newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Trump touts ‘very, very strong’ economy in new tweet

“ As many of you know , our country is coming back very , very strong economically , ” he says in a recorded statement .
“ The jobs numbers from two weeks ago were record setting — record setting increase .
We ’ ve never had anything like it .
Record from day one .
Nobody ’ s ever beaten it.
” Trump appeared to be referencing US Department of Labor stats showing a gradual improvement in the worst employment crisis since the Great Depression .
Trump credits what he describes as a “ very , very strong ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base ” he ’ d created before nationwide coronavirus lockdowns .
“ When we had to close it up to save millions of lives , we were able to open it , and now we ’ re doing well , ’ he said .
“ So I just want to thank everybody .
It ’ s been an interesting period of time , it ’ s been terrible so many lives have been lost .
We ’ ll never forget those incredible people .
But they will not have died in vain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re gon na be stronger than ever before .
”

President Trump touts America’s rosy economic outlook in a new tweet Friday night.
“As many of you know, our country is coming back very, very strong economically,” he says in a recorded statement.
“The jobs numbers from two weeks ago were record setting — record setting increase. We’ve never had anything like it. Record from day one. Nobody’s ever beaten it.”
Trump appeared to be referencing US Department of Labor stats showing a gradual improvement in the worst employment crisis since the Great Depression.
Trump credits what he describes as a “very, very strong” the economic recovery to the “tremendous base” he’d created before nationwide coronavirus lockdowns.
“When we had to close it up to save millions of lives, we were able to open it, and now we’re doing well,’ he said.
“So I just want to thank everybody. It’s been an interesting period of time, it’s been terrible so many lives have been lost. We’ll never forget those incredible people. But they will not have died in vain.
“Our country will go on, and we’re gonna be stronger than ever before.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Call them the 1619 riots

Call them the 1619 riots

In the absence of traditional public examinations this time of ...

America is burning. Rioters set fire to police stations and restaurants. Looters have ravaged shops from coast to coast. And now they’re coming for the statues — not just of Confederate generals, but the republic’s Founders, including George Washington, whose statue was torn down in Portland, Ore.
Call them the 1619 riots.
The justified indignation over George Floyd’s killing has led to calls for policing reform and for the country to do better at fulfilling its principles. But the reaction hasn’t stopped with those worthy and noble objectives. It has surged well beyond to an attack on the principles themselves, which allegedly give rise to “systemic racism.”
But what is “the system” that generates and supports systemic racism? A considered answer is rarely given. Black Lives Matter (the organization, not the slogan) and its academic and media supporters do have some answers, however.
One is that “whiteness” itself is to blame, or at least “white privilege” and “white supremacy.” That is the explanation offered by the Black Power movement of the 1960s and by the likes of Louis Farrakhan and campus identity hucksters today. But the cruel thesis that the white race is “the cancer of human history,” as Susan Sontag once put it, is belied by history and reason.
So who else can they get at? Well, an easier target is one particular set of privileged, white males: the American Founders. The system at the root of systemic racism, the radicals argue, is the American one, beginning with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. America, they claim, was born a racist nation and remains one today.
This slander is the dominant opinion among woke millennials and is on its way, alas, to becoming mainstream. Former President Barack Obama wrestled with it, not very successfully, in his 2008 speech trying to disentangle himself from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who had preached “God damn America!” to the future president and his family for 20 years.
The most prominent proponent of the argument is The New York Times’s 1619 Project, named after the year the first black slaves arrived in America. Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Times reporter who leads the project, has argued that “the year 1619 is as important to the American story as 1776.”
Her editor, Jake Silverstein, has backed her to the hilt. Black slavery “is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin,” he asserted, “but it is more than that: It is the country’s very origin. Out of slavery — and the anti-black racism it required — grew nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional,” especially “its astonishing penchant for violence” and “its endemic racial fears and hatreds.”
In other words, 1619 is not “as important” as 1776; it is far more important and more revealing. American slavery is the deeper truth of American freedom. It doesn’t get more systemic than racism being in “the very DNA of this country,” as Hannah-Jones claims.
A Who’s Who of American historians, led by impeccable liberals like Sean Wilentz, Gordon Wood and James McPherson, quickly objected to Project 1619’s untruths. Their criticisms forced a muted, microscopic correction from the Times, but couldn’t slow the spread of the project’s libels into classrooms across the country.
Even Republicans have begun to smear America as racist — members of the very political party formed to redeem the promise of the Declaration and put slavery on the course of ultimate extinction. There was such a thing as white supremacy in our politics, and Abraham Lincoln confronted it when he argued against Stephen Douglas. But for politicians of all stripes it is becoming easier to blame America first than to defend her honor, as Lincoln did.
There is a kind of despair, both angry and frightened, haunting the public mind today. After all, if the problem’s in our DNA, there’s precious little we can do about it. Let’s not kid ourselves. The rioters who commit the violence drew one conclusion from that premise: If justice is out of the question, the next best thing is payback, snatching from the oppressor’s hand whatever loot they can.
The radicals aren’t far behind with their politics of “anti-racism” — a more or less permanent system of racial spoils, protected by speech codes banning criticism as racist “hate speech.”
The alternative is to reconsider the premise: America is not systemically racist, but is a republic devoted, however imperfectly, to the truth that all men are created equal.
Charles Kesler is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College and editor of The Claremont Review of Books.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Chief Keef-affiliated rapper Tray Savage fatally shot in Chicago

Tray Savage , a Chicago rapper who was part of Chief Keef ’ s Glo Gang , was shot to death Friday morning on the city ’ s South Side .
The 26-year-old rapper , née Kentray Young , had just dropped his girlfriend off on South Evans Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood ( where he lived ) at around 11 a.m. when he was shot twice , in the neck and shoulder , police told the Chicago Sun-Times .
( Chicago PD corroborated the details of the shooting to Page Six but did not identify the victim . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of the vehicle and struck three cars ; he was subsequently taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .
His death is being treated as a homicide and police have made no arrests , though there were reports of a white SUV — possibly a Mazda — leaving the area , they said .
Savage appeared on one of Keef ’ s 2013 mixtape cuts , “ Chiefin Keef , ” which has just under 4 million views on YouTube .
One of Savage ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” has nearly 500K views , while a 2014 song , “ Got the Mac , ” has notched over 426K plays , with a host of his own solo songs and featured appearances regularly also pulling hundreds of thousands of views .
Chief Keef was recently embroiled in a feud with Brooklyn ’ s most famous snitch — and sometimes rapper — Tekashi 6ix9ine .
Keef was visiting New York in June 2018 when he was shot at ; Tekashi eventually plead guilty to ordering the shooting in February 2019 .

Tray Savage, a Chicago rapper who was part of Chief Keef’s Glo Gang, was shot to death Friday morning on the city’s South Side.
The 26-year-old rapper, née Kentray Young, had just dropped his girlfriend off on South Evans Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood (where he lived) at around 11 a.m. when he was shot twice, in the neck and shoulder, police told the Chicago Sun-Times. (Chicago PD corroborated the details of the shooting to Page Six but did not identify the victim.)
Though he continued driving, Savage lost control of the vehicle and struck three cars; he was subsequently taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
His death is being treated as a homicide and police have made no arrests, though there were reports of a white SUV — possibly a Mazda — leaving the area, they said.
Savage appeared on one of Keef’s 2013 mixtape cuts, “Chiefin Keef,” which has just under 4 million views on YouTube. One of Savage’s own 2013 cuts, “Faces,” has nearly 500K views, while a 2014 song, “Got the Mac,” has notched over 426K plays, with a host of his own solo songs and featured appearances regularly also pulling hundreds of thousands of views.
Chief Keef was recently embroiled in a feud with Brooklyn’s most famous snitch — and sometimes rapper — Tekashi 6ix9ine. Keef was visiting New York in June 2018 when he was shot at; Tekashi eventually plead guilty to ordering the shooting in February 2019.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Alan Metter, ‘Back to School’ and ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ Director, Dies at 77

Alan Metter , best known for directing the 1980s films Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Back to School , died on June 7 , his family confirmed to Variety .
He was 77 .
Metter was born in Sharon , Mass.
, on Dec. 19 , 1942 .
He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1965 with a degree in philosophy and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter to pursue a career in the entertainment industry .
He started out directing music videos for the likes of George Harrison and Olivia Newton-John , but rose to prominence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Girls Just Want to Have Fun starring Sarah Jessica Parker , Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield and Moving featuring Richard Pryor .
His work continued into the 1990s as he directed Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in their breakout films Billboard Dad in 1998 and Passport to Paris in 1999 .
Metter retired from entertainment in the early 2000s and moved to Florida , where he met his partner , Katherine O ’ Flynn Christian .
Together , they designed an award-winning summer home in Truro , Mass.
, that was on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
“ The last decade gave him some of his happiest years .
He had love all around him .
He met Katherine , saw his only son succeed in love and life , and welcomed his granddaughters into his world and watched them grow with pride , ” his son Julian Metter told Variety .
“ A beautiful final chapter for a beautiful man .
He was a great friend , an adoring partner , an amazing father and the best grandfather ever.
” Metter is survived by his son , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kaiya Metter , his partner Katherine O ’ Flynn Christian and her children , Gillian and Simon , and grandchildren , Rhys , Owen and Jack .

Alan Metter, best known for directing the 1980s films Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Back to School, died on June 7, his family confirmed to Variety. He was 77.
Metter was born in Sharon, Mass., on Dec. 19, 1942. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1965 with a degree in philosophy and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
He started out directing music videos for the likes of George Harrison and Olivia Newton-John, but rose to prominence in the 1980s as the director of Girls Just Want to Have Fun starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield and Moving featuring Richard Pryor. His work continued into the 1990s as he directed Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in their breakout films Billboard Dad in 1998 and Passport to Paris in 1999.
Metter retired from entertainment in the early 2000s and moved to Florida, where he met his partner, Katherine O’Flynn Christian. Together, they designed an award-winning summer home in Truro, Mass., that was on the cover of New England Home Magazine in 2019.
“The last decade gave him some of his happiest years. He had love all around him. He met Katherine, saw his only son succeed in love and life, and welcomed his granddaughters into his world and watched them grow with pride,” his son Julian Metter told Variety. “A beautiful final chapter for a beautiful man. He was a great friend, an adoring partner, an amazing father and the best grandfather ever.”
Metter is survived by his son, daughter-in-law Kelsey Metter, granddaughters Jasmine and Kaiya Metter, his partner Katherine O’Flynn Christian and her children, Gillian and Simon, and grandchildren, Rhys, Owen and Jack.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Digital publisher owned by Hearst and Verizon accused of racism, misogyny

A pop culture digital publisher owned by Hearst and Verizon is the latest company to be blasted as hypocritical after declaring public support for nationwide racial injustice protests .
Complex Networks , which runs shopping and food sites , was slammed Friday as “ not a safe space ” for women or minorities to work by former staffer Tiffany Wines , who complained about a bullying boss and drug-laced cookies .
Wines said she only wrote the letter after reading Complex Network ’ s statement in support of protests over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slap in the face , I would have laughed out loud when I read it , ” she said .
She called Complex Media a “ toxic workplace culture steeped in misogyny , anti-blackness , rape culture and pay inequality across demographic lines that has thrived for far too long.
” Her main example involved complaints about the company ’ s senior director of social media , Arman Walia , saying he constantly undermined her on the company ’ s Slack .
“ Arman always found new ways to criticize , undermine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking credit for the achievements the rest of the team accomplished… , ” Wines , a black woman , claimed .
After complaining to Jay Salmin , executive VP , people and culture , she learned “ of at least five other women who had gone to HR in an attempt to make their complaints heard.
” But Walia was only promoted , she said .
Wines then blasted Complex for traumatizing her by leaving drug-laced cookies out for unsuspecting staffers to eat .
“ What followed was one of the most traumatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said of the day she ate the cookies , not knowing they were laced with drugs , and then blacked out , resulting in friends and family searching for her and calling the police and area hospitals .
The incident , she said , suggests that “ Complex is not only an unsafe space emotionally , it ’ s also an unsafe place physically.
” A spokesperson for Complex had not immediately returned a call .

A pop culture digital publisher owned by Hearst and Verizon is the latest company to be blasted as hypocritical after declaring public support for nationwide racial injustice protests.
Complex Networks, which runs music, pop-culture, shopping and food sites, was slammed Friday as “not a safe space” for women or minorities to work by former staffer Tiffany Wines, who complained about a bullying boss and drug-laced cookies. Wines said she only wrote the letter after reading Complex Network’s statement in support of protests over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police.
“If it wasn’t a slap in the face, I would have laughed out loud when I read it,” she said.
She called Complex Media a “toxic workplace culture steeped in misogyny, anti-blackness, rape culture and pay inequality across demographic lines that has thrived for far too long.”
A company spokesperson said Complex will initiate an investigation by a third party to reexamine the claim.
Wines’ main example involved complaints about the company’s senior director of social media, Arman Walia, saying he constantly undermined her on the company’s Slack.
“Arman always found new ways to criticize, undermine, or demean my work all while taking credit for the achievements the rest of the team accomplished…,” Wines, a black woman, claimed.
After complaining to Jay Salmin, executive VP, people and culture, she learned “of at least five other women who had gone to HR in an attempt to make their complaints heard.” But Walia was only promoted, she said.
Wines then blasted Complex for traumatizing her by leaving drug-laced cookies out for unsuspecting staffers to eat. “What followed was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life,” Wines said of the day she ate the cookies, not knowing they were laced with drugs, and then blacked out, resulting in friends and family searching for her and calling the police and area hospitals.
The incident, she said, suggests that “Complex is not only an unsafe space emotionally, it’s also an unsafe place physically.”
“We’re committed to creating a workplace free from unsafe conditions and harassment of any kind, and it’s important to us that we immediately address any issues with our company culture,” Complex’s statement said.
“We will also continue to investigate any and every claim that does not reflect the company values that our employees expect and deserve from us. While we disagree with some of the assertions that were made based on our findings and the values and policies we’ve installed, we will be initiating a new investigation immediately, conducted by a third to reexamine this claim.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Joe Biden needs a vice president who won’t try to steal his job

Vice President Amy Klobuchar is not in the cards .
The ...

Joe Biden is 112 years old and can barely speak a coherent sentence. So it matters greatly whom he picks to be his running mate. The chances that his veep selection might end up becoming president during his term can’t be discounted.
Democrats have spent the Trump years talking about the virtues of the 25th Amendment. It lays out a process inside the executive branch that would temporarily and, if necessary, permanently replace a living president deemed by his Cabinet to be too infirm to serve as the most powerful man in the world.
It was never going to happen: President Trump’s own aggressiveness, and his deep bond with his voters, made any such notion unthinkable outside the fever swamps of cable news.
Still, there’s no question Democrats and liberals have softened the ground when it comes to the idea of invoking the 25th. Now think of Biden’s position. Except for a few weeks of trouble, he basically coasted into the nomination and is likely to try and coast into the presidency. He hasn’t engaged the passions of his party, and there isn’t a Biden “wing” to speak of.
Moreover, let’s face it, he does seem a tad impaired. In one of his recent YouTube ads, he literally speaks these words: “I’m coming to you for ask a quick favor.” For ask a quick favor? If this is the take his people used, can you imagine what the other, rejected takes were like?
So how safe from the 25th would Biden be from a party, a Cabinet and a Democratic Congress thrilled to have beaten Trump but neither afraid nor respectful of Uncle Joe? Would the Democrats who want to foment a cultural revolution not feel tempted to hasten the change by ditching the figurehead through the 25th and going with a more ideologically simpatico veep?
If you want an America more in line with the views expressed by the 1619 Project and the rioters and those who think it’s fine to pull down a statue of George Washington, wouldn’t President Stacey Abrams get you there faster?
Conventional opinion has already come to regard Kamala Harris as the right choice, but like Shakespeare’s Cassius, she hath a lean and hungry look — and remember, it was Cassius who fomented the plot against Julius Caesar.
If Biden only seems, but isn’t really, gaga, he should pick a veep who will either be surpassingly loyal to him or who doesn’t especially crave being president herself.
One way to get a loyalist is to elevate someone somewhat obscure who really will therefore owe everything to him for making her a historical figure — like New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Or Florida Rep. Val Demings.
But in the category of the person who probably doesn’t want to become president but certainly would want to do everything in her power to get Trump out of office, there is one perfect choice. Indeed, in all respects, she’d be the perfect choice — including the fact that she probably doesn’t want to do it.
She is beloved among Democrats, among women, among African Americans. She’s written one of the best-selling books of the century and is one of the most famous people in America. She’s been thoroughly vetted. Her choice would be a national sensation, and it would drive Trump crazy.
Michelle Obama, come on down!
You might ask why she’d agree. We know she’s pretty private. But in truth, she’d be able to define the vice presidency however she liked. She has served in a largely ceremonial position before and made the most of it.
You might ask whether Biden would not wish to consider her selection. It might seem as though he couldn’t do anything without an Obama to ballast him. And it does raise the specter of a dynastic element in American politics that helped sink both Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Eh, dynasty shmynasty. The goal here is to win on Election Day — and survive attempts to depose him as a doddering fool. If he could talk her into doing it, Biden should pick Michelle Obama. End of story. Old Uncle Joe just needs to say to her: “I’m coming to you for ask a quick favor.”
jpodhoretz@gmail.com


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--From policing to pandemics and the Fed, success brings failure in its wake

“ AMERICA is burning .
But that ’ s how forests grow.
” So spoke ...

Success breeds failure. That’s a lesson taught by America’s current woes. What worked once upon a time no longer proves functional.
Consider policing. There are legitimate criticisms of “overpolicing” — do SWAT teams’ castoff military equipment really stop crime? — but over the past quarter-century, the story of policing has overwhelmingly been one of success.
Look at the numbers. Under former Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg, the Big Apple led the way, reducing homicides from 2,245 in 1990 to 333 in 2013. Nationally, homicides declined to 14,164 in 2014, from 24,700 in 1991.
Thanks to the efforts of parents, teachers and counselors, there has been a 55 percent decline in incarceration rates of young black males — the group that accounted for a disproportionate share of violent crime — over the past two decades.
Simultaneously, there’s been a sharp drop in police shootings, of both blacks and others, and the proportion of black victims is below that of black offenders. The death of George Floyd is an exception rather than the rule.
Why do so many people feel otherwise? Because success breeds failure. The success of American policing has made the continued existence of abuse seem like an intolerable failure.
There’s a larger phenomenon here. The successes of the civil-rights movement in the 1960s, coming on top of big income and education gains for blacks in the 1940s and 1950s, were abruptly followed by the deadly riots of the late 1960s: success breeding failure.
Peaceful protests and violent rioting came after the election and re-election of the first African-American president. Expectations raised by successes that are quickly taken for granted can provide the basis for perceptions of failure.
And not just perceptions. Genuine expertise based on past accomplishments isn’t a guarantee against future failure. That’s the COVID-19 lesson, too.
Example: On Jan. 21, federal expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said of COVID-19, “This is not a major threat to the people of the United States.”
This isn’t the only thing US government experts have gotten wrong. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention botched development of a COVID-19 test and failed to keep count of COVID-19 cases by, among other things, relying on fax machines. The Food and Drug Administration delayed test development with nitpicking and contradictory requirements.
But careful nitpicking, FDA admirers can argue, produced what many consider its greatest historic success: its refusal in the 1950s to approve the fetus-harming drug thalidomide. The CDC’s procedures perhaps also stemmed from traditions instilled by past successes. Success breeds failure.
As for Fauci, surely, there’s no expert on infectious disease better equipped, through knowledge and vast experience. He has performed successfully through six presidents’ administrations and remained ready to acknowledge mistakes and confess ignorance when warranted.
Similarly, probably no one in the world knew more about the financial history of the Depression of the 1930s than did Ben Bernanke when he was appointed Federal Reserve chairman in 2006. Yet in a May 2007 speech, he said, “We believe the effect of the troubles in the subprime sector on the broader housing market will likely be limited.”
Indeed, one can argue, as biographer Sebastian Mallaby does, that the great success of Bernanke’s predecessor Alan Greenspan in suppressing inflation and stimulating growth created an overconfidence and complacency that contributed to the 2008 market crash. In other words, success breeds failure.
How to prevent this? Perhaps more skeptical examination of success and more imaginative envisioning of failure. The hardest thing for political campaign strategists to do, I’ve observed over the years, is to distinguish the nine times out of 10 they should ignore demands they constantly get to change campaign strategy from the one time out of 10 they should agree. Some people are pretty good at this. But even they are always at risk of failure.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--MLB may shut down all spring training sites for coronavirus cleaning

With three spring training sites closing Friday due to coronavirus-related issues , MLB was strongly considering shutting all 30 facilities again to cleanse them and then establish a testing protocol when players return , The Post has learned .
The Phillies and Blue Jays in Western Florida and the Giants in Arizona closed their camps in response to either personnel contracting the virus or showing symptoms .
The Phillies acknowledged that eight employees had come down with coronavirus since Tuesday , including five players .
Players had been allowed to return to their team ’ s spring training facilities or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out with the help of limited personnel .
Each team created protocols .
But without an agreement between MLB and the Players Association , there has been no singular policy established for all teams and no testing regimens for the virus .
In addition , Arizona and Florida — which houses all 30 team ’ s spring sites — have become particular hotbeds for the virus in the last week , with case numbers soaring .
MLB was considering a reset in all spring camps in which they would be cleansed .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is in its health/safety protocol to restart the season : That any team personnel who wants to use the facility would have to take a test and be shown to be negative before using the complex , and then test every other day thereafter .

With three spring training sites closing Friday due to coronavirus-related issues, MLB was strongly considering shutting all 30 facilities again to cleanse them and then establish a testing protocol when players return, The Post has learned.
The Phillies and Blue Jays in Western Florida and the Giants in Arizona closed their camps in response to either personnel contracting the virus or showing symptoms. The Phillies acknowledged that eight employees had come down with coronavirus since Tuesday, including five players.
Players had been allowed to return to their team’s spring training facilities or home stadiums in recent weeks to work out with the help of limited personnel. Each team created protocols. But without an agreement between MLB and the Players Association, there has been no singular policy established for all teams and no testing regimens for the virus.
In addition, Arizona and Florida — which houses all 30 team’s spring sites — have become particular hotbeds for the virus in the last week, with case numbers soaring.
MLB was considering a reset in all spring camps in which they would be cleansed. Then the league was mulling putting in place what is in its health/safety protocol to restart the season: That any team personnel who wants to use the facility would have to take a test and be shown to be negative before using the complex, and then test every other day thereafter.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--NYPD seeking creep who punched 73-year-old woman in face on Bronx subway platform

The NYPD is looking for an unhinged creep who randomly punched a 73-year-old woman in the face on a Bronx @ @ @ @ @ The victim was standing on the southbound platform of the 175th Street subway station when @ @ @ @ @ in the side of her face , police said .
He then fled down a @ @ @ @ @ the station , police said .
No words were exchanged between the two .
On @ @ @ @ @ released clear surveillance photos of the suspect in hopes of finding him .
Police request @ @ @ @ @ his identity make a confidential call to the NYPD ’ s Crime Stoppers Hotline at @ @ @ @ @ for Spanish , 1-888-57-PISTA ( 74782 ) .
The public can also submit their tips @ @ @ @ @ website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM , on Twitter @ NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 @ @ @ @ @ TIP577 .

The NYPD is looking for an unhinged creep who randomly punched a 73-year-old woman in the face on a Bronx subway platform on Wednesday.
The victim was standing on the southbound platform of the 175th Street subway station when the violent stranger punched her in the side of her face, police said.
He then fled down a set of stairs and left the station, police said.
No words were exchanged between the two.
On Friday night, the NYPD released clear surveillance photos of the suspect in hopes of finding him.
Police request that anyone with information about his identity make a confidential call to the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--California surpasses New Jersey for state with second-most coronavirus cases

California on Friday surpassed New Jersey to become the state with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. after a spike in positive tests as it eases out of lockdown .
California has confirmed more than 170,860 cases as of early Saturday morning , leaping over the more than 168,490 cases in New Jersey , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
California boasts a much lower infection rate per capita when comparing its 40 million residents to the nearly 9 million living in New Jersey .
But the state has set records this week for single-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus cases Tuesday , at the time the third-highest-ever daily tally .
But then the state broke the single-day record Wednesday , recording 4,083 cases , and again on Thursday , when another 4,317 news cases were reported .
The spike comes more than a month after the state began easing its shelter-in-place restrictions and as it moves into a broader reopening — the third phase of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s four-phase plan .
The governor has continued to push forward with the state ’ s reopening , reasoning he expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improves .
But Newsom on Thursday announced a mandatory facemask executive order for most indoor settings and in outdoor environments where social distancing is not possible .
“ Science shows that face coverings and masks work , ” Newsom said in a statement about the new policy .
“ They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe , keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.
” New York remains first among all states by a number of reported coronavirus cases , with more than 386,550 cases on record as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins .

California on Friday surpassed New Jersey to become the state with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. after a spike in positive tests as it eases out of lockdown.
California has confirmed more than 170,860 cases as of early Saturday morning, leaping over the more than 168,490 cases in New Jersey, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
California boasts a much lower infection rate per capita when comparing its 40 million residents to the nearly 9 million living in New Jersey.
But the state has set records this week for single-day new infections.
California documented 3,455 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, at the time the third-highest-ever daily tally.
But then the state broke the single-day record Wednesday, recording 4,083 cases, and again on Thursday, when another 4,317 news cases were reported.
The spike comes more than a month after the state began easing its shelter-in-place restrictions and as it moves into a broader reopening — the third phase of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-phase plan.
The governor has continued to push forward with the state’s reopening, reasoning he expects positive cases to increase as testing capacity improves.
But Newsom on Thursday announced a mandatory facemask executive order for most indoor settings and in outdoor environments where social distancing is not possible.
“Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” Newsom said in a statement about the new policy. “They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.”
New York remains first among all states by a number of reported coronavirus cases, with more than 386,550 cases on record as of early Saturday morning, according to Johns Hopkins.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Yankees’ Aaron Hicks ‘ready to play’ if season starts in July

Part 11 in a series analyzing the New York Yankees ...

The identity of the Yankees’ starting right fielder whenever the next game is played is unknown, but the man in the middle of the outfield says he will be ready to chase fly balls in the gaps and deny base runners from taking an extra base.
Aaron Hicks was asked Friday, if the season were to start late next month, whether his surgically repaired right elbow would allow him to participate.
“I would be ready to play,’’ Hicks told The Post by phone from Tampa, where he has been hitting and throwing at George M. Steinbrenner Field for the past few weeks. “The plan was July to see where I am at and ready to play games. For me, I want to be back to the arm strength I had before.’’
Hicks, who had Tommy John surgery after the Yankees were eliminated from the ALCS by the Astros last October, estimated his arm strength to be at 80 percent and improving.
“I am doing really well. I am up to 160 feet throwing, taking BP on the field and doing defensive work,’’ said Hicks, who was limited to 59 games a year ago due to a lower-back problem that surfaced in spring training and a strained right flexor injury in early August. “I get better and better [throwing] every day and every week. The throwing gets stronger. It is definitely coming. It comes in its own ways when it wants to. I am not too far off. I will throw to bases coming up here pretty soon, think next week. My arm feels great.’’
The switch-hitting Hicks has been taking batting practice for two months with no problems outside of “trying to figure out hitting again.’’
In addition to the quarantine forced by the coronavirus pandemic, the 30-year-old Hicks welcomed son Jaylen into the world on May 6 and has been in Tampa for two weeks.
With the emphasis on safety and health the small number of Yankees working out at Steinbrenner Field are divided into groups of four and staggered. And since Hicks isn’t in Aaron Judge’s group, Hicks didn’t have an update on what the right fielder is doing while coming back from a fractured top right rib that was discovered in spring training and believed to have happened diving for a ball last September.
As for a 60- or 70-game schedule, Hicks was asked about the challenge of a dash instead of the playing the normal 162-game grind.
Submit your Yankees questions to be answered in an upcoming mailbag
“As a starter you have to know that you are going to have to play every single game because there is no time,’’ said Hicks, who Aaron Boone will likely be careful with since he also has Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman to play center. “Anything can happen in a 60-game season.
“You have to come out fast and you have to come out strong. You have to create separation between you and the other teams.’’
Placed on the injured list with that strain of his right flexor muscle in early August, Hicks felt good enough throwing that he made it back for the Astros’ series and started Games 3, 4, 5 and 6 in center field despite not having played previously since Aug. 3. In those four postseason games Hicks batted .154 (2-for-17) with a homer and 17 RBIs.
Asked if he regretted coming back, which might have led to requiring Tommy John surgery, Hicks said being available for the Yankees carried the day.
“I had a feeling that I was going to have to get surgery so I don’t regret it at all. I felt like the decision I made was for my team. I feel like my team is stronger with me in the outfield,’’ said Hicks, who is in the second leg of a seven-year deal worth $70 million.
Having been on the injured list 11 times since breaking into the big leagues in 2013 with the Twins, Hicks said he knows when his body is ready to play.
“Suck up the pain for a couple of games, that was fine with me,” he said. “I felt like it was something I needed to do.’’


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--16-year-old boy survives shark attack in North Carolina

A 16-year-old North Carolina boy is recovering from a terrifying shark attack that left some 40 teeth prints in his thigh during a family trip to the Outer Banks on Thursday .
Nick Arthur , who lives in Oak Ridge , NC , was playing on a sand bar with his sister about 25 feet offshore when the shark bit his thigh and would not let go reports CNN .
“ At first I thought he was screaming out of joy , and then I looked at him and saw the shark , ” said Tim Arthur , Nick ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Get it off me .
Let me go ’ and I jumped into action.
” Nick ’ s sister managed to get away safely while her father and brother rushed to the boy ’ s aid and punched and kicked the shark .
The shark only let go when Arthur managed to kick it in the nose , allowing both father and son to get to safety .
Arthur was taken to the Nags Head hospital where he received 17 stitches for the bite , though there seems to be no permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always think it ’ s not going to be you , ” the father said , adding that the encounter would not scare the family away from the beach — though maybe they would remain closer to the shore next time .

A 16-year-old North Carolina boy is recovering from a terrifying shark attack that left some 40 teeth prints in his thigh during a family trip to the Outer Banks on Thursday.
Nick Arthur, who lives in Oak Ridge, NC, was playing on a sand bar with his sister about 25 feet offshore when the shark bit his thigh and would not let go reports CNN.
“At first I thought he was screaming out of joy, and then I looked at him and saw the shark,” said Tim Arthur, Nick’s father.
“He was screaming ‘Get it off me. Let me go’ and I jumped into action.”
Nick’s sister managed to get away safely while her father and brother rushed to the boy’s aid and punched and kicked the shark.
The shark only let go when Arthur managed to kick it in the nose, allowing both father and son to get to safety.
Arthur was taken to the Nags Head hospital where he received 17 stitches for the bite, though there seems to be no permanent damage to his leg.
“You always think it’s not going to be you,” the father said, adding that the encounter would not scare the family away from the beach — though maybe they would remain closer to the shore next time.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--DC protesters topple, torch confederate statue on Juneteenth

Protesters in Washington , D.C , tore down and set fire to a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike after a day of Juneteenth rallies .
Roughly 80 or so demonstrators jumped and cheered after others used ropes to topple the monument in the Judiciary Square neighborhood late Friday night .
The fallen statue — the only confederate monument in the nation ’ s capital — was then promptly lit on fire , with one protester filmed lighting a cigarette on its embers as others chanted “ black lives matter !
” The statue is among many in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted during the civil unrest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd .
Officials across the country have promised to reevaluate their monuments , in some cases pledging to take them down outright .
In others , protesters have taken it upon themselves to either severely vandalize or tear down controversial statues .
President Trump late Friday called for the arrest of everyone involved in Pike ’ s takedown .
“ The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn .
These people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president tweeted .
“ A disgrace to our Country !
”

Protesters in Washington, D.C, tore down and set fire to a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike after a day of Juneteenth rallies.
Roughly 80 or so demonstrators jumped and cheered after others used ropes to topple the monument in the Judiciary Square neighborhood late Friday night.
The fallen statue — the only confederate monument in the nation’s capital — was then promptly lit on fire, with one protester filmed lighting a cigarette on its embers as others chanted “black lives matter!”
The statue is among many in the United States and cities abroad that have been targeted during the civil unrest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Officials across the country have promised to reevaluate their monuments, in some cases pledging to take them down outright. In others, protesters have taken it upon themselves to either severely vandalize or tear down controversial statues.
President Trump late Friday called for the arrest of everyone involved in Pike’s takedown.
“The D.C. Police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested,” the president tweeted. “A disgrace to our Country!”


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Belmont Stakes the reprieve we need in summer without sports

An inside look at how the 2020 Belmont Stakes will ...

There won’t be a soul on their feet as the beautiful animals come stampeding toward the finish line, and there won’t be any giant roar to rise up and explode out of Belmont Park and onto Hempstead Turnpike.
But even though there will be no fans in the grandstand, or anywhere else at Big Sandy, they will be crowning a winner of the first Belmont Stakes that is the first leg of the Triple Crown, the first Belmont Stakes that is a mile-and-an-eighth instead of a mile-and-a-half.
If you have been screaming yourself hoarse for a real live New York sporting event since the pandemic turned the world upside down, you will have the horses.
Pete Alonso won’t be swinging a bat until sometime next month … barring strike three on the MLB season, and Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole won’t be tormenting hitters. LeBron won’t be taking his talents to the Orlando bubble until late next month. Artemi Panarin won’t be skating in an NHL hub city until next month.
Major professional sports leagues versus coronavirus.
No March Madness.
Only Sadness.
Socially distanced for what feels like an eternity from our professional sports.
Only television replays and fond memories and a hope for some return to normalcy during a turbulent time in the nation’s belated march toward equality for all.
But at least and at last an oasis in the desert of despair and despondency.
And a parched New York sports crowd eager to drink it up.
And so at 5:42 p.m. on Saturday, 10 horses will be in the starting gates for a unique and historic Belmont Stakes, because the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are ahead of us when traditionally they are in the rearview mirror by now.
No one will be calling this Belmont Stakes The Test of the Champion. No horse will remind anyone of Secretariat. But one horse, and one jockey in the saddle atop him, will be paraded to the Winners Circle, where they will blanket the winner with white carnations, and the proud trainer will exult.
Virtual watch parties are better than nothing to watch at all.
“I’m very happy that they’re back racing in New York. I wish it could be with fans, but it’s a step in the right direction, and the Belmont’s a great tradition,” trainer Todd Pletcher told The Post. “First leg of the Triple Crown this year, and that’s hopefully gonna be the start of things opening back up in a good summer season for New York racing.”
Pletcher has won three Belmont Stakes — the filly Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013 and Tapwrit in 2017 — and will miss the sound of 90,000 New York racing fans who always fill the track with passion and fever.
“It’s gonna be dramatically different,” Pletcher said, “but at the same time, I think it’s gonna get a lot of good television coverage, and hopefully an exciting race — one good thing about racing being one of the few sporting events going at the moment, hopefully regaining some viewers and creating some new viewers, and hopefully these are people that’ll stay hooked on racing and continue watching after things open up in other sports.”
Tiz the Law is the favorite, but Pletcher is a seven-time Eclipse winner, and Belmont is his home base. So you count out his entries — Dr Post and Farmington Road — at your own peril.
Dr Post is not named for the New York Post, but for Dr. Martin Post, an attending cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and former chief of cardiology for the Eighth United States Army in Korea.
No wonder the horse has tremendous heart. The four-legged Dr Post may be inexperienced, but he sure didn’t seem to mind performing like a champ in front of no fans back on April 25 in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream, and after chortling in the face of adversity after being jostled and bumped, you might have gone away thinking he could have won the race with Mushnick in the saddle instead of Irad Ortiz Jr.
All the better that it is defending two-time Eclipse champion Ortiz, the surprise 2016 Belmont victor on Creator and the top 2020 winner (147) and earner (more than $7.2 million).
The four-legged Dr Post was purchased as a yearling by the St. Elias Stable of Brooklyn-born Vincent Viola, owner of the NHL Florida Panthers and executive chairman of market-making firm Virtu Financial Inc.
“I like the way they’re both training,” Pletcher said. “They both breezed very well over the main track last week. It’s a tall order, and a lot of respect for Tiz the Law, but … our horses are coming in the race as good as we can hope for.”
On this big New York day, it is Swellmont.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--New Yorkers celebrate Juneteenth in Central Park demonstration

Jamal Adams wants more money now .
He might first have ...

Some 1,500 New Yorkers gathered in Central Park Friday to celebrate Juneteenth during a day of massive Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the city.
Thousands of protesters took to city streets for the third week following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, with protesters continuing their calls to defund the NYPD.
The continued demonstrations come as the de Blasio administrations and the City Councill hash out the city’s next annual budget.
The Council has proposed slashing $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion annual budget, while Mayor de Blasio has resisted that reduction, calling it too high. The legislative body and de Blasio must reach a balanced budget by the end of June.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--The most likely outcomes to Jets’ Jamal Adams contract saga

The Buccaneers are the team the rest of the NFL ...

Jamal Adams wants more money now.
He might first have to be willing to lighten his pockets.
The Jets do not intend to bend to Adams’ request for a trade, which sets up a holdout in training camp. Adams’ public show made it more difficult for the Jets because trade partners now will try to leverage a weaker offer.
“Could argue he should be paid at the top of the market, but he should honor his contract,” a well-connected former NFL general manager told The Post. “I don’t know if there is a market for him equal to his value.”
Talking to Jets fans, Adams posted to Instagram on Friday night: “It’s time to move on. Let it go. Appreciate you guys. No hard feelings. Nothin but luv.”
Here are the five most likely outcomes:
No movement: The most likely option is for each side to call the other’s bluff. If that happens, Adams can miss the first five days of camp (begins July 28) without financial penalty before incurring a fine of $40,000 per day.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, holdout-related fines are split in two categories. Fines are mandatory for veterans but can be subsequently reduced or erased at the team’s discretion for players in Adams’ situation, on Year 4 of a rookie contract.
The bigger deterrent for Adams is he would be in jeopardy of losing an accrued season toward free agency if he fails to report on time. Shrewd unhappy players have long found ways to report to camp to avoid fines while finding other ways out of practicing.
Extension talks begin: The Jets realize it is Adams’ goal to eclipse the Bears’ Eddie Jackson ($14.6 million per year) and/or the Redskins’ Landon Collins ($44.5 million guaranteed) as the highest-paid safety.
But an ESPN report suggests interested teams are under the impression Adams wants to share rarefied air ($20 million per year) with top pass-rushers, which would point to hopeless negotiations. Adams’ inflated self-assessment was on display in the fall when he compared himself to untradeables Tom Brady and Aaron Donald.
Any understood timeline for contract discussions was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Games without fans could cost the league $3 billion in revenue and canceled games will be even more costly, which would in turn lower the salary cap for 2021 instead of the annual $10 million-$12 million increase per team. So, teams are proceeding with caution, leaving top free agents unsigned in June.
This sounds like caving to what Adams wanted for months. Except now it is more of a logical compromise for the Jets to speed up their thinking as Adams returns to the fold.
Jets, Adams’ agent seek trades: Unless the Jets give Adams’ agent permission to seek a trade, only the team can field offers. Anything else is punishable under tampering rules. So far, the Jets have not relinquished control.
With Trent Williams, the Redskins didn’t, did and then didn’t again give him permission to seek a trade before he was dealt on their terms, after sitting out all last season.
Adams already has a list of eight preferred landing spots, per ESPN, including some where he would ease off his immediate contract demands. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause or any say in his destination unless he is going to refuse to play for a team and incur fines, so this strong-arming just creates more bad blood.
‘Band-Aid’ contract: Flashbacks, anyone? Darrelle Revis popularized this term to describe the agreement that ended his 35-day holdout from the Jets in 2010, when he still had three years remaining on his rookie contract.
The two sides agreed to buy time masked behind a four-year, $46 million deal for salary-cap purposes. They never saw eye-to-eye and Revis was traded in 2013.
Adams is owed $13.4 million over the next two years. The Jets have the salary-cap flexibility to raise his 2020 and 2021 salaries without committing to a huge signing bonus so it is not detrimental to the future cap if they have to move on in a couple years.
Adams relents: Melvin Gordon is a cautionary tale, after his failed 2019 holdout resulted in lost playing time and accepting a smaller offer in free agency than he turned down before going to battle with the Chargers.
The five highest-paid defensive players in the NFL all played at least four seasons on their rookie contract. The top two, Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack, held out going into Year 5, not Year 4. Adams is challenging the system.
Adams was drafted by the old Jets regime and his trust in the new front office is shaken because he hasn’t received an offer as a starting point, a source said. So, this path seems least likely.
The Jets got one contract done Friday, agreeing with second-round wide receiver Denzel Mims on a four-year, $5.4 million deal. Rookie contracts are subject to a slotted wage scale with little room for negotiation.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Belmont is now first Triple Crown race in this coronavirus era

Seven weeks late and nearly 800 miles away from the time-honored traditional beginning, the first leg of the 2020 Triple Crown has finally arrived.
In this coronavirus-modified year of horse racing, the last shall be first, and shortened, as the Belmont Stakes is set to run Saturday (post time 5:42 p.m.) at 1¹/₈ miles. Normally known as the “Test of the Champion,” for its 1½-mile dash at the end of a grueling five-week stretch, the New York jewel’s 152nd edition will be unlike any before it. The pageantry and fans may be missing, but the return of big-time racing will still be a welcomed sight for those involved.
“We never dreamed we’d find ourselves at the Belmont being the first leg of the Triple Crown, but it’s pretty cool to be someone that races in New York year-round and have it right here on our home court,” said Linda Rice, trainer of Max Player.
There has been no Kentucky Derby or Preakness to set the stage for the Belmont Stakes and a potential Triple Crown clincher, but Tiz the Law will enter the day as the prohibitive favorite (6-5 morning line). The 3-year-old from Sackatoga Stables, the only multiple graded stakes winner in the field, is vying to become just the fourth New York-bred horse to win the race, and the first since Forester did it in 1882.
Tap It to Win and Fore Left are the speedsters who could set the pace early in the one-turn race, with Tiz the Law and Dr Post right there in a stalking position, while Sole Volante, Max Player and Farmington Road are among the closers of the group. But given all the uncertainty and irregularity in racing and training schedules leading up to Saturday, what’s expected may get turned upside down once the gates fly open.
Tiz the Law last raced on March 28, winning his second Grade 1 stakes, but veteran trainer Barclay Tagg was at peace with the long layoff.
“There wasn’t a whole lot we could do about it, for one thing,” Tagg said. “The other thing, nothing seems to faze him in any way. I asked him this morning, he said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ”
A win with Tiz The Law would give Tagg and Sackatoga Stables some redemption 17 years after their last fateful Saturday in Elmont. They teamed up with Funny Cide in 2003 and were a Belmont Stakes win away from the Triple Crown, but finished third on that rainy June day. A win Saturday wouldn’t make up for that, but for the group with a small stable, getting back to this stage is anything but a given.
“It means a lot,” Tagg said. “We don’t get top contenders all the time. He seems like a nice horse. Hopefully he’s as good as we hope.”
Manny Franco will be making his Belmont Stakes debut riding Tiz the Law, but Tagg isn’t worried about the 25-year-old buckling under pressure — even if just four of the last 20 Belmont Stakes favorites have actually won the race.
“He’s gonna have a lot more pressure on him if he does something wrong,” Tagg said with a chuckle. “We love Manny, Manny’s been good to us. He’s a very, very good rider.”
The Belmont Stakes — which was originally scheduled to run June 6 — is one of 12 races set for Saturday, with the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, Grade 2 Pennine Ridge, Grade 3 Wonder Again, Grade 1 Longines Acorn and Grade 1 Jaipur all on the docket.
The day may look, feel and sound different, but when 5:42 p.m. rolls around, the Triple Crown will finally be underway.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Golfers react to PGA’s first coronavirus case at tight RBC Heritage

Another positive test , another undeterred sport .
Nick Watney withdrew from ...

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau were trading birdies with vastly different games. Rory McIlroy ran off enough birdies to make the cut. And the biggest move of the day at the RBC Heritage belonged to a player who made it to the course, but not the tee.
Nick Watney became a footnote in golf history Friday as the first player to test positive for the coronavirus.
“I was a little shocked, to be honest,” said Vaughn Taylor, who played with Watney in the opening round and went for testing immediately after his 69. “Heart started racing, got a little nervous. Just hope Nick’s doing well and we get through this.”
Watney tested negative when he arrived Tuesday, experienced symptoms Friday and took another test that came back positive. He now faces self-isolation for at least 10 days as the tournament goes on.
The weekend buzz at Harbour Town figures to be about more than just birdies and bogeys.
Simpson got the last word with a 6-foot birdie on his final hole at No. 9 for another 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead after another day of watching DeChambeau and his additional 40 pounds of mass swing out of his shoes for a 64. DeChambeau made six birdies on his back nine, missing a 5-footer on the last that would have tied for the lead. Corey Conners also was one back after a bogey-free 63.
“It’s very satisfying knowing I’m not near as long as some of these guys and I’m able to kind of use my skills of distance control and shot shape to pick me back up when I’m 40 yards or 30 yards behind these guys,” Simpson said. “I would like to hit it further. I set out on a journey three years ago to get stronger, hit it further, but do it a lot slower than Bryson. But he’s made it look easy and seamless.”
Simpson was at 12-under 130, and scoring remained bunched. Thunderstorms that rolled through the island and halted play for two hours only gave players more time to talk about Watney and the ramifications. McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, who is on the PGA Tour policy board, said a positive test was bound to happen as the tour returns from a three-month shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The whole plan put in place was not if, but when somebody tests positive, what’s the protocol, and what are the next steps,” Spieth said. “So I feel confident, just in being on those phone calls, in what the PGA TOUR’s going to do going forward here, and hopefully contact tracing doesn’t lead to anybody else testing positive within the bubble.”
McIlroy, who shot 66 to make the cut with one shot to spare, said he saw Watney on the putting green before the test result was returned. Brooks Koepka, who was three shots behind after a 66, said he saw Watney in the parking lot.
“It’s unfortunate Nick got it, but at the same time, hopefully, it stays with just him and doesn’t spread,” Koepka said. “Because I think we’ll have a big issue on our hands if it keeps going as the weeks continue.”
For so much of Friday, Simpson had the lead and DeChambeau had the spotlight, with his incredible bulk making him stand out like the lighthouse behind the 18th green.
He decided at the end of last season to get stronger and bigger so he could swing faster and hit it longer, and the transformation has everyone’s attention. Even while adding 40 pounds of mass, he hasn’t lost his love for science. That was evident on his final hole.
DeChambeau had the honors and let Simpson go first so he could figure out what to do. Simpson poked his hybrid 221 yards down the fairway on the 334-yard ninth hole. DeChambeau opted for a 3-wood, mainly because he feared his driver would go well over the green.
He took two violent practice swings, and huffed out breath like an Olympic weightlifter preparing for the clean and jerk. He sent it soaring only to say, “Ah! Too much spin, dang it.”
It found a bunker in front of the green, 309 yards away, and he was far more bothered missing the short birdie putt, even though his 64 left him right in the mix again. He hasn’t finished worse than a tie for fifth since February — only four tournaments because the pandemic shut down golf for three months.
“He’s been able to take this body that he’s never played with before and still play just as good, if not better,” Simpson said. “So that’s really impressive.”
The time off didn’t appear to hurt, and DeChambeau said time in the gym — and in the buffet line — allowed him to go from a ball speed of about 188 mph to the lower 190s. That doesn’t always work at Harbour Town, a tight course that winds through the oaks, and DeChambeau laments that he hasn’t been able to “launch the Kraken.”
At least he’s not holding back at dinner. DeChambeau says his fitness plan is a 2-to-1 ration of carbs and protein and “I literally just have it. I eat whatever, whenever.” The majority of bulk is muscle, all for more speed. He believes he can get it up to 197 mph on a course that allows for more drivers.
The biggest benefit is where it leaves him.
“The distance gain has helped me hit 9-irons and pitching wedges into holes compared to hitting 7-irons and 6-iron,” he said. “That’s a huge change for me that’s allowed me to go and attack flags a lot more, be more aggressive, not really have to try and fit it into this little spot down on the fairway out here and really attack those flags.”
Simpson has more to worry about than DeChambeau. Twenty players were within four shots of the lead, a group that includes Koepka and Dustin Johnson.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--US Attorney in Manhattan refuses to resign after Barr announces that he’s ‘stepping down’

In a stunning plot twist , U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman issued a statement Friday night asserting that he will not , in fact , resign — in direct contradiction to an announcement that he was stepping down made hours earlier from Attorney General William Barr .
“ I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘ stepping down ’ as United States Attorney , ” Berman , said in a statement posted to the Southern District of New York Twitter account .
“ I have not resigned , and have no intention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York , ” Berman ’ s statement continued .
“ I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate , ” he continued .
Berman ’ s refusal to resign the position he ’ s held for two and a half years now sets up a power struggle with the Justice Department over arguably the most prestigious US attorney ’ s office in the country — the Manhattan-based Southern District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the presidential election .
At midnight , New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler , chair of the House Judiciary Committee , tweeted that he will invite Berman to testify before the committee on Wednesday , during a planned hearing on Barr .
“ America is right to expect the worst of Bill Barr , who has repeatedly interfered in criminal investigations on Trump ’ s behalf , ” Nadler tweeted .
“ We have a hearing on this topic on Wednesday .
We welcome Mr. Berman ’ s testimony and will invite him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised that his investigations — some of which touch directly on Trump or his closest aides — “ will move forward without delay or interruption ” until his replacement is confirmed .
“ I cherish every day that I work with the men and women of this Office to pursue justice without fear or favor — and intend to ensure that this Offices ’ s important cases continue unimpeded.
” He signed the statement using his title — United States Attorney , Southern District of New York .
Berman ’ s ongoing investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s inaugural celebrations and into billions in Deutsche Bank loans made to Trump ’ s company and to the businesses of his son-in-law , Jared Kushner .
Berman ’ s office is also reportedly probing whether Trump ’ s attorney and confidante Rudy Giuliani violated lobbying laws by acting as the president ’ s intermediary in Ukraine .
His office is also investigating the Turkish Halkbank for allegedly violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran .
In his upcoming memoir , former National Security Advisor John Bolton claims that Trump told Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the probe in return for Erdogan releasing an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey .

In a stunning plot twist, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman issued a statement Friday night asserting that he will not, in fact, resign — in direct contradiction to an announcement that he was stepping down made hours earlier from Attorney General William Barr.
“I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was ‘stepping down’ as United States Attorney,” Berman, said in a statement posted to the Southern District of New York Twitter account.
“I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position, to which I was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,” Berman’s statement continued.
“I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate,” he continued.
Berman’s refusal to resign the position he’s held for two and a half years now sets up a power struggle with the Justice Department over arguably the most prestigious US attorney’s office in the country — the Manhattan-based Southern District of New York — just five months before the presidential election.
At midnight, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, tweeted that he will invite Berman to testify before the committee on Wednesday, during a planned hearing on Barr.
“America is right to expect the worst of Bill Barr, who has repeatedly interfered in criminal investigations on Trump’s behalf,” Nadler tweeted.
“We have a hearing on this topic on Wednesday. We welcome Mr. Berman’s testimony and will invite him to testify.”
Berman in his statement promised that his investigations — some of which touch directly on Trump or his closest aides — “will move forward without delay or interruption” until his replacement is confirmed.
“I cherish every day that I work with the men and women of this Office to pursue justice without fear or favor — and intend to ensure that this Offices’s important cases continue unimpeded.”
He signed the statement using his title — United States Attorney, Southern District of New York.
Berman’s ongoing investigations reportedly include probes into the finances of Trump’s inaugural celebrations and into billions in Deutsche Bank loans made to Trump’s company and to the businesses of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Berman’s office is also reportedly probing whether Trump’s attorney and confidante Rudy Giuliani violated lobbying laws by acting as the president’s intermediary in Ukraine.
His office is also investigating the Turkish Halkbank for allegedly violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran.
In his upcoming memoir, former National Security Advisor John Bolton claims that Trump told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he would block the probe in return for Erdogan releasing an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--J. Alexander Kueng, Minneapolis cop charged in George Floyd’s death, freed on bail

The second of four Minneapolis police officers charged in the killing of George Floyd has reportedly been released from jail after posting bail .
J. Alexander Kueng , 26 , was freed from the Hennepin County Jail shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday after meeting his bail set at $ 750,000 , according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune .
Keung is among three now-fired officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter for their roles in helping pin Floyd down before he died on Memorial Day .
His release follows that of fired rookie cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to post his $ 750,000 bail through a crowdfunding effort .
Lane was working his fourth shift when he held Floyd ’ s legs while supervisor Derek Chauvin kept a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes .
Keung was also fresh to the force and on his third shift when he helped restrain Floyd during his fatal arrest .
The third officer , Tou Thao , is still being held in jail on $ 750,000 bail .
Chauvin is also still jailed , facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If convicted as charged , all four defendants face up to 40 years in prison .

The second of four Minneapolis police officers charged in the killing of George Floyd has reportedly been released from jail after posting bail.
J. Alexander Kueng, 26, was freed from the Hennepin County Jail shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday after meeting his bail set at $750,000, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Keung is among three now-fired officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter for their roles in helping pin Floyd down before he died on Memorial Day.
His release follows that of fired rookie cop Thomas Lane, 37, who managed to post his $750,000 bail through a crowdfunding effort.
Lane was working his fourth shift when he held Floyd’s legs while supervisor Derek Chauvin kept a knee on his neck for almost nine minutes.
Keung was also fresh to the force and on his third shift when he helped restrain Floyd during his fatal arrest.
The third officer, Tou Thao, is still being held in jail on $750,000 bail.
Chauvin is also still jailed, facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter with his bail set at $1.25 million.
If convicted as charged, all four defendants face up to 40 years in prison.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--MLB closes all 30 spring training camps for coronavirus cleaning

The Phillies closed their facility in Clearwater , Fla. after reporting ...

MLB ordered all 30 spring training camps closed for a deep cleaning and disinfecting and that all personnel who want to continue unofficial workouts when the sites reopen will have to undergo a COVID-19 screening.
The league was reacting to both the rising number of cases in Arizona and Florida — the states that house all 30 spring sites — but also that at least four teams reported either coronavirus cases or symptoms in their camps. Three — the Phillies, Blue Jays and Giants — closed their camps on their own before MLB’s decision. The Phillies, who train in Clearwater, Fla., acknowledged that eight employees had come down with coronavirus since Tuesday, including five players.
Players had been allowed to return to spring facilities or home stadiums in recent weeks to work out with the help of limited support staff. Each team created protocols. But without an agreement between MLB and the players association on health and safety, there was no singular policy overseeing these informal workouts. So players were coming and going without a testing regimen.
MLB hopes it can reopen camps early next week after the cleansing. The rule the sport is establishing is that personnel must have a negative test for the virus to be allowed to resume their workouts. MLB would additionally like to continue testing every two days.
These are the first known cases to surface since teams began to let players back into facilities. Even before the outbreak, the Phillies had been planning to hold their spring training in Philadelphia. The Blue Jays, though, were likely going to be in Dunedin, Fla.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. head fired over ‘racially and sexually offensive’ remarks

The head of the state agency that oversees Roosevelt Island was fired for making “ racially and sexually offensive ” remarks , The Post has learned .
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President and CEO Susan Rosenthal was ousted following a probe by Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s office , which was initiated by a complaint received from an employee at the agency .
Details of the complaint against Rosenthal , who is white , were not immediately available .
Rosenthal previously served as general counsel to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and served as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Words of Rosenthal ’ s termination came on Juneteenth — the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the United States .
“ A complaint was made to the Governor ’ s office on June 12th by an employee of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation that alleged that the President of the organization had used inappropriate language and engaged in inappropriate conduct in the workplace , ” Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi said in a statement .
“ This complaint was immediately referred to the New York State Governor ’ s Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation substantiated that the president had used racially and sexually offensive language , in clear violation of state policy and the strict standards set by this Administration.
” “ The President was immediately terminated , ” he said .
Rosenthal did not return voice and text messages requesting comment .
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. ( RIOC ) was created in 1984 as a public benefit corporation to plan , design , develop , operate and maintain Roosevelt Island .
RIOC provides services for the island ’ s residents and manages its two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks , buildings , sports facility and public transportation — including the iconic aerial tramway .
It also operates a public safety department to protect residents , businesses and visitors .
RIOC has come under fire in the past for questionable spending and complaints about its public safety department .

The head of the state agency that oversees Roosevelt Island was fired for making “racially and sexually offensive” remarks, The Post has learned.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President and CEO Susan Rosenthal was ousted following a probe by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, which was initiated by a complaint received from an employee at the agency.
Details of the complaint against Rosenthal, who is white, were not immediately available.
Rosenthal previously served as general counsel to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and served as the agency’s chief ethics officer.
Words of Rosenthal’s termination came on Juneteenth — the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the United States.
“A complaint was made to the Governor’s office on June 12th by an employee of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation that alleged that the President of the organization had used inappropriate language and engaged in inappropriate conduct in the workplace,” Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi said in a statement.
“This complaint was immediately referred to the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations for investigation.
“This investigation substantiated that the president had used racially and sexually offensive language, in clear violation of state policy and the strict standards set by this Administration.”
“The President was immediately terminated,” he said.
Rosenthal did not return voice and text messages requesting comment.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) was created in 1984 as a public benefit corporation to plan, design, develop, operate and maintain Roosevelt Island.
RIOC provides services for the island’s residents and manages its two miles of roads, along with its parks, buildings, sports facility and public transportation — including the iconic aerial tramway.
It also operates a public safety department to protect residents, businesses and visitors.
RIOC has come under fire in the past for questionable spending and complaints about its public safety department.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--US attorney for Southern District of NY resigns, Trump to nominate SEC chair

WASHINGTON — The U.S. attorney who oversaw key prosecutions of allies of President Donald Trump and an investigation into Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani abruptly left his post Friday .
Geoffrey S. Berman is stepping down as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , Attorney General William Barr said in a statement .
The office is one of the nation ’ s premiere districts , trying major mob cases and terror cases over the years .
It was unclear why Berman was leaving his position after serving more than two years .
The announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr visited New York City to meet with local police officials .
And Trump is nominating the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission to the job , a lawyer with virtually no experience as a federal prosecutor .
But the departure comes days after allegations surfaced from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton that Trump sought to interfere in a Southern District investigation into the Turkish Halkbank in an effort to cut deals with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan .
The shakeup was likely to raise additional questions from congressional Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department and acting more like Trump ’ s personal attorney than the nation ’ s chief law enforcement officer .
“ Doesn ’ t sound like ‘ stepping down , ’ ” Preet Bharara , the previous permanent U.S. attorney there , said in a tweet Friday .
“ Why does a president get rid of his own hand-picked US Attorney in SDNY on a Friday night , less than 5 months before the election ?
” Trump intends to nominate SEC Chairman Jay Clayton to the post , Barr said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Craig Carpenito , will serve as the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan beginning July 3 , he said .
Before taking the reins at the SEC , Clayton was a well-connected Wall Street lawyer who represented and advised a number of major companies , including Goldman Sacks , Barclays , Deutsche Bank and UBS .
The office has prosecuted a number of Trump associates , including Trump ’ s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen , who served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He had recused himself from directly overseeing the Cohen investigation for reasons that were never disclosed .
Berman has also overseen the prosecution of two Florida businessmen , Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , who were associates of Giuliani and tied to the Ukraine impeachment investigation .
The men were charged in October with federal campaign finance violations , including hiding the origin of a $ 325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump ’ s reelection .
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Giuliani ’ s business dealings , including whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent , according to people familiar with the probe .
The people were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity .
Bolton ’ s tell-all , excerpts of which were posted by the news media this week , included details on how Trump sought to cut a deal to halt SDNY ’ s investigation into whether Halkbank violated U.S. sanctions against Iran in order to free an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey .
Six weeks after the pastor ’ s release , Bolton writes that on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then told Erdoğan he would take care of things , explaining that the Southern District prosecutors were not his people , but were Obama people , a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people.
” The episode occurred months after Berman assumed the role of U.S. attorney .
A Republican who contributed to the president ’ s election campaign , Berman worked for the same law firm as Giuliani and was put in his job by the Trump administration .
But as U.S. attorney , he won over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies .
Berman was appointed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in January 2018 , months after Bharara was fired after refusing to resign along with dozens of other federal prosecutors appointed by President Barack Obama .
Three months later , FBI agents raided Cohen ’ s offices , an act the president decried as a politically motivated witch hunt .
Berman has taken a direct hand in other investigations that have angered Trump .
His office subpoenaed Trump ’ s inaugural committee for a wide range of documents as part of an investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal contributions from foreigners to inaugural events .
And weeks before the 2018 midterm election , Berman announced insider trading charges against an ardent Trump supporter , Republican Rep. Chris Collins .
Collins , who represented western New York , has since resigned .
Under Berman ’ s tenure , his office also brought charges against Michael Avenatti , the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving Trump .
Avenatti was convicted in February of trying to extort Nike after prosecutors said he threatened to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reputation and stock price unless the sportswear giant paid him up to $ 25 million .

WASHINGTON — The U.S. attorney who oversaw key prosecutions of allies of President Donald Trump and an investigation into Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani abruptly left his post Friday.
Geoffrey S. Berman is stepping down as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Attorney General William Barr said in a statement. The office is one of the nation’s premiere districts, trying major mob cases and terror cases over the years.
It was unclear why Berman was leaving his position after serving more than two years. The announcement was made late Friday and came after Barr visited New York City to meet with local police officials. And Trump is nominating the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission to the job, a lawyer with virtually no experience as a federal prosecutor.
But the departure comes days after allegations surfaced from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton that Trump sought to interfere in a Southern District investigation into the Turkish Halkbank in an effort to cut deals with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The shakeup was likely to raise additional questions from congressional Democrats who have accused Barr of politicizing the Justice Department and acting more like Trump’s personal attorney than the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
“Doesn’t sound like ‘stepping down,’” Preet Bharara, the previous permanent U.S. attorney there, said in a tweet Friday. “Why does a president get rid of his own hand-picked US Attorney in SDNY on a Friday night, less than 5 months before the election?”
Trump intends to nominate SEC Chairman Jay Clayton to the post, Barr said. The U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Craig Carpenito, will serve as the acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan beginning July 3, he said.
Before taking the reins at the SEC, Clayton was a well-connected Wall Street lawyer who represented and advised a number of major companies, including Goldman Sacks, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and UBS.
The office has prosecuted a number of Trump associates, including Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes, and has also been investigating Giuliani and his associates. He had recused himself from directly overseeing the Cohen investigation for reasons that were never disclosed.
Berman has also overseen the prosecution of two Florida businessmen, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who were associates of Giuliani and tied to the Ukraine impeachment investigation. The men were charged in October with federal campaign finance violations, including hiding the origin of a $325,000 donation to a group supporting Trump’s reelection.
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Giuliani’s business dealings, including whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, according to people familiar with the probe. The people were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Bolton’s tell-all, excerpts of which were posted by the news media this week, included details on how Trump sought to cut a deal to halt SDNY’s investigation into whether Halkbank violated U.S. sanctions against Iran in order to free an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey. Six weeks after the pastor’s release, Bolton writes that on a call with Erdoğan, “Trump then told Erdoğan he would take care of things, explaining that the Southern District prosecutors were not his people, but were Obama people, a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people.” The episode occurred months after Berman assumed the role of U.S. attorney.
A Republican who contributed to the president’s election campaign, Berman worked for the same law firm as Giuliani and was put in his job by the Trump administration. But as U.S. attorney, he won over some skeptics after he went after Trump allies.
Berman was appointed by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in January 2018, months after Bharara was fired after refusing to resign along with dozens of other federal prosecutors appointed by President Barack Obama.
Three months later, FBI agents raided Cohen’s offices, an act the president decried as a politically motivated witch hunt.
Berman has taken a direct hand in other investigations that have angered Trump.
His office subpoenaed Trump’s inaugural committee for a wide range of documents as part of an investigation into various potential crimes, including possible illegal contributions from foreigners to inaugural events.
And weeks before the 2018 midterm election, Berman announced insider trading charges against an ardent Trump supporter, Republican Rep. Chris Collins. Collins, who represented western New York, has since resigned.
Under Berman’s tenure, his office also brought charges against Michael Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits involving Trump. Avenatti was convicted in February of trying to extort Nike after prosecutors said he threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike’s reputation and stock price unless the sportswear giant paid him up to $25 million.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--NYPD cops seek clarity on how to respond to tasing threat after Rayshard Brooks shooting

A New York City police union wants to know how cops should respond to the threat of being tased after an officer in Atlanta was charged with murder for fatally shooting Taser-wielding Rayshard Brooks last week .
The Sergeants Benevolent Association penned a letter to NYPD Commissioner Dermott Shea Friday asking for clear guidance should a similar situation arise .
Currently , NYPD officers are trained that deadly physical force is acceptable when staring down a Taser .
“ We respectfully request that the department issue a clear directive answering the following question : if threatened with the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taser , are officers authorized to use deadly force to protect themselves and/or others ?
” wrote SBA President Ed Mullins .
Brooks , 27 , was shot by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe during a foot chase following a field sobriety test in the parking lot of a local Wendy ’ s restaurant last Friday .
Rolfe and a second officer , Devin Brosnan , chased Brooks after he grabbed one of their tasers and ran off .
Rolfe fired his gun , striking Brooks in the back as Brooks turned and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ While every case in which an officer employs deadly force has its own unique set of circumstances and legal intricacies , this highly publicized case has raised questions among NYPD officers as to how they should respond if they are threatened with a taser , ” Mullins continued .
“ Many NYPD officers have learned during their training that they are authorized to use deadly physical force if they are threatened with a Taser.
” Both Atlanta cops involved in the death of Brooks were fired and Rolfe could face a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s top prosecutors have said .
“ Guidance and clarification is needed not only for insight regarding the criminal liability of officers moving forward , but for their safety and the safety of everyone involved in these potential situations , ” Mullins wrote .
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

A New York City police union wants to know how cops should respond to the threat of being tased after an officer in Atlanta was charged with murder for fatally shooting Taser-wielding Rayshard Brooks last week.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association penned a letter to NYPD Commissioner Dermott Shea Friday asking for clear guidance should a similar situation arise.
Currently, NYPD officers are trained that deadly physical force is acceptable when staring down a Taser.
“We respectfully request that the department issue a clear directive answering the following question: if threatened with the use of a [conducted electrical weapon] or Taser, are officers authorized to use deadly force to protect themselves and/or others?” wrote SBA President Ed Mullins.
Brooks, 27, was shot by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe during a foot chase following a field sobriety test in the parking lot of a local Wendy’s restaurant last Friday.
Rolfe and a second officer, Devin Brosnan, chased Brooks after he grabbed one of their tasers and ran off.
Rolfe fired his gun, striking Brooks in the back as Brooks turned and pointed the stolen Taser back at him.
“While every case in which an officer employs deadly force has its own unique set of circumstances and legal intricacies, this highly publicized case has raised questions among NYPD officers as to how they should respond if they are threatened with a taser,” Mullins continued.
“Many NYPD officers have learned during their training that they are authorized to use deadly physical force if they are threatened with a Taser.”
Both Atlanta cops involved in the death of Brooks were fired and Rolfe could face a felony murder charge, Fulton County’s top prosecutors have said.
“Guidance and clarification is needed not only for insight regarding the criminal liability of officers moving forward, but for their safety and the safety of everyone involved in these potential situations,” Mullins wrote.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Trainer Linda Rice looking for history with elusive Belmont Stakes win

The 152nd Belmont Stakes will include a horse of the ...

Linda Rice has recorded 2,018 career victories on the way to becoming one of the most accomplished female thoroughbred trainers in her sport. But the New York-based horse racing lifer is still chasing the big one: a win in a Triple Crown race.
Rice will have another shot at it Saturday with Max Player in the Belmont Stakes as she tries to become the first female trainer to ever win a leg of the Triple Crown.
“It would be great to win one,” Rice said Wednesday after Max Player drew the third post position with 15-1 odds.
“Obviously things have changed in the last 100 years here. So there’s a lot more women training horses now than there were 100 years ago, so chances are, given a little more time, sooner or later, a woman will win this race.”
Max Player will be Rice’s third contender for a Triple Crown win. Her first came in 2003, when Supervisor finished fifth in the Belmont Stakes. She later saddled Kid Cruz in the 2014 Preakness for an eighth-place finish.
Rice is one of 10 female trainers to run a horse in the Belmont Stakes. Dianne Carpenter came the closest to making history in 1988, when her Kingpost placed second to Risen Star. Sarah Lundy was the first female trainer to saddle a horse in the Belmont Stakes in 1984 with Minstrel Star.
“They just haven’t given women enough time yet,” Rice said jokingly with a laugh.
Rice grew up around horse racing in Wisconsin, where her father, Clyde, was a trainer. By 1987, at the age of 23, she was a licensed trainer herself and in 2009 she became the first woman to win a training title at a major American racing circuit, when she edged Todd Pletcher for the Saratoga summer meet.
Three more New York training titles later, Rice is back with a Belmont contender. She had to navigate uncharted territory to get there, with the coronavirus pandemic disrupting Max Player’s race schedule and forcing a long layoff entering Saturday, but now she has another shot to make history.
“Horse racing right now, we’re just happy to be racing,” Rice said. “Horse racing has gone through some difficult times, like any other business in this economy with the pandemic. I’d like to see more women get more opportunity, and hopefully in time they will.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Stormy Daniels says ‘child predator’ tried to abduct her daughter

Porn star Stormy Daniels tweeted Friday that a child predator tried to abduct her nine-year-old daughter , Caden .
In a series of posts on the platform , Daniels vented that she hadn ’ t been able to get help from police when she tried to report the incident .
“ I went to the police station and they wouldn ’ t even let me speak to a detective , ” Daniels wrote .
“ A f—ing child predator has my address and tried to take my kid.
” Details around the alleged attempted kidnapping — including where it supposedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Daniels , 41 , said she first went to police Thursday .
Without identifying which police department , she claimed cops showed a “ total disinterest ” in the case and had blocked her from filing a report when she whipped out her passport .
“ Hey … did you know a current passport is not considered “ valid ID ” and the police won ’ t even let you report an attempted kidnapping without a drivers license ?
Me either , ” she added in another tweet .
One cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it , according to Daniels .
She added that she doesn ’ t think she was targeted in the crime .
“ This person is not aware that I am the mother and has messaged other children , ” Daniels wrote .

Porn star Stormy Daniels tweeted Friday that a child predator tried to abduct her nine-year-old daughter, Caden.
In a series of posts on the platform, Daniels vented that she hadn’t been able to get help from police when she tried to report the incident.
“I went to the police station and they wouldn’t even let me speak to a detective,” Daniels wrote.
“A f—ing child predator has my address and tried to take my kid.”
Details around the alleged attempted kidnapping — including where it supposedly occurred — weren’t immediately clear, but Daniels, 41, said she first went to police Thursday.
Without identifying which police department, she claimed cops showed a “total disinterest” in the case and had blocked her from filing a report when she whipped out her passport.
“Hey … did you know a current passport is not considered “valid ID” and the police won’t even let you report an attempted kidnapping without a drivers license? Me either,” she added in another tweet.
One cop acted like a “huge d–k” about it, according to Daniels.
She added that she doesn’t think she was targeted in the crime.
“This person is not aware that I am the mother and has messaged other children,” Daniels wrote.


newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Mets may make Citi Field site of their spring training restart

Citi Field has suddenly become a possibility for the Mets ’ spring training relaunch , should there be a season @ @ @ @ @ closed the spring training camps for all 30 teams .
With Florida experiencing a surge @ @ @ @ @ officials were discussing the idea of shuttering plans to resume spring training in Port St. @ @ @ @ @ before MLB ’ s decision .
As recently as last week however , GM Brodie @ @ @ @ @ any relaunch occurring at Clover Park , given the facilities and amount of space available @ @ @ @ @ out independently at Clover Park in recent weeks .
Players have been working out independently @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Team officials could decide as soon as Saturday whether to move spring training @ @ @ @ @ spring training is contingent upon MLB and the Players Association reaching an economic agreement on @ @ @ @ @ Yankees are also considering shifting their spring training return from George M. Steinbrenner Field to @ @ @

Citi Field has suddenly become a possibility for the Mets’ spring training relaunch, should there be a season, especially now that MLB closed the spring training camps for all 30 teams.
With Florida experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, team officials were discussing the idea of shuttering plans to resume spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla, even before MLB’s decision. As recently as last week however, GM Brodie Van Wagenen was counting on any relaunch occurring at Clover Park, given the facilities and amount of space available. Players had been working out independently at Clover Park in recent weeks.
Players have been working out independently at Clover Park in recent weeks.
Team officials could decide as soon as Saturday whether to move spring training to Citi Field. Any spring training is contingent upon MLB and the Players Association reaching an economic agreement on an abbreviated season.
The Yankees are also considering shifting their spring training return from George M. Steinbrenner Field to Yankee Stadium.