newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Two dead, three wounded in NYC shootings overnight

Four shootings in Brooklyn and the Bronx left two men dead and three others injured during a bloody Saturday night , police said .
Police responded to a building on East 17th Street near Newkirk Avenue around 7:30 p.m. in Midwood , Brooklyn , and found 62-year-old Daniel Romulus dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in his apartment , cops said .
He was rushed to King County Hospital where he was pronounced dead .
Almost three hours earlier , a 32-year-old woman was shot in her right cheek near a staircase in an apartment building on Ocean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midwood .
Police say it ’ s unknown if she was an intended target .
The woman was also taken to Kings County Hospital and is in stable condition .
In the Bronx , a 20-year-old man was shot in the back of the head on East 183 Street near Webster Avenue in Fordham Heights shortly before 9:30 p.m .
He was pronounced dead at the scene , according to cops .
Another shooting in the Bronx occurred around 6 p.m. when two men , 30 and 40 , were each struck in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White Plains Road in Allerton .
Cops say it ’ s unknown if the shots came from a gray Sedan passing by .
Both men were taken to Jacobi Medical Center and are expected to survive .
No arrests have been made in any of the shootings .
Police were still investigating Sunday morning .

Four shootings in Brooklyn and the Bronx left two men dead and three others injured during a bloody Saturday night, police said.
Police responded to a building on East 17th Street near Newkirk Avenue around 7:30 p.m. in Midwood, Brooklyn, and found 62-year-old Daniel Romulus dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in his apartment, cops said.
He was rushed to King County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Almost three hours earlier, a 32-year-old woman was shot in her right cheek near a staircase in an apartment building on Ocean Avenue near Glenwood Road — also in Midwood.
Police say it’s unknown if she was an intended target. The woman was also taken to Kings County Hospital and is in stable condition.
In the Bronx, a 20-year-old man was shot in the back of the head on East 183 Street near Webster Avenue in Fordham Heights shortly before 9:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to cops.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Police at the scene where a person was fatally shot on the basketball court in the rear of 365 E183rd Street in the Bronx, NY. Christopher Sadowski Police at the scene where a person was fatally shot on the basketball court in the rear of 365 E183rd Street in the Bronx, NY. Christopher Sadowski Advertisement Police at the scene where a person was fatally shot on the basketball court in the rear of 365 E183rd Street in the Bronx, NY. Christopher Sadowski Advertisement
Another shooting in the Bronx occurred around 6 p.m. when two men, 30 and 40, were each struck in their right legs on Britton Street and White Plains Road in Allerton. Cops say it’s unknown if the shots came from a gray Sedan passing by.
Both men were taken to Jacobi Medical Center and are expected to survive.
No arrests have been made in any of the shootings. Police were still investigating Sunday morning.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--No Knicks boos makes for sobering night at Garden

If a basketball team falls in the Garden and no ...

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson intercepted a pass at the foul line intended for Joel Embiid, sprinted downcourt and slammed it down with ferocity. It completed a 9-0 run midway through the second quarter and put the Knicks up by five points against the 76ers.
The fake Garden crowd went wild. The real crowd? There wasn’t one.
And in the end, when the Sixers had finished their expected butt-kicking of the Knicks, 109-89, maybe that was for the best — a day-after-Christmas blessing.
The errant-shooting Knicks — lowlighted by RJ Barrett’s 2-for-15 clunkfest — proved they can be as wretched without fans as with them. The Robinson steal-and-slam represented their last highlight of the evening.
It was a surreal night at the empty Garden, a home opener far from its normal sell-out of 19,812.
With fake noise pumped into an empty building, the pandemic hit home again as the Knicks’ first official Garden game since March 8 against the Pistons was contested sans the critical New York audience.
The first fan-less Garden game featured the first jersey malfunction. With the Knicks wearing new black city-edition jerseys, Reggie Bullock received a reject. The front of his jersey contained his correct number of “25.” The back read “23” — Robinson’s digits.
Tom Thibodeau coached his first home game as the Knicks coach in an empty Madison Square Garden. NBAE via Getty Images
Late in the first quarter, Bullock darted to the sidelines to retrieve a corrected, all-25 jersey.
Unfortunately, the Knicks didn’t correct enough of their other mistakes. Embiid owned the night with 27 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia. Stephen Curry’s brother, Seth Curry, proved the best shooter on the floor, making 6 of 8 shots for 17 points for the Sixers while the Knicks shot 38.6 percent.
This eerie Saturday night began 3 ½ hours before tip-off. Outside the Garden, there was construction on 33rd Street for the new glass Penn Station entranceway. There wasn’t a Knicks jersey in sight.
Inside, MSG Network’s Mike Breen and Walt Frazier, Knicks beat writers and one Philly scribe were funneled to the adjacent Garden theater for COVID-19 tests. The small media group was permitted to wait in the stands 45 minutes for results to come in.
Once in the main arena, the scene was hard on the eyes. All the seats behind the baseline have been removed. In their place, in each end zone, a promotional Lexus vehicle stands on a platform. The 100-level seats are covered in blue tarp.
There wasn’t a celebrity row, but a handful of chairs placed 10 feet behind the sideline, according to NBA rules. Knicks president Leon Rose, senior VP William Wesley, general manager Scott Perry and assistant GM Allan Houston occupied the seats.
Spike Lee wasn’t in attendance. Owner James Dolan wasn’t in his customary seat behind the baseline adjacent to the Knicks bench, but instead in a vacant area in the 100-level on the opposite side of the benches. The upper levels were a sea of vacant blue seats.
“Strange,’’ said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, who played for the Knicks from 1992-94. “It just really is. I played in the era of ‘Go New York,’ and the place was on fire. The city was electric. The Rangers were phenomenal as well, with Mark Messier. And we had Patrick Ewing. And it was just a great environment. And right now, going to the city, very few cars, very few people walking around, walking into the Garden with no sound.’’
According to a source, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, a native of New Britain, Conn., wanted to have a couple of family members on hand for his head-coaching home debut as a Knick. No dice.
“We certainly miss them,’’ Thibodeau said of the fans before tip-off. “We’re going to do the best we can until they can get back in the building.”
Before the contest, Barrett floated the idea a fan-less Garden could work in the Knicks’ favor. Not Saturday, and maybe not Sunday when the powerhouse Bucks arrive.
“Actually having no fans might be an advantage,’’ Barrett said. “I know if I was a competitor, coming into the Garden, with all those fans, I’d want to have a great game. So coming in there with no fans actually probably gives us an advantage that way too.”
Dolan’s absence by the bench will be interesting. The Post has learned Garden brass had talked internally a few years ago about whether Dolan sitting in his baseline seat was a distraction to the players. Dolan’s body language during losses has never been too good. But the concept of moving Dolan’s seat never gained traction.
Perhaps we will see the effect of a Dolan-free zone on another night. The Knicks started well, Julius Randle was red-hot for 18 first-half points. But Barrett, as hot as he was in the opener, was as frigid Saturday and point guard remains an issue. The Sixers ran off a 14-0 run late in the second quarter to gain a 56-47 lead, and they pounded the Knicks in the second half.
The only good news on a night the Knicks fell to 0-2? No boos.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--FBI probing if 5G paranoia was behind Nashville Christmas bombing

FBI agents working the Nashville Christmas bombing are asking around about whether Anthony Quinn Warner — a local computer expert named as a “ person of interest ” — was paranoid about 5G technology , according to a report .
Agents are probing if Warner , 63 , feared that 5G technology was being used to spy on Americans , a source close to the investigation told the NBC News affiliate in Nashville .
There have otherwise been no arrests or motive revealed in the bombing as of early Sunday .
In another wrinkle to the case , investigators are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 29-year-old Los Angeles brunette named Michelle Swing .
Warner signed the deed to his $ 160,000 suburban Nashville home over to Swing for free last month , according to county property records found by The Post .
Swing cited the ongoing FBI investigation in declining to speak to The Post about the gift on Saturday , but she told The Daily Mail the transfer happened “ without my knowledge.
” She declined to describe her relationship to Warner .
Later Saturday night , the Mail reported that property records show Warner had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman — again for no money .
That property was on the same street as the first , and was valued at $ 249,000 , the Mail reported .
Warner ’ s possible fears of 5G technology was also confirmed by a Nashville real estate agent who told NBC he ’ d called the FBI Saturday after seeing the person of interest ’ s name in the news .
The real estate agent , Steve Fridrich , reached out to investigators after realizing he ’ s hired a “ Tony Warner ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past several years — and as recently as this month .
The FBI agent he spoke to asked if Warner was paranoid about 5G technology , Fridrich told NBC .
Fridrich said he told the agents that Warner never mentioned being afraid of 5G .
“ Nice guy .
You know , he was a techie guy — don ’ t mean anything negative about that ” Fridrich told NBC .
“ He would do this thing and leave .
He didn ’ t bother anybody .
He did his thing and left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Warner helped him with an Internet issue , earlier this month , he spoke of his fondness for camping , Fridrich told the network .
The white recreational vehicle that Warner kept in the yard of his suburban Nashville home bears a striking resemblance to the explosives-loaded RV that blew up Christmas morning outside the downtown AT & T building .
There was no sign Saturday of Warner or his RV as investigators spent Saturday searching his property ; meanwhile , sources have told CNN and ABC News that investigators believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suicide bomber .
Human remains recovered at the bomb site are still being DNA-tested .
Agents intend to swab Warner ’ s mother to determine if he was a match , Newsweek reported .

FBI agents working the Nashville Christmas bombing are asking around about whether Anthony Quinn Warner — a local computer expert named as a “person of interest” — was paranoid about 5G technology, according to a report.
Agents are probing if Warner, 63, feared that 5G technology was being used to spy on Americans, a source close to the investigation told the NBC News affiliate in Nashville.
There have otherwise been no arrests or motive revealed in the bombing as of early Sunday.
In another wrinkle to the case, investigators are looking into Warner’s connection with a 29-year-old Los Angeles brunette named Michelle Swing.
Warner signed the deed to his $160,000 suburban Nashville home over to Swing for free last month, according to county property records found by The Post.
Swing cited the ongoing FBI investigation in declining to speak to The Post about the gift on Saturday, but she told The Daily Mail the transfer happened “without my knowledge.”
She declined to describe her relationship to Warner.
Later Saturday night, the Mail reported that property records show Warner had transferred yet another home to the mystery woman — again for no money.
That property was on the same street as the first, and was valued at $249,000, the Mail reported.
Warner’s possible fears of 5G technology was also confirmed by a Nashville real estate agent who told NBC he’d called the FBI Saturday after seeing the person of interest’s name in the news.
This image taken from surveillance video provided by police shows an RV that was involved in an explosion in Nashville yesterday. Metro Nashville PD via AP
The real estate agent, Steve Fridrich, reached out to investigators after realizing he’s hired a “Tony Warner” to do IT work for him for the past several years — and as recently as this month.
The FBI agent he spoke to asked if Warner was paranoid about 5G technology, Fridrich told NBC. Fridrich said he told the agents that Warner never mentioned being afraid of 5G.
“Nice guy. You know, he was a techie guy — don’t mean anything negative about that” Fridrich told NBC.
“He would do this thing and leave. He didn’t bother anybody. He did his thing and left,” Fridrich said.
The last time Warner helped him with an Internet issue, earlier this month, he spoke of his fondness for camping, Fridrich told the network.
The white recreational vehicle that Warner kept in the yard of his suburban Nashville home bears a striking resemblance to the explosives-loaded RV that blew up Christmas morning outside the downtown AT&T building.
There was no sign Saturday of Warner or his RV as investigators spent Saturday searching his property; meanwhile, sources have told CNN and ABC News that investigators believe the explosion may have been the work of a suicide bomber.
Human remains recovered at the bomb site are still being DNA-tested.
Agents intend to swab Warner’s mother to determine if he was a match, Newsweek reported.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Steelers could silence skeptics with win over Colts

The COVID-19 pandemic was headed toward its earliest and most ...

The Steelers, once 11-0 and the latest threat to the 1972 Dolphins’ perfect season, are now a threat to become the most disappointing one-and-done team in the playoffs after losing their past three games, the latest to what had been a two-win Bengals team.
So, a lot of eyes are on the 11-3 Steelers on Sunday as they play the 10-4 Colts in Pittsburgh in The Post’s Big Game this week.
A Steelers win would be an indication that perhaps they’re back to form. It, too, would provide some evidence they have a chance to go deeper into the postseason than one game, because the Colts are likely a playoff team as well.
The Colts enter this game on an opposite trajectory to that of the Steelers. They’re hot, having won three in a row and seven of their past nine games. They’re tied with the Titans atop the AFC South, though Tennessee holds the tiebreaker advantages over Indianapolis with two games left.
Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin Getty Images
The Colts are in control of their destiny for a wild-card playoff spot. But a stumble could be costly because they’ve lost to the Browns (10-4) and Ravens (9-5), two teams also in the hunt for a wild-card berth. So, the Colts could have tiebreaker issues with those two teams if it came to that.
If the Colts win their final two games — they finish with the lowly Jaguars — it’s possible they could finish 12-4 and not win the AFC South. Because if the Titans win out, they finish 12-4, too.
Conversely, the Colts could split their final two games and miss the playoffs if Baltimore wins out, Cleveland splits its final two games and Tennessee splits or wins out. It’s very rare that an 11-5 team does not qualify for the playoffs — and would be more surprising this year with an added wild-card team in each conference.
“The way we get to where we want to go to is by worrying about the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Colts coach Frank Reich told reporters during the week. “If we’re good enough, we’ll be there.”
The Steelers are in a crisis of confidence at the moment, not exactly sure who they are and whether they are good enough.
Things have gotten so tense that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger called a players-only meeting on Wednesday.
“It had nothing to do with the losses,’’ Roethlisberger told reporters, doing his best to diffuse any perception of panic. “It had everything to do with where we are and where we are going.”
The Steelers still have two remaining chances to clinch AFC North division title. They can do it by winning one of their final two games against the Colts or Browns, or by the Browns losing to the Jets on Sunday.
“We’re getting ready to go into the playoffs,” Roethlisberger said. “I had the guys raise their hands. ‘Who has played in a playoff game and who hasn’t?’ Over half the guys haven’t played in a playoff game. It’s important that veteran guys communicate what it’s like. I wanted to reiterate how important this time of the year is. The playoffs are not guaranteed to anyone. It wasn’t a players-only panic meeting. It was meeting we felt was necessary going into the postseason.”
The Steelers offense has failed to produce more than 19 points in each of the past four games, three of which were losses. In those four games, Roethlisberger has thrown six TDs and five INTs.
“You have to find ways to win,” Roethlisberger said. “Good teams do it. We did it even earlier this year. But right now, we’re just not doing it. We have to get back to having some sort of continuity. At the end of games, when you need a play to be made, we all have to be there to make it, whoever’s number is called, and it starts with me.’’
One thing Roethlisberger and the Steelers struggling offense will have to overcome Sunday is an opportunistic Indianapolis defense, which is third in the NFL with 24 forced turnovers.
The Colts defense also is allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the league, which doesn’t bode well for the Steelers, who’ve struggled to run the ball effectively, particularly without their top running back, James Conner, out of the lineup with an injury.
“We believe in our formula of preparation,’’ Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said during the week. “We simply have to do it better. Each week we wipe the slate clean.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Alec Baldwin fires back at Twitter user who exposed Hilaria Baldwin’s background

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Alec Baldwin trashed the Twitter user who questioned his wife ’ s claim of Spanish heritage in a bizarre rant on Instagram Sunday , comparing her to “ used coasters with the rings on them and the stains on them.
” The 62-year-old “ 30 Rock ” star also took aim at Twitter , where Leni Briscoe started a thread Monday that questioned Hilaria Baldwin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mallorca .
“ Just a lot of s—t , ” Alec Baldwin said on Instagram .
“ You have to kind of hack your way through the debris of Twitter .
Twitter is just a vast orchard of crap .
“ And I have certainly slung some crap in that orchard myself every now and then with things I ’ ve said .
So , that ’ s not lost on me that I ’ m guilty of that as well.
” “ But I would publicly dump Twitter tomorrow , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Briscoe ’ s posts Monday questioning Hilaria Baldwin ’ s fluctuating accent and past claims she was born in Spain and raised in Boston .
“ You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin ’ s commitment to her decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person , ” Briscoe wrote .
The viral exposé prompted a post on Instagram earlier on Sunday in which she admitted that she was actually born in Boston and that her name is “ Hillary.
” “ I ’ ve seen chatter online questioning my identity and culture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is something I take very seriously and for those who are asking — I ’ ll reiterate my story as I ’ ve done many times before.
” “ I was born in Boston and grew up spending time with my family between Massachusetts and Spain , ” she said .
“ My parents and sibling live in Spain and I chose to live here , in the USA.
” However , Baldwin ’ s own biography page on her agency ’ s speakers website states that she “ was born in Mallorca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts .
”

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Alec Baldwin trashed the Twitter user who questioned his wife’s claim of Spanish heritage in a bizarre rant on Instagram Sunday, comparing her to “used coasters with the rings on them and the stains on them.”
The 62-year-old “30 Rock” star also took aim at Twitter, where Leni Briscoe started a thread Monday that questioned Hilaria Baldwin’s claim she was born in Mallorca.
“Just a lot of s—t,” Alec Baldwin said on Instagram. “You have to kind of hack your way through the debris of Twitter. Twitter is just a vast orchard of crap.
“And I have certainly slung some crap in that orchard myself every now and then with things I’ve said. So, that’s not lost on me that I’m guilty of that as well.”
“But I would publicly dump Twitter tomorrow,” he said.
The online firestorm started with Briscoe’s posts Monday questioning Hilaria Baldwin’s fluctuating accent and past claims she was born in Spain and raised in Boston.
“You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin’s commitment to her decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person,” Briscoe wrote.
The viral exposé prompted a post on Instagram earlier on Sunday in which she admitted that she was actually born in Boston and that her name is “Hillary.”
Hilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin Taylor Hill/WireImage
“I’ve seen chatter online questioning my identity and culture,” she wrote. “This is something I take very seriously and for those who are asking — I’ll reiterate my story as I’ve done many times before.”
“I was born in Boston and grew up spending time with my family between Massachusetts and Spain,” she said. “My parents and sibling live in Spain and I chose to live here, in the USA.”
However, Baldwin’s own biography page on her agency’s speakers website states that she “was born in Mallorca, Spain and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Dwayne Haskins sounds miserable: ‘Get my life together’

Being punished for partying without a mask and losing a crucial game days later marked “ the hardest week of my life , ” Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins told reporters Sunday , adding that he needs to “ get my life together.
” In what may have been his last game with the franchise , the 2019 first-round pick threw two interceptions and was benched for journeyman Taylor Heinicke in the fourth quarter of a 20-13 loss to the Panthers .
The defeat cost Washington ( 6-9 ) a chance to clinch the division , setting up a Week 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Dallas can win the woebegone division and a trip to the playoffs despite finishing with a below .500 record .
Four days earlier , Haskins was fined $ 40,000 and stripped of his captaincy after images and videos showed him partying without a mask in what appeared to be a strip club .
“ Definitely the hardest week of my life , ” a dispirited Haskins told reporters .
“ I just want to bounce back and move forward , pray and get my life together .
“ You sign up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t enough.
” Washington was forced to start Haskins amid the controversy because Alex Smith was recovering from a calf injury .
Head coach Ron Rivera said he doesn ’ t know who will start next week ’ s do-or-die game against the Eagles .
Regardless , the team , according to CBS , is expected to cut ties this offseason with the former Ohio State star , who in addition to the strip club incident has been chastised for poor practice habits and immaturity .
After a mediocre rookie campaign , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was relegated to the bench after just four games , and then requested a trade to no avail .
In October he was fined just under $ 5,000 for inviting a family friend to the team hotel .
Last season , Haskins infamously missed the final play of his first win because the 23-year-old was taking a selfie with a fan .
Haskins , who has five passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven games this season , is in the second year of a four-year , $ 14 million rookie contract @ @ @ @

Washington football quarterback Dwayne Haskins said he needs to “get my life together” following a week that included being punished for partying without a mask and losing a game with playoff implications.
In what may have been his last game with the franchise, the 2019 first-round pick threw two interceptions and was benched for journeyman Taylor Heinicke in the fourth quarter of a 20-13 loss to the Panthers.
The defeat cost Washington (6-9) a chance to clinch the division, setting up a Week 17 in which either Washington, the Giants or Dallas can win the woebegone division and a trip to the playoffs despite finishing with a below .500 record.
Four days earlier, Haskins was fined $40,000 and stripped of his captaincy after images and videos showed him partying without a mask in what appeared to be a strip club.
“Definitely the hardest week of my life,” a despondent Haskins told reporters. “I just want to bounce back and move forward, pray and get my life together.
“You sign up for this job and sometimes being human isn’t enough.”
Washington was forced to start Haskins amid the controversy because Alex Smith was recovering from a calf injury.
Head coach Ron Rivera said he doesn’t know who will start next week’s do-or-die game against the Eagles.
Regardless, the team, according to CBS, is expected to cut ties this offseason with the former Ohio State star, who in addition to the strip club incident has been chastised for his poor practice habits and immaturity.
Dwayne Haskins Getty Images
After a mediocre rookie campaign, in which Haskins missed the final play of his first win because the 23-year-old was taking a selfie with a fan, he entered this season as the starter.
But Haskins was benched after four games and reportedly requested a trade.
In October he was fined just under $5,000 by Washington for inviting a family friend to the team hotel, which also was in violation of rules related to the pandemic.
Haskins, who has five passing touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven games, is in the second year of a four-year, $14 million rookie contract that is guaranteed.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--The Post says: Give it up, Mr. President — for your sake and the nation’s

The math is looking near-impossible for President Trump to win ...

Mr. President, it’s time to end this dark charade.
We’re one week away from an enormously important moment for the next four years of our country.
On Jan. 5, two runoff races in Georgia will determine which party will control the Senate — whether Joe Biden will have a rubber stamp or a much-needed check on his agenda.
Unfortunately, you’re obsessed with the next day, Jan. 6, when Congress will, in a pro forma action, certify the Electoral College vote. You have tweeted that, as long as Republicans have “courage,” they can overturn the results and give you four more years in office.
In other words, you’re cheering for an undemocratic coup.
You had every right to investigate the election. But let’s be clear: Those efforts have found nothing. To take just two examples: Your campaign paid $3 million for a recount in two Wisconsin counties, and you lost by 87 more votes. Georgia did two recounts of the state, each time affirming Biden’s win. These ballots were counted by hand, which alone debunks the claims of a Venezuelan vote-manipulating Kraken conspiracy.
Sidney Powell is a crazy person. Michael Flynn suggesting martial law is tantamount to treason. It is shameful.
We understand, Mr. President, that you’re angry that you lost. But to continue down this road is ruinous. We offer this as a newspaper that endorsed you, that supported you: If you want to cement your influence, even set the stage for a future return, you must channel your fury into something more productive.
Stop thinking about Jan. 6. Start thinking about Jan. 5.
If Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win, they will prevent Biden from rolling back what you have accomplished. A Republican Senate can pressure Biden against returning to the old, failed Iran deal, can stop him from throwing open our southern border, will prevent him from packing the Supreme Court.
Now imagine a government controlled by your nemeses — Nancy Pelosi in the House, Chuck Schumer in the Senate, Biden in the White House. How high will taxes go? How many of your initiatives will be strangled? And, on a personal note, do you think they won’t spend the next four years torturing you with baseless hearings and investigations?
Consider this. You came out of nowhere to win the presidency. Not an elected official, not a lawyer, not beholden to any particular faction of the swamp. You took on the elites and the media who had long lost touch with average working people. You changed politics, which is something few in American history can say.
If Georgia falls, all that is threatened. You will leave your party out of power, less likely to listen to what you have to say or to capitalize on your successes, such as expanding the Hispanic voting bloc for the GOP.
Democrats will try to write you off as a one-term aberration and, frankly, you’re helping them do it. The King Lear of Mar-a-Lago, ranting about the corruption of the world.
President Trump Al Drago/Getty Images
Securing the Senate means securing your legacy. You should use your considerable charm and influence to support the Georgia candidates, mobilizing your voters for them. Focus on their success, not your own grievances, as we head into the final week.
If you insist on spending your final days in office threatening to burn it all down, that will be how you are remembered. Not as a revolutionary, but as the anarchist holding the match.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Giants’ playoff possibility is downright absurd

One real playoff team took the field Sunday in Baltimore ...

Of course this is crazy.
Of course this is absurd.
Of course a team that loses two-thirds of its first 15 games in a football season has no business spending the last week of that season with a chance to sneak its way into the tournament. But here the Giants are: 5-10 and breathing. Here they are, a win and some help away from hosting — hosting! — a playoff game at MetLife Stadium.
We can argue about the logic and the logistics of all of that all week. The Giants might not have deserved the 4 o’clock parlay that fell their way — Cowboys win, WFT loses — but that’s what they get. And so they get another week of football season. They get another crack at trying to elbow their way into the 14-team extravaganza. Beat the Cowboys next Sunday in Jersey, hope for the best in Philly, where the freshly eliminated Eagles will try to spoil things for Washington.
Of course, before you get too sweaty with excitement …
“We have to do things,” Giants coach Joe Judge had said earlier Sunday afternoon, “fundamentally better.”
See, the Giants didn’t spend the afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium looking much like a playoff team. In truth, they barely looked like a professional team. If the ultimate goal isn’t just to scratch and claw to stay alive in an outlier playoff race, and to actually be a team worth of January and February, that was a chilling report card.
Daniel Jones is sacked by the Ravens Getty Images
Lamar Jackson toyed with them on one side of the ball.
Wink Martindale’s defense clobbered them on the other side.
In a game that meant everything to both teams, only the Ravens played that way, seizing a 17-0 lead and all but downshifting into cruise control the rest of the way, settling on 27-13 as the final score. Those numbers felt awfully kind.
“We didn’t do enough to get the job done,” Judge said.
“That’s not the kind of team where we can afford to get off to the kind of slow start that we did,” receiver Sterling Shepard said.
“That’s not us,” lineman Dexter Lawrence said. “We don’t accept that.”
But that was the Giants Sunday afternoon, and in truth that’s been the Giants ever since they headed to the deep end of the pool a month ago. They did go into Seattle and, quite inexplicably, flew home with an improbable win in the first game of that stretch. But then the Cardinals, Browns and Ravens have rolled the Giants, ransacked them, frankly exposed them.
And let’s be very clear about something:
When these Giants are noncompetitive — as they were up and down Sunday, as they’ve been most of the past three weeks — they aren’t exactly easy on the eyes. The quarterback, Daniel Jones, didn’t make any brutal errors but he spent most of the afternoon running for his life, and doing so on legs that are still somewhere south of 100 percent.
The defense — the pride and joy of so much of the season, the fuel for so much team-wide overachievement on so many other Sundays — looked less than ordinary. Now, Jackson can do that to even very good defenses. It isn’t a felony to be made to look pedestrian by the reigning MVP of the league.
Still: it was so easy. It was 7-0 in a heartbeat, 14-0 in an eyeblink.
And before long, the Giants had to turn to the out-of-town scoreboard, had to look for help from their most detested and detestable rivals as they made the commute north, back home. Washington was fully compliant, falling behind Carolina at home, 20-0, losing 20-13. And after spotting the Eagles a 14-3 lead, the Cowboys came roaring back in Dallas, keeping their own improbable ride alive with a 37-17 romp.
In many ways, the day was a perfect microcosm of the season. There is no way, given the brand of football we’ve seen out of the Giants for 16 weeks, that they should be this close to paradise. There is no way, given how dreadful they looked from 1 o’clock to 4 o’clock on Sunday that by the time the “60 Minutes” stopwatch started ticking there should’ve be something left to play for Sunday.
And yet, here they were. And here they are.
“We have guys who fight to the end,” Shepard said, and if 99 times out of 100 it is unseemly for professional athletes to take comfort in the fact they actually behaved professionally, that has been a theme for these Giants for so much of the season. The Giants do fight. They do bleed. And they were still breathing long past the point where any of it made sense.
Make sense? This year? In the NFC East? At this point, just close your eyes and wait for Sunday. Someone is going to finish first. And the Giants a 1-in-3 shot. Crazy. Absurd. True.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Trump signs COVID-19 relief bill with $600 stimulus checks

President Trump on Sunday signed a $ 2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and government funding bill that includes $ 600 stimulus @ @ @ @ @ The nearly 5,600-page bill passed the House and Senate by overwhelming margins on Monday night @ @ @ @ @ text was released .
The bill authorizes direct checks of $ 600 for people earning @ @ @ @ @ year .
The amount decreases for higher earners and people who make over $ 95,000 @ @ @ @ @ statement , Trump said that Congress on Monday would vote on a separate bill to @ @ @ @ @ from $ 600 to $ 2,000.
” The bill creates a new $ 300 weekly @ @ @ @ @ forgivable loan program for small businesses .
It also creates new criminal penalties including prison @ @ @ @ @ with online streaming .
Because the bill mashed together COVID-19 relief with ordinary government spending @ @ @ @ @ users urged Trump to veto the bill , pointing to its billions in foreign aid @ @ @ @ @

President Trump on Sunday signed a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and government funding bill that includes $600 stimulus checks for most Americans, after refusing to accept the deal for days.
The nearly 5,600-page bill passed the House and Senate by overwhelming margins Monday night, just hours after its text was released.
Trump signed it several days after saying the legislation was a “disgrace” and calling on Congress to up the relief payments to $2,000 and scale back spending.
In a statement Sunday night, the president said he would ask for millions of dollars in spending to be removed from the bill.
“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed,” Trump said.
While the president insisted he would send Congress “a redlined version” with items to be removed under the rescission process, those are merely suggestions to Congress. The bill, as signed, would not necessarily be changed.
The bill authorizes direct checks of $600 for people earning up to $75,000 per year. The amount decreases for higher earners, and people who make over $95,000 get nothing.
There’s an additional $600-per-child stimulus payment.
The bill also creates a new $300 weekly unemployment supplement and replenishes a forgivable loan program for small businesses. It includes protections against evictions and money for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and cash-strapped transit systems. But the legislative package also includes measures unrelated to the pandemic, such as creating new criminal penalties including prison time for violating copyright laws with online streaming.
In his statement, Trump said Congress on Monday would vote on a separate bill to “increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000.”
“Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200,” the president said about the increase, which would require Republican approval.
President Trump Al Drago/Getty Images
The idea of giving out fatter checks is supported by the Democrat-controlled House, but is likely to be ignored by the Republican-led Senate, where the spending is opposed.
Still, both sides of the aisle welcomed Trump’s signing of the bill Sunday night.
“The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “I thank the President for signing this relief into law.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Trump’s decision to sign the bill was “welcome news” to a nation struggling to recover from a pandemic that has crushed small businesses and led to massive unemployment.
“This relief legislation is a down payment on what is needed to crush the virus, put money in the pockets of the American people and honor our heroes — our health care workers, first responders, transit and sanitation workers and teachers,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“We need to ensure robust support for state and local government to distribute and administer a vaccine, keep workers employed and prevent devastating service cuts — and we must do so as soon as possible.”
Pelosi also called on Republicans to join the president’s call to increase the individual stimulus checks to $2,000 per person.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--SNY letting go of Jonas Schwartz in surprising move

Jonas Schwartz , an SNY studio regular since 2007 , will be let go as of Dec. 31 when his @ @ @ @ @ has learned .
The move seems surprising in that Schwartz handled so much at SNY @ @ @ @ @ shows and occasional baseball and college basketball play-by-play .
Schwartz arrived at SNY after serving @ @ @ @ @ at WNBC-Ch.4 .

Jonas Schwartz, an SNY studio regular since 2007, will be let go as of Dec. 31 when his contract expires, The Post has learned.
The move seems surprising in that Schwartz handled so much at SNY, including Mets’ wraparound shows and occasional baseball and college basketball play-by-play.
Schwartz arrived at SNY after serving as a weekend sports anchor at WNBC-Ch.4.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--How cancel culture keeps COVID-19 lockdown-doubters silent

The kids are not all right .
The isolation and the ...

“Thank you so much for speaking out to open schools. I can’t do it myself, for obvious reasons.” “I completely agree with you about opening schools in September, but I’m afraid I’ll be targeted at my job.”
These were just a few of the supportive reader comments I received over the summer and fall, as I wrote column after column urging that schools be reopened. They opened a revealing window onto the mechanics of social control in the age of COVID-19.
My correspondents’ fear was obvious: Say the wrong thing online, and have your life destroyed. Cancel culture has permeated everything, including debates over how to deal with the pandemic.
Schools had been open in other countries for months, and they were all reporting lower positivity rates than their surrounding communities. My arguments were measured and evidence-based: The data were making the case for reopening schools all by themselves.
Yet most of the rest of the media seemed determined to tell the story from only one perspective: that of lockdown hard-liners, not least teacher-union bosses. This paper aside, very few outlets pushed for school openings.
On the left, the conversation is heavily policed, with clear red lines drawn around “unacceptable” opinion. Reopening schools was treated as “irresponsible,” even though the numbers said otherwise. It wasn’t until Oct. 9 when things began to shift. That’s when a piece headlined “Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders” appeared in The Atlantic. The piece didn’t exactly break new ground. What mattered is that it appeared in a liberal publication. That made it OK to believe and say what even many liberal parents knew but didn’t dare voice.
A month later, The New York Times ran an article arguing “Schoolchildren Seem Unlikely to Fuel Coronavirus Surges” — thus “authorizing” the view that had been apparent to any layperson paying attention to the data. But by then, millions of kids had had their educations and lives disrupted, causing harm whose magnitude we haven’t begun to tally.
Our moment of woke conformity threatens anyone who even thinks about stepping out of line. The consequence in a pandemic is that dumb regulations are permitted to stand, because few dare question them. There is one right answer, one correct opinion, one acceptable position, and everyone on the left has to speak univocally in favor of it and against all others.
Very few on the left have pointed out that, hey, these lockdowns don’t seem to be working at all. The groupthink on the left is fiercely enforced.
One liberal mom who frequently engages me online, anonymously, told me she’s afraid of having her livelihood targeted for speaking out on schools. “I will not use my real name and identity, because it is widely known that the activist community purposely baits people with racially charged statements, for the sole purpose of trapping someone and reporting their content to an employer.”
And it’s not just about schools. New York City restaurants remain closed for indoor dining, even though Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s own statistics show they account for 1.4 percent of cases. Indoor dining remains open in the rest of the state, despite their case numbers being higher than in the city.
There has been no pushback against this, neither from liberal outlets nor most Democratic politicians. The “Believe in Science” political mantra trumps everything, not least actual scientific reasoning. There’s no introspection on why mostly locked-down New York and California have more cases than mostly open Florida.
Free discourse is important, because it helps to prevent bad ideas from blossoming and spreading. But when people fear having their lives destroyed for just about any outlier opinion, we end up in the situation where elected officials have their awful, failing policies protected. No one wants to be accused of “sacrificing teachers on the altar of the economy.”
And thus, the feedback loop between power and people gets broken. In 2021, let’s recommit ourselves to supporting free thought, speaking freely and backing others who do the same. If you find your tribe silences opinions, find a new tribe. We’re all in this together, goes the slogan. Let’s mean it.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--AstraZeneca chief says new COVID-19 vaccine will fight UK mutation

The United Kingdom is set to approve a COVID-19 vaccine that drugmakers say is effective in fighting the new variant of the coronavirus spreading around the world .
AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot told the Sunday Times that researchers say its vaccine is as effective as the 95 percent success rate touted by rival drug developers .
However , concerns have been raised over preliminary partial test results that suggest that the AstraZeneca shot is only about 70 percent effective for preventing COVID-19 .
The new shot from AstraZeneca and Oxford University is easier to transport and store , potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight surging infection rates there , three weeks after the UK became the first western country to begin inoculations .
The vaccine could be approved by British drug regulators this week and available to the public in the first week of January .
“ We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that , after two doses , is up there with everybody else , ” Soriot told the newspaper .
“ I can ’ t tell you more because we will publish at some point.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficacy against the new UK mutation , Soriot told the Times : “ So far , we think the vaccine should remain effective .
But we can ’ t be sure , so we ’ re going to test that.
” Hospitals in the UK are increasingly strained as the country recorded more than 30,000 positive COVID-19 tests and 316 deaths from the virus on Sunday , bringing its death toll to 70,752 .
By Christmas Eve , British health officials said that more than 600,000 had received the first of two doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions and public lockdowns could be eased by the end of February if the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is approved quickly and distributed to a threshold of 15 million of the UK ’ s most vulnerable citizens , according to a report in the Mirror .
Britain has preordered 100 million doses of the drug .

The United Kingdom is set to approve a COVID-19 vaccine that drugmakers say is effective in fighting the new variant of the coronavirus spreading around the world.
AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot told the Sunday Times that researchers say its vaccine is as effective as the 95 percent success rate touted by rival drug developers. However, concerns have been raised over preliminary partial test results that suggest that the AstraZeneca shot is only about 70 percent effective for preventing COVID-19.
The new shot from AstraZeneca and Oxford University is easier to transport and store, potentially giving the country another powerful tool to fight surging infection rates there, three weeks after the UK became the first western country to begin inoculations.
The vaccine could be approved by British drug regulators this week and available to the public in the first week of January.
“We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else,” Soriot told the newspaper. “I can’t tell you more because we will publish at some point.”
In regards to the vaccine’s efficacy against the new UK mutation, Soriot told the Times: “So far, we think the vaccine should remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so we’re going to test that.”
Hospitals in the UK are increasingly strained as the country recorded more than 30,000 positive COVID-19 tests and 316 deaths from the virus on Sunday, bringing its death toll to 70,752.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for a photograph with a vial of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine in Wrexham, Wales, last month. Paul Ellis/Pool via Reuters
By Christmas Eve, British health officials said that more than 600,000 had received the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Widespread travel restrictions and public lockdowns could be eased by the end of February if the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is approved quickly and distributed to a threshold of 15 million of the UK’s most vulnerable citizens, according to a report in the Mirror.
Britain has preordered 100 million doses of the drug.
With AP wires


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Obi Toppin could be out longer in bad Knicks sign

The star of the Knicks ’ preseason is already hurt .
Two ...

Though the Knicks announced forward Obi Toppin will be reevaluated in 7-10 days, coach Tom Thibodeau sounded as if their rookie lottery pick could be out as many as two weeks with a calf strain — if not longer.
Toppin re-aggravated a previously undisclosed calf injury in the season opener versus the Pacers, Thibodeau said. The rehab process has Toppin unable to put any pressure on his leg for a week, affecting his conditioning. Toppin won’t practice again in 2020.
“When you miss that type of time, with that type of injury, there’s going to be a period of time for him to get back to speed in terms of playing,’’ Thibodeau said. “And so obviously with a calf, you can’t run or jump, so the conditioning component will factor into that.’’
It should be noted the last time a Knicks rookie strained a calf, it wasn’t good. Allonzo Trier, in 2018-19, sat out the final 3 ½ weeks of his rookie season with a calf strain.
Toppin missed his second straight game Sunday against the Bucks. Between now and Jan. 11, the Knicks play eight more games. That could mean Toppin misses a total of 10 games.
Austin Rivers, the Knicks free-agent signee, is expected to undergo his first contact practice session Monday. He missed all four preseason games with a groin pull and almost all of training camp. Thibodeau plans to stick him back in the rotation, according to sources, when healthy.
Obi Toppin NBAE via Getty Images
Point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who looked uninspiring in his 17-minute season debut Saturday, missed Sunday’s game with a bruised quad. Smith suffered a multitude of nagging injuries last season, including a strained oblique, normally a baseball injury. Smith was 1 of 5 from the field Saturday.
That could give Thibodeau further impetus to try former Auburn star Jared Harper as backup point guard. He’s on a two-way contract but is probably their best 3-point shooter at that position. The second-year pint-sized guard appeared in the preseason finale and sank 2 of 4 3-pointers.
With rookie Immanuel Quickley (hip) out, as well as Rivers, Thibodeau hasn’t settled on a backup point guard. In the opener, he didn’t use Frank Ntilikina until the fourth quarter and didn’t play Smith at all. Saturday, he used Smith first, then only had Ntilikina mop up the final two minutes. In both games, he’s gone without a true point guard, using wing Alec Burks.
“I think going into camp we said we needed everyone,’’ Thibobeau said. “And then when you start playing games you have to settle on a rotation. That doesn’t mean the guys who aren’t in the rotation at that particular point won’t get into the rotation. Over the course of the season everyone is going to have an opportunity to play.’’
Thibodeau was impressed that five of his players returned to the court late Saturday after the Sixers’ loss to hoist up shots. That included point guards, Elfrid Payton and Ntilikina.
“We got a really good group of players,” Thibodeau said. “We have younger players who want to get better and they’re putting a lot of time in. Guys are coming back to work on their game and studying film. I told them that today. We’re not quite there yet but we will be at some point. As long as we’re putting the proper amount of work in every day the improvement will come.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Shirley Young, ‘trailblazer’ Chinese-American businesswoman, dies

Shirley Young — a prominent Chinese-American who began in marketing in New York City and ended up helping to transform business relations between China and the US — has died, her family said Sunday.
Young, 85, passed away Saturday night, one of her sons, David Hsieh, told The Post.
“She was a real trailblazer,” Hsieh said of his mother.
Young was born in Shanghai and moved as a child to the Philippines, where her diplomat father served as consul general for China until he was executed when the Japanese invaded during World War II.
“She lived out the war under Japanese occupation,” Hsieh said of his mom.
Around age 11 or 12, Young moved to Manhattan with her mother and two sisters, Hsieh said.
Young, asked about her first impression of the US by Bill Moyers in 2003, said, “I thought we’d reached heaven.”
One of her first jobs was with Grey Advertising, where she would spend more than the next two decades pioneering market research.
Patrick McMullan
Young went from there to become corporate vice president at General Motors from 1988 to 1999.
“She was very influential helping to introduce GM to China,’’ her son said, noting his mom’s “unique perspective’’ on her homeland.
When Young retired from GM, she concentrated on promoting something close to her heart — the arts, Hsieh said.
Young, a board director of the New York Philharmonic, had a personal connection because she was an artist herself, he said.
“She was a phenomenal piano player growing up and had contemplated becoming a concert pianist,” said Hsieh, one of Young’s three sons.
Young was a great supporter of famed pianist Lang Lang, as well as cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Young also co-founded the Committee of 100, a national Chinese-American business-leadership group, and served on a slew of top boards, including for the Bank of America and Bell Atlantic/Verizon.
In addition, she was vice chairman of the Nominating Committee of the New York Stock Exchange and a board member of the Associates of Harvard Business School.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Giants stunningly still alive in NFL playoff picture

Grading the Giants following Sunday ’ s 27-13 loss to the Ravens ... .

One real playoff team took the field Sunday in Baltimore and it was not the Giants.
But, try as they might, the Giants’ postseason chances cannot be killed off.
What went down at M&T Bank Stadium was a flogging, pure and simple. The Giants were thrashed by the Ravens, 27-13, and it was not that close.
The four-game winning streak is far in the rearview mirror, replaced by a three-game losing streak (by a combined score of 73-26). That the Giants (5-10) limped off the field not yet dead in the NFC East chase for first place was nothing more than assessing the company they keep in the division.
Remarkably, the Giants are alive. Washington and Philadelphia both lost later in the day, leaving the Giants still in contention for first place. If they beat the Cowboys in Week 17 and the Eagles defeat Washington, the Giants, Washington and the Cowboys all finish 6-10 and the Giants win the division based on having the best (4-2) division record.
Imagine that, especially given what has transpired the past few weeks.
Given the late-season slide, first-year coach Joe Judge was asked how an argument can be launched that the Giants are making progress.
“I don’t have to make an argument on that,’’ Judge said. “I can turn the tape on every week, I can watch with our players, I can see what we improve on every week and I can see what we are deficient on. I’m not trying to make an argument for anything.’’
Blake Martinez and the Giants, despite losing to the Ravens on Sunday, can still make the playoffs. Getty Images
Judge has sprinkled in many positive ingredients that should benefit the franchise in the near future, but he has not ushered in much winning. The Giants for the fourth consecutive season — and the sixth time in the last seven years — have double-digit losses.
“In terms of where this team is headed and what we have been able to accomplish this year, in terms of the foundation, the culture — we have improved a lot of playing across the board,’’ Judge said. “I feel that we are on the right track and moving in the right direction.”
Those onboard continue to remain onboard that the Giants are on the right track.
“I agree with that wholeheartedly,’’ said receiver Sterling Shepard, the team’s longest-tenured player. “We have guys that will fight until the end, no matter what the scoreboard looks like. When you have a close-knit group like we have, you can only think that things will be on the up from here.’’
There was nothing but downs in Week 16 for the Giants. The return of Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback did little to put a jolt in the offense, which failed to score more than one touchdown for the third straight game. Jones (24 of 41, 252 yards) did not run with the ball but did look more mobile operating on a healing strained right hamstring and healing sprained left ankle.
“I think Daniel looked the way I expected him to look out there,’’ Judge said. “He played confidently, didn’t look hesitant with anything he did.’’
Still, the Giants did not reach the end zone until Jones found Shepard in the fourth quarter. By then, the Giants were down 27-6 and the Ravens were coasting.
The Giants on defense could not hold off this avalanche, as the Ravens amassed 249 rushing yards, nearly split evenly between quarterback Lamar Jackson (80 yards) and running backs Gus Edwards (85) and J.K. Dobbins (77). A bloated 155 of those came before halftime.
“Yeah, that’s not us,’’ defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “Not embarrassed, that’s just what we put on tape in the first half. We don’t accept that.’’
If you looked up “domination’’ in the dictionary, the first notation might be “See Ravens vs. Giants, first quarter’’ with Sunday’s date. It was 23-3 in offensive plays for the Ravens in the opening quarter and 13:17 to 1:43 in time of possession.
The Giants got only three series on offense in the first half. The first was short-circuited by not one, but two false start penalties on the offensive line. The second was doomed by a third-down drop by rookie Austin Mack. The third resulted in a Graham Gano field goal after a penalty flag for pass interference by the Ravens was picked up.
Down by 14 points, the Giants got their only three-and-out on defense, handing the ball to their offense with 6:17 remaining and a glimmer of hope. Jones was sacked on third down and had no chance on a fourth-down pass and the glimmer was gone.
“The results of the last three games are what they are,’’ Judge said. “Ultimately, in terms of the character of the team, the work ethic of the team, the toughness of the team, we have the right start to who we are working with and the direction we are going right now. We just need to make sure we do more on the field to get the tangible results.”


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Vehicle falls off San Francisco cliff, driver survives: fire department

A woman in California was in serious condition after her vehicle plunged off a cliff onto a beach on Christmas @ @ @ @ @ ’ s car careened over a bluff in San Francisco ’ s Fort Funston area @ @ @ @ @ .
Officials said the woman was “ miraculously in stable condition ” when they arrived @ @ @ @ @ nearby trauma center , The Mercury News reported .
Videos and photos from the scene @ @ @ @ @ the beach .
The tide was out , allowing first responders to reach the woman @ @ @ @ @ stretcher .
It was not immediately clear what caused the woman ’ s car to @ @ @ @ @ The cliffs at Fort Funston , a former harbor defense installation in San Francisco , @ @ @ @ @ hikers and hang-gliders , the Mercury News reported .

A woman in California was in serious condition after her vehicle plunged off a cliff onto a beach on Christmas morning.
The unidentified woman’s car careened over a bluff in San Francisco’s Fort Funston area, the fire department said.
Officials said the woman was “miraculously in stable condition” when they arrived and was transported to a nearby trauma center, The Mercury News reported.
Videos and photos from the scene showed the car upside-down on the beach.
The tide was out, allowing first responders to reach the woman and place her on a stretcher. It was not immediately clear what caused the woman’s car to veer off the road.
The cliffs at Fort Funston, a former harbor defense installation in San Francisco, are a popular spot for hikers and hang-gliders, the Mercury News reported.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Christmas memories: What I started to learn at 18

One Christmas in the mid-1990s , I managed the holiday-music section at a suburban Tower Records .
The time went by in a blur — but if I could go back and give my teenage self some advice , I would say : Relax and Merry Christmas !
At 18 , I was having a midlife crisis .
Working the overnight shift at the supermarket for the extra dollar an hour gave me time to read all the newspapers and magazines we stocked .
I was the best-informed person in town .
But I needed a cooler job — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coolest music store in the world ?
No , the Cambridge and Boston Towers weren ’ t hiring .
.
.
but the Tower Records in suburban Burlington was hiring an administrative assistant .
So I took two bus transfers to Burlington .
There was the highway strip mall that Tower anchored — and a short , thin , nervous man named Eric pacing outside with a cigarette , waiting .
I had asked a couple of people at the supermarket what music I should mention if my prospective boss asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was waiting with my answers about Charlie Parker and Nine Inch Nails .
But Eric was only interested in one thing .
He walked me in past the sales floor to a locked vault in the middle of the store , pointed to a calculator on the counter and asked , “ Do you know how to use the adding machine ?
” Sure .
I had always used the adding machine at the supermarket , because they shut down the cash registers from 1 to 6 a.m .
He handed me a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put these in ?
” he said .
I started and finished the pile .
“ Ted will like you , ” Eric said , pulling out more random stacks of receipts from multiple drawers .
Ted , the Burlington store manager , was supposed to have been sending a monthly sales tally to Tower world headquarters in Sacramento .
I got the job .
The music people treated me with a strange deference : the girl who knows nothing about music but knows how to use the adding machine .
I spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of my time in Ted ’ s office or the vault — processing health-insurance forms , making the weekly shift schedule for workers , supervising the cash counts .
Until Christmas .
It wasn ’ t even Thanksgiving , but Eric was panicking .
The seasonal Christmas manager had quit .
I would do it , I said .
Who even cared about Christmas music ?
How hard could it be ?
Maybe we ’ d sell one or two albums a day , and I ’ d refill them in between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Friday to Christmas Eve , I worked around the clock .
We had neglected to order any Mariah Carey — and Mariah Carey was about to be the Christmas hit of the century .
We had ordered boxes and boxes of Alvin and the Chipmunks , but nobody wanted those .
The Columbia Records salesman rush-ordered me boxes of Mariah , delivering them in his sports car .
In the meanwhile , I had to shout up from the carpet to the customers , as I rooted around for Perry Como and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re out of Mariah , but can I interest you in the Chipmunks ?
” I did work overnight shifts — in addition to day shifts — in the week before Christmas .
Who knew what a mess our affluent Route-128-corridor tech workers could make of my neatly arranged section , with “ Christmas in Vienna II ” carefully layered on top of “ A Very Special Christmas ?
” I couldn ’ t help but wonder who these customers were — people who could plunk down $ 15.99 ( almost four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a new release — without thinking about it .
I had no idea what they did in the office buildings that lined our highway .
I moved on .
Ted got me a job in the New Orleans store — where I was demoted to clerk , because I was only part time .
.
.
going to college .
Tower stores are gone now , having fallen victim to , first , big-box stores that offered Mariah for $ 10.99 instead of $ 15.99 and , later , to online file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood the adding machine couldn ’ t conceive of .
But every time I hear Mariah belt out “ All I Want for Christmas , ” or the Chipmunks sing their “ All I Want for Christmas , ” I think of my Christmas at Tower .

One Christmas in the mid-1990s, I managed the holiday-music section at a suburban Tower Records. The time went by in a blur — but if I could go back and give my teenage self some advice, I would say: Relax and Merry Christmas!
At 18, I was having a midlife crisis. Working the overnight shift at the supermarket for the extra dollar an hour gave me time to read all the newspapers and magazines we stocked. I was the best-informed person in town.
But I needed a cooler job — and what would be cooler than working at the coolest music store in the world? No, the Cambridge and Boston Towers weren’t hiring . . . but the Tower Records in suburban Burlington was hiring an administrative assistant.
So I took two bus transfers to Burlington. There was the highway strip mall that Tower anchored — and a short, thin, nervous man named Eric pacing outside with a cigarette, waiting.
I had asked a couple of people at the supermarket what music I should mention if my prospective boss asked about “good music,” so I was waiting with my answers about Charlie Parker and Nine Inch Nails.
But Eric was only interested in one thing.
He walked me in past the sales floor to a locked vault in the middle of the store, pointed to a calculator on the counter and asked, “Do you know how to use the adding machine?”
Sure. I had always used the adding machine at the supermarket, because they shut down the cash registers from 1 to 6 a.m. He handed me a stack of receipts. “Can you put these in?” he said. I started and finished the pile.
“Ted will like you,” Eric said, pulling out more random stacks of receipts from multiple drawers. Ted, the Burlington store manager, was supposed to have been sending a monthly sales tally to Tower world headquarters in Sacramento.
I got the job. The music people treated me with a strange deference: the girl who knows nothing about music but knows how to use the adding machine.
I spent little time on the sales floor and most of my time in Ted’s office or the vault — processing health-insurance forms, making the weekly shift schedule for workers, supervising the cash counts.
Until Christmas. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving, but Eric was panicking. The seasonal Christmas manager had quit.
I would do it, I said. Who even cared about Christmas music? How hard could it be? Maybe we’d sell one or two albums a day, and I’d refill them in between counting the Ticketmaster cash till.
From Black Friday to Christmas Eve, I worked around the clock.
We had neglected to order any Mariah Carey — and Mariah Carey was about to be the Christmas hit of the century. We had ordered boxes and boxes of Alvin and the Chipmunks, but nobody wanted those. The Columbia Records salesman rush-ordered me boxes of Mariah, delivering them in his sports car.
In the meanwhile, I had to shout up from the carpet to the customers, as I rooted around for Perry Como and Tony Bennett, “Sorry, we’re out of Mariah, but can I interest you in the Chipmunks?”
I did work overnight shifts — in addition to day shifts — in the week before Christmas. Who knew what a mess our affluent Route-128-corridor tech workers could make of my neatly arranged section, with “Christmas in Vienna II” carefully layered on top of “A Very Special Christmas?”
I couldn’t help but wonder who these customers were — people who could plunk down $15.99 (almost four hours of pay for me!) for a new release — without thinking about it. I had no idea what they did in the office buildings that lined our highway.
I moved on. Ted got me a job in the New Orleans store — where I was demoted to clerk, because I was only part time . . . going to college.
Tower stores are gone now, having fallen victim to, first, big-box stores that offered Mariah for $10.99 instead of $15.99 and, later, to online file sharing — something even the people who understood the adding machine couldn’t conceive of. But every time I hear Mariah belt out “All I Want for Christmas,” or the Chipmunks sing their “All I Want for Christmas,” I think of my Christmas at Tower.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor of City Journal.
Twitter: @NicoleGelinas


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Jets report card: Adam Gase did a lot right

Grading the Jets ’ following Sunday ’ s 23-16 win over the Browns .
For the second straight week , the Jets offense got off to a good start , cooled off and then held on for a win .
The unit rolled up 333 total yards and did not have any turnovers .
QB Sam Darnold ( 16 of 32 , 175 yards , 2 TDs , 87.4 rating , 7 rushes , 20 yards ) was efficient again .
He did not have a lot of big plays , but he also did not make any killer mistakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Jets , throwing a touchdown in addition to being the team ’ s most reliable receiver ( 7 catches , 92 yards , 1 TD ) .
The defense set the tone again .
It forced three fumbles from Baker Mayfield , two lost .
One came on the fourth-and-1 stop to seal the game .
Cleveland was playing without its top four receivers , but still entered the game with the No .
3 rushing attack .
The Jets held the Browns to 45 yards rushing and 299 total yards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 yards , 1 TD ) and Kareem Hunt ( 4 carries , 11 yards , 1 TD ) were quiet running the ball .
Mayfield ( 28 of 53 , 285 yards , 68.5 rating ) had the two big fumbles and just was not overly efficient .
This unit tried to give the Browns the game .
It had a field goal blocked , an extra point blocked , a 14-yard punt and a kickoff out of bounds that gave the Browns the ball at the 40 on their last possession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brant Boyer ’ s crew .
Braden Mann had averaged 37.1 yards per punt , his average getting dragged down by the 14-yarder .
Sam Ficken nearly cost the Jets the game by handing the ball to the Browns at their own 40 with 2:52 left after booting the kickoff out of bounds .
Adam Gase is in his final days as the Jets coach , but his team continues to play hard for him .
That won ’ t save his job , but it is worth something .
On offense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trick play to score the touchdown early .
Interim defensive coordinator Frank Bush has a great game plan and is getting the most out of his players .

Grading the Jets’ following Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Browns.
Offense
For the second straight week, the Jets offense got off to a good start, cooled off and then held on for a win. The unit rolled up 333 total yards and did not have any turnovers. QB Sam Darnold (16 of 32, 175 yards, 2 TDs, 87.4 rating, 7 rushes, 20 yards) was efficient again. He did not have a lot of big plays, but he also did not make any killer mistakes. WR Jamison Crowder did it all for the Jets, throwing a touchdown in addition to being the team’s most reliable receiver (7 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD).
Grade: B
Defense
The defense set the tone again. It forced three fumbles from Baker Mayfield, two lost. One came on the fourth-and-1 stop to seal the game. Cleveland was playing without its top four receivers, but still entered the game with the No. 3 rushing attack. The Jets held the Browns to 45 yards rushing and 299 total yards. Nick Chubb (11 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD) and Kareem Hunt (4 carries, 11 yards, 1 TD) were quiet running the ball. Mayfield (28 of 53, 285 yards, 68.5 rating) had the two big fumbles and just was not overly efficient.
Grade: A-
Adam Gase Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Special teams
This unit tried to give the Browns the game. It had a field goal blocked, an extra point blocked, a 14-yard punt and a kickoff out of bounds that gave the Browns the ball at the 40 on their last possession. It was a terrible outing for Brant Boyer’s crew. Braden Mann had averaged 37.1 yards per punt, his average getting dragged down by the 14-yarder. Sam Ficken nearly cost the Jets the game by handing the ball to the Browns at their own 40 with 2:52 left after booting the kickoff out of bounds.
Grade: D
Coaching
Adam Gase is in his final days as the Jets coach, but his team continues to play hard for him. That won’t save his job, but it is worth something. On offense, Gase hit the right note with the trick play to score the touchdown early. Interim defensive coordinator Frank Bush has a great game plan and is getting the most out of his players.
Grade: A


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--A cop debunks four core myths of the #DefundPolice movement

When protesters first took over Seattle ’ s Capitol Hill district last ...

As a progressive who wants to decriminalize drugs and advance the welfare state, I fit in well in my Pacific Northwest community. Except, that is, for my job: I’ve been a big-city cop here for 26 years. Before that, I served in the military. The raging #DefundthePolice movement doesn’t know me and my colleagues at all — and persistent myths about police and their critics do more harm than good.
Four myths especially deserve debunking by an officer who knows.
1) Police are killing large numbers of civilians. That’s simply not true. In New York City, the police department has meticulously tracked every shot fired by its officers since 1971. These officers represent roughly 5 percent of the entire American force, so it’s a large sample. The NYPD’s annual report shows a dramatic, sustained drop in killings by police — from 93 in 1971 to just five in 2018.
The reality is that US policing has steadily improved over the past 50 years. In Gotham, officers firing a gun have gone from a daily to monthly occurrence. And the city has become dramatically safer over the same period.
In other words, the NYPD has successfully used less lethal means of preserving — and improving — the rule of law.
2) The anti-cop movement is largely peaceful. Again, false. The movement, rather, is akin to the Batman villain Two-Face. Anyone who watched the protests on television would know that the daytime ones were lawful free speech. But the dynamic changed dramatically at night. Protests became intentional riots, designed to draw a police response that allowed rioters to claim victim status.
They would begin with insults, shouted at the riot line for hours in the hope that exhausted officers would retort on video; some told officers to commit suicide. Then they would throw rocks, shine bright lasers in our eyes and throw fireworks and Molotov cocktails — forcing the police to respond.
Yet the mainstream media adopted the comically false “peaceful-protest” narrative and perpetuated the myth of pervasive police brutality. For activists, it was a successful propaganda operation, encouraging the police to engage with force, then driving the narrative that law enforcement “overreacted” to latter-day Gandhis.
3) Abolishing police wouldn’t lead to lawlessness. Many of the defunders are genuine anarchists, who want no government at all and believe in a society of angels who serve each other voluntarily.
This is nonsense. One of the greatest achievements in human history was creating government monopolies on the use of force. Ancient tribal societies had a violent death rate of 500 per 100,000 people per year. That number dropped to 50 in medieval societies and just one to five in the modern West.
Seattle’s recent experiment with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ, proves this. Police weren’t allowed in the “occupied” protest zone for three weeks. It immediately became a hellscape and led to the shooting deaths of two young black men — the very people the movement claims to want to protect from the police.
4) Today’s police are “militarized.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. As a soldier, I rode in an armored vehicle and sat in a turret with a belt-fed machine gun. My job was to shoot enemy soldiers. In my 26 years as a cop, I have done no such thing.
Contrary to activist complaints, SWAT teams’ armored vehicles, armored clothing and special training help them avoid deadly force, not commit it. A regular cop is often justified shooting someone who threateningly brandishes a gun. A SWAT officer wearing protection, however, will wait longer before resorting to deadly force. In Seattle, our SWAT team recently saved a suicidal young black man with a gun.
Here’s the reality. We need police on the streets. Every day, cops arrest violent felons in the act. Even in a low-crime city like Seattle, robbery crews are constantly at work. A woman was recently slaughtered in front of her young son at the grocery store where my daughters and I shop for food. Her crime: chasing the man who stole her purse.
Social-justice warriors say that policing is hopelessly broken, and the only solution is “defund, disarm and disband.” Take it from a left-leaning cop: Those arguments are either wildly exaggerated or just plain false.
Christopher Young is a Seattle police officer and detective in the city’s criminal-intelligence team.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Trump says ‘good news’ is coming on COVID-19 relief bill

President Trump on Sunday said “ good news ” was forthcoming on the $ 900 billion coronavirus relief bill which he has been refusing to sign .
“ Good news on Covid Relief Bill .
Information to follow !
” Trump wrote on Twitter .
The White House didn ’ t immediately say whether Trump was now planning on signing the bill , which he previously called a “ disgrace ” for only providing $ 600 checks to Americans left financially reeling amid the pandemic .
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle pleaded with Trump to act — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend and a government shutdown nears .
In an 11th hour announcement on Wednesday , Trump called on Congress to take back the bill it had just passed and revise it to boost the relief payments to $ 2,000 and scale-back spending .
The relief bill was paired with a $ 1.4 trillion spending legislation that is intended to keep the federal government operating until September .
The government will run out of money at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday if Trump continues his opposition to the legislative package .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections against evictions and money for COVID-19 vaccine distribution , businesses and transit systems are also on the line .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has scheduled a vote on Monday to approve Trump ’ s proposal for the $ 2,000 relief payments , instead of the $ 600 approved by Congress .
But the idea is likely to die in the Republican-controlled Senate , as it did among GOP House members during a rare Christmas Eve session .

President Trump on Sunday said “good news” was forthcoming on the $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that he has been refusing to sign.
“Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The White House didn’t immediately say whether Trump was planning on signing the bill, which he previously called a “disgrace” for only providing $600 checks to Americans left financially reeling amid the pandemic.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle pleaded with Trump to act — as millions of Americans lost unemployment aid over the weekend and a government shutdown nears.
In an 11th-hour announcement Wednesday, Trump called on Congress to take back the bill it had just passed and revise it to boost the relief payments to $2,000 and scale back spending.
The relief bill was paired with a $1.4 trillion spending legislation that is intended to keep the federal government operating until September.
The government will run out of money at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday if Trump continues his opposition to the legislative package.
In addition to the stimulus checks and jobless benefits, protections against evictions and money for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, businesses and transit systems are on the line.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has scheduled a vote on Monday to approve Trump’s proposal for the $2,000 relief payments, instead of the $600 approved by Congress.
But the idea is likely to die in the Republican-controlled Senate, as it did among GOP House members during a rare Christmas Eve session.


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Beware Section 230 repeal and other commentary

Those on the left and right calling for a complete repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act need to realize it would “ return us to the legal no-man ’ s land ” that prohibits even “ good Samaritan ” censorship , explain Sen. Ron Wyden and ex-Rep. Chris Cox in USA Today .
Without the law , every one of the 200 million-plus Web sites available to Americans “ will have to either stop publishing their users ’ contributions , or let ‘ anything go ’ — no matter how gross or illegal.
” Any “ curating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted , so “ hosting user-created content will be too costly and risky , ” and “ the many online avenues that ordinary citizens currently use to express themselves would be closed.
” So while “ Congress should examine whether it ’ s possible to amend Section 230 without doing more harm than good , ” it must also remember that “ sometimes those complaining about online speech are doing worse than crying wolf.
” Victories this November by five socialists vying for seats in the Legislature marked “ a huge show of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democratic Socialists of America member Liza Featherstone gushes at The Nation .
The “ first item ” on their agenda : “ taxing the rich.
” The socialists have launched an “ inside/outside ” strategy — “ organizing ” lawmakers and mobilizing the DSA to get “ the grassroots to pressure Albany ” via “ phone banking ” and leafleting .
Other pro-tax groups , like the Alliance for Quality Education , have formed a coalition called New York Budget Justice , and many labor unions have joined in the effort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ conceding ” the politically inevitable , suggesting tax hikes are now likely .
Featherstone “ can ’ t wait to see what happens next.
” At First Things , Nina Shea worries that “ a single Chinese company has a near monopoly on Bible printing , meaning that any rupture in the supply chain — say , from a US-China trade war — would lead to a Bible shortage in America.
” Amity Printing Co. in Nanjing is the world ’ s largest Bible printer , which means that “ American Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their Bibles.
” When President Trump imposed trade tariffs on China , “ American Bible publishers found themselves alongside Beijing vociferously lobbying Washington against the measure , ” so it ’ s no stretch to imagine that the ruling Chinese Communist Party could make these same publishers “ soft power assets of Beijing ” with a little pressure .
“ American Bible publishers can best preserve Americans ’ First Amendment rights — and their own reputations — by immediately shifting their printing out of China.
” Britain ’ s early lockdown champion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently told The Times of London that he credits the Chinese regime ’ s harsh response to the pandemic for preparing the way for the Western one .
Yet to those who “ object to lockdowns on civil-liberties principles , ” argues Unherd ’ s Freddie Sayers , “ this will be a chilling reminder of the centrality of the authoritarian Chinese model in influencing global policy in this historic year.
” That Ferguson ’ s worst predictions didn ’ t come to pass makes it all the worse .
His March 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without interventions , 81 percent of the UK population would become infected , and that 0.9 percent of them would die , i.e .
510,000 fatalities.
” Yet data from the Brazilian city often held up as the counter-example of what would have happened without interventions doesn ’ t “ come close to the Ferguson projections.
” Having algorithms “ incapable of bias ” make decisions rather than humans should be cause to celebrate , reasons computer-science prof Pedro Domingos at Spectator USA .
But “ militant ” liberals are scrambling to retake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI has sprung up ” for the express purpose of “ de-biasing ” algorithms , and anyone who questions it , as Domingos has , is subject to the cancel culture , as he was .
Yet algorithms “ can ’ t be racist or sexist.
” What “ cleaning ” them up really means is “ inserting into them biases favoring specific groups ” and establishing the “ social controls ” the political left wants .

Speech watch: Beware Section 230 Repeal
Those on the left and right calling for a complete repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act need to realize it would “return us to the legal no-man’s land” that prohibits even “good Samaritan” censorship, explain Sen. Ron Wyden and ex-Rep. Chris Cox in USA Today. Without the law, every one of the 200 million-plus Web sites available to Americans “will have to either stop publishing their users’ contributions, or let ‘anything go’ — no matter how gross or illegal.” Any “curating” will leave platforms liable for everything posted, so “hosting user-created content will be too costly and risky,” and “the many online avenues that ordinary citizens currently use to express themselves would be closed.” So while “Congress should examine whether it’s possible to amend Section 230 without doing more harm than good,” it must also remember that “sometimes those complaining about online speech are doing worse than crying wolf.”
Leftist: Socialists Will Hike Your Taxes
Victories this November by five socialists vying for seats in the Legislature marked “a huge show of power” in New York electoral politics, Democratic Socialists of America member Liza Featherstone gushes at The Nation. The “first item” on their agenda: “taxing the rich.” The socialists have launched an “inside/outside” strategy — “organizing” lawmakers and mobilizing the DSA to get “the grassroots to pressure Albany” via “phone banking” and leafleting. Other pro-tax groups, like the Alliance for Quality Education, have formed a coalition called New York Budget Justice, and many labor unions have joined in the effort. Even Gov. Cuomo appears to be “conceding” the politically inevitable, suggesting tax hikes are now likely. Featherstone “can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Religion beat: China’s Threat to the Bible
At First Things, Nina Shea worries that “a single Chinese company has a near monopoly on Bible printing, meaning that any rupture in the supply chain — say, from a US-China trade war — would lead to a Bible shortage in America.” Amity Printing Co. in Nanjing is the world’s largest Bible printer, which means that “American Christians rely on a state that represses Christianity for their Bibles.” When President Trump imposed trade tariffs on China, “American Bible publishers found themselves alongside Beijing vociferously lobbying Washington against the measure,” so it’s no stretch to imagine that the ruling Chinese Communist Party could make these same publishers “soft power assets of Beijing” with a little pressure. “American Bible publishers can best preserve Americans’ First Amendment rights — and their own reputations — by immediately shifting their printing out of China.”
Iconoclast: The Creepiest Lockdown Expert
Britain’s early lockdown champion, Imperial College epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, recently told The Times of London that he credits the Chinese regime’s harsh response to the pandemic for preparing the way for the Western one. Yet to those who “object to lockdowns on civil-liberties principles,” argues Unherd’s Freddie Sayers, “this will be a chilling reminder of the centrality of the authoritarian Chinese model in influencing global policy in this historic year.” That Ferguson’s worst predictions didn’t come to pass makes it all the worse. His March 16 paper “forecast that in a scenario without interventions, 81 percent of the UK population would become infected, and that 0.9 percent of them would die, i.e. 510,000 fatalities.” Yet data from the Brazilian city often held up as the counter-example of what would have happened without interventions doesn’t “come close to the Ferguson projections.”
Computer expert: The Left’s Drive To ‘Bias’ AI
Having algorithms “incapable of bias” make decisions rather than humans should be cause to celebrate, reasons computer-science prof Pedro Domingos at Spectator USA. But “militant” liberals are scrambling to retake control. “A whole subfield of AI has sprung up” for the express purpose of “de-biasing” algorithms, and anyone who questions it, as Domingos has, is subject to the cancel culture, as he was. Yet algorithms “can’t be racist or sexist.” What “cleaning” them up really means is “inserting into them biases favoring specific groups” and establishing the “social controls” the political left wants.
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Giants report card: This was a bad look for Joe Judge

Grading the Giants following Sunday ’ s 27-13 loss to the Ravens .
That Daniel Jones ( 24-for-41 , 252 yards ) again did not attempt a single run ( other than a forced scramble in the last minute ) shows he is not fully confident in his legs , and that continues to be a problem .
By the time he got into any sort of rhythm with his arm , it was too late .
False start penalties on Cam Fleming and Kevin Zeitler on game ’ s first series was a bad omen .
Early in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three consecutive plays , with Matt Peart culpable on the first .
Jones stood up to the beating ( sacked six times ) and kept firing .
Sterling Shepard ( 9-77 ) kept working all day and he was rewarded for his efforts with a late touchdown reception .
Darius Slayton allowed a perfectly placed fade fall through his hands .
Dion Lewis did not put up any resistance on Chris Board ’ s sack in the fourth quarter .
Once again , where the heck are the points ?
This unit knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with it , completely off-balance in the first half , unable to make any third-down stops .
Lamar Jackson ( 17-for-26 , 183 yards passing , 2 TDs , 13-80 rushing ) did whatever he wanted in mounting a 17-0 lead .
Ravens bullied for 249 rushing yards with Jackson , Gus Edwards ( 15-85 ) and J.K. Dobbins ( 11-77 ) .
Jabrill Peppers got outmuscled by TE Mark Andrews , missing a tackle on a 25-yard reception late in the first half .
CB Isaac Yiadom had a bad tackling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not wrap up Gus Edwards on the sideline .
Ryan later came up with a fumble recovery near the Giants goal line .
If the Ravens were not content to pound away , this would have been even uglier .
As if it weren ’ t unsightly enough .
Riley Dixon ’ s first punt went 54 yards but was returned 17 yards by Devin Duvernay , which is too much leakage in coverage .
Missed tackles on the next punt forced Dixon to make the stop on Duvernay after a 19-yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rookies ( Austin Mack and Tae Crowder ) on one kick return late in the first quarter .
Graham Gano was 2-for-2 on field goals but booted a very poor pop-up kickoff that allowed Duvernay a head of steam on a 23-yard return to the Ravens 41-yard line .
Joe Judge ’ s team was relatively healthy but looked completely overmatched at the start and overwhelmed thereafter .
His team was not ready to play and that is a checkmark against the first-year head coach .
Jason Garrett returned to call the plays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheel-route to Evan Engram on third-and-3 early in the third quarter failed — is that the best play Garrett could come up with ?
Everything defensive coordinator Patrick Graham tried failed , often miserably .
His guys could not lay a glove on Jackson , were outmuscled inside against the run and outflanked to the outside against the run .
Did we miss anything there ?

Grading the Giants following Sunday’s 27-13 loss to the Ravens.
Offense
That Daniel Jones (24-for-41, 252 yards) again did not attempt a single run (other than a forced scramble in the last minute) shows he is not fully confident in his legs, and that continues to be a problem. By the time he got into any sort of rhythm with his arm, it was too late. False start penalties on Cam Fleming and Kevin Zeitler on game’s first series was a bad omen. Early in the fourth quarter, Jones was sacked on three consecutive plays, with Matt Peart culpable on the first. Jones stood up to the beating (sacked six times) and kept firing. Sterling Shepard (9-77) kept working all day and he was rewarded for his efforts with a late touchdown reception. Darius Slayton allowed a perfectly placed fade fall through his hands. Dion Lewis did not put up any resistance on Chris Board’s sack in the fourth quarter. Once again, where the heck are the points?
Grade: F
Defense
This unit knew what was coming and was unable to deal with it, completely off-balance in the first half, unable to make any third-down stops. Lamar Jackson (17-for-26, 183 yards passing, 2 TDs, 13-80 rushing) did whatever he wanted in mounting a 17-0 lead. Ravens bullied for 249 rushing yards with Jackson, Gus Edwards (15-85) and J.K. Dobbins (11-77). Jabrill Peppers got outmuscled by TE Mark Andrews, missing a tackle on a 25-yard reception late in the first half. CB Isaac Yiadom had a bad tackling game in run support. Logan Ryan did not wrap up Gus Edwards on the sideline. Ryan later came up with a fumble recovery near the Giants goal line. If the Ravens were not content to pound away, this would have been even uglier. As if it weren’t unsightly enough.
Grade: F
Joe Judge Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Special teams
Riley Dixon’s first punt went 54 yards but was returned 17 yards by Devin Duvernay, which is too much leakage in coverage. Missed tackles on the next punt forced Dixon to make the stop on Duvernay after a 19-yard return. There were two penalties by rookies (Austin Mack and Tae Crowder) on one kick return late in the first quarter. Graham Gano was 2-for-2 on field goals but booted a very poor pop-up kickoff that allowed Duvernay a head of steam on a 23-yard return to the Ravens 41-yard line.
Grade: C-
Coaching
Joe Judge’s team was relatively healthy but looked completely overmatched at the start and overwhelmed thereafter. His team was not ready to play and that is a checkmark against the first-year head coach. Jason Garrett returned to call the plays and had no answers early. A wheel-route to Evan Engram on third-and-3 early in the third quarter failed — is that the best play Garrett could come up with? Everything defensive coordinator Patrick Graham tried failed, often miserably. His guys could not lay a glove on Jackson, were outmuscled inside against the run and outflanked to the outside against the run. Did we miss anything there?
Grade: F


newyorkpost--2020-12-27--Trump announces Georgia rally next week

Trump announces Georgia rally next week

President Trump announced Sunday that he ’ ll hold a rally in Georgia on the eve of a crucial Senate run-off — and will be in the nation ’ s capital when Congress votes to certify the electoral vote .
“ On behalf of two GREAT Senators , @ sendavidperdue & KLoeffler , I will be going to Georgia on Monday night , January 4th , to have a big and wonderful RALLY , ” he said on Twitter .
“ So important for our country that they win !
” That would put him in the state one day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Loeffler are facing a run-off election , with Republican control of the Senate hanging in the balance .
Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev .
Raphael Warnock are vying to eliminate the GOP ’ s two-seat majority in the legislative chamber .
The two have raised more than $ 200 million between them — by far the most in a Senate race this year .
More than 2 million Georgians have cast early votes in the race .
Trump staged his first post-election rally in Georgia on Dec. 5 .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Jan. 6 — when lawmakers are due to confirm his electoral college loss to former Vice President Joe Biden , a loss Trump has refused to accept .
“ See you in Washington , DC , on January 6th , ” Trump wrote on Twitter .
“ Don ’ t miss it .
Information to follow !
”

President Trump announced Sunday that he’ll hold a rally in Georgia on the eve of a crucial Senate run-off — and will be in the nation’s capital when Congress votes to certify the electoral vote.
“On behalf of two GREAT Senators, @sendavidperdue & KLoeffler, I will be going to Georgia on Monday night, January 4th, to have a big and wonderful RALLY,” he said on Twitter. “So important for our country that they win!”
That would put him in the state one day before GOP incumbent senators David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing a run-off election, with Republican control of the Senate hanging in the balance.
Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock are vying to eliminate the GOP’s two-seat majority in the legislative chamber.
The two have raised more than $200 million between them — by far the most in a Senate race this year. More than 2 million Georgians have cast early votes in the race.
Trump staged his first post-election rally in Georgia on Dec. 5.
He also tweeted that he will be in DC on Jan. 6 — when lawmakers are due to confirm his electoral college loss to former Vice President Joe Biden, a loss Trump has refused to accept.
“See you in Washington, DC, on January 6th,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Don’t miss it. Information to follow!”