Central Catholic High School, where Stephens graduated in 2017, said that “Jamain went to his eternal reward after suffering from complications of COVID-19.”
“Jamain was an avid Central Catholic supporter, and could often be found cheering on the Vikings and sending videos and messages of support and encouragement to his younger Viking brothers,” the school said in a statement.
His high school football coach, Terry Totten, added to the Post-Gazette that Stephens “lit up a room.”
“Whether you were a freshman or senior in class, you knew who he was.”
In addition to his dad, Stephens is survived by his mother, Kelly Allen, and two siblings.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for funeral expenses.