newyorkpost--2020-07-12--It’s not just police: Public servants of all stripes are now under assault

An irate bus rider with his mask falling off breached ...

‘Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” So asks Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker while meeting his social worker, motioning to Gotham outside the window.
It isn’t just you or the stuff of superhero thrillers. Gotham — the real Gotham — is in chaos, and disrespect for authority, and not just police authority, is sinking it deeper.
New York is suffering a serious slide in livability. Those who can have already fled the city, and it’s a big question mark whether they are coming back. Each day brings a new barrage of online-message-board pleas, from people wondering if they can get out.
For many, it’s the radiating disorder. We watched the New York Police Department stand down as riots smashed neighborhoods in June. We watched our elected officials cower in the face of violent radicals; many stores remain boarded up.
Mayor de Blasio continues to pretend everything is OK. Instead of calming a worried city, he trolls President Trump by painting street murals. Only his enormous ego surpasses Hizzoner’s incompetence.
Last week, The Post reported that the NYPD is experiencing a 411 percent spike in early retirements. So many officers tried to retire early that the department had to limit the number of permitted daily applications. This is a crisis.
The #DefundPolice fools don’t get it: It isn’t just the police that will suffer as they push the city to the brink.
There have been more than 400 incidents since mid-April “in which transit workers have been battered, spit on or threatened by riders,” according to The City news site, citing Metropolitan Transportation Authority figures. These “unruly person” reports are telling a story of mass lawlessness.
The line between “unruly” and “violent” is razor-thin. In March, a subway operator was punched after asking a man not to ride between the cars. In May, another operator was stabbed by a woman who got into his cab. Last week, a bus driver was hit in the head from behind and woke up in the hospital.
An MTA subway operator told me he has noticed a lot more graffiti — and a curious shift in the people who give him trouble. He said these aren’t “the usual nuisance drunks,” but increasingly people fired up by rage, ideological or otherwise. “The cops are slowing down [enforcement], and certain people on the edge are noticing,” he says.
One veteran bus driver told me he recently faced a threatening and confrontational rider, who refused to get off at the end of the line. The incident had rattled the driver so badly, he took time off to recuperate.
All the civil servants I spoke with told me they were proud of their roles and felt that part of their job was to handle incidents with the public to the best of their ability. No one wanted to tell me a “sob story.” All were concerned about the increasing chaos and tense atmosphere.
One firefighter told me he’s seen an uptick in aggressive behavior that “crosses the line” but said that firefighters generally brush off risks as part of the job. “This is stuff we should be able to handle and mitigate,” he said, “and we have enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the public for many years.”
He noted that he senses “a pushback against institutional authority right now,” and it’s disrupting relationships firefighters have formed in communities. He added that the anti-authority attitude “puts people at odds with us, where normally we would have no problems.”
If our mayor is done with his coloring project, perhaps he can notice that the city is falling apart and the people who keep things running are in danger.
I’m a lifelong New Yorker, and I remember our bad old days. Disrespect for anyone in any kind of authority — MTA employees, teachers, police and firefighters — was the standard. Crime went hand-in-hand with that disrespect. We desperately need new leadership to bring us together and pull us back from this moral precipice.
If we love New York, we have to fight for it, starting by choosing leaders who encourage respect for our civil servants. The ones we have now do not.


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--The speech police go after the peanut gallery

We ’ re in the dawn of a high-tech , bloodless Cultural Revolution , ...

Recently, I came across a piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer that laid out four racist words and phrases that should be banished from the English language. It began like this: “Editor’s note — Please be aware offensive terms are repeated here solely for the purpose of identifying and analyzing them honestly. These terms may upset some readers.”
Steel yourself, brave reader: These were such terms as “peanut gallery” and “eenie meenie miney moe.”
The same grammarian who authored the piece had previously confronted the “deeply racist connotation” of the word “thug,” noting that President Trump “wasn’t the least bit bashful” when calling Minneapolis rioters “thugs” in a tweet, despite the word’s bigoted history. In 2015, President Barack Obama referred to Baltimore rioters as “thugs,” as well. He likely did so because “thug” is a good way to describe rioters.
Attempting to dictate what words we use is another way to exert power over how we think. Few people, rightly, would have a problem with referring to the Charlottesville Nazis as “thugs.” Only the “protester” who tears down a Ulysses S. Grant statue or participates in an antifa riot is spared the indignity of being properly defined.
The recent assaults on the English language have consisted largely of euphemisms and pseudoscientific gibberish meant to obscure objective truths — “cisgender,” “heteronormativity” and so on. Now, we’re at the stage of the revolution where completely inoffensive and serviceable words are branded problematic.
CNN, for instance, recently pulled together its own list of words and phrases that have helped bolster systemic racism. Unsuspecting citizens, the piece explains, may not even be aware they are engaging in this linguistic bigotry, because most words are “so entrenched that Americans don’t think twice about using them. But some of these terms are directly rooted in the nation’s history with chattel slavery. Others now evoke racist notions about black people.”
CNN tells us the term “peanut gallery” is racist because it harkens back to the days when poor and black Americans were relegated to back sections of theaters. Now, I hate to be pedantic, but “peanut gallery” isn’t “directly rooted” in “chattel slavery.” As CNN’s own story points out, the cliche wasn’t used until after the Civil War. For that matter, few of the words and phrases that CNN alleges are problematic are rooted, even in the most tenuous sense, in the transatlantic slave trade.
Not even the word “slavery,” which is a concept as old as humankind, is in any way uniquely American. Yet, last week, Twitter announced that it was dropping “master” and “slave” from its coding, to create a “more inclusive programming language.” Only in this stifling intellectual environment is striking commonly used words considered “inclusive.” Other tech companies are following suit.
We should feel no guilt using the word “master.” Her performance was masterful. She mastered her instrument. The score was a masterpiece. Even CNN concedes that “while it’s unclear whether the term is rooted in American slavery on plantations, it evokes that history.”
It isn’t unclear, at all. The etymology of the word “master” is from the Old English and rooted in the Latin magister, which means “chief, director, teacher, or boss.” “Master’s” degrees were first given to university teachers in the 14th century in Europe.
Until a few months ago, the “master bedroom” evoked visions of the larger bedrooms, and the Masters Tournament evoked images of golfing legends like Tiger Woods, winner of four titles. Simply because the Nazis used the word “master” in their pseudoscientific racial theories doesn’t mean I am offended by the postmaster general. We’re grown-ups here.
Or we used to be.
Honestly, I’m disappointed that CNN missed the commonly used “blackmail” — a word that appears in 439 stories on their Web site. The phrase was first used to describe protection money extracted by mid-16th-century Scottish chieftains. Maybe Scots should be offended.
In and of itself, depriving Americans of “eenie meenie miney moe” — a phrase with an opaque and complicated history — isn’t going to hurt anyone. But allowing ideological grievance-mongers to decide what words we’re allowed to use, well, no can do.
“If thoughts can corrupt language, language can also corrupt thoughts,” Orwell famously wrote. Every time some new correct-speak emerges, CNN and all the media will participate in browbeating us into subservience. Progressive pundits will laugh off concerns about the Orwellian slippery slope.
If we allow the seemingly innocuous attempts to control words and thoughts go uncontested, more-nefarious control will be a lot easier in the future.
Twitter: @DavidHarsanyi


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--How Congress can get the next COVID-relief bill right

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that a second round ...

With COVID-19 still wreaking economic havoc, both parties want to enact a new federal rescue package before they face voters in the fall. But Congress and the White House must avoid the mistakes they made in the $2 trillion CARES Act, enacted in March.
There is no question more federal help is needed. Continued public-health restrictions, as well as reluctance to shop or dine out, keep many people from working, even as they are eager to get back. Fear of travel, and closed borders, keep the tourist industry dead.
As a pandemic has turned into a recession, white-collar people have lost their jobs, too. People who fear losing their job — which is almost everyone by this point — have cut back on spending.
The CARES Act has done much good in alleviating the pain. In late June, 14.1 million people, or more than 11 percent of the private-economy workforce, were receiving extraordinary unemployment benefits, including $600 a week from the feds in addition to the average $400 from state governments.
Extra $1,200 stimulus checks helped tens of millions of people pay the bills. And the $521 billion Paycheck Protection Program has helped companies keep 51.1 million people employed, even if some of these workers have seen job cuts only delayed, not avoided, as the slowdown has continued beyond the program’s initial eight-week scope (now extended to 24 weeks).
But the unemployment aid was too broad. With the extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits, 40 percent of recipients are making more now than they did at their jobs. And the benefits were targeted to a fast recovery, when it’s clear COVID isn’t going anywhere soon. In an attempt to stimulate the economy, Congress sent $1,200 checks to tens of millions of people who didn’t need the money.
They still have their jobs — and there is just little to spend a windfall on right now. In fact, America’s savings rate is at a record high, with people saving a quarter of their earnings. With people still unable to travel, or do much of anything fun, safely, that check just went right to the bank.
Congress should extend extraordinary unemployment aid, yes. But target it to people who need it. Applicants should earn no more, per week, than their 2019 income. (People who were on parental leave or otherwise out of the workforce could reach back to 2018 — the IRS has this data.)
No more checks to everyone, much as it is politically tempting before an election.
As for helping the hardest-hit small businesses and state and local governments, Congress can address these needs with one program: a sales-tax holiday.
Starting in the fall, Congress should provide state and local governments with the money they would have taken in from sales taxes, were it not for the pandemic — about $400 billion for a year.
This protects state and local governments from their biggest revenue loss, while giving everyone who wants to go out shopping or dining a hefty discount — nearly 10 percent in New York City — on their purchases.
A sales-tax holiday will help parents with back-to-school supplies and could help save the holiday season. It also satisfies the Democratic need for state revenue and the GOP need for a tax cut.
(And, when the pandemic is over, people who have grown accustomed to lower bills on the dining table or at the takeout counter may put pressure on their state and local governments to cut sales-tax rates permanently.)
Finally, mass transit. Cities (and their suburbs) can’t recover until transit recovers. Transit systems will need operating aid to replace fares that missing riders aren’t paying right now, tied to long-term cost reform.
Congress and the White House should shy away from anything too arcane. As part of the CARES Act, Congress authorized the Federal Reserve to lend money to small businesses. But the program is so complex that it has taken months to design — and few companies are likely to use it. Members of Congress should use a simple rule of thumb when voting: If I don’t understand this program, small-business managers won’t, either.
Washington has an excuse for the CARES Act’s shortcomings. Lawmakers and the president enacted it in haste, when we still had no idea what had hit us. Fair enough. Now, we know — and can take some time to do the next care package right.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor of City Journal.


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--New York horse-racing bookies land millions in PPP loans as critics cry foul

JPMorgan Chase ’ s closest local rival in the race to lend ...

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And they’re off — to a government bailout!
Five of New York’s state-created horse-racing bookie offices with its Off-Track Betting Corporation are raking in millions of dollars apiece in federal loans meant to keep small businesses afloat amid the coronavirus, The Post has learned — and critics are crying foul.
The regional OTBs of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island and Western Regional OTB each received about $2.5 million in 1 percent loans, according to records from the federal Small Business Administration and obtained by The Post.
Meanwhile, the Capital District Regional OTB qualified for $1.2 million, and the Catskill Regional OTB got between $350,000 and $1 million.
While the SBA allows private businesses that receive gambling revenue to get Paycheck Protection Program loans, government entities aren’t supposed to partake in the hand-out.
And since New York’s OTBs were created by the state legislature in 1970 as “public-benefit corporations’’ — operated by local governments through political appointees, with their revenue going back to state and local governments — they are clearly not private, critics say.
“How they qualified as a quasi-government entity is a mystery,” said a well-placed government official familiar with the PPP.
“Their CEOs and chairs are politically appointed,’’ he said of New York’s OTBs, including Nassau, whose head is picked by the county legislature.
“Their workers receive New York state pensions.’’
US Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan), who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said she plans to push the SBA for answers.
“The loans are supposed to go to small businesses. I’m going to question the appropriateness of the OTB loans,” Maloney told The Post on Sunday.
“The loans are only supposed to go to private employers, not public,’’ added the rep, who joined other Democratic House members last month to accuse the SBA of stonewalling when pressed on how it has been managing COVID-19 financial-relief programs.
The PPP loans to the New York OTBs had plenty of horse power behind them.
US Rep. Peter King (R-LI) — who told The Post he pushed to help get the loans for the Nassau and Suffolk OTBs — acknowledged that there were discussions between the OTBs and SBA over whether the betting entities were too governmental to receive loans.
He said the agency eventually ruled that the OTBs were “entitled’’ to the financial relief.
“The OTBs are an asset to the communities. The counties get revenues from [them],” King said Sunday.
Former GOP Sen. Al D’Amato’s lobbying firm, Park Strategies, also helped push for the loans.
“I believe we’re entitled to it, and we asked for it,’’ he told The Post on Sunday.
“OTB has people who are working. If you keep people working, you’re saving the taxpayers money.”
The SBA did not immediately return a request for comment.
New York City’s OTB was such a mess and sketchy patronage mill that it went bankrupt and shut down for good in 2010.


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--Controversial Clint Frazier makes admirable mask pledge

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

Forgetting whatever other barnacle issues have latched themselves onto the issue of masks, let’s be perfectly honest about something: They aren’t the most comfortable thing to get used to. That’s not political. That’s not controversial. That’s just how it is.
If you wear glasses, they help fog those glasses up, constantly. On hot and humid days, they can turn any form of exertion a little extra tricky — and, yes, those of you (those of us) who occasionally slip noses over the top of masks, you’re (we’re) not fooling anyone.
(Although, if we’re being honest, stealing a few uncovered and unfiltered nostril breaths when you’re safely removed from anyone has to have moved all the way to the top of the list of top guilty pleasures for the summer of 2020).
Which brings us to Clint Frazier.
Now, if we are being charitable, the best way to describe Frazier’s 123-game tour across three years with the Yankees is this: He is not boring. He has big-time bat speed … and sometimes looks like he’s playing the outfield for the very first time. He’s been moody. He’s battled more injuries than a 25-year-old ever should, specifically a concussion that took a huge bite out of 2018. Cracking the lineup has been tough, staying there even tougher.
You might, occasionally, have had reason to take issue with his maturity.
Except since the Yankees have opened spring training 2.0, there is one player who has spent every second of his time on the Yankee Stadium field bemasked. Protocols require them in the dugout, in the clubhouse. But players are free to play their positions in the field maskless. They are free to take their outdoor hacks — in the cage or during practice games — without them.
Frazier keeps it on. All the time.
“I think,” he said Sunday, “it’s an easy task to do.”
It is certainly a profoundly responsible path to take, and maybe not one you’d have forecast from Frazier, who has shown a propensity for marching to his own drummer. He’s actually doing that here, too, just not in the way anyone might have expected.
“There are two [other] people in the [batter’s] box with me,” Frazier said, addressing the one constant 800-pound elephant that will exist on every pitch of the season since it is impossible for the hitter, catcher and umpire to do anything remotely approximating social distancing, the one place on the field where such a pile-up is likely (other than three fielders converging on a pop fly).
“I’m just overall trying to do the best part I can do to make sure I’m being responsible, not only for myself but for everyone else I’m coming in contact with.”
It is a fine credo, in every way, and it isn’t easy — especially when he wears the larger, thicker mask at the plate as opposed to the standard one he wears in the field. Frazier flailed at a Gerrit Cole slider in his first at-bat during Sunday’s intrasquad game, a task that is mostly fruitless for right-handed hitters no matter what equipment they choose, but the mask certainly doesn’t help much. Running bases, playing the outfield — Frazier intends to keep the mask on even when the game start and when those are part of his job description, too.
“We have a big platform,” Frazier said, “and the Yankees make that platform two times as big. There are a lot of people watching. I want to keep my health in mind, and keep others in mind, too.”
It will be interesting to see if Frazier can keep to that intent — and if others choose to join him in what is a 100 percent noble gesture. Not everyone has jumped in because baseball can be hard enough without adding a few extra degrees of difficulty.
Submit your Yankees questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
“All we can do is do our part,” said Brett Gardner, who has been careful to keep himself masked everywhere that’s required but hasn’t worn one during games yet. “We need to be as smart as possible.”
And for baseball players, who are the ultimate creatures of habit and routine, adding something new to the mix isn’t always easy. Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted that a couple of times he’s caught himself leaving rooms without the mask and had to sprint back to grab it.
“As time goes on I think we’re all getting better and better at being really vigilant,” Boone said. “And you hope you just won’t have to think about it at some point.”
Frazier isn’t looking to set anyone else’s agenda, he’s simply doing his part. But in a baseball season so different than any that came before that might actually be the most essential team-first act a player could perform.
“It’s a survival of the fittest, everyone trying not to get the virus,” he said. “Whoever has the most people standing at the end — they’ll probably be the team with the best chance.”


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--Free speech is under threat and other commentary

When the hard-left theorist Noam Chomsky thinks bedrock American principles like free speech are under threat , Matthew Continetti observes in The Washington Free Beacon , “ it is a sign that .
.
.
things have gotten out of control ” — “ Joe Biden better be paying attention.
” The wokesters are going too far : “ Social media has become a system of surveillance , policing and stigma , news media the vehicle for an attack on the American Founding.
” This could all spell doom for Biden ’ s presidential bid .
“ There is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And when the winds of woke start to blow , millions of Americans find that there is one way left for them to oppose political correctness : pulling the lever for the man in the White House.
” “ As street violence spikes in big cities across America , ” writes The Chicago Tribune ’ s John Koss , it ’ s becoming clear that Black Lives Matter is a mere “ political and fundraising arm ” of the Democratic Party , not the civil-rights movement it claims to be , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woke ” supporters can ’ t work up much concern about “ black children being slaughtered ” in big-city gang wars .
Indeed , even while protesters are “ shouting loudly and passionately about defunding or abolishing the police , ” they aren ’ t saying a word to pressure “ big-city Democratic ” mayors to do anything about “ the spiking urban violence ” — probably because they live “ several degrees removed ” from the killings and “ see no political advantage for the November elections ” in drawing attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cynicism , ” sadly .
“ That ’ s reality.
” Much of modern social protest is “ psychological and spiritual need dressed up as revolution , ” Mark Judge argues at The Stream .
Because many young people don ’ t have a grounding principle like religious faith in their lives , they ’ re “ easy prey for toxic ideologies , ” such as Marxism .
That ’ s nothing new : For many believers , “ Communism became like a father , ” providing both “ love and acceptance ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to all the world ’ s ( and each person ’ s ) problems .
And like their 1960s predecessors , many antifa rioters are really “ out there looking for their fathers ” after coming from broken homes .
All of these “ broken souls ” share the “ same distant , soulless nihilism ” — and rather than taking up the “ difficult task ” of “ making themselves more whole , ” they latch on to radical movements .
Kanye West ’ s recent pledge to remove extraneous chemicals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s last rock star even more than I did before he announced last Saturday that he was going ahead with his presidential campaign , ” half-jokes The Week ’ s Matthew Walther .
“ Would anyone really expect , much less want , ” Kanye to “ run on lower taxes and block-granting Medicare to the states ?
” Kudos , too , for his unabashed pro-life stance : “ At a time when social conservatism is mostly an unedifying series of non-debates about the flag and kneeling , ” the rapper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing for prayer in public schools and insisting that ‘ We have to stop doing things that make God mad.
’ ” And he sounds more genuine than more conventional conservatives .
What ’ s not to like ?
With COVID resurging , warns Dr. Joel Zinberg at City Journal , “ we must acknowledge ” data showing that lockdowns themselves “ contributed to the death toll.
” If we don ’ t learn from this , doctors will need “ a new cause of death on death certificates — ‘ public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ increased drug and alcohol abuse and increases in domestic abuse and suicides.
” Meanwhile , inpatient admissions in Veterans Administration hospitals “ were down 42 percent for six emergency conditions , ” including stroke , heart failure and appendicitis , during one six-week period during the pandemic , a change not seen last year .
These and deaths from chronic conditions increased because people had to “ shelter in place , were too scared to go to the doctor or were unable to obtain care.
” Bottom line : Public-health experts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t kill .

Conservative: Will the Backlash Kill Joe’s Bid?
When the hard-left theorist Noam Chomsky thinks bedrock American principles like free speech are under threat, Matthew Continetti observes in The Washington Free Beacon, “it is a sign that . . . things have gotten out of control” — “Joe Biden better be paying attention.” The wokesters are going too far: “Social media has become a system of surveillance, policing and stigma, news media the vehicle for an attack on the American Founding.” This could all spell doom for Biden’s presidential bid. “There is only so much self-abasement a nation can take. And when the winds of woke start to blow, millions of Americans find that there is one way left for them to oppose political correctness: pulling the lever for the man in the White House.”
Urban Beat: The Black Lives They Ignore
“As street violence spikes in big cities across America,” writes The Chicago Tribune’s John Koss, it’s becoming clear that Black Lives Matter is a mere “political and fundraising arm” of the Democratic Party, not the civil-rights movement it claims to be, and its largely “young, white and woke” supporters can’t work up much concern about “black children being slaughtered” in big-city gang wars. Indeed, even while protesters are “shouting loudly and passionately about defunding or abolishing the police,” they aren’t saying a word to pressure “big-city Democratic” mayors to do anything about “the spiking urban violence” — probably because they live “several degrees removed” from the killings and “see no political advantage for the November elections” in drawing attention to them. “That’s not cynicism,” sadly. “That’s reality.”
Culture critic: Socialists With Daddy Issues
Much of modern social protest is “psychological and spiritual need dressed up as revolution,” Mark Judge argues at The Stream. Because many young people don’t have a grounding principle like religious faith in their lives, they’re “easy prey for toxic ideologies,” such as Marxism. That’s nothing new: For many believers, “Communism became like a father,” providing both “love and acceptance” and “a ‘totalizing’ solution” to all the world’s (and each person’s) problems. And like their 1960s predecessors, many antifa rioters are really “out there looking for their fathers” after coming from broken homes. All of these “broken souls” share the “same distant, soulless nihilism” — and rather than taking up the “difficult task” of “making themselves more whole,” they latch on to radical movements.
Iconoclast: Cheers for Kanye Traditionalism
Kanye West’s recent pledge to remove extraneous chemicals from deodorant “makes me like America’s last rock star even more than I did before he announced last Saturday that he was going ahead with his presidential campaign,” half-jokes The Week’s Matthew Walther. “Would anyone really expect, much less want,” Kanye to “run on lower taxes and block-granting Medicare to the states?” Kudos, too, for his unabashed pro-life stance: “At a time when social conservatism is mostly an unedifying series of non-debates about the flag and kneeling,” the rapper “sounds like Pat Buchanan in 1992, arguing for prayer in public schools and insisting that ‘We have to stop doing things that make God mad.’ ” And he sounds more genuine than more conventional conservatives. What’s not to like?
Health desk: Killer COVID Lockdowns
With COVID resurging, warns Dr. Joel Zinberg at City Journal, “we must acknowledge” data showing that lockdowns themselves “contributed to the death toll.” If we don’t learn from this, doctors will need “a new cause of death on death certificates — ‘public policy.’ ” Economic recession led to “increased drug and alcohol abuse and increases in domestic abuse and suicides.” Meanwhile, inpatient admissions in Veterans Administration hospitals “were down 42 percent for six emergency conditions,” including stroke, heart failure and appendicitis, during one six-week period during the pandemic, a change not seen last year. These and deaths from chronic conditions increased because people had to “shelter in place, were too scared to go to the doctor or were unable to obtain care.” Bottom line: Public-health experts can’t go on pretending lockdowns don’t kill.
Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--Lisa Marie Presley’s son Benjamin Keough reportedly dead in suicide

The son of Lisa Marie Presley and grandson of Elvis Presley , Benjamin Keough , died of an apparent suicide @ @ @ @ @ He was 27 years old .
Keough appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot @ @ @ @ @ enforcement sources told TMZ .
The death of her son left Lisa Marie “ entirely @ @ @ @ @ devastated , ” her manager , Roger Widynowski , said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ He was the love of her life , ” Widynowski said .
Keough , who @ @ @ @ @ his rock-legend grandfather , remained largely out of the spotlight throughout his life .

The son of Lisa Marie Presley and grandson of Elvis Presley, Benjamin Keough, died of an apparent suicide in California on Sunday. He was 27 years old.
Keough appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Calabasas, law enforcement sources told TMZ.
The death of her son left Lisa Marie “entirely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated,” her manager, Roger Widynowski, said in a statement.
“She adored that boy. He was the love of her life,” Widynowski said.
Keough, who bore a striking resemblance to his rock-legend grandfather, remained largely out of the spotlight throughout his life.
He followed in his mother and grandfather’s footsteps and pursued a career as a musician.
In 2009, Keough landed a $5 million deal with Universal Records to pump out five albums.
When he first inked the deal, Keough told London’s Telegraph newspaper he had no intention of channeling his famed grandfather’s rockabilly style.
“The music will be nothing like Elvis, nothing like him at all,” Keough told Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.
But no music appeared to have been released from the deal, Variety reported.
Keough was the son of Lisa Marie and her first husband, musician Danny Keough. He had three siblings, including Riley Keough, 31, an actress who starred in the drama series “The Girlfriend Experience.”
In June 2019, Lisa Marie posted a picture to Instagram of herself with all four children.“Mama Lion with cubs,” the mother wrote.
Lisa Marie had her two youngest children, 11-year-old twin girls Finley and Harper, with estranged husband Michael Lockwood, a guitarist. She has also been married to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage.


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--Adrian Wojnarowski’s ESPN suspension will last two weeks

With even LeBron James tweeting , “ # FreeWoj , ” there is a time table for ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski ’ s return .
Wojnarowski ’ s unpaid suspension will be for two weeks , The Post has learned .
ESPN took the action in response to Wojnarowski emailing Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
“ F–k you ” after Hawley sent a letter questioning NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league ’ s relationship with China .
ESPN has not officially acknowledged Wojnarowski ’ s work status , but he will not be reporting again until near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes tweeting news .
On Friday , after Hawley went to Twitter to reveal Wojnarwoski ’ s email , the network called it “ unacceptable ” in a statement , but has declined further comment .
Soon after , ESPN scrapped Wojnarowski ’ s planned trip to Orlando , Fla. , to report from the bubble this week .
The issue of Wojnarowski ’ s email came to light when Hawley tweeted about it on Friday .
Though it is not fully clear when the clock on Wojnarowski ’ s suspension begins , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , July 25 .
The NBA is scheduled to resume its season July 30 .
Wojnarowski , 51 , has received support from ESPN management , who , according to sources , have expressed disappointment , but have no plans to implement any further discipline .
The situation has caused an unneeded headache for executives as the network struggles without sports .
Behind the scenes , Wojnarowski has expressed contrition to his bosses , expressing he was wrong to send the email .
In a statement on Friday , Wojnarworski acknowledged he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jimmy Pitaro have a strong relationship , dating back to when they both worked at Yahoo .
On Sunday , Hawley , 40 , said ESPN should not suspend Wojnarwoski , but instead should report on NBA and China ’ s relationship .
After James wrote , “ Free Woj ” with two fists bumping , Hawley quickly seized on it , tweeting , “ Now try # FreeHongKong .
”

With even LeBron James tweeting, “#FreeWoj,” there is a time table for ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s return.
Wojnarowski’s unpaid suspension will be for two weeks, The Post has learned.
ESPN took the action in response to Wojnarowski emailing Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) “F–k you” after Hawley sent a letter questioning NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s relationship with China.
ESPN has not officially acknowledged Wojnarowski’s work status, but he will not be reporting again until near the end of the month. This includes tweeting news.
On Friday, after Hawley went to Twitter to reveal Wojnarwoski’s email, the network called it “unacceptable” in a statement, but has declined further comment.
Soon after, ESPN scrapped Wojnarowski’s planned trip to Orlando, Fla., to report from the bubble this week. The issue of Wojnarowski’s email came to light when Hawley tweeted about it on Friday.
Though it is not fully clear when the clock on Wojnarowski’s suspension begins, he is expected to return by Saturday, July 25. The NBA is scheduled to resume its season July 30.
Wojnarowski, 51, has received support from ESPN management, who, according to sources, have expressed disappointment, but have no plans to implement any further discipline. The situation has caused an unneeded headache for executives as the network struggles without sports. Behind the scenes, Wojnarowski has expressed contrition to his bosses, expressing he was wrong to send the email.
In a statement on Friday, Wojnarworski acknowledged he was wrong. Wojnarowski and current ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro have a strong relationship, dating back to when they both worked at Yahoo.
On Sunday, Hawley, 40, said ESPN should not suspend Wojnarwoski, but instead should report on NBA and China’s relationship. After James wrote, “Free Woj” with two fists bumping, Hawley quickly seized on it, tweeting, “Now try #FreeHongKong.”


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--AOC blames economy for NYC crime wave — not NYPD cuts

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blamed a sluggish economy for New York City ’ s “ uptick in crime ” — claiming people are being forced to choose between following the law and feeding their families .
“ Do we think this has to do with the fact that there ’ s record unemployment in the United States right now ?
The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the great recession ?
” she said in a Thursday town hall , a clip of which was shared by The Hill on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with the fact that people aren ’ t paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent .
And so they go out and they need to feed their child and they don ’ t have money .
So , you maybe have to — they ’ re put in a position where they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry that night.
” The divisive rep shot down claims that a reduced NYPD budget has led to more chaos , arguing that Gotham was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was cut July 1 .
“ Keep in mind that this uptick in crime that ’ s happening right now is with a $ 6 billion New York City Police Department budget .
We have shoved more and more and more money into the NYPD .
It has not prevented this uptick in crime , ” she said in a Thursday town hall , a clip of which was shared by The Hill on Twitter Sunday .
While shootings and murders have skyrocketed this year , overall crime has been trending down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer major crimes reported this year , for a 3-percent reduction over 2019 , according to NYPD data .
Ocasio-Cortez also slammed the NYPD for blaming bail reform for a rise in city shootings , as she appeared to cite an exclusive Post report debunking the bogus claim .
Despite 528 shootings through June 30 , up 46 percent from last year , only one person released under the new law were charged in a shooting .

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday bizarrely claimed that hungry New Yorkers stealing bread were behind an “uptick in crime” in the city — despite the fact that overall crime is down, while shootings and murders have soared.
“Do we think this has to do with the fact that there’s record unemployment in the United States right now? The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the great recession?” she said in a Thursday town hall, a clip of which was shared by The Hill on Twitter Sunday.
“Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren’t paying their rent and are scared to pay their rent. And so they go out and they need to feed their child and they don’t have money. So, you maybe have to — they’re put in a position where they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry that night.”
The divisive rep shot down claims that a reduced NYPD budget has led to more chaos, arguing that Gotham was slipping before the department’s budget was cut July 1.
“Keep in mind that this uptick in crime that’s happening right now is with a $6 billion New York City Police Department budget. We have shoved more and more and more money into the NYPD. It has not prevented this uptick in crime,” she said in a Thursday town hall, a clip of which was shared by The Hill on Twitter Sunday.
While shootings and murders have skyrocketed this year, overall crime has been trending down. There have been a little over 1,300 fewer major crimes reported this year, for a 3-percent reduction over 2019, according to NYPD data.
Ocasio-Cortez also slammed the NYPD for blaming bail reform for a rise in city shootings, as she appeared to cite an exclusive Post report debunking the bogus claim.
Despite 528 shootings through June 30, up 46 percent from last year, only one person released under the new law were charged in a shooting.


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--Islanders goalie prodigy Ilya Sorokin could be with team soon

Islanders goaltending wunderkind Ilya Sorokin may get his first taste of the NHL as early as this week .
Sorokin ’ s agent , Dan Milstein , confirmed to The Post on Sunday evening that the 24-year-old netminder is eligible to practice with the team during training camp if he signs an entry-level contract with the Islanders between noon Monday and 5 p.m. Wednesday .
The Isles ’ 78th-overall pick from 2014 would also be able to accompany the team during Phase 4 , the start of the NHL ’ s 24-team playoff tournament , but is not permitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NHL Players ’ Association recent agreement .
The Athletic first reported the logistics of Sorokin potentially signing .
Following negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA , it was decided that unsigned draft picks can sign an entry-level deal and have this season count , enabling them to become a restricted free agent quicker .
In a Zoom call with reporters Saturday , Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello offered little information on the status of negotiations with Sorokin .
“ We only have to wait about four , five days to get the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just got the transition rules .
We ’ ll certainly speak with representation , see where it takes us .
At this point , nothing is done .
”

Islanders goaltending wunderkind Ilya Sorokin may get his first taste of the NHL as early as this week.
Sorokin’s agent, Dan Milstein, confirmed to The Post on Sunday evening that the 24-year-old netminder is eligible to practice with the team during training camp if he signs an entry-level contract with the Islanders between noon Monday and 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The Isles’ 78th-overall pick from 2014 would also be able to accompany the team during Phase 4, the start of the NHL’s 24-team playoff tournament, but is not permitted to participate as part of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association recent agreement.
The Athletic first reported the logistics of Sorokin potentially signing.
Following negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA, it was decided that unsigned draft picks can sign an entry-level deal and have this season count, enabling them to become a restricted free agent quicker.
In a Zoom call with reporters Saturday, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello offered little information on the status of negotiations with Sorokin.
“We only have to wait about four, five days to get the answer,” Lamoriello said. “We just got the transition rules. We’ll certainly speak with representation, see where it takes us. At this point, nothing is done.”


newyorkpost--2020-07-12--It’s all hands on deck to save the MTA from collapse

The MTA has put its $ 51.5 billion modernization plan on ...

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is running on fumes. If it doesn’t get another emergency infusion of cash, emergency cutbacks will slam the city just as it is trying to get back on its feet.
New York’s importance to the national economy makes it Congress’ duty to help out — but the city, state and the MTA’s unions need to step up, too.
The pandemic has cost the transit agency roughly $10 billion, thanks to lost fares as well a collapse in its dedicated tax revenues. It’s hoping for $3.9 billion in new emergency federal funding — or it may have no choice but to shut down entire subway lines, with the layoffs that entails.
That would mean greater crowding on the trains that keep running, and thus bigger coronavirus risks — just one reason why the city and state, however broke, need to pony up, too.
The agency’s tax revenues alone will come in $2.7 billion short of pre-pandemic expectations, the city Independent Budget Office projects. And it’s collecting no cash from bus fares for now, even as ridership there has held up better than on the subway. It has put virtually all expansion and upgrade work on hold, but that barely dents the deficit.
The US House of Representatives has passed an $11.75 billion bill to a bail out transit nationwide, with nearly $4 billion for the MTA. But the Republican-run Senate won’t sign off as easily.
Gov. Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson can’t just sit by and hope the feds take care of everything.
Nor can the MTA unions expect to be held harmless. One of them, ATU Local 276, is pushing for the same raise that TWU Local 100 won last year.
That’s nuts: Layoffs seem guaranteed unless labor agrees to some kind of cost savings, through work-rule reform at a bare minimum. And the clear prospect of major productivity gains is the best way to convince dubious US senators to OK a bailout.
It’s time for every stakeholder to step up.


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--‘The Old Guard’ Kiss Is The LGBT Representation Action Movies Need

In 2018 , Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige promised fans there would be LGBTQ characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe .
Rumors began to swirl that the Russo brothers were looking to cast their first queer superhero in Avengers : Endgame .
Then , the day before Avengers : Endgame came out , co-director Joe Russo revealed the film would feature the Marvel Cinematic Universe ’ s first-ever openly gay character , played by himself .
Media outlets ran away with the headline , and LGBT Marvel fans , naturally , got excited .
They were let down .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-ever gay character in the MCU was not a superhero .
He wasn ’ t even really a character at all .
He was just a cameo for Russo , as a random man in Captain America ’ s “ Thanos snap ” support group .
In a roughly 30-second scene , Russo dropped male pronouns when talking about his partner who disappeared .
And that ’ s it .
We never saw him again .
That will forever be the first-ever openly gay character in the MCU .
Compare that to the—spoiler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Old Guard , the new Charlize Theron action movie on Netflix which is based on a comic of the same name .
In retrospect , I had no reason to be as shocked as I was when Joe ( Marwan Kenzari ) declared his love for Nicky ( Luca Marinelli ) in an impassioned speech , followed by an equally impassioned kiss , about halfway into the film .
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and writer Greg Rucka ( who also wrote the comic ) made it exceedingly clear in the first half of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immortal beings who met in The Crusades , are a couple .
“ The love of my life was in the people I was taught to hate , ” says Nicky with a smile , when he explains to the newest member of their group how they met .
Before that , we see them spooning as they sleep .
In another scene , Joe gives Nicky a flirtatious wink .
You ’ d have to be watching this movie with your eyes closes and your fingers in your ears to think their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throwaway virtue signaling when it comes to LGBT representation in mainstream action films had trained me to think Nicky and Joe ’ s obvious romance would remain in the shadows .
I assumed the shared looks and lingering touches would stay in the background , leaving it to the fanfiction writers and fan artists to put their love center stage .
I hadn ’ t read The Old Guard comic , and I didn ’ t know that writer Greg Rucka had stipulated in his contract that , whenever or however the film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that scene .
So when it happened , well , it felt—and still does feel—like a huge freakin ’ deal .
Nicky and Joe have just been kidnapped by armored guards , and Joe , concerned for Nicky ’ s well-being , asks if he ’ s OK. “ That ’ s sweet , ” one of the guards sneers .
“ What is he , your boyfriend ?
” “ You ’ re a child , ” Joe responds .
“ He ’ s not my boyfriend .
This man is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s the moon when I ’ m lost in darkness , and warmth when I shiver in cold .
And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium .
His heart overflows with a kindness of which this world is not worthy .
I love this man beyond measure and reason .
He ’ s not my boyfriend .
He is all , and he is more.
” “ You ’ re an incurable romantic , ” Nicky says as they gaze into each other ’ s eyes .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as passionate , just as charged , and just as sensual as Han and Leia , Peter and MJ , Peter and Katniss , or any other heterosexual couple who ’ s had a big kiss moment in an action movie over the years .
And honestly , I can ’ t recall an action movie with a scene like it .
It : Chapter Two made clear that Bill Hader ’ s character was gay , but certainly didn ’ t include a kiss .
J.K. Rowling declared Albus Dumbledore was gay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the Fantastic Beasts prequel films , which show the wizard as a young man , opted not to make him “ explicitly ” gay .
Sulu has a husband in the Star Trek films , but their kiss was cut from the final version of Star Trek : Beyond .
These small and often empty gestures toward representation are piling up , and it ’ s starting to feel more frustrating than no representation at all .
The Old Guard , of course , may not come close to the same level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the other above films .
But don ’ t underestimate the star power of a Charlize Theron in an action movie .
This is a big deal .
Hopefully , Marvel will take notes .
Watch The Old Guard on Netflix

In 2018, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige promised fans there would be LGBTQ characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rumors began to swirl that the Russo brothers were looking to cast their first queer superhero in Avengers: Endgame. Then, the day before Avengers: Endgame came out, co-director Joe Russo revealed the film would feature the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first-ever openly gay character, played by himself. Media outlets ran away with the headline, and LGBT Marvel fans, naturally, got excited.
They were let down. After all of fanfare and build-up, the first-ever gay character in the MCU was not a superhero. He wasn’t even really a character at all. He was just a cameo for Russo, as a random man in Captain America’s “Thanos snap” support group. In a roughly 30-second scene, Russo dropped male pronouns when talking about his partner who disappeared. And that’s it. We never saw him again. That will forever be the first-ever openly gay character in the MCU.
Compare that to the—spoiler alert—passionate kiss between two men in The Old Guard, the new Charlize Theron action movie on Netflix which is based on a comic of the same name. In retrospect, I had no reason to be as shocked as I was when Joe (Marwan Kenzari) declared his love for Nicky (Luca Marinelli) in an impassioned speech, followed by an equally impassioned kiss, about halfway into the film. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and writer Greg Rucka (who also wrote the comic) made it exceedingly clear in the first half of the film that Nicky and Joe, two immortal beings who met in The Crusades, are a couple.
“The love of my life was in the people I was taught to hate,” says Nicky with a smile, when he explains to the newest member of their group how they met. Before that, we see them spooning as they sleep. In another scene, Joe gives Nicky a flirtatious wink. You’d have to be watching this movie with your eyes closes and your fingers in your ears to think their relationship was platonic.
Yet years of throwaway virtue signaling when it comes to LGBT representation in mainstream action films had trained me to think Nicky and Joe’s obvious romance would remain in the shadows. I assumed the shared looks and lingering touches would stay in the background, leaving it to the fanfiction writers and fan artists to put their love center stage. I hadn’t read The Old Guard comic, and I didn’t know that writer Greg Rucka had stipulated in his contract that, whenever or however the film got made, it had to include that scene. So when it happened, well, it felt—and still does feel—like a huge freakin’ deal.
Nicky and Joe have just been kidnapped by armored guards, and Joe, concerned for Nicky’s well-being, asks if he’s OK. “That’s sweet,” one of the guards sneers. “What is he, your boyfriend?”
“You’re a child,” Joe responds. “He’s not my boyfriend. This man is more to me than you can dream. He’s the moon when I’m lost in darkness, and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium. His heart overflows with a kindness of which this world is not worthy. I love this man beyond measure and reason. He’s not my boyfriend. He is all, and he is more.”
“You’re an incurable romantic,” Nicky says as they gaze into each other’s eyes. Then they kiss.
It’s just as passionate, just as charged, and just as sensual as Han and Leia, Peter and MJ, Peter and Katniss, or any other heterosexual couple who’s had a big kiss moment in an action movie over the years. And honestly, I can’t recall an action movie with a scene like it. It: Chapter Two made clear that Bill Hader’s character was gay, but certainly didn’t include a kiss. J.K. Rowling declared Albus Dumbledore was gay after she wrapped her seven-book series, but the Fantastic Beasts prequel films, which show the wizard as a young man, opted not to make him “explicitly” gay. Sulu has a husband in the Star Trek films, but their kiss was cut from the final version of Star Trek: Beyond. These small and often empty gestures toward representation are piling up, and it’s starting to feel more frustrating than no representation at all.
The Old Guard, of course, may not come close to the same level of worldwide reach that Avengers: Endgame or the other above films. But don’t underestimate the star power of a Charlize Theron in an action movie. This is a big deal. Hopefully, Marvel will take notes.
Watch The Old Guard on Netflix


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Analog Devices to buy Maxim Integrated in $21B chipmaker deal

Analog Devices is buying rival chipmaker Maxim Integrated Products for about $ 21 billion , the companies announced Monday .
The massive all-stock acquisition will make Massachusetts-based Analog a semiconductor giant valued at more than $ 68 billion and give it a stronger foothold in markets such as autonomous vehicles and 5G communications networks .
Both companies make integrated circuits — tiny chips used in cellphones , computers and many other devices — and serve a wide range of industries such as health care , transportation and consumer markets .
“ ADI and Maxim share a passion for solving our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the increased breadth and depth of our combined technology and talent , we will be able to develop more complete , cutting-edge solutions , ” Analog President and CEO Vincent Roche said in a statement .
The news sent shares in California-based Maxim soaring 19.3 percent to $ 76.48 in premarket trading as of 7:29 a.m. , while Analog ’ s stock price was recently up 2.3 percent at $ 127.40 .
The terms of the deal will give Maxim stockholders 63 percent of an Analog share for each Maxim share they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 69 percent of the combined company and Maxim shareholders will own the other 31 percent , the companies said .
Two Maxim directors — including President and CEO Tunç Doluca — will join Analog ’ s board after the deal closes , which is expected to happen in the summer of next year , according to a news release .
The companies touted the tie-up as “ highly complementary ” given Maxim ’ s strength in the automotive and data center markets and Analog ’ s position in the digital health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combined firm is expected to bring in revenues of $ 8.2 billion .
“ Analog Devices ’ diverse market reach could help it hold up during a sharp , short-term pandemic-related disruption to demand and supply chains , ” Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Woo Jin Ho wrote in a Monday note .
“ Its strength in 5G , data-center communications , energy and government helps buffer the pandemic headwinds .
”

Analog Devices is buying rival chipmaker Maxim Integrated Products for about $21 billion, the companies announced Monday.
The massive all-stock acquisition will make Massachusetts-based Analog a semiconductor giant valued at more than $68 billion and give it a stronger foothold in markets such as autonomous vehicles and 5G communications networks.
Both companies make integrated circuits — tiny chips used in cellphones, computers and many other devices — and serve a wide range of industries such as health care, transportation and consumer markets.
“ADI and Maxim share a passion for solving our customers’ most complex problems, and with the increased breadth and depth of our combined technology and talent, we will be able to develop more complete, cutting-edge solutions,” Analog President and CEO Vincent Roche said in a statement.
The news sent shares in California-based Maxim soaring 19.3 percent to $76.48 in premarket trading as of 7:29 a.m., while Analog’s stock price was recently up 2.3 percent at $127.40.
The terms of the deal will give Maxim stockholders 63 percent of an Analog share for each Maxim share they own. Current Analog shareholders will own about 69 percent of the combined company and Maxim shareholders will own the other 31 percent, the companies said.
Two Maxim directors — including President and CEO Tunç Doluca — will join Analog’s board after the deal closes, which is expected to happen in the summer of next year, according to a news release.
The companies touted the tie-up as “highly complementary” given Maxim’s strength in the automotive and data center markets and Analog’s position in the digital health care, communications and industrial segments. The combined firm is expected to bring in revenues of $8.2 billion.
“Analog Devices’ diverse market reach could help it hold up during a sharp, short-term pandemic-related disruption to demand and supply chains,” Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Woo Jin Ho wrote in a Monday note. “Its strength in 5G, data-center communications, energy and government helps buffer the pandemic headwinds.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Kelly Preston, ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘What a Girl Wants’ Star, Dies at 57

Actress Kelly Preston has died of breast cancer at the age of 57 .
In a statement posted on Instagram , Preston ’ s husband John Travolta revealed that the actress passed away on Sunday , July 12 after a two-year battle with breast cancer .
Preston is best known for roles in What a Girl Wants , Jerry Maguire , and Mike Myers ’ 2003 adaptation of The Cat in the Hat .
“ It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
“ She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many .
My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center , all the medical centers that have helped , as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side.
” “ Kelly ’ s love and life will always be remembered , ” he continued .
“ I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you don ’ t hear from us for a while .
But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.
” In a statement provided to People , a family representative said that Preston did not reveal her breast cancer diagnosis out of a desire for privacy .
“ She had been undergoing medical treatment for some time , supported by her closest family and friends , ” said the rep. “ She was a bright , beautiful and loving soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought life to everything she touched .
Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time.
” Preston appeared in countless television and film projects over the past 30 years , including episodes of Hawaii Five-O ( her first official role ) , Joey , and CSI : Cyber .
Her breakout role came in 1985 with teen comedy Mischief , followed by larger roles in Twins ( 1988 ) and The Experts ( 1989 ) , where Preston and Travolta first met .
The couple married in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children : Jett , who tragically died while the family was on vacation in 2009 ; Ella , 20 ; and Benjamin , 10 .
Preston continued to appear in big-name projects throughout the 1990s and early 2000s , most notably Jerry Maguire , in which she plays Tom Cruise ’ s fiancée Avery , Amanda Bynes ’ What a Girl Wants , Sky High , and Casino Jack .
The actress most recently starred in Travolta ’ s 2018 biopic Gotti ; she is also expected to appear in Jules Williamson ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is currently in post-production .
Rest in Peace , Kelly Preston .
You will be missed .

Actress Kelly Preston has died of breast cancer at the age of 57. In a statement posted on Instagram, Preston’s husband John Travolta revealed that the actress passed away on Sunday, July 12 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Preston is best known for roles in What a Girl Wants, Jerry Maguire, and Mike Myers’ 2003 adaptation of The Cat in the Hat.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” Travolta wrote on Instagram late Sunday night. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side.”
“Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered,” he continued. “I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal.”
In a statement provided to People, a family representative said that Preston did not reveal her breast cancer diagnosis out of a desire for privacy. “She had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends,” said the rep. “She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time.”
Preston appeared in countless television and film projects over the past 30 years, including episodes of Hawaii Five-O (her first official role), Joey, and CSI: Cyber. Her breakout role came in 1985 with teen comedy Mischief, followed by larger roles in Twins (1988) and The Experts (1989), where Preston and Travolta first met.
The couple married in 1991 and went on to have three children: Jett, who tragically died while the family was on vacation in 2009; Ella, 20; and Benjamin, 10.
Preston continued to appear in big-name projects throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, most notably Jerry Maguire, in which she plays Tom Cruise’s fiancée Avery, Amanda Bynes’ What a Girl Wants, Sky High, and Casino Jack. The actress most recently starred in Travolta’s 2018 biopic Gotti; she is also expected to appear in Jules Williamson’s upcoming comedy Off the Rails, which is currently in post-production.
Rest in Peace, Kelly Preston. You will be missed.
Where to stream Jerry Maguire


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Breathe: Into The Shadows’ on Amazon Prime, A Promising Comeback for Abhishek

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Breathe: Into The Shadows’ on Amazon Prime, A Promising Comeback for Abhishek Bachchan

The name Bachchan carries weight in Indian entertainment .
Audiences have flocked to Amitabh Bachchan for years , and many expected his son Abhishek to pick up the mantle .
But for a while now , Junior Bachchan has had a fledgling Bollywood career and has largely receded from high-profile films , now starring in unknown projects that contrast deeply from his early career as a leading man ( seriously , one of his 2015 credits on IMDB is “ Man sitting down ” ) .
As global media expands more freely into episodic streaming storytelling , Abhishek is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new industry where some of his contemporaries ( like Saif Ali Khan ) have found success .
But is the second iteration of what is now the Breathe franchise the answer to his career woes ?
BREATHE : INTO THE SHADOWS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT ?
Opening Shot : An eerie overhead shot of an Indian town enveloped in the darkness of night slowly swoops low to land on a young woman with an anatomy textbook jamming out to music playing through her headphones instead of the religious service happening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avinash Sabharwal is a successful psychiatrist who is often summoned to court on matters of abnormal psychological behavior .
But at home , he ’ s a happy father to a young daughter , Siya—that is , until she goes missing at a birthday party .
Avinash and his wife Abha are despondent after months of searching , until they receive a ransom note that demands Avinash kill another man in return for Siya ’ s life .
Our Take : I won ’ t lie , I find these stories fascinating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone I love ?
The question is hard to answer until your back is against the wall .
This creates such an exciting space for fiction to flourish—imagining the scenarios that play out as your morality is at war with your heart .
Breathe : Into the Shadows ‘ s pilot is relatively strong in setting up the stakes for the season .
We spend time with Avinash ( Abhishek Bachchan ) at work , where he convincingly spews some medical jargon to prove that a murderer on trial is suffering from schizophrenia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extremely adorable relationship with both his wife Abha ( Nithya Menen ) and daughter Siya ( Ivana Kaur ) .
So when his idealistic life is torn from him , we are at least marginally upset and invested on his behalf .
But judging solely on the mechanics of the pilot , there are many loose ends or scenes that feel unrelated to anything happening in the surrounding plot .
One scene in particular stands out : in a dingy makeshift prison , a murder is attempted but not before the victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pouring rain .
It ’ s a classic Bollywood-style fight scene , but felt completely foreign in this show ( I literally had to rewind and make sure I was still watching the right episode because this scene came so out of left field , disconnected from anything that came before or after it ) .
I ’ m hoping these threads will come together in future episodes , but it felt jarring in both the tone and the visuals as compared to the rest of the episode .
Still , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Darkness is a nice comeback for Junior Bachchan .
He really shines as a doting father and that charm only bodes well for what will likely be his descent into madness .
Discovering Siya ’ s hand-drawn picture of their home , which they just witnessed her holding on the ransom video , inside the car parked on their driveway , Avinash has an indiscernible look on his face—surely contemplating the decision on his hands .
Sleeper Star : Abha , played by Nithya Menen , holds her own with Bachchan , embodying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Primarily a South Indian film star , her performance will likely be noticed by audiences across India as long as she is given enough to do in the remaining episodes .
Most Pilot-y Line : While not necessarily spoken aloud , the ransom note encapsulates the entire premise of the series : “ How far will you go to save your daughter ?
” The rest of the series will surely spend its time exploring the answer to that question .
Our Call : STREAM IT .
It ’ s not perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up an intriguing cat-and-mouse game that could develop into a worthy character study .
Radhika Menon ( @ menonrad ) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City .
Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine , Teen Vogue , and Brown Girl Magazine .
At any given moment , she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights , the University of Michigan , and the perfect slice of pizza .
You may call her Rad .
Watch Breathe : Into The Shadows on Amazon Prime

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The name Bachchan carries weight in Indian entertainment. Audiences have flocked to Amitabh Bachchan for years, and many expected his son Abhishek to pick up the mantle. But for a while now, Junior Bachchan has had a fledgling Bollywood career and has largely receded from high-profile films, now starring in unknown projects that contrast deeply from his early career as a leading man (seriously, one of his 2015 credits on IMDB is “Man sitting down”). As global media expands more freely into episodic streaming storytelling, Abhishek is the latest Bollywood star to turn to the new industry where some of his contemporaries (like Saif Ali Khan) have found success. But is the second iteration of what is now the Breathe franchise the answer to his career woes?
BREATHE: INTO THE SHADOWS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: An eerie overhead shot of an Indian town enveloped in the darkness of night slowly swoops low to land on a young woman with an anatomy textbook jamming out to music playing through her headphones instead of the religious service happening in front of her.
The Gist: Avinash Sabharwal is a successful psychiatrist who is often summoned to court on matters of abnormal psychological behavior. But at home, he’s a happy father to a young daughter, Siya—that is, until she goes missing at a birthday party. Avinash and his wife Abha are despondent after months of searching, until they receive a ransom note that demands Avinash kill another man in return for Siya’s life.
Our Take: I won’t lie, I find these stories fascinating. How far would I go to save someone I love? The question is hard to answer until your back is against the wall. This creates such an exciting space for fiction to flourish—imagining the scenarios that play out as your morality is at war with your heart.
Breathe: Into the Shadows‘s pilot is relatively strong in setting up the stakes for the season. We spend time with Avinash (Abhishek Bachchan) at work, where he convincingly spews some medical jargon to prove that a murderer on trial is suffering from schizophrenia, and at home where he has an extremely adorable relationship with both his wife Abha (Nithya Menen) and daughter Siya (Ivana Kaur). So when his idealistic life is torn from him, we are at least marginally upset and invested on his behalf.
But judging solely on the mechanics of the pilot, there are many loose ends or scenes that feel unrelated to anything happening in the surrounding plot. One scene in particular stands out: in a dingy makeshift prison, a murder is attempted but not before the victim fights back with his bulging muscles in the pouring rain. It’s a classic Bollywood-style fight scene, but felt completely foreign in this show (I literally had to rewind and make sure I was still watching the right episode because this scene came so out of left field, disconnected from anything that came before or after it). I’m hoping these threads will come together in future episodes, but it felt jarring in both the tone and the visuals as compared to the rest of the episode.
Still, all things considered, Breathe: Into the Darkness is a nice comeback for Junior Bachchan. He really shines as a doting father and that charm only bodes well for what will likely be his descent into madness.
Parting Shot: Discovering Siya’s hand-drawn picture of their home, which they just witnessed her holding on the ransom video, inside the car parked on their driveway, Avinash has an indiscernible look on his face—surely contemplating the decision on his hands.
Sleeper Star: Abha, played by Nithya Menen, holds her own with Bachchan, embodying a mother’s grief with ease. Primarily a South Indian film star, her performance will likely be noticed by audiences across India as long as she is given enough to do in the remaining episodes.
Most Pilot-y Line: While not necessarily spoken aloud, the ransom note encapsulates the entire premise of the series: “How far will you go to save your daughter?” The rest of the series will surely spend its time exploring the answer to that question.
Our Call: STREAM IT. It’s not perfect but Breathe: Into the Darkness sets up an intriguing cat-and-mouse game that could develop into a worthy character study.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
Watch Breathe: Into The Shadows on Amazon Prime


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--New Yorkers fear second coronavirus wave with worst yet to come

New York City just reached its first day in nearly ...

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Most New Yorkers think the worst of the coronavirus is yet to come even though the numbers of COVID-19 cases and reported deaths have dropped dramatically in the Empire State after a brutal spring, according to a new poll released Monday.
The Siena College survey found that 62 percent of state voters think the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is still to come while only 27 percent think the worst is over.
While COVID cases have raged in other Southern and Western states as New York has stabilized, residents worry the killer virus will return here with a vengeance.
A larger majority — 82 percent — of respondents think it is either very (39 percent) or somewhat (43 percent) likely New York will face another outbreak of the coronavirus in the fall. Only 17 percent said such an outbreak was unlikely.
Meanwhile, 78 percent of residents said they are very or somewhat concerned that they or a member of their family will get infected with COVID-19.
New Yorkers made it clear what when it comes to COVID-19, they prefer to err on the side of public health over jump-starting the economy.
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The poll found that 70 percent of residents prefer that the government’s priority be containing the spread of the coronavirus — even if it hurts the economy.
Only 22 percent back restarting the economy, even it means increasing the risk to public health.
“Majorities of every demographic, except Republicans, think that we haven’t seen the worst of the pandemic, and majorities of every demographic want the government to concentrate on containing the virus even if the economy suffers,” said Siena College polling director Don Levy.
“Nearly 80 percent are concerned that they, or another member of their household, will get sick with COVID-19.”
A majority of respondents — 56 percent — said they would not resume family gatherings without social distancing while 44 percent said they likely would.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents — 64 percent — said they’re comfortable with engaging in outdoor dining, compared to 35 percent who aren’t.
But the script was flipped when it comes to eating in the indoor areas of a restaurant — with 65 percent saying they are uncomfortable doing that right now compared with 35 percent who are comfortable.
The phasing in of indoor dining was postponed in New York City because of concerns about spreading COVID-19 after seeing an increase in other states that fully opened their restaurants.
A strong majority of New Yorkers would feel comfortable partaking in some recreational activities: 64 percent of respondents said they would enjoy playing tennis or golf, 61 percent would go to a park or playground, 60 percent would go to a barbershop or salon, and 56 percent would visit a beach or lakeshore.
Looking to the future of education, 64 percent of New Yorkers think it’s likely their neighborhood schools will reopen in September. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the schools would reopen, though students would alternate between taking classes in person and online to adhere to social distancing.
The survey also asked about race relations in New York: 81 percent think systemic racism is either a very or somewhat serious problem in the state.
One-third of all voters and 71 percent of blacks across the state said they often witness or hear about people in New York being discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity. Only 29 percent of residents say they seldom or never hear of racial or ethnic discrimination.
Many New Yorkers said they actively oppose discrimination or are racially tolerant — 53 percent described themselves as “anti-racist” and 36 percent said they were “not racist.”
“New Yorkers agree, systemic racism is a problem. Dramatic majorities of every demographic by party, age, race and region think systemic racism is at least a somewhat serious if not a very serious problem,” Levy said.
The Siena poll queried more than 400 New Yorkers from June 28 to July 8 and has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--1-year-old boy dead after being shot at NYC cookout

Her unborn son is also dead .

The 1-year-old boy who was shot in the stomach during a cookout at a Brooklyn park has died of his injuries, cops confirmed Monday.
The baby, in addition to three men, was shot around 11:35 p.m. Sunday in front of Raymond Bush Playground at Madison Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bedford-Stuyvesant, police sources said.
As many as three suspects drove up in a dark SUV and parked in front of the victims. They hopped out of the vehicle and opened fire, sources said.
The baby was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was initially expected to survive. He was pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m., according to sources.
Previous 1 of 6 Next Advertisement The mom of the 1-year-old boy shot and killed in Brooklyn G.N.Miller/NYPost The police are investigating the killing of a baby in front of 466 Madison St. in Brooklyn. G.N.Miller/NYPost Advertisement The police are investigating the killing of a baby in front of 466 Madison St. in Brooklyn. G.N.Miller/NYPost The police are investigating the killing of a baby in front of 466 Madison St. in Brooklyn. G.N.Miller/NYPost Advertisement
His name was not immediately released by police.
The three men, ages 27, 35 and 36, were also hospitalized and expected to survive, sources and police said. They were shot in the ankle, groin and leg, respectively.
The shooting came amid a recent surge in gunplay across the city.
Also on Sunday night, two boys, ages 12 and 15, were wounded in separate shootings in Brooklyn and Harlem.


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio among US officials sanctioned by China

China has sanctioned US Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz , its foreign ministry announced Monday .
Rubio ( R-Fla. @ @ @ @ @ . )
, two staunch China critics , were listed alongside Rep. Chris Smith ( @ @ @ @ @ , Donald Trump ’ s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom , by Chinese Foreign Ministry @ @ @ @ @ announcement of the sanctions .
Hua said the sanctions would go into effect on Monday @ @ @ @ @ go into detail about what they would entail .
All four will be banned from @ @ @ @ @ .
The spokeswoman said this move is retaliation for actions taken by the US to @ @ @ @ @ of Uighur Muslims , a minority ethnic group being forcibly detained in concentration camps in @ @ @ @ @ efforts by the US and those four actors “ seriously damaged China-U.S. relations.
” Senators @ @ @ @ @ t immediately respond to the Post ’ s request for comment .

China has sanctioned GOP Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz after the US accused Beijing of committing human rights abuses in its treatment of a Muslim group, its foreign ministry announced Monday.
Rubio of Florida and Cruz of Texas, two staunch China critics, were listed alongside Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sam Brownback, President Trump’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in her announcement of the sanctions.
Hua said the sanctions would go into effect on Monday, though she did not go into detail about what they would entail.
All four will be banned from traveling to the Communist country.
The spokeswoman said the sanctions are in retaliation for actions taken against the Communist Party by the US as punishment for its treatment of Uighur Muslims, a minority ethnic group being forcibly detained in concentration camps in China.
Hua argued that efforts by the US and those four actors “seriously damaged China-U.S. relations.”
Rubio, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, responded on Twitter.
“The Communist Party of #China has banned me from entering the country,” he said. “I guess they don’t like me?”
In a statement, Cruz said “the Chinese Communist Party is terrified and lashing out.”
“They forced over one million Uighurs into concentration camps and engaged in ethnic cleansing, including horrific forced abortions and sterilizations.
These are egregious human rights atrocities that cannot be tolerated,” her said in the statement. “Unfortunately for CCP leaders, I don’t have plans to travel to the authoritarian regime that covered up the coronavirus pandemic and endangered millions of lives worldwide.”
The Trump administration last week slapped sanctions on three Chinese Communist Party officials.
Under the sanctions, the three are prohibited from traveling to the US.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have eroded because of the coronavirus pandemic, trade issues and China’s strict national security law that cracks down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The Uighurs have been confined in camps with no access to due process and are forced to denounce their religion and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and President Xi Jinping.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Amber Heard allegedly threw ‘haymaker’ at Johnny Depp after he lost $750M

“ Did you intend to headbutt her ?
” his lawyer , David Sherborne , ...

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Johnny Depp on Monday claimed then-wife Amber Heard hit him with a “haymaker” punch the same night someone pooped in his bed — hours after he found out he’d lost a staggering $750 million.
“Since ‘Pirates [of the Caribbean]’ 2 and 3, I had — and this is ludicrous to have to state, it’s quite embarrassing — apparently I had made $650 million,” the 57-year-old star admitted in London’s High Court.
But on his wife’s 30th birthday in April 2016, he had a “bad meeting” concerning his former business manager, who he told the court had “stolen my money.”
“I had not only lost $650 million, but I was $100 million in the hole because they had not paid the government my taxes for 17 years,” Depp told the court.
He agreed that he may have smoked cannabis between leaving the “very unpleasant and ugly” meeting and attending his wife’s party at their LA penthouse that night.
“It’s a calming agent for me,” Depp told the court of the drug.
Depp’s lawyer, David Sherborne, pointed out that a nurse at the party, Erin Boerum, made notes calling Depp “coherent,” “sociable” and “affectionate,” while Heard “appeared irritable and upset” and “angry with her husband because he’s late.”
The actor was previously accused of hurling a magnum bottle of champagne at his wife that night, pushing her to the floor, yanking her by the hair and leaving a note saying, “Happy f–king birthday.”
But on Monday, he insisted Heard was the violent one — pointing to a secret recording she made three months later that captured him telling her, “You f–king haymakered me, man.”
“You came around the bed to f—–g start punching on me,” he said on the tape, the court was told.
Asked to elaborate on what a “haymaker” was, Depp explained, “It’s just a type of wild swinging … kind of a roundhouse punch, as it were. It’s a bit of a wild swing but effective if it reaches the target.”
The court was told Heard was furious that her husband had gone to bed to read on her birthday.
“Under the circumstances of being harangued and forced into some argument or altercation, I didn’t think that it was the wrong thing to do,” Depp insisted. “I thought it was best to remove myself from the argument because it seemed ridiculous to me.”
The actor was then asked if that was something he did only once during arguments, to which he said: “No sir, quite a lot.”
It was the same night that Depp previously claimed “Heard herself or one of her cohorts” had left human feces in his bed, which he said his wife dismissed as a “harmless prank.”
The “defecation incident” was the moment he finally decided to end the marriage, he previously told the court.
Depp stepped off the witness stand Monday in his lawsuit against The Sun newspaper over an April 2018 article that called him a “wife-beater,” which he again repeatedly denied.
He was initially only expected to be on the stand until last Thursday, but his often startling testimony dragged out over five days.
As he finally left the witness box Monday, he smiled and said to one of the court ushers, “I’m gonna miss you.”
Depp is also suing Heard for $50 million in the US for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post article about domestic abuse. That case is due to be heard next year.
The “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” star’s money problems resulted in a previous legal battle in which he was accused of blowing $30,000 a month on wine.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Nicole Thea, pregnant YouTube star, dies at 24

Nicole Thea , a YouTube personality , dancer and accessories designer , has died at 24 .
The UK-based social media influencer was best-known for posting videos documenting her pregnancy , which was eight months along , and the cause of death is unconfirmed at this time .
Her unborn son is also dead .
Thea ’ s mother revealed the news Sunday in an Instagram post to Thea ’ s more than 166,000 followers : “ To all Nicole ’ s friends and supporters it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Nicole and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boga named Reign sadly passed away on Saturday morning , ” she wrote .
“ As a family we ask that you give us privacy because our hearts are truly broken and we are struggling to cope with what has happened , ” she continued .
“ Thank you her mum RIP My beautiful baby girl Nicnac and my grandson Reign , I will miss you for the rest of my life until we meet again in eternal heaven.
” Thea ’ s mom also pointed out that her daughter — also known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had some pre-scheduled several videos that will still be posted to her channel in the days to come .
She said Thea ’ s partner , street dancer Global Boga , “ has made the decision to allow them to be aired.
” In April , Thea announced her pregnancy in an Instagram video showing off her baby bump while dancing with Boga .
“ We can ’ t hide this any longer , secrets out … GOD gave us the biggest blessing yet .
I ’ m finally creating a beautiful little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caption read .
“ Honestly , @ global_boga has been the best support EVER and GOD made no mistakes making him the father … We are already obsessed with you our little miracle baby .
Thank you for choosing us to be your parents and best friends.
” Last Tuesday , she posted an Instagram affirmation calling for “ a month full of happiness , health and financial abundance .
AMEN .
”

Nicole Thea, a YouTube personality, dancer and accessories designer, has died at 24.
The UK-based social media influencer was best known for posting videos documenting her pregnancy, which was eight months along, and the cause of death is unconfirmed at this time. Her unborn son is also dead.
Thea’s mother revealed the news Sunday in an Instagram post to Thea’s more than 182,000 followers: “To all Nicole’s friends and supporters it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Nicole and her son she and [her partner] Boga named Reign sadly passed away on Saturday morning,” she wrote.
“As a family we ask that you give us privacy because our hearts are truly broken and we are struggling to cope with what has happened,” she continued. “Thank you her mum RIP My beautiful baby girl Nicnac and my grandson Reign, I will miss you for the rest of my life until we meet again in eternal heaven.”
Thea’s mom also pointed out that her daughter — also known for her jewelry and eyelash lines — had pre-scheduled several videos that will still be posted to her channel in the days to come. She said Thea’s partner, street dancer Global Boga, “has made the decision to allow them to be aired.”
In April, Thea announced her pregnancy in an Instagram video showing off her baby bump while dancing with Boga.
“We can’t hide this any longer, secrets out … GOD gave us the biggest blessing yet. I’m finally creating a beautiful little human inside of me,” the caption read. “Honestly, @global_boga has been the best support EVER and GOD made no mistakes making him the father … We are already obsessed with you our little miracle baby. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents and best friends.”
Last Tuesday, she posted an Instagram affirmation calling for “a month full of happiness, health and financial abundance. AMEN.”
Thea’s latest YouTube video — behind-the-scenes coverage of a pregnancy photo shoot — was posted Sunday to her 88,700 subscribers.


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Johnny Depp denies headbutting Amber Heard, claims ‘foreheads may have clashed’

Audio of the disturbing exchange was played in London 's High ...

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Johnny Depp on Monday denied deliberately headbutting his wife Amber Heard — claiming their “foreheads may have clashed” only as he tried to restrain her from assaulting him.
Depp, 57, was asked about the “litany of violence” he is accused of inflicting on his then-wife in their LA penthouse the night before Heard was due to appear on James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” in December 2015.
Depp — giving evidence in London court for the fifth day in his libel trial — insisted any injuries would have come while he grabbed Heard to “lock her arms” and stop her attacks on him.
“Did you intend to headbutt her?” his lawyer, David Sherborne, asked in London’s High Court.
“Not at all,” Depp insisted.
Depp also blamed his wife for arranging a meeting while she had a restraining order against him, during which she recorded him discussing the “headbutt” incident.
“I headbutted you in the f—ing … forehead. That doesn’t break a nose,” he was taped saying, the court was told.
Asked if he had “invented” the accidental clashing of heads to explain the recording, Depp replied, “Certainly not, no.”
Depp’s lawyer also noted a text message Heard’s father, David Heard, sent in the aftermath of the alleged incident, in which he said he knew his daughter needed help with her temper, as the actor did for his problems with drink and drugs.
“But I still love you like a father or brother,” Heard’s father wrote.
Asked if he would ever send such a message to anyone who his daughter said had viciously attacked her, Depp replied, “Definitely not.”
Depp is suing The Sun over an April 2018 article that said he was a “wife-beater,” which he denies — and instead says his “sociopathic” ex-wife was the violent one in their marriage.
Depp is also suing Heard for $50 million in the US for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post article about domestic abuse. That case is due to be heard next year.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Why Ghislaine Maxwell may be granted bail at upcoming arraignment

Ghislaine Maxwell moved at least 36 times across the US ...

Ghislaine Maxwell will learn whether she’ll have to stay in jail pending her trial on sex-trafficking charges when she’s arraigned Tuesday — with former prosecutors saying her release is not completely out of the question.
The coronavirus outbreak in the federal prison system — and the fact Maxwell didn’t flee the country after ex-lover Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide — may save her from languishing in a federal jail cell, former federal prosecutor Jaimie Nawaday told The Post.
“I think this one is a close case. Epstein had no chance at all at bail. She’s in a very different position,” Nawaday said.
In a detention memo filed after Maxwell’s arrest, prosecutors argued for remand, saying she’s an “extreme” flight risk given her vast sums of money, three passports and ties to European countries such as England and France.
Under normal circumstances, that might have been enough to keep her in jail — but the coronavirus outbreak has upended typical bail agreements, Nawaday added.
“All bail arguments look a little bit different now given COVID. That’s definitely in her favor,” Nawaday said. “More and more there is a push toward home confinement, especially holding people pretrial, when you still have the presumption of innocence.”
Nawaday, who used to work in the Southern District of New York office that is prosecuting Maxwell, added that she would guess that Manhattan federal Judge Alison Nathan would release Maxwell to home confinement.
Another former prosecutor who worked in the SDNY, Jennifer Rodgers, disagreed, saying Maxwell would likely be remanded into custody.
“Maxwell has wealth, multiple passports, strong connections outside of the US, and a strong incentive to flee given the serious penalties she faces. The argument that she is a flight risk is strong,” Rodgers said.
She added that even though the coronavirus adds an unknown factor, Maxwell may not have a very strong case to be released because of the pandemic.
“Unless there are underlying health issues that haven’t been reported, Maxwell is healthy and not old enough at 58 to fall in a high-risk group, so I don’t think the COVID crisis will work in her favor,” Rodgers said.
Maxwell faces 35 years in prison for allegedly procuring underage girls in the US and in England for Epstein to sexually abuse. Prosecutors also say she lied about her alleged crimes under oath during a deposition.
Maxwell’s attorneys argued in a memo filed last week that she should be released on $5 million bond if she agrees to turn over her travel documents and remain in the New York area until her trial or plea agreement.
They argued that although Maxwell vanished after Epstein’s suicide last year, she hid in the United States and did not flee to Europe.
Nawaday agreed this will weigh in her favor at Tuesday’s bail hearing.
“She obviously could have left the country, she didn’t. She was keeping a low profile here. I don’t think that shows a risk of flight,” she said.


newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Snakebite sends biker racing for antivenom

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How to identify a copperhead snake? Mountain bike enthusiast Marshall Mosher learned the hard way after a deadly snake bit him on a nature trail in Atlanta, Georgia. Watch his heart-racing journey here, and find out why the outdoorsman — and “Inside the Adventure” podcast host — decided not to go to the emergency room.
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newyorkpost--2020-07-13--Johnny Depp says he couldn’t have hit Amber Heard with cast on after severing finger

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Johnny Depp told a London court Monday that he got a “ painful ” MRSA infection from severing his finger during a vicious fight with ex Amber Heard — and insisted he couldn ’ t have beat her with his injured hand in a cast .
Depp , giving his fifth day of evidence in his libel suit against The Sun newspaper , recalled the ongoing pain with his nasty injury that he said came after Heard threw vodka bottles at him .
“ I flew back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the finger and , at that time , they had put a pin in it , in the broken bone , the fractured bone , but to no avail , ” he told London ’ s High Court .
He “ ended up getting MRSA , it ’ s quite a painful disease , ” he said .
The cast he ended up wearing — with a “ little dinosaur ” on it to be “ more fun ” — made it impossible to attack his wife in the way she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His lawyer , David Sherborne , asked him , “ With that cast on , would you have been able to grab her hair with one hand and punch her repeatedly with the other ?
” The 57-year-old actor also denied attacking his wife during their honeymoon in July 2015 on a train in southeast Asia , saying their security guard , Malcolm Connolly , was with them the entire trip .
Depp is suing The Sun over an April 2018 article that said he was a “ wife-beater , ” which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sociopathic ” ex-wife was the violent one in their marriage .
Depp is also suing Heard for $ 50 million in the US for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post article about domestic abuse .
That case is due to be heard next year .

Johnny Depp told a London court Monday that he got a “painful” MRSA infection from severing his finger during a vicious fight with ex Amber Heard — and insisted he couldn’t have beat her with his injured hand in a cast.
Depp, giving his fifth day of evidence in his libel suit against The Sun newspaper, recalled the ongoing pain with his nasty injury that he said came after Heard threw vodka bottles at him.
“I flew back from Australia to LA to have surgery on the finger and, at that time, they had put a pin in it, in the broken bone, the fractured bone, but to no avail,” he told London’s High Court.
He “ended up getting MRSA, it’s quite a painful disease,” he said.
The cast he ended up wearing — with a “little dinosaur” on it to be “more fun” — made it impossible to attack his wife in the way she has claimed, he told the court.
His lawyer, David Sherborne, asked him, “With that cast on, would you have been able to grab her hair with one hand and punch her repeatedly with the other?”
Depp insisted, “No sir.”
The 57-year-old actor also denied attacking his wife during their honeymoon in July 2015 on a train in southeast Asia, saying their security guard, Malcolm Connolly, was with them the entire trip.
Depp is suing The Sun over an April 2018 article that said he was a “wife-beater,” which he denies — and instead says his “sociopathic” ex-wife was the violent one in their marriage.
Depp is also suing Heard for $50 million in the US for allegedly defaming him in a Washington Post article about domestic abuse. That case is due to be heard next year.
With Post wires