newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Man in wild police shootout was ‘not handling the pandemic well,’ lawyer says

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
A Pennsylvania man who started multiple shootouts last week , including one with police , was “ just not handling the pandemic well , ” according to his lawyer .
The series of incidents began when a clerk at the Cigars International Superstore in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania , confronted Adam Michael Zaborowski , 35 , for not wearing a mask while indoors .
He allegedly refused to comply with the mask order , and turned progressively angrier before stealing two cigars .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a handgun .
Zaborowski fired one shot in the air and two at the clerk , according to the Bethlehem Township Police .
Zaborowski was on the lam for several hours after the incident in Bethlehem , and eventually returned to his home in nearby Slatington .
While local and state police staked out his home waiting for a search warrant , Zaborowski fled in a blue pickup truck .
When the authorities tried to follow him , he opened fire on officers with an AK-47 .
Only one Slatington PD Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zaborowski was shot in his leg and buttocks .
He was flown to St. Luke ’ s University Hospital in Bethlehem .
Zaborowski was arraigned on 22 charges related to the incident in Slatington .
According to his lawyer , John Waldron , Zaborowski lost his job during the pandemic and had recently lost a custody battle .
“ He just wasn ’ t dealing well with the loss of his job , the loss of his child , just not handling the pandemic well , ” Waldron told Lehigh Valley Live .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ too tight .
”

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
A Pennsylvania man who started multiple shootouts last week, including one with police, was “just not handling the pandemic well,” according to his lawyer.
The series of incidents began when a clerk at the Cigars International Superstore in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, confronted Adam Michael Zaborowski, 35, for not wearing a mask while indoors.
He allegedly refused to comply with the mask order, and turned progressively angrier before stealing two cigars.
When the clerk followed Zaborowski outside he pulled out a handgun. Zaborowski fired one shot in the air and two at the clerk, according to the Bethlehem Township Police.
Zaborowski was on the lam for several hours after the incident in Bethlehem, and eventually returned to his home in nearby Slatington.
While local and state police staked out his home waiting for a search warrant, Zaborowski fled in a blue pickup truck. When the authorities tried to follow him, he opened fire on officers with an AK-47.
Only one Slatington PD Officer was injured during the gunfight, while Zaborowski was shot in his leg and buttocks.
He was flown to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem.
Zaborowski was arraigned on 22 charges related to the incident in Slatington.
According to his lawyer, John Waldron, Zaborowski lost his job during the pandemic and had recently lost a custody battle.
“He just wasn’t dealing well with the loss of his job, the loss of his child, just not handling the pandemic well,” Waldron told Lehigh Valley Live. “I think he was getting stretched too tight.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Islamic State attacks Afghan prison holding hundreds of its members

KABUL , Afghanistan — An Islamic State group attack on a prison in eastern Afghanistan holding hundreds of its members raged on Monday after killing at least 21 people in fighting overnight , a local official said .
Another 43 people have been wounded in the attack that began late Sunday when an Islamic State suicide bomber slammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the prison entrance .
More assailants opened fire .
Three attackers have been killed so far but the battle continued Monday with sporadic gunfire still coming from the prison grounds , said Attaullah Khogyani , a spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the dead were prisoners , said Khogyani .
as well as civilians , prison guards and Afghan security personnel .
The prison assault struck Jalalabad , Nangarhar ’ s provincial capital some 115 kilometers ( 70 miles ) east of the capital , Kabul .
The Islamic State group ’ s affiliate in Afghanistan , known as IS in Khorasan province , claimed responsibility for the attack .
The affiliate is headquartered in Nangarhar province .
The motive of the attack wasn ’ t immediately clear .
However , some prisoners have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provincial official , who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists .
The prison houses about 1,500 inmates , of which several hundred are believed to belong to the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan .
The attack comes a day after the Afghan intelligence agency said a senior Islamic State group commander was killed by Afghan special forces near Jalalabad .
While the Islamic State group has seen its so-called caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria eliminated after a yearslong campaign , the group has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have battled the Taliban in the country , whom the U.S. overthrew following the 2001 American-led invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks .
The Taliban ’ s political spokesman , Suhail Shaheen , told The Associated Press that his group was not involved in the Jalalabad attack .
The U.S. struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February .
A second , crucial round of negotiations between the Taliban and the political leadership in Kabul has yet to start .
Still , Washington and NATO already have begun withdrawing troops in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a cease-fire and are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country , ” he said .
The Taliban declared a three-day cease-fire starting Friday for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha .
The cease-fire expired at 12 a.m. Monday though it wasn ’ t immediately clear if it would be extended as the U.S. pushes for an early start to intra-Afghan negotiations that have repeatedly been delayed since Washington signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February .
The Taliban also had denied being involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Thursday that killed at least nine people and wounded 40 .
Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence , with most attacks claimed by the local Islamic State group affiliate .

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Islamic State group attack on a prison in eastern Afghanistan holding hundreds of its members raged on Monday after killing at least 21 people in fighting overnight, a local official said.
Another 43 people have been wounded in the attack that began late Sunday when an Islamic State suicide bomber slammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the prison entrance.
More assailants opened fire. Three attackers have been killed so far but the battle continued Monday with sporadic gunfire still coming from the prison grounds, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province.
Some of the dead were prisoners, said Khogyani. as well as civilians, prison guards and Afghan security personnel.
The prison assault struck Jalalabad, Nangarhar’s provincial capital some 115 kilometers (70 miles) east of the capital, Kabul.
The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan, known as IS in Khorasan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The affiliate is headquartered in Nangarhar province.
The motive of the attack wasn’t immediately clear. However, some prisoners have escaped during the fighting, said another provincial official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.
The prison houses about 1,500 inmates, of which several hundred are believed to belong to the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan.
The attack comes a day after the Afghan intelligence agency said a senior Islamic State group commander was killed by Afghan special forces near Jalalabad.
While the Islamic State group has seen its so-called caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria eliminated after a yearslong campaign, the group has continued fighting in Afghanistan. The extremists also have battled the Taliban in the country, whom the U.S. overthrew following the 2001 American-led invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Taliban’s political spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told The Associated Press that his group was not involved in the Jalalabad attack. The U.S. struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February. A second, crucial round of negotiations between the Taliban and the political leadership in Kabul has yet to start. Still, Washington and NATO already have begun withdrawing troops in line with the deal.
“We have a cease-fire and are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country,” he said.
The Taliban declared a three-day cease-fire starting Friday for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The cease-fire expired at 12 a.m. Monday though it wasn’t immediately clear if it would be extended as the U.S. pushes for an early start to intra-Afghan negotiations that have repeatedly been delayed since Washington signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February.
The Taliban also had denied being involved in a suicide bombing in eastern Logar province late Thursday that killed at least nine people and wounded 40.
Afghanistan has seen a recent spike in violence, with most attacks claimed by the local Islamic State group affiliate.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Nets resting their ‘Bubble Big 3’ against dominant Bucks

After the thrashing the Nets took in Friday ’ s restart opener ...

The Nets will rest their “Bubble Big 3’’ Tuesday when they face the league-leading Bucks at Disney World.
After keying Sunday’s victory over Washington with spectacular performances, swingmen Caris LeVert and Joe Harris and center Jarrett Allen each have come down with varying issues.
LeVert, who scored 34 points, has a bruised thigh, and Harris, who added a season-high 27, has back/hamstring tightness. Allen (22 points, 15 rebounds) doesn’t have a nagging injury, but logged a season-high 38 minutes for a non-overtime game.
Coach Jacque Vaughn, essentially conceding the game to Giannis Antetokounmpo, will save the trio for the Celtics on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back.
“We’re looking forward for them to be available versus Boston,’’ Vaughn said.
There’s a certain irony in Vaughn raising the white flag to the Bucks — a club the Nets may face in the first round of the playoffs.
The Disney Nets aren’t ready to compete with the league’s elite with this makeshift roster. But the way LeVert, Harris and Allen played Sunday, it was a fresh reminder on how special next season can be in Brooklyn when at full strength.
Taking those three sparkplugs and adding Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and Deandre Jordan back in, that’s a talented top seven. On paper, if the Nets are healthy, magic can be made on Atlantic Avenue for the 2020-21 season.
Nets owner Joe Tsai has to decide whether Vaughn is the right man to lead the Nets to the promised land next season or should he open a coaching search with New York City product Mark Jackson looking to get back into coaching.
“Those three guys who have been with us for a long time, it was just great to see their growth, to be a part of just their games growing and for them to enjoy competitively playing and show us a tremendous amount of resilience,’’ said Vaughn, a Nets assistant for 3 ½ seasons before taking over for the fired Kenny Atkinson in March. “So we have tremendous amount of expectations moving forward. There’s no reason not to say that. I think these guys have taken advantage of where they are right now and hopefully that pays off moving forward.”
Harris, who won the 3-point shooting contest at 2019’s All-Star Weekend, is a free agent and needs to be re-signed. LeVert needs to stay healthy after having foot issues since college. There are several ifs — none greater than KD regaining his form as a top-three player in the world.
Sunday, the vision of LeVert exploding for 14 points in the final 6:31 was mesmerizing. Maybe the Nets won’t regain their lottery pick from Minnesota with a crash out of the playoffs, but seeing Levert and Allen thrive in Disney World might be worth it.
“That was my favorite show to watch, seeing Caris go to work, seeing how far he’s come, just being able to play one-on-one,’’ Allen said. “He was calling me saying, ‘Hey, JA, I don’t want the screen.’ And I respected that. He didn’t want the screen and they couldn’t stop him.”
Vaughn also found a wrinkle to stop teams from doubling LeVert, using him in post-ups. That could open things up for Durant and Irving next season.
“Purposefully done,’’ Vaughn said. “Something that Caris has been working and something that we did not show in the scrimmages. We worked for him to get to a sweet spot and be one bounce away from the rim but also once bounce from getting to a mid-range shot that he’s very comfortable in.”
Earlier in the season, Irving made headlines when he said it’s “glaring’’ the Nets roster needs an upgrade to get to “the next level’’ and there are reports of him seeking a third star. Maybe that star is rising in the Orlando bubble.
Vaughn wouldn’t guarantee Jamal Crawford, working his way into game shape, would make his debut against Milwaukee.
“We’ll see how he feels after [Monday’s] little session,’’ Vaughn said.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Claudine De Niro involved in notorious Chainsmokers Hamptons show

The De Niros don ’ t seem to be on the same page when it comes to COVID caution .
While Robert De Niro has made PSAs pleading with New Yorkers to wear masks , Page Six has learned that his former daughter-in-law Claudine De Niro helped run the now-notorious Chainsmokers concert in Southampton — which Gov .
Andrew Cuomo called an “ egregious social-distancing violation.
” The event was put together by two companies , one of which is called In the Know Experiences , a firm Claudine has worked with closely for years .
We ’ re told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bash and helped spread the word about it in the preceding weeks , and her boyfriend Cuba Gooding Jr. was one of the celebs who attended the July 25 fund-raising show .
But when the party turned into a debacle after video surfaced showing a crowd gathering in front of the stage , drawing Cuomo ’ s ire , Claudine seemed less keen to be associated with it .
Claudine told us she was just “ a guest , ” and a rep for the company told us she ’ s only “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Know .

The De Niros don’t seem to be on the same page when it comes to COVID caution.
While Robert De Niro has made PSAs pleading with New Yorkers to wear masks, Page Six has learned that his former daughter-in-law Claudine De Niro helped run the now-notorious Chainsmokers concert in Southampton — which Gov. Andrew Cuomo called an “egregious social-distancing violation.”
The event was put together by two companies, one of which is called In the Know Experiences, a firm Claudine has worked with closely for years. We’re told that Claudine sold tickets for the pricey bash and helped spread the word about it in the preceding weeks, and her boyfriend Cuba Gooding Jr. was one of the celebs who attended the July 25 fund-raising show.
But when the party turned into a debacle after video surfaced showing a crowd gathering in front of the stage, drawing Cuomo’s ire, Claudine seemed less keen to be associated with it.
Claudine told us she was just “a guest,” and a rep for the company told us she’s only “an independent contractor” for In the Know.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Mother arrested in her baby’s 1988 killing thanks to DNA

SAN FRANCISCO — A California woman has been arrested in the death of her newborn baby boy in the San Francisco Bay Area 32 years ago in a case that was solved decades later because of genetic genealogy , authorities said Monday .
Lesa Lopez , 52 , admitted to investigators she was the mother of the baby and implicated herself in the killing , Alameda County Sheriff ’ s Office spokesman Sgt .
Ray Kelly said in a statement .
“ Lopez , who was 20 years old at the time of the incident , told investigators she hid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provided details of what happened , ” he said .
Lopez , of Salida , was arrested on July 23 and charged with murder .
She is being held on $ 2 million bail .
It wasn ’ t immediately known if she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf .
Two children playing found the baby ’ s body on May 15 , 1988 , inside a paper bag left among trees and bushes on the bank of a creek in Castro Valley .
An autopsy revealed the baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kelly said .
The boy , identified by investigators as Baby Joe Doe , was given a funeral at St. Leanders Church in San Leandro attended by more than 200 people .
A priest posthumously named him Richard Jayson Terrance Rein after the church ’ s vicars and priests .
With DNA investigative technology much more advanced , the DNA of a woman was found in 2005 in evidence collected from the crime scene .
Investigators believed it belonged to the baby ’ s mother , who was considered a suspect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Multiple investigators with the sheriff ’ s office tried to solve the case over the past 32 years “ for a baby boy who never had a voice and never had the chance of living a full life , ” Kelly said .
Last year , investigators again took up the case with the help of experts in forensic genetic genealogy from the FBI , and private labs , including Oklahoma-based DNA solutions and Gene-by-Gene ’ , which owns the genealogy website FamilyTreeDNA .
After extensive genealogy research , surveillance and DNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cold case investigators linked Lopez to the crime scene , Kelly said .
They used the same advanced DNA testing that helped crack the decades-old Golden State Killer case .
In 2018 , police investigators identified Joseph DeAngelo , a former police officer , after using DNA from crime scenes to find relatives of their suspect through a popular genealogy website database .
They tailed DeAngelo and secretly collected DNA from his car door and a discarded tissue to get an arrest warrant .
DeAngelo , who terrorized California as a serial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill more than a dozen people while evading capture for decades , pleaded guilty last month .

SAN FRANCISCO — A California woman has been arrested in the death of her newborn baby boy in the San Francisco Bay Area 32 years ago in a case that was solved decades later because of genetic genealogy, authorities said Monday.
Lesa Lopez, 52, admitted to investigators she was the mother of the baby and implicated herself in the killing, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said in a statement.
“Lopez, who was 20 years old at the time of the incident, told investigators she hid the pregnancy from her family and friends and provided details of what happened,” he said.
Lopez, of Salida, was arrested on July 23 and charged with murder. She is being held on $2 million bail. It wasn’t immediately known if she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
Two children playing found the baby’s body on May 15, 1988, inside a paper bag left among trees and bushes on the bank of a creek in Castro Valley. An autopsy revealed the baby was alive at birth and was killed, Kelly said.
The boy, identified by investigators as Baby Joe Doe, was given a funeral at St. Leanders Church in San Leandro attended by more than 200 people. A priest posthumously named him Richard Jayson Terrance Rein after the church’s vicars and priests.
With DNA investigative technology much more advanced, the DNA of a woman was found in 2005 in evidence collected from the crime scene. Investigators believed it belonged to the baby’s mother, who was considered a suspect, but she couldn’t be identified.
Multiple investigators with the sheriff’s office tried to solve the case over the past 32 years “for a baby boy who never had a voice and never had the chance of living a full life,” Kelly said.
Last year, investigators again took up the case with the help of experts in forensic genetic genealogy from the FBI, and private labs, including Oklahoma-based DNA solutions and Gene-by-Gene’, which owns the genealogy website FamilyTreeDNA.
After extensive genealogy research, surveillance and DNA collected from Lopez’s discarded trash, cold case investigators linked Lopez to the crime scene, Kelly said.
They used the same advanced DNA testing that helped crack the decades-old Golden State Killer case.
In 2018, police investigators identified Joseph DeAngelo, a former police officer, after using DNA from crime scenes to find relatives of their suspect through a popular genealogy website database. They tailed DeAngelo and secretly collected DNA from his car door and a discarded tissue to get an arrest warrant.
DeAngelo, who terrorized California as a serial burglar and rapist and went on to kill more than a dozen people while evading capture for decades, pleaded guilty last month.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Post-COVID Kimberly Guilfoyle prepares to host Hamptons fundraisers

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Looks like Kimberly Guilfoyle has @ @ @ @ @ ready to mingle .
Donald Trump Jr. ’ s girlfriend is hosting events in the @ @ @ @ @ including a $ 580,600-per-couple fund-raiser on Saturday that will be attended by President Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ event , organized by the Trump Victory Fund , for $ 250,000 .
There will @ @ @ @ @ with a $ 2,800-per-person reception and a $ 50,000-per-couple dinner , reports NBC .
Guilfoyle @ @ @ @ @ July after attending a maskless party at a Bridgehampton mansion .
Last year , Trump @ @ @ @ @ two fund-raisers out East .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Looks like Kimberly Guilfoyle has beaten the coronavirus and is ready to mingle.
Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend is hosting events in the Hamptons over the weekend, including a $580,600-per-couple fund-raiser on Saturday that will be attended by President Trump.
Singles can get in the event, organized by the Trump Victory Fund, for $250,000. There will be other events starting Thursday with a $2,800-per-person reception and a $50,000-per-couple dinner, reports NBC.
Guilfoyle tested positive for COVID-19 in July after attending a maskless party at a Bridgehampton mansion. Last year, Trump netted $12 million from two fund-raisers out East.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Anders Lee’s bubble pingpong tournament providing Islanders entertainment

Coming off Saturday ’ s 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup qualifiers , the Islanders decided to simultaneously compete in two tournaments at once .
During their downtime at the hotel , captain Anders Lee gathered the team to participate in a pingpong championship .
The winners will be crowned the “ Boys of the Isle ” champion .
“ We ’ ll let you know when it ’ s all crowned and stuff like that .
It ’ s been a fun thing to do in the afternoon , ” Lee said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the bubble in Toronto .
“ Everyone ’ s involved , it ’ s a good hang , and we ’ re just trying to have some fun with it .
We ’ re enjoying our time with each other , spending a lot of time with one another , looking forward to playing the games obviously .
It ’ s fun to just be in a group and get competitive again.
” On Sunday , the Islanders ’ Twitter account released a video of Lee showing off the bracket the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and list of rules for the competition .
While the players may be having all of the fun off the ice to maintain positive momentum , head coach Barry Trotz isn ’ t involved as much .
He said the guys are doing this on their own , and really having fun with it .
“ For me , personally , it ’ s like a giant man cave , ” Trotz said .
“ We eat , we spend time together as a group .
Guys are doing their own thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms , and even simulated golf.
” Although the players may be focused on their dual competitions , Trotz is trying to figure out which defenseman will be filling Johnny Boychuk ’ s spot for Tuesday ’ s Game 2 , which begins at noon .
“ I ’ m comfortable with the 10 defensemen right now , ” Trotz said .
“ I ’ ll tell you this , it ’ ll be [ Andy ] Greene or [ Noah ] Dobson , or both will be on the ice [ Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decision there .
”

The NHL bubble sounds like a competitive athlete’s paradise.
Coming off Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup qualifiers, the Islanders decided to simultaneously compete in two tournaments at once.
During their downtime at the hotel, captain Anders Lee gathered the team to participate in a pingpong championship. The winners will be crowned the “Boys of the Isle” champion.
“We’ll let you know when it’s all crowned and stuff like that. It’s been a fun thing to do in the afternoon,” Lee said during media availability with reporters on Monday from the bubble in Toronto. “Everyone’s involved, it’s a good hang, and we’re just trying to have some fun with it. We’re enjoying our time with each other, spending a lot of time with one another, looking forward to playing the games obviously. It’s fun to just be in a group and get competitive again.”
On Sunday, the Islanders’ Twitter account released a video of Lee showing off the bracket the team came up with, including the rosters and list of rules for the competition.
While the players may be having all of the fun off the ice to maintain positive momentum, head coach Barry Trotz isn’t involved as much. He said the guys are doing this on their own, and really having fun with it.
“For me, personally, it’s like a giant man cave,” Trotz said. “We eat, we spend time together as a group. Guys are doing their own thing. They’ve got pingpong, workout rooms, and even simulated golf.”
Although the players may be focused on their dual competitions, Trotz is trying to figure out which defenseman will be filling Johnny Boychuk’s spot for Tuesday’s Game 2, which begins at noon.
“I’m comfortable with the 10 defensemen right now,” Trotz said. “I’ll tell you this, it’ll be [Andy] Greene or [Noah] Dobson, or both will be on the ice [Tuesday], and we’ll make a decision there.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Latin America exceeds 5 million COVID-19 cases, new tally shows

ASUNCION – Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday , a Reuters tally showed , underscoring the region ’ s position as the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic .
Coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America – home to about 640 million people – than much of the world .
But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus in the region ’ s poor , densely packed cities .
The more than 10,000 new cases Colombia ’ s health ministry reported on Monday pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases .
Mexico has also racked up record numbers of new confirmed infections in recent days , registering more than 9,000 daily cases for the first time on Saturday , a day after Mexico overtook Britain as the country with the third-highest number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums , according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme .
Many have jobs in the informal sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to work throughout the pandemic .
The region has now topped over 200,000 deaths with little sign that the virus is abating even as governments look to ease lockdowns and revive economic growth .

ASUNCION – Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the region’s position as the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America – home to about 640 million people – than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus in the region’s poor, densely packed cities.
The more than 10,000 new cases Colombia’s health ministry reported on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases.
Mexico has also racked up record numbers of new confirmed infections in recent days, registering more than 9,000 daily cases for the first time on Saturday, a day after Mexico overtook Britain as the country with the third-highest number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 100 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
Many have jobs in the informal sector with little social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic.
The region has now topped over 200,000 deaths with little sign that the virus is abating even as governments look to ease lockdowns and revive economic growth.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Former Club Kid Richie Rich launches ‘virtual beauty’ site, BeautyKween

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Former Club Kid and Heatherette @ @ @ @ @ a different kind of club .
Rich is getting into the “ virtual beauty ” @ @ @ @ @ BeautyKween.com , on which celebs and influencers will share beauty secrets and perform .
He @ @ @ @ @ his many celeb pals on as guests to the digital club , and “ my @ @ @ @ @ on our air and give us all her makeup secrets and any other secrets.
” @ @ @ @ @ of the company , which he launched with Mister D and E !
founder Larry @ @

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Former Club Kid and Heatherette designer Richie Rich has launched a different kind of club.
Rich is getting into the “virtual beauty” biz with a site called BeautyKween.com, on which celebs and influencers will share beauty secrets and perform.
He says he wants to ask his many celeb pals on as guests to the digital club, and “my dream is to get Madonna on our air and give us all her makeup secrets and any other secrets.”
Rich is the fashion director of the company, which he launched with Mister D and E! founder Larry Namer.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Mets injury concerns arise with Jeff McNeil, Robinson Cano and Amed Rosario

ATLANTA – Jeff McNeil ’ s cranky lower back is the first potential injury of substance to infiltrate the Mets ’ starting lineup this season .
After getting penciled in Monday for his first start this season in left field , McNeil was scratched with lower-back tightness he incurred during his pregame batting cage routine , according to the team .
J.D .
Davis — who was originally on the bench because of an upset stomach — replaced McNeil and batted fifth in the lineup .
Dominic Smith moved from DH to left field .
McNeil has been among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .323/.429/.429 slash line .
He was shifted to left field in the original lineup to give Andres Gimenez the start at third base .
Amed Rosario exited Monday ’ s game after three innings with what the Mets said was left quad tightness .
Andres Gimenez took over at shortstop , while Luis Guillorme entered the game at third base .
Robinson Cano also departed with left groin tightness and was replaced by Brian Dozier in the bottom of the fifth .
Smith ’ s time with the Mets may have finally arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for the season , the vacancy exists for the 24-year-old Smith that had previously been nonexistent .
Smith started in left field on Monday against the Braves , but also factors into the DH mix .
Smith is still Pete Alonso ’ s backup at first base .
“ We were definitely looking to put Dom in there , whether it was in left , at first , DH and now it ’ s going to happen a little bit more , ” manager Luis Rojas said .
Smith spent most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an outfield glut , and even the addition of the DH to this National League this season hadn ’ t provided him much of an opening , with Cespedes ’ return to the lineup .
Smith entered play with a .250/.375/.500 slash line with one homer and five RBIs in 16 plate appearances .
“ You can count on a quality at-bat with him , ” Rojas said .
“ Despite his young age we have talked about how mature he has handled the role of not starting every day and being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right now he is getting the chance and we ’ re really looking forward to putting him in there any time we could.
” Ali Sanchez was recalled from the team ’ s alternate training site , giving the Mets a third catcher .
Rojas said carrying a third catcher will provide a safety net in pinch-running for Wilson Ramos in the late innings .

ATLANTA – Jeff McNeil’s cranky lower back is the first potential injury of substance to infiltrate the Mets’ starting lineup this season.
After getting penciled in Monday for his first start this season in left field, McNeil was scratched with lower-back tightness he incurred during his pregame batting cage routine, according to the team.
J.D. Davis — who was originally on the bench because of an upset stomach — replaced McNeil and batted fifth in the lineup. Dominic Smith moved from DH to left field.
McNeil has been among the Mets’ hottest hitters, with a .323/.429/.429 slash line. He was shifted to left field in the original lineup to give Andres Gimenez the start at third base.
Amed Rosario exited Monday’s game after three innings with what the Mets said was left quad tightness. Andres Gimenez took over at shortstop, while Luis Guillorme entered the game at third base. Robinson Cano also departed with left groin tightness and was replaced by Brian Dozier in the bottom of the fifth.
Smith’s time with the Mets may have finally arrived.
With Yoenis Cespedes finished after opting out for the season, the vacancy exists for the 24-year-old Smith that had previously been nonexistent. Smith started in left field on Monday against the Braves, but also factors into the DH mix. Smith is still Pete Alonso’s backup at first base.
“We were definitely looking to put Dom in there, whether it was in left, at first, DH and now it’s going to happen a little bit more,” manager Luis Rojas said.
Smith spent most of last season coming off the bench because of an outfield glut, and even the addition of the DH to this National League this season hadn’t provided him much of an opening, with Cespedes’ return to the lineup.
Smith entered play with a .250/.375/.500 slash line with one homer and five RBIs in 16 plate appearances.
“You can count on a quality at-bat with him,” Rojas said. “Despite his young age we have talked about how mature he has handled the role of not starting every day and being ready when he gets the chance. Right now he is getting the chance and we’re really looking forward to putting him in there any time we could.”
Ali Sanchez was recalled from the team’s alternate training site, giving the Mets a third catcher. Rojas said carrying a third catcher will provide a safety net in pinch-running for Wilson Ramos in the late innings.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--California mother goes missing during road trip to Joshua Tree

A California mother destined for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park amid the coronavirus pandemic in June vanished two days into her travels — and has been missing ever since .
Erika Lloyd , 37 , mother of a 12-year-old son , set out from Walnut Creek for the roughly 500-mile road trip on June 14 , but two days later her family told news station KESQ they lost contact with her .
“ Being [ on ] lockdown for almost three months , not being able to work and she was trying to home school her son , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the pressure and not having any income , ” Erika ’ s mom , Ruth Lloyd told the outlet last Friday .
The same day Erika ’ s family lost touch with her , authorities found her abandoned 2006 black Honda Accord near the park on California ’ s State Route 62 in Twentynine Palms , according to California Highway Patrol .
The car ’ s dashboard was damaged and several windows broken , the San Bernardino County Sentinel reported , leading family members to believe Erika may have gotten into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know if she had some memory loss when she got hit by the airbag , ” Ruth told KESQ .
“ Maybe she doesn ’ t know who she is , we don ’ t know .
We aren ’ t sure about her mental state.
” Erika ’ s family said they hired a local cave and mine expert to help with the search .
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the costs of the search efforts .

A California mother destined for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park amid the coronavirus pandemic in June vanished two days into her travels — and has been missing ever since.
Erika Lloyd, 37, mother of a 12-year-old son, set out from Walnut Creek for the roughly 500-mile road trip on June 14, but two days later, her family told news station KESQ they lost contact with her.
“Being [on] lockdown for almost three months, not being able to work and she was trying to home-school her son, it was starting to get to her — the pressure and not having any income,” Erika’s mom, Ruth Lloyd, told the outlet last Friday.
The same day Erika’s family lost touch with her, authorities found her abandoned 2006 black Honda Accord near the park on California’s State Route 62 in Twentynine Palms, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The car’s dashboard was damaged and several windows broken, the San Bernardino County Sentinel reported, leading family members to believe Erika may have gotten into an accident.
“We don’t know if she had some memory loss when she got hit by the airbag,” Ruth told KESQ.
“Maybe she doesn’t know who she is, we don’t know. We aren’t sure about her mental state.”
Erika’s family said they hired a local cave and mine expert to help with the search.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the costs of the search efforts.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Knicks makeover guru defends Dolan, says he can lure stars

Maybe it would ’ ve made a difference if there had been ...

Knicks branding manager Steve Stoute is known for his marketing, but he thinks he can help lure free agents, too.
Knicks president Leon Rose and senior vice president William Wesley were hired primarily as a conduit to luring stars, but Stoute believes he can form a Big 3.
“With having Leon in, World Wide Wes and myself, the three of us, we’re the best sort of team as it relates to being able to speak with free agents,’’ Stoute said over the weekend on the “Breakfast Club” podcast. “Our relationship with talent to bring them to New York. They haven’t had this level of talent in the last 10 years that can go out and pitch free agents and convince them why New York is great.’’
Stoute was brought on in January to help recharge the image of James Dolan and his woebegone Knicks.
According to a source, Stoute is tight with Stephen Curry; Klay Thompson; LeBron James; James’ agent, Rich Paul, who also reps Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant; and Durant’s agent/manager Rich Kleiman.
Curry has said often he had hoped the Knicks would draft him in 2008. If things fall apart in Golden State, which just posted the league’s worst record after dealing with a host of injuries, it would be no shock if Curry or Thompson sought a new start.
Stoute defended Dolan’s work, lauding him for paying massive amounts of money to turn the Knicks around — the latest being a five-year deal for new coach Tom Thibodeau.
“James Dolan is misunderstood,’’ Stoute said. “He’s certainly brash. As a sports fan, I love an owner willing to invest and pay for talent. It’s a risky business. When you go get Phil Jackson, there’s a guy who spent a ton of money to get Phil and he failed. And he went out and got Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo [Anthony]. They’re trying and spending money. It doesn’t always work out the way you want it to be.’’
Asked if Dolan’s antics make things harder for him, Stoute denied it.
“If you have a strong argument, he listens,’’ Stoute said. “If you don’t have a strong argument, he’ll run you over.”
The Knicks have missed the playoffs seven straight years. That ineptitude is what makes Stoute’s mission of an image makeover challenging.
“My No. 1 job is do what I do best — rebranding,’’ Stoute said. “The Knicks are one of the greatest sports brands in the world. Obviously, we got work to do on the court with the team but branding aspects, there’s so much we can do with merchandising and apparel, making great advertising to get people excited about this global brand.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Michelle Williams defends absence from ‘Black Is King’

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) When Michelle Williams praised former @ @ @ @ @ Beyoncé ’ s new visual album , “ Black Is King , ” on Instagram @ @ @ @ @ the project includes numerous cameos but is notably missing one .
A follower wondered , @ @ @ @ @ the film tho ?
” Williams replied , “ I ’ m in the upper @ @ @ @ @ !
” She was referring to her Instagram display picture .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
When Michelle Williams praised former Destiny’s Child bandmate Beyoncé’s new visual album, “Black Is King,” on Instagram, fans pointed out that the project includes numerous cameos but is notably missing one.
A follower wondered, “Where you at in the film tho?”
Williams replied, “I’m in the upper right corner minding my business!”
She was referring to her Instagram display picture.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Mass-shooting notes, anti-Semitic flyers found in Queens arsonist’s car: feds

A Queens pharmacist who set a traffic camera on fire last month had a notebook expressing a desire to emulate New Zealand mosque killer Brenton Tarrant and stacks of anti-Semitic propaganda inside his car , federal prosecutors alleged Monday .
Elijah Song , 28 , was allegedly spotted setting a camera ablaze in Douglaston late July 17 , but fled on foot before cops could catch him , a criminal complaint says .
When fire marshals later searched his car , left nearby , they uncovered the disturbing notebook supporting Tarrant ’ s manifesto , which said , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of those f–kers , just like the New Zealand shooter who killed 50 of them , ” Brooklyn federal prosecutors alleged in court papers .
Other notes allegedly showed Song was “ researching and preparing to construct an AR-15 firearm ” and wanted to “ obtain training in explosives , knives , guns and hand-to-hand combat , ” prosecutors said in papers asking a judge to hold Song behind bars ahead of a trial .
A note stated that after receiving the training , he would “ like to be the catalyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ancient , evil , devil worshippers , ” court documents alleged .
“ Fire Marshals also recovered stacks of anti-Semitic propaganda flyers , ” the documents said .
They also found two bottles of what appeared to be gasoline , four cans containing 8 gallons of gasoline , aerosol cans matching one left near one of the fires , bolt cutters , a sledge hammer and an 8-inch hunting knife , the court papers charged .
Song was finally arrested for arson Monday .
During a video and phone hearing later that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered Song be held without bail , for reasons including the cache of alarming materials allegedly found in his car .
The judge said his decision was “ based upon the danger indicated by the excerpts from the notebook that refer to admiring someone who killed people and expressed a desire to kill people himself and it ’ s based on the indications and efforts to get parts for an assault rifle.
” “ When you take that with the logic and the wanton disregard for the safety of what he was involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire to cameras at a busy intersection — even if it was in the middle of the night — this is a very disturbing case with respect to the danger to the community , ” Gold continued .
Song ’ s lawyer , Nicholas Ramcharitar , asked the judge earlier in the hearing to consider releasing Song with GPS monitoring noting that he would be living with his mother .
Ramcharitar said Song comes from a strict and traditional Korean family , noting he has a high level of education and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior to these allegations.
” Ramcharitar , who also represented Song in a February case for allegedly punching an acquaintance , said that case was nearing conditional dismissal as prosecutors acknowledged the alleged assault was in self-defense .
After the hearing , Ramcharitar told The Post by phone , “ Mr .
Song denies any and all allegations referring to any arson changes and any terrorist charges as the government has made allegations to in their detention memo .

A Queens pharmacist who set a traffic camera on fire last month had a notebook expressing a desire to emulate New Zealand mosque killer Brenton Tarrant and stacks of anti-Semitic propaganda inside his car, federal prosecutors alleged Monday.
Elijah Song, 28, was allegedly spotted setting a camera ablaze in Douglaston late July 17, but fled on foot before cops could catch him, a criminal complaint says.
When fire marshals later searched his car, left nearby, they uncovered the disturbing notebook supporting Tarrant’s manifesto, which said, “I would love to kill me a whole bunch of those f–kers, just like the New Zealand shooter who killed 50 of them,” Brooklyn federal prosecutors alleged in court papers.
Other notes allegedly showed Song was “researching and preparing to construct an AR-15 firearm” and wanted to “obtain training in explosives, knives, guns and hand-to-hand combat,” prosecutors said in papers asking a judge to hold Song behind bars ahead of a trial.
A note stated that after receiving the training, he would “like to be the catalyst, to take back the country from the ancient, evil, devil worshippers,” court documents alleged.
“Fire Marshals also recovered stacks of anti-Semitic propaganda flyers,” the documents said.
They also found two bottles of what appeared to be gasoline, four cans containing 8 gallons of gasoline, aerosol cans matching one left near one of the fires, bolt cutters, a sledge hammer and an 8-inch hunting knife, the court papers charged.
Song was finally arrested for arson Monday. During a video and phone hearing later that day, Brooklyn Federal Judge Steven Gold ordered Song be held without bail, for reasons including the cache of alarming materials allegedly found in his car.
The judge said his decision was “based upon the danger indicated by the excerpts from the notebook that refer to admiring someone who killed people and expressed a desire to kill people himself and it’s based on the indications and efforts to get parts for an assault rifle.”
“When you take that with the logic and the wanton disregard for the safety of what he was involved in, that goes along with lighting fire to cameras at a busy intersection — even if it was in the middle of the night — this is a very disturbing case with respect to the danger to the community,” Gold continued.
Song’s lawyer, Nicholas Ramcharitar, asked the judge earlier in the hearing to consider releasing Song with GPS monitoring noting that he would be living with his mother.
Ramcharitar said Song comes from a strict and traditional Korean family, noting he has a high level of education and has been “an upstanding member of the community prior to these allegations.”
Ramcharitar, who also represented Song in a February case for allegedly punching an acquaintance, said that case was nearing conditional dismissal as prosecutors acknowledged the alleged assault was in self-defense.
After the hearing, Ramcharitar told The Post by phone, “Mr. Song denies any and all allegations referring to any arson changes and any terrorist charges as the government has made allegations to in their detention memo.
“Mr. Song fully intends to fight these charges.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--All the COVID safety rules are little more than theater

Hundreds of people , many without masks , turned up for the ...

If you go to a restaurant in Gotham right now, you might be subjected to a temperature check. It’s no big deal, it takes a second — but it’s pointless; plenty of COVID-positive people don’t have a fever. So why do we do it? It’s part of a growing trend of COVID-19 security theater. We do things that have no bearing on our actual safety but that make us feel safe.
Take masks. It makes sense to wear masks inside businesses or for any close contact with strangers. But why are people wearing them outside, when they’re not near anybody? Neighborhood message boards across the country are filled with complaints like: “I saw a bicyclist without a mask today!”
The problem is messaging from the top. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus guru, is the man we all look to for direction. In March, he said, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.” Now he’s gung-ho, yet his mask instruction is very convoluted.
He wore a mask to throw out the first pitch at the Opening Day game at Nationals Park — while standing more than 60 feet away from the nearest person. Then he sat down in the stands with his wife and friend, and they all took turns wearing and removing their masks.
In restaurants in New York, you must wear a mask to your seat. But then you take it off to eat, drink and talk, which is clearly where all the danger lies.
It’s obviously difficult to tell Americans that their best bet would be not to wear a mask on the street but to wear a mask when socializing closely. But the current counsel to wear a mask in situations where there is literally no risk, only to remove it when there is, makes no sense.
Fauci isn’t alone. Continuing his victory tour after presiding over 32,000 deaths in New York, Gov. Cuomo traveled to Georgia to “help them” fight the virus, urging the state to “follow the numbers.” He could have told them over Zoom or directed them to the dozen times he has said this before.
Cuomo forces the rest of us to isolate and socially distance, yet he jet-sets around and was even photographed on the plane wearing his mask like a “chin guard,” something he has also warned New Yorkers not to do.
In Georgia, maskless, he hugged a number of people in a crowded room. If you want a quick way to tell Americans that COVID-19 isn’t a big deal, and masks are pointless, nothing could do the job better than these pictures from Cuomo’s needless Georgia trip.
Then there’s the intense disinfecting and sanitizing of everything in sight, despite the fact that scientists now say catching COVID-19 from a surface is unlikely. Yes, we wiped down our groceries in March, when we didn’t know better. But now there is talk of periodically closing schools to “disinfect” them. It would be nice to have clean schools, but it’s extremely unlikely that it will help with stopping the transmission of COVID-19. Meanwhile, closing schools to clean them will take time away from already-limited in-person education.
There are so many other ways the COVID guidance makes no sense. Forcing bars in New York to serve food and making them close by 11:30 p.m. will do exactly nothing to fight the virus but will do a lot to harm these businesses. We have plexiglass dividers in shops and salons, as if the virus can’t travel around them. Gyms, which keep people healthy and in good shape to fight viruses, remain closed.
Americans love their security theater. That was the lesson of post-9/11 air travel. And perhaps feeling safe might be good enough, for now. People wearing masks in ridiculous situations might be OK, if it means more people are going outside and we can return to normalcy.
But in the long-term, our pretend safety will have consequences. If rules seem dumb, and they do, Americans may stop following them altogether. The arbitrariness and hypocrisy displayed by the likes of Cuomo and Fauci could lead to people rebelling against following any of it.
We all want a sense of normal, and it has to begin with logic and consistency at the top.
Twitter: @Karol


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Deepak Chopra spending the pandemic creating an AI version of himself

Deepak Chopra has been busy during the pandemic , offering free meditation classes , preparing to release his 91st book @ @ @ @ @ ” in September and working on an AI version of himself , Digital Deepak .
@ @ @ @ @ My goal is to communicate to a billion people to create a better world .
@ @ @ @ @ , who knows ?
I ’ m going to give it my best shot.
” @ @ @ @ @ Age , Chopra suggests getting by in these difficult times by “ watching old shows @ @ @ @ @ They have been making me laugh so much I don ’ t think of anything @ @ @ @ @ .

Deepak Chopra has been busy during the pandemic, offering free meditation classes, preparing to release his 91st book, “Total Meditation,” in September and working on an AI version of himself, Digital Deepak.
Chopra told us, “My goal is to communicate to a billion people to create a better world. Whether that happens or not, who knows? I’m going to give it my best shot.”
For those not into New Age, Chopra suggests getting by in these difficult times by “watching old shows of ‘Candid Camera.’ They have been making me laugh so much I don’t think of anything painful,” he imparted.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--YouTube censored my talk on policing

YouTube censored my talk on policing

If your 12-year-old son goes on YouTube , he can watch a porn star giving a lap dance to a happily surprised young man .
He can see nubile , naked girls spooning with a naked male and frolicking in Las Vegas hotel pools .
Your 14-year-old daughter can watch videos on how and why to transition to the male gender .
Both your son and daughter can learn how to become an “ antifa warrior.
” Under the tutelage of an anarcho-communist YouTube host , they can celebrate the fiery destruction of a Minneapolis police precinct during the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflagration the anarcho-communist deems the “ high point ” of the rioting to date .
They can get tips on how to suit up for further anti-police action — with helmets , water bottles and , of course , personal protective equipment .
Yet your children can ’ t watch a livestreamed speech on policing I gave Thursday , arguing that US law enforcement isn ’ t engaged in systemic violence against blacks .
YouTube has deemed the speech inappropriate for children under 18 and blocked access to minors .
I suppose I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s on the Web at all .
YouTube had initially wiped the speech off its servers entirely on the ground that it violated the site ’ s “ community guidelines ” for keeping YouTube a “ safe place.
” No further explanation was given .
YouTube ’ s community guidelines ban content that “ encourages others to go to a particular place to commit violence ” or that incites “ violent acts against individuals.
” Far from encouraging violence , I had condemned the rioting and had warned that the ideological war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic loss of black life , as cops backed off from proactive enforcement in high-crime communities .
The host of my speech , the Center of the American Experiment , a Minneapolis-based think tank , appealed YouTube ’ s censorship .
The company relented and put the livestream back on the Web but slapped the age restriction on it — again , without explanation .
( A subsequent uploaded version on the center ’ s Web site has escaped detection . )
YouTube ’ s age-restriction policy lists vulgar language , violence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content , and portrayal of harmful or dangerous activities as factors that could lead to an age restriction .
None of those categories has any bearing on my talk .
I used federal data to show that the claim that police are wantonly killing black men is a product of selective coverage by a politicized press and an elite establishment dedicated to the idea that racism is America ’ s defining trait .
There was nothing racy or incendiary about the talk — unless you find criminological research titillating — unlike the soft-pornographic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its site without age restriction .
Last week , YouTube ’ s parent company , Google , along with Amazon , Apple and Facebook , were grilled on Capitol Hill about their market power .
The mainstream media scoffed at the charge from Republican lawmakers that Big Tech is more inclined to suppress conservative viewpoints than liberal ones .
“ Republican politicians ’ complaints about political bias aren ’ t backed by credible evidence , ” wrote The New York Times .
Slate sniffed that GOP lawmakers presented “ questionable and often nonsensical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardly the first example of heterodox opinion that has been burdened by the Silicon Valley gatekeepers , of course .
The list of innocuous but conservative Prager U videos that have been age-restricted and demonetized reads like a satire of academic paranoia about allegedly lethal right-wing thinking .
For now , my talk , “ The Truth About Crime , Race and Policing in America , ” is still available to consenting adults ( though who knows whether it will be pulled again , likely in the face of ongoing staff revolt of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial-page editor James Bennett pushed out for running an op-ed on a federal response to the recent riots ) .
Until videos promoting the Black Lives Matter movement and denouncing America ’ s alleged endemic white supremacy and murderously bigoted cops start getting age-restricted or yanked from YouTube entirely , the conclusion seems unavoidable that the battlefield of ideas favors an ever more powerful progressive consensus that is pushing the country further apart — even towards civil violence .
Heather Mac Donald is author of “ The War on Cops .
”

If your 12-year-old son goes on YouTube, he can watch a porn star giving a lap dance to a happily surprised young man. He can see nubile, naked girls spooning with a naked male and frolicking in Las Vegas hotel pools. Your 14-year-old daughter can watch videos on how and why to transition to the male gender.
Both your son and daughter can learn how to become an “antifa warrior.” Under the tutelage of an anarcho-communist YouTube host, they can celebrate the fiery destruction of a Minneapolis police precinct during the recent anti-police rioting in that city, a conflagration the anarcho-communist deems the “high point” of the rioting to date. They can get tips on how to suit up for further anti-police action — with helmets, water bottles and, of course, personal protective equipment.
Yet your children can’t watch a livestreamed speech on policing I gave Thursday, arguing that US law enforcement isn’t engaged in systemic violence against blacks. YouTube has deemed the speech inappropriate for children under 18 and blocked access to minors.
I suppose I should be grateful — at least it’s on the Web at all. YouTube had initially wiped the speech off its servers entirely on the ground that it violated the site’s “community guidelines” for keeping YouTube a “safe place.” No further explanation was given.
YouTube’s community guidelines ban content that “encourages others to go to a particular place to commit violence” or that incites “violent acts against individuals.” Far from encouraging violence, I had condemned the rioting and had warned that the ideological war against the police was leading to a tragic loss of black life, as cops backed off from proactive enforcement in high-crime communities.
The host of my speech, the Center of the American Experiment, a Minneapolis-based think tank, appealed YouTube’s censorship. The company relented and put the livestream back on the Web but slapped the age restriction on it — again, without explanation. (A subsequent uploaded version on the center’s Web site has escaped detection.)
YouTube’s age-restriction policy lists vulgar language, violence and disturbing imagery, nudity and sexually suggestive content, and portrayal of harmful or dangerous activities as factors that could lead to an age restriction. None of those categories has any bearing on my talk. I used federal data to show that the claim that police are wantonly killing black men is a product of selective coverage by a politicized press and an elite establishment dedicated to the idea that racism is America’s defining trait.
There was nothing racy or incendiary about the talk — unless you find criminological research titillating — unlike the soft-pornographic and anarchist videos that YouTube allows on its site without age restriction.
Last week, YouTube’s parent company, Google, along with Amazon, Apple and Facebook, were grilled on Capitol Hill about their market power. The mainstream media scoffed at the charge from Republican lawmakers that Big Tech is more inclined to suppress conservative viewpoints than liberal ones. “Republican politicians’ complaints about political bias aren’t backed by credible evidence,” wrote The New York Times. Slate sniffed that GOP lawmakers presented “questionable and often nonsensical examples of censorship.”
My speech is hardly the first example of heterodox opinion that has been burdened by the Silicon Valley gatekeepers, of course. The list of innocuous but conservative Prager U videos that have been age-restricted and demonetized reads like a satire of academic paranoia about allegedly lethal right-wing thinking.
For now, my talk, “The Truth About Crime, Race and Policing in America,” is still available to consenting adults (though who knows whether it will be pulled again, likely in the face of ongoing staff revolt of the kind that got New York Times editorial-page editor James Bennett pushed out for running an op-ed on a federal response to the recent riots).
Until videos promoting the Black Lives Matter movement and denouncing America’s alleged endemic white supremacy and murderously bigoted cops start getting age-restricted or yanked from YouTube entirely, the conclusion seems unavoidable that the battlefield of ideas favors an ever more powerful progressive consensus that is pushing the country further apart — even towards civil violence.
Heather Mac Donald, contributing editor of City Journal, is author of “The War on Cops.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--First-time gun ownership skyrockets amid riots, increased violence across country

This July saw nearly three times the number of shootings ...

For years, Carlene and Jake went back and forth about purchasing a firearm.
The young parents from California – who did not feel comfortable using their last names or more specific identifiers when they spoke with Fox News on Sunday out of concern about possible backlash – said with the country “a little bit on edge right now,” it was the right time to make the purchase.
The couple is among the hoard of 2.5 million first-time gun buyers who have exercised their Second Amendment right to own weapons. The told Fox News they have received their licenses and are now waiting for their firearms to arrive because they’re on backorder.
“With everything going on in both the world and politics and everything, you can’t really be too safe,” Carlene said. “We have a family, a young family, so I think that’s always on the back of my mind, as well. I think with a lot of the riots and such like that, it’s important to – if your First Amendment isn’t protected, I guess you always have the second, right?”
She added: “Overall, our country is a little bit on edge right now.”
“We all have our own political standpoints and things like that, but these movements to, you know, defund the police, and these movements of Antifa and what they bring, it’s definitely on the back of my mind,” she said. “Do I feel threatened every day? No. But I would say that I did contribute to our decision of finally pulling the trigger, no pun intended, on purchasing.”
A “family history of events” also contributed to their decision, but Carlene noted they also intend to use the guns recreationally. They are both making plans to enroll in handgun safety training.
At the beginning of June, the National Shooting Sports Foundation announced that more than 2.5 million people had become first-time gun owners in the first half of 2020.
January to June 1 of 2020, was “unlike any other year for firearm purchases — particularly by first-time buyers — as new NSSF research reveals millions of people chose to purchase their first gun during the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Jim Curcuruto, the shooting foundation’s director of research and market development, at the time.
NSSF data shows a record number of gun transactions – 10.3 million – were processed in the country during that time period.
“First off,” Curcuruto wrote in a July 21 blog post, “approximately 90 percent of retailers reported an increase in firearm and ammunition sales during the first half of 2020 versus the first half of 2019. How big are those increases? Responding retailers noted that they are seeing a 95 percent increase in firearm sales and a 139 percent increase in ammunition sales over the same period in 2019.”
When asked if she was surprised by the number of first-time buyers during the first half of 2020, Carlene said “not at all.”
“When I went into this shop, to where we purchased our guns, they’re completely on backorder,” she said. “We don’t even know actually the exact date that we’re going to get possession because they have thousands of people on backorder.”
Gabrielle Gray, a 26-year-old from High Point, N.C., received her gun permit in December but didn’t decide it was time to go ahead and make the purchase until two weeks ago. She bought a Smith and Wesson pistol.
Gray, a photographer who also works for an insurance broker, waited to buy after being permitted because, as she told Fox News, she was “broke.”
“I never really did save up,” she admitted. But when she received her paycheck in July and also received a bonus, she decided it was “the perfect time.”
“Times are getting bad right now. Of course, it’s good to make sure that you protect yourself. And also, I’ve gotten into politics recently and I learned my rights,” she said on Sunday. “Crime is rising, I feel like people are getting more bold to do more things now.”
She referenced the recent rioting and looting seen across the country as well as other concerns, however, she noted those types of crimes had not been as prevalent in her area recently.
Another first-time gun buyer, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News they did not want to be “defenseless” amid the rioting and increased crime.”
“We also purchased a Taser, pepper spray, and stun gun in the hopes that we would never have to use any of them, especially the firearm,” the person told Fox News.
John Lovell, the co-founder of firearms training forum Warrior Poet Society, said his company has seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in traffic to its YouTube videos – its “bread and butter” – since the beginning of March.
“Everything kind of went nuts,” he told Fox News.
In addition to its YouTube activity, which includes everything from training and tips to product reviews and light-hearted clips, the company sells firearm gear and apparel.
“YouTube is up around 38 percent, month over month, where we’re usually closer to 1,500 hundred new followers every day. Our website is up about five times over our average,” Lovell said. “Those are new customers, about five times more. So we get a lot of website traffic, but every month we expect, prior to March, 631 new customers to hit our website. Whereas after March, we were seeing about 3,048 new customers.”
WPS received its highest-ever surge in new customers, with 10 times the normal amount, he said.
And it’s not just the purchases of firearms that are going up. Safety classes have skyrocketed as well.
T.J. McDermott, co-owner of the Paladin Center, a training facility in Hudson Valley, N.Y., which is roughly 60 miles north of New York City, said some classes are now selling out within an hour of being posted.
“[It’s] to the point where we’re putting multiple classes on a month – classes that we would normally schedule maybe quarterly or once every four months, we’re now doing multiple times every month.”
Now, he said, the center is scheduling an estimated three group classes per week on top of 20 to 30 hours of private instruction per week.
Marilyn Miller, one of Paladin’s firearms instructors, said she’s recently been teaching people who told her they “never would have thought of buying a gun until recently.”
“I went from a couple of students a week to probably at least a dozen a week,” she said. “Couples are bringing their kids, ages 14, 15, 16, all the way up to their 20s and want them all to know how to use the same gun that they’re going to keep in the house … A lot of them came in afraid of guns, and came in to try shooting before they went out and purchased a gun.”
She stressed the importance of someone being properly trained in using a gun and noted, “There’s no such thing as accidents. It’s negligence.”
“Finger is always off the trigger, nuzzle is always in a safe direction. And if you’re going to use it, know what’s behind your target,” she said. “You’ve got to be very aware.”


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--New York City — the new liberal utopia

New York City — the new liberal utopia

Some people are complaining about the state of New York City these days .
Don ’ t listen .
Those reactionaries are just salty because they ’ re no longer in charge .
Our progressive leadership has crafted an exemplar for the nation .
Yes , we have our challenges .
COVID-19 hit us hard , but every cloud has a silver lining .
Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s decision to force the infected to shelter among our most vulnerable elderly took care of their entrenched , pre-2020 mentalities ( have you seen how plus-65s vote ? )
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ subjects .
Join me , if you would , please , on a guided tour of our liberal utopia .
Landfills were unsustainable , so lately we ’ ve made composting a reality on most sidewalks .
Piles of garbage as tall as Mayor Bill de Blasio are a fixture in every community .
That tangy stench in the air isn ’ t the smell of urban decay — it ’ s the perfume of progress .
Without the lure of nightlife , and with murder rates skyrocketing , few drivers are venturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can finally witness the beauty of car-free living , where psychotic cyclists can soar in every direction undeterred by the threat of automobiles or the annoyance of traffic lights .
Those pedestrian plazas are paying off in spades , too .
Everyone who thought they were just an impediment to traffic and a gathering place for costumed perverts underestimated their potential as open-air shooting galleries for the city ’ s dragon chasers .
Oh , you don ’ t like addicts skin-popping around your children ?
Check your privilege , elitist scum .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forefront of leftist ideology .
We are the city that never sleeps — because we ’ re so damn woke .
It ’ s certainly not because of the illegal fireworks going off at all hours .
Shatavia Walls , the 33-year-old African-American woman who took the advice of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and asked her neighbors to cease their pyrotechnics was clearly just a far-right trouble-maker .
She was shot eight times .
You should ’ ve minded your business , Karen .
Yes , black lives matter , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gentry liberals .
In a truly free society , setting off explosives in playgrounds is the right of every American .
The rocket ’ s red glare , the bombs bursting in air , give proof through the night that the cops are not there .
Who needs police ?
The New York Police Department is just a bunch of fascist bullyboys .
It ’ s perfectly fair to condemn all of them when one cop does wrong .
And so what if the NYPD is a majority-minority force ?
That only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can turn African-American , Asian and Hispanic people into literal Klansmen .
We have our own force of heroes to protect and serve our interests : the noble , brave and mostly peaceful protesters — all of whom , by the way , are blessedly and completely immune to the novel coronavirus ( it ’ s an epidemiological miracle ! )
.
And if you dare question them , their peacefulness might just intensify .
So don ’ t .
What of the fact that they ’ ve selfishly usurped a movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent and vandalistic methods have turned many moderates against their cause ?
That ’ s just propaganda spread by President Trump ’ s deplorable minions .
Some say they ’ re just spoiled , white millennials who have never known a day without democracy , lashing out at a system they ’ ve been brainwashed to oppose while moronically incriminating themselves by live-streaming their offenses on pricey iPhones , whose proceeds ironically foot the bill for the enslavement of China ’ s minorities .
And that all may be true — but if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scare people into imposing unwanted policies , I ’ m all ears .
And yes , we all know that using violence and intimidation for political change is literally the definition of terrorism , blah , blah , blah , but please , save your sass for the Sasquatch .
The ends justify the means , and the definition of terrorism can easily be changed so that it only applies to the people we don ’ t like , just like we did with racism : Louis Farrakhan , you see , isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said so , that ’ s why .
If you don ’ t like it , leave — and don ’ t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya .
This ain ’ t Topeka , this is New York City .
Progressive New York City .
Where politically convenient crimes go unpunished and where we ’ re so open-minded , a MAGA hat is a 100 percent reliable form of birth control .
You got a problem ?
The black-clad ninja with the brick and the Molotov will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a writer in New York .

Some people are complaining about the state of New York City these days. Don’t listen. Those reactionaries are just salty because they’re no longer in charge. Our progressive leadership has crafted an exemplar for the nation.
Yes, we have our challenges. COVID-19 hit us hard, but every cloud has a silver lining. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to force the infected to shelter among our most vulnerable elderly took care of their entrenched, pre-2020 mentalities (have you seen how plus-65s vote?).
Let’s move on to happier subjects. Join me, if you would, please, on a guided tour of our liberal utopia.
Landfills were unsustainable, so lately we’ve made composting a reality on most sidewalks. Piles of garbage as tall as Mayor Bill de Blasio are a fixture in every community. That tangy stench in the air isn’t the smell of urban decay — it’s the perfume of progress.
Without the lure of nightlife, and with murder rates skyrocketing, few drivers are venturing into the Big Apple. So we can finally witness the beauty of car-free living, where psychotic cyclists can soar in every direction undeterred by the threat of automobiles or the annoyance of traffic lights.
Those pedestrian plazas are paying off in spades, too. Everyone who thought they were just an impediment to traffic and a gathering place for costumed perverts underestimated their potential as open-air shooting galleries for the city’s dragon chasers. Oh, you don’t like addicts skin-popping around your children? Check your privilege, elitist scum.
We’re happy to be at the forefront of leftist ideology. We are the city that never sleeps — because we’re so damn woke. It’s certainly not because of the illegal fireworks going off at all hours. Shatavia Walls, the 33-year-old African-American woman who took the advice of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and asked her neighbors to cease their pyrotechnics was clearly just a far-right trouble-maker. She was shot eight times. You should’ve minded your business, Karen.
Yes, black lives matter, but not as much as the boutique causes of gentry liberals. In a truly free society, setting off explosives in playgrounds is the right of every American. The rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, give proof through the night that the cops are not there.
Who needs police? The New York Police Department is just a bunch of fascist bullyboys. It’s perfectly fair to condemn all of them when one cop does wrong. And so what if the NYPD is a majority-minority force? That only proves our system is so insidious, it can turn African-American, Asian and Hispanic people into literal Klansmen.
We have our own force of heroes to protect and serve our interests: the noble, brave and mostly peaceful protesters — all of whom, by the way, are blessedly and completely immune to the novel coronavirus (it’s an epidemiological miracle!).
And if you dare question them, their peacefulness might just intensify. So don’t.
What of the fact that they’ve selfishly usurped a movement focused on specific injustices and that their violent and vandalistic methods have turned many moderates against their cause? That’s just propaganda spread by President Trump’s deplorable minions.
Some say they’re just spoiled, white millennials who have never known a day without democracy, lashing out at a system they’ve been brainwashed to oppose while moronically incriminating themselves by live-streaming their offenses on pricey iPhones, whose proceeds ironically foot the bill for the enslavement of China’s minorities. And that all may be true — but if you can think of another way to scare people into imposing unwanted policies, I’m all ears.
And yes, we all know that using violence and intimidation for political change is literally the definition of terrorism, blah, blah, blah, but please, save your sass for the Sasquatch. The ends justify the means, and the definition of terrorism can easily be changed so that it only applies to the people we don’t like, just like we did with racism: Louis Farrakhan, you see, isn’t a racist. Because we said so, that’s why.
If you don’t like it, leave — and don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. This ain’t Topeka, this is New York City. Progressive New York City. Where politically convenient crimes go unpunished and where we’re so open-minded, a MAGA hat is a 100 percent reliable form of birth control.
You got a problem? The black-clad ninja with the brick and the Molotov will sort you out.
Gary Taustine is a writer in New York.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Suddenly Dems want to scrap presidential debates! Ha!

Joe Lockhart , the former White House press secretary , penned an ...

Get this: Democrats want to scrap this year’s presidential debates. It’s not hard to guess why.
“Whatever you do,” CNN’s Joe Lockhart, who served as President Bill Clinton’s press secretary, advised Joe Biden last week, “don’t debate” President Trump.
Dem strategist Zac Petkanas argues: “This is not a normal presidential election, and Trump is not a legitimate candidate” and so doesn’t deserve a debate. (Never mind that Trump won an overwhelming majority of electoral votes.)
At The New York Times, Elizabeth Drew says debates aren’t substantive. She discounts the “relevance” of the “carefully prepared one-liner” that sways viewers.
Just how dumb do they think Americans are? The real reasons Dems don’t want Uncle Joe in a live, unscripted square-off couldn’t be clearer: They’re absolutely terrified he’ll be a disaster.
It’s why they’re so happy he’s spending much of the campaign in his basement, rather than talking with people or appearing live on TV.
Before last month, he went 90 days straight without a press conference. In a tweet, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) dubbed Dems’ “scrap the debates” push “Basement strategy, part 2.”
Of course, Biden backers are right to be worried about unleashing the presumed nominee. Drew claims he’s “done just fine” in debates, but she was likely on Mars during the primaries.
Recall how in one debate answer on segregation, Biden meandered through a reply that mentioned his wife and former wife; said we must “make sure that every single child does, does in fact, have 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds go to school [sic]”; and insisted social workers help parents raise kids.
He added: “Play the radio. Make sure the television — excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night.” He ended with a discussion of Venezuela.
Look, the 77-year-old Biden is famous for his gaffes, incoherent sentences, contradictions and non-sequiturs. It’s why his cognitive state has become an issue.
Fact is, Dems would never call for scrapping debates if their nominee were a gifted orator. Yet if Biden can’t be trusted in front of a TV camera, how on earth can he be trusted to run the country?


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--Who lit the COVID match at nursing homes? That’s pretty obvious

At a hearing Monday , Senate Investigations Committee Chairman James Skoufis recalled Gov .
Cuomo ’ s description of COVID-19 ripping through nursing homes as “ a fire through dry grass.
” Lawmakers want to know “ who lit the match.
” The answer is obvious : On March 25 , Cuomo and his health commissioner , Howard Zucker , ordered nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients .
The result : 6,500 nursing-home deaths .
If not more .
At the hearing , lawmakers — from both parties — grilled Zucker seeking answers .
They got none .
Start with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we now know is an undercount ” since it ignores those who later died in hospitals , Skoufis ( D-Hudson Valley ) noted : “ Are we talking , with the hospital deaths , 8,000 ?
10,000 ?
15,000 ?
” Zucker refused to say .
The health czar also held to the line in his department ’ s whitewashing report that blamed the deaths on asymptomatic staff and visitors , not the verifiably positive patients sent in because Cuomo and Zucker worried hospitals could be overwhelmed .
Yet if there was nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted , Assemblyman Ron Kim ( D-Flushing ) wondered why the state finally rescinded it in May .
Again , Zucker had no reply .
He also refused to give straight answers about who was responsible for the order .
Clearly , he was determined to prolong the coverup , in an obvious effort to shield himself and his boss , the governor , from accountability .
Lawmakers , who ’ ll hold another hearing next week , will have to explain the case on their own .
They won ’ t have @ @ @ @ @

At a hearing Monday, Senate Investigations Committee Chairman James Skoufis recalled Gov. Cuomo’s description of COVID-19 ripping through nursing homes as “a fire through dry grass.” Lawmakers want to know “who lit the match.”
The answer is obvious: On March 25, Cuomo and his health commissioner, Howard Zucker, ordered nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients. The result: 6,500 nursing-home deaths. If not more.
At the hearing, lawmakers — from both parties — grilled Zucker seeking answers. They got none.
Start with that figure itself — “a number we now know is an undercount” since it ignores those who later died in hospitals, Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley) noted: “Are we talking, with the hospital deaths, 8,000? 10,000? 15,000?” Zucker refused to say.
The health czar also held to the line in his department’s whitewashing report that blamed the deaths on asymptomatic staff and visitors, not the verifiably positive patients sent in because Cuomo and Zucker worried hospitals could be overwhelmed.
Yet if there was nothing wrong with his order, as Zucker insisted, Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing) wondered why the state finally rescinded it in May.
Again, Zucker had no reply. He also refused to give straight answers about who was responsible for the order. Clearly, he was determined to prolong the coverup, in an obvious effort to shield himself and his boss, the governor, from accountability.
Lawmakers, who’ll hold another hearing next week, will have to explain the case on their own. They won’t have to look very far.


newyorkpost--2020-08-03--De Blasio fiddles while NYC burns and other commentary

“ New Yorkers sense the city , already reeling from the virus and the economic effects of the lockdown , is sinking into lawlessness , ” warns National Review ’ s Kyle Smith .
Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , “ angry mobs ” have taken to the streets and , as a result of this sort of lawlessness , homicides , burglaries and shootings are all up significantly .
And yet Mayor Bill de Blasio ’ s “ answer has been not to make amends with the police but to send crime counselors out into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad things.
” As his term peters out , expect Hizzoner to “ continue to antagonize the cops.
” The rest of us will have “ to deal with the fallout.
” A “ curious new vocabulary began to unspool itself in our media ” a few years ago , observes Andrew Sullivan on his blog , with “ all the appearance of a top-down re-ordering of language , rather than a slow , organic evolution from below.
” Terms such as “ non-binary , toxic masculinity , white supremacy , traumatizing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” came “ out of nowhere to reach sudden new heights.
” They ’ re the product of critical theory and its “ applied ” version , social justice .
Forget diversity of ideas : “ What matters is a diversity of identities that can all express the same idea : that liberalism is a con-job.
” That ’ s why every New York Times op-ed now “ reads exactly alike.
” Liberalism , with its “ non-zero-sum pluralism , ” is a threat to “ wokeness , ” because it shows progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Left and right are raging over the historic figures we honor , yet the oft-violent debate “ leaves out an essential factor — the sheer weirdness of the New World , ” Michael Lind contends at Tablet .
To wit , “ we in the countries of the Western Hemisphere , North and South , are living in the ruins of various ambitious projects undertaken by long-dead people , many of whom were bats - - t crazy.
” Take Christopher Columbus , a figure reviled for committing atrocities that were common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Columbus ’ Native-American victims , too .
No , “ what makes Columbus memorable is not his all-too-common brutality but his epic confusion .
Euro-American civilization began with a mistake.
” The explorer , after all , “ went to his grave stubbornly believing that the Americas were islands near Japan and China , like Taiwan or the Philippines.
” Our past is full of wild visionaries like him , from the Puritans to positivists , which suggests “ the future may believe we were bats - - t crazy , too.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a 2020 African-American graduate of Brooklyn Tech HS , is troubled by the “ misguided arguments ” against the Specialized High School Admissions Test , which is used to screen enrollment into schools like his .
Though “ disheartened ” by these schools ’ lack of “ racial diversity , ” Davis blames elementary and middle schools , rather than the test itself , for not giving kids “ adequate tools to succeed.
” Indeed , some kids don ’ t even have “ simple multiplication and division skills.
” Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard Carranza ignore “ the drastic consequences of abolishing the test ” and are pushing for a far more unfair system .
They need to stop using it “ as a scapegoat ” for their own “ inadequacies in providing a strong education to elementary and middle-school students.
” “ In 2016 , ” Matt Taibbi recalls at his blog , “ it was clear only a few people in the lefty media world understood what [ President ] Trump was up to , and why he was a real threat to win.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the Matter With Kansas ?
” author Thomas Frank , whose books blamed the left for abandoning the white working class .
Yet “ Frank seemed to be put into deep-freeze .
.
.
largely , I think , because he was telling a truth no one wanted to hear about the difference between the way the New York Times saw America , and how , say , Iowans or Nebraskans saw it .
Trump , meanwhile , constructed his argument for the presidency atop that difference.
” Warning to liberals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today .

Conservative: Blas Fiddles While Gotham Burns
“New Yorkers sense the city, already reeling from the virus and the economic effects of the lockdown, is sinking into lawlessness,” warns National Review’s Kyle Smith. Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, “angry mobs” have taken to the streets and, as a result of this sort of lawlessness, homicides, burglaries and shootings are all up significantly. And yet Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “answer has been not to make amends with the police but to send crime counselors out into the street to advise people not to do bad things.” As his term peters out, expect Hizzoner to “continue to antagonize the cops.” The rest of us will have “to deal with the fallout.”
Culture critic: The Theory Behind Woke
A “curious new vocabulary began to unspool itself in our media” a few years ago, observes Andrew Sullivan on his blog, with “all the appearance of a top-down re-ordering of language, rather than a slow, organic evolution from below.” Terms such as “non-binary, toxic masculinity, white supremacy, traumatizing, queer, transphobia, whiteness, mansplaining” came “out of nowhere to reach sudden new heights.” They’re the product of critical theory and its “applied” version, social justice. Forget diversity of ideas: “What matters is a diversity of identities that can all express the same idea: that liberalism is a con-job.” That’s why every New York Times op-ed now “reads exactly alike.” Liberalism, with its “non-zero-sum pluralism,” is a threat to “wokeness,” because it shows progress is “possible in a liberal democracy.”
Iconoclast: Misunderstanding Our Wild Ancestors
Left and right are raging over the historic figures we honor, yet the oft-violent debate “leaves out an essential factor — the sheer weirdness of the New World,” Michael Lind contends at Tablet. To wit, “we in the countries of the Western Hemisphere, North and South, are living in the ruins of various ambitious projects undertaken by long-dead people, many of whom were bats - - t crazy.” Take Christopher Columbus, a figure reviled for committing atrocities that were common to his age — and were committed by Columbus’ Native-American victims, too. No, “what makes Columbus memorable is not his all-too-common brutality but his epic confusion. Euro-American civilization began with a mistake.” The explorer, after all, “went to his grave stubbornly believing that the Americas were islands near Japan and China, like Taiwan or the Philippines.” Our past is full of wild visionaries like him, from the Puritans to positivists, which suggests “the future may believe we were bats - - t crazy, too.”
Student: Don’t Blame SHSAT for School Failures
At Gotham Gazette, Amir Davis, a 2020 African-American graduate of Brooklyn Tech HS, is troubled by the “misguided arguments” against the Specialized High School Admissions Test, which is used to screen enrollment into schools like his. Though “disheartened” by these schools’ lack of “racial diversity,” Davis blames elementary and middle schools, rather than the test itself, for not giving kids “adequate tools to succeed.” Indeed, some kids don’t even have “simple multiplication and division skills.” Meanwhile, officials like Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza ignore “the drastic consequences of abolishing the test” and are pushing for a far more unfair system. They need to stop using it “as a scapegoat” for their own “inadequacies in providing a strong education to elementary and middle-school students.”
From the left: Screw Kansas
“In 2016,” Matt Taibbi recalls at his blog, “it was clear only a few people in the lefty media world understood what [President] Trump was up to, and why he was a real threat to win.” The few exceptions included “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” author Thomas Frank, whose books blamed the left for abandoning the white working class. Yet “Frank seemed to be put into deep-freeze . . . largely, I think, because he was telling a truth no one wanted to hear about the difference between the way the New York Times saw America, and how, say, Iowans or Nebraskans saw it. Trump, meanwhile, constructed his argument for the presidency atop that difference.” Warning to liberals: Trump is still doing the same today.
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-08-04--Radio City ‘Christmas Spectacular’ canceled, MSG parent to lay off 350 people

This year ’ s “ Christmas Spectacular , ” starring leggy dance troupe the Radio City Rockettes , is being canceled for the first time since the show was introduced in 1933 .
MSG Entertainment , which owns the glamorous Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform , made the decision to close the curtain on the popular show amid ongoing uncertainty tied to the coronavirus pandemic .
This year ’ s performance , known for iconic dance numbers like “ Parade of the Wooden Soldiers ” and the “ 12 Days of Christmas , ” had been slated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
The events company , which also owns Madison Square Garden , also announced plans to lay off 350 people — or about one-third of its corporate workforce — as the pandemic continues to squeeze venues that rely on live performances .
Its sister company , MSG Sports , which owns New York Knicks and the New York Rangers , is cutting 50 jobs , or about 15 percent of its corporate staff .
“ This was a difficult decision for both companies , as we know that our success rests on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistently set the industry standard for excellence and professionalism , ” said a rep for MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports .
“ While we believe this is a necessary step to protect the long-term future of our businesses , we continue to actively pursue solutions that will allow us to safely reopen our doors , so we ’ re able to bring as many employees back as quickly as we can , once a return date for live events is established.
” Laid off employees will receive severance and benefits packages , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their transition , the company said .
The two companies — run by James Dolan , owner of the Knicks — have been hit hard by the pandemic , which has shuttered live events and sports in the Big Apple since mid-March .
The recent return of sports , including the NBA and NHL seasons , however , helped buffer layoffs at MSG Sports , sources said .
Efforts to cut costs prior to Tuesday ’ s layoffs have included the reduction of 4,000 employees of the MSG arena , home of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under 20 hours at the end of March .
At the end of May , 1,900 MSG venue employees who averaged over 20 hours of work were also cut .
In late March , the popular sports and music stadium in midtown Manhattan set up a relief fund with contributions from CEO Dolan ’ s Family Foundation to provide financial assistance to the laid off employees .
The company continues to pay their benefits through the end of the year .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s “Christmas Spectacular,” starring leggy dance troupe the Radio City Rockettes, is being canceled for the first time since the show was introduced in 1933.
MSG Entertainment, which owns the glamorous Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform, made the decision to close the curtain on the popular show amid ongoing uncertainty tied to the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s performance, known for iconic dance numbers like “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and the “12 Days of Christmas,” had been slated to run from Nov. 6 to Jan. 3.
The events company, which also owns Madison Square Garden, also announced plans to lay off 350 people — about one-third of its corporate workforce — as the pandemic continues to squeeze venues that rely on live performances. Its sister company, MSG Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, is cutting 50 jobs, or about 15 percent of its corporate staff.
“This was a difficult decision for both companies, as we know that our success rests on the strength of our people, who consistently set the industry standard for excellence and professionalism,” said a rep for MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports. “While we believe this is a necessary step to protect the long-term future of our businesses, we continue to actively pursue solutions that will allow us to safely reopen our doors, so we’re able to bring as many employees back as quickly as we can, once a return date for live events is established.”
Laid-off employees will receive severance and benefits packages, as well as outplacement support, to help with their transition, the company said.
The two companies — run by James Dolan, owner of the Knicks — have been hit hard by the pandemic, which has shuttered live events and sports in the Big Apple since mid-March. The recent return of sports, including the NBA and NHL seasons, however, helped buffer layoffs at MSG Sports, sources said.
Efforts to cut costs prior to Tuesday’s layoffs have included the reduction of 4,000 employees of the MSG arena, home of the Knicks and Rangers, who averaged under 20 hours at the end of March. At the end of May, 1,900 MSG venue employees who averaged over 20 hours of work were also cut.
In late March, the popular sports and music stadium in Midtown Manhattan set up a relief fund with contributions from CEO Dolan’s Family Foundation to provide financial assistance to the laid-off employees. The company continues to pay their benefits through the end of the year.