newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Vera Lynn, World War II Forces’ Sweetheart singer, dead at 103

LONDON — Dame Vera Lynn , the endearingly popular “ Forces ’ Sweetheart ” who serenaded British troops abroad during World War II , has died at 103 .
During the war and long after , Lynn got crowds singing , smiling and crying with sentimental favorites such as “ We ’ ll Meet Again , ” and “ The White Cliffs of Dover.
” “ The family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain ’ s best-loved entertainers at the age of 103 , ″ her family said in a statement .
“ Dame Vera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Sussex , passed away earlier today , 18 June 2020 , surrounded by her close family.
” Lynn possessed a down-to-earth appeal , reminding servicemen of the ones they left behind .
“ I was somebody that they could associate with , ” she once told The Associated Press .
“ I was an ordinary girl.
” Tributes poured in from political leaders , entertainers and thousands of fans .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said her “ charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lift the hearts of generations to come.″ Lynn hosted a wildly popular BBC radio show during the war called “ Sincerely Yours ” in which she sent messages to British troops abroad and performed the songs they requested .
The half-hour program came on during the highly coveted slot following the Sunday night news .
“ Winston Churchill was my opening act , ” she once said .
Lynn had thought the war would doom her chance of success .
“ When war first started , when it was declared , I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ You know , I shall finish up in a factory or the army or somewhere , ” she recalled .
“ You imagined all the theaters closing down , which didn ’ t happen except when the sirens sounded .
And everybody , if they wanted to , they could stay in the theater and the show would go on.
” In September 2009 , long after her retirement , Lynn topped the British album chart with a best hits collection titled “ We ’ ll Meet Again — The Very Best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
1 , despite competition from the release of remastered Beatles ’ albums .
Amid this year ’ s coronavirus outbreak , Lynn and opera singer Katherine Jenkins released a charity version of “ We ’ ll Meet Again.
” Lynn earned her nickname , “ The Forces ’ Sweetheart , ” after coming top in a 1939 Daily Express poll that asked servicemen to name their favorite musical artists .
Years later , she reflected on time spent with soldiers abroad .
“ What they needed was a contact from home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audiences from 2,000 to 6,000 .
And the boys would just come out of the jungle and sit there for hours waiting until we arrived and then slip back in once we ’ d left.
” A plumber ’ s daughter , Vera Margaret Welch was born on March 20 , 1917 , in London ’ s blue-collar East Ham neighborhood .
She took her stage name from her grandmother ’ s maiden name .
She started singing in social clubs at age 7 and dropped out of school by 11 when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show .
By 17 she was a band singer , and at 21 — when the war started — she was a known performer .
She married band musician Harry Lewis in 1941 , and he went on to manage her career .
Lynn appeared in a handful of films : “ We ’ ll Meet Again ” ( 1942 ) , playing a young dancer who discovers her singing voice ; “ Rhythm Serenade ” ( 1943 ) , in which she plays a woman who joins the Women ’ s Royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ munitions factory ; and “ One Exciting Night ” ( 1944 ) , a comedy about a singer who is mistakenly caught up in a kidnapping .
While Lynn is best remembered for her work during the war , she had great success during the post-war years .
Her “ Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart ” in 1952 became the first record by an English artist to top the American Billboard charts , staying there for nine weeks .
Lynn ’ s career flourished in the 1950s , peaking with “ My Son , My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit in 1954 .
After staying away from the business for years , she had a 1970s comeback single “ Don ’ t You Remember When ” and even covered Abba ’ s “ Thank you for the Music , ” but fans still really wanted to hear the wartime classics .
Lynn was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1975 .
In the years that followed she continued to support veterans ’ causes and raise money for research on cancer and cystic fibrosis .
She set up her own charity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a forceful advocate for her causes .
She played an important part in a 1989 campaign to win a better pension deal for World War II widows , and until 2010 was actively involved in various veterans charities .
On occasion , Lynn delighted fans by taking up the microphone again .
She sang outside Buckingham Palace in 1995 in a ceremony marking the golden jubilee of VE Day .
In recent years , Lynn lived a quiet village life in Ditchling , about 40 miles south of London .

LONDON — Dame Vera Lynn, the endearingly popular “Forces’ Sweetheart” who serenaded British troops abroad during World War II, has died at 103.
During the war and long after, Lynn got crowds singing, smiling and crying with sentimental favorites such as “We’ll Meet Again,” and “The White Cliffs of Dover.”
“The family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers at the age of 103,″ her family said in a statement. “Dame Vera Lynn, who lived in Ditchling, East Sussex, passed away earlier today, 18 June 2020, surrounded by her close family.”
Lynn possessed a down-to-earth appeal, reminding servicemen of the ones they left behind.
“I was somebody that they could associate with,” she once told The Associated Press. “I was an ordinary girl.”
Tributes poured in from political leaders, entertainers and thousands of fans.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said her “charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours. Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come.″
Lynn hosted a wildly popular BBC radio show during the war called “Sincerely Yours” in which she sent messages to British troops abroad and performed the songs they requested. The half-hour program came on during the highly coveted slot following the Sunday night news.
“Winston Churchill was my opening act,” she once said.
Lynn had thought the war would doom her chance of success.
“When war first started, when it was declared, I thought, ‘Well there goes my career.’ You know, I shall finish up in a factory or the army or somewhere,” she recalled. “You imagined all the theaters closing down, which didn’t happen except when the sirens sounded. And everybody, if they wanted to, they could stay in the theater and the show would go on.”
In September 2009, long after her retirement, Lynn topped the British album chart with a best hits collection titled “We’ll Meet Again — The Very Best of Vera Lynn.” It reached No. 1, despite competition from the release of remastered Beatles’ albums.
Amid this year’s coronavirus outbreak, Lynn and opera singer Katherine Jenkins released a charity version of “We’ll Meet Again.”
Lynn earned her nickname, “The Forces’ Sweetheart,” after coming top in a 1939 Daily Express poll that asked servicemen to name their favorite musical artists. Years later, she reflected on time spent with soldiers abroad.
“What they needed was a contact from home,” she said. “I entertained audiences from 2,000 to 6,000. And the boys would just come out of the jungle and sit there for hours waiting until we arrived and then slip back in once we’d left.”
A plumber’s daughter, Vera Margaret Welch was born on March 20, 1917, in London’s blue-collar East Ham neighborhood.
She took her stage name from her grandmother’s maiden name. She started singing in social clubs at age 7 and dropped out of school by 11 when she started touring Britain with a traveling variety show. By 17 she was a band singer, and at 21 — when the war started — she was a known performer.
She married band musician Harry Lewis in 1941, and he went on to manage her career. Lynn appeared in a handful of films: “We’ll Meet Again” (1942), playing a young dancer who discovers her singing voice; “Rhythm Serenade” (1943), in which she plays a woman who joins the Women’s Royal Navy and organizes a nursery in a munitions factory; and “One Exciting Night” (1944), a comedy about a singer who is mistakenly caught up in a kidnapping.
While Lynn is best remembered for her work during the war, she had great success during the post-war years. Her “Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart” in 1952 became the first record by an English artist to top the American Billboard charts, staying there for nine weeks. Lynn’s career flourished in the 1950s, peaking with “My Son, My Son,” a No. 1 hit in 1954.
After staying away from the business for years, she had a 1970s comeback single “Don’t You Remember When” and even covered Abba’s “Thank you for the Music,” but fans still really wanted to hear the wartime classics. Lynn was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1975.
In the years that followed she continued to support veterans’ causes and raise money for research on cancer and cystic fibrosis. She set up her own charity for children with cerebral palsy and was a forceful advocate for her causes. She played an important part in a 1989 campaign to win a better pension deal for World War II widows, and until 2010 was actively involved in various veterans charities.
On occasion, Lynn delighted fans by taking up the microphone again. She sang outside Buckingham Palace in 1995 in a ceremony marking the golden jubilee of VE Day. In recent years, Lynn lived a quiet village life in Ditchling, about 40 miles south of London.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Why you can’t sleep right now — and tips to make things better

The pandemic is the stuff of nightmares .

“I took two Benadryl and still can’t sleep, I feel like I’ve hit a new low,” Christine Larochelle tweeted at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday.
“Sunday night I was up ’til like 3 a.m. I was just tossing and turning, and nothing was helping me,” the 26-year-old who works in social media advertising tells The Post. “The moment I hit the bed and turn off the lights, my mind just races to everything that’s happened in my life.”
Those weren’t off-nights for her. For the past few months, Larochelle has struggled with falling — and staying — asleep. She joins a horde of zzzzz-free zombies around the world who have been starved for a restful night since the coronavirus pandemic started.
In the United States, 22% of people say that their sleep quality is worse because of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a survey done by SleepHelp.org.
Elsewhere around the globe, researchers also are harping on this nighttime uprising. One study published in April by the Journal of Critical Sleep Medicine found that insomnia and its symptoms drastically increased for COVID-19-free participants in China, the first epicenter of the disease, from January to February of this year.
In Italy, another major coronavirus hot spot, reports of decreased sleep increased more than 12% from February to March as the second week of lockdown kicked in, according to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research.
Although the data suggests the world is having a sleep crisis, Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, the director of the sleep center at NYU Langone, says that we actually have an anxiety problem.
Sleep deprivation = depression
“Sleep is interconnected with mood and anxiety disorders,” Dr. Rodriguez tells The Post. “This is an unprecedented situation. It’s a high level of stress, especially in the middle of this in New York.” Trouble sleeping is actually a symptom of anxiety and depression, which he says are on the rise because of the pandemic.
“[We’re] stressed about our health, about our family’s health, the economy, our jobs,” he says. Being isolated from our friends isn’t helping. “Besides that the quarantine, to be at home, can make you actually depressed. Human beings, we are social animals, and we need contact.”
Larochelle’s sleep has gotten even worse recently, as the Black Lives Matter movement continues in reaction to the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis last month.
“I’m a black woman; I’m extremely outraged at all that’s going on. It’s been very emotionally draining to read about all this stuff,” she says. “There’s so much work to do, and that’s daunting. I was already very stressed seeing the number of deaths and the pandemic and being closed in, and to add on to experience all of this that’s been going on, that’s increased my stress.”
‘This is an unprecedented situation. It’s a high level of stress, especially in the middle of this in New York.’
Nighttime is particularly tough for Larochelle because it lacks the easy distractions of the daytime. “I can do work or watch a show or do something. At night is when I’m alone with my thoughts,” she says.
In addition to being a symptom of a mental health issue, sleep can be affected by a change in your daily routines, says Dr. Rodriguez. “Being confined at home can disrupt your circadian rhythm, the sleep-wake cycle,” he says.
“I work in New York City, but I live in Jersey, so I think having the commute, walking around more, that just tires you out without you really realizing it,” says Larochelle. “I feel like I’m a lot more rested on a regular basis because [now] I can only go from my bedroom to my living room. I feel like I’m not as tired at night.”
Lack of sleep will affect just about every part of your day, says Dr. Rodriguez.
“You’ll have tension, your concentration is decreased, your memory may be affected, you may be moody,” he says. “Suppose you have a medical condition, you have back pain or you suffer from migraines: You’re going to feel worse. If you feel that way, it may lead to more anxiety and more depression; it’s a vicious cycle.”
Although Larochelle says she hasn’t noticed a strong change in her moods, her migraines and headaches have gotten worse.
Tips for improving your sleep
Larochelle says she has cut out coffee and tried meditation apps to help her relax.
“White noise works really well for me, so keeping my fan on or using a rain app — that works really well to hum me to sleep,” she says.
Larochelle also recently purchased melatonin sleep supplements to pick up where Benadryl couldn’t help her.
However, Dr. Rodriguez recommends consulting a doctor before starting a medicinal treatment. “I have many patients that actually just need medication for anxiety. No sleep medication will control your anxiety,” he says.
Dr. Rodriguez suggests creating established routines in order to help combat life’s pressures.
“Stress is something that we cannot control. Try to create some type of normalcy if you can,” the doctor says. That should include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
He also suggests squeezing in exercise, which is something you can control; socializing in one way or another, even via virtual gatherings on apps like Zoom; cutting out alcohol, especially right before bed; and avoiding anxiety-inducing “bad news” at night.
“Those things are easier said than done,” Dr. Rodriguez says. “I’m guilty of that sometimes. I don’t do the best.” But he says the key is to “control the little things in your world that you can control.”
And when other options fail, don’t be afraid to seek professional help.
“If you’re having trouble sleeping, consult your doctor. Sleep clinics are open, and we are here to help,” he says.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Judge rejects plea deal for Idaho woman accused of having sex with teenage boys

A plea deal agreed upon by an Idaho woman accused of having sex with teenage boys was reportedly rejected by a district judge on Wedensday .
Amanda Katherine Steele , 34 , had struck up an agreement with prosecutors over the case stemming from her November 2019 arrest for allegedly sleeping with teens who would skip school to see her , East Idaho News reported .
The teens reportedly consented to the encounters .
But Steele was charged under a state law that says 16- and 17-year-olds can not consent to sexual relations with adults at least five years older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steele was charged with three felony counts of child sexual battery committed by lewd conduct , however , under the plea bargain , she agreed to cop to two counts of felony injury to a child .
District Judge Darren Simpson on Wednesday said evidence showing the alleged victims suffered bodily harm was needed before he could accept the deal , the news site reported .
“ I ’ m not going to accept a plea on some fiction , ” Simpson said .
“ I ’ ve got some concerns about being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a factual basis for it.
” Steele was busted after a nearly two-year investigation into claims she was sleeping with the minors .
The probe began in late 2017 when her father-in-law contacted authorities about rumors Steele was hanging around a group of teen boys .
Around that time , one of the teens admitted to deputies he engaged in sexual activity with Steele but didn ’ t want to press charges .
The teen “ didn ’ t think it was a big deal , ” according to a probable cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detectives then interviewed Steele in April 2018 and she acknowledged several teenage boys came to her home , but she refused to comment on if she had sex with them .
The investigation took on new life in July 2019 when Steele ’ s ex-husband walked in on her and a teen boy snuggling in a hot tub , the report said .
One of the teens , when interviewed by authorities in 2019 , admitted to having sex with Steele while he was a minor .
Steele has been free on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date is set for Sept. 30 .

A plea deal agreed upon by an Idaho woman accused of having sex with teenage boys was reportedly rejected by a district judge on Wednesday.
Amanda Katherine Steele, 34, had struck up an agreement with prosecutors over the case stemming from her November 2019 arrest for allegedly sleeping with teens who would skip school to see her, East Idaho News reported.
The teens reportedly consented to the encounters. But Steele was charged under a state law that says 16- and 17-year-olds cannot consent to sexual relations with adults at least five years older in age, the report said.
Steele was charged with three felony counts of child sexual battery committed by lewd conduct, but under the plea bargain, she agreed to cop to two counts of felony injury to a child.
District Judge Darren Simpson on Wednesday said evidence showing the alleged victims suffered bodily harm was needed before he could accept the deal, the news site reported.
“I’m not going to accept a plea on some fiction,” Simpson said. “I’ve got some concerns about being able to take a plea unless there is a factual basis for it.”
Steele was busted after a nearly two-year investigation into claims she was sleeping with the minors.
The probe began in late 2017 when her father-in-law contacted authorities about rumors Steele was hanging around a group of teen boys.
Around that time, one of the teens admitted to deputies he engaged in sexual activity with Steele but didn’t want to press charges.
The teen “didn’t think it was a big deal,” according to a probable cause statement obtained by East Idaho News.
Detectives interviewed Steele in April 2018 and she acknowledged several teenage boys came to her home, but she refused to comment on if she had sex with them.
The investigation took on new life in July 2019 when Steele’s ex-husband walked in on her and a teen boy snuggling in a hot tub, the report said.
One of the teens, when interviewed by authorities in 2019, admitted to having sex with Steele while he was a minor.
Steele has been free on a $50,000 bond and her next court date is set for Sept. 30.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Zion Williamson gets favorable ruling in lawsuit by former agent

Zion Williamson ’ s former agent is seemingly trying to erase his ...

MIAMI — A Florida appeals court has granted Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson’s motion to block his former marketing agent’s effort to have the ex-Duke star answer questions about whether he received improper benefits before playing for the Blue Devils.
The order Wednesday shifts the focus to a separate but related case between the same litigants in federal court in North Carolina.
The Florida lawsuit, filed last summer by Prime Sports Marketing and company president Gina Ford, accused Williamson and the agency now representing him of breach of contract and seeks $100 million in damages.
That came after Williamson had filed his own lawsuit a week earlier in North Carolina to terminate a five-year contract with Prime Sports after his decision to move to Creative Artists Agency.
Ford’s attorneys had submitted questions in filings last month that included whether the Williamson or anyone on his behalf sought or accepted “money, benefits, favors or things of value” to sign with Duke. They sought answers within 30 days to establish facts under oath in the pretrial discovery process.
Attorneys for last year’s No. 1 overall NBA draft pick had argued the questions were “nothing more than a fishing expedition.” Florida circuit judge David C. Miller denied Williamson’s original stay request, but that was overturned on a temporary basis by the state appeals court, which has now made that ruling permanent, siding with Williamson attorney Jeffrey S. Klein that the federal case takes precedence.
In a filing last week in the North Carolina case, Prime Sports-Ford attorneys continued to argue that last summer’s No. 1 overall NBA draft pick didn’t meet the definition of a student-athlete because he was “ineligible” to play college sports. That filing referenced housing for Williamson’s family during his time with the Blue Devils as well as three luxury SUVs registered by his mother and stepfather between December 2017 and April 2019 — the latter being the same month Williamson announced he would go pro before ultimately being picked by the New Orleans Pelicans.
The argument about Williamson’s eligibility is center of the legal fight over Williamson’s endorsement potential. Williamson’s lawsuit stated that Prime Sports violated the state’s sports agent law, both by failing to include disclaimers about the loss of eligibility when signing the contract and the fact neither Prime Sports nor Ford were registered as agent in North Carolina.
Attorneys for Prime Sports and Ford argue the Uniform Athlete Agents Act wouldn’t apply if Williamson was ineligible to play college basketball from the start.
Duke has repeatedly declined to comment on the case because it isn’t involved in the litigation, but issued a statement in January that school had reviewed Williamson’s eligibility previously and found no concerns.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Minneapolis firefighters criticize department’s response to George Floyd protests

Minneapolis firefighters are openly criticizing their department ’ s response to a week of unrest and blazes across the city following the death of George Floyd while in police custody .
Chief John Fruetel ’ s failure to activate off-duty firefighters or call in major reinforcements while relying instead on mobile crews have been particular sources of ire from the members of Minneapolis ’ firefighter ’ s union , according to a report in the Star Tribune .
“ There were a couple of nights that some engines didn ’ t run and I know that fires were burning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s president , told the paper .
“ How many buildings have to be on fire before you call people in and start running every rig you got ?
” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey acknowledged in a statement that the city ’ s fire department did not respond properly to calls for at least four days after riots broke out — but blamed the insufficient response on concerns for first responders ’ safety during the sometimes-violent protests .
“ Delays were not the result of insufficient fire department capacity , but insufficient law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior to the National Guard ’ s arrival , ” Frey said .
Chief Freutel was also dinged by local firefighters over his decision to remain in the field during the worst hours of the unrest instead of delivering orders from the city ’ s dispatch center .
In one notable moment , he was live on the phone with CNN ’ s Don Lemon as Minneapolis ’ Third Police Precinct building was set ablaze .
Fruetel , for his part , said he was proud of his department ’ s work during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s history , and added that he did not think Minneapolis needed assistance from other departments .
“ Some people had time to prepare for something in their communities because they watched what was happening in Minneapolis , ” Freutel said .
“ We didn ’ t have that advantage.
” Firefighters put out at least 69 fires between May 27 and May 31 , while more than 100 buildings were damaged , the Star Tribune reports .

Minneapolis firefighters are openly criticizing their department’s response to a week of unrest and blazes across the city following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
Chief John Fruetel’s failure to activate off-duty firefighters or call in major reinforcements while relying instead on mobile crews have been particular sources of ire from the members of Minneapolis’ firefighter’s union, according to a report in the Star Tribune.
“There were a couple of nights that some engines didn’t run and I know that fires were burning,” Mark Lakosky, the union’s president, told the paper.
“How many buildings have to be on fire before you call people in and start running every rig you got?”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey acknowledged in a statement that the city’s fire department did not respond properly to calls for at least four days after riots broke out — but blamed the insufficient response on concerns for first responders’ safety during the sometimes-violent protests.
“Delays were not the result of insufficient fire department capacity, but insufficient law enforcement presence to ensure firefighters’ safety prior to the National Guard’s arrival,” Frey said.
Chief Freutel was also dinged by local firefighters over his decision to remain in the field during the worst hours of the unrest instead of delivering orders from the city’s dispatch center. In one notable moment, he was live on the phone with CNN’s Don Lemon as Minneapolis’ Third Police Precinct building was set ablaze.
Fruetel, for his part, said he was proud of his department’s work during a difficult period in the city’s history, and added that he did not think Minneapolis needed assistance from other departments.
“Some people had time to prepare for something in their communities because they watched what was happening in Minneapolis,” Freutel said. “We didn’t have that advantage.”
Firefighters put out at least 69 fires between May 27 and May 31, while more than 100 buildings were damaged, the Star Tribune reports.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--SUV plummets off California bridge, killing four — including pregnant woman

An SUV spun out of control and went over a barrier on the Carquinez Bridge in Northern California on Tuesday night , plummeting more than 200 feet and killing the driver and three passengers .
Dashcam video from another vehicle shows the SUV driving at a high rate of speed on Interstate 80 toward the bridge in Crockett , near San Francisco , before losing control and spinning out , FOX 2 of the Bay Area reported .
It then went over the side and fell on a parked freight train .
The Contra Costa County coroner identified the victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mata , 21 ; Cecilia Ayala , 22 ; and Perla Navarro , 19 , who was two months pregnant , according to FOX 2 .
“ She was always very loving , warm , and nurturing , ” Veronica Martinez , Navarro ’ s mother , said , adding that Navarro had recently graduated from Golden Gate Community School .
“ I ’ m not going to be able to talk to her or see her walk through the door , or hold my grandbaby.
” The California Highway Patrol is handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t yet know what caused the crash .
“ We don ’ t know if it was due to high speed or related to traffic issues , ” CHP Officer David Harvey said .
This is the third time a car has gone over the barrier near the bridge , according to FOX 2 .

An SUV spun out of control and went over a barrier on the Carquinez Bridge in Northern California on Tuesday night, plummeting more than 200 feet and killing the driver and three passengers.
Dashcam video from another vehicle shows the SUV driving at a high rate of speed on Interstate 80 toward the bridge in Crockett, near San Francisco, before losing control and spinning out, FOX 2 of the Bay Area reported. It then went over the side and fell on a parked freight train.
The Contra Costa County coroner identified the victims as Kyle Erickson, 19; Christopher Mata, 21; Cecilia Ayala, 22; and Perla Navarro, 19, who was two months pregnant, according to FOX 2.
“She was always very loving, warm, and nurturing,” Veronica Martinez, Navarro’s mother, said, adding that Navarro had recently graduated from Golden Gate Community School. “I’m not going to be able to talk to her or see her walk through the door, or hold my grandbaby.”
The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation and said it doesn’t yet know what caused the crash.
“We don’t know if it was due to high speed or related to traffic issues,” CHP Officer David Harvey said.
This is the third time a car has gone over the barrier near the bridge, according to FOX 2.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Robert Fuller’s half-brother fatally shot by California deputies, family attorney says

The half-brother of Robert Fuller — the black man found hanging from a tree in California last week — was reportedly fatally shot by Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s deputies on Wednesday , the family ’ s attorney said .
Detectives with the LASD had stopped a man in a car suspected of kidnapping and spousal assault when he opened fire on the deputies at about 4:40 p.m. in Rosamond , CBSLA reported .
The deputies returned fire , fatally striking the man and also wounding a woman , who ’ s not the spouse , that was inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also seated inside the vehicle was unharmed , authorities said .
Jamon Hicks , the Fuller family attorney , identified the familial connection in a Wednesday statement to the outlet .
The county sheriff ’ s department would not confirm the relation , the report said .
Fuller , 24 , was discovered in a park near Palmdale City Hall early on June 10 .
The county medical examiner-coroner ’ s office originally said Fuller appeared to have died by suicide .
Officials noted that investigators only found rope and a backpack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate foul play .
But following outcry from Fuller ’ s family — who said he was not suicidal — and from community members , Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Monday that the department had opened up a homicide probe into the man ’ s death .

The half-brother of Robert Fuller — the black man found hanging from a tree in California last week — was reportedly fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday, the family’s attorney said.
Detectives with the LASD had stopped a man in a car suspected of kidnapping and spousal assault when he opened fire on the deputies at about 4:40 p.m. in Rosamond, CBSLA reported.
The deputies returned fire, fatally striking the man and also wounding a woman, who’s not the spouse, who was in the car.
A 7-year-old girl who was also seated in the vehicle was unharmed, authorities said.
Jamon Hicks, the Fuller family attorney, identified the familial connection in a Wednesday statement to the outlet.
The county sheriff’s department would not confirm the relation, the report said.
Fuller, 24, was discovered in a park near Palmdale City Hall early on June 10.
The county medical examiner-coroner’s office originally said Fuller appeared to have died by suicide. Officials noted that investigators only found rope and a backpack in the park, and nothing to indicate foul play.
But following outcry from Fuller’s family — who said he was not suicidal — and from community members, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Monday that the department had opened a homicide probe into the man’s death.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--How Frank Sinatra classic became Yankee Stadium standard 40 years ago

Brian Cashman has always made it easy to underestimate him , ...

George Steinbrenner made his fortune in shipbuilding, and earned his fame in baseball. But in his heart of hearts, what Steinbrenner always yearned to be was a showman, a Broadway impresario, a little bit P.T. Barnum, a little bit George M. Cohan. The Yankees were his life, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” his muse.
“From the first day he owned the team he wanted to make the Stadium experience fun from start to finish,” says Marty Appel, who spent some time as a Yankee PR man early in Steinbrenner’s tenure and is now one of the encyclopedic authorities of Yankees history. “One of his partners was James Nederlander [producer of ‘La Cage Aux Folles,’ among many others]. He loved everything about New York City, but may have loved Broadway most.”
So it was that Steinbrenner walked from his press-level office at Yankee Stadium out into the main stadium one afternoon in the late spring of 1980. Steinbrenner was also an aficionado of the city’s finest nightspots, including “Le Club,” a trendy discotheque in those days located on East 55th Street, steps from the FDR Drive.
Steinbrenner had wanted to expand the Stadium’s musical selections from the standard between-innings organ stylings of Eddie Layton to some more contemporary-sounding numbers. A disc jockey at Le Club made a few suggestions, none of which moved the needle in his imagination.
Then the DJ sent a tape of a song he’d been playing regularly from one of Steinbrenner’s all-time favorites, Frank Sinatra. Earlier that year, Sinatra had released “Trilogy” a three-disc set that was selling well; the lead single made a slow, steady climb up the charts until it reached a peak of 32 on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 on June 14, 1980.
Steinbrenner had heard “New York, New York” plenty, because it was impossible to own a radio that spring and not hear it. He was also familiar with the original version of the John Kander/Fred Ebb composition sung by Liza Minnelli, from a failed movie of the same name released three years earlier.
But he was about to hear it a whole different way.
“CBS [which owned the Yankees from 1964 until Steinbrenner took over in January 1973] didn’t leave a lot of memorable legacies,” Appel says. “One they did was install a state-of-the art public-address system in 1967, using their very best technicians to enhance the sound. That was still in use in 1980 and still gave you chills.”
Now a Stadium electrician hooked “New York, New York” into the sound system and hit play.
And it was thrilling.
Through the roster of amplifiers, spilling throughout the empty stadium, the opening tinkle of cymbals led to the soon-to-be universally memorized five-note brass explosion — for generations of overserved patrons, all that’s necessary to instantly recognize the song: “bob-bop-BOP-ba-bop …”
And then, for the first time, Steinbrenner paid attention to the lyrics — and for a kid from Cleveland who dreamed his whole life of making it in New York, you can only imagine the impact of hearing Sinatra sing, “These little-town blues … are melting away ….”
But that wasn’t what sold him.
This sold him:
“King of the hill … top of the heap … A-number-1 … top of the list …
“THAT’S US!” Steinbrenner exclaimed. “THAT’S THE YANKEES!!!”
The DJ had also included the Liza version; the Boss liked that one too, a lot, but …
“But he was a Sinatra guy,” Appel says. “Because who isn’t?”
Immediately — as in starting the very next game, a date lost to history but somewhere awfully close to now in that first-place summer of 1980 — the final out of every game was greeted with the cymbals, with “bob-bop-BOP-ba-bop,” with “Start spreadin’ the news …”
For a time, someone thought it smart to save the Sinatra song for wins and to use the Liza version for losses, but Steinbrenner was too big of a Liza fan to allow that and that Yankee tradition vanished quicker than Ruben Rivera.
Instead, 40 years later, an essential part of the rhythm of a Yankees game is walking out of the ballpark to The Chairman crooning about his vagabond shoes, longing to stray. It is no longer reserved just for wins. It just feels that way.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Heart condition found as potential cause of Carol Barr’s death in autopsy

A heart condition was identified as the probable cause of death for Eleanor Carol Leavell Barr , wife of Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr , according to preliminary autopsy results .
The condition is known as Mitral Valve Prolapse , or floppy valve syndrome , and occurs when the valve between the heart ’ s upper and lower left chambers doesn ’ t close properly , according to the National Heart , lung and blood institute .
The condition doesn ’ t normally cause any life-threatening problems .
The 39-year-old passed away Tuesday leaving behind her husband , to whom she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as two daughters , Eleanor and Mary Clay .
“ At this time of tremendous grief and pain , we ask for prayers for our beautiful , dear and precious Carol , the greatest , most selfless and giving wife , mother , daughter , sister and friend anyone could ever have , ” Andy Barr ’ s office said in a statement .
“ We also ask for love and prayers for Carol ’ s greatest legacy — her loving and devoted daughters Eleanor and Mary Clay — through whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character and irrepressible spirit will continue.
” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife have also issued a statement saying , “ Her warmth filled whatever room she entered and her contributions made Kentucky a better place for all of us .
”

A heart condition was identified as the probable cause of death for Eleanor Carol Leavell Barr, wife of Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, according to preliminary autopsy results.
The condition is known as mitral valve prolapse, or floppy valve syndrome, and occurs when the valve between the heart’s upper and lower left chambers doesn’t close properly, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The condition doesn’t normally cause any life-threatening problems.
The 39-year-old passed away Tuesday, leaving behind her husband, to whom she had been married for 10 years, as well as two daughters, Eleanor and Mary Clay.
“At this time of tremendous grief and pain, we ask for prayers for our beautiful, dear and precious Carol, the greatest, most selfless and giving wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend anyone could ever have,” Andy Barr’s office said in a statement.
“We also ask for love and prayers for Carol’s greatest legacy — her loving and devoted daughters Eleanor and Mary Clay — through whom Carol’s extraordinary life, high character and irrepressible spirit will continue.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his wife have also issued a statement saying, “Her warmth filled whatever room she entered and her contributions made Kentucky a better place for all of us.”
Funeral arrangements are still pending.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Cardinals’ Kyler Murray ‘definitely’ will be taking a knee

Quarterback Kyler Murray says he ’ ll be kneeling during the national anthem this season .
The Arizona Cardinals ’ emerging star — who was the NFL ’ s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 — wasn ’ t particularly vocal about social issues during his first season but said that would change in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd , a black man , while in police custody in Minneapolis .
“ Yeah , I ’ ll be kneeling , ” Murray said Wednesday .
“ I stand for what ’ s right , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it like I see it .
What ’ s been going on is completely wrong .
I ’ ll definitely be taking a knee.
” The 22-year-old Murray said he didn ’ t have a lot of bad experiences with the police growing up but added that he was lucky because he ’ s usually recognized as a famous football player .
The quarterback said the “ peaceful protests , I think they ’ re amazing ” and he is confident younger people will be the catalyst for real progress .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change , ” Murray said .
“ Just because my generation , we ’ re so diverse .
We know what racism is but I feel like there ’ s not a lot of it in my generation .
“ I know generations above me , my parents ’ generation , there ’ s a lot of racism , whether we want to believe it or not , there is .
There ’ s a lot of hate in this world , but I think what ’ s happening , what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Murray joins other NFL players who have indicated they ’ ll be kneeling during the anthem this season , including Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield .
Murray and Mayfield are close friends who were teammates in college at Oklahoma and who won the Heisman Trophy in back-to-back seasons .

Quarterback Kyler Murray says he’ll be kneeling during the national anthem this season.
The Arizona Cardinals’ emerging star — who was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 — wasn’t particularly vocal about social issues during his first season but said that would change in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.
“Yeah, I’ll be kneeling,” Murray said Wednesday. “I stand for what’s right, that’s the bottom line. I call it like I see it. What’s been going on is completely wrong. I’ll definitely be taking a knee.”
The 22-year-old Murray said he didn’t have a lot of bad experiences with the police growing up but added that he was lucky because he’s usually recognized as a famous football player. The quarterback said the “peaceful protests, I think they’re amazing” and he is confident younger people will be the catalyst for real progress.
“I do feel like we’ll see change,” Murray said. “Just because my generation, we’re so diverse. We know what racism is but I feel like there’s not a lot of it in my generation.
“I know generations above me, my parents’ generation, there’s a lot of racism, whether we want to believe it or not, there is. There’s a lot of hate in this world, but I think what’s happening, what we’re seeing right now, is huge.”
Murray joins other NFL players who have indicated they’ll be kneeling during the anthem this season, including Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Murray and Mayfield are close friends who were teammates in college at Oklahoma and who won the Heisman Trophy in back-to-back seasons.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Former US soccer coach Eric Wynalda fired from USL job

LAS VEGAS — Former U.S. soccer star Eric Wynalda was fired Wednesday as coach of the Las Vegas Lights of @ @ @ @ @ Wynalda , 51 , was hired in October 2018 ahead of the team ’ s @ @ @ @ @ league .
The team made the announcemen t on Twitter .
Las Vegas finished 13th @ @ @ @ @ Western Conference , with 11 wins , 15 losses and eight draws .
It opened @ @ @ @ @ draw at San Diego , playing its first match and coached by former U.S. star @ @ @ @ @ s American record of 34 international goals was broken by Donovan , who is tied @ @ @ @ @ mark with 57 .
That has been the only match this year for Las Vegas @ @ @ @ @ that caused the league to stop play .

LAS VEGAS — Former U.S. soccer star Eric Wynalda was fired Wednesday as coach of the Las Vegas Lights of the USL League Championship.
Wynalda, 51, was hired in October 2018 ahead of the team’s second season in the second-tier league. The team made the announcemen t on Twitter.
Las Vegas finished 13th among 18 teams with the Western Conference, with 11 wins, 15 losses and eight draws.
It opened this season with a 1-1 draw at San Diego, playing its first match and coached by former U.S. star Landon Donovan. Wynalda’s American record of 34 international goals was broken by Donovan, who is tied with Clint Dempsey for the mark with 57.
That has been the only match this year for Las Vegas due to the coronavirus pandemic that caused the league to stop play.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Teen’s death stirs Black Lives Matter protests in Brazil

When Rafaela Matos saw police helicopters over her favela and heard gunshots , she fell to her knees and asked God to protect her son , João Pedro .
Then she called the boy to make sure he was OK. “ Be calm , ” João Pedro wrote back , explaining that he was at his aunt ’ s house and everything was fine , Rafaela told The Associated Press .
Minutes after he sent the message , police burst in and shot the 14-year-old in the stomach with a high-caliber rifle at close range .
João Pedro Matos Pinto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed by police in the state of Rio de Janeiro in the first months of this year .
That ’ s almost double the number of people killed by police over the same period in the entire U.S. , which has 20 times Rio ’ s population .
Like João Pedro , most of those killed in Rio were black or biracial and lived in the city ’ s poorest neighborhoods , or favelas .
As the Black Lives Matter movement brings hundreds of thousands to the streets around the world , demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one month ago have been organizing the largest anti-police brutality demonstrations in years on the streets of Rio .
Still , the protests are nowhere near the size and public impact of other countries .
To protesters , their struggle to gain momentum in the country where more than half the population is black or biracial , with a police violence problem that far overshadows other nations , is evidence of the depth of racism and complacence .
“ They kill teenager after teenager in their homes every day .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” 19-year-old civil engineering student João Gabriel Moreira said at a June 10 protest in Duque de Caxias , a poor city in the Rio metropolitan area .
He said he had never protested anything before this year .
“ Kill a young black man in a favela , it ’ s seen as normal — he must be a drug dealer , ” Moreira said .
“ Racism has always been veiled in Brazil .
That ’ s why so few of us are here .
If Brazil had racial consciousness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Janeiro police initially said they were pursuing a criminal in a joint operation by civil , military and federal police officers when they shot João Pedro on May 18 .
There was no sign of illegal activity at the house in the Salgueiro complex of favelas , according to Eduardo Benones , a federal prosecutor investigating the operation .
João Pedro ’ s father , Neilton Pinto , was serving up fish at a bayside kiosk when he heard the choppers .
By the time he reached the scene , police had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , he said , sitting beside Rafaela for an interview just before the one-month anniversary of the incident .
Police never took João Pedro to a hospital and his family began a frantic search .
Rafaela , 36 , received a glimmer of hope when she saw on her phone that her son ’ s WhatsApp was active .
“ Hi … , ” she wrote .
“ Hi … Hi … Hi … Talk to me … ” No response came from whomever was using João Pedro ’ s phone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his body was tracked down the next day , inside a police forensic institute .
“ Good people live in the favela , people with families , who plan on growing in this life , ” Neilton , 40 , said .
“ I ’ m sure if this were in wealthy areas , police wouldn ’ t act this way , breaking down the house of someone good.
” Benones ’ investigation seeks to hold the Brazilian state responsible for João Pedro ’ s death , alleging it occurred in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and eyewitness accounts Benones has reviewed indicate João Pedro and others present posed no threat to officers on the scene , he said .
“ Why didn ’ t police directors or whoever see that we ’ re in a pandemic , so obviously a place that ’ s already densely populated would be even more densely populated with kids ?
That ’ s predictable , ” Benones said .
“ You can ’ t say it ’ s racism of that police officer , but a practice of police forces not taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if something happens , it ’ s seen as collateral damage.
” Rio police killed a record 1,814 people in 2019 , according to official data — triple the number five years earlier .
The 2020 death toll is on track for a repeat .
Both President Jair Bolsonaro and Rio state Gov .
Wilson Witzel won election in 2018 with campaigns that emphasized law and order , and both have said police should be able to kill criminals with almost no legal constraints .
At a June 11 protest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s metro area , Bruna Mozer told how her son Marcos gave up on school and fell in with drug traffickers in his favela .
Even though he surrendered when police found him with a walkie-talkie in 2018 , officers executed him , she said .
Marcos would have been 18 this year .
“ Every day more mothers , victims of state violence , join our groups , ” said Mozer .
Rio ’ s civil police said in an e-mailed statement that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding João Pedro ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been suspended .
Rio ’ s military police didn ’ t respond to multiple requests seeking comment .
Brazil ’ s Supreme Court on June 5 banned police operations in favelas until the coronavirus pandemic ends , in response to outrage over João Pedro ’ s death .
His life had been divided between home , school , church and the mall , his father said .
He got good grades and wanted to study law .
He told his dad he would make him proud .
When Neilton lost his job , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find it lacking teachers and classes .
Rafaela got him into the private school where she teaches .
His parents said they never talked to João Pedro about racism .
Nor did they ever participate in protests , but they joined one on June 7 .
Rafaela said hearing João Pedro ’ s name become a rallying cry has lightened their emotional load a bit .
“ I never participated in events against racism or policing , never got involved with those things .
Today we ’ re living something we didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and knocks on the door , ″ Rafaela said .
“ With this repercussion , we saw João Pedro wasn ’ t the first , and he also wasn ’ t the last .
”

When Rafaela Matos saw police helicopters over her favela and heard gunshots, she fell to her knees and asked God to protect her son, João Pedro. Then she called the boy to make sure he was OK.
“Be calm,” João Pedro wrote back, explaining that he was at his aunt’s house and everything was fine, Rafaela told The Associated Press. Minutes after he sent the message, police burst in and shot the 14-year-old in the stomach with a high-caliber rifle at close range.
João Pedro Matos Pinto was one of more than 600 people killed by police in the state of Rio de Janeiro in the first months of this year. That’s almost double the number of people killed by police over the same period in the entire U.S., which has 20 times Rio’s population. Like João Pedro, most of those killed in Rio were black or biracial and lived in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, or favelas.
As the Black Lives Matter movement brings hundreds of thousands to the streets around the world, demonstrators outraged by João Pedro’s death one month ago have been organizing the largest anti-police brutality demonstrations in years on the streets of Rio.
Still, the protests are nowhere near the size and public impact of other countries. To protesters, their struggle to gain momentum in the country where more than half the population is black or biracial, with a police violence problem that far overshadows other nations, is evidence of the depth of racism and complacence.
“They kill teenager after teenager in their homes every day. We’re here because we need to be,” 19-year-old civil engineering student João Gabriel Moreira said at a June 10 protest in Duque de Caxias, a poor city in the Rio metropolitan area. He said he had never protested anything before this year.
“Kill a young black man in a favela, it’s seen as normal — he must be a drug dealer,” Moreira said. “Racism has always been veiled in Brazil. That’s why so few of us are here. If Brazil had racial consciousness, this street would be filled.”
Rio de Janeiro police initially said they were pursuing a criminal in a joint operation by civil, military and federal police officers when they shot João Pedro on May 18. There was no sign of illegal activity at the house in the Salgueiro complex of favelas, according to Eduardo Benones, a federal prosecutor investigating the operation.
João Pedro’s father, Neilton Pinto, was serving up fish at a bayside kiosk when he heard the choppers. By the time he reached the scene, police had already taken the teen’s body away, he said, sitting beside Rafaela for an interview just before the one-month anniversary of the incident.
Police never took João Pedro to a hospital and his family began a frantic search. Rafaela, 36, received a glimmer of hope when she saw on her phone that her son’s WhatsApp was active.
“Hi … ,” she wrote. “Hi … Hi … Hi … Talk to me …”
No response came from whomever was using João Pedro’s phone. But a campaign swept across social media and his body was tracked down the next day, inside a police forensic institute.
“Good people live in the favela, people with families, who plan on growing in this life,” Neilton, 40, said. “I’m sure if this were in wealthy areas, police wouldn’t act this way, breaking down the house of someone good.”
Benones’ investigation seeks to hold the Brazilian state responsible for João Pedro’s death, alleging it occurred in the context of institutional racism. All depositions and eyewitness accounts Benones has reviewed indicate João Pedro and others present posed no threat to officers on the scene, he said.
“Why didn’t police directors or whoever see that we’re in a pandemic, so obviously a place that’s already densely populated would be even more densely populated with kids? That’s predictable,” Benones said. “You can’t say it’s racism of that police officer, but a practice of police forces not taking care when dealing with the black population. And if something happens, it’s seen as collateral damage.”
Rio police killed a record 1,814 people in 2019, according to official data — triple the number five years earlier. The 2020 death toll is on track for a repeat.
Both President Jair Bolsonaro and Rio state Gov. Wilson Witzel won election in 2018 with campaigns that emphasized law and order, and both have said police should be able to kill criminals with almost no legal constraints.
At a June 11 protest in Niteroi, another city in Rio’s metro area, Bruna Mozer told how her son Marcos gave up on school and fell in with drug traffickers in his favela. Even though he surrendered when police found him with a walkie-talkie in 2018, officers executed him, she said. Marcos would have been 18 this year.
“Every day more mothers, victims of state violence, join our groups,” said Mozer.
Rio’s civil police said in an e-mailed statement that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding João Pedro’s death and that three officers have been suspended. Rio’s military police didn’t respond to multiple requests seeking comment.
Brazil’s Supreme Court on June 5 banned police operations in favelas until the coronavirus pandemic ends, in response to outrage over João Pedro’s death.
His life had been divided between home, school, church and the mall, his father said. He got good grades and wanted to study law. He told his dad he would make him proud.
When Neilton lost his job, João Pedro entered public school, only to find it lacking teachers and classes. Rafaela got him into the private school where she teaches.
His parents said they never talked to João Pedro about racism. Nor did they ever participate in protests, but they joined one on June 7. Rafaela said hearing João Pedro’s name become a rallying cry has lightened their emotional load a bit.
“I never participated in events against racism or policing, never got involved with those things. Today we’re living something we didn’t expect, something that arrives and knocks on the door,″ Rafaela said. “With this repercussion, we saw João Pedro wasn’t the first, and he also wasn’t the last.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--NBA coaches’ union has issues about Disney restart plan

The NBA Players Association issued a memo to its players ...

The NBA coaches’ union is concerned that the league’s return-to-play setup at Walt Disney World Resort will risk their members’ health and hurt their future job prospects.
At the end of what will be a four-plus-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA will have 22 of its 30 teams resume action at the Disney campus near Orlando, Fla., with training camp due to run July 9-29 and games to commence on July 30.
All players and staffers will essentially be quarantined for the duration of their stay in the NBA’s “bubble” while undergoing regular COVID-19 testing.
The National Basketball Coaches Association is questioning the details of the “bubble” protocols, particularly whether the league’s oldest head coaches will be permitted to execute all of their regular duties.
The San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, who is 71 years old; the Houston Rockets’ Mike D’Antoni, 69; and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Alvin Gentry, 65, all fall in the age bracket that is viewed as being at risk to severe consequences if they contract the coronavirus.
In a statement to ESPN, the union wrote, “The health and safety of all NBA coaches is our main concern. However, we are also concerned with a coach’s opportunity to work and to not have their ability to secure future jobs be severely jeopardized. The league assured us that a coach will not be excluded solely because of age.
“We feel the medical review process is designed to flag only those individuals who pose significant threats of substantial harm to themselves that cannot be reduced or eliminated by the NBA’s considerable steps to create a healthy and safe atmosphere in Orlando.
“Adam (Silver) and the NBA have created a situation in Orlando that is likely far safer than in our coaches’ home markets. Absent a significant threat, we believe a coach should be able to understand and assume their individual risks, waive liability, and coach in Orlando.”
Silver had said initially in a TNT interview on June 5, “There are people involved in this league, particularly coaches, who are obviously older people. … We’re going to have to work through protocols, for example, and it may be certain coaches may not be able to be the bench coach.
“They may have to maintain social distancing protocols, and maybe they can be in the front of a room, a locker room … with a whiteboard, but when it comes to actual play, we’re not going to want them that close to players in order to protect them.”
Nevertheless, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, the president of the NBACA, subsequently spoke with Silver.
“(Silver) admitted that he jumped the gun with his statement to TNT,” Carlisle told ESPN. “The health and safety of our coaches is first and foremost. It’s entirely possible that an NBA coach in his 60s or 70s could be healthier than someone in their 30s or 40s.
“The conversation should never be solely about a person’s age. Adam assured me that we would work through this together to help determine what is both safe and fair for all of our coaches.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--73-year-old woman punched in face on Bronx subway platform

A 73-year-old woman was punched in the face by a stranger on Wednesday night while standing on a subway platform @ @ @ @ @ said .
The Queens woman was on the platform of the D line at the @ @ @ @ @ 7:20 p.m. when a man attacked her before fleeing the scene , according to law @ @ @ @ @ was taken to Bronx care hospital with pain to her face .
The suspect was @ @ @ @ @ his 20s .
Cops were searching for him early Thursday .
The incident takes place @ @ @ @ @ was arrested for shoving a 92-year-old woman into a Manhattan fire hydrant .

A 73-year-old woman was punched in the face by a stranger on Wednesday night while standing on a subway platform in the Bronx, sources said.
The Queens woman was on the platform of the D line at the 174 street station at about 7:20 p.m. when a man attacked her before fleeing the scene, according to law enforcement sources.
The victim was taken to Bronx care hospital with pain to her face. The suspect was described as a man in his 20s. Cops were searching for him early Thursday.
The incident takes place one day after a deviant was arrested for shoving a 92-year-old woman into a Manhattan fire hydrant.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--University of Virginia changes athletics logo due to slavery links

The athletics department at the University of Virginia has changed its logo from two-crossed sabers with serpentine handles due to a reference to slavery , reports CNN .
According to the university , the serpentine handles were a reference to walls on campus that were used to keep the enslaved people out of public view .
The original walls were built in the 1820s but then torn down to create more room for the university pavilions .
The sabers are now depicted with smoother handles .
“ After the release of our new logos on April 24th , I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the serpentine walls and slavery , ” said athletic director Carla Williams on Monday .
“ I was not previously aware of the historical perspective indicating the original eight-foot-high walls were constructed to mask the institution of slavery and enslaved laborers from public view.
” In another statement , Willaims continued , “ Over the last few weeks , I have worked to better educate myself and that education will continue.
” “ There was no intent to cause harm , but we did , and for that , I apologize to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our history .
”

The athletics department at the University of Virginia has changed its logo from two-crossed sabers with serpentine handles due to a reference to slavery, reports CNN.
According to the university, the serpentine handles were a reference to walls on campus that were used to keep the enslaved people out of public view. The original walls were built in the 1820s but then torn down to create more room for the university pavilions.
The sabers are now depicted with smoother handles.
“After the release of our new logos on April 24th, I was made aware of the negative connotation between the serpentine walls and slavery,” said athletic director Carla Williams on Monday.
“I was not previously aware of the historical perspective indicating the original eight-foot-high walls were constructed to mask the institution of slavery and enslaved laborers from public view.”
In another statement, Willaims continued, “Over the last few weeks, I have worked to better educate myself and that education will continue.”
“There was no intent to cause harm, but we did, and for that, I apologize to those who bear the pain of slavery in our history.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Nebraska man throws White Claw seltzer at police in attempt to avoid arrest

A Nebraska man threw a can of White Claw hard seltzer at police in an attempt to avoid arrest last @ @ @ @ @ affiliate reported .
Matthew Stinson , 35 , reportedly walked into a motel lobby in @ @ @ @ @ knife around and threatening to kill the clerk behind the desk .
He eventually took @ @ @ @ @ the area before fleeing .
Police managed to track down Stinson two miles away about @ @ @ @ @ episode .
As the officers approached him , Stinson hurled the yuppie drink of choice @ @ @ @ @ fled , police told the station .
But Stinson reportedly missed the officers , who @ @ @ @ @ him under arrest after finding a folding pocket knife on his person .
Stinson faces @ @ @ @ @ making terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony .

His escape plan fizzled out fast.
A Nebraska man threw a can of White Claw hard seltzer at police in an attempt to avoid arrest last weekend, the local ABC affiliate reported.
Matthew Stinson, 35, reportedly walked into a motel lobby in Lincoln Sunday, waving a knife around and threatening to kill the clerk behind the desk. He eventually took off and threatened others in the area before fleeing.
Police managed to track down Stinson two miles away about six hours after his maniacal episode. As the officers approached him, Stinson hurled the yuppie drink of choice at the cops as he fled, police told the station.
But Stinson reportedly missed the officers, who chased him down and placed him under arrest after finding a folding pocket knife on his person.
Stinson faces charges for resisting arrest, making terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Knicks’ Scott Perry: Black Lives Matter can’t be ‘just a moment in time’

Knicks GM Scott Perry , part of a Knicks-hosted Zoom symposium on race and sports , encouraged the Black Lives Matter movement to not peter out anytime soon .
“ Let ’ s not allow this to be just a moment in time , ’ ’ Perry said Thursday on an invitation-only discussion with teachers and children regarding racial injustice .
“ I ’ ve been around long enough to know that things that have happened in our history before — there ’ s a temporary outrage , and then boom , things are back to normal .
Don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is a call of duty to action for all young people.
” The Knicks have stepped up recently regarding the raging topic of racial inequality .
Perry and former Knicks president Steve Mills became the first African-American top front-office tandem in NBA history before the 2018-19 season .
That didn ’ t prevent owner James Dolan from getting roasted for not immediately releasing a statement on race in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing .
Dolan tried to make amends when he became the 30th and final team to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some circles for it being too little , too late .
That led to Thursday ’ s Knicks symposium to commemorate “ Juneteenth ’ ’ ( a holiday celebrating the end of slavery ) — hosted by team executive Allan Houston .
Perry said he ’ s happy NBA players have protested and spoken .
Knicks players and team employees reportedly were “ furious ’ ’ over Dolan ’ s belated response .
Sixteen of the 17 Knicks players are African-American .
Submit your Knicks questions here to be answered in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irving , meanwhile , has led a revolt to try and have players consider bagging the NBA restart so as not to distract from the protests .
“ I think their words have to be followed by corresponding appropriate action , ’ ’ Perry said .
“ The impact that words and actions of an athlete can have , not only for the people in their presence , but the millions watching them on television or on their cell phones and latched onto every word , action and emotion that these guys and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really being in tuned to that , understanding that responsibility , and continuing to reach out to their communities in the way they best see themselves best impact the community .
”

Knicks GM Scott Perry, part of a Knicks-hosted Zoom symposium on race and sports, encouraged the Black Lives Matter movement to not peter out anytime soon.
“Let’s not allow this to be just a moment in time,’’ Perry said Thursday on an invitation-only discussion with teachers and children regarding racial injustice. “I’ve been around long enough to know that things that have happened in our history before — there’s a temporary outrage, and then boom, things are back to normal. Don’t allow this to be that time. This is a call of duty to action for all young people.”
The Knicks have stepped up recently regarding the raging topic of racial inequality. Perry and former Knicks president Steve Mills became the first African-American top front-office tandem in NBA history before the 2018-19 season. That didn’t prevent owner James Dolan from getting roasted for not immediately releasing a statement on race in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.
Dolan tried to make amends when he became the 30th and final team to release a statement, but was further condemned in some circles for it being too little, too late.
That led to Thursday’s Knicks symposium to commemorate “Juneteenth’’ (a holiday celebrating the end of slavery) — hosted by team executive Allan Houston. Perry said he’s happy NBA players have protested and spoken. Knicks players and team employees reportedly were “furious’’ over Dolan’s belated response. Sixteen of the 17 Knicks players are African-American.
Submit your Knicks questions here to be answered in an upcoming Post mailbag
The Nets’ Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, has led a revolt to try and have players consider bagging the NBA restart so as not to distract from the protests.
“I think their words have to be followed by corresponding appropriate action,’’ Perry said. “The impact that words and actions of an athlete can have, not only for the people in their presence, but the millions watching them on television or on their cell phones and latched onto every word, action and emotion that these guys and gals share. And so I think really being in tuned to that, understanding that responsibility, and continuing to reach out to their communities in the way they best see themselves best impact the community.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Plastic surgeon Stephen Greenberg explains Kellyanne Conway’s new look

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 ) Never mind alternative facts .
@ @ @ @ @ ?
Kellyanne Conway looked noticeably different during a Fox News appearance Monday , causing speculation @ @ @ @ @ done .
Plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Greenberg told Page Six that the White House counselor @ @ @ @ @ be the result of procedures including “ injections like Botox , and either fat transfer @ @ @ @ @ , an upper and lower eyelid lift , face-lift and a nose job.
” Greenberg @ @ @ @ @ seem lifted and she doesn ’ t seem to have extra skin around her eyes @ @ @ @ @ nose tip is more shapely and smaller .
”

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
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Never mind alternative facts. What about her alternative face?
Kellyanne Conway looked noticeably different during a Fox News appearance Monday, causing speculation she may have had work done.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Greenberg told Page Six that the White House counselor’s smoothed-out appearance could be the result of procedures including “injections like Botox, and either fat transfer to the face or fillers, an upper and lower eyelid lift, face-lift and a nose job.”
Greenberg notes that her “cheekbones seem lifted and she doesn’t seem to have extra skin around her eyes” and that her “nose tip is more shapely and smaller.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Judge denies LI strip club owner’s bid to reopen over coronavirus shutdown

Jets GM Joe Douglas has declared more than once that ...

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A federal judge on Thursday rejected a Long Island strip club owner’s request to reopen in spite of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus shutdown — which he claims has stripped him of his constitutional rights and battered his business.
U.S. District Judge Allyne Ross denied Sean McCarthy’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which would have allowed him to open Blush Gentleman’s Club in Commack while his lawsuit is argued in court.
“Because plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits on any of their claims, the motion is denied,” Ross wrote in her decision.
McCarthy filed suit against Cuomo last month over his executive orders shuttering non-essential businesses amid the pandemic.
McCarthy claims the governor’s orders “constituted a breach of constitutional duty” and caused him “immediate and irreparable harm and actual and undue hardship.”
His attorney, Joe Murray, said the motion for a temporary restraining order was no longer necessary since McCarthy is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, consistent with the timetable for Phase Three of the state’s reopening.
“However, we do believe that the Governor has engaged in an overly broad, over inclusive, overly restrictive infringement of our fundamental rights,” Murray said, adding: “We’ll be back!”
In her decision, Ross wrote that the causes of action against Cuomo “appear to be based on a fundamental misunderstandings of law.”
The executive orders do not violate McCarthy’s First Amendment rights, because they are “content neutral” and don’t intentionally target “businesses that involve an ‘alternative lifestyle’ or ‘adult dancing,'” Ross wrote.
The jiggle joint boss is also taking the U.S. Small Business Administration to court for denying federal coronavirus stimulus money to his and other strip clubs, because sex-related businesses are excluded from the relief.
Ross wrote her court “does not have subject matter jurisdiction over the claims” brought against the feds and the SBA.
“While I will consider any arguments the plaintiffs put forward in response to the motions to dismiss, plaintiffs may be well-advised to voluntarily withdraw their complaint given the many problems identified in this opinion,” Ross wrote.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--State Department official resigns in protest of Trump’s handling of racial unrest

A high-ranking State Department official who has served President Trump since his inauguration resigned in protest Thursday over his handling of recent racial tensions in the country , according to a report .
Mary Elizabeth Taylor , the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs , announced her resignation to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter obtained by The Washington Post .
“ Moments of upheaval can change you , shift the trajectory of your life , and mold your character .
The President ’ s comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor wrote in the letter .
“ I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.
” Taylor , who is black , has been with Trump since the beginning of his presidency , serving first as the White House ’ s deputy director of nominations before moving on to the State Department in October 2018 .
Taylor , 30 , is both the youngest person and the first black woman to serve as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply grateful to you , Mr. Secretary , for empowering me to lead this team and strategically advise you over these last two years , ” she continued in her letter to Pompeo .
“ I appreciate that you understand my strong loyalty to my personal convictions and values , particularly in light of recent events.
” Renewed tension has roiled the nation since May 25 , when a white Minneapolis cop was caught on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd , a black man , for some eight minutes during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched nationwide protests , which Trump at one point threatened to use the military to help quell — over the objections of some in his own administration .
Other actions by Trump have also drawn criticism amid the unrest .
He threatened a potentially violent crackdown by tweeting the Civil Rights-era phrase , “ When the looting starts the shooting starts , ” drawing a censure from public officials .
He also scheduled a reelection campaign rally on Juneteenth — a holiday marking news of emancipation reaching slaves in Texas — in Tulsa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s most infamous attacks on black Americans in 1921 .
Trump has since rescheduled that rally to June 20 .

A high-ranking State Department official who has served President Trump since his inauguration resigned in protest Thursday over his handling of recent racial tensions in the country, according to a report.
Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, announced her resignation to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter obtained by The Washington Post.
“Moments of upheaval can change you, shift the trajectory of your life, and mold your character. The President’s comments and actions surrounding racial injustice and Black Americans cut sharply against my core values and convictions,” Taylor wrote in the letter. “I must follow the dictates of my conscience and resign as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.”
Taylor, who is black, has been with Trump since the beginning of his presidency, serving first as the White House’s deputy director of nominations before moving on to the State Department in October 2018.
Taylor, 30, is both the youngest person and the first black woman to serve as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, according to The Washington Post.
“I am deeply grateful to you, Mr. Secretary, for empowering me to lead this team and strategically advise you over these last two years,” she continued in her letter to Pompeo. “I appreciate that you understand my strong loyalty to my personal convictions and values, particularly in light of recent events.”
Renewed tension has roiled the nation since May 25, when a white Minneapolis cop was caught on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, for some eight minutes during which time he died.
The incident launched nationwide protests, which Trump at one point threatened to use the military to help quell — over the objections of some in his own administration.
Other actions by Trump have also drawn criticism amid the unrest.
He threatened a potentially violent crackdown by tweeting the Civil Rights-era phrase, “When the looting starts the shooting starts,” drawing a censure from public officials.
He also scheduled a reelection campaign rally on Juneteenth — a holiday marking news of emancipation reaching slaves in Texas — in Tulsa, Oklahoma, scene of one of the nation’s most infamous attacks on black Americans in 1921.
Trump has since rescheduled that rally to June 20.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Laid-off LA hospitality staff hold ‘car caravan’ past Chateau Marmont

Laid-off workers from the Chateau Marmont and other LA hotels held a “ car caravan ” Wednesday in front of the famed hotel to bring attention to their need for health insurance .
Nearly all of the legendary hotel ’ s 242 employees were let go in March without insurance or severance after the lockdown began .
“ We were terminated during a pandemic and then our health care [ benefits were ] taken away , ” Mike Racanelli , who worked as a bellman at the hotel for five years , told Page Six .
“ We were left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who worked there as a maid for 33 years and suffers from diabetes — told us , “ I don ’ t know what I would do if I got sick.
” On Tuesday , LA councilmember David Ryu sent a letter to Chateau owner André Balazs offering to work with him to find ways to offer “ basic protections ” for workers and to guarantee “ employer-sponsored health insurance for your laid-off workers.
” Balazs responded that in May the hotel “ gave more than $ 250,000 , ” to employees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ support based on seniority , which provided a minimum of $ 350 to everyone who may have worked for only months to well over $ 5,000 for our much treasured , long-tenured employees , ” Balazs said .
“ All members of our team today retain full and complete health-care benefits .
”

Laid-off workers from the Chateau Marmont and other LA hotels held a “car caravan” Wednesday in front of the famed hotel to bring attention to their need for health insurance.
Nearly all of the legendary hotel’s 242 employees were let go in March without insurance or severance after the lockdown began. “We were terminated during a pandemic and then our health care [benefits were] taken away,” Mike Racanelli, who worked as a bellman at the hotel for five years, told Page Six. “We were left high and dry.”
Martha Moran — who worked there as a maid for 33 years and suffers from diabetes — told us, “I don’t know what I would do if I got sick.”
On Tuesday, LA councilmember David Ryu sent a letter to Chateau owner André Balazs offering to work with him to find ways to offer “basic protections” for workers and to guarantee “employer-sponsored health insurance for your laid-off workers.”
Balazs responded that in May the hotel “gave more than $250,000,” to employees. “Affected employees received equitably divided financial support based on seniority, which provided a minimum of $350 to everyone who may have worked for only months to well over $5,000 for our much treasured, long-tenured employees,” Balazs said. “All members of our team today retain full and complete health-care benefits.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Jamal Adams on wrong path if he wants to be a Jet for life

Jamal Adams is one step away from demanding a trade ...

Jets GM Joe Douglas has declared more than once that he wants Jamal Adams to be a Jet For Life.
You make exceptions for your foundational players, for young stars, for the defiant leader of your defense. For the best player on your team.
I have always felt that if he shows you, through his words and through his actions, that he wants to be a Jet For Life, which he said in a less emotional time, then Pay Jamal Adams.
But Jamal Adams has dropped the ball.
There are far better ways to handle a contract dispute than publicly challenging your team to put its money where his big mouth is before it is prepared to do so.
He has requested a trade to any of these seven teams, according to ESPN: Ravens, Cowboys, Texans, Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers and Seahawks.
He trusts Douglas about as much as Tony Clark and Rob Manfred and their MLB minions have trusted one another.
Now everyone in the NFL knows that Douglas has lost the leverage to even attempt to dare ask for a first- and third-round draft pick.
Jamal Adams had a choice:
In the weeks leading up to the opening of training camps, he had an opportunity to declare whether or not he wanted to be a Jet For Life.
He could have decided to hold his horses on the big-money extension he has earned by outplaying his contract and trust that Douglas would operate in good faith at a time of his choosing.
Or he could threaten or stage a training camp holdout and/or demand a trade.
Adams has always been a young man in a hurry. And it’s somewhat understandable here, given that his father George had his Giants career cut unceremoniously short by a hip injury that compelled him to file an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Giants.
It’s just that at this moment, Adams should have recognized that impatience is not a virtue.
At a time when the pandemic has claimed close to 120,000 lives and 21 million people remained out of work at the end of May.
At a time when it is uncertain how NFL games without fans would compromise the 2020 salary cap and therefore demand greater fiscal responsibility.
Adams is due to make $3.5 million this year, and $9.9 million in 2021. The Jets, with $24.7 million in cap space, have Adams under team control for at least two years and have the 2022 option of the franchise tag.
The Bears pre-pandemic in January signed safety Eddie Jackson, who was due to make $735,000 in 2020, to a four-year, $58.4 million extension ($33 million guaranteed) following his third season.
The Panthers two months ago made Christian McCaffrey the highest-paid running back ($64 million over four years) in history after his third season.
“Don’t use the pandemic excuse,” Adams wrote on Instagram.
The Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year, $90 million extension ($50 million guaranteed) just prior to the start of his fourth season.
Myles Garrett and Patrick Mahomes are up next.
Aaron Donald, on the other hand, had to wait until after his fourth season to secure a six-year, $135 million contract ($87 million guaranteed) from the Rams.
Someone at some point will pay Adams between $15 million and $17 million annually.
If he continues down this path, if he continues to make a stink and become a summer distraction, it won’t be Douglas.
And Jamal Adams will get his wish: Ex-Jet For Life.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Gov. Cuomo ignores House call for documents, briefing on nursing home deaths

Congressional Republicans are demanding documents and a briefing from Gov ... .

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has refused a request by Congressional Republicans to provide documents and a staff briefing regarding the state’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in New York State nursing homes.
“The nursing homes, is just pure politics,” Cuomo claimed during a radio interview with WAMC News ‘The Roundtable,’ Thursday afternoon.
“The Republicans in Congress, they think there’s a vulnerability. The Republicans in Congress just sent letters just to, just to Democratic states about the nursing homes.”
On Monday, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the top Republican on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, sent a letter to Cuomo and five other Democratic governors requesting several categories of documents pertaining to nursing home data.
Scalise and the other GOP congress members that also signed the letters — no Democrats signed on — gave the governors a Thursday deadline to provide information including the total number of COVID-19 positive residents transferred from hospitals to nursing homes during the pandemic and the total number of resident deaths that occurred in hospitals.
The state Health Department stopped publishing that data in May.
Scalise and upstate Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning) also held a Zoom press conference demanding those documents, arguing decisions made early on in the pandemic by Cuomo’s health commissioner Howard Zucker potentially increased the death toll — now at 6,200 — in nursing homes.
“We want to find out: how many thousands? We know the number is well over 2000 of those nursing home residents died after the CMS guidelines came out and after Governor Cuomo contradicted those guidelines, by forcing the nursing homes to take them back without allowing them to even test those nursing home residents for covid,” said Scalise.
Cuomo’s Health Department, headed by Commissioner Howard Zucker, issued a controversial March 25 order barring nursing homes from denying COVID-19 positive resident transfers from hospitals to nursing homes.
Cuomo and health officials repeatedly defended the move, using a variety of justifications over the past two months from blaming the homes themselves, labeling them as greedy and not wanting to lose the income from filled beds to even blaming the Trump administration, claiming they were merely following CDC guidance.
The nursing homes said they were bound by the Cuomo administration directive and had no choice but to take in the patients, potentially fueling as many as 6,200 deaths.
The directive was walked back on May 10.
“So they’re going back, COVID positive, and they’re infecting other nursing home residents and thousands of nursing home residents died. These were all preventable. We want to know how many, because unfortunately New York stopped disclosing the data,” argued Scalise, adding he is regularly talking to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Veerma, who has said Cuomo’s original order strayed from federal guidance.
“We know black and white at least 6,200 grandparents were killed by that deadly order …since that time it is clear many more, thousands,” insisted Reed.
“We estimate as many as twice the number of 6,200 were killed by Gov. Cuomo’s executive order. This is a complete failure of leadership,” adding he has invited Cuomo and his staff multiple times to weekly calls.
Rich Azzopardi, a Cuomo senior advisor, argued the push from subcommittee Republicans is meaningless without Democratic support.
He also personally attacked Reed, a known-critic of Cuomo.
“Nothing can cover for the fact that specific federal guidelines were issued and followed by more than a dozen states, and that present state law, Section 10 N.Y.C.R.R. Section 415.26 states that a nursing home shall accept and retain only those residents for whom it can provide adequate care – specifically outlawing nursing homes from accepting patients they cannot care for,” he seethed.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--Nancy Pelosi orders removal of Confederate House Speaker portraits from Capitol

In the wave of cancellations sweeping America , Confederate statues have ...

The portraits of four House Speakers who served in the Confederacy were pulled from the halls of the U.S. Capitol Thursday at the behest of Nancy Pelosi.
The House Speaker ordered that the paintings be removed to mark Juneteenth, a holiday observed each year on June 19 to mark the official end of slavery in the US, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“The halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy,” Pelosi said in a letter to the clerk of the House of Representatives.
“There is no room in the hallowed halls of Congress or in any place of honor for memorializing men who embody the violent bigotry and grotesque racism of the Confederacy.”
The artwork depicted Robert Hunter of Virginia, who was speaker from 1839 to 1841; Howell Cobb of Georgia (1849 to 1851); James Orr of South Carolina (1857 to 1859) and Charles Crisp of Georgia, who was speaker after the Civil War, from 1891 to 1895.
Portraits are hung in the speakers’ lobby and around the House chamber, which is generally closed to the public.
When asked about the removal of the portraits, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said: “The speaker has the power to do that.”
Pelosi has also called for a dozen statues commemorating people who served in the Confederacy to be pulled from the Capitol, though she doesn’t have the authority to remove them.
This comes as Confederate monuments and symbols in several states have been ordered removed, or have been vandalized, during protests sparked by the May 25 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis cops.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--‘Sister, Sister’ actor Marques Houston defends engagement to 19-year-old

“ Sister , Sister ” actor and R & B singer Marques Houston is defending his relationship with 19-year-old fiancée Miya Dickey following a discussion of the pair on Twitter .
“ I needed to speak because this is not music or television , this is my family , my future wife and my life , ” Houston , 38 , explained .
“ I met Miya in 2018 through a mutual friend .
Never before then did I even know she existed.
” Miya — who Houston allegedly started dating in October 2018 and proposed to in March 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jehovah ’ s Witness convention , having struck up a friendship with the daughter of Houston ’ s manager , Chris Stokes ( Miya and Stokes are close enough that she calls him “ dad ” ) .
“ Miya and I didn ’ t start dating until she was an adult , ” Houston says .
“ We fell in love and got engaged in March of 2019 .
My dad Michael loves her and the people I am closest to all love her as well .
Most importantly we have Jehovah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ the blog that was published about my fiancé and I ” without naming a specific outlet .
The pair ’ s relationship began getting renewed attention on Twitter this week , and a post on MTO News alleged that Miya is in fact a runaway who has been on a missing teens list since she was 15 .
Further fuel for speculation is that a “ Miyana Dickey ” is listed as an art director for multiple Houston/Stokes projects on the Internet Movie Database , which Houston described as “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Instagram screed .
Twitter has also dredged up allegations of sexual abuse made by former B2K member Raz B against Stokes and Houston , corroborated by label mate Quindon Tarver .
In 2010 , Raz publicized a phone call between himself and Tarver in which they both detail the alleged abuse they faced at the hands of the two men .
Page Six has reached out to Houston for comment .

“Sister, Sister” actor and R&B singer Marques Houston is defending his relationship with 19-year-old fiancée Miya Dickey following a discussion of the pair on Twitter.
“I needed to speak because this is not music or television, this is my family, my future wife and my life,” Houston, 38, explained. “I met Miya in 2018 through a mutual friend. Never before then did I even know she existed.”
Miya — who Houston allegedly started dating in October 2018 and proposed to in March 2019 — apparently met her betrothed at a Jehovah’s Witness convention, having struck up a friendship with the daughter of Houston’s manager, Chris Stokes (Miya and Stokes are close enough that she calls him “dad”).
“Miya and I didn’t start dating until she was an adult,” Houston says. “We fell in love and got engaged in March of 2019. My dad Michael loves her and the people I am closest to all love her as well. Most importantly we have Jehovah’s blessing.”
Houston makes reference to “the blog that was published about my fiancé and I” without naming a specific outlet. The pair’s relationship began getting renewed attention on Twitter this week, and a post on MTO News alleged that Miya is in fact a runaway who has been on a missing teens list since she was 15.
Further fuel for speculation is that a “Miyana Dickey” is listed as an art director for multiple Houston/Stokes projects on the Internet Movie Database, which Houston described as “a misprint or someone being messy” in his Instagram screed.
Twitter has also dredged up allegations of sexual abuse made by former B2K member Raz B against Stokes and Houston, corroborated by label mate Quindon Tarver. In 2010, Raz publicized a phone call between himself and Tarver in which they both detail the alleged abuse they faced at the hands of the two men.
Page Six has reached out to Houston for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-18--PC scientists help China dodge probe of how the coronavirus got started

`` There ’ s a chance it was intentional , '' Donald Trump said in ...

China’s Communist regime is determined to block probes into the origins of the novel coronavirus. And influential Western scientists are going along with Beijing’s effort to suppress any inquiry. They’re declaring “solidarity with the scientists and health professionals of China,” as a letter signed by some two dozen experts in the journal Lancet put it.
These experts bat away any hint of Chinese culpability in the virus’ inception as “conspiracy theory.” That’s a deadly problem. Conquering this virus and devising a vaccine will require unbiased research, no matter where it leads. And the biggest mistake is to limit scientific inquiry and pander to China.
When Australia called for a formal inquiry into the pandemic’s origins, China explicitly threatened to boycott Australian imports, slapping 80 percent tariffs on barley and restrictions on beef imported from Oz. Countries got the message. The World Health Assembly, the legislative arm of the World Health Organization, settled for a watered-down resolution to investigate the global “response” to COVID-19 — not its origins.
What we don’t know about COVID-19 far exceeds what little is known. But research has already forced Beijing to abandon its original tale that the virus leapt from wild animals to a human at the Wuhan seafood market in December. Some of these new findings will be essential for developing a vaccine and troubleshooting future viral disasters.
Findings by Cambridge University geneticist Peter Forster indicate three different strains of COVID-19 were circulating in China in the summer of 2019, each later predominating in a different part of the world.
Scientists from the University of British Columbia and the Broad Institute indicate the virus was already capable of spreading to humans when it reached Wuhan.
Harvard scientists, using aerial photographs of crammed hospital parking lots in Wuhan beginning in August 2019, speculate the virus hit that city months before China admits. The Xi Jinping regime calls that suggestion “ridiculous.”
European scientists indicate the disease invaded France, and possibly Italy, by December, though at the time, it was thought to be a regular flu.
Most controversially, a new study by three vaccine researchers published in Cambridge University’s QRB Discovery journal points to a segment in the virus’ genetic code they say may have been engineered in a lab. They argue that the addition is what makes the virus contagious to humans, besides wild animals like bats.
These leads need to be investigated, but instead they’re being denounced as conspiracy theories. Not just by the Chinese, but by scientists from prestigious American universities. This team of Beijing apologists has been at it for a while.
On Feb. 19, even before the lockdowns began, scientists from the University of Chicago, Emory University and other institutions signed a letter in Lancet supporting WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ call for “unity” with Beijing and condemning any research “suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.”
They “overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife.” How could they have known so soon, with so much yet to research?
The EcoHealth Alliance likewise blasted the hypothesis of a lab-engineered genetic component as “the latest chapter in a tale of blame, misinformation and finger-pointing” and warned it would become a platform for “posturing against China,” including through “trade sanctions and even reparations.”
ABC News’ medical correspondents claimed that “virologists around the globe have fiercely debunked” the theory. Many attacked it, for sure, but hardly disproved it definitively.
Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, and scientists writing a critique in the journal Nature Medicine argue that “if the new coronavirus had been manufactured in a lab, scientists most likely would have used the backbones of coronaviruses already known to cause serious diseases in humans” rather than inventing something new.
“Most likely?” That’s a guess, not proof.
True, infectivity can be the result of naturally occurring mutations. Scripps Research virologists reported on June 12 that the COVID-19 virus now circulating in the United States has mutated to be more contagious.
Bottom line: We need scientists to be scientists, not political censors.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York, the chairwoman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and author of the forthcoming book “The Next Pandemic.”