newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Hunter biz partner confirms email, details Joe Biden’s push to make millions from China: Goodwin

Joe Biden has a chance at Thursday ’ s debate to finally ...

Wait until Scranton hears about this.
One of Joe Biden’s ways of contrasting himself with President Trump has been to declare the election a battle of Park Avenue values vs. Scranton, Pa., values.
Now we learn that Biden has secretly been playing footsie with China.
The statement Wednesday night asserting that the former vice president was a willing and eager participant in a family scheme to make millions of dollars by partnering with a shady Chinese Communist firm is a singular event in a presidential race already overflowing with drama and intrigue.
The dynamite assertion, believable because it aligns with earlier information we know to be true, came in a statement by Tony Bobulinski, who describes himself as a former partner of Hunter Biden, Joe Biden and Joe’s brother Jim in the China scheme. Bobulinski unloads his bill of accusations in blunt but precise language and detail.
He confirms that he was one of the recipients of the May 13, 2017, email published by The Post eight days ago. That email, from another partner in the group, laid out cash and equity positions and mysteriously included a 10 percent set-aside for “the big guy.”
Sources have said the “big guy” was Joe Biden. In a matter-of-fact manner, Bobulinski states that the “email is genuine” and that the former vice president and the man leading in the 2020 race is indeed “the big guy.”
That claim alone rips out the heart of nearly everything Joe Biden has ever said about Hunter’s many businesses and Joe’s knowledge of them. His repeated insistence that the two never spoke of the son’s global sources of money didn’t pass the laugh test.
After all, they traveled together to China on Air Force Two, where Hunter landed a $1.5 billion commitment from a government-controlled Chinese bank. Then there was Hunter’s $83,000-a-month gig on the board of a Ukrainian energy company — despite his lack of experience in Ukraine or knowledge of energy.
It was no coincidence that the vice president was the Obama administration’s point man in both countries. Wherever Joe went, Hunter went along, not to do good, but to do well. Very well.
There were similarly lucrative deals in Russia, Romania and Kazakhstan — that we know of.
Now, because his role in the China deal has been credibly confirmed, it’s beyond dispute that Joe didn’t just know what was going on. At least in this case, Joe was a player and had his hand out.
To that point, in perhaps the most devastating paragraph of the 689-word statement, Bobulinski writes that Hunter Biden also referred to his father as “my chairman and frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals that we were discussing.”
“I’ve seen Vice President Biden saying he never talked to Hunter about his business,” says Bobulinski, who was the CEO of the company being formed. “I’ve seen firsthand that that’s not true, because it wasn’t just Hunter’s business, they said they were putting the Biden family name and its legacy on the line.”
That’s a remarkable line, one suggestive of the idea that the plan was always to sell Joe Biden’s fame and influence. In effect, Hunter, and sometimes Joe’s brother Jim, were turning the office of the vice president of the United States into a pot of gold for themselves.
What is not clear yet is whether Joe Biden had secret stakes in any of Hunter’s other deals. As for this one, while the date on the May 2017 email would be nearly four months after Biden left the White House, it’s not known when discussions among the partners and with the Chinese first began. Certainly they started before the email.
And while such deals would be legal for Joe Biden when he left government service, the facts take on extra significance during a campaign where China policy is a frequent topic — and a big dispute between Trump and Biden.
Earlier, during the Democratic primaries, Biden scoffed at the notion that the Asian power is a threat, saying, “China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man.”
When Trump blocked flights from China during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, Biden accused him of “xenophobic fear-mongering” and labeled the president a “racist” for calling the disease the “Wuhan virus.”
Bobulinski, a former wrestler at Penn State University who spent four years in the Navy, insists he has voluminous evidence to back up his explosive charges, reportedly including documents, emails, messages and other proof.
Late Wednesday, he uploaded many to a file-sharing service.
He also says he turned over all his evidence Wednesday to two Senate committees that requested it.
An earlier report by one panel, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), revealed things about the Biden partnership that Bobulinksi says he didn’t know.
As he puts it: “The Johnson Report connected some dots in a way that shocked me — it made me realize the Bidens had gone behind my back and gotten paid millions of dollars by the Chinese, even though they told me they hadn’t and wouldn’t do that to their partners.”
He blasts much of the media and Big Tech for shielding Biden from questions after The Post published the China email and one on Ukraine. Both were on a laptop computer Hunter left with a Delaware repairman and never retrieved.
“I could no longer allow my family’s name to be associated or tied to Russian disinformation or implied lies and false narratives dominating the media right now,” Bobulinski wrote.
While it’s far too early to say what effect the dramatic disclosures will have on the race, Trump is certain to raise them at Thursday’s debate.
Suffice it to say that Biden’s response will command America’s attention.
Full statement from Tony Bobulinski to the New York Post
My name is Tony Bobulinski. The facts set forth below are true and accurate; they are not any form of domestic or foreign disinformation. Any suggestion to the contrary is false and offensive. I am the recipient of the email published seven days ago by the New York Post which showed a copy to Hunter Biden and Rob Walker. That email is genuine.
This afternoon I received a request from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Senate Committee on Finance requesting all documents relating to my business affairs with the Biden family as well as various foreign entities and individuals. I have extensive relevant records and communications and I intend to produce those items to both Committees in the immediate future.
I am the grandson of a 37 year Army Intelligence officer, the son of a 20+ year career Naval Officer and the brother of a 28 year career Naval Flight Officer. I myself served our country for 4 years and left the Navy as LT Bobulinski. I held a high level security clearance and was an instructor and then CTO for Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. I take great pride in the time my family and I served this country. I am also not a political person. What few campaign contributions I have made in my life were to Democrats.
If the media and Big Tech companies had done their jobs over the past several weeks I would be irrelevant in this story. Given my long standing service and devotion to this great country, I could no longer allow my family’s name to be associated or tied to Russian disinformation or implied lies and false narratives dominating the media right now.
After leaving the military I became an institutional investor investing extensively around the world and on every continent. I have traveled to over 50 countries. I believe, hands down, we live in the greatest country in the world.
What I am outlining is fact. I know it is fact because I lived it. I am the CEO of Sinohawk Holdings which was a partnership between the Chinese operating through CEFC/Chairman Ye and the Biden family. I was brought into the company to be the CEO by James Gilliar and Hunter Biden. The reference to “the Big Guy” in the much publicized May 13, 2017 email is in fact a reference to Joe Biden. The other “JB” referenced in that email is Jim Biden, Joe’s brother.
Hunter Biden called his dad “the Big Guy” or “my Chairman,” and frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals that we were discussing. I’ve seen Vice President Biden saying he never talked to Hunter about his business. I’ve seen firsthand that that’s not true, because it wasn’t just Hunter’s business, they said they were putting the Biden family name and its legacy on the line.
I realized the Chinese were not really focused on a healthy financial ROI. They were looking at this as a political or influence investment. Once I realized that Hunter wanted to use the company as his personal piggy bank by just taking money out of it as soon as it came from the Chinese, I took steps to prevent that from happening.
The Johnson Report connected some dots in a way that shocked me — it made me realize the Bidens had gone behind my back and gotten paid millions of dollars by the Chinese, even though they told me they hadn’t and wouldn’t do that to their partners.
I would ask the Biden family to address the American people and outline the facts so I can go back to being irrelevant — and so I am not put in a position to have to answer those questions for them.
I don’t have a political ax to grind; I just saw behind the Biden curtain and I grew concerned with what I saw. The Biden family aggressively leveraged the Biden family name to make millions of dollars from foreign entities even though some were from communist controlled China.
God bless America.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Rich New Yorkers flee to Hamptons, sparking $1 billion real estate boom

Kevin Cash was well aware his best player during the ...

Throngs of wealthy New Yorkers who fled the city for the Hamptons during the COVID-19 lockdown and violent protests have decided to stay out East — and are fueling a massive real estate boom.
In just three short months — from July to September — almost $1 billion worth of property was snapped up in the Hamptons, according to a new market report by Brown Harris Stevens.
There were 448 single-family home sales in the Hamptons during the third quarter of 2020, which is up 51% from the same time last year, according to the report.
“The March mentality was to flee the city, but now people want to stay. It’s a lifestyle choice. The pace is slower, there’s more space and it’s safe,” said broker Jennifer Friedberg, of Brown Harris Stevens.
One of her clients, a couple with one child who live in Tribeca, moved into a Hamptons rental in March. On Friday they closed on a $4.3 million, 10,000-square-foot home of their own that will be their primary residence.
“They love the space and now joke that they should have another baby,” Friedberg said. “The designers, decorators, architects and landscapers are all busy. These aren’t just weekend homes anymore. The homes have offices and study spaces for kids. People’s needs have changed.”
Dolly Lenz, of Dolly Lenz Real Estate, says many of the New Yorkers fleeing the city for the Hamptons had never even visited the East End before COVID-19 lockdown began.
One of her clients is a hedgefunder who is married with four kids. They moved from the Upper West Side into a $500,000 Hamptons rental in June.
They had never been to the Hamptons before. Now they are looking to buy a house, Lenz said.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement An aerial view of 30 Spaeth Lane in East Hampton, which is on the market for $67 million. Bruno R Schreck Brown Harris Stevens Advertisement The rear deck of 30 Spaeth Lane. Brown Harris Stevens Advertisement
“This is a family of liberal Democrats who live in a beautiful apartment on the Upper West Side. But they no longer felt safe,” Lenz said. “They took stock of their lives and realized they needed a place to go if something goes wrong — a safe haven.”
The $500,000 rental is “nice, but not amazing,” Lenz said.
“They wanted to rent first. Now they are looking to buy. They never thought they’d need a place to run, but they are fleeing for safety,” she said. “They realize that even though they didn’t know the place, they know the people. Their friends are all here and they can do business here. It’s an extension of their life in New York.”
Sales hit a staggering $973 million for the third quarter of this year, up from $483 million during the third quarter of 2019, according to the Brown Harris Stevens report.
That’s a feverish 101.5% surge over the third quarter of 2019.
And there’s no sign of any slowdown, even with the election looming, top brokers tell The Post.
For the first three quarters combined, Hamptons home sales hit $3.25 billion — a 40% jump from $2.31 billion in home sales during the same time last year, said Philip O’Connell, BHS managing director in the Hamptons.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement A bedroom in 30 Spaeth Lane. Brown Harris Stevens A living room in 30 Spaeth Lane. Brown Harris Stevens Advertisement
Sales surged as the coronavirus lockdown ended, in part because home buyers were once again allowed access to tour homes for sale, O’Connell told The Post.
“The pace was frenetic once we moved into late spring, early summer, but I wasn’t expecting to see the volume double. It’s striking,” O’Connell said. “Once the COVID regulations started to ease off and people could get into homes and have showings one at a time, with masks and gloves, it just took off. There was so much pent-up demand.”
The pandemic “was a rude awakening” for many New Yorkers, says top broker Jenny Lenz, of Dolly Lenz Real Estate.
“These buyers are New Yorkers who love the city and they are staying — but they want a place to run away to,” Jenny Lenz said.
Sales prices in the Hamptons averaged $2.17 million during the third quarter, which is up 33.2% from the same time last year. The median price jumped 26.2% to $1.26 million, according to the report.
The most expensive Hamptons home sale of the year so far was in Southampton, where designer Calvin Klein quietly sold his oceanfront estate, at 650 Meadow Lane, for $84 million in an off-market deal that closed in early March, pre-lockdown.
The rumored buyer is Ken Griffin, who bought America’s most expensive condo at 220 Central Park South, and has been on a global buying spree.
Griffin did not return calls for comment at press time.
Another East Hampton waterfront compound at 12-15 W. Dune Lane is currently in contract for $70 million.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Holly Courtier’s sister pushes back against questions about Zion National Park rescue

Rescue officials are highlighting inconsistencies in the story of the ...

Holly Suzanne Courtier’s sister on Thursday said it’s a “miracle” the California mom survived in Zion National Park for 12 days with no food or water — after rescue officials raised questions about her story.
Courtier, 38, was not in a good mental state when she took off on what was supposed to be a one to two day trip in the Utah park Oct. 6, for “a journey of fasting” and to disconnect from technology, her sister, Jaime Strong, told NBC’s “TODAY.”
“I really think she had a mental breakdown and was not in the right state of mind when she decided to take this journey and not tell people where she was going.”
Once in the park, Courtier, who is a seasoned hiker, apparently suffered a concussion and became dehydrated, causing her to get disoriented, her sister said.
“I think God got her through this,” Strong said. “I think it’s a miracle. I truly believe there is no reason she should be alive. It doesn’t make sense. She didn’t have the proper gear, and she didn’t have food or water.”
While Courtier’s daughter, Kailey Chambers, recently told NBC News that her mom ended up near a river — Strong said that she didn’t drink from it other than wetting her lips and spitting the water back out.
“She said she didn’t have anything to drink at all,” Strong said. “She was very well aware of the toxins in the river.”
Strong’s statements about the river appeared to be in response to questions raised by Washington County Sgt. Darrell Cashin, the liaison of the search and rescue team that helped find Courtier on Sunday, a half-mile away from the parking lot where she was last seen.
Cashin told ABC4Utah that had Courtier drank out of the river, she would have fallen very sick and could have died.
The sergeant said he found other discrepancies in Courtier’s story, including that she suffered a serious head injury as she reported, because paramedics saw no sign of trauma and did not hospitalize the woman.
Cashin also told the station that Courtier should have heard rescue workers and seen other hikers in the relatively well-traveled area.
However, Strong said that at one point, her sister did see another person nearby — but was so dehydrated, she couldn’t open her mouth and call for help.
She kept track of the days by tallying them up in black Sharpie on a tree, according to a photo provided to “TODAY.”
When she was found, Courtier had lost between 15 and 18 pounds after not eating or drinking in the park, and also fasting for two days before the trip, Strong said.
“I.. saw how emaciated she was, I lost it,” Strong said. “It was like seeing someone who had aged 30 years in 12 days. It was horrific, but at that point I was so happy to see her it didn’t matter.”
The National Park Service had said that Courtier was able to “leave of her own capability with minimal assistance” after being found — a statement that Strong disputed, chalking up her sister’s energy to a burst of adrenaline.
“It’s just so blown blown out of proportion,” she said.
Courtier has since checked herself into a mental wellness center, her sister said. She had lost her job as a nanny during the pandemic when she decided to embark on her National Parks journey.
“She has definitely been through some trauma over the past several years,” Strong said. “I don’t think she’s properly dealt with it and gotten the proper help for it, and now is the time.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Psychic summons Drew Barrymore’s dead relative, who is still very much alive

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) A psychic stunned viewers of Drew Barrymore ’ s talk show by summoning the spirit of one of the actress ’ dead relatives on-air .
And none could have been more stunned than the relative in question — who turns out to be alive and well in Boston .
Now Barrymore ’ s ex-husband is calling the medium “ a submental hack.
” Psychic Anna Raimondi gave her a reading on the show last week , and said she sensed the aura of a “ judge.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge as David — a relative of her ex-husband Will Kopelman — whom she said had died .
The psychic stoked Barrymore ’ s emotions , saying the presence of Kopelman ’ s family was evidence that “ you are … a part of that family — it doesn ’ t matter [ that ] the two of you are not together anymore.
” A small problem with the revelation : Judge David Kopelman is 82 and doing just fine .
Art consultant Will — who was married to Barrymore from 2012 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I have a close and highly amicable co-parenting relationship ; I have and always will continue to cheer her on from the sidelines .
That being said , the segment was a solid laugh considering my uncle Judge David Kopelman is still very much alive.
” He added , “ And I ’ m a little surprised that Drew chose to give oxygen to someone like this , because self-entitled mediums who prey on vulnerable bereaved people with claims they can communicate with their dead loved ones in exchange for fame and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my dead relatives — all of whom I ’ m sure would have really liked Drew — are speaking with some submental hack working the talk show circuit .
This I assure you.
” A rep for Barrymore told us , “ The grandfather of Will is Frank , who was a judge and is deceased .
David is … Will ’ s uncle , who ’ s alive and also a judge .
That was the confusion.
” The psychic could not be reached for comment on any physical or metaphysical @ @

Talk about a grave error.
A psychic stunned viewers of Drew Barrymore’s talk show by summoning the spirit of one of the actress’ dead relatives on-air. And none could have been more stunned than the relative in question — who turns out to be alive and well in Boston.
Now Barrymore’s ex-husband is calling the medium “a submental hack.”
Psychic Anna Raimondi gave her a reading on the show last week, and said she sensed the aura of a “judge.”
Barrymore burst into tears, identifying the judge as David — a relative of her ex-husband Will Kopelman — whom she said had died.
The psychic stoked Barrymore’s emotions, saying the presence of Kopelman’s family was evidence that “you are … a part of that family — it doesn’t matter [that] the two of you are not together anymore.”
A small problem with the revelation: Judge David Kopelman is 82 and doing just fine.
Art consultant Will — who was married to Barrymore from 2012 to 2016 — told us, “Drew and I have a close and highly amicable co-parenting relationship; I have and always will continue to cheer her on from the sidelines. That being said, the segment was a solid laugh considering my uncle Judge David Kopelman is still very much alive.”
He added, “And I’m a little surprised that Drew chose to give oxygen to someone like this, because self-entitled mediums who prey on vulnerable bereaved people with claims they can communicate with their dead loved ones in exchange for fame and compensation all belong in jail. None of my dead relatives — all of whom I’m sure would have really liked Drew — are speaking with some submental hack working the talk show circuit. This I assure you.”
A rep for Barrymore told us, “The grandfather of Will is Frank, who was a judge and is deceased. David is … Will’s uncle, who’s alive and also a judge. That was the confusion.”
When reached for comment the psychic said: “I felt a judge who is passed. Drew said David. I only felt a judge.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Trump, Biden tangle over COVID-19 in opening of final presidential debate

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
The coronavirus pandemic once again loomed large during the opening of the second and final presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden , serving as the opening question to the candidates .
“ We closed up the greatest economy in the world in order to fight this horrible disease from China , ” Trump said , fielding the first question from moderator and NBC News journalist Kristen Welker .
“ We ’ re fighting it , and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a vaccine for the disease would be “ announced within weeks , ” but under further questioning from Welker admitted that was “ not a guarantee.
” And Trump spoke of his own battle with the virus , which scuttled another debate scheduled between the two for last week .
“ I can tell you from personal experience , I was in the hospital , I had it , ” he said .
“ I was in for a short period of time , and I got better very fast , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden , meanwhile , focused on the American death toll in his response .
“ Two hundred and twenty thousand Americans dead , ” he said .
“ If you hear nothing else I say tonight , hear this .
… Anyone who ’ s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as President of the United States of America .
“ He says we ’ re learning to live with it , ” Biden added .
“ People are learning to die with it .
”

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic once again loomed large during the opening of the second and final presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, serving as the opening question to the candidates.
The pair engaged in a spirited, but decidedly civil debate on the subject that served as a departure from last month’s first debate, which was rife with cross-talk and schoolyard insults.
“We closed up the greatest economy in the world in order to fight this horrible disease from China,” Trump said, fielding the first question from moderator and NBC News journalist Kristen Welker. “We’re fighting it, and we’re fighting it hard.”
Trump also said that a vaccine for the disease would be “announced within weeks,” but under further questioning from Welker admitted that was “not a guarantee.”
And Trump spoke of his own battle with the virus, which scuttled another debate scheduled between the two for last week.
“I can tell you from personal experience, I was in the hospital, I had it,” he said. “I was in for a short period of time, and I got better very fast, or I wouldn’t be here tonight.”
Biden, meanwhile, focused on the American death toll in his response, saying that America is set to endure “a dark winter.”
“Two hundred and twenty thousand Americans dead,” he said. “If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this. … Anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as President of the United States of America.
“He says we’re learning to live with it,” Biden added. “People are learning to die with it.”
Trump countered that America must reopen or wither.
“I want to open the schools. … I want to open our country. We’re not going to have a country,” he said. “The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.”
Biden said that he was not opposed to reopening, but that it was both possible and essential to do so safely.
“We ought to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time,” said Biden, adding sarcastically, “All you teachers out there, not that many of you are going to die, so don’t worry.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Jets have ‘emergency plan’ to replace banged-up Sam Ficken

The Jets are starting to get back some key injured players , but they might need to break the glass and use their emergency kicker Sunday against Buffalo .
Sam Ficken , a rare bright spot on the NFL ’ s lone winless squad , didn ’ t practice Thursday with a groin issue that popped up the previous day in practice .
If Ficken is unable to play against the Bills , the Jets would turn to Sergio Castillo , a 29-year-old placekicker/punter hybrid who spent five seasons in the Canadian Football League and one in the XFL before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squad last week as contingency against the COVID-19 testing rules .
“ That ’ s why they did it , in case something happened with the protocols and how much time it takes , ” Jets coach Adam Gase said before practice Thursday .
“ If something like this happened [ during ] the week , we needed to have someone available to us whether it ’ s both kicking and punting .
This is what it is was for , it was more thinking COVID , but this was the emergency plan.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 field-goal attempts and all six of his extra-point kicks this season , with his only miss a 54-yarder last week against Miami .
Gase said the Jets will reevaluate Ficken ’ s status on Friday .
Wide receiver Jamison Crowder ( groin ) , offensive lineman Alex Lewis ( shoulder ) and linebacker Tarell Basham ( non COVID-related illness ) did not practice , but Gase said Crowder ’ s absence was “ just precautionary.
” Offensive linemen Mekhi Becton ( shoulder ) , George Fant ( knee ) and Chuma Edoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gase on Wednesday ’ s trade of little-used linebacker Jordan Willis and a 2021 seventh-round pick to San Francisco for sixth-rounder in 2022 : “ There was an opportunity there .
He ’ d been inactive for us , so we just thought it was best for him , best for us .
”

The Jets are starting to get back some key injured players, but they might need to break the glass and use their emergency kicker Sunday against Buffalo.
Sam Ficken, a rare bright spot on the NFL’s lone winless squad, didn’t practice Thursday with a groin issue that popped up the previous day in practice.
If Ficken is unable to play against the Bills, the Jets would turn to Sergio Castillo, a 29-year-old placekicker/punter hybrid who spent five seasons in the Canadian Football League and one in the XFL before the Jets signed him to their practice squad last week as contingency against the COVID-19 testing rules.
“That’s why they did it, in case something happened with the protocols and how much time it takes,” Jets coach Adam Gase said before practice Thursday. “If something like this happened [during] the week, we needed to have someone available to us whether it’s both kicking and punting. This is what it is was for, it was more thinking COVID, but this was the emergency plan.”
Ficken has connected on nine of 10 field-goal attempts and all six of his extra-point kicks this season, with his only miss a 54-yarder last week against Miami. Gase said the Jets will reevaluate Ficken’s status on Friday.
Wide receiver Jamison Crowder (groin), offensive lineman Alex Lewis (shoulder) and linebacker Tarell Basham (non COVID-related illness) did not practice, but Gase said Crowder’s absence was “just precautionary.”
Offensive linemen Mekhi Becton (shoulder), George Fant (knee) and Chuma Edoga (calf) were limited in practice.
Gase on Wednesday’s trade of little-used linebacker Jordan Willis and a 2021 seventh-round pick to San Francisco for sixth-rounder in 2022: “There was an opportunity there. He’d been inactive for us, so we just thought it was best for him, best for us.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Experts believe Kevin Durant will rebound well from Achilles injury

The Nets ’ biggest concern , now that Kevin Durant and Kyrie ...

Kevin Durant’s Achilles tendon promises to be the most-watched body part in sports, with Nets fans fretting he’ll be a diminished player when he returns.
Nobody knows for sure what the Nets star will look like. But between Durant’s positive headspace, specialists who spoke with The Post and WNBA star Breanna Stewart’s dominant return from her own similar injury, the signs bode well. All point to Brooklyn getting the same superstar version of Durant it signed up for.
“He’s not an old guy, 36, 37 towards the end of his career,” said Dr. Laith Jazrawi, chief of the division of sports medicine at NYU Langone Sports Health. “I don’t think it’s like that in him. He’ll do just fine. I don’t see any issue to say he won’t be as good of a player as he was a year-and-a-half ago,”
Durant was only 30 when he ruptured his right Achilles in June 2019, and turned 32 on Sept. 29. He’s younger than Patrick Ewing (36), Isiah Thomas (35) and Kobe Bryant (34) were when similar injuries stunted their careers, something Jazrawi told The Post should help in a full recovery.
“That’s better for him, so I don’t see anything holding him back,” Jazrawi said. “The only thing is he hasn’t played for a year-and-a-half, so it’ll take time to get back into the rhythm. Some people are going to say ‘Oh, it’s because he had his Achilles [injury.]’ That’s not true. It’s that when anyone doesn’t play for a year-and-a-half, it’s just going to take time to get back into the flow. But he should do fine.”
A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine tracked 44 NBA players with Achilles ruptures from 1970 to 2018, and discovered their player efficiency rating dipped by an average of 2.9. Durant’s 25.2 career PER is eighth-best all-time, and a 22.3 would still have placed him 33rd (essentially Kyrie Irving). In short, from all-time great to an All-Star.
Yet, there is reason to believe he can be better than that. The 7-foot sniper will always have his shooting and size, and his recent workouts at the Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif., show he has packed on muscle. Even if he loses a step, he can remake his game in the style of a better-passing Dirk Nowitzki, dissecting defenses out of the high post and playing a deadly two-man game with Irving.
Even more encouraging was watching how Stewart, who ruptured her Achilles just two months before Durant, came back to win MVP of this month’s WNBA Finals. The Seattle Storm star’s present augurs well for Durant’s future.
The two discussed their shared injury history on the Stewie’s World podcast, with Durant saying he’ll go into the season with even more love for the game.
“I just appreciate being in the gym. I appreciate the workouts and the one-on-one sessions and just being in there with the other guys, just the whole routine,” Durant said. “I just have a newfound evolved level of joy for it.”
One thing that has evolved is how Durant takes care of his body. From wearing a heel raise to avoid stretching out the tendon to scaling back workouts when needed, this rehab has forced Durant to develop not just patience, but prudence.
“When I’m a little sore after working out, before I’d just get back up and say I’m going to run it off or play it off. But now I’m a little more cautious,” Durant said. “I might change my workout a bit depending how my body is feeling, stuff I wasn’t doing before. “I was just getting out of bed, getting a little stretch in and get right to it. It’s been like that for the last 20 years. Now it’s ‘start thinking about what I’m doing pre-workout, post-workout.’ It’s taking more of a professional approach when it comes to your body now.”
Stewart agreed.
“It’s a fine line,” she said. “We have to do more pre and post stuff. That’s real.”
While Durant expects his leg might become fatigued a little quicker early on, or that he might have a tad less push-off on his right leg (he often jumps off his left), Jazrawi reassured neither is a glaring concern.
“If you’re not a top-tier player, maybe this will put you out because you really relied on every ounce of strength in that push-off, as opposed to Durant who’s got a lot of other things going for him,” Jazrawi said. “If you close the tendons back and they build up their strength — and these guys are getting the best rehab — it’s likely they should come back at the level of play or close to it they did before.”
Spencer Dinwiddie has left Roc Nation agency, and according to The Athletic is seriously considering representing himself.
“Utmost respect for Raymond Brothers as he will continue to be my mentor,” tweeted Dinwiddie, who set career-highs in points (20.6) and assists (6.8) last season.
The Nets point guard is going into the middle season of a three-year, $34 million contract. He has a player option for $12.3 million in 2021-22 that would let him go back onto the market at 28. If he represents himself, that promises to be interesting.
Dinwiddie tried to convert his contract into a digital investment vehicle last year, but when he launched his investment bond midseason, the league kept him from directly tying it to his NBA contract.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Kid Rock in attendance for Nashville presidential debate

THOUSAND OAKS , Calif. — The scorecards of Sebastian Munoz and ...

Kid Rock’s in the house.
The musician, who has roots in Nashville, was spotted at Thursday night’s presidential debate hosted in the city.
The 49-year-old was seated in the stands of Belmont University next to PGA pro golfer John Daly.
Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, was asked by NBC News if he was there to cheer on Trump.
“I think being here says it all, right?” he told the outlet. “Happy to be invited.”
Last month, Kid Rock headlined a campaign rally for President Trump in Michigan.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence clowned David Alan Grier for his sex life

It was tough to compete with the sexual prowess of Eddie Murphy at the height of his career .
Actor @ @ @ @ @ out the hard way .
Grier told Page Six that when he was appearing in @ @ @ @ @ with Murphy and Martin Lawrence , he found himself in a conversation with the pair @ @ @ @ @ and did his best to keep up .
“ I remember Eddie and Martin were @ @ @ @ @ about the famous women they had slept with , ” said Grier , who just @ @ @ @ @ , for Featured Actor in “ A Soldier ’ s Play.
” “ And at @ @ @ @ @ me and said , ‘ David , you ain ’ t been with nobody famous @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even front — and the sad thing was I wasn ’ t trying @ @ @ @ @ just looked at them and said , ‘ I f - - ked a girl @ @ @ @ @ ’ ”

It was tough to compete with the sexual prowess of Eddie Murphy at the height of his career.
Actor David Alan Grier found that out the hard way. Grier told Page Six that when he was appearing in 1992 movie “Boomerang” with Murphy and Martin Lawrence, he found himself in a conversation with the pair about their romantic adventures — and did his best to keep up.
“I remember Eddie and Martin were going back and forth talking about the famous women they had slept with,” said Grier, who just received his fourth Tony nomination, for Featured Actor in “A Soldier’s Play.”
“And at one point they looked at me and said, ‘David, you ain’t been with nobody famous?’ And I couldn’t even front — and the sad thing was I wasn’t trying to be funny — I just looked at them and said, ‘I f - - ked a girl with a SAG card.’”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--NYC luxury buildings lure buyers with winter gardens and indoor pools

Since the 18th century , winter gardens — cold-weather conservatories — have graced aristocratic European estates .
Now , with the chill approaching , developers in Manhattan are tapping the best designers , botanists and landscape architects money can buy to bring the concept to their towers .
At the historic Waldorf Astoria ( which now includes 375-unit luxury condo towers , with prices ranging from $ 1.7 million for a studio to $ 18.5 million for a four-bedroom , via Douglas Elliman Development Marketing ) , designer Jean-Louis Deniot is creating more than 50,000 square feet of Art Deco-inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor , poolside winter garden , which features potted Kimberly Queen ferns from Australia , golden evergreens and pothos .
“ The winter garden is filled with lush plants — a place to hang before , during and after a splash in the Starlight Pool , ” Deniot says .
“ You can relax , take in your surrounds and sip on a martini.
” On the Upper West Side , HFZ Capital Group and Westbrook Partners tapped renowned landscape architect Edmund Hollander to restore and winterize the famed outdoor courtyard at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Renaissance building boasts a 22,000-square-foot landmarked courtyard , centered around a Vermont marble fountain .
Hollander ’ s team filled the garden with hardy boxwoods , hollies and hellebores , which bloom in January .
Prices at the building range from $ 4 million for a two-bedroom to $ 11.4 million for a five-bedroom , with Douglas Elliman Development Marketing .
53 West 53 took a more vertical approach to the winter garden concept .
The developers tapped green-haired French botanist and inventor of the vertical garden , Patrick Blanc , to design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frame a 65-foot indoor swimming pool within the tower ’ s 17,000-square-foot wellness center .
It will host 3,600 unique plants , including creeping figs , Zanzibar gems , aglaonema “ Maria , ” “ My Special Angel ” begonia , and cryptanthus “ Black Mystic.
” Prices at the building start at $ 3.4 million for a one-bedroom and go up to $ 63.8 million for the penthouse .
Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group is representing the 1,050-foot tower .

Since the 18th century, winter gardens — cold-weather conservatories — have graced aristocratic European estates. Now, with the chill approaching, developers in Manhattan are tapping the best designers, botanists and landscape architects money can buy to bring the concept to their towers.
At the historic Waldorf Astoria (which now includes 375-unit luxury condo towers, with prices ranging from $1.7 million for a studio to $18.5 million for a four-bedroom, via Douglas Elliman Development Marketing), designer Jean-Louis Deniot is creating more than 50,000 square feet of Art Deco-inspired amenities. Naturally, those include an indoor, poolside winter garden, which features potted Kimberly Queen ferns from Australia, golden evergreens and pothos.
“The winter garden is filled with lush plants — a place to hang before, during and after a splash in the Starlight Pool,” Deniot says. “You can relax, take in your surrounds and sip on a martini.”
On the Upper West Side, HFZ Capital Group and Westbrook Partners tapped renowned landscape architect Edmund Hollander to restore and winterize the famed outdoor courtyard at the Belnord. The full-block, 1908-built Italian Renaissance building boasts a 22,000-square-foot landmarked courtyard, centered around a Vermont marble fountain. Hollander’s team filled the garden with hardy boxwoods, hollies and hellebores, which bloom in January. Prices at the building range from $4 million for a two-bedroom to $11.4 million for a five-bedroom, with Douglas Elliman Development Marketing.
53 West 53 took a more vertical approach to the winter garden concept. The developers tapped green-haired French botanist and inventor of the vertical garden, Patrick Blanc, to design two large, year-round gardens that will frame a 65-foot indoor swimming pool within the tower’s 17,000-square-foot wellness center. It will host 3,600 unique plants, including creeping figs, Zanzibar gems, aglaonema “Maria,” “My Special Angel” begonia, and cryptanthus “Black Mystic.”
Prices at the building start at $3.4 million for a one-bedroom and go up to $63.8 million for the penthouse. Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group is representing the 1,050-foot tower.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Watch live: Final debate between President Trump and Joe Biden underway

The second and final presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden is underway in Nashville , with the candidates looking to make a closing argument in prime-time , less than two weeks out from Election Day .
Both men have had a chance to regroup following a raucous first debate last month in Cleveland , with a rematch originally scheduled for last week scrapped in the wake of Trump ’ s coronavirus diagnosis , leading instead to dueling solo town hall events .
In an attempt to help moderator and NBC News journalist Kristen Welker maintain control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that each candidate will have his mic muted during his opponent ’ s initial , two-minute response to a new topic .
But the debate promises to be just as fiery as the first tilt , if not more , with Trump poised to hammer Biden on The Post ’ s reporting about the overseas business dealings of his son , Hunter — and what the former vice president may have known about the transactions , despite previously pleading ignorance .
To help punctuate that line of questioning , Trump invited Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter Biden , to attend the debate and he held a press conference beforehand where he effectively called the former vice president a liar .
The Biden camp has suggested that he will reject the new information about his son as “ Russian misinformation.
” Biden , meanwhile , is set to again hammer Trump on his administration ’ s response to the coronavirus , an attack given new heft since the first debate in light of the president ’ s own battle with the bug that has killed over 220,000 Americans .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get updates on the 2020 presidential election and more.
The second and final presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden is underway in Nashville, with the candidates looking to make a closing argument in prime-time, less than two weeks out from Election Day.
Both men have had a chance to regroup following a raucous first debate last month in Cleveland, with a rematch originally scheduled for last week scrapped in the wake of Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis, leading instead to dueling solo town hall events.
In an attempt to help moderator and NBC News journalist Kristen Welker maintain control, the Commission on Presidential Debates has announced that each candidate will have his mic muted during his opponent’s initial, two-minute response to a new topic.
But the debate promises to be just as fiery as the first tilt, if not more, with Trump poised to hammer Biden on The Post’s reporting about the overseas business dealings of his son, Hunter — and what the former vice president may have known about the transactions, despite previously pleading ignorance.
To help punctuate that line of questioning, Trump invited Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, to attend the debate and he held a press conference beforehand where he effectively called the former vice president a liar.
The Biden camp has suggested that he will reject the new information about his son as “Russian misinformation.”
Biden, meanwhile, is set to again hammer Trump on his administration’s response to the coronavirus, an attack given new heft since the first debate in light of the president’s own battle with the bug that has killed over 220,000 Americans.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Tiger Woods blows off media after historically bad round in return

THOUSAND OAKS , Calif. — The scorecards of Sebastian Munoz and Tiger Woods were unusual for different reasons Thursday in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood .
That was only good news for one of them .
Munoz twice holed out for eagle from a combined distance of 219 yards .
He also had eight birdies .
Throw in a wild tee shot for double bogey , three bogeys and only five pars and it added to an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead .
That especially was the case for Woods .
For the first time in his 1,277 rounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he made bogey or worse on three par 5s in a single round .
That led to a 4-over 76 — by two shots his worst score in 49 rounds at Sherwood Country — that left him 12 shots out of the lead and in no mood to talk .
Munoz , the Colombian who played his college golf at North Texas , finished off his bizarre round by saving par from a narrow section of the front bunker with a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole .
He was one shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golfer this month , and Justin Thomas , who had a hot finish .
Hatton won the European Tour flagship event at Wentworth , flew to Las Vegas for the CJ Cup and tied for third .
Thomas shot 29 on the back nine at Sherwood .
They each had a 65 .
Whether it was shocking to see Woods so far back on this course is a matter of perspective .
He is a five-time winner at Sherwood , along with five runner-up finishes , against small fields in a holiday exhibition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitive round in the last seven weeks , and his first since missing the cut in the U.S. Open a month ago .
The rust was evident , and a few bad breaks didn ’ t help his cause .
He pushed his tee shot on the par-5 11th to the right , normally not a big deal except the ball stopped rolling in the dirt between two trees about 18 inches apart .
Woods couldn ’ t believe it when he got to his ball and wasted no time inverting a sand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t make it back to the fairway , and the rough is thicker than he ever saw it in the 12 previous times playing Sherwood in December .
The course recently over-seeded with rye and the grass is thick , as it was at Shadow Creek .
He laid up from there and made bogey .
On the par-5 13th , he sent his tee shot again to the right , partially blocked by a tree .
He tried to gouge out a mid-iron and it didn ’ t make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another vicious swing from thick grass advanced it only 130 yards to a bunker some 50 yards to the hole .
The sand shot didn ’ t quite reach the green .
His putt from 55 feet didn ’ t reach the hole He made double bogey .
And then on the par-5 16th , a tee shot down the right side took a wild bounce to the right , and a marshal carefully going down the bank toward the creek was not a good sign .
He took a penalty drop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the green , forcing him to get up-and-down for bogey .
The one smile came on an 85-foot putt for birdie on the 14th .
Smiles were rare on this day .
Munoz smiled in disbelief .
His round began with a three-putt bogey from 7 feet .
He followed with four birdies on the next five holes — he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth — and then he hammered a 9-iron from 168 yards that faded gently toward the hole and rolled in for an eagle .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the touchdown sign , it ’ s good , ” Munoz said of a volunteer behind the green .
His other eagle looked like it might be a bogey .
He hit 3-wood that crashed into a tree near the 16th green , and Munoz was waiting for it to splash down in the creek .
Instead , it went backward into the fairway , 51 yards from the hole .
“ My caddie was like , ‘ Be aggressive .
You already took a risk on shot No .
2 , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All right , sure , ” he said .
“ So I throw it up there and find the hole .
It was pretty sweet.
” Roughly half the 78-man field shot in the 60s on a pleasant day in the Conejo Valley .
Woods wasn ’ t the only one who didn ’ t take advantage .
Rory McIlroy two double bogeys sandwiched around two birdies at the end of his round of 73 .
Phil Mickelson , a winner last week on the 50-and-older circuit , needed four birdies on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The scorecards of Sebastian Munoz and Tiger Woods were unusual for different reasons Thursday in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood. That was only good news for one of them.
Munoz twice holed out for eagle from a combined distance of 219 yards. He also had eight birdies. Throw in a wild tee shot for double bogey, three bogeys and only five pars and it added to an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead.
“Not a normal round,” Munoz said.
That especially was the case for Woods. For the first time in his 1,277 rounds on the PGA Tour as a pro, he made bogey or worse on three par 5s in a single round. That led to a 4-over 76 — by two shots his worst score in 49 rounds at Sherwood Country — that left him 12 shots out of the lead and in no mood to talk.
Munoz, the Colombian who played his college golf at North Texas, finished off his bizarre round by saving par from a narrow section of the front bunker with a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole.
He was one shot ahead of Tyrrell Hatton, the hottest golfer this month, and Justin Thomas, who had a hot finish. Hatton won the European Tour flagship event at Wentworth, flew to Las Vegas for the CJ Cup and tied for third. Thomas shot 29 on the back nine at Sherwood. They each had a 65.
Whether it was shocking to see Woods so far back on this course is a matter of perspective. He is a five-time winner at Sherwood, along with five runner-up finishes, against small fields in a holiday exhibition. He was playing only his third competitive round in the last seven weeks, and his first since missing the cut in the U.S. Open a month ago.
The rust was evident, and a few bad breaks didn’t help his cause. He pushed his tee shot on the par-5 11th to the right, normally not a big deal except the ball stopped rolling in the dirt between two trees about 18 inches apart. Woods couldn’t believe it when he got to his ball and wasted no time inverting a sand wedge to hit out left-handed.
That didn’t make it back to the fairway, and the rough is thicker than he ever saw it in the 12 previous times playing Sherwood in December. The course recently over-seeded with rye and the grass is thick, as it was at Shadow Creek. He laid up from there and made bogey.
On the par-5 13th, he sent his tee shot again to the right, partially blocked by a tree. He tried to gouge out a mid-iron and it didn’t make it to the second section of fairway. Another vicious swing from thick grass advanced it only 130 yards to a bunker some 50 yards to the hole. The sand shot didn’t quite reach the green. His putt from 55 feet didn’t reach the hole He made double bogey.
And then on the par-5 16th, a tee shot down the right side took a wild bounce to the right, and a marshal carefully going down the bank toward the creek was not a good sign. He took a penalty drop, laid up and sent wedge just over the green, forcing him to get up-and-down for bogey.
The one smile came on an 85-foot putt for birdie on the 14th. Smiles were rare on this day.
Munoz smiled in disbelief. His round began with a three-putt bogey from 7 feet. He followed with four birdies on the next five holes — he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 fifth — and then he hammered a 9-iron from 168 yards that faded gently toward the hole and rolled in for an eagle.
“Once you see the guy throw up the touchdown sign, it’s good,” Munoz said of a volunteer behind the green.
His other eagle looked like it might be a bogey. He hit 3-wood that crashed into a tree near the 16th green, and Munoz was waiting for it to splash down in the creek. Instead, it went backward into the fairway, 51 yards from the hole.
“My caddie was like, ‘Be aggressive. You already took a risk on shot No. 2, so might as well just keep going.’ All right, sure,” he said. “So I throw it up there and find the hole. It was pretty sweet.”
Roughly half the 78-man field shot in the 60s on a pleasant day in the Conejo Valley. Woods wasn’t the only one who didn’t take advantage. Rory McIlroy two double bogeys sandwiched around two birdies at the end of his round of 73. Phil Mickelson, a winner last week on the 50-and-older circuit, needed four birdies on his last eight holes to shoot 72.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Dreamweaver: Abby Vakay turns old sweaters into luxe Hamptons fashions

ARLINGTON , Texas — All you need to know about Wednesday ...

Abby Vakay is a popular Hamptons yoga teacher who’s spent much of the coronavirus pandemic meditating — with yarn and thread.
Lately she’s become obsessed with cashmere — unraveling and reconstructing sweaters like a modern-day Penelope, patching moth holes with brightly colored yarns in whimsical shapes. But unlike the long-suffering wife of Odysseus (who secretly unraveled her loom each night to avoid an army of suitors), Vakay has reworked her remnants into a pile of one-of-a-kind garments, which she’s now marketing under the label Re-Creations by Abby.
Priced (from $40) according to the work involved, her collection of sweaters, denim skirts and jeans incorporate only existing materials (no new fabric is purchased) — and have quickly become a hit with well-heeled Hamptonites.
“For me, mending becomes a meditation,” says Vakay, 65, the founder and creative director of Hamptons Yoga Healing Arts in Westhampton Beach. “Every sweater is a blank canvas, and each patch is a mini weaving.”
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement Hamptons-based yoga instructor Abby Vakay recently launched the label Re-Creations by Abby. Abby Vakay Vakay incorporates ancient Japanese mending techniques in her custom pieces, priced from $40 and available at Hamptons Yoga Healing Arts. Abby Vakay Advertisement The designer revives worn blue jeans with intricate patches and stitching. Abby Vakay Vakay's home also spotlights her sustainable aesthetic. Abby Vakay Advertisement
She’s been working with her hands since she was six years old, when her grandmother taught her how to knit. Lithe and energetic with a mane of long flowing hair, Vakay grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and worked as a dental hygienist for 22 years. But her life changed dramatically after the birth of her first child in 1990, a daughter she named Nia Rachel, who was born prematurely and died soon after.
“The loss of my first child pushed me into my truth,” says Vakay, who began to study yoga and work with folk crafts, eventually traveling to India and Central America and teaching rug-hooking workshops at the American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan. “The stuff that is unnecessary falls away.”
Today, the mother of two incorporates ancient Japanese mending and dyeing techniques in her reconstructed garments. She studied with Atsushi Futatsuya, an expert in sashiko mending. The ancient art (which translates to “little stabs”) originated in rural Japan as a way to strengthen fraying fabric. Vakay now uses the technique to repurpose old blue jeans that she finds at thrift stores in the Hamptons. She’s even made pandemic masks with more elaborate sashiko embroidery patterns.
“It was done for thousands of years as a necessity,” she explains. “I believe we are back in the mode of necessity.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Former 49er Dana Stubblefield sentenced to 15 years to life for rape conviction

SAN JOSE , Calif. — Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Thursday for raping a developmentally disabled woman who prosecutors said he lured to his home with the promise of a babysitting job .
The sentence was issued by a judge in San Jose after denying a defense motion for a new trial , the Mercury News reported .
Last week , the Sixth District Court of Appeal denied a related petition filed on behalf of Stubblefield by his attorneys .
A jury in July found Stubblefield , 49 , guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a gun .
He was also convicted of forcible oral copulation and false imprisonment .
He has been held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail since the verdict .
Stubblefield began his 11-year lineman career in the NFL with the 49ers in 1993 as the league ’ s defensive rookie of the year .
He later won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1997 before leaving the team to play for Washington .
He returned to the Bay Area to finish his career , playing with the 49ers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A day before the April 2015 assault , Stubblefield contacted the then 31-year-old woman on a baby-sitting website and arranged an interview , prosecutors said .
According to a report by the Morgan Hill Police Department , the interview lasted about 20 minutes .
She later received a text from Stubblefield saying he wanted to pay her for her time that day , and she went back to the house .
After raping her , Stubblefield gave her $ 80 and let her go , according to the report .
The woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rape .
DNA evidence matched that of Stubblefield , the report said .
Defense attorneys argued that there was no rape and that the woman consented to sex .
Allen Sawyer , one of Stubblefield ’ s trial attorneys , said the defense team was precluded from showing the jury strong evidence that would have supported the contention .
After the sentencing Thursday , Sawyer emphasized that the jury rejected two felony charges alleging that Stubblefield exploited a woman who was mentally incapable of providing consent to sex .
“ We proved it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not true , ” Sawyer said .
“ That false narrative corrupted this trial from start to finish .
”

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Thursday for raping a developmentally disabled woman who prosecutors said he lured to his home with the promise of a babysitting job.
The sentence was issued by a judge in San Jose after denying a defense motion for a new trial, the Mercury News reported. Last week, the Sixth District Court of Appeal denied a related petition filed on behalf of Stubblefield by his attorneys.
A jury in July found Stubblefield, 49, guilty of raping the woman with the threat of a gun. He was also convicted of forcible oral copulation and false imprisonment. He has been held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail since the verdict.
Stubblefield began his 11-year lineman career in the NFL with the 49ers in 1993 as the league’s defensive rookie of the year. He later won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1997 before leaving the team to play for Washington. He returned to the Bay Area to finish his career, playing with the 49ers in 2000-01 and the Raiders in 2003.
A day before the April 2015 assault, Stubblefield contacted the then 31-year-old woman on a baby-sitting website and arranged an interview, prosecutors said.
According to a report by the Morgan Hill Police Department, the interview lasted about 20 minutes. She later received a text from Stubblefield saying he wanted to pay her for her time that day, and she went back to the house.
After raping her, Stubblefield gave her $80 and let her go, according to the report. The woman immediately went to police and reported the rape. DNA evidence matched that of Stubblefield, the report said.
Defense attorneys argued that there was no rape and that the woman consented to sex.
Allen Sawyer, one of Stubblefield’s trial attorneys, said the defense team was precluded from showing the jury strong evidence that would have supported the contention.
After the sentencing Thursday, Sawyer emphasized that the jury rejected two felony charges alleging that Stubblefield exploited a woman who was mentally incapable of providing consent to sex.
“We proved it, and the jury found that was not true,” Sawyer said. “That false narrative corrupted this trial from start to finish.”


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Carranza hints at Gifted and Talented program changes due to COVID-19

A group of fed-up city parents have sued the city ...

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Remote learning could help to remake the city’s coveted Gifted and Talented programs, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said Thursday night.
Speaking to members of a Queens parental advisory board, Carranza said the Department of Education is weighing how entry into accelerated programs will be handled this year and beyond.
The schools chief said competitive admissions were upended by the coronavirus because traditional metrics like grades and attendance were scrapped when schools closed in March.
“There is an opportunity to innovate here that we do not want to pass by,” he said.
Carranza said the wider adoption of remote learning could allow more kids to experience advanced education. While Gifted and Talented programs have been limited by physical space, he said digital teaching is less constrained.
“In a virtual environment, if you have some criteria, then a student could ostensibly, with a very gifted teacher, have more students having an experience of a gifted experience, not just in one classroom,” he said. “Let’s say you have a really gifted and talented teacher that is willing to have 60 students across five schools in Queens. Now you have the ability to give that experience to more students.”
Gifted and Talented programs — and screened schools in general — have become political flashpoints that have burned especially bright during Carranza’s tenure.
Critics argue that they benefit kids with superior resources and enroll minimal numbers of black and Hispanic students.
Backers say that academically advanced kids should have the opportunity to learn in rigorous environments.
“We’re really trying not to be stuck in what we’ve always done,” Carranza said. “But really think about how we make this available to more in truly an innovative way.”
He added Thursday night that remote learning will likely become a permanent fixture in American education to some degree.
“Virtual learning, digital learning, mixed environments, digital content, digital supports, will always be part of the new normal as we educate students,” Carranza said.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Since-retired Portland cop indicted for allegedly driving into suspected looter

A since-retired Portland cop was indicted Wednesday for allegedly striking a suspected looter with an unmarked police van during protests last June , a report said .
Scott Groshong , who left the force in August , is facing misdemeanor charges for the alleged incident that happened near the Portland Skate and Snowboard shop , sources told The Oregonian .
Groshong and his partner were conducting undercover surveillance about midnight June 15 when they witnessed three men looting from the store , the newspaper reported , citing court records .
The indicted officer , who served 27 years with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the alleged thieves who stole a helmet as they ran across the street , according to accounts from the shop ’ s owner and video shot by an area resident .
The suspected looter claimed the officer “ knowingly hit him ” and then drove away , according to a statement from Daryl Turner , the president of the Portland Police Association .
The video footage , which was obtained by The Oregonian , shows the driver ’ s side door of the van open after impact .
The alleged looter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then runs away .
Police later arrested the man , but charges against him were dropped , the report said .
Groshong , according to Turner , has denied the allegations .
The officer is facing charges of official misconduct , third-degree assault and failure to perform the duties of a driver .
“ Instead of the suspect facing consequences for looting , this veteran police officer finds himself the target of misplaced criminal charges , ” Turner said in his statement .
“ Incredibly , this suspect now claims the police knowingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the officer drove towards him to document his criminal acts , ” he said .
Turner said an independent witness in another car saw the alleged looter running near the scene without any sign of injuries .

A since-retired Portland cop was indicted Wednesday for allegedly striking a suspected looter with an unmarked police van during protests last June, a report said.
Scott Groshong, who left the force in August, is facing misdemeanor charges for the alleged incident that happened near the Portland Skate and Snowboard shop, sources told The Oregonian.
Groshong and his partner were conducting undercover surveillance about midnight June 15 when they witnessed three men looting from the store, the newspaper reported, citing court records.
The indicted officer, who served 27 years with the department, is accused of hitting one of the alleged thieves who stole a helmet as they ran across the street, according to accounts from the shop’s owner and video shot by an area resident.
The suspected looter claimed the officer “knowingly hit him” and then drove away, according to a statement from Daryl Turner, the president of the Portland Police Association.
The video footage, which was obtained by The Oregonian, shows the driver’s side door of the van open after impact. The alleged looter, who appeared to drop the helmet, then runs away.
Police later arrested the man, but charges against him were dropped, the report said.
Groshong, according to Turner, has denied the allegations. The officer is facing charges of official misconduct, third-degree assault and failure to perform the duties of a driver.
“Instead of the suspect facing consequences for looting, this veteran police officer finds himself the target of misplaced criminal charges,” Turner said in his statement.
“Incredibly, this suspect now claims the police knowingly hit him with the undercover surveillance van when the officer drove towards him to document his criminal acts,” he said.
Turner said an independent witness in another car saw the alleged looter running near the scene without any sign of injuries.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--What MLB must do if worst-case fans scenario occurs in 2021 season

That ’ s not how it works .
A fan who caught a ...

ARLINGTON, Texas — All you need to know about Wednesday night’s World Series Game 2, which won’t be replayed anywhere besides the Tampa-St. Petersburg market in the decades to come, is this:
The top story from the game on The Post’s website concerned a loopy fan throwing his glove onto the field, here at Globe Life Field, after catching Will Smith’s sixth-inning home run.
Yes, even when the action on the field induces sleep, as was the case in the Rays’ 6-4 win over the Dodgers, the folks in the stands bring an element of unpredictability. They provide extra content at a profit; after all, they’re the ones paying, not getting paid, to be here.
So consider this a plea and a proposal to Major League Baseball: If conditions don’t allow folks to attend games in-person next season, a scenario certainly within the realm of possibility, then at least get folks at the games virtually.
“It’s been really good to have them back and feel the noise that they make,” Rays shortstop Willy Adames said Thursday, as both teams held optional workouts to which almost no one showed up, understandably. “People asking for a ball, yelling at you, ‘Let’s go, whatever, whatever.’ I guess as a player you miss that. That’s more energy to the game. We needed that.
“Obviously, you’ve got to adjust to the situation, but in front of fans, it’s 1,000 times better. And we like that.”
The seats have been filled at 25 percent capacity, putting 11,000-plus people here each night. That means it lacks the volume and intensity of a full house, and then throw in the neutral-site component. In normal times, this would feel lame.
After a season that saw zero regular-season fans due to the novel coronavirus, however? It’s manna from heaven. It’s looking to see what jerseys folks are wearing (mostly Dodgers). It’s hearing the volume rise and trail in synchronicity with the action on the field, as opposed to the reactions being a millisecond late as the sound engineer pushes a button of canned crowd noise. It’s hearing boos, the sweetest melody of all.
“I think that I love having warm bodies in the stands. It’s great. The energy has been great,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose club also played in front of live bodies during its National League Championship Series victory over the Braves. “I like the way that Major League Baseball has done things under these circumstances.”
I’ll say baseball and the teams went 1-for-2. The cardboard fans, which many teams deployed, were phenomenal, a great idea to give fans reason to tune in (“Hey, there I am, behind home plate!”) as well as pay tribute to past greats, area legends or any other charmingly goofy ideas that crossed the teams’ minds; the Royals included the cardboard cutouts of Bernie from “Weekend at Bernie’s,” for some reason, and what’s not to love about that?
The piped-in crowd cuts didn’t work for me. They were a tease, the acoustics without the soul behind them.
Let’s hope the country has progressed enough by Opening Day so that fans can enter, even at a partial percentage, and that’s that. If it hasn’t and they can’t, though? Baseball should find ways to get people there through streaming like the NBA did at its Orlando bubble.
Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operations and strategy officer, wrote in a text message, “Everything is on the table for next year at this point. We are just going to continue to monitor things over the winter and should have a better sense of what the options are early in 2021.”
If you can’t throw a glove onto the field virtually, you can at least boo and gasp and laugh. You can enhance the action and become part of the action, too.
This series still has a chance to be great, the clubs tied at 1-1, the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler and the Rays’ Charlie Morton going at it in Friday night’s Game 3. Having vocal eyewitnesses on site, this year more than any other, can make it even greater — and further motivate the teams to make them part of the action next year.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Jets may get rare positive with offense finally becoming whole

Sam Darnold has an Instagram account , and it ’ s not like ...

Jets fans have had a rough week.
A rough season, really.
OK, it’s been a rough decade.
It’s possible, however, that on Sunday they’ll have something — albeit minuscule — to look forward to.
Baby steps when you’re 0-6.
It looks like the Jets will have their full starting receiving corps on the field at the same time in a game for the first time when they play the Bills at MetLife Stadium.
If nothing else in this miserable season, that should give Jets fans a glimmer of hope, a slight peek at something positive for a change.
Barring an 11th-hour setback, Sam Darnold, who’s missed the past two games with a shoulder injury, is poised to play again after practicing this week and on Thursday declaring himself ready to go.
It, too, appears that the Jets are going to get their first look at rookie receiver Denzel Mims, their second-round draft pick who’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury since training camp.
Jets coach Adam Gase has yet to confirm that Mims will be activated for Sunday’s game, considering Thursday’s practice was only the rookie’s fifth full team session as a pro. But when you’re the only winless team in the league and your offense has produced six touchdowns in six games, what are you waiting for?
Figure on Mims being on the field Sunday, ready or not.
Mims making his NFL debut opens the chance that the Jets will have all three of their top receivers on the field at the same time for the first time — as long as Jamison Crowder can play with his sore groin.
Breshad Perriman last week returned from the ankle injury that cost him three games. The only question mark is Crowder, the team’s top receiver who was removed from Wednesday’s practice as a precaution with a slight groin pull and didn’t practice fully Thursday. But Gase said Crowder told him he’d be fine for the game.
“Having those guys back is great,’’ Darnold said Thursday. “To have a talent like Denzel in there and ‘BP,’ Crowder, [tight end Chris] Herndon, [Braxton] Berrios … to have the whole squad back is nice to have those guys to throw to.’’
The biggest wild card here is Mims, who by teammates’ accounts stood out in practice Thursday with a few flashy catches.
We know what Crowder can do. Perriman, slowed by his injury, has yet to unleash his big-play ability. Mims, and how quickly he can acclimate to the pro game on only six practices, is the biggest unknown.
“Anytime you can get a guy that we were kind of looking at as somebody that was going to be your starting receiver, to get him back in practice … there’s excitement,’’ Gase said Thursday. “I keep trying to remind myself, [Thursday was] his fifth day of actual team practice in the NFL. I’ve had conversations with him, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of things that you haven’t seen. You’re going to be learning a lot quickly.’
“The more he can do the better. He’s got incredible length, range, he can go up and get the ball, speed. He has all those traits that you’re looking for in a guy that can be a really good receiver.’’
He showed that in practice Thursday.
“He made two or three good catches in seven-on-seven [drills] and a couple catches in the team drills,’’ linebacker Jordan Jenkins said.
“We saw some things where he went up and made a catch and even went downstairs and caught a ball low,’’ Darnold said. “It was really good to see that and you see the talent for sure. As he continues to learn the game plan and put things together, he builds his confidence and plays really well.’’
Jenkins, who plays defense, sounded as fired up as an offensive player at the prospect of having the full receiving corps playing together for the first time.
“It’s definitely exciting to look forward to,’’ Jenkins said. “They [the offense] definitely got the short end of the stick. It’s seemed like every other week an important piece to the offense was injured. It’s good to see guys that you never really played with or never really got to work with out there making plays.
“I’ve heard a lot about Perriman, I’ve heard a lot about Mims, but [now] I get to see them making plays.’’
It’s something for bewildered and beleaguered Jets fans look forward to, a reason to turn on the TV set on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Baby steps.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--History shows just how far NFC East has fallen

One win does not a winning streak make .
The Giants ...

If this feels like an outlier?
Well, it should. It is. It generally takes a great deal of work and a great many victories to win the NFC East. New York, Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington have been grouped together in the NFC East for as long as there has been an NFC East.
That was 1970. From the start, it was clear that the NFC East was going to be something special. In that first year of the merger, the first year of the six-division makeup of the unified NFL, only one division boasted three teams with winning records: the Cowboys (10-4), the Giants (9-5, one of only two winning seasons they had between 1964 and 1980) and the St. Louis Cardinals, a temporary resident as it turned out, who went 8-6.
The NFC East had been cobbled together out of the odd pairings from the final years of the old NFL. Dallas, Washington and Philly had played in the Capital Division in 1969, while the Giants and Cardinals had played in the Century Division; the previous year it had been Washington, the Giants, the Cowboys and the Eagles in the Capital.
That was the lineup the NFL craved as it rejiggered its standings: the natural I-95 corridor rivals in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, plus the fact that by 1970 everybody wanted to play the Cowboys twice. The Cardinals? They had to play somewhere, and even stuck around for a few years once they moved to Phoenix.
But in truth, the NFC East has always belonged to the four original members of the Capital Division, to New York, Philly, D.C. and Dallas. You can mix and match those teams and come up with rivalries that have drawn blood on the field, in the stands and inside saloons for the better part of 50 years. And there was almost always one rule:
If you wanted to win the East, you had to earn it.
In the 50 seasons encompassing 1970 through 2019, a team has won the division with single-digit wins only four times — and one of those was the 1982 strike season that lasted only nine games (and, as if to prove a point, the eventual-champion Redskins went 8-1, the best record in the league alongside the Raiders).
The Cowboys have never done it.; the Giants and Washington have done it once each.
The Giants, of course, were the ones who made the most of what seemed to be an impossibly mediocre division in 2011. Both the Cowboys and Eagles finished a game back, at 8-8. But as much as the Giants’ Christmas Eve win over the Jets is eternally remembered (thanks in large part to Victor Cruz’s 99-yard TD catch-and-run), it was a resounding 31-14 win at home over the Cowboys the next week that clinched first place — and set them up for the title run to follow.
In 2015, Washington squeaked by for the division title behind Kirk Cousins and was promptly blistered by the Packers in the playoffs.
And last year — which, for a time, felt eerily similar to this one — the Eagles won the division at 9-7, aided by the fact that both the Giants (4-12) and Washington (3-13) were cataclysmic and the fact that the Cowboys were nice enough to lose four out of five in November and December, including a 17-9 setback in Philly during the penultimate week of the season.
The Eagles, you may recall, were left for dead at 5-7 after losing to the Dolphins in Week 13, and that was the first time, ever really, when people started whispering about the “NFC Least.” The standings on the morning of Monday, Dec. 1, looked this way:
Dallas 6-6
Philadelphia 5-7
Washington 3-9
Giants 2-10
Looking back, given the hardships of the East this year, that almost reads like a glory year. The Eagles ran the table to reach nine wins — luckily they had five division games stored up — and lost a tough home playoff game to the Seahawks.
Now? Now eight wins will certainly win the division, seven might, six could and the folks who calculate such things figured out a way the Eagles, at 4-11-1, might actually figure out a way.
And it raises the question: Where have you gone, Doomsday and the Hogs?


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Lily James’ string of no-shows dovetails with critical drubbing of her film

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Lily James has missed a number of promotional appearances for her new Netflix film “ Rebecca , ” lately — but perhaps it ’ s all for the best : The remake of a Hitchcock classic is being largely savaged by critics .
Images recently surfaced of James seemingly smooching her married co-star of a future project , Dominic West .
She then canceled numerous interviews promoting her current film with Armie Hammer .
( James finally appeared on “ The Tonight Show ” this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bother to ask her questions about the West brouhaha , instead sticking to issues like ghosts and the possibility of another “ Mama Mia !
” sequel . )
Critics are drubbing “ Rebecca ” as a “ blandly glossy melodrama ” ( Hollywood Reporter ) , “ sometimes dumb , sometimes dull ” ( Time ) , and an “ unfortunate waste of time ” ( Vulture ) .
The Post ’ s review added , “ For now , James ’ most gripping story about a spurned wife can be found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Page Six.
” Meanwhile , West , who has said alongside his wife that their marriage is still strong , is in talks to join the cast of another Netflix project — hit series “ The Crown ” — as Prince Charles .
He and James are currently filming the Amazon miniseries “ The Pursuit of Love , ” based on the 1945 Nancy Mitford novel .

Lily James has missed a number of promotional appearances for her new Netflix film “Rebecca,” lately — but perhaps it’s all for the best: The remake of a Hitchcock classic is being largely savaged by critics.
Images recently surfaced of James seemingly smooching her married co-star of a future project, Dominic West. She then canceled numerous interviews promoting her current film with Armie Hammer. (James finally appeared on “The Tonight Show” this week, and host Jimmy Fallon didn’t bother to ask her questions about the West brouhaha, instead sticking to issues like ghosts and the possibility of another “Mama Mia!” sequel.)
Critics are drubbing “Rebecca” as a “blandly glossy melodrama” (Hollywood Reporter), “sometimes dumb, sometimes dull” (Time), and an “unfortunate waste of time” (Vulture). The Post’s review added, “For now, James’ most gripping story about a spurned wife can be found, not on Netflix, but on Page Six.”
Meanwhile, West, who has said alongside his wife that their marriage is still strong, is in talks to join the cast of another Netflix project — hit series “The Crown” — as Prince Charles.
He and James are currently filming the Amazon miniseries “The Pursuit of Love,” based on the 1945 Nancy Mitford novel.


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Maria Bakalova As Borat’s Daughter Is the Best Part of ‘Borat 2’

To say that there ’ s a lot going on in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm—the Borat sequel releasing on Amazon Prime on October 23—is an understatement .
But all of the best parts are thanks to Maria Bakalova , the Bulgarian actor who plays Borat ’ s 15-year-old daughter , Tutar .
Sacha Baron Cohen has been doing the character of Borat—a bigoted Kazakh reporter—for over 20 years now , yet he manages to add a fresh coat of paint to the schtick by inventing a fictional daughter .
Borat discovers he has a daughter he never knew ( “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he is preparing to once again leave Kazakhstan for the U.S. , this time on a mission to deliver a monkey as a gift to Vice President Mike Pence .
Tutar begs Borat to take her with him , and when he refuses , she stows away in the monkey ’ s shipping container .
When Borat finds his blood-covered daughter and dead monkey in the shipping crate , he decides Tutar will make a suitable gift for Mike Pence instead—after she receives a full makeover , of course .
Thus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They make for a hysterical pair of weirdos , a united front of absurdity in their filmed interactions with real people , none of whom realize they are in Borat ’ s subsequent moviefilm .
All of the best scenes in the film feature the two of them together .
They shock attendees of a staged cotillion in Georgia with an obscene “ fertility dance.
” They trick a pastor at an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy clinic into insisting Tutar keep the baby her father put in her stomach .
( He doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plastic figurine from a cupcake that Tutar ate . )
And of course , as you ’ ve likely heard about already , they pull an epic prank on Rudy Giuliani , the former New York City mayor and lawyer to the president , which hinged almost entirely on Bakalova ’ s performance .
Suffice to say , she nailed it .
While Cohen has made a career out of staying in character in real-life demeaning situations , Bakalova has never appeared in a mainstream American film before .
She certainly never before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while calmly informing a pastor , “ It will hurt my asshole , ” in an exaggerated accent , or tell Rudy Giuliani , “ I feel like Melania Trump , ” with a flirtatious smile .
Yet she does all that and more in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm .
Give her an Oscar and a Showtime series , in that order .
Here ’ s a little more about the actor who stole the show in Borat 2 .
Borat ’ s daughter Tutar is played by Bulgarian actor Maria Bakalova .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon Studios originally credited someone named “ Irina Nowak , ” who doesn ’ t seem to exist , but the film ’ s official credits reveal her real name .
Maria Bakalova is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actor , who , before now , hadn ’ t appeared in any American films , according to her IMDb page .
But after this week , Americans are sure to know her name—especially given her starring role in a prank she and Cohen played on Giuliani in July .
Press for the film has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team shot the movie in secret over the summer .
But earlier this week , Bakalova made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmy Live !
alongside Sacha Baron Cohen , both of them in character , where she mostly spoke in Bulgarian while Borat “ translated.
” ( Cohen speaks a mix of Hebrew and Polish as a stand-in for Kazakh in the film . )
In one bit , Bakalova demands Kimmel ’ s pants , and the late-night host eventually relents .
What else has Maria Bakalova been in ?
Though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introducing ” Bakalova , she ’ s appeared in several Bulgarian films and TV shows , including the 2018 film Transgression , where she played a young woman entangled in a relationship with an aging musician ; the 2020 romantic comedy Last Call ; and a guest appearance on the Bulgarian TV series Gomorrah , where she played Amica Elvana .
But after her breakout role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm , it seems likely American audiences will be seeing a lot more of Bakalova in the not-so-distant future .
Very nice !

To say that there’s a lot going on in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm—the Borat sequel releasing on Amazon Prime on October 23—is an understatement. But all of the best parts are thanks to Maria Bakalova, the Bulgarian actor who plays Borat’s 15-year-old daughter, Tutar.
Sacha Baron Cohen has been doing the character of Borat—a bigoted Kazakh reporter—for over 20 years now, yet he manages to add a fresh coat of paint to the schtick by inventing a fictional daughter. Borat discovers he has a daughter he never knew (“I have a non-male son?”) as he is preparing to once again leave Kazakhstan for the U.S., this time on a mission to deliver a monkey as a gift to Vice President Mike Pence. Tutar begs Borat to take her with him, and when he refuses, she stows away in the monkey’s shipping container. When Borat finds his blood-covered daughter and dead monkey in the shipping crate, he decides Tutar will make a suitable gift for Mike Pence instead—after she receives a full makeover, of course.
Thus, Cohen and Bakalova become a comedy duo. They make for a hysterical pair of weirdos, a united front of absurdity in their filmed interactions with real people, none of whom realize they are in Borat’s subsequent moviefilm. All of the best scenes in the film feature the two of them together. They shock attendees of a staged cotillion in Georgia with an obscene “fertility dance.” They trick a pastor at an anti-abortion crisis pregnancy clinic into insisting Tutar keep the baby her father put in her stomach. (He doesn’t realize the baby is a plastic figurine from a cupcake that Tutar ate.) And of course, as you’ve likely heard about already, they pull an epic prank on Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and lawyer to the president, which hinged almost entirely on Bakalova’s performance. Suffice to say, she nailed it.
While Cohen has made a career out of staying in character in real-life demeaning situations, Bakalova has never appeared in a mainstream American film before. She certainly never before been asked to keep a straight face while calmly informing a pastor, “It will hurt my asshole,” in an exaggerated accent, or tell Rudy Giuliani, “I feel like Melania Trump,” with a flirtatious smile. Yet she does all that and more in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Give her an Oscar and a Showtime series, in that order. Here’s a little more about the actor who stole the show in Borat 2.
Who plays Borat’s daughter in Borat 2?
Borat’s daughter Tutar is played by Bulgarian actor Maria Bakalova. There was some confusion when press materials from Amazon Studios originally credited someone named “Irina Nowak,” who doesn’t seem to exist, but the film’s official credits reveal her real name.
Who is Maria Bakalova?
Maria Bakalova is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actor, who, before now, hadn’t appeared in any American films, according to her IMDb page. But after this week, Americans are sure to know her name—especially given her starring role in a prank she and Cohen played on Giuliani in July.
Press for the film has been limited, given that Cohen and his team shot the movie in secret over the summer. But earlier this week, Bakalova made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmy Live! alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, both of them in character, where she mostly spoke in Bulgarian while Borat “translated.” (Cohen speaks a mix of Hebrew and Polish as a stand-in for Kazakh in the film.) In one bit, Bakalova demands Kimmel’s pants, and the late-night host eventually relents.
What else has Maria Bakalova been in?
Though the Borat credits say the film is “introducing” Bakalova, she’s appeared in several Bulgarian films and TV shows, including the 2018 film Transgression, where she played a young woman entangled in a relationship with an aging musician; the 2020 romantic comedy Last Call.
But after her breakout role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it seems likely American audiences will be seeing a lot more of Bakalova in the not-so-distant future. Very nice!
Watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm


newyorkpost--2020-10-22--Ivanka campaigning to bring suburban women back to President Trump

Sorry , but I can ’ t allow someone as special as Doc ...

President Trump is turning to White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump in the final stretch of the 2020 campaign to try and shore up the support of suburban women — who carried him across the finish line in 2016.
Over the past six weeks, the first daughter and senior adviser to the president has made 17 campaign stops for her father, according to Politico.
From tweets to pleas at rallies, the commander in chief pledged repeatedly in recent months that he would save the ‘burbs as part of a larger effort to secure the support of suburban women.
“Finally! Suburban women are flocking over to us. They realize that I am saving the Suburbs – the American Dream! I terminated the Regulation that would bring projects and crime to Suburbia. Not on my watch!” the president tweeted Thursday morning, adding that a President Biden would oversee an increase in regulation.
In total, Ivanka has visited 10 battleground states — Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona. She plans to visit Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina again before Election Day, a Trump aide told the outlet.
From August through late September, she brought in a staggering $15 million to the campaign by holding a mere four fundraisers, according to CNN.
Citing a Trump aide, Politico reported Wednesday that the campaign expected to raise $35 million from the first daughter’s fundraising and campaigning efforts from August through the election.
Behind the commander in chief himself, Ivanka is the most requested campaign surrogate for events, White House officials say.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump AFP via Getty Images Ivanka Trump speaks during the Republican National Convention. Republican National Convention v Advertisement Ivanka Trump Instagram Advertisement
President Trump’s eldest daughter will host a fundraiser alongside her father in Nashville on Thursday, just prior to his final debate appearance against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
In a statement to Politico on Ivanka’s campaign efforts, Trump campaign senior adviser Mercedes Schlapp said, “As a working mother who has dedicated her career to the improvement of women’s lives, Ivanka intrinsically understands the issues facing American families today. Ivanka Trump can speak to President Trump’s success from the perspective of both a policy adviser and close family member — a remarkably effective combination on the campaign trail.”
Ivanka’s fundraising prowess is not lost on the minds of those in her father’s orbit.
After bringing in $4 million at a single fundraiser in August that a mere 100 people attended over Zoom, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released a statement showering praise on the first daughter’s ability to mobilize donors.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Ivanka Trump at a roundtable discussion with President Donald Trump. Getty Images Ivanka Trump at a rally. Instagram Advertisement
“Ivanka is a tremendous voice for the re-election effort. Supporters across the country are eager to hear from her on issues ranging from the economy to workforce development and paid family leave,” she said at the time.
One White House official told CNN of Ivanka’s appeal, “The fact is, she’s talking about issues at these events that other surrogates are not. She can talk about paid family leave, or workforce development, or the child tax credit — issues that a lot of voters frankly haven’t heard Republicans talk about as much this campaign.”
For his part, President Trump has spent much of his 2020 reelection effort placing a heavy emphasis on “the suburbs” and how he would protect them.
With Post wires