newyorkpost--2020-09-02--It’s union power, not safety issues, that’s determining which US schools reopen this fall

It ’ s back-to-school season , but millions of students won ’ t be going back to the classroom .
Teachers are fighting tooth and nail to prevent reopening public schools for in-person learning — in the name of safety .
Yet our just-released study suggests that these reopening decisions have more to do with influence from teachers ’ unions than safety concerns .
In New York City , the Department of Education ’ s proposal to offer families a hybrid of part-time in-person instruction and remote learning starting Sept. 10 met with fierce opposition .
Teachers ’ groups poured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including with props such as fake body bags .
Mayor de Blasio pushed back the opening after threatened strikes .
It ’ s happening nationwide .
New data published at Education Week indicate that 78 percent of the nation ’ s 50 largest public districts aren ’ t planning to reopen with any in-person instruction .
Using data on the reopening decisions of 835 public districts covering about 38 percent of all students enrolled in K-12 public schools in the country , our study finds that school districts in places with stronger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer full-time , in-person instruction this fall .
For example , our models indicate that school districts in states without right-to-work laws are 14 percentage points less likely to reopen in person than those in states with such laws , which prevent unions from requiring membership .
A 10 percent increase in union power is associated with a 1.3 percentage-point lower probability of reopening in person .
In Florida , for example , 79 percent of 38 school districts in the Education Week dataset are planning to offer full-time in-person instruction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York , a state with much stronger teachers ’ unions , none of the 21 school districts included in the dataset are planning to do the same .
We also find that a one percentage point increase in union membership at the state level is associated with a 1.5 percentage point lower probability of reopening in person .
Then , too , a 10 percent rise in union workers at the county level is associated with around a one percentage point decline in the probability of reopening in person in the fall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ analytic models and even after controlling for differences in county demographics , including age , gender , marital status , race , population , education , political affiliation , household income and COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita .
By contrast , reopening decisions are unrelated to COVID-19 risk as measured by recent cases per capita and deaths per capita in the county .
That is also consistent with recent evidence that the biggest factor in what people believe about the pandemic is political affiliation — not COVID-19 risk or even demographic factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of this means that teachers ’ unions have bad intentions .
Pushing against reopening schools in person could make sense from cost-benefit analysis , if it minimizes health risks for union members while maintaining about the same level of benefits in terms of job security and wages .
In fact , virtual instruction can mean more benefits for union members : It can reduce their child-care responsibilities , hours of direct instruction and commute times .
The problem is that teachers aren ’ t the only stakeholders in the reopening debate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person options .
Plus , remote learning provided by public districts may turn out to be a disaster for many students already falling behind .
A better solution : Governments should fund students directly , so they can take their education dollars to the schools of their choice .
After all , education funding is supposed to be for educating students , not protecting traditional public schools when other options are available .
School districts have the power to choose their own reopening plans .
Let ’ s give families a choice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of school choice at Reason Foundation and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute .
Christos A. Makridis is an assistant research professor at Arizona State University and a senior adviser at Gallup .

It’s back-to-school season, but millions of students won’t be going back to the classroom. Teachers are fighting tooth and nail to prevent reopening public schools for in-person learning — in the name of safety. Yet our just-released study suggests that these reopening decisions have more to do with influence from teachers’ unions than safety concerns.
In New York City, the Department of Education’s proposal to offer families a hybrid of part-time in-person instruction and remote learning starting Sept. 10 met with fierce opposition. Teachers’ groups poured into the streets to protest the plan, including with props such as fake body bags. Mayor de Blasio pushed back the opening after threatened strikes.
It’s happening nationwide. New data published at Education Week indicate that 78 percent of the nation’s 50 largest public districts aren’t planning to reopen with any in-person instruction.
Using data on the reopening decisions of 835 public districts covering about 38 percent of all students enrolled in K-12 public schools in the country, our study finds that school districts in places with stronger teachers’ unions are much less likely to offer full-time, in-person instruction this fall.
For example, our models indicate that school districts in states without right-to-work laws are 14 percentage points less likely to reopen in person than those in states with such laws, which prevent unions from requiring membership.
A 10 percent increase in union power is associated with a 1.3 percentage-point lower probability of reopening in person. In Florida, for example, 79 percent of 38 school districts in the Education Week dataset are planning to offer full-time in-person instruction to all students. However, in New York, a state with much stronger teachers’ unions, none of the 21 school districts included in the dataset are planning to do the same.
We also find that a one percentage point increase in union membership at the state level is associated with a 1.5 percentage point lower probability of reopening in person. Then, too, a 10 percent rise in union workers at the county level is associated with around a one percentage point decline in the probability of reopening in person in the fall.
These results are remarkably consistent across various analytic models and even after controlling for differences in county demographics, including age, gender, marital status, race, population, education, political affiliation, household income and COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita.
By contrast, reopening decisions are unrelated to COVID-19 risk as measured by recent cases per capita and deaths per capita in the county. That is also consistent with recent evidence that the biggest factor in what people believe about the pandemic is political affiliation — not COVID-19 risk or even demographic factors, such as age and race.
None of this means that teachers’ unions have bad intentions. Pushing against reopening schools in person could make sense from cost-benefit analysis, if it minimizes health risks for union members while maintaining about the same level of benefits in terms of job security and wages. In fact, virtual instruction can mean more benefits for union members: It can reduce their child-care responsibilities, hours of direct instruction and commute times.
The problem is that teachers aren’t the only stakeholders in the reopening debate. Keeping schools closed hurts families that need in-person options. Plus, remote learning provided by public districts may turn out to be a disaster for many students already falling behind.
A better solution: Governments should fund students directly, so they can take their education dollars to the schools of their choice. After all, education funding is supposed to be for educating students, not protecting traditional public schools when other options are available. School districts have the power to choose their own reopening plans. Let’s give families a choice, too.
Corey A. DeAngelis is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation and an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute. Christos A. Makridis is an assistant research professor at Arizona State University and a senior adviser at Gallup.


newyorkpost--2020-09-02--COVID-19 has exposed Chancellor Richard Carranza’s utter incompetence

Despite a budget crunch that threatens teacher layoffs and a ...

Chancellor Richard Carranza stands exposed by the COVID crisis as utterly incompetent at actually running the school system.
His team bungled as the virus rose, even ordering administrators to conceal infection information. It was helpless in the transition to remote learning, switching software repeatedly and never requiring teachers to actually teach or even speak with students.
Until The Post exposed it, Team Carranza was poised to spend hundreds of millions on idle school buses. For summer school, it didn’t even try to monitor remote “attendance.”
And it bungled the runup to the fall — failing to see that every school’s HVAC system was vetted in time; failing to note the possibility of outdoor classes until far too late — indeed, failing to set any clear standards until summer was nearly over.
Not to mention: failing to work with the unions (or come up with a practical plan for end-running them) to allow for an on-time opening.
With schools opening this month, it has yet to finalize contracts with school-bus companies to transport vulnerable, special-needs kids.
Instead, as The Post’s Susan Edelman’s reported exclusively, Carranza has been expanding his executive staff despite the citywide hiring freeze, likely teacher shortages and looming layoffs.
He’s spending nearly half a million bucks on an extra six-figure deputy chief of staff, a deputy chief strategy officer and yet another “senior adviser.” But there’s no sign the new hires are any better than the hopeless staff he already had.
It’s now obvious that this chancellor has no real talent for anything except incendiary race games. Sadly, that’s also been his priority in staffing the central Department of Education offices — leaving a vast shortage of people who can actually make the system work.
It’s so bad, the school year would likely start more smoothly if Mayor de Blasio fired Carranza today and put the senior-most career DOE bureaucrat in charge.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Is Everything Viewers Loved About The Original Starz Series — And So Much Mor

‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Is Everything Viewers Loved About The Original Starz Series — And So Much More

Not every show can take one of their most polarizing characters and make them the center of a spinoff series — oh , and just one of FOUR spinoff series , at that .
But that ’ s precisely what Power has done with its first spinoff , Power Book II : Ghost , premiering this Sunday , September 6 at 9pm ET/PT on Starz .
The new series finds Tariq St. Patrick ( Michael Rainey Jr. ) trying to balance college , which he must complete to get the money left to him by his father James St. Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last season of the original Starz series .
How did he die , you ask ?
Well , Tariq pulled the trigger , but now must live with the fact that his mother Tasha ( Naturi Naughton ) is the one doing the time .
A lot to juggle for a young man , who is also still involved in the drug world as , shall we say , an extracurricular activity , albeit one he was destined to pursue .
Power Book II : Ghost follows Tariq as he follows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fans of the original hit drama series should get excited and know this one will have them just as addicted .
Power Book II : Ghost picks up right where the original series left off ( an early episode even includes the closure and chaos of Ghost ’ s funeral ) and gives viewers all the same elements and thrills that the first series provided : the drama , the action , the romance , the small yet impactful comedic moments , and the show ’ s signature surprises are still very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to feel like the lifestyle , ” executive producer Curtis “ 50 Cent ” Jackson told me last month .
“ When people get killed , or if they go to jail , or they get different things that send them out of the actual environment ; when they cut the grass , the weeds grow .
People pop up and take advantage of these opportunities.
” So while it was important to him that the spinoff captured the “ same energy , ” that ’ s not the only thing viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The danger is there because there ’ s no age requirement , ” Jackson said .
“ The stakes are still as high as they were .
That was important too , for it to feel as intense as Power was.
” Mission accomplished !
“ It ’ s still an adjustment for me , ” Naturi Naughton admitted , “ To not have my show husband Omari Hardwick , and also my friend , who has been like a big brother to me .
Omari and I started this journey of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , six seasons of pushing me as well .
I do miss that .
It also services the character , too .
Because there are moments when , naturally , even though their marriage was dysfunctional and there were a lot of issues , he was still the father of my kids and my estranged husband .
I definitely missed his energy on set .
I also miss La La [ Anthony ] , the person that I got to share the screen with as best friends .
And Joe [ Sikora ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He didn ’ t die .
I ’ ll just say , he ’ s a wild card that could appear at any time , ” she teased , though the Tommy spinoff , Power Book IV : Force was officially ordered this week .
For creator , executive producer , and showrunner Courtney Kemp , there was a plan in place for which characters would continue in this particular spinoff and which wouldn ’ t , also making way for a slew of interesting new characters to arrive .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newer people that we ’ re meeting , in a sense , because I want to make sure that it still feels like Power , ” she said .
“ But at the same time , because Tommy is going to be in his own world , because we ’ re going back in time with Kanan , the audience is going to have access to those people .
And Tommy ’ s spin-off , much like this one , is going forward in time .
So they will get a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see characters such as Cooper Saxe ( Shane Johnson ) return and get to know more about his life outside of the law office , but the show also expertly introduces new characters , including two very familiar faces that we ’ ll get to , as well as Tariq ’ s contemporaries at school , bringing in a whole new generation to the Power universe , and providing Kemp with a question as the season moved along which was , “ What are the kids doing ?
” She describes creating those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super fun , first of all , because I was super dumb when I was that age .
I ’ m not saying everyone is .
But I was super dumb.
” To capture it correctly and authentically , she explained , “ I also hired a bunch of young writers .
I ’ m 43 , so that was a long time ago .
None of this , what the world is now with social media and how that ’ s changed being a young person — I didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to infuse my life with that kind of energy .
And then give it back , so that people have something to watch as their own lives .
I ’ ll also say that there are a lot of kids who were supposed to be in college this fall that can ’ t go because of COVID , so I ’ m hoping that they get an opportunity to watch college and experience some of that too.
” And in continuing to prove she ’ s smarter than all of us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is titled after a book , often that Tariq is tasked with reading at school ( which , as Power fans can imagine , he achieves to varying degrees ) that mirror many of his unique life experiences .
“ The idea of a core curriculum of great books — I love that idea , ” Kemp said .
“ Because what I wanted to really talk about was the idea that we , in general , BIPOC folk have not been a part of that canon , traditionally .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then Mary Shelley .
And so it ’ s really interesting to bring that to a modern context and say , ‘ What are great books ?
’ I also loved the idea of Tariq struggling with ethics .
I loved the idea of Tariq struggling with right and wrong .
I wanted Tariq to look inside himself .
The end of the season , when he meets Frankenstein , he ’ s like , ‘ Am I the monster ?
’ The audience is saying , ‘ He ’ s the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel that way ?
” Oh , but get ready audience because you may find yourself — gasp !
— rooting for Tariq this time around .
I know , it was so easy to find him frustrating and irritating and sloppy in the original series , but now that he ’ s truly a main character , it gave the writers more room to make him if not immediately likable , then certainly more understandable .
“ I find that you write a character that ’ s understandable , and people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kemp said .
“ I think patricide is a big deal .
I wasn ’ t sure that people would necessarily rock with that , but he loves his mom so much and the audience loves Tasha so much .
I think it ’ s not really about rooting for Tariq at first .
It ’ s about rooting for Tariq to help Tasha .
I hope that in the pilot , they see that he wants to just come forward and confess and say , ‘ It ’ s me !
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it.
’ The idea that she ’ s trying to protect him and he ’ s trying to protect her , I think that will help people root for him.
” When I asked Naughton how it felt to literally watch Rainey Jr. grow up before her eyes , she said , “ Oh my goodness .
I ’ ve literally watched him go from boy to a young man .
Being a part of that growth , and pushing him , helping him develop as an actor has been truly rewarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , in this new show , be the man .
Be the leader .
He has come a long way , and I ’ m so proud of him .
He ’ s also grown , like , 10 inches since we met .
He ’ s 6 foot 2 or something now .
And I ’ m still 5 foot 2 .
It ’ s pretty surreal.
” “ I coached him all the time , ” Jackson said of the young actor .
“ I ’ m behind him all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he grew up on the show .
You look at Season 1 , Season 2 , he ’ s a baby !
Now , he came into his own .
It ’ s so much support .
He ’ s got the crew there , everyone ’ s grown accustomed to each other .
And having to work with the same surroundings , it helps , it makes it a lot easier when everyone knows your name when you come in .
He ’ s worked with them for seven years already.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Method Man as attorney Davis MacLean and as Kemp explains , “ This is not the Method Man that you have ever seen .
It ’ s not him in real life .
This is someone else he ’ s creating entirely .
And it was not a part that I wrote for him .
I wrote the part , and then he was interested .
It was like , ‘ What ?
Okay .
Great.
’ And then it was about making that character , using that charisma , that swag , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead of putting it in a more traditionally urban part , getting that Johnnie Cochran/Bruce Cutler blend and really allowing him to take up the space .
He ate the part .
He ate it .
He bodied it so hard .
I just love him .
I ’ m saying it now , Television Academy !
Look at him !
Look what he ’ s doing !
Look what Mary ’ s doing !
That ’ s all I ’ m saying.
” And what I ’ m saying is : listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role .
From the literal second his character is introduced , you ’ ll be saying , “ Oh this is gon na be good.
” Jackson echoed those sentiments , saying , “ Both Mary and Method Man , these are my stars .
When they ’ re popping and their career is in a really good position , I ’ m just a fan .
It ’ s exciting for me to get both of them into the project at one time .
Method Man , I was watching him do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far away from everything that I ’ ve seen him do .
And he ’ s been acting for a while , I ’ ve watched him in a lot of stuff .
It just was important to have him do something different , so they didn ’ t see him coming as a street guy .
Now he ’ s playing a lawyer.
” “ Method Man is amazing , ” Naughton gushed of her friend and co-star , and likely one of the actors that spent the most time working beside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a pleasure to work with .
He ’ s so professional .
Honestly , him coming into the Power family with such ease and professionalism was really great .
He and I work closely together , it ’ s great chemistry .
I absolutely adore him .
He ’ s become like a big brother to me .
Working with him is so wonderful because you get to see another artist like myself coming into this , but taking it seriously , being really committed to the work .
I was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was famously in Wu-Tang , in a group as well .
A hip hop icon but coming into the acting space , which he ’ s already done , but even more so with Power , playing a different role .
He ’ s not playing what people may have seen him , in hip-hop culture , do as an artist .
I think it was refreshing for me , just to watch him at work every day and share scenes with him .
Because he ’ s really transformed into Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing in what have been some of the original series ’ ( and this show is likely to follow suit ) strongest scenes , those that play out in the courtroom .
“ Courtroom scenes are long , arduous , and challenging , ” Naughton said .
She added that the series had a consultant on set because those scenes “ have to be so specific to what is real , in a real courtroom .
It ’ s a lot of work .
But for me , I honestly enjoy being in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side , supporting Ghost when he was on trial .
And now it ’ s just interesting to see her , not in the audience , but literally on the stage.
” When I asked Naughton how it felt to be bringing Tasha into this new era , she said , “ It feels really good .
It felt like a full arc for an actress : to really go from being this high-end dressed-to-perfection drug dealer ’ s wife who lives in a penthouse — to now being a prisoner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her son , who killed her once-husband .
What are the odds that a character like Tasha is going through so much ?
It felt really good to see where she is now , although it sucks that she ’ s in jail .
It is nice , as an actress , to have somewhere to go.
” It also meant that Naughton would share limited scenes with the show ’ s other big name and beautiful new face , Mary J. Blige , but the two still got the chance to bond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to each other at the table reads all the time , ” Naughton said .
“ She ’ s amazing and been so supportive .
When I first met her at the TCAs about a year ago , when they just announced they ’ d be joining , she came up to me and was like , ‘ You are killin ’ it sis .
I love you in the show .
I love your work .
I ’ m proud of you.
’ I was just in awe because someone that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life and career is equally respecting my work .
I feel blessed to have her .
We haven ’ t had a chance to do any scenes yet , together .
But I believe that is going to happen — as you guys watch the whole season , you ’ ll see some interesting developments .
That ’ s all I ’ ll say.
” It ’ s true that Blige ended up on the show largely because she was such a big fan of the original series .
“ I knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jackson said .
“ She was having Power parties with her crew .
Everybody that was around her , the team was really passionate about the show.
” So for Jackson , after being inspired by seeing her in Mudbound , it was all about getting her in a room with Kemp .
And once that happened , the showrunner didn ’ t hold back .
“ She was like , ‘ Wow , you don ’ t understand !
You got me through this ! '
” Jackson said of Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was like , ‘ What ?
What ’ s going on ?
’ I didn ’ t know that there was any type of connection to the material like that .
And then it was like , okay , they hit it off .
Let me see if I can get her to do it.
” “ I ’ m such a huge fan , and she has gotten me through so many tough times in my life , ” Kemp confirmed ( but also , who hasn ’ t Blige @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first met her , I was like , ‘ Okay , well thank you for getting me through my divorce .
I appreciate you .
Now it ’ s my turn to do something for you.
’ What I look at it as is actually trying to be of service to her .
Trying to write in a way that gives her as much power , shine , glory as possible — while still being very much in vulnerability and femininity .
That ’ s super important to me.
” Naturally , Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character Monet Tejada ( I mean , what a name ! )
is as intimidating as she is fabulous , and clearly teed up to be a huge , central part of not only the storylines on this show but the spinoff ’ s success and inevitable buzz .
And hey , she might not be the only musician popping up in the world of Power .
When I asked Jackson if he had any other pals asking him for a role on one of the shows in the universe , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to do different stuff , ” pointing to Kendrick Lamar ’ s cameo on the original series in Season 5 .
“ It took two years for me to get Kendrick into knowing what the role was and for him to work on it and to actually do it .
We were talking behind the scenes before we did it .
We didn ’ t want it to feel like every visitor ’ s there for a cameo , and they ’ re not actually a part of the show .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new faces come into the actual show.
” And there are certainly plenty of opportunities — or , at least will be , when production is fully up and running .
The next spinoff series Power Book III : Raising Kanan was actually underway earlier this year .
“ It was going !
” Jackson confirmed .
“ We were actually filming , completed the first episode of it .
We had gotten to the second episode , and then COVID hit.
” But instead of wasting time , he said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the writers ’ room back open .
We broke Season 2 , so we ’ ll be shooting Season 1 and 2 in one block at a time.
” And it ’ s not just because the series tells the story of his character ’ s early life that Jackson said , “ Raising Kanan , I ’ m really excited about that.
” It ’ s also because , as he put it , “ It goes into a time period that ’ s like , the golden era .
Things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that time period .
Culturally , everything was a little more extreme .
You had strong influences around to be positive , strong influences around to go in the wrong direction very fast .
That ’ s what really was interesting about the series , because we decided to make New York a character in the show , and have it be as diverse as the city is .
Representation is everything in New York City.
” And no series knows that better than Power .

Not every show can take one of their most polarizing characters and make them the center of a spinoff series — oh, and just one of FOUR spinoff series, at that. But that’s precisely what Power has done with its first spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost, premiering this Sunday, September 6 at 9pm ET/PT on Starz. The new series finds Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) trying to balance college, which he must complete to get the money left to him by his father James St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) after he died in the last season of the original Starz series. How did he die, you ask? Well, Tariq pulled the trigger, but now must live with the fact that his mother Tasha (Naturi Naughton) is the one doing the time. A lot to juggle for a young man, who is also still involved in the drug world as, shall we say, an extracurricular activity, albeit one he was destined to pursue. Power Book II: Ghost follows Tariq as he follows in his father’s footsteps, and fans of the original hit drama series should get excited and know this one will have them just as addicted.
Power Book II: Ghost picks up right where the original series left off (an early episode even includes the closure and chaos of Ghost’s funeral) and gives viewers all the same elements and thrills that the first series provided: the drama, the action, the romance, the small yet impactful comedic moments, and the show’s signature surprises are still very much in store. “I wanted it to feel like the lifestyle,” executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson told me last month. “When people get killed, or if they go to jail, or they get different things that send them out of the actual environment; when they cut the grass, the weeds grow. People pop up and take advantage of these opportunities.” So while it was important to him that the spinoff captured the “same energy,” that’s not the only thing viewers will recognize in the new series. “The danger is there because there’s no age requirement,” Jackson said. “The stakes are still as high as they were. That was important too, for it to feel as intense as Power was.” Mission accomplished!
“It’s still an adjustment for me,” Naturi Naughton admitted, “To not have my show husband Omari Hardwick, and also my friend, who has been like a big brother to me. Omari and I started this journey of Power together — it’s years, six seasons of pushing me as well. I do miss that. It also services the character, too. Because there are moments when, naturally, even though their marriage was dysfunctional and there were a lot of issues, he was still the father of my kids and my estranged husband. I definitely missed his energy on set. I also miss La La [Anthony], the person that I got to share the screen with as best friends. And Joe [Sikora], he’s not gone. He didn’t die. I’ll just say, he’s a wild card that could appear at any time,” she teased, though the Tommy spinoff, Power Book IV: Force was officially ordered this week.
For creator, executive producer, and showrunner Courtney Kemp, there was a plan in place for which characters would continue in this particular spinoff and which wouldn’t, also making way for a slew of interesting new characters to arrive. “I don’t want to focus more on the newer people that we’re meeting, in a sense, because I want to make sure that it still feels like Power,” she said. “But at the same time, because Tommy is going to be in his own world, because we’re going back in time with Kanan, the audience is going to have access to those people. And Tommy’s spin-off, much like this one, is going forward in time. So they will get a lot of those things.” We’ll see characters such as Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson) return and get to know more about his life outside of the law office, but the show also expertly introduces new characters, including two very familiar faces that we’ll get to, as well as Tariq’s contemporaries at school, bringing in a whole new generation to the Power universe, and providing Kemp with a question as the season moved along which was, “What are the kids doing?”
She describes creating those scenes with the young actors as “super fun, first of all, because I was super dumb when I was that age. I’m not saying everyone is. But I was super dumb.” To capture it correctly and authentically, she explained, “I also hired a bunch of young writers. I’m 43, so that was a long time ago. None of this, what the world is now with social media and how that’s changed being a young person — I didn’t have access to that. So I am trying to infuse my life with that kind of energy. And then give it back, so that people have something to watch as their own lives. I’ll also say that there are a lot of kids who were supposed to be in college this fall that can’t go because of COVID, so I’m hoping that they get an opportunity to watch college and experience some of that too.”
And in continuing to prove she’s smarter than all of us, each of this season’s episodes is titled after a book, often that Tariq is tasked with reading at school (which, as Power fans can imagine, he achieves to varying degrees) that mirror many of his unique life experiences. “The idea of a core curriculum of great books — I love that idea,” Kemp said. “Because what I wanted to really talk about was the idea that we, in general, BIPOC folk have not been a part of that canon, traditionally. It’s always been straight white men, and then Mary Shelley. And so it’s really interesting to bring that to a modern context and say, ‘What are great books?’ I also loved the idea of Tariq struggling with ethics. I loved the idea of Tariq struggling with right and wrong. I wanted Tariq to look inside himself. The end of the season, when he meets Frankenstein, he’s like, ‘Am I the monster?’ The audience is saying, ‘He’s the worst person ever!’ But does Tariq feel that way?”
Oh, but get ready audience because you may find yourself — gasp! — rooting for Tariq this time around. I know, it was so easy to find him frustrating and irritating and sloppy in the original series, but now that he’s truly a main character, it gave the writers more room to make him if not immediately likable, then certainly more understandable. “I find that you write a character that’s understandable, and people will kind of go with it,” Kemp said. “I think patricide is a big deal. I wasn’t sure that people would necessarily rock with that, but he loves his mom so much and the audience loves Tasha so much. I think it’s not really about rooting for Tariq at first. It’s about rooting for Tariq to help Tasha. I hope that in the pilot, they see that he wants to just come forward and confess and say, ‘It’s me! It’s me. Let me talk about it.’ The idea that she’s trying to protect him and he’s trying to protect her, I think that will help people root for him.”
When I asked Naughton how it felt to literally watch Rainey Jr. grow up before her eyes, she said, “Oh my goodness. I’ve literally watched him go from boy to a young man. Being a part of that growth, and pushing him, helping him develop as an actor has been truly rewarding. Because now I’m watching him, in this new show, be the man. Be the leader. He has come a long way, and I’m so proud of him. He’s also grown, like, 10 inches since we met. He’s 6 foot 2 or something now. And I’m still 5 foot 2. It’s pretty surreal.”
“I coached him all the time,” Jackson said of the young actor. “I’m behind him all the way. I watched him, he grew up on the show. You look at Season 1, Season 2, he’s a baby! Now, he came into his own. It’s so much support. He’s got the crew there, everyone’s grown accustomed to each other. And having to work with the same surroundings, it helps, it makes it a lot easier when everyone knows your name when you come in. He’s worked with them for seven years already.”
New to the crew this season is Method Man as attorney Davis MacLean and as Kemp explains, “This is not the Method Man that you have ever seen. It’s not him in real life. This is someone else he’s creating entirely. And it was not a part that I wrote for him. I wrote the part, and then he was interested. It was like, ‘What? Okay. Great.’ And then it was about making that character, using that charisma, that swag, that sex appeal that he has. Instead of putting it in a more traditionally urban part, getting that Johnnie Cochran/Bruce Cutler blend and really allowing him to take up the space. He ate the part. He ate it. He bodied it so hard. I just love him. I’m saying it now, Television Academy! Look at him! Look what he’s doing! Look what Mary’s doing! That’s all I’m saying.” And what I’m saying is: listen to Kemp. Watch him in this role. From the literal second his character is introduced, you’ll be saying, “Oh this is gonna be good.”
Jackson echoed those sentiments, saying, “Both Mary and Method Man, these are my stars. When they’re popping and their career is in a really good position, I’m just a fan. It’s exciting for me to get both of them into the project at one time. Method Man, I was watching him do The Deuce. That character was so far away from everything that I’ve seen him do. And he’s been acting for a while, I’ve watched him in a lot of stuff. It just was important to have him do something different, so they didn’t see him coming as a street guy. Now he’s playing a lawyer.”
“Method Man is amazing,” Naughton gushed of her friend and co-star, and likely one of the actors that spent the most time working beside him on set. “He’s a pleasure to work with. He’s so professional. Honestly, him coming into the Power family with such ease and professionalism was really great. He and I work closely together, it’s great chemistry. I absolutely adore him. He’s become like a big brother to me. Working with him is so wonderful because you get to see another artist like myself coming into this, but taking it seriously, being really committed to the work. I was a singer, in a girl group; he was famously in Wu-Tang, in a group as well. A hip hop icon but coming into the acting space, which he’s already done, but even more so with Power, playing a different role. He’s not playing what people may have seen him, in hip-hop culture, do as an artist. I think it was refreshing for me, just to watch him at work every day and share scenes with him. Because he’s really transformed into Davis Maclean.”
The two will spend time performing in what have been some of the original series’ (and this show is likely to follow suit) strongest scenes, those that play out in the courtroom. “Courtroom scenes are long, arduous, and challenging,” Naughton said. She added that the series had a consultant on set because those scenes “have to be so specific to what is real, in a real courtroom. It’s a lot of work. But for me, I honestly enjoy being in that position. Tasha was once on the other side, supporting Ghost when he was on trial. And now it’s just interesting to see her, not in the audience, but literally on the stage.”
When I asked Naughton how it felt to be bringing Tasha into this new era, she said, “It feels really good. It felt like a full arc for an actress: to really go from being this high-end dressed-to-perfection drug dealer’s wife who lives in a penthouse — to now being a prisoner who is basically taking a fall for her son, who killed her once-husband. What are the odds that a character like Tasha is going through so much? It felt really good to see where she is now, although it sucks that she’s in jail. It is nice, as an actress, to have somewhere to go.”
It also meant that Naughton would share limited scenes with the show’s other big name and beautiful new face, Mary J. Blige, but the two still got the chance to bond. “Oh, we sit next to each other at the table reads all the time,” Naughton said. “She’s amazing and been so supportive. When I first met her at the TCAs about a year ago, when they just announced they’d be joining, she came up to me and was like, ‘You are killin’ it sis. I love you in the show. I love your work. I’m proud of you.’ I was just in awe because someone that I’ve looked up to most of my life and career is equally respecting my work. I feel blessed to have her. We haven’t had a chance to do any scenes yet, together. But I believe that is going to happen — as you guys watch the whole season, you’ll see some interesting developments. That’s all I’ll say.”
It’s true that Blige ended up on the show largely because she was such a big fan of the original series. “I knew that she was enjoying the show,” Jackson said. “She was having Power parties with her crew. Everybody that was around her, the team was really passionate about the show.” So for Jackson, after being inspired by seeing her in Mudbound, it was all about getting her in a room with Kemp. And once that happened, the showrunner didn’t hold back. “She was like, ‘Wow, you don’t understand! You got me through this!'” Jackson said of Kemp’s reaction to meeting Blige. “I was like, ‘What? What’s going on?’ I didn’t know that there was any type of connection to the material like that. And then it was like, okay, they hit it off. Let me see if I can get her to do it.”
“I’m such a huge fan, and she has gotten me through so many tough times in my life,” Kemp confirmed (but also, who hasn’t Blige helped?!) “When I first met her, I was like, ‘Okay, well thank you for getting me through my divorce. I appreciate you. Now it’s my turn to do something for you.’ What I look at it as is actually trying to be of service to her. Trying to write in a way that gives her as much power, shine, glory as possible — while still being very much in vulnerability and femininity. That’s super important to me.” Naturally, Kemp has succeeded, as Blige’s character Monet Tejada (I mean, what a name!) is as intimidating as she is fabulous, and clearly teed up to be a huge, central part of not only the storylines on this show but the spinoff’s success and inevitable buzz.
And hey, she might not be the only musician popping up in the world of Power. When I asked Jackson if he had any other pals asking him for a role on one of the shows in the universe, he said, “Almost all of them are ready to do different stuff,” pointing to Kendrick Lamar’s cameo on the original series in Season 5. “It took two years for me to get Kendrick into knowing what the role was and for him to work on it and to actually do it. We were talking behind the scenes before we did it. We didn’t want it to feel like every visitor’s there for a cameo, and they’re not actually a part of the show. We made it very valuable when you saw new faces come into the actual show.”
And there are certainly plenty of opportunities — or, at least will be, when production is fully up and running. The next spinoff series Power Book III: Raising Kanan was actually underway earlier this year. “It was going!” Jackson confirmed. “We were actually filming, completed the first episode of it. We had gotten to the second episode, and then COVID hit.” But instead of wasting time, he said, “As soon as we could, I got the writers’ room back open. We broke Season 2, so we’ll be shooting Season 1 and 2 in one block at a time.”
And it’s not just because the series tells the story of his character’s early life that Jackson said, “Raising Kanan, I’m really excited about that.” It’s also because, as he put it, “It goes into a time period that’s like, the golden era. Things were just different in New York City in that time period. Culturally, everything was a little more extreme. You had strong influences around to be positive, strong influences around to go in the wrong direction very fast. That’s what really was interesting about the series, because we decided to make New York a character in the show, and have it be as diverse as the city is. Representation is everything in New York City.” And no series knows that better than Power.
Where to stream Power Book II: Ghost


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--‘No Time to Die’ trailer: Bond is finally back in action after COVID-19 delays

James Bond has “ No Time To Die ” — and no ...

Not even a global pandemic can take away James Bond’s license to kill.
“No Time To Die” — the 25th movie in the slick super-spy franchise — dropped a new trailer via Twitter on Thursday morning.
Simply captioned, “The mission that changes everything begins … #NoTimeToDie,” the two-and-half-minute promo clip features 52-year-old Daniel Craig in his swan song as 007.
The film is finally set to race into cinemas in November — after more than a few stalled starts thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
MGM, Universal and Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli previously announced that the film was delayed on March 4 via Twitter: “After careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of ‘No Time To Die’ will be postponed until November 2020.”
The original premiere was set for March 31 at the Royal Albert Hall, with a US release date set for April 10. (The film’s China release date was previously scrapped in mid-February.)
However, plans changed when a couple popular fan sites — The James Bond Dossier and MI6 Headquarters — published a joint open letter to the film’s producers, Wilson and Broccoli, citing public-safety concerns.
“It is by no means easy to say this: The release of ‘No Time To Die’ should be postponed,” the open letter to EON, MGM and Universal read. “It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of cancelling publicity events . . . It’s just a movie.”
The official release date is now set for November 20.
The film’s plot finds Bond’s “retirement” in Jamaica cut short when old pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) reaches out for help rescuing a kidnapped scientist, which results in the iconic martini drinker squaring off with high-tech villain Safin, played by Oscar winner Rami Malek.
Returning cast members include Ralph Fiennes, Léa Seydoux and Naomie Harris. New additions include buzzworthy new Bond babe Ana De Armas, who also starred opposite Craig in the darkly comic murder mystery “Knives Out.”
Plus, Brit actress Lashana Lynch, 31, made headlines last July when rumors broke that she was taking over James Bond’s iconic designation in what was hyped as a “popcorn-dropping moment” from the franchise’s 25th movie.
After years of debate about a need for the Bond flicks to freshen up, the woman who played fighter pilot Maria Rambeau opposite Brie Larson in the blockbuster “Captain Marvel” appears set to modernize the enduring action series.
And Lynch’s doing it with an assist from screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Emmy-winning “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” fame.
But relax, purist superfans: Lynch’s character, Nomi, is just taking over the secret agent number after he retires from MI6 — she’s not assuming the role of Bond.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Nancy Pelosi’s stylist says appointment was ‘political’ setup by salon owner

The stylist who did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s hair says the appointment was , in fact , a set up by the San Francisco salon owner , given the woman ’ s “ political leanings.
” Jonathan DeNardo released a lengthy statement defending Pelosi and claiming Erica Kious , who owns eSalon , authorized the Monday hair appointment in a phone call two days prior .
“ Ms .
Kious took special interest in the appointment during this telephone call , wherein she made several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi and her purported responsibility for temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite such orders actually being put into place not by Speaker Pelosi , but by Governor Gavin Newsome [ sic ] and San Francisco Mayor London Breed , ” DeNardo said through his lawyer .
“ Ultimately , Ms. Kious authorized Mr. DeNardo to proceed with Speaker Pelosi ’ s appointment.
” A mask-less Pelosi was caught on video leaked to Fox News flouting coronavirus rules at the salon , which is barred from allowing customers indoors as per San Francisco regulations .
The California congresswoman , 80 , has refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up ” by Kious — who denied the accusation Wednesday night .
DeNardo , who ’ s worked at eSalon for six years , also claimed Kious has been operating her business illegally during the pandemic since at least April .
He said the owner can be seen in pictures and on video doing clients ’ hair , “ ignoring social distancing guidelines , and not wearing protective equipment ( masks ) , as recently as a few days prior to Speaker Pelosi ’ s arrival at eSalon.
” “ What ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actively encouraging and almost forcing stylists who operate at eSalon to violate such orders for her own financial benefit in the form of receiving lease payments , ” DeNardo added .
He concluded , “ The fact that Ms. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi ’ s presence at eSalon , and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious ’ political leanings , it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations .
Mr. DeNardo ’ s name has now been dragged through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendations.
” In an interview Wednesday night , Kious — who says she rents out chairs to independent stylists — denied leaking the footage to the press over “ political ” reasons .
“ I just thought about my staff and people not being able to work and make money and provide for their families , and if she is in there comfortably without a mask and feeling safe , then why are we shut down ?
” Kious said .
“ Why am I not able to have clients come in ?
@

The stylist who did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hair says the appointment was, in fact, a setup by the San Francisco salon owner, given the woman’s “political leanings.”
Jonathan DeNardo released a lengthy statement defending Pelosi and claiming Erica Kious, who owns eSalon, authorized the Monday hair appointment in a phone call two days prior.
“Ms. Kious took special interest in the appointment during this telephone call, wherein she made several vitriolic and incendiary comments about Speaker Pelosi and her purported responsibility for temporarily suspending operations of Ms. Kious’ business, despite such orders actually being put into place not by Speaker Pelosi, but by Governor Gavin Newsome [sic] and San Francisco Mayor London Breed,” DeNardo said through his lawyer. “Ultimately, Ms. Kious authorized Mr. DeNardo to proceed with Speaker Pelosi’s appointment.”
A mask-less Pelosi was caught on video leaked to Fox News flouting coronavirus rules at the salon, which is barred from allowing customers indoors as per San Francisco regulations.
The California congresswoman, 80, has refused to apologize, claiming she was “set up” by Kious — who denied the accusation Wednesday night.
DeNardo, who’s worked at eSalon for six years, also claimed Kious has been operating her business illegally during the pandemic since at least April.
He said the owner can be seen in pictures and on video doing clients’ hair, “ignoring social distancing guidelines, and not wearing protective equipment (masks), as recently as a few days prior to Speaker Pelosi’s arrival at eSalon.”
“What’s more, Ms. Kious has also been actively encouraging and almost forcing stylists who operate at eSalon to violate such orders for her own financial benefit in the form of receiving lease payments,” DeNardo added.
He concluded, “The fact that Ms. Kious is now objecting to Speaker Pelosi’s presence at eSalon, and from a simple surface-level review of Ms. Kious’ political leanings, it appears Ms. Kious is furthering a set-up of Speaker Pelosi for her own vain aspirations. Mr. DeNardo’s name has now been dragged through the mud for simply following Ms. Kious’ recommendations.”
In an interview Wednesday night, Kious — who says she rents out chairs to independent stylists — denied leaking the footage to the press for “political” reasons.
“I just thought about my staff and people not being able to work and make money and provide for their families, and if she is in there comfortably without a mask and feeling safe, then why are we shut down?” Kious said. “Why am I not able to have clients come in?”
She added: “Since this has happened, I have received nothing but hate text messages, death threats, [saying that] they’re going to burn my hair salon down,” she said. “My Yelp page is just unbelievable with bad reviews.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Listen to Episode 33 of ‘Blue Rush’: The Fighting Joe Judges feat. Tracy Morgan

Joe Judge has the Giants getting down and dirty…literally .
He was rolling in the mud , getting the team fired up in training camp as they get ready for their Week 1 season opener against the Steelers .
To get into everything going on with Big Blue , we present to you Season 2 of the “ Blue Rush ” podcast .
This season , our own Paul Schwartz will be co-hosting the show with two-time Super Bowl champion Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes .
On the first episode of the new season of the podcast , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tremendous interview with Tracy Morgan .
Schwartz and Tynes open up the show reacting to GM Dave Gettleman ’ s comments on “ the fighting Joe Judges ” and what that means exactly .
Do the guys like Judge ’ s hard-nosed approach so far ?
Tynes talks about what him getting muddy means for the morale of the team and looks back at being coached by Tom Coughlin .
This can get the team and fans pumped up for the rookie head coach .
The guys then examine the Logan Ryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defense and the versatility he brings to the table .
Tynes then analyzes his fellow Scottish kicker , Graham Gano , and what he will bring to the Giants kicking game this year and potentially for years to come .
I jump in to wrap it up with the “ You Got Mail ” segment as I read Tynes some questions from Twitter , including his favorite Scottish whiskey and whether he is cool with being called “ Larry.
” Hint…he is not .
Tynes and I then have quite the conversation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tracy Morgan .
In a wide-ranging interview with plenty of laughs , Morgan gets into his Giants fandom , favorite players , watching Tynes kick them to two Super Bowls and his high expectations for Big Blue this season .
Morgan talks Saquon Barkley , Eli Manning ’ s legacy , Judge as a coach , the culture and ups and downs in his life .
The outspoken actor and comedian discusses working with his hero Eddie Murphy in the new movie “ Coming 2 America , ” his dad being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catch up on all episodes of “ Blue Rush , ” a New York Giants podcast , by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts .
The next episode of the show comes out next Wednesday , previewing the Giants season and Week 1 Monday night matchup against the Steelers .

Joe Judge has the Giants getting down and dirty…literally. He was rolling in the mud, getting the team fired up in training camp as they get ready for their Week 1 season opener against the Steelers. To get into everything going on with Big Blue, we present to you Season 2 of the “Blue Rush” podcast. This season, our own Paul Schwartz will be co-hosting the show with two-time Super Bowl champion Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes.
On the first episode of the new season of the podcast, there’s a lot to get into, plus a tremendous interview with Tracy Morgan. Schwartz and Tynes open up the show reacting to GM Dave Gettleman’s comments on “the fighting Joe Judges” and what that means exactly. Do the guys like Judge’s hard-nosed approach so far? Tynes talks about what him getting muddy means for the morale of the team and looks back at being coached by Tom Coughlin. This can get the team and fans pumped up for the rookie head coach. The guys then examine the Logan Ryan signing and how important it is for the defense and the versatility he brings to the table. Tynes then analyzes his fellow Scottish kicker, Graham Gano, and what he will bring to the Giants kicking game this year and potentially for years to come. I jump in to wrap it up with the “You Got Mail” segment as I read Tynes some questions from Twitter, including his favorite Scottish whiskey and whether he is cool with being called “Larry.” Hint…he is not.
SUBSCRIBE:
Tynes and I then have quite the conversation with die-hard Giants fan and legendary comedian, Tracy Morgan. In a wide-ranging interview with plenty of laughs, Morgan gets into his Giants fandom, favorite players, watching Tynes kick them to two Super Bowls and his high expectations for Big Blue this season. Morgan talks Saquon Barkley, Eli Manning’s legacy, Judge as a coach, the culture and ups and downs in his life. The outspoken actor and comedian discusses working with his hero Eddie Murphy in the new movie “Coming 2 America,” his dad being a mentor to him and much more.
Catch up on all episodes of “Blue Rush,” a New York Giants podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The next episode of the show comes out next Wednesday, previewing the Giants season and Week 1 Monday night matchup against the Steelers.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--McDonald’s accuses Australia’s Burger King of ripping off Big Mac

Australia ’ s Burger King franchise is selling a burger that looks suspiciously similar to the Big Mac — and McDonald ’ s isn ’ t lovin ’ it .
The fast-food giant has sued Aussie rival Hungry Jack ’ s for ripping off its signature sandwich with a new double-decker offering called the “ Big Jack , ” reports say .
In an Aug. 28 lawsuit , McDonald ’ s asked Australia ’ s federal court to cancel Hungry Jack ’ s trademark for the new burger over concerns that consumers might confuse the two , the Sydney Morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jack ’ s “ deliberately adopted or imitated ” the Big Mac ’ s “ distinctive appearance or build ” with the Big Jack , which the chain started selling in July , according to the paper .
The burgers have essentially identical ingredients : Two beef patties , lettuce , cheese , onions , pickles and “ special sauce ” served up on a sesame seed bun .
McDonald ’ s also accused Hungry Jack ’ s of registering the Big Jack trademark in November “ in bad faith ” and refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling the burger , according to The Guardian .
McDonald ’ s argues in the lawsuit that Hungry Jack ’ s customers “ would be deceived into thinking , or alternatively would be caused to wonder whether it might not be the case , ” that they were actually eating a product linked to McDonald ’ s , The Guardian reported .
The complaint also calls for damages and the destruction of all promotional materials for the Big Jack or the “ Mega Jack , ” a larger version of the sandwich , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning .
But the chain told Reuters that it could not comment on the case because it “ has not been served any formal documents from the court.
” McDonald ’ s also did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday .
Billionaire Jack Cowin started Hungry Jack ’ s in 1971 as the Australian franchise of Burger King .
The Florida-based fast-food chain uses a different name in Australia because its existing name had already been trademarked by @ @ @

Australia’s Burger King franchise is selling a burger that looks suspiciously similar to the Big Mac — and McDonald’s isn’t lovin’ it.
The fast-food giant has sued Aussie rival Hungry Jack’s for ripping off its signature sandwich with a new double-decker offering called the “Big Jack,” reports say.
In an Aug. 28 lawsuit, McDonald’s asked Australia’s federal court to cancel Hungry Jack’s trademark for the new burger over concerns that consumers might confuse the two, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The lawsuit claims Hungry Jack’s “deliberately adopted or imitated” the Big Mac’s “distinctive appearance or build” with the Big Jack, which the chain started selling in July, according to the paper. The burgers have essentially identical ingredients: Two beef patties, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickles and “special sauce” served up on a sesame seed bun.
McDonald’s also accused Hungry Jack’s of registering the Big Jack trademark in November “in bad faith” and refusing to heed demands that the chain stop selling the burger, according to The Guardian.
McDonald’s argues in the lawsuit that Hungry Jack’s customers “would be deceived into thinking, or alternatively would be caused to wonder whether it might not be the case,” that they were actually eating a product linked to McDonald’s, The Guardian reported.
The complaint also calls for damages and the destruction of all promotional materials for the Big Jack or the “Mega Jack,” a larger version of the sandwich, according to the outlet.
Hungry Jack’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning. But the chain told Reuters that it could not comment on the case because it “has not been served any formal documents from the court.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson confirmed the company filed the lawsuit but declined to comment further.
Billionaire Jack Cowin started Hungry Jack’s in 1971 as the Australian franchise of Burger King. The Florida-based fast-food chain uses a different name in Australia because its existing name had already been trademarked by another business.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Why Marie Osmond is quitting the ‘The Talk’ after one season

Marie Osmond is leaving “ The Talk ” after one season as a co-host of the CBS daytime talk show .
She is currently working on other projects , including a new show with ViacomCBS .
“ Marie is a consummate professional , and we thank her for sharing her personal experiences , insight , as well as incredible talents , with our audience , ” CBS said in a statement to Deadline .
“ We will miss her humor , kindness and good nature , and wish her much success in her future endeavors.
” Osmond ’ s departure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrapping up its summer hiatus ahead of the Season 11 start of production later this month .
Also during the break , “ The Talk ’ s ” longtime executive producer and showrunner John Redmann left after 10 seasons .
A replacement for Redmann is expected to be announced ahead of the show ’ s return to production .
The exit from “ The Talk ” also coincides with a life milestone for Osmond , 60 , and her family .
“ One of the highlights of my year at ‘ The Talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Redmann , and I ’ m excited to continue our working relationship on several projects we are developing .
Also , my husband and I just dropped our last two kids off at college , we looked at each other , laughed and remembered we hadn ’ t been this alone together since 1982 !
!
So , at this stage of my life , I ’ m looking forward to spending more time with him and visiting all the kids/grandkids.
” Osmond took the seat left vacant by the exit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the daytime talker ’ s 10th season in September 2019 , joining panelists Eve , Carrie Ann Inaba , Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood .
She was no stranger to the show , having guest hosted more than 40 times over the years .
Following Osmond ’ s departure , “ The Talk ” is expected to start the new season with the remaining panelists until a new co-host is named .
Osmond just completed a starring role in Lifetime ’ s holiday movie “ The Christmas Edition , ” and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-starred in the 2019 Lifetime holiday film “ The Road Home for Christmas .
”

Marie Osmond is leaving “The Talk” after one season as a co-host of the seven-time Emmy-winning CBS daytime talk show. She is currently working on other projects, including a new show with ViacomCBS.
“Marie is a consummate professional, and we thank her for sharing her personal experiences, insight, as well as incredible talents, with our audience,” CBS said in a statement to Deadline. “We will miss her humor, kindness and good nature, and wish her much success in her future endeavors.”
Osmond’s departure comes as “The Talk” — which one best daytime talk show in 2018 and took home the 2020 Emmy for “outstanding makeup” — is wrapping up its summer hiatus ahead of the Season 11 start of production later this month. Also during the break, longtime “The Talk” executive producer and showrunner John Redmann left after 10 seasons. A replacement for Redmann is expected to be announced ahead of the show’s return to production.
The exit from “The Talk” also coincides with a life milestone for Osmond, 60, and her family.
“One of the highlights of my year at ‘The Talk’ was working with my dear friend John Redmann, and I’m excited to continue our working relationship on several projects we are developing. Also, my husband and I just dropped our last two kids off at college, we looked at each other, laughed and remembered we hadn’t been this alone together since 1982!! So, at this stage of my life, I’m looking forward to spending more time with him and visiting all the kids/grandkids.”
Osmond took the seat left vacant by the exit of “The Talk” creator Sara Gilbert for the daytime talker’s 10th season in September 2019, joining panelists Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba, Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood. She was no stranger to the show, having guest hosted more than 40 times over the years.
Following Osmond’s departure, “The Talk” is expected to start the new season with the remaining panelists until a new co-host is named.
Osmond just completed a starring role in Lifetime’s holiday movie “The Christmas Edition,” and has two more in development. She also co-starred in the 2019 Lifetime holiday film “The Road Home for Christmas.”


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Trump and Biden to both attend Shanksville, PA memorial on 9/11

President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will both pay their respects at the site of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville , Pennsylvania on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks , the two announced Wednesday .
The memorial is located at the site of the attack , where one of the four hijacked planes crashed into a field on that fateful day in 2001 .
Located in rural Pennsylvania , the memorial was built at the site of the crash , which killed all 40 people on board .
Three other planes hijacked that day were crashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC .
Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks .
The annual event held there is co-hosted by the National Park Service , which is planning an abbreviated ceremony in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
A White House spokesman said the commander-in-chief and First Lady Melania Trump would visit the site “ to honor and remember the lives lost ” on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
The president is expected to speak during the memorial ceremony , though it is unclear if his 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if their same-day visits will overlap at all .
The White House nor the Biden campaign could immediately be reached for further comment on their potentially overlapping visits .
Meanwhile , Vice President Pence and his wife Karen will attend memorial ceremonies in New York to mark the anniversary next Friday .

President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will both pay their respects at the site of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the two announced Wednesday.
The memorial is located at the site of the attack, where one of the four hijacked planes crashed into a field on that fateful day in 2001.
Located in rural Pennsylvania, the memorial was built at the site of the crash, which killed all 40 people on board.
Three other planes hijacked that day were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.
The annual event held there is co-hosted by the National Park Service, which is planning an abbreviated ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A White House spokesman said the commander-in-chief and first lady Melania Trump would visit the site “to honor and remember the lives lost” on Sept. 11, 2001.
The president is expected to speak during the memorial ceremony, though it is unclear if his 2020 rival will be seated nearby watching or if their same-day visits will overlap at all.
Neither the White House nor the Biden campaign could immediately be reached for further comment on their potentially overlapping visits.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will attend memorial ceremonies in New York to mark the anniversary next Friday.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Florida man arrested over cop attack near Sen. Rand Paul in DC

The Antifa security guard allegedly being probed in the deadly ...

A Florida man who was “in the vicinity” of Sen. Rand Paul after the Republican National Convention has been charged with assault for allegedly attacking a DC police officer, according to a report.
Brennen Sermon, 27, of Orlando was arraigned in DC Superior Court on one count of assault on a law enforcement officer, according to Fox 5 DC.
The cop was holding a police line at 14th and F Street NW about 12:30 a.m. Aug. 28 when the suspect allegedly kicked his bicycle and fled.
When the officer caught up with Sermon, he allegedly punched him in the face, requiring stitches, according to the report.
The Republican senator from Kentucky said he feared for his life when a mob of Black Lives Matter protesters surrounded him in the nation’s capital after President Trump’s convention speech.
The protesters could be heard shouting, “No justice, no peace” and “Say her name,” referring to Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical tech who was shot in March when cops burst into her Louisville apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics probe.
The protesters were apparently ignorant of the fact that their target was the very lawmaker who was responsible for introducing the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act” in June, prohibiting no-knock warrants like the one in her killing.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Sen. Rand Paul is escorted by police after attending President Trump's RNC acceptance speech at the White House last month. Yuki Iwamura/AP Sen. Rand Paul is escorted by police after attending President Trump's RNC acceptance speech at the White House last month. Leah Millis/Reuters Advertisement Sen. Rand Paul is escorted by police after attending President Trump's RNC acceptance speech at the White House last month. Yuki Iwamura/AP Advertisement
If convicted, Sermon could face up to 180 days in prison for each count. He also could face a fine of $1,000.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Listen to Episode 24 of ‘Amazin’ But True’: Rest In Peace, Tom Seaver

When you think of the New York Mets , the first player you think of is Tom Seaver .
For a long time , Seaver was the only Mets Hall of Famer .
He is the greatest player in Mets history .
He ’ s one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball .
On Wednesday night , we learned of Seaver ’ s tragic passing .
Boy , did it hurt .
While I was not alive to see him pitch , I studied Mets history as a kid and the 1969 team was one I always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to sports card and memorabilia shows in my teenage years to meet as many of the members of that team as I can and have them sign a big picture I had of the final out being caught in the 1969 World Series .
I ’ ll always remember shaking when I had the chance to meet Seaver at one of those shows and had him sign a ball for me .
There he was — Tom freaking Seaver .
The heart and soul of the franchise I love .
Losing Seaver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , older fans who watched him pitch and for the Mets franchise .
On the latest episode of the “ Amazin ’ But True ” podcast , me and Nelson Figueroa honored Seaver ’ s life and legacy .
This was an emotional show for both us and our guests .
We had the pleasure to hear from his Mets teammates Ed Kranepool , Art Shamsky and Ron Swoboda .
Mets radio voice and his former TV broadcast partner Howie Rose also joined us .
We spoke with The Post ’ s Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his childhood hero .
My father also joined us to talk about hearing the cheers of Shea Stadium from his window and his memories watching Seaver return to Shea and Citi Field with me .
I open up the podcast giving my tribute to Seaver and what he meant to me as a young fan .
I knew the impact that he had on this franchise and what changed because of him .
He was a staple of the 1969 Miracle Mets and the 1973 Mets that won the National League pennant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was , his ability to throw so many complete games and he talks about being on the 2008 Mets and seeing him for the final time in that last game at Shea .
Our first guest was Kranepool , the lifelong Met who played with Seaver from 1967-1977 .
Kranepool spoke about how much they will miss him , the presence he was on the mound and how he was a class act .
We ’ re then joined by Rose , the longtime Mets radio voice and Seaver ’ s TV broadcast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s numb and had no idea this was coming , how Seaver made everyone around him better , cherishing working with him on TV and how much joy he gave him as a fan growing up .
Shamsky , another one of Seaver ’ s teammates from the 1969 Mets , then chats with us .
Shamsky discusses Seaver being an icon in New York sports history , cherishing getting to see him in 2017 and how good a pitcher he was fielding for him and going up against him .
Swoboda then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how terrific Tom was .
Swoboda spoke about Seaver conducting himself as a gentleman , the story of his reaction when he lost a perfect game against the Cubs and the most fascinating time spent with him in 2017 when they walked around his California property .
Vaccaro then drops by to share memories of his childhood hero .
Vac said you only get one shot to have your first hero and he sure got it right .
He talks about Seaver and comparisons to Jacob deGrom .
We wrap up the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in College Point as a kid and spoke about hearing the cheers from his window growing up .
He talks about just how great a pitcher he was and memories meeting him with me and us seeing him get honored at Shea and Citi Field together and how special it was .
Catch up on all episodes of “ Amazin ’ But True , ” a New York Mets podcast , by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts .
Follow Jake Brown on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FiggieNY .
The next episode of the show drops Monday .

When you think of the New York Mets, the first player you think of is Tom Seaver.
“The Franchise.”
“Tom Terrific.”
For a long time, Seaver was the only Mets Hall of Famer. He is the greatest player in Mets history. He’s one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. On Wednesday night, we learned of Seaver’s tragic passing. Boy, did it hurt. While I was not alive to see him pitch, I studied Mets history as a kid and the 1969 team was one I always had an affinity for.
I would go to sports card and memorabilia shows in my teenage years to meet as many of the members of that team as I can and have them sign a big picture I had of the final out being caught in the 1969 World Series. I’ll always remember shaking when I had the chance to meet Seaver at one of those shows and had him sign a ball for me. There he was — Tom freaking Seaver. The heart and soul of the franchise I love. Losing Seaver is such a tough blow for me, older fans who watched him pitch and for the Mets franchise. On the latest episode of the “Amazin’ But True” podcast, me and Nelson Figueroa honored Seaver’s life and legacy. This was an emotional show for both us and our guests. We had the pleasure to hear from his Mets teammates Ed Kranepool, Art Shamsky and Ron Swoboda. Mets radio voice and his former TV broadcast partner Howie Rose also joined us. We spoke with The Post’s Mike Vaccaro, who talked about Seaver being his childhood hero. My father also joined us to talk about hearing the cheers of Shea Stadium from his window and his memories watching Seaver return to Shea and Citi Field with me.
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I open up the podcast giving my tribute to Seaver and what he meant to me as a young fan. I knew the impact that he had on this franchise and what changed because of him. He was a staple of the 1969 Miracle Mets and the 1973 Mets that won the National League pennant. Figgie gets into just how dominant Seaver was, his ability to throw so many complete games and he talks about being on the 2008 Mets and seeing him for the final time in that last game at Shea.
Our first guest was Kranepool, the lifelong Met who played with Seaver from 1967-1977. Kranepool spoke about how much they will miss him, the presence he was on the mound and how he was a class act.
We’re then joined by Rose, the longtime Mets radio voice and Seaver’s TV broadcast teammate. Rose explains how he’s numb and had no idea this was coming, how Seaver made everyone around him better, cherishing working with him on TV and how much joy he gave him as a fan growing up.
Shamsky, another one of Seaver’s teammates from the 1969 Mets, then chats with us. Shamsky discusses Seaver being an icon in New York sports history, cherishing getting to see him in 2017 and how good a pitcher he was fielding for him and going up against him.
Swoboda then joins us to shine some light on how terrific Tom was. Swoboda spoke about Seaver conducting himself as a gentleman, the story of his reaction when he lost a perfect game against the Cubs and the most fascinating time spent with him in 2017 when they walked around his California property.
Vaccaro then drops by to share memories of his childhood hero. Vac said you only get one shot to have your first hero and he sure got it right. He talks about Seaver and comparisons to Jacob deGrom.
We wrap up the show talking to my dad. He lived in College Point as a kid and spoke about hearing the cheers from his window growing up. He talks about just how great a pitcher he was and memories meeting him with me and us seeing him get honored at Shea and Citi Field together and how special it was.
Catch up on all episodes of “Amazin’ But True,” a New York Mets podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Jake Brown on Twitter and Instagram @JakeBrownRadio and Nelson Figueroa @FiggieNY. The next episode of the show drops Monday.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Sister of Antifa member probed in deadly Portland shooting describes estranged man

The Antifa security guard allegedly being probed in the deadly shooting of a President Trump supporter in Portland was abusive to his mother and leeched off the family , the man ’ s sister said in an interview — adding that she has received death threats .
April Reinoehl , 36 , who identified Michael Forest Reinoehl to police after the shooting , told the Daily Mail at her Oregon home that her brother had been estranged from the family for three years after verbally abusing their dementia-stricken mother , a retired teaching assistant .
Police sources have said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 % Antifa ” — is being investigated for Saturday ’ s fatal shooting of Aaron “ Jay ” Danielson , 39 , a man who had just been part of a caravan of cars supporting Trump .
His sister told the news outlet that she received death threats and dozens of threatening phone calls and messages the day after the shooting — some from members of the right-wing group Patriot Player that Danielson had joined for a protest .
“ At 7:50 a.m .
I got woken up by a phone call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mom , ” April told the Daily Mail .
“ They named our address and said , ‘ Your brother is a murderer and we know you ’ re hiding him .
If you don ’ t turn him over to the police bad things will happen .
Your whole family is in danger . '
” She added : “ My mom has dementia and stress-induced seizures .
This could have literally killed her if they had found her .
When I tried to reason with them they kept shouting , screaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on them.
” The distraught sister said the threats kept pouring in as the family , including her husband , was contacted on social media .
“ One message said , ‘ Patriot Prayer says hello , ’ with a picture of me sent to my husband .
It was very threatening , ” April said .
Reinoehl had been in a “ downward spiral ” and racking up debts for several years after he stopped earning money from his professional snowboarding career , April told the outlet .
“ He was this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our lives , usually demanding money from our mom , and if she didn ’ t have it he ’ d guilt her until she did — not that she had money to give , ” she said .
“ We were a poor family growing up , but she always gave to him.
” April said her brother never even paid her back after she lent him her grandmother ’ s inheritance money when she was 12 .
“ I eventually gave up trying because I saw this pattern that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants something from us — either , ‘ Watch my kids for free , ’ ‘ give me money , ’ or telling us he should inherit the family property .
“ He said .
‘ I ’ ll look after the property and take care of mom , you should leave , ’ ” she continued .
“ This is the same guy who only ever talks to her when he wants something from her , makes her cry if she can ’ t give it to him by guilting her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abusive tactic he could think of , that ’ s what he would do with her.
” April also described how her brother ’ s marriage ended in a “ gruesome ” divorce that upended his kids ’ lives .
“ His relationship with his wife took a swan dive .
There was a massive , brutal custody battle between the two of them .
Every kind of nastiness that could happen between both sides , did , ” she told the Daily Mail , adding that he shares custody of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 17-year-old son were charged with DUIs after allegedly racing on a highway at high speeds , she said .
In 2017 , the family found out Reinoehl had been stealing their mother ’ s medication , April said .
“ The only reason I hadn ’ t written him off more than three years ago is because I knew it would break her heart to know her children were that estranged , ” she said .
“ His behavior became even more verbally violent when he found out he wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that she had never known her brother to be physically violent , and did not know if he owned a handgun .
April told the outlet that she told police she recognized her brother from the distinctive tattoo on his neck .
“ It ’ s been confirmed that he did get that ridiculous tattoo .
Does he have any brain cells at all ?
That ’ s such an easily identifiable thing .
How are you going to say , ‘ It ’ s not me in those pictures ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family of Aaron Danielson , I am so , so sorry this happened to you .
He didn ’ t deserve this , nobody does , ” April said .

The Antifa security guard allegedly being probed in the deadly shooting of a President Trump supporter in Portland was abusive to his mother and leeched off the family, the man’s sister said in an interview — adding that she has received death threats.
April Reinoehl, 36, who identified Michael Forest Reinoehl to police after the shooting, told the Daily Mail at her Oregon home that her brother had been estranged from the family for three years after verbally abusing their dementia-stricken mother, a retired teaching assistant.
Police sources have said that Reinoehl — who proudly calls himself “100% Antifa” — is being investigated for Saturday’s fatal shooting of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, 39, a man who had just been part of a caravan of cars supporting Trump.
His sister told the news outlet that she received death threats and dozens of threatening phone calls and messages the day after the shooting — some from members of the right-wing group Patriot Player that Danielson had joined for a protest.
“At 7:50 a.m. I got woken up by a phone call from somebody who thought I was my mom,” April told the Daily Mail. “They named our address and said, ‘Your brother is a murderer and we know you’re hiding him. If you don’t turn him over to the police bad things will happen. Your whole family is in danger.'”
She added: “My mom has dementia and stress-induced seizures. This could have literally killed her if they had found her. When I tried to reason with them they kept shouting, screaming the same thing until I hung up on them.”
The distraught sister said the threats kept pouring in as the family, including her husband, was contacted on social media.
“One message said, ‘Patriot Prayer says hello,’ with a picture of me sent to my husband. It was very threatening,” April said.
Reinoehl had been in a “downward spiral” and racking up debts for several years after he stopped earning money from his professional snowboarding career, April told the outlet.
“He was this nebulous figure who popped in and out of our lives, usually demanding money from our mom, and if she didn’t have it he’d guilt her until she did — not that she had money to give,” she said. “We were a poor family growing up, but she always gave to him.”
April said her brother never even paid her back after she lent him her grandmother’s inheritance money when she was 12.
“I eventually gave up trying because I saw this pattern that he only reaches out to us when he wants something from us — either, ‘Watch my kids for free,’ ‘give me money,’ or telling us he should inherit the family property.
“He said. ‘I’ll look after the property and take care of mom, you should leave,’” she continued. “This is the same guy who only ever talks to her when he wants something from her, makes her cry if she can’t give it to him by guilting her, shaming her. Every kind of bullying and abusive tactic he could think of, that’s what he would do with her.”
April also described how her brother’s marriage ended in a “gruesome” divorce that upended his kids’ lives.
“His relationship with his wife took a swan dive. There was a massive, brutal custody battle between the two of them. Every kind of nastiness that could happen between both sides, did,” she told the Daily Mail, adding that he shares custody of his children.
In June, he and his 17-year-old son were charged with DUIs after allegedly racing on a highway at high speeds, she said.
In 2017, the family found out Reinoehl had been stealing their mother’s medication, April said.
“The only reason I hadn’t written him off more than three years ago is because I knew it would break her heart to know her children were that estranged,” she said. “His behavior became even more verbally violent when he found out he wasn’t getting any more from mom.”
She added that she had never known her brother to be physically violent, and did not know if he owned a handgun.
April told the outlet that she told police she recognized her brother from the distinctive tattoo on his neck.
“It’s been confirmed that he did get that ridiculous tattoo. Does he have any brain cells at all? That’s such an easily identifiable thing. How are you going to say, ‘It’s not me in those pictures?’” she said.
“To the family of Aaron Danielson, I am so, so sorry this happened to you. He didn’t deserve this, nobody does,” April said.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Twins eat spicy chips for the first time: ‘My mouth is hot’

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These kids tried spicy chips — to flamin’-hot results. See how the adorable twin toddlers in Baltimore, Maryland, react to mistakenly eating Utz Red Hot Potato Chips. Their dad, Jarron Hurtt, couldn’t believe his eyes when he found his sons devouring a bag of the spicy snack.
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newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Michael Conforto expectations too high because of game like this

BALTIMORE — Through the thick Maryland humidity , signs of life ...

This, in some ways, is the problem, if you can really call it a problem. There are these games, like this game, when Michael Conforto can make you believe he is one of the top two or three hitters in baseball. The power. The willingness — the skill — to go the other way.
And man, oh man. That swing.
“That swing,” Terry Collins had said, five years ago, when Conforto first showed up at Citi Field, “is a thing of beauty.”
And there are days when that swing allows you to get a little carried away. Days like this. Days when he goes 4-for-5 and he drives in five runs, when he hits one home run the other way and nearly hits two more to dead-center and to right. Days when that swing is so hypnotizing, so mesmerizing, so breathtaking.
The problem — if you can really call it a problem — isn’t with Conforto. It’s with those of us who see that swing and forecast him to be something he might never be. He has, at various times in his five years with the Mets, been projected a batting champion in waiting, an MVP in waiting, a top-10 MLB player in waiting.
And if that’s the standard … well, you’re still waiting. He’s hitting .331 for the season after just about single-handedly ending the Mets’ five-game losing streak, doing his part to hammer the Orioles at Camden Yards, 9-4. But he’s never hit higher than .279 in the big leagues. He’s never received even one MVP vote. He’s made one All-Star team.
If your expectation for Conforto was somewhere near the intersection of Mike Trout Boulevard and Mookie Betts Way … well, he has fallen short of that.
“I’ve always felt like I’m a guy who could spray the ball around and be a tougher out,” Conforto said. “In this game you have to stay hungry, have to stay humble have to keep working and try to get better every day.”
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I have been one of those who’ve judged Conforto, throughout his career, by those impossibly high standards and, truthfully, that’s never fair for any player.)
But here’s the thing: It is OK to not be what Reggie Jackson used to playfully call himself, a “super-duper-star.” It is OK to be a very good player, to have a lifetime OPS+ of 127, to have gotten better every year and to have, at age 27, the best years of your career still sitting ahead of you, waiting for you.
It’s OK to be very good. And no sin to not be Mike Trout.
“He doesn’t swing at a lot of [bad pitches] and his bat is in the zone for a long time,” said Michael Wacha, who started Wednesday’s game for the Mets and has faced him plenty as an opponent. “You have to make your pitch but even then he has a chance to get good wood on it. He’s just a tough out.”
It is why one of the first things the Steve Cohen Administration should do when it moves into the corporate offices on Tom Seaver Way is to try and lock Conforto up to an extension. Make him a Met into his 30s.
This will in no way be easy. Conforto’s agent is Scott Boras, and it is his way to encourage his clients to test free agency, especially when they are but a year away, as Conforto will soon be. There’s no reason to believe he’d make an exception here.
Still, Conforto is exactly the kind of player about whom Mets fans have always most fretted under the Wilpon/Katz stewardship, homegrown players who aren’t taken care of, who aren’t paid, wind up elsewhere. Think Daniel Murphy. Think Zack Wheeler. Think Jose Reyes.
The reason Mets fans have fallen over themselves embracing Cohen is because of his deep-deep pockets and the presumption he will not let a player he wants slip away — whether that’s a free agent or a player on his team. And since we know Cohen is a Mets fan, we might also assume that his feelings for Conforto are similar to most of the flock.
So even if Conforto does opt to test the market, it is a good bet Cohen will make and meet that market if he wants Conforto to stay. The new owner’s arrival removes a reliable source of anxiety from ever-anxious Mets fans, and this is just one reason why.
So they can simply enjoy watching a player getting better and better. That’s a lot more fun than worrying about what he’ll look like in a Braves uniform.
“His swing is so effective,” said Luis Rojas, another manager who sees what we all see, who sees that swing and swoons, who sees that swing and wonders just what might be. Which is fine. But so is what it already is. It is wise to remember that now.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Yankees-Rays game delayed by a drone over stadium

Gleyber Torres believes he can come off the injured list ...

In what might be a MLB first the Rays-Yankees game was delayed for five minutes in the home first because of a drone moving over the Stadium.
With Charlie Morton facing Luke Voit and the count, 1-1, the Rays players started moving off the field as they looked and pointed to the sky. When play resumed Voit hit Morton’s first pitch on the ground to third for the inning’s second out.
Brett Gardner is in a deep hitting funk but his numbers against Morton were too good to keep the left-handed hitter out of Wednesday night’s lineup in the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Rays.
Gardner took a .381 (8-for-21) average into the game against the right-handed Morton who missed the previous 3½ weeks due to a shoulder issue. Gardner also had three homers off Morton. The three homers are tied for the most home runs Morton has allowed to a single batter (also Jay Bruce, Starlin Castro and Mitch Moreland).
Befitting of his troubles at the plate all season Gardner struck out on a 1-2 pitch in the only at-bat Wednesday against Morton.
Morton, who was activated from the IL (right shoulder problem) on Wednesday, made his first since facing the Yankees on Aug. 9 in St. Petersburg when he left after two innings.
Even though the umpires didn’t deliver pregame warnings to either team, crew chief Chad Fairchild ejected Yankees reliever Ben Heller in the fifth inning after he hit Hunter Renfroe with a pitch. After Aroldis Chapman buzzed Mike Brosseau’s head with a triple-digit fastball Tuesday night the umpires were on high alert.
“Obviously we aren’t trying to hit anybody. Our starter came out of the game early,’’ bench coach Carlos Mendoza, who was filling in for Aaron Boone who served his one-game suspension. “No way we were trying to hit people there.’’
Mendoza was alluding to starter Jordan Montgomery not getting out of the first inning.
Boone was spotted during the game sitting alone in a suite seat.
Boone wasn’t ready to name his starting pitchers for Friday’s doubleheader in Baltimore but count on Deivi Garcia starting one of the two games.
“Deivi most likely will be one of them,’’ Boone said.
Garcia impressed in his major league debut Sunday against the Mets when he allowed an unearned run and four hits in six innings of a 5-2 Yankees victory.
Boone has 223 wins as the Yankees’ manager. That is one shy of Lou Piniella’s 224 which was good for 10th place on the Yankees’ all-time list.


newyorkpost--2020-09-03--Mets legend Tom Seaver’s life and career: The great moments

This one ’ s personal .
This one ’ s different .
You get one first-ever ...

Legendary Met and Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver died Monday at the age of 75, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday night.
A look back at the memorable career and life of “Tom Terrific”:
Nov. 17, 1944: Born in Fresno, Calif.
1965: As a sophomore at USC, Seaver goes 10-2 and is drafted in the 10th round by the Dodgers. But the two sides can’t come to an agreement and he returns to school.
April 3, 1966: The Mets win the rights to Seaver courtesy of a special drawing that also includes the Indians and Phillies after commissioner William Eckert rules the Braves’ Richmond minor league team had illegally given him a $40,000 signing bonus. It was ruled improper because USC’s season had already begun and rules stated a player couldn’t be signed during the school season.
1967: Seaver takes the National League by storm, winning the Rookie of the Year after going 16-13 with a 2.76 ERA.
Previous 1 of 13 Next Advertisement Tom Seaver pitches for the Mets during the 1968 season. JACOBELLIS New York Post Tom Seaver pitching in 1969 New York Post Advertisement Tom Seaver talks to reporters in the locker room after a one-hitter game against the Chicago Cubs in New York City, July 9, 1969. AP Photo Gil Hodges, Maury Allen, Casey Stengel and Tom Seaver in 1970 Richard Gummere/NY Post Woodhaven residents John Ameranti, Jim Jaeger and Joe Riley make obvious their sentiments about Tom Seaver's departure at Shea Stadium on June 17, 1977. William N. Jacobellis/New York Post Advertisement The front page of The Post on June 16, 1977 New York Post Tom Seaver throws the last pitch to catcher Mike Piazza at the end of the ceremony closing Shea Stadium on Sept. 28, 2008. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Mets All-Star David Wright greets Mets legend Tom Seaver after he throws out the first pitch during the All-Star baseball game at Citi Field on July 16, 2013. Paul J. Bereswill Advertisement Tom Seaver's children Sarah and Anne hold a street sign with their father's name as the New York Mets honor their father by renaming the address of Citi Field as 41 Seaver Way on June 27, 2019. Anthony J. Causi Advertisement
1969: Seaver wins the first of his three Cy Young awards, notching a 25-7 record, 2.21 ERA, five shutouts and 208 strikeouts, and helping the Mets win their first of two World Series crowns.
1973: Seaver wins his second Cy Young after producing a 2.08 ERA and 251 strikeouts, helping the Mets reach the World Series, where they lose in seven games to the Athletics.
June 15, 1977: The Mets trade Seaver to the Reds for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman, after he clashed with M. Donald Grant, the team’s chairman of the board, over his contract. Grant becomes a villain among Mets fans, and the controversial move is dubbed the “Midnight Massacre.”
June 16, 1978: After throwing four one-hitters with the Mets, Seaver twirls a no-hitter for the Reds in a 4-0 victory over the Cardinals.
Dec. 16, 1982: Seaver returns to the Mets, dealt by the Reds in exchange for Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon and Jason Felice. He pitches the Mets to an Opening Day shutout of the Phillies that season, taking the ball for his team’s opener for the 14th time in his career.
Jan. 20, 1984: The White Sox claim Seaver from the Mets in a free-agent compensation draft. Not expecting a high-priced, 39-year-old pitcher to get selected, the Mets leave him unprotected.
Aug. 4, 1985: Seaver wins his 300th game in New York as a member of the White Sox, beating the Yankees, 4-1, in a complete-game performance.
June 29, 1986: Seaver is moved again, this time by the White Sox to the Red Sox for Steve Lyons. Ironically, he is in the visiting dugout at Shea Stadium when the Mets win the World Series in October that year.
June 6, 1987: Seaver rejoins the Mets, who are in need of pitching help.
June 22, 1987: After 20 years in the game, Seaver announces his retirement. “There were no more pitches in this 42-year-old arm that were competitive. I’ve used them all up,” he says.
Jan. 1992: Seaver is elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 98.84 percent of the vote, which is at the time a record for an inductee. He is named on 425 out of 430 ballots.
July 16, 2013: The All-Star Game is played at Citi Field and Seaver throws out the ceremonial first pitch to David Wright.
March 7, 2019: Seaver’s family announces he has been diagnosed with dementia and will not be making any more public appearances.
June 27, 2019: The Mets change the address of Citi Field to 41 Tom Seaver Way, and during the ceremony, COO Jeff Wilpon says the team has commissioned a statue of Seaver to be built outside the main entrance to the ballpark.
Aug. 31 2020: Seaver dies at the age of 75..