newyorkpost--2020-06-19--Thomas Jefferson monument bashers no better than the Taliban

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men ...

In this week’s episode of things we were told would never happen, members of the New York City Council, including the speaker, are demanding that a statue of Thomas Jefferson be removed from City Hall.
Not Jefferson Davis, but Thomas Jefferson, the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence. First they came for the Confederate statues, then they came for Columbus, now Jefferson. In Portland, a statue of George Washington was felled by a furious mob of bloody-minded progressives.
Let us be completely clear. There is no discernable difference between leftists tearing down statues of Jefferson and Washington and the Taliban destroying Buddhist temples. None, zero, zip.
In both cases, arrogant fools presume not just to know what is best for everyone today, but what is best for everyone in the future. The thing about destroying art is that the people who do it always think they have a really good reason.
And why does this statue of a man whose words have promised the flower of freedom to multitudes across the globe have to go? Because he owned slaves. There is no thinking person in the world today that believes slavery was anything but a moral abomination; it is a black mark against the Founders. It is one they were well aware of — Jefferson himself called slavery a “moral depravity.”
Jefferson did not live up to his own ideal. But with the Declaration he announced a new ideal, a credo never before codified, the ideal that all men are created equal. And regardless of what the ahistorical hysterics of the 1619 Project claim, America has moved closer to that ideal throughout every step of our history and remains a beacon of freedom in the world.
That is why we celebrate Thomas Jefferson. If we cannot honor his words while acknowledging his flaws, then no one is safe. No one can live up to the perfection of the raucous Jacobins parading in our cities — not even themselves. They will face guillotines of their own making eventually, as they always do.
For council members to try to erase his contribution to mankind is a desecration worthy of Communist China and the Cultural Revolution. It is deeply un-American and sows nothing but the seeds of chaos and division.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--At least 30 LSU football players in quarantine after coronavirus spike

Another college football powerhouse has been hit hard by the coronavirus .
At least 30 of the 115 players in the LSU Tigers football program are now in quarantine this week because of virus-related concerns , according to a Sports Illustrated report on Saturday .
The numbers are fluctuating based on test results .
Not all of the players in isolation have the virus , some are in quarantine because they had contact with those who tested positive , according to SI .
None of the players or any LSU staff member has had to be hospitalized because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mild symptoms , according to the website .
Top LSU athletic department officials declined to comment , citing medical privacy laws , but they did refer SI to Shelly Mullenix , the school ’ s long-time senior associate athletic director .
Mullenix said LSU ’ s situation is on par with more positive cases around the country related to the Memorial Day holiday and the big , widespread protest gatherings .
But she declined to confirm the number of players who have been quarantine .
“ It ’ s not surprising we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mullenix told the website .
“ It ’ s a pandemic .
We should not be shocked .
The story is that it ’ s exactly what we said it would be .
We were prepared from the get-go for a lot of virus .
The good news is we ’ re seeing subtle virus illness.
” LSU ’ s rival , the Clemson Tigers , who they defeated in the national title game last season , also has been hit hard by the coronavirus .
On Friday , the school announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for COVID-19 since returning to school on June 8 , but did not specify which sport .
According to The Athletic , 23 of those positive tests were football players .
The Clemson Insider also reported that two of the team ’ s coaches tested positive .

Another college football powerhouse has been hit hard by the coronavirus.
At least 30 of the 115 players in the LSU Tigers football program are now in quarantine this week because of virus-related concerns, according to a Sports Illustrated report on Saturday. The numbers are fluctuating based on test results. Not all of the players in isolation have the virus, some are in quarantine because they had contact with those who tested positive, according to SI.
None of the players or any LSU staff member has had to be hospitalized because of the virus and few have experienced effects beyond mild symptoms, according to the website.
Top LSU athletic department officials declined to comment, citing medical privacy laws, but they did refer SI to Shelly Mullenix, the school’s long-time senior associate athletic director.
Mullenix said LSU’s situation is on par with more positive cases around the country related to the Memorial Day holiday and the big, widespread protest gatherings. But she declined to confirm the number of players who have been quarantine.
“It’s not surprising we’re seeing the rise right now,” Mullenix told the website. “It’s a pandemic. We should not be shocked. The story is that it’s exactly what we said it would be. We were prepared from the get-go for a lot of virus. The good news is we’re seeing subtle virus illness.”
LSU’s rival, the Clemson Tigers, who they defeated in the national title game last season, also has been hit hard by the coronavirus.
On Friday, the school announced that 28 student-athletes or staff members had tested positive for COVID-19 since returning to school on June 8, but did not specify which sport. According to The Athletic, 23 of those positive tests were football players. The Clemson Insider also reported that two of the team’s coaches tested positive.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Ford v Ferrari’ on HBO, an Auto-Racing Flick That’s a Slick Slab of Hollywood

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Ford v Ferrari’ on HBO, an Auto-Racing Flick That’s a Slick Slab of Hollywood Gold

Now streaming via HBO , Ford v Ferrari is a movie dramatizing how Ford Motor Company threw piles and piles of money into an auto-racing venture in order to engineer victory at Le Mans , and is a prime example of 20th Century Fox throwing piles and piles of money into a moviemaking venture in order to engineer victory at the box office and on Oscar night .
It worked for both parties — Ford knocked Ferrari off its perennial victory perch , and the film took home $ 225 million , a best picture nom and wins for editing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
FORD V FERRARI : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT ?
The Gist : At 7,000 rpm , racecar drivers turn into god damn poets .
Carroll Shelby ( Matt Damon ) narrates : The world falls away and your perspective widens like a new day dawning on the horizon ; the engine roar becomes a serene hum ; gears gear up and carburetors carburete and monkeys wrench in blissful harmony .
You know , stuff like that .
It ’ s 1959 , and Shelby is driving at Le Mans , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pinnacle of human auto-driving achievement .
He accidentally catches fire during a pit stop , but smothers it and keeps on going .
He wins , becoming the first American to do so , but a heart condition forces him into retirement soon after , into a life of selling cars like a total normie .
Meanwhile , in a Ford boardroom , marketing swami Lee Iacocca ( Jon Bernthal ) pitches an idea at harrumphmeister Henry Ford II ’ s ( Tracy Letts ) swollen frog neck : boost flagging sales by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy out Ferrari , which is financially strapped despite winning Le Mans every stinking year , but fail mightily when Enzo Ferrari ( Remo Girone ) calls Mr. Ford a bloated sack of protoplasm , or something like that .
So with fire and probably 16 hamburgers in his belly , Ford calls up Shelby , hands him a blank check , and tells him to beat those ( insert slurs for Italians here ) at Le Mans .
The first guy Shelby visits is his old pal Ken Miles ( Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a failing garage but a feel for the wheel and track like no other .
Miles is cocky like the ocean is slightly damp .
He ’ s good and he knows it , and his wife ( Caitriona Balfe ) and son ( Noah Jupe ) adore him .
He starts his new corporate gig on an ostentatious note , telling Ford muckity-muck Leo Beebe ( Josh Lucas ) that the new Mustang is “ a secretary ’ s car.
” His knowledge and skill always , always , always back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t matter when smirking corporate jerkoffs are concerned — Shelby is caught in the middle as Beebe makes sure Miles stays home for the ’ 65 Le Mans , where Ford blows this and burns up that and just generally all-around eats shit .
This puts the old man ’ s lugnuts in a real pinch .
Same for Miles , who introduces his fist to Shelby ’ s schnozz soon as he gets back from France , and they roll around in the yard , putting each other in headlocks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walloping each other with loaves of Wonder Bread like quarreling brothers .
Mrs .
Miles pulls up a lawn chair for the show , then fetches them a cold Coca-Cola .
Next year will be different .
Next .
Year .
Will .
Be .
Different .
What Movies Will It Remind You Of ?
: Steve McQueen vehicle Le Mans is an obvious one .
It also inevitably begs comparison to everything from Days of Thunder to Talladega Nights to , um , Stroker Ace to , uh , The Love Bug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Cannonball Run and Death Race 2000 .
Performance Worth Watching : Sure , the headliners here offer big , showy , crowd-pleasing performances , Bale talking himself through tricky corners and 200 mph straightaways in a Brummie brogue , Damon delivering whiz-bang line-readings , a cleverly rendered picture of brash confidence .
But as Shelby team engineer Phil Remington , Ray McKinnon is the film ’ s gentle heart ; after Miles survives a scary crash , he shares a moment with young Jupe that ’ s perfectly sweet and melancholy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Go back to Michigan to your big ugly factory making its ugly little cars and tell your pig-headed boss that all his smug executives are worthless sons of whores.
” — Enzo Ferrari throws down the gauntlet Sex and Skin : None .
No time for love when you ’ re feeling the vibrations of pistons pumping and pumping and pumping inside a scorching-hot engine block .
Our Take : Just because it ’ s not about Formula 1 doesn ’ t mean Ford v Ferrari isn ’ t formulaic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t mean it isn ’ t wildly entertaining .
And just because it pits one luminary giant against another in a braggadocio war doesn ’ t mean it ’ s a bloated two-and-a-half-hour CGI suck-o-rama like Batman v Superman .
Director James Mangold shifted from two Wolverine movies to this piece of highly polished Hollywood machinery , bringing together many elements of superior mainstream filmmaking for our highly satisfying pleasure : invigorating sound , fab photography , lively practical visual effects , charismatic performances , propulsive editing , exquisite pacing , snappy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and perfectly timed comic exaggeration ; expertly executed racing sequences grip the road tight .
Its rogues-against-the-suits and arrogant Americans-against-snooty Italians conflicts are modulated for maximum rah-rah light-drama heavy-comedy effect .
Is it corny ?
A little .
Is it a bit too long ?
Sure .
Is it loads of fun ?
Absolutely .
Our Call : STREAM IT .
Mangold is a true pro .
If you ’ re going to make a heightened-reality version of a true story in the classical sense , Ford v Ferrari is how you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter : @ johnserba .

Now streaming via HBO, Ford v Ferrari is a movie dramatizing how Ford Motor Company threw piles and piles of money into an auto-racing venture in order to engineer victory at Le Mans, and is a prime example of 20th Century Fox throwing piles and piles of money into a moviemaking venture in order to engineer victory at the box office and on Oscar night. It worked for both parties — Ford knocked Ferrari off its perennial victory perch, and the film took home $225 million, a best picture nom and wins for editing and sound — so hooray for corporations!
FORD V FERRARI: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: At 7,000 rpm, racecar drivers turn into god damn poets. Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) narrates: The world falls away and your perspective widens like a new day dawning on the horizon; the engine roar becomes a serene hum; gears gear up and carburetors carburete and monkeys wrench in blissful harmony. You know, stuff like that. It’s 1959, and Shelby is driving at Le Mans, a grueling 24-hour race that’s the pinnacle of human auto-driving achievement. He accidentally catches fire during a pit stop, but smothers it and keeps on going. He wins, becoming the first American to do so, but a heart condition forces him into retirement soon after, into a life of selling cars like a total normie.
Meanwhile, in a Ford boardroom, marketing swami Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) pitches an idea at harrumphmeister Henry Ford II’s (Tracy Letts) swollen frog neck: boost flagging sales by getting into auto racing. They try to buy out Ferrari, which is financially strapped despite winning Le Mans every stinking year, but fail mightily when Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) calls Mr. Ford a bloated sack of protoplasm, or something like that. So with fire and probably 16 hamburgers in his belly, Ford calls up Shelby, hands him a blank check, and tells him to beat those (insert slurs for Italians here) at Le Mans.
The first guy Shelby visits is his old pal Ken Miles (Christian Bale), a hot-tempered British-born mechanic with a failing garage but a feel for the wheel and track like no other. Miles is cocky like the ocean is slightly damp. He’s good and he knows it, and his wife (Caitriona Balfe) and son (Noah Jupe) adore him. He starts his new corporate gig on an ostentatious note, telling Ford muckity-muck Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) that the new Mustang is “a secretary’s car.” His knowledge and skill always, always, always back up his assertions. But it doesn’t matter when smirking corporate jerkoffs are concerned — Shelby is caught in the middle as Beebe makes sure Miles stays home for the ’65 Le Mans, where Ford blows this and burns up that and just generally all-around eats shit.
This puts the old man’s lugnuts in a real pinch. Same for Miles, who introduces his fist to Shelby’s schnozz soon as he gets back from France, and they roll around in the yard, putting each other in headlocks, Miles’ bag of groceries scattering, walloping each other with loaves of Wonder Bread like quarreling brothers. Mrs. Miles pulls up a lawn chair for the show, then fetches them a cold Coca-Cola. Next year will be different. Next. Year. Will. Be. Different.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Steve McQueen vehicle Le Mans is an obvious one. It also inevitably begs comparison to everything from Days of Thunder to Talladega Nights to, um, Stroker Ace to, uh, The Love Bug and, sure why not, Cars and The Cannonball Run and Death Race 2000.
Performance Worth Watching: Sure, the headliners here offer big, showy, crowd-pleasing performances, Bale talking himself through tricky corners and 200 mph straightaways in a Brummie brogue, Damon delivering whiz-bang line-readings, a cleverly rendered picture of brash confidence. But as Shelby team engineer Phil Remington, Ray McKinnon is the film’s gentle heart; after Miles survives a scary crash, he shares a moment with young Jupe that’s perfectly sweet and melancholy.
Memorable Dialogue: TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN: “Go back to Michigan to your big ugly factory making its ugly little cars and tell your pig-headed boss that all his smug executives are worthless sons of whores.” — Enzo Ferrari throws down the gauntlet
Sex and Skin: None. No time for love when you’re feeling the vibrations of pistons pumping and pumping and pumping inside a scorching-hot engine block.
Our Take: Just because it’s not about Formula 1 doesn’t mean Ford v Ferrari isn’t formulaic. Just because it’s formulaic doesn’t mean it isn’t wildly entertaining. And just because it pits one luminary giant against another in a braggadocio war doesn’t mean it’s a bloated two-and-a-half-hour CGI suck-o-rama like Batman v Superman.
Director James Mangold shifted from two Wolverine movies to this piece of highly polished Hollywood machinery, bringing together many elements of superior mainstream filmmaking for our highly satisfying pleasure: invigorating sound, fab photography, lively practical visual effects, charismatic performances, propulsive editing, exquisite pacing, snappy script. Dialogue-driven scenes burst with color and perfectly timed comic exaggeration; expertly executed racing sequences grip the road tight. Its rogues-against-the-suits and arrogant Americans-against-snooty Italians conflicts are modulated for maximum rah-rah light-drama heavy-comedy effect. Is it corny? A little. Is it a bit too long? Sure. Is it loads of fun? Absolutely.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Mangold is a true pro. If you’re going to make a heightened-reality version of a true story in the classical sense, Ford v Ferrari is how you do it.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
Stream Ford v Ferrari on HBO Go
Stream Ford v Ferrari on HBO Max
Stream Ford v Ferrari on HBO Now


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Trump campaign blames protests, media for modest rally crowd in Tulsa

Even in a pandemic , democracy marches on .
Polls are open ...

President Trump’s return to the campaign trail Saturday is finding a smaller-than-advertised crowd in Tulsa, Okla. — and his aides are pointing fingers.
“Sadly, protesters interfered with supporters, even blocking access to metal detectors, which prevented people from entering the rally,” campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said about an hour before Trump was set to take the stage at the 19,000-seat BOK Center.
Campaign manager Brad Parscale had touted more than a million ticket requests for the rally, but said he expected about 100,000 to actually show up.
An outdoor stage was set to accommodate entertainment for an expected overflow crowd — but Trump’s speech there was called off when the masses never materialized.
“Radical protesters coupled with relentless onslaught from the media, attempted to frighten off the President’s supporters,” Murtaugh said. “We are proud of the thousands who stuck it out.”
Local health officials in Tulsa have opposed Trump’s decision to hold the rally in their city while the coronavirus pandemic continues.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Eagles’ Dallas Goedert sucker punched at restaurant with family

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was sucker punched at a restaurant in South Dakota on Friday night , according to @ @ @ @ @ first to report the incident .
The alternation was unprovoked and the 6-foot-5 , 256-pound @ @ @ @ @ hospital as a precaution but is uninjured , according to the report .
Goedert , @ @ @ @ @ , was out to dinner with his family at the time .
The former South @ @ @ @ @ to begin his third season with Philadelphia after being drafted in the second round of @ @ @ @ @ He had 58 catches for 607 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last season @ @ @ @ @ with Zach Ertz .

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was sucker punched at a restaurant in South Dakota on Friday night, according to reports.
NJ.com. was first to report the incident.
The alternation was unprovoked and the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Goedert was taken to the hospital as a precaution but is uninjured, according to the report. Goedert, a 25-year-old South Dakota native, was out to dinner with his family at the time.
Goedert is “fine,” a source told ESPN.
The former South Dakota State star is set to begin his third season with Philadelphia after being drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He had 58 catches for 607 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last season, while sharing the position with Zach Ertz.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--The Post’s endorsements for New York’s 2020 primaries

Even in a pandemic , democracy marches on .
Polls are open Tuesday for party primaries , from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday is the last day to postmark a mail-in absentee ballot .
The Post urges readers to cast their ballots against extremism and corruption .
• 16th Congressional District ( Bronx/Westchester ) Veteran Rep. Eliot Engel , the Foreign Relations Committee chairman , faces Jamaal Bowman , a former Bronx middle school principal who until recently was a member of the Independence Party and is strongly backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and other far-left groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent calls to “ defund the police.
” Engel is a voice of calm reason who has always delivered for his district and a firm backer of Israel .
Supporting him is an easy call .
• 14th Congressional District ( Bronx/Queens ) Former cable newswoman Michelle Caruso-Cabrera has rightly slammed incumbent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for leading opposition to the Amazon HQ project — a “ victory ” that cost the district thousands of jobs that it sure would like to have now .
The frosh is a national media star , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Caruso-Cabrera is the moderate that our times demand .
• 11th Congressional District ( Staten Island/Brooklyn ) In a rare Republican primary , Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis faces off against prosecutor Joe Caldarera to determine who takes on first-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Max Rose in the general .
Malliotakis has shown herself an able legislator and community advocate , and is far better suited to win centrist votes in the general .
• 35th Assembly District ( Queens ) Vote for veteran Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry over disgraced pol Hiram Monserrate , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the East Elmhurst/Corona district .
Having done hard time for corruption in a previous public office , Monserrate is a no-go .
• 73rd Assembly District ( Manhattan ) Vote for moderate progressive newcomer Cameron Koffman over Assembly hack Dan Quart , who tried unsuccessfully to keep his young rival off the ballot claiming he didn ’ t reside in the district while attending college .
When not advocating for releasing violent felons , Quart ’ s top issue is “ no rollbacks ” on bail reform ever .
He doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he wins , but will immediately focus his energies on a run for Manhattan DA , rather than serving the district .
• 79th AD ( Bronx ) Corrupt ex-Assemblyman Eric Stevenson is running for his old seat , left open as incumbent Michael Blake runs for Congress .
Blake staffer Chantel Jackson is the best of the pack .

Even in a pandemic, democracy marches on. Polls are open Tuesday for party primaries, from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday is the last day to postmark a mail-in absentee ballot. The Post urges readers to cast their ballots against extremism and corruption.
US House of Representatives
• 16th Congressional District (Bronx/Westchester)
Veteran Rep. Eliot Engel, the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, faces Jamaal Bowman, a former Bronx middle school principal who until recently was a member of the Independence Party and is strongly backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and other far-left groups. Naturally, he’s joined the recent calls to “defund the police.” Engel is a voice of calm reason who has always delivered for his district and a firm backer of Israel. Supporting him is an easy call.
• 14th Congressional District (Bronx/Queens)
Former cable newswoman Michelle Caruso-Cabrera has rightly slammed incumbent Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for leading opposition to the Amazon HQ project — a “victory” that cost the district thousands of jobs that it sure would like to have now. The frosh is a national media star, but that does her constituents no good. Caruso-Cabrera is the moderate that our times demand.
• 11th Congressional District (Staten Island/Brooklyn)
In a rare Republican primary, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis faces off against prosecutor Joe Caldarera to determine who takes on first-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Max Rose in the general. Malliotakis has shown herself an able legislator and community advocate, and is far better suited to win centrist votes in the general.
NY State Assembly
• 35th Assembly District (Queens)
Vote for veteran Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry over disgraced pol Hiram Monserrate, who’s making yet another comeback bid in the East Elmhurst/Corona district. Having done hard time for corruption in a previous public office, Monserrate is a no-go.
• 73rd Assembly District (Manhattan)
Vote for moderate progressive newcomer Cameron Koffman over Assembly hack Dan Quart, who tried unsuccessfully to keep his young rival off the ballot claiming he didn’t reside in the district while attending college. When not advocating for releasing violent felons, Quart’s top issue is “no rollbacks” on bail reform ever. He doesn’t even intend to serve out his term if he wins, but will immediately focus his energies on a run for Manhattan DA, rather than serving the district.
• 79th AD (Bronx)
Corrupt ex-Assemblyman Eric Stevenson is running for his old seat, left open as incumbent Michael Blake runs for Congress. Blake staffer Chantel Jackson is the best of the pack.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Players union delays vote on MLB proposal after coronavirus spike

It looks like the coronavirus is back in the equation when it comes to the back-and-forth talks between MLB and the players ’ union .
The Major League Baseball Players Association will not vote on the league ’ s latest return-to-the-field plan until they collect new data regarding coronavirus testing , according to ESPN on Saturday .
This comes on the heels of several recent outbreaks in spring training sites and major league cities .
According to ESPN , the vote could have taken place on Sunday but is now expected to be delayed a day or two after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , MLB closed down all spring training sites for cleaning after the Phillies and other teams started to report a surge of coronavirus cases .
A day later , four members of the Yankees organization tested positive for the virus , according to The Post ’ s George A .
King III .
The union also said Friday that MLB turned down their offer for a 70-game season with pro-rated salaries and that they can accept the league ’ s 60-game offer with expanded playoffs , along with a promise not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reject the proposal , which would force commissioner Rob Manfred to implement his own schedule .
Nevertheless , all of the negotiations could prove to be for naught if the increase in coronavirus cases turn into a longer-term problem , rather than just a momentary spike .
Spring training was shut down in March because of the virus .

The MLB Players Association, recognizing the coronavirus outbreaks in key baseball states, will take another day or two before officially voting on the commissioner’s proposal of a 60-game season, an industry source said. The players will use that time to further discuss the proposed health and safety protocols for a 2020 restart.
The PA’s executive board, which features representatives from all 30 teams as well as an eight-members Executive Subcommittee, is expected to vote against the owners’ 60-game concept.
That decision could compel commissioner Rob Manfred to unilaterally implement a schedule of about 50 games, which in turn might cause both sides to file grievances against each other for negotiating in bad faith.
Spiking numbers in Florida and Arizona compelled all 30 teams to hold their spring training restarts — assuming those happen — at their home ballparks rather than at their Grapefruit League and Cactus League complexes.
All of the complexes closed on Friday after word spread of COVID-19 concerns at the Phillies’ Blue Jays’ and Giants’ spring-training ballparks. On Saturday, The Post’s George A. King III reported that four Yankees employees in Tampa had tested positive.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--US Attorney Geoffrey Berman steps down, ends tug of war with AG William Barr

Geoffrey Berman on Saturday night agreed to step down as one of the nation ’ s most powerful U.S .
Attorneys , ending a day-long power tug-of-war that stretched from his Manhattan headquarters to the White House and Justice Department in Washington .
In a statement issued at 6 p.m. , Berman said he would leave immediately , and turn control of the office over to his Deputy U.S. Attorney , Audrey Strauss .
Berman credited his decision — which came after a day of refusing to step down — to Attorney General William Barr backtracking on his original demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton .
While well-liked and respected in Washington and on Wall Street , Clayton had no prosecutorial experience and was considered an administration insider .
“ In light of Attorney General Barr ’ s decision to respect the normal operation of law and have Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss become Acting U.S. Attorney , I will be leaving the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District of New York , effective immediately , ” Berman ’ s letter read .
“ It has been the honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District ’ s U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy , but I could leave the District in no better hands than Audrey ’ s .
“ She is the smartest , most principled , and effective lawyer with whom I have ever had the privilege of working .
“ And I know that under her leadership , this Office ’ s unparalleled AUSAs , investigators , paralegals , and staff will continue to safeguard the Southern District ’ s enduring tradition of integrity and independence.
” The drama played out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Barr ’ s announcement that Berman was “ stepping down ” was followed an hour later by a statement from Berman that he in fact was not going anywhere .
Then , earlier Saturday , Barr countered in another statement that President Trump had fired Berman .
Within minutes , Trump was telling reporters on the South Lawn that the decision hadn ’ t been his at all — shifting responsibility for the firing back to Barr .

Geoffrey Berman on Saturday night agreed to step down as one of the nation’s most powerful U.S. Attorneys, ending a day-long power tug-of-war that stretched from his Manhattan headquarters to the White House and Justice Department in Washington.
In a statement issued at 6 p.m., Berman said he would leave immediately, and turn control of the office over to his Deputy U.S. Attorney, Audrey Strauss.
Berman credited his decision — which came after a day of refusing to step down — to Attorney General William Barr backtracking on his original demand that his successor be attorney and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton.
While well-liked and respected in Washington and on Wall Street, Clayton had no prosecutorial experience and was considered an administration insider.
“In light of Attorney General Barr’s decision to respect the normal operation of law and have Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss become Acting U.S. Attorney, I will be leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, effective immediately,” Berman’s letter read.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as this District’s U.S. Attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy, but I could leave the District in no better hands than Audrey’s.
“She is the smartest, most principled, and effective lawyer with whom I have ever had the privilege of working.
“And I know that under her leadership, this Office’s unparalleled AUSAs, investigators, paralegals, and staff will continue to safeguard the Southern District’s enduring tradition of integrity and independence.”
The drama played out in dueling statements that began Friday night, when Barr’s announcement that Berman was “stepping down” was followed an hour later by a statement from Berman that he in fact was not going anywhere.
Then, earlier Saturday, Barr countered in another statement that President Trump had fired Berman. Within minutes, Trump was telling reporters on the South Lawn that the decision hadn’t been his at all — shifting responsibility for the firing back to Barr.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Missing autistic toddler found safe with family’s dogs

London police have released CCTV footage of two burglars breaking ...

Thank god for dogs!
A missing 3-year-old autistic Florida boy was found safe and sound after being guarded by his family’s pooches.
Marshal Butler, a non-communicative autistic, child wandered off from his family’s home Wednesday in Ponce de Leon, Florida, prompting a neighborhood search.
“We were panicked,” Kayla Stewart, Butler’s aunt, told local NBC affiliate WJHG. “All sorts of worst case scenarios are running through their heads.”
The family, along with neighbors, local and country police, as well as officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission searched for Marshal for several hours before finding him a mile away near a river, unharmed and flanked by the family dogs, Buckwheat and Nala.
“Both of his dogs were right there with him. … [We’re] thankful that the pups kind of guided him along. I guess they kept him safe,” a neighbor told the TV station.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Burglars steal $60K of saffron in London spice heist

These thieves were just mad about saffron .
An herbal heist has caused a ruckus in London as burglars walked @ @ @ @ @ saffron this week .
London police have released CCTV footage of two burglars breaking into @ @ @ @ @ sneaking away with 22 pounds of saffron – a spice , they say is “ @ @ @ @ @ in gold.
” The spice is so expensive “ due in part to its labor-intensive @ @ @ @ @ used in a number of cuisines , including in Spanish , Moroccan and Persian dishes @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is someone ’ s livelihood and this theft will , of course @ @ @ @ @ ” investigating officer Det .
Sgt .
Laura Mills told CNBC .
“ The victims @ @ @ @ @ someone has done this to them .
It ’ s important that those who are @ @ @ @ @ spice is returned to its rightful owners .
”

These thieves were just mad about saffron.
An herbal heist has caused a ruckus in London as burglars walked off with $60,000 of saffron this week.
London police have released CCTV footage of two burglars breaking into a warehouse in Ilford, sneaking away with 22 pounds of saffron – a spice, they say is “worth more than its weight in gold.”
The spice is so expensive “due in part to its labor-intensive harvesting method. It is used in a number of cuisines, including in Spanish, Moroccan and Persian dishes,” police told CNBC.
“This is someone’s livelihood and this theft will, of course, impact their business,” investigating officer Det. Sgt. Laura Mills told CNBC. “The victims are angry and upset that someone has done this to them. It’s important that those who are responsible are caught and the spice is returned to its rightful owners.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--China hopes testing will curb new coronavirus outbreak in Beijing

Officials in Beijing are hoping that expanded testing will help curb a new outbreak of coronavirus linked to a wholesale @ @ @ @ @ of 20 million .
People who work near or shop at the large Xinfadi market @ @ @ @ @ — as well as the tens of thousands of couriers who criss-cross the city delivering @ @ @ @ @ and pedicabs , Reuters reported .
The giant food delivery firm Meituan said all its @ @ @ @ @ those who have traveled through high-risk areas will be quarantined for 14 days .
People @ @ @ @ @ business as well as restaurant staffers will be tested after the virus was discovered on @ @ @ @ @ market that were used to cut salmon .
Beijing has recorded more than 200 locally @ @ @ @ @ .
So far , 2.3 million nucleic acid tests have been carried out in Beijing @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s coronavirus death toll was 4,634 as of Friday , officials said .

Officials in Beijing are hoping that expanded testing will help curb a new outbreak of coronavirus linked to a wholesale food market in the city of 20 million.
People who work near or shop at the large Xinfadi market are being targeted for testing — as well as the tens of thousands of couriers who criss-cross the city delivering packages and food via scooters and pedicabs, Reuters reported.
The giant food delivery firm Meituan said all its couriers would be tested and those who have traveled through high-risk areas will be quarantined for 14 days.
People who work in the catering business as well as restaurant staffers will be tested after the virus was discovered on chopping boards at the Xinfadi market that were used to cut salmon.
Beijing has recorded more than 200 locally transmitted infections since June 11. So far, 2.3 million nucleic acid tests have been carried out in Beijing as of Saturday morning.
China’s coronavirus death toll was 4,634 as of Friday, officials said.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Summer won’t be much fun for kids in cash-starved NYC amid coronavirus

For NYC kids , this summer will be a bummer .
With the last day of school next Friday , the city has ended outdoor , recreational , and job programs for youths of all ages .
“ Hundreds of thousands of NYC kids who have been cooped up for three months may have nothing fun to do , ” said education consultant David Rubel .
“ Kids need outdoor play if they ’ re going to come back to school in September ready to learn.
” Thanks to Mayor de Blasio ’ s budget cuts and coronavirus restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gave jobs to nearly 75,000 teens and young adults in 2019 , has been been eliminated as of now .
Officials are scrambling to find funding .
The dire news comes after students have been stuck at home since mid-March amid the Covid-19 shutdown , with laptops and iPads replacing in-person classes .
The Department of Youth and Community Development has wiped out an array of programs that offered arts , sports , games , and field trips enjoyed by 100,000 young people last summer .
“ The city is pulling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children and families just when parents are being called back to work as the city reopens , ” said Julie Stein Brockway , co-director of the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park .
Its summer day camps and neighborhood centers served 2,000 kids a day and has experience in socially distant methods .
The DYCD says it will come up with “ alternatives , ” but all online — so kids will remain glued to computer screens .
The city Department of Education will run summer school online and plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CUNY students help high school grads prepare for college .
The Parks and Recreation department has removed basketball hoops and rims from city parks — more than 2,100 — with no plans to replace them , officials told The Post .
De Blasio can ’ t say if or when city pools , beaches , and recreation centers , used by 20 million kids and adults last summer , will open .
In extreme heat , the city will set up spray showers and misters in parks , said City Hall spokeswoman Jane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or beaches , the city will open fire hydrants for the afternoon so residents can cool off .
City-run day care is still limited to kids of essential workers .
The mayor did open playgrounds starting Monday .
That decision came days after state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein , state Sen. Simcha Felder and Councilman Kalman Yeger defied Hizzoner by having chains and locks power-sawed off the gates at Kolbert Playground in Midwood .
But strict rules will apply : Masks must be worn on kids over 2 unless it ’ s medically difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out masks to those who need them , ” Meyer said.. For older kids , Little League and other team sports are not yet permitted .
“ If we continue to make progress , as we get into Phase Two ( of the reopening ) .
then there ’ ll be a day when we ’ re ready to act on team sports activity , ’ de Blasio said Friday .
Day camps are allowed , but funding for city-run camps is part of budget discussions between City Hall and the City Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown if any will open by July .
Queens Councilman Robert Holden urged the city to explore measures such as opening schools with air-conditioned gyms where kids can play .
“ They ’ d rather have the kids get in trouble than have somewhere to go .
There ’ s no plan to get these parks up and going quickly , ” he said .
Many youth programs won ’ t be running this summer or starting late because of COVID-19 concerns and budget cuts : Compiled by David Rubel , www.davidrubelconsultant.com

For NYC kids, this summer will be a bummer.
With the last day of school next Friday, the city has ended outdoor, recreational, and job programs for youths of all ages.
“Hundreds of thousands of NYC kids who have been cooped up for three months may have nothing fun to do,” said education consultant David Rubel. “Kids need outdoor play if they’re going to come back to school in September ready to learn.”
Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s budget cuts and coronavirus restrictions, the popular Summer Youth Employment Program, which gave jobs to nearly 75,000 teens and young adults in 2019, has been been eliminated as of now. Officials are scrambling to find funding.
The dire news comes after students have been stuck at home since mid-March amid the Covid-19 shutdown, with laptops and iPads replacing in-person classes.
The Department of Youth and Community Development has wiped out an array of programs that offered arts, sports, games, and field trips enjoyed by 100,000 young people last summer.
“The city is pulling the plug on programs that support the well-being of children and families just when parents are being called back to work as the city reopens,” said Julie Stein Brockway, co-director of the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. Its summer day camps and neighborhood centers served 2,000 kids a day and has experience in socially distant methods.
The DYCD says it will come up with “alternatives,” but all online — so kids will remain glued to computer screens.
The city Department of Education will run summer school online and plans to expand a College Bridge program in which CUNY students help high school grads prepare for college.
The Parks and Recreation department has removed basketball hoops and rims from city parks — more than 2,100 — with no plans to replace them, officials told The Post.
Tennis courts and golf courses remain shut.
De Blasio can’t say if or when city pools, beaches, and recreation centers, used by 20 million kids and adults last summer, will open.
In extreme heat, the city will set up spray showers and misters in parks, said City Hall spokeswoman Jane Meyer. In neighborhoods far from parks or beaches, the city will open fire hydrants for the afternoon so residents can cool off.
City-run day care is still limited to kids of essential workers.
The mayor did open playgrounds starting Monday. That decision came days after state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, state Sen. Simcha Felder and Councilman Kalman Yeger defied Hizzoner by having chains and locks power-sawed off the gates at Kolbert Playground in Midwood.
But strict rules will apply: Masks must be worn on kids over 2 unless it’s medically difficult. “Social distancing ambassadors will hand out masks to those who need them,” Meyer said..
For older kids, Little League and other team sports are not yet permitted.
“If we continue to make progress, as we get into Phase Two (of the reopening). then there’ll be a day when we’re ready to act on team sports activity,’ de Blasio said Friday.
Gov. Cuomo has banned sleepaway camps.
Day camps are allowed, but funding for city-run camps is part of budget discussions between City Hall and the City Council, Meyer said. It’s unknown if any will open by July.
Queens Councilman Robert Holden urged the city to explore measures such as opening schools with air-conditioned gyms where kids can play.
“There’s no plan to get these parks up and going quickly. They’d rather have the kids get in trouble than have somewhere to go,” Holden said.
STILL SUMMER
Many youth programs won’t be running this summer or starting late because of COVID-19 concerns and budget cuts:
Compiled by David Rubel, www.davidrubelconsultant.com


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Three top DOE execs have now jumped ‘Titanic’ NYC school system

Two of Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza ’ s top executives ditched their ...

Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s top deputy has officially jumped ship, while another top educrat is joining a Department of Education exodus one observer likened to escaping the Titanic.
Cheryl Watson-Harris, Carranza’s first deputy chancellor for just two years, is leaving to become schools superintendent in DeKalb County, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta with 99,000 students.
She submitted her resignation effective June 30, and starts her new job July 1.
Also resigning effective June 30, The Post has learned, is Tomas Hanna, the DOE’s chief human capital officer. The 6,024-student Coatesville, Pa., school district on Thursday named Hanna its new superintendent. Hanna, who makes $218,671 a year in NYC, will get $220,000 in Coatesville, officials said.
Their departures follow Andre Spencer, one of the nine “executive superintendents” whose $209,000-a-year positions Carranza created after becoming NYC’s schools chief in spring 2018. He landed a superintendent’s post in Manor, Texas, with 9,621 students.
Some DOE insiders say Carranza’s executive ship is leaking amid the pandemic, the shaky switch to remote learning, and uncertainty of schools for 1.1 million kids reopening in the fall.
“The Titanic is sinking, and the deck chairs are being moved around,” an administrator told The Post.
Others say the DOE is flouting an external hiring freeze — part of citywide budget-cutting measures — by advertising nationally for candidates to replace Watson-Harris and Spencer.
The DOE says positions are exempt from the hiring freeze if they are legally mandated or “COVID-related.”
According to DOE officials, the first deputy chancellor and executive superintendent positions are “COVID-related.” But a spokeswoman gave no official criteria for that category, saying the roles are “critical … given the complete shift in how schools have and will do their work as a result of the pandemic.”
Some observers call it a giant loophole.
“It just provides a boiler-plate excuse for unrestrained hiring of central bureaucrats,” said David Bloomfield, a Brooklyn College and CUNY Grad Center education professor.
The DeKalb County Board of Education voted 6-1 Thursday to hire Cheryl Watson-Harris as its next superintendent. The dissenting trustee said Watson-Harris had never led a district and is not expected to earn a doctorate until next year.
On her resume, Watson-Harris has boasted “record gains” in NYC test scores in math and English under her watch, a claim testing expert Fred Smith disputed.
Despite Carranza’s disdain for NYC’s selective schools that screen applicants, Watson-Harris enrolled her own children in elite and less diverse schools, The Post reported.
Watson-Harris makes $241,000 a year in NYC. DeKalb County will give her a $325,000 salary, plus perks — a $1,500 expense account, a company car or a $600-a-month car allowance and a $12,000 annual supplemental retirement contribution, the Atlanta Journal Constitution learned from a public-records request.
In an internal memo, the DOE said it will conduct a nationwide search for her replacement.
DOE spokeswoman Danielle Filson said the departures reflect well on NYC: “When strong leaders within our system take their extensive knowledge and expertise to other districts it’s a testament to the skills they’ve learned while in New York City, and we wish them the best.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Trump’s primary vote totals trounce previous incumbents’ numbers

President Trump is betting big on the primaries .
With no serious challengers for the Republican Party nomination and high approval numbers among the GOP ’ s rank and file , Trump could have cruised through the spring campaign season like most incumbent presidents do .
Instead , he traveled to 18 states for campaign rallies and spent more than $ 155 million to rack up high primary-vote totals for a nomination he had no chance of losing .
“ I don ’ t remember any uncontested primary campaign for a sitting president like this , ” Stony Brook University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People don ’ t normally turn out in large numbers for a race without a challenger.
” But in 23 of the 27 states that held primaries both this year and in 2012 , when President Obama ran for re-election , Trump has racked up higher raw vote totals than Obama did — often doubling or tripling his predecessor ’ s numbers .
His primary vote totals also beat President George W. Bush ’ s in 2004 .
The high Trump turnout showed up not only in reliably Republican states like Montana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongholds and in purple states that Joe Biden hopes to flip come November .
In Michigan ’ s March primary , Trump ’ s 639,144 votes dwarfed the 174,054 that Obama notched in 2012 .
A few weeks later , Trump scored 713,546 votes in Ohio — more than twice Obama ’ s 2012 total of 285,990. Credit “ the sophisticated political machine that the Republican National Committee and Trump campaign has built , ” RNC press secretary Mandi Merritt told The Post .
The campaign has made a heavy get-out-the-vote effort in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its general election turnout operation , Merritt said .
That included nearly 45 million voter contacts — more than the GOP made in the entire 2016 cycle .
And it ’ s using Trump ’ s rallies to vaccum up supporters ’ data and register new voters , fueling its November plans .
The primary push has a sound psychological basis , Norpoth , an expert in voter behavior , said .
“ If you can get people to come out for a primary that isn ’ t even a contest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained .
Unlike past incumbent presidents , Donald Trump ’ s campaign has been pushing supporters to the primaries – even though his nomination is in the bag .
He ’ s running up big numbers compared to both Presidents Obama and Bush :

President Trump is betting big on the primaries.
With no serious challengers for the Republican Party nomination and high approval numbers among the GOP’s rank and file, Trump could have cruised through the spring campaign season like most incumbent presidents do.
Instead, he traveled to 18 states for campaign rallies and spent more than $155 million to rack up high primary-vote totals for a nomination he had no chance of losing.
“I don’t remember any uncontested primary campaign for a sitting president like this,” Stony Brook University professor Helmut Norpoth told The Post. “People don’t normally turn out in large numbers for a race without a challenger.”
But in 23 of the 27 states that held primaries both this year and in 2012, when President Obama ran for re-election, Trump has racked up higher raw vote totals than Obama did — often doubling or tripling his predecessor’s numbers. His primary vote totals also beat President George W. Bush’s in 2004.
The high Trump turnout showed up not only in reliably Republican states like Montana and Arkansas, but even in deep-blue strongholds and in purple states that Joe Biden hopes to flip come November.
In Michigan’s March primary, Trump’s 639,144 votes dwarfed the 174,054 that Obama notched in 2012. A few weeks later, Trump scored 713,546 votes in Ohio — more than twice Obama’s 2012 total of 285,990.
Credit “the sophisticated political machine that the Republican National Committee and Trump campaign has built,” RNC press secretary Mandi Merritt told The Post.
The campaign has made a heavy get-out-the-vote effort in each primary state as a dry run for its general election turnout operation, Merritt said. That included nearly 45 million voter contacts — more than the GOP made in the entire 2016 cycle.
And it’s using Trump’s rallies to vaccum up supporters’ data and register new voters, fueling its November plans.
The primary push has a sound psychological basis, Norpoth, an expert in voter behavior, said.
“If you can get people to come out for a primary that isn’t even a contest, you have them hooked,” he explained.
Primarily Trump
Unlike past incumbent presidents, Donald Trump’s campaign has been pushing supporters to the primaries – even though his nomination is in the bag. He’s running up big numbers compared to both Presidents Obama and Bush:
Wisconsin
Trump 2020: 616,705
Obama 2012: 293,914
Bush 2004: 158,933
Rhode Island
Trump 2020: 19,006
Obama 2012: 6,759
Bush 2004: 2,152
Georgia


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Baseball’s bickering looks silly as coronavirus news gets worse

Four members of the Yankees organization in Tampa , Fla. , have ...

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
— Stuart Smalley
What the hell are we doing here?
Are Rob Manfred and Tony Clark still cursing the day the other was born? Are owners still crying poverty? Are players still lathered up over their counterpart’s wrongdoings of the past decade?
Or might we pay attention to what’s actually going on in our screwed-up country?
Forget about 60 games versus 70 games versus 48 games. How about zero games? How about Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association calling a timeout, in the wake of increasing bad news on the coronavirus front, to investigate more tangible ways it can honor its status as a social institution besides arguing?
How about honoring this MLB statement, made on April 7: “The health and safety of our employees, players, fans and the public at large are paramount, and we are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus.”
That should still hold, no? The pandemic hasn’t gone away since then. It just relocated to states that bought into the “cure can’t be worse than the disease” garbage. Two of those states, Arizona and Florida, followed that mantra and reopened aggressively, and lo and behold, they lost a nice chunk of business on Saturday as MLB and its teams, taking full note of the spiking numbers in the Cactus and Grapefruit League homes, decided to hold all “spring trainings,” in the event they actually happen, at their respective home ballparks, with N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo personally announcing the news about the Yankees and Mets. Amazing, isn’t it, that our local squads would be safer in The Bronx and Queens than Tampa and Port St. Lucie?
To underline that reality, The Post’s George A. King III reported on Saturday that four Yankees employees, all based at the organization’s Tampa headquarters, had tested positive for coronavirus. Which came a day after news of an outbreak with the Phillies in nearby Clearwater and a scare with the Blue Jays in nearby Dunedin as well as one with the Giants out in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Suddenly, the suspense of how the PA’s executive board will vote on the owners’ 60-game concept feels as ephemeral as the last 10 minutes of a “Bull” episode. Each of the board’s 38 members should receive a ballot with these choices: 1) Yes; 2) No or 3) It Doesn’t Make a Difference. (It’ll very likely be No, by the way.)
This headache hardly hits baseball exclusively. The NBA’s bubble plan for Disney World doesn’t look foolproof given the problems in the Sunshine State, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the universally respected director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has publicly cast his doubts over the viability of the NFL this fall. Athletes all over are contracting COVID, and before you spout statistics about the unlikelihood of people in this age group dying from this disease, I’d like to offer you a free case of pneumonia. Go ahead, try it! How bad can it be?
My humble proposal: Hit the pause button on these talks at least until the 30 clubs all get clearance to reopen their development complexes. That could be as short as a few days. Just take a moment to recognize the gravity of this situation — and, by implication, the folly of these heated negotiations over money — and use the downtime to resume the sort of activities both sides did back in March and April: Thanking first responders, supporting folks who have lost their jobs, addressing ticket holders’ refund concerns and so on. Doing some good for the world.
If the pandemic only gets worse, then the season wasn’t meant to be, anyway. Maybe in time, without a 50ish-game season featuring bells and whistles like tie games and a 16-team playoff, fans would forget how the player-owner tension turned into a dumpster fire, threatening the sport’s viability.
Because right now, it offends the senses to get excited about a training camp in the Big Apple. To deny the suffering that continues all over. To focus on anything besides the same crisis that put us here in the first place.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--New York’s positive coronavirus test results hold steady at 1 percent

Data released Saturday showed continued reason for optimism in New York ’ s battle against the coronavirus , with the @ @ @ @ @ statewide holding steady at just 1 percent .
Of 68,830 tests on Friday , 716 @ @ @ @ @ , the state Department of Health reported .
The number is down from the day @ @ @ @ @ were reported infected out of 79,303 tests .
There were 24 deaths from the virus @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ’ s 17 fatalities , which Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said was the lowest @ @ @ @ @ A total of 391 people in New York City tested positive Friday , the state @ @ @ @ @ of cases reported in the Big Apple is at 208,873 , according to the city @ @ @ @ @ .
The state has had 387,272 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began in March @

Data released Saturday give continued reason for optimism in New York’s battle to contain the coronavirus, even as troubling nationwide stats revealed the number of new infections across the US topping 30,000 — the highest tally since May 1.
A total of 716, or 1 percent, of the 68,830 New Yorkers tested Friday were positive for the coronavirus, down from 796 the previous day, the state Department of Health announced Saturday. Of those, 391 were in New York City.
There were 24 virus deaths Friday, down one from the day before.
The Big Apple is set to begin Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan Monday, which will allow for outdoor dining, in-person shopping and the long-awaited opening of hair salons and barber shops.
But Southern and Western states were seeing spikes in cases.
Florida health officials announced Saturday that the Sunshine State logged 4,049 new COVID-19 cases, a new high which topped two straight days of record-breaking numbers. There were also 40 deaths.
The spike led Major League Baseball to close spring training sites in the state and in Arizona, where cases have also increased. The move prompted Gov. Cuomo to announce Saturday that the Mets and Yankees would return to their home stadiums in New York City to train.
Cases also rose Saturday by 331 in Oklahoma, where President Trump held a rally.
Worldwide, Brazil topped 1 million cases of the coronavirus, the only nation other than the US to pass the grim milestone.
Pope Francis held his first audience Saturday since Italy lifted its coronavirus lockdown, bringing together more than 200 doctors and nurses who battled the pandemic in the country’s hardest-hit region.
“You were one of the supporting pillars of the entire country,” the pope told the crowd. “To those of you here and to your colleagues all across Italy go my esteem and my sincere thanks.”
Officials in Beijing are hoping that expanded testing will help curb a new outbreak of the deadly bug linked to a wholesale food market in the city of 20 million.
In Great Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government may loosen social-distancing rules that say people should remain two meters apart. Business groups are lobbying for the distance to be cut in half.
Additional reporting by Melanie Gray, Dana Kennedy and Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Jackie Robinson would support George Floyd protests, son says

New York City has become a “ warzone ” in the aftermath ...

If trailblazing baseball icon Jackie Robinson were alive today, his son said his socially conscious dad would have given a thumbs up to the protests following the killing of George Floyd — with a caveat.
“I am sure he would support the protests against murder and understand the [deep] feelings created by 245 years of legalized enslavement and 155 years thereafter of injustice, brutality and discrimination,” Brooklyn-bred David Robinson wrote in an email to The Post. “But I believe that he would advise that protest had to be matched and surpassed by love of family and work to fulfill our human potential.”
It was 73 years ago that Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in April 1947 and forever changed race relations in the United States.
Robinson noted his father’s grandmother, “my great grandmother,” was born a slave.
“His mother for most of her life was a sharecropper, domestic servant and a single parent,” Robinson, 68, said. “While anger and rage were natural emotional reactions to his history and the history of millions of his fellow Americans, he learned to evolve as a human being, as my father, to allow love of family to become his dominant life-force.”
David Robinson operates the Sweet Unity Farms coffee co-op in Tanzania. Its profits have been invested back into projects from water management and irrigation to solar panels for electricity.
In 2018, David returned to his hometown when the 500 block of MacDonough Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant was renamed Jackie Robinson Way. Jackie resided at 526 MacDonough St. from 1947 to 1952.
David Robinson and his family were at Citi Field April 15, 2018, for “Jackie Robinson Day” as the Mets and every MLB player donned Jackie’s retired No. 42 to honor his legacy.
This Father’s Day, Robinson wished “to send hearty greetings and best wishes to all the fathers and families in America. My hopes for all fathers, myself included, is that we strive to work and learn to become better role models for and supporters of our children and our families within our homes and in our communities.”
One fond memory of his own father is of the many times he took David fishing.
“Although he did not like to fish, I remember us one day alone in a small boat in the middle of a huge lake in Canada. The shore was a great distance away, but there we were without another boat in sight, David Robinson wrote. “His efforts on his son’s behalf were all the more inspiring because he did not know how to swim.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Minnesota lawmakers fail to reach deal on George Floyd reforms

Minnesota lawmakers remained at odds Saturday over police reforms after George Floyd ’ s death , ending a special legislative @ @ @ @ @ Democrats had proposed nearly two dozen bills , including measures to put the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ of cases involving deadly force and a ban on “ warrior-style ” training for police @ @ @ @ @ .
The state Senate ’ s minority leader blamed Republican lawmakers who “ chose to @ @ @ @ @ ” The Republican-led Senate had earlier approved more modest reform , including a ban on @ @ @ @ @ neck restraints used on Floyd , according to reports .

Minnesota lawmakers remained at odds Saturday over police reforms after George Floyd’s death, ending a special legislative session without a deal.
Democrats had proposed nearly two dozen bills, including measures to put the state’s attorney general in charge of cases involving deadly force and a ban on “warrior-style” training for police, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported.
The state Senate’s minority leader blamed Republican lawmakers who “chose to leave before finishing our work.”
The Republican-led Senate had earlier approved more modest reform, including a ban on the kind of chokeholds and neck restraints used on Floyd, according to reports.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--School bus exec allegedly on NYC and Long Island payrolls at same time

The Department of Education is investigating allegations that more than ...

A school-bus executive for the city Department of Education is under investigation for allegedly collecting a salary for a new job while still on the NYC payroll, The Post has learned.
Paul Weydig, safety director in the DOE’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT), began working from home on March 20 while making his $110,000 salary. School buses were idled by the coronavirus shutdown after March 13.
Weydig then took a higher-paying job with the Uniondale, LI, Union Free School District.
Records show Uniondale hired Weydig as a probationary “supervisor of transportation” to be paid $125,000 a year, prorated for six months starting April 27.
Weydig later resigned from his DOE position effective June 7, with further payment limited to unused vacation time, officials said.
The DOE said Weydig did not disclose an outside paycheck.
“We were not aware of any job offers extended to him. He did not inform the DOE or ask the DOE permission to work elsewhere,“ a spokeswoman said.
The DOE reported Weydig to the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools, she added.
Uniondale’s acting schools superintendent Rhonda Taylor refused to answer questions on Weydig’s hiring.
Weydig is married to Lisa D’Amato, the director of contracts and management for the DOE’s Office of School Support Services. Her salary is $160,749.
In September 2018, OPT investigator Eric Reynolds, a retired NYPD detective, accused Weydig and others of bypassing him to sign off on drivers without a criminal background check.
The DOE gave no update last week on a probe of those allegations.
Weydig, who lives in Port Washington, L.I. — 24 miles from OPT’s Long Island City office — took a city-issued Ford sedan home and back, although he did little or no field work on a daily basis, The Post reported.
D’Amato joined him in the commute.
Weydig did not return calls for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--At least three feared dead in ‘terror-related’ stabbings in England: reports

Three people are believed dead and at least two were critically injured following multiple “ terror-related ” stabbings in Reading , England , Saturday , according to reports .
One man is under arrest , said police , who have not officially confirmed the fatalities .
A source told the Telegraph there were three victims declared dead at the scene , and two transferred to the emergency room at Royal Berkshire Hospital .
The attack appeared to be “ completely random , ” amidst a park full of people , a witness claimed .
“ … One lone person walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went around a large group of around 10 , trying to stab them , ” Lawrence Wort , 20 , told the PA news agency , according to The Sun .
“ He stabbed three of them , severely in the neck , and under the arms , and then turned and started running towards me , and we turned and started running .
When he realized that he couldn ’ t catch us , he tried to stab another group sat down , he got one person in the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone was starting to run , he ran out the park.
” Another man who saw the alleged stabber said it looked like the attacker was tapping people on the head , according to a report .
“ I thought they were playing duck duck goose and thought someone had been sick , we realized it was blood spraying out , ” said the man , who gave his name as Dan .
Thames Valley Police said : “ A number of people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital .
A police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as officers investigate .
We are asking the public to avoid the area at this time.
” The Telegraph said eyewitness accounts on social media have reported “ paramedics and police tending to wounded people in the park .
”

Three people are believed dead and at least two were critically injured following multiple “terror-related” stabbings in Reading, England, Saturday, according to reports.
One man is under arrest, said police, who have not officially confirmed the fatalities.
A source told the Telegraph there were three victims declared dead at the scene, and two transferred to the emergency room at Royal Berkshire Hospital.
The attack appeared to be “completely random,” amidst a park full of people, a witness claimed.
“… One lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them,” Lawrence Wort, 20, told the PA news agency, according to The Sun. “He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running. When he realized that he couldn’t catch us, he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person in the back of the neck and then when he realized everyone was starting to run, he ran out the park.”
Another man who saw the alleged stabber said it looked like the attacker was tapping people on the head, according to a report.
“I thought they were playing duck duck goose and thought someone had been sick, we realized it was blood spraying out,” said the man, who gave his name as Dan.
Thames Valley Police said: “A number of people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital. A police cordon is in place in Forbury Gardens as officers investigate. We are asking the public to avoid the area at this time.”
The Telegraph said eyewitness accounts on social media have reported “paramedics and police tending to wounded people in the park.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-20--Best star snaps of the week: John Legend, Ashley Graham and The Rock

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Marisa Dellatto, Jesaca Lin, Donna Grace

CRAZY TRAIN "Let's be honest I never really had a chance at being normal," Kelly Osbourne (from left) captioned an Instagram shot of her with her parents, Ozzy and Sharon, in LA.


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--D.L. Hughley Collapses Onstage, Tests Positive For COVID-19

D.L .
Hughley posted a video on social media tonight saying that he has been diagnosed with coronavirus and was being released from a Nashville hospital .
The comic and activist , who had passed out during a stand-up set the night before , said he initially was being treated for “ severe exhaustion and dehydration.
” Hughley noted that he was asymptomatic but said in the video , “ They ran a battery of tests , and I also tested positive for COVID-19 , which blew me away .
… Apparently I just lost consciousness .
So , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to look out for , if your ass pass out in the middle of a show , onstage , you probably need to get tested.
” Hughley thanked fans for their “ prayers and well wishes.
” Watch the clip here : PREVIOUSLY , 9:25 AM : Actor/comedian D.L .
Hughley had a medical emergency Friday night , collapsing in the middle of his set at a Nashville comedy club and being carried off stage .
Hughley , 57 , was appearing at Zanies Nashville Comedy Club when he paused during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stool .
Staff , sensing trouble , rushed to his aid , but Hughley continued to collapse and hit the floor .
He was then hustled off stage by several staff members into his dressing room .
An announcer then instructed the audience to , “ Stay calm .
We ’ ve got it all under control.
” A Hughley representative told TMZ the comedian was “ suffering from exhaustion after all the week ’ s work and travel , and was kept overnight at the hospital for tests under doctor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling better , and wishes to thank everyone for the very kind prayer and thoughts.
” Hughley has had a long career in comedy , television and film , including the TV series The Hughleys , which ran from 1998-2002 .

D.L. Hughley posted a video on social media tonight saying that he has been diagnosed with coronavirus and was being released from a Nashville hospital. The comic and activist, who had passed out during a stand-up set the night before, said he initially was being treated for “severe exhaustion and dehydration.”
Hughley noted that he was asymptomatic but said in the video, “They ran a battery of tests, and I also tested positive for COVID-19, which blew me away. … Apparently I just lost consciousness. So, in addition to all the other stuff you have to look out for, if your ass pass out in the middle of a show, onstage, you probably need to get tested.”
Hughley thanked fans for their “prayers and well wishes.” Watch the clip here:
PREVIOUSLY, 9:25 AM: Actor/comedian D.L. Hughley had a medical emergency Friday night, collapsing in the middle of his set at a Nashville comedy club and being carried off stage.
Hughley, 57, was appearing at Zanies Nashville Comedy Club when he paused during his set. He then began leaning on his stool. Staff, sensing trouble, rushed to his aid, but Hughley continued to collapse and hit the floor. He was then hustled off stage by several staff members into his dressing room. An announcer then instructed the audience to, “Stay calm. We’ve got it all under control.”
A Hughley representative told TMZ the comedian was “suffering from exhaustion after all the week’s work and travel, and was kept overnight at the hospital for tests under doctor’s orders. He is awake and feeling better, and wishes to thank everyone for the very kind prayer and thoughts.”
Hughley has had a long career in comedy, television and film, including the TV series The Hughleys, which ran from 1998-2002.


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Father-son moments to treasure — especially now

So here came the Belmont Stakes , 10 horses and their ...

We could go over the list of all the things that ail us, and sadden us, and confuse us, and infuriate us. That, it seems, is a part of every day now, isn’t it? A personal accounting of how we miss our old lives, our old habits, our old hobbies. We wallow in that plenty.
Let’s take a day off from that today.
Because today is Father’s Day.
And it is hard for me not to wake with a little broader smile this morning because it allows me to remember how fortunate I was to have a relationship with my own father that was so strong, and so affirming, that the memories I keep of him are as strong and as vibrant as they were when I lost him nearly 17 years ago.
So, yes, I am a sucker for fathers and sons anyway, but especially on Father’s Day, even though I have no children of my own and instead enjoy the status of “funcle” for so many friends’ kids, as well as my niece and nephew. I relish whenever I see the reflective joy in those fathers and sons, enjoying each other’s company, expressing their mutual devotions.
And on Father’s Day I enjoy to remember so much:
— The first time I saw “Field of Dreams” — and the 700th time I saw “Field of Dreams” — when Ray Kinsella finally approaches his father in the cornfield and asks: “Want to have a catch?”
— The telephone call I made to my father on the first day of November 2002, telling him that 27 years after first bringing home the New York Post and tossing it to me after his commute home on the LIRR, I was actually going to write a column for his paper. He thought I was putting him on at first. But the first day I appeared in the paper, Nov. 11, he went to the newsstand in Fort Pierce, Fla., and bought all 10 copies. I still have a few of them.
— Watching Archie Manning’s face the bone-chilling afternoon in January 2008 when Eli had walked into Lambeau Field and beaten Brett Favre and the Packers. Archie was always available during Eli’s time with the Giants — and Peyton’s time with the Colts and Broncos, too — but that day he’d walked with a crowd of heartbroken Packers fans still possessing some basic Midwestern manners, and all of them had congratulated him. “My heart,” he told Eli after hugging him, “is bursting.”
— The first time I held Ben Wojnarowski, my only godson, understanding the awesome and beautiful tasks of the job, so filled with wonderment at what he could be, and who he would become, and every day since when I’ve watched him blossom into this amazing young man. I’ve never known a greater privilege.
— For all the ancillary stories that dented what never was exactly a fairy tale, the way Tiger Woods embraced his kids, Sam and Charlie, after winning last year’s Masters, which so perfectly mirrored the joy he had once shared with his own father, Earl. Be as cynical as you like about the rest of the Tiger canon. That one is hard to forget.
— Watching the relationship my brother-in-law, Paul, has with Gavin and Audrey, his two kids, and hoping that if it had been in the cards for me, I’d have had the exact same kind of bond with mine.
— Listening to tough-guy Terry Collins tear up in the remarkable weeks that the 2015 Mets made their journey to the World Series, whenever he talked about his old man, Bud, who had died not long before his boy finally tasted postseason champagne. And seeing Joe Girardi, minutes after winning the 2009 World Series, cradling his then 8-year-old son in his arms while talking with deep emotion about his own father, in the final throes of Alzheimer’s disease.
— The memory, seared forever, of British 400-meter runner Derek Redmond pulling up in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, his hamstring shredded, but wanting to complete the race, able to do so because his father, Jim, emerged from the stands to help him across the finish line.
And more … so many, many more. Happy Father’s Day. Please enjoy your own storehouse of memories today. We can go back to the other stuff soon enough, starting tomorrow.
Vac Whacks
I can absolutely get behind the Twins removing the statue of Calvin Griffith from in front of Target Field, but I’m also sort of curious why they thought it was OK to build it in 2010, when Griffith made his appalling comments in 1978 and they weren’t exactly hidden or anonymous.
Even if it’s a brief renaissance and even if the reasons for it are too depressing to recount, it is good to see the Sport of Kings return to its throne at Belmont Park if only for two minutes or so.
It worries me when my TV tour guide Alan Sepinwall is so unenthusiastic about a show, but I can’t wait to see the new “Perry Mason” series on HBO anyway.
No sport seemed to be gathering more momentum than college football, so the news out of Clemson, Texas and Houston is like an instant cinder block wall appearing on the Autobahn.
Whack Back at Vac
Michael Diamond: At this point, I’ve found better things to do with my time than baseball. Not sure I have the patience to watch a three-plus hour game with multiple replays. If you’re keeping score: airplane food over hospital food.
Vac: What’s also interesting is how many baseball fans I’ve heard from who are finding life about 20 percent more enjoyable without the daily agita following a baseball team brings.
Lou Fanzini: I remember it well when “New York, New York” started playing at Yankee Stadium. As much as I loved it in later years for big wins, I always felt it was a jinx at the time — 103 wins, get swept by the Royals, lose a World Series the next year and spend the ’80s in second or third every year.
Vac: I’m not sure any letter I’ve ever printed in this feature better defines the nature of fanhood better than this one.
@DZoneDraw: “Sweet Caroline” in the middle of the eighth inning at Fenway is only about a million times better than “New York, New York.”
@MikeVacc: I mean, if the odds are becoming slimmer and slimmer that we’ll have actual Yankees-Red Sox fireworks, we can at least start an old-fashioned barroom debate about this, right?
Tony Gianetta: Manfred’s 100 percent guarantee was not his Namath or Messier moment, but one of shrunken and weaselly credibility.
Vac: That observation, I can assure you, is 100 percent.


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Syracuse shooting leaves 9 wounded, including 17-year-old struck in head

At least nine people were wounded when gunfire erupted Saturday night at an outdoor party in Syracuse , including a 17-year-old boy who was left in critical condition after he was shot in the head , according to reports .
The victims were rushed to Upstate Medical University after the shootings near Fayette and Wyoming streets , Police Chief Kenton Buckner said , according to The Post-Standard .
A witness said the bullets started flying during the annual outdoor gathering called “ Rye Day , ” which was scheduled to end at 9 p.m. , the news outlet reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the WCNY building to enjoy the festivities , which included music and food .
Shortly before 9 p.m. , at least a dozen shots rang out , scattering the revelers , a witness told the newspaper , adding that a man sitting on his knees was holding his chest with his hands .
I said , ‘ Come on , man , we got ta go !
They ’ re shooting !
’ ” the witness said .
“ He said , ‘ I can ’ t , man , I got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting for help.
” He added : “ When I took off , at least 10 cop cars were flying , flying , flying.
” One person being taken to the hospital in a private vehicle collided with a police car , according to the police chief , who said no one had been arrested by about 11 p.m .
The victims range in age from 17 to 53 , including several who were shot in the leg and a man who was shot in the neck .
The 53-year-old is a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midsection , the outlet reported .
Buckner told reporters that the incident was first called in as a stolen vehicle complaint , WSYR-TV reported .
“ I believe we have two or three different scenes , so I don ’ t know which location contributed to what victims , ” he said , CNN reported .
Mayor Ben Walsh said he was unaware of any city approvals issued for the gathering .
“ We wouldn ’ t issue approvals for a gathering of this size .
So , we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be , ” he added , according to CNN .
Rye Day is the brainchild of Ryedell Davis , who has had boisterous birthday parties for 14 years near Martin Luther King Boulevard and South State Street , his mother Annetta Peterson told The Post-Standard .
But this year , city housing officials told her she couldn ’ t organize the party duty to traffic concerns so the event was moved to a square on the Near West Side , she added .
Peterson said the event was always peaceful until this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a birthday party for my son every year , and this never happened , ” she said .
“ This never , ever happened .
”

At least nine people were wounded when gunfire erupted Saturday night at an outdoor party in Syracuse, including a 17-year-old boy who was left in critical condition after he was shot in the head, according to reports.
The victims were rushed to Upstate Medical University after the shootings near Fayette and Wyoming streets, Police Chief Kenton Buckner said, according to The Post-Standard.
A witness said the bullets started flying during the annual outdoor gathering called “Rye Day,” which was scheduled to end at 9 p.m., the news outlet reported.
Several hundred people crowded into a square near the WCNY building to enjoy the festivities, which included music and food.
Shortly before 9 p.m., at least a dozen shots rang out, scattering the revelers, a witness told the newspaper, adding that a man sitting on his knees was holding his chest with his hands.
I said, ‘Come on, man, we gotta go! They’re shooting!’” the witness said. “He said, ‘I can’t, man, I got shot.’ So he just sat there waiting for help.”
He added: “When I took off, at least 10 cop cars were flying, flying, flying.”
One person being taken to the hospital in a private vehicle collided with a police car, according to the police chief, who said no one had been arrested by about 11 p.m.
The victims range in age from 17 to 53, including several who were shot in the leg and a man who was shot in the neck. The 53-year-old is a woman who was shot in the back and midsection, the outlet reported.
Buckner told reporters that the incident was first called in as a stolen vehicle complaint, WSYR-TV reported.
“I believe we have two or three different scenes, so I don’t know which location contributed to what victims,” he said, CNN reported.
Mayor Ben Walsh said he was unaware of any city approvals issued for the gathering.
“We wouldn’t issue approvals for a gathering of this size. So, we’re going to have to look into how it came to be,” he added, according to CNN.
Rye Day is the brainchild of Ryedell Davis, who has had boisterous birthday parties for 14 years near Martin Luther King Boulevard and South State Street, his mother Annetta Peterson told The Post-Standard.
But this year, city housing officials told her she couldn’t organize the party duty to traffic concerns so the event was moved to a square on the Near West Side, she added.
Peterson said the event was always peaceful until this year.
“I’ve had a birthday party for my son every year, and this never happened,” she said. “This never, ever happened.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Shooting in Minneapolis leaves one dead, 11 injured

One man was killed and 11 people suffered non-life-threatening injuries when gunfire erupted late Saturday in Minneapolis , police said .
The shots were fired on the 2900 block of Hennepin Street , “ where windows at a shoe store and the Uptown Theatre were apparently shot out , ” Star Tribune reporter Libor Jany said in a tweet early Sunday .
He added in a separate tweet that a woman said her 23-year-old daughter had been shot twice , including a bullet that tore into her leg and struck her femur .
The name and age of the deceased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was unclear if anyone was arrested in the incident .
Minneapolis has been at the center of anti-racism and police brutality demonstrations that have spread across the country since George Floyd , a black man , died while being restrained by a white cop .
An initial tweet from police advised the public to avoid the area in Uptown Minneapolis , a commercial district that includes several bars and eateries .
Screams were heard on a video posted to Facebook that showed the aftermath at the chaotic scene .
Crowds gathered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pavement before police showed up to attend to them .
Blood was visible on the ground after the victims were taken to local hospitals .
On June 1 , Minnesota began allowing bars and restaurants to reopen with limited service after about six weeks of closure because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The location where the shooting occurred is about 3 miles west of the commercial area and neighborhood hit by rioting in the wake of Floyd ’ s May 25 death , which has sparked a move to overhaul the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members pledged support for dismantling a department that many community activists have called brutal and racist .

One man was killed and 11 people suffered non-life-threatening injuries when gunfire erupted early Sunday in one of the most violent shootings in Minneapolis history, police said.
The shots were fired on the 2900 block of Hennepin Avenue, “where windows at a shoe store and the Uptown Theatre were apparently shot out,” Star Tribune reporter Libor Jany said in a tweet early Sunday.
He added in a separate tweet that a woman — whom the paper later identified as Alyssa Tyson — said her 23-year-old daughter, Taija, had been shot twice, including a bullet that tore into her leg and struck her femur.
The name and age of the deceased man weren’t immediately released, and it was unclear if anyone was arrested after the hail of gunfire, which left the victims with “various severity levels of injuries,” the news outlet reported, citing police.
Authorities did not provide a motive for the shooting, which apparently involved people firing at each other.
The spasm of violence erupted about 12:37 a.m. Sunday, when cops responded to reports of gunfire during a large gathering on Hennepin Avenue, police spokesman John Elder told the paper.
He said responding officers found several victims and learned that others had left the area in “private vehicles.”
Tyson told the Star Tribune that her daughter, who was injured in the shooting, had gone down to Uptown with a male companion, who ended up being struck by a bullet that passed close to his spine.
The mother said she had been asleep when her son called to say that Taija had been shot. After throwing on some clothes, she raced to the downtown hospital, she told the paper.
“The young lady who was with my daughter said it was, like, 80 shots,” she said, adding that she was stunned to hear how many people were wounded.
“I’m just pretty much speechless,” she said. “That’s a lot of people’s lives that are about to be changed, and for one person, that’s no more Christmases, no more birthdays.”
Minneapolis has been at the center of anti-racism and police brutality demonstrations that have spread across the country since George Floyd, a black man, died while being restrained by a white cop.
An initial tweet from police advised the public to avoid the area in Uptown Minneapolis, a commercial district that includes several bars and eateries.
Screams were heard on a video posted to Facebook that showed the aftermath at the chaotic scene.
Crowds gathered, with some crouched over victims sprawled on the pavement before police showed up to attend to them. Blood was visible on the ground after the victims were taken to local hospitals.
On June 1, Minnesota began allowing bars and restaurants to reopen with limited service after about six weeks of closure because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The location where the shooting occurred is about 3 miles west of the commercial area and neighborhood hit by rioting in the wake of Floyd’s May 25 death, which has sparked a move to overhaul the police force.
A majority of City Council members pledged support for dismantling a department that many community activists have called brutal and racist.
The shooting was one of the most violent in the history of Minneapolis, where seven people were shot earlier this month, one fatally, when a fight in a bar spilled outside and then escalated into gunfire, the Star Tribune reported.
In 2014, nine people were shot inside a downtown nightclub. One of the victims, a 27-year-old man, later died in a crime that remains unsolved.
Two years later, seven people were injured and one was killed when gunfire erupted on a North Side block where a gang vigil was taking place.
In the city’s deadliest mass shooting, a gunman burst into Accent Signage Systems in 2012 and gunned down six people before turning the gun on himself.
With Post Wires


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Tom Petty’s family issues cease and desist order against Trump campaign

Tom Petty ’ s hit “ I Won ’ t Back Down ” was played at President Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ — and now the rock star ’ s estate won ’ t back down from @ @ @ @ @ stop using the song .
“ Trump was in no way authorized to use this @ @ @ @ @ that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind , ” a tweeted statement said @ @ @ @ @ was signed by Petty ’ s widow , Dana , and by his daughters Adria @ @ @ @ @ , Petty ’ s first wife , Jane Benyo .
“ We would hate for @ @ @ @ @ this administration to think we were complicit in this usage , ” they tweeted .
@ @ @ @ @ issued an official cease and desist notice to the Trump campaign .
”

Tom Petty’s hit “I Won’t Back Down” was played at President Trump’s rally in Tulsa on Saturday — and now the rock star’s estate won’t back down from its demand that the campaign stop using the song.
“Trump was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind,” a tweeted statement said Saturday night.
The statement was signed by Petty’s widow, Dana, and by his daughters Adria and Annakim and their mother, Petty’s first wife, Jane Benyo.
“We would hate for fans that are marginalized by this administration to think we were complicit in this usage,” they tweeted.
“Concurrently, we have issued an official cease and desist notice to the Trump campaign.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Jets reach deal with wide receiver Denzel Mims

Before he earned the chance to play wide receiver for ...

The Jets have agreed to terms with Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims, their second-round draft pick in April, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce the move.
Mims fills a major need for a Jets offense that lost its top wideout, Robby Anderson, to Carolina in free agency. Chosen 59th overall, he’ll get a four-year deal worth about $5.5 million.
The Jets have signed just one other of its nine 2020 draftees, fifth-round cornerback Bryce Hall of Virginia.
Mims will join a receiving group that includes free agent addition Breshad Perriman and slot receiver Jamison Crowder. Mims comes off a strong 2019 season with 66 catches for 1,020 yards and 12 touchdowns.


newyorkpost--2020-06-21--Man dies in East Village after gun accidentally discharges in waistband

A 36-year-old man died in the East Village Saturday night after the gun he was carrying accidentally discharged in his @ @ @ @ @ sources .
The man , whose identity has not been released , was adjusting his @ @ @ @ @ at 635 E. 12th Street when the gun fired , striking him in his upper @ @ @ @ @ p.m. police sources said .
A family member was with the victim at the time @ @ @ @ @ man was transported to Bellevue Hospital , where he was pronounced dead , police said @ @ @ @ @ a string of unrelated shootings that first began Friday night across all boroughs except Staten @ @ @ @ @ least 17 people were injured and another man was killed during 13 separate shootings over @ @ @ @ @ span .

A 36-year-old man died in the East Village Saturday night after the gun he was carrying accidentally discharged in his waistband, according to police sources.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was adjusting his pants inside the apartment building at 635 E. 12th Street when the gun fired, striking him in his upper left thigh around 7:21, p.m. police sources said.
A family member was with the victim at the time and called 911.
The man was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The accident came amid a string of unrelated shootings that first began Friday night across all boroughs except Staten Island.
Cops said at least 17 people were injured and another man was killed during 13 separate shootings over the course of a 12-hour span.