newyorkpost--2020-04-15--3M claims Florida company tried to price-gouge feds on ‘likely nonexistent’ masks

Personal protective equipment manufacturer 3M is suing a Florida company that it claims tried to sell “ likely nonexistent ” N95 respirators to the federal stockpile at three times the real price — the fourth time it has taken to the courts in recent days to stop price gougers .
In a lawsuit filed in a Florida federal court , 3M alleges that the Orlando-based Geftico LLC tried to peddle 10 million of the the highly demanded masks to the federal Division of Strategic National Stockpile last week at the “ grossly inflated ” rate .
The firm used 3M @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presentation to the feds to make it appear that it has ties to the household-name-brand manufacturer , the suit charges .
Geftico allegedly told the feds that it was just passing along a price increase imposed by 3M .
But the manufacturer has kept its rates for respirators flat during the COVID-19 pandemic , and claimed in a release that the promised masks were “ likely nonexistent.
” “ Not only does such price gouging further strain the limited resources available to combat COVID-19 , but such conduct justifiably has caused public outrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3M ’ s brand as defendant and similar pandemic profiteers promote an improper association between 3M ’ s marks and exploitative pricing behavior , ” the lawsuit states .
Last week , the Post-its manufacturer filed suits in New York , California and Texas against small companies that it says are lying about being tied to 3M in attempts to price gouge government officials seeking to buy respirators .
The defendants include a New Jersey-based LLC that offered to sell New York City millions of respirators for $ 45 million — a mark-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered agent for Geftico could not be reached for comment .

Personal protective equipment manufacturer 3M is suing a Florida company that it claims tried to sell “likely nonexistent” N95 respirators to the federal stockpile at three times the real price — the fourth time it has taken to the courts in recent days to stop price gougers.
In a lawsuit filed in a Florida federal court, 3M alleges that the Orlando-based Geftico LLC tried to peddle 10 million of the the highly demanded masks to the federal Division of Strategic National Stockpile last week at the “grossly inflated” rate.
The firm used 3M’s corporate logo in a PowerPoint presentation to the feds to make it appear that it has ties to the household-name-brand manufacturer, the suit charges.
Geftico allegedly told the feds that it was just passing along a price increase imposed by 3M.
But the manufacturer has kept its rates for respirators flat during the COVID-19 pandemic, and claimed in a release that the promised masks were “likely nonexistent.”
“Not only does such price gouging further strain the limited resources available to combat COVID-19, but such conduct justifiably has caused public outrage which threatens imminent and irreparable harm to 3M’s brand as defendant and similar pandemic profiteers promote an improper association between 3M’s marks and exploitative pricing behavior,” the lawsuit states.
Last week, the Post-its manufacturer filed suits in New York, California and Texas against small companies that it says are lying about being tied to 3M in attempts to price gouge government officials seeking to buy respirators.
The defendants include a New Jersey-based LLC that offered to sell New York City millions of respirators for $45 million — a mark-up of more than 500%.
The registered agent for Geftico could not be reached for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Celebrate Jackie Robinson with Chadwick Boseman’s breakout film

During the coronavirus shutdown , each day we will bring you ...

During the coronavirus shutdown, each day we will bring you a recommendation from The Post’s Peter Botte for a sports movie, TV show or book that perhaps was before your time or somehow slipped between the cracks of your viewing/reading history.
42 (2013)
Rated: PG-13
Streaming: Amazon Prime
One of the saddest by-products of this ongoing quarantine was the lack of Major League Baseball games played Wednesday on the 73rd anniversary of one of the most important dates in American history — Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American to appear in a major league game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Baseball’s suspended start to the 2020 season makes this week the perfect time to highlight and watch the vital big-screen story of the national pastime’s long-overdue integration, “42,” a number that has been fully retired across MLB since grandfathered Yankees closer Mariano Rivera retired in 2014.
Written and directed by Brian Helgeland — an Oscar winner in 1998 for Best Adapted Screenplay for “L.A. Confidential” — the film featured a breakout performance by Chadwick Boseman, who later portrayed Thurgood Marshall and James Brown in subsequent biopics, as well as the title role in Marvel’s superb “Black Panther.”
Spike Lee recently released the script of his own stalled 1990s Robinson project for public consumption, which he says would have explored more of Jackie’s personal life after retiring from baseball.
Robinson’s widow, Rachel, served as a consultant on “42” and fully endorsed it after its completion and release, even if it included a few historical inaccuracies, like many Hollywood depictions of historical events.
Harrison Ford (better known for his career-defining roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones) also fully dives into his supporting turn as Dodgers president Branch Rickey, who famously states, “We had a victory over fascism in Germany. It’s time, time we had a victory over racism at home.”
“Law and Order: SVU” vet Christopher Meloni also steals a few scenes as suspended manager Leo Durocher. And look out for CJ Nitkowski — who pitched briefly for both the Mets and the Yankees during a 10-year MLB career — as Phillies hurler Dutch Leonard. He brushes back Robinson in the game in which Phils manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk, aka Steve the Pirate from “Dodgeball”) vulgarly taunts Jackie with racial epithets.
Quote of Note: “Maybe tomorrow, we’ll all wear 42, so nobody could tell us apart.” — Teammate Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) to Jackie Robinson (Boseman)
Botte Blows: 4.2 of 5


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--People are mass-purchasing plants during quarantine

New Yorkers are going green while in quarantine .
Folks on lockdown are buying up plants to decorate their pads — in part because those with black thumbs are around 24/7 to care for them and in part because they are soothing during stressful times .
Since New Jersey ’ s stay-at-home order took effect on March 21 , stage manager Zach Schiffman has purchased 18 plants via Amazon Prime .
“ I was skeptical about mail-order plants , but once I got a perfect plant from a farm in Florida , I decided to order others , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , NJ .
Also the owner of a photo-booth company called Studio Z , Schiffman adds that caring for his plants has given him something to focus on other than Lego and video games while furloughed .
He has set up Bluetooth-enabled plant monitors , also purchased from Amazon , that alert him via a notification on his phone when a plant needs food or water .
Even experts like model Summer Rayne Oakes , who famously filled her Williamsburg apartment with what now total 1,100 plants , are adding to their urban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How To Make A Plant Love You , ” who also shares tips and videos for houseplant care with her 106,000 Instagram followers , splurged on a giant fern for her reading nook .
Oakes relies on garden centers like Crest Hardware in Williamsburg , an essential business that also offers delivery .
“ Customers come in to purchase cleaning supplies , but then pick up a plant , ” says second-generation owner Joseph Franquinha .
Chinatown ’ s Dandy Farmer Bonsai closed its brick-and-mortar doors but is offering free shipping through April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in the sale of garden tools … Since people can ’ t be outdoors , they want nature inside.
” Houseplants ’ rise in popularity , especially among millennials , is well-documented .
“ Even before the coronavirus sent us inside for most of the day , people were buying houseplants and office plants , at record rates , ” says Rebecca Bullene of design firm Greenery Unlimited , who lives in Greenpoint with her husband , dog and 50-plus plants .
Still , the pandemic boosted plant-purchasing .
“ Since mid-March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike in online sales , especially for blooming plants .
We can hardly keep up with fulfillment , ” says The Sill founder Eliza Blank .
“ People need something to tend to , to nurture , to pull away from the computer.
” While Park Slope resident Jacqueline Schmidt juggles her stationery business Screech Owl Design and her kids ’ remote learning , she ’ s found comfort in seven new plants from online retailers including The Sill .
“ I have a slice of life in what otherwise would feel like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says .
“ I look around and literally feel like spring has bloomed indoors .
”

New Yorkers are going green while in quarantine.
Folks on lockdown are buying up plants to decorate their pads — in part because those with black thumbs are around 24/7 to care for them and in part because they are soothing during stressful times.
Since New Jersey’s stay-at-home order took effect on March 21, stage manager Zach Schiffman has purchased 18 plants via Amazon Prime. “I was skeptical about mail-order plants, but once I got a perfect plant from a farm in Florida, I decided to order others,” says Schiffman, 33, of Fort Lee, NJ.
Also the owner of a photo-booth company called Studio Z, Schiffman adds that caring for his plants has given him something to focus on other than Lego and video games while furloughed. He has set up Bluetooth-enabled plant monitors, also purchased from Amazon, that alert him via a notification on his phone when a plant needs food or water.
Even experts like model Summer Rayne Oakes, who famously filled her Williamsburg apartment with what now total 1,100 plants, are adding to their urban jungles. The 35-year-old author of “How To Make A Plant Love You,” who also shares tips and videos for houseplant care with her 106,000 Instagram followers, splurged on a giant fern for her reading nook.
Oakes relies on garden centers like Crest Hardware in Williamsburg, an essential business that also offers delivery. “Customers come in to purchase cleaning supplies, but then pick up a plant,” says second-generation owner Joseph Franquinha. Chinatown’s Dandy Farmer Bonsai closed its brick-and-mortar doors but is offering free shipping through April. Co-founder Matthew Puntigam noticed “an increase in the sale of garden tools … Since people can’t be outdoors, they want nature inside.”
Houseplants’ rise in popularity, especially among millennials, is well-documented. “Even before the coronavirus sent us inside for most of the day, people were buying houseplants and office plants, at record rates,” says Rebecca Bullene of design firm Greenery Unlimited, who lives in Greenpoint with her husband, dog and 50-plus plants. Still, the pandemic boosted plant-purchasing.
“Since mid-March, we’ve seen a tremendous spike in online sales, especially for blooming plants. We can hardly keep up with fulfillment,” says The Sill founder Eliza Blank. “People need something to tend to, to nurture, to pull away from the computer.”
While Park Slope resident Jacqueline Schmidt juggles her stationery business Screech Owl Design and her kids’ remote learning, she’s found comfort in seven new plants from online retailers including The Sill.
“I have a slice of life in what otherwise would feel like four walls,” says Schmidt, 43. “I look around and literally feel like spring has bloomed indoors.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Sorry, Joe Biden: Barack Obama’s endorsements have a huge record of failure

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday endorsed her former Democratic presidential ...

At long last, former President Barack Obama has endorsed Joe Biden, who claimed he didn’t want his ex-boss’ endorsement during the nominating process.
You know what? Maybe Biden was right, even though he was lying. Maybe he shouldn’t have wanted Obama’s endorsement. For while it is true that Obama is a genius at winning elections, he is only a genius at it when he’s the one running.
No one has ever done better for himself in US politics — or been as ineffectual in his efforts to get other people elected. No one has ever so thoroughly dominated politics — or so thoroughly decimated the party he led to victory.
When Obama was elected president in 2008, Democrats had been in control of the House of Representatives and the Senate for two years. His colossal victory — 70 million votes — extended Democratic congressional margins substantially. Indeed, for much of his first year, Obama had a supermajority in the Senate.
He only lost that supermajority because Ted Kennedy died — but in a pregnant sign that Obama wouldn’t be the transformational party leader he seemed at first, Democrats lost the Kennedy seat in Massachusetts in January 2010 to a little-known Republican named Scott Brown.
Truth to tell, Obama had already shown his feet of clay in 2009 in a series of endorsements that didn’t turn the tide for the candidates he stumped for. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine lost his reelection bid to Chris Christie, while Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds was blown out in Virginia.
And a few months later, in 2010, Obama went all in for Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania — a deeply unpleasant Republican who had desperately gone Democrat because he had lost the confidence of his original party — only to see Specter lose . . . in the Democratic primary! (The guy who beat Specter then lost in November.)
True, Obama secured four massive pieces of legislation in his first 15 months in office and increased Washington spending by some $2.5 trillion — but in the process, he midwifed a conservative revolt in the form of the Tea Party.
By the time the nation voted in the midterm elections in 2010, Obama had all but thrown in the towel. In his last rally before the November vote, with Biden at his side, Obama said, “We’ve made progress. But I know that sometimes, as we’re grinding out this change, and there’s all the negative ads and the pundits on TV, and there’s still a lot of unemployment out here, people feel discouraged.”
Three days later, Republicans seized control of the House of Representatives by taking 63 seats away from Obama’s Democrats while winning back six Senate slots as well. Obama himself called the defeat a “shellacking” and ruefully acknowledged that “sometimes we lose track of the ways that we connected with folks that got us here in the first place.”
He began running for re-election almost immediately afterward and ran a blindingly brilliant campaign striking in its use of social-media technology to target voters and drive them to the polls.
A key Mitt Romney adviser told me afterward that he and his colleagues were blindsided by the relative ease with which Obama won because their polling showed Obama’s support to be extraordinarily soft. Asked how excited they were to vote on a scale between 1 and 10, a shocking number rated themselves a 1 or a 2 — and prior experience led the Romneyites to believe most of those potential voters would stay home.
But they didn’t, because the Obama campaign figured out new ways to encourage the unenthusiastic and drive them (sometimes literally) to the polls. He won 51 percent of the vote nationwide.
And yet, once again, when voters went to the polls in 2014, Obama’s help availed Democrats nothing. Quite the opposite, in fact. Republicans took nine Senate seats away from Dems and gained complete control of Congress.
By 2016, when Obama’s anointed successor Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump, the Democratic Party was in tatters. It wasn’t just the House and Senate the GOP came to dominate. Over the course of his presidency, more than 1,000 elected offices in the United States (out of 8,800 total) changed hands from Democrats to Republicans.
At the end of Obama’s tenure, Republicans held the majorities in 69 out of 99 state legislative bodies and 33 governor’s mansions (when they had held only 19 in 2009).
So congratulations on the endorsement you didn’t want, Joe Biden. You may live to regret it.
jpodhoretz@gmail.com


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Fyre Fest’s Billy McFarland petitions for early release, citing coronavirus

You can ’ t blame a guy for trying .
Imprisoned Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland has reportedly requested an early release from prison , citing fears of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 — less than two weeks after telling the Post exclusively he “ wasn ’ t worried ” about catching the disease , which is ravaging America ’ s prison population .
According to The Wrap , McFarland ’ s lawyers petitioned New York Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald , claiming that McFarland , 28 , suffers pre-existing medical conditions .
These include asthma , being diagnosed “ on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectrum for issues related to breathing and his cardiovascular system ” and heart issues “ he has experienced since his early 20s.
” McFarland ’ s team claim that at least 24 inmates and 14 staff members at Elkton — the low-security Ohio facility where McFarland is serving his six-year sentence — have tested positive for coronavirus , including the prison ’ s warden and assistant warden , who are both apparently in the hospital .
Via his lawyers , McFarland said that he is being kept in a large room with 140 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten sick and been relocated .
( The Columbus Dispatch reports six inmates at Elkton have died from the coronavirus . )
The lawyers argue that McFarland should be released to home confinement , which they suggest he was already a candidate for beginning in 2021 .
“ Mr .
McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety , ” the letter reads .
“ The crime to which he pled guilty for was the non-violent financial crime of wire fraud .
However , he is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.
” Earlier this month , the Post exclusively reported that McFarland was attempting to launch a new initiative to crowd-fund phone calls for “ in-need inmates and their families who are affected by coronavirus.
” At the time , he said he was not worried about catching the coronavirus , saying “ Elderly people who are at the greatest medical risk should definitely be considered for release .
”

You can’t blame a guy for trying.
Imprisoned Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland has reportedly requested an early release from prison, citing fears of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 — less than two weeks after telling the Post exclusively he “wasn’t worried” about catching the disease, which is ravaging America’s prison population.
According to The Wrap, McFarland’s lawyers petitioned New York Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, claiming that McFarland, 28, suffers pre-existing medical conditions. These include asthma, being diagnosed “on the ‘extreme’ scale of the allergy spectrum for issues related to breathing and his cardiovascular system” and heart issues “he has experienced since his early 20s.”
McFarland’s team claim that at least 24 inmates and 14 staff members at Elkton — the low-security Ohio facility where McFarland is serving his six-year sentence — have tested positive for coronavirus, including the prison’s warden and assistant warden, who are both apparently in the hospital. Via his lawyers, McFarland said that he is being kept in a large room with 140 inmates and that 30 of them have gotten sick and been relocated. (The Columbus Dispatch reports six inmates at Elkton have died from the coronavirus.)
The lawyers argue that McFarland should be released to home confinement, which they suggest he was already a candidate for beginning in 2021. “Mr. McFarland is not a risk to the community nor a threat to public safety,” the letter reads. “The crime to which he pled guilty for was the non-violent financial crime of wire fraud. However, he is a low risk of recidivism for such financial crimes as he has explained that he has a supportive family that has attested to providing for his basic needs.”
Earlier this month, the Post exclusively reported that McFarland was attempting to launch a new initiative to crowd-fund phone calls for “in-need inmates and their families who are affected by coronavirus.” At the time, he said he was not worried about catching the coronavirus, saying “Elderly people who are at the greatest medical risk should definitely be considered for release.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Olympic delay makes being part of Israeli team ‘sweeter’ for Robb Paller

Cinderella was never sent home from the ball with such ...

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Robb Paller’s journey began in early December 2018. It included two trips to Israel, a long process to get his citizenship and three rounds of Olympic qualifying over the summer of 2019.
The Brooklyn native and former star outfielder at Columbia was just months away from heading to Tokyo to represent Israel’s national baseball team, a group that was set to make history as the country’s first team to compete in the Olympics since 1976.
Late last month, however, that dream was extinguished for the time being when the Summer Games were postponed until 2021 because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
“You work your butt off preparing for the biggest stage in sports,” Paller, who helped Columbia reach two NCAA Tournaments and was an All-Ivy League first-team selection as a senior in 2016, said in a phone interview. “It took a few days to regroup mentally after the announcement.”
Paller wasn’t complaining about the decision. He stressed the importance of everyone’s health. He’s a New Yorker and has seen how badly this virus has hit his home. Sports, he said, come second.
Still, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Paller put his professional dreams on hold to play for Israel after spending the time since he graduated from Columbia playing in independent leagues like the Frontier League, United Shore Professional Baseball League and Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. Al the while, he gave hitting lessons and worked for the Player Development Systems in Philadelphia.
In December 2018, Israel coach Eric Holtz sent Paller a direct message on Instagram, asking on simple question: “Are you Jewish?” Holtz’s son, Brett, had played for Columbia while the 5-foot-11, left-handed-hitting Paller was there, and the coach thought he would be a strong addition to the team.
To be eligible, Paller had to get his citizenship, a process called “aliyah” in Hebrew. It included a massive amount of paperwork, an FBI background check and a letter from a rabbi. After a five-day trip to Israel with a few teammates in April 2019, he was set. The team returned to Israel again in January after qualifying for the Games to run a few clinics, meet Israeli president Reuven Rivlin and spread the word.
“It was mixed. A lot of people didn’t know there was even baseball in Israel,” Paller said. “There were so many people thanking us, welcoming us. They were super proud we made aliyah to represent Israel in the Olympics.”
It was a longshot for Israel, which is comprised mostly of American Jews like Paller, to even reach the six-team Europe/Africa Olympic qualifying tournament. Just three years ago, Israel was the 41st-ranked team in the world before a surprising sixth-place finish in the World Baseball Classic. Israel had to get through European B-Pool competition and a best-of-three series against Lithuania. At that point, former major leaguers such as Danny Valencia and Ty Kelly were added to get over the final hump. Paller was still a key part of the team, a starting outfielder who shined in the field and at the plate.
“It’s been the best baseball experience of my life,” he said.
Growing up, Paller wasn’t very religious. His family even had a Christmas tree, though he did have a traditional bar mitzvah and attended Hebrew school. But this experience has helped him get more in touch with his Jewish roots and a sense of belonging to a community.
“This has been a special opportunity and something I’m extremely grateful for, and blessed to have been able to use baseball to connect with my Jewish heritage, become a citizen of a great country, meet a bunch of awesome guys and be an Olympian,” he said.
Unless he catches a break, this is likely going to be the biggest competition of Paller’s athletic life. At the age of 26, it could be one of the last ones. Nevertheless, Paller isn’t going to give up on this dream. He’s going to keep training and wait to represent Israel in the Summer Olympics. It just so happens it will have to be in 2021, instead of 2020.
“It’s more time to prepare,” he said, “and it’ll be that much sweeter when it does happen.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--3,000 NYC public hospital workers out sick, 924 coronavirus positive

More than 900 staffers at New York City ’ s public hospital system have tested positive for the coronavirus and 3,000 have called in sick — revealing how the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged front-line medical workers as well as patients , according to new data released Wednesday .
“ Our brave essential health care workers continue to go above and beyond to keep New Yorkers safe at our hospitals , clinics , and nursing homes .
Every day and night they come to work and dedicate themselves to their patient ’ s care , treatment , and support , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s network of 11 public hospitals and long-term care facilities and clinics said in a prepared statement .
“ These are understandably frightening times , and we are all pulling together so that we can save more New Yorkers , ” the statement said .
The Health + Hospitals workforce fluctuates between 39,000 and 45,000 workers .
Unlike the police and fire departments , Health + Hospitals has been slow to release statistics regarding the number of workers calling in sick or who ’ ve tested positive for coronavirus .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if anything , is likely unlikely undercounted and the city has only just begun regular testing of its health care workers for the coronavirus .
Testing began last week for hospital employees who have no symptoms and are providing direct care to coronavirus patients .
Hospital workers , beginning Wednesday , can be tested if they show no symptoms but have family members at home who are infected with COVID-19 .
Testing is open for all health care workers beginning April 22 .
The pandemic has stretched medical staff performing heroic work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thin — putting hospitals in an unenviable position .
Doctors and nurses regularly exposed to the coronavirus are getting sick .
But hospitals risk being short-handed staff if too many workers are absent or test positive and can ’ t work .
But a heavy-handed memo put out last week by Health + Hospitals — that suggested workers at some facilities might be taking advantage of the epidemic because there are “ very high rates of call outs and absences that do not appear to be consistent with patterns of COVID infection ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
The memo said workers have to provide a doctor ’ s note or documentation that they had COVID-19 or another illness to justify taking paid sick time .
More than 11,000 New Yorkers statewide have died from the coronavirus , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday .

More than 900 staffers at New York City’s public hospital system have tested positive for the coronavirus and 3,000 have called in sick — revealing how the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged front-line medical workers as well as patients, according to new data released Wednesday.
“Our brave essential health care workers continue to go above and beyond to keep New Yorkers safe at our hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Every day and night they come to work and dedicate themselves to their patient’s care, treatment, and support,” Health + Hospitals, which runs the city’s network of 11 public hospitals and long-term care facilities and clinics said in a prepared statement.
“These are understandably frightening times, and we are all pulling together so that we can save more New Yorkers,” the statement said. The Health + Hospitals workforce fluctuates between 39,000 and 45,000 workers.
Unlike the police and fire departments, Health + Hospitals has been slow to release statistics regarding the number of workers calling in sick or who’ve tested positive for coronavirus.
The number of hospital workers infected with COVID, if anything, is likely unlikely undercounted and the city has only just begun regular testing of its health care workers for the coronavirus.
Testing began last week for hospital employees who have no symptoms and are providing direct care to coronavirus patients.
Hospital workers, beginning Wednesday, can be tested if they show no symptoms but have family members at home who are infected with COVID-19.
Testing is open for all health care workers beginning April 22.
The pandemic has stretched medical staff performing heroic work treating patients under stressful and hazardous conditions thin — putting hospitals in an unenviable position.
Doctors and nurses regularly exposed to the coronavirus are getting sick. But hospitals risk being short-handed staff if too many workers are absent or test positive and can’t work.
But a heavy-handed memo put out last week by Health + Hospitals — that suggested workers at some facilities might be taking advantage of the epidemic because there are “very high rates of call outs and absences that do not appear to be consistent with patterns of COVID infection” — enraged some nurses and other medical staff.
The memo said workers have to provide a doctor’s note or documentation that they had COVID-19 or another illness to justify taking paid sick time.
More than 11,000 New Yorkers statewide have died from the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Red tape is blocking vital supplies for hospital workers

New York State nurses and other hospital workers are being ...

In recent weeks, a number of people have contacted our offices offering to donate masks and other forms of personal protective equipment, or PPE. You would think that, given disturbing reports of shortages at hospitals and other critical facilities, the city and state would eagerly accept these donations — or at least, look into them.
You’d think wrong.
We have heard the same story from numerous suppliers and individuals with access to crucially needed supplies. They follow city and state guidelines and submit information through the proper channels. These suppliers want to get PPE in the hands of the heroes who need them.
And officials tell them, time and again: “Thanks. We’re good.”
That doesn’t make any sense. Health workers have been resorting to coffee filters for masks and garbage bags for gowns. Hospitals in Brooklyn and around the city tell us that the need for PPE hasn’t abated. In many areas, the need has only grown.
And it isn’t just hospital workers, either: Grocery clerks, nursing-home staff and other front-line workers are practically begging us to supply them with masks, especially after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised all Americans to use face coverings to prevent the spread.
Our offices have tried to fill the gap where we can. We have distributed thousands of masks to New York City Housing Authority staff, transit workers, school-safety agents and others. But we simply can’t meet the enormous demand here in Brooklyn and throughout the five boroughs on our own.
The widespread shortage of PPE affects all of us, but communities of color are especially vulnerable to dangers. Data recently released by the city Department of Health revealed that confirmed cases and deaths resulting from COVID-19 are largely concentrated in black and brown communities. Many people in these neighborhoods don’t have the luxury of telecommuting. They are the ones who respond to our 911 calls, drive our buses, scan our groceries.
When we deny these people the means to protect themselves and others, we’re sending a clear message that while our city might deem them “essential,” we really think they’re expendable.
Even during periods of calm, our procurement rules are a byzantine mess, causing bureaucratic headaches that can take weeks and months to resolve. During a time of emergency, the time windows are drastically shortened — as the death toll from COVID-19 continues to mount, every minute counts. Yet it doesn’t seem like the city and state have adjusted their protocols to adapt to the new reality.
That’s why we’re calling on both to relax their procurement rules during this time of emergency to expedite the distribution of PPE to front-line workers.
It’s important to note that not all PPE is procured or donated through the city or state. Most health facilities have an infection-prevention team to conduct quality testing on supplies before they’re released to front-line staff. As long as it meets their standards, these facilities can accept supplies from a variety of sources.
To be clear, we aren’t suggesting that we suspend the government’s vetting procedures that guarantee gowns, masks, gloves and other items are in good condition. We recognize that in times of crisis, there will always be hucksters and scammers looking to make a quick buck, and we have to be vigilant. As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to spend taxpayer money in a responsible manner.
But allowing stockpiles of equipment from legitimate suppliers to languish in warehouses isn’t responsible. The biggest lie we’ve been told for weeks is that the shortage of PPE is an immutable reality, something that can’t be fixed. But if the calls we’ve been fielding in recent weeks are any indication, the supply is out there. The city and state just have yet to tap it. If we’re going to overcome this pandemic, it’s time we stop letting red tape cost us more lives.
Eric Adams is Brooklyn borough president. Justin Brannan represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Bath Beach on the City Council.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Stimulus checks are being spent on dildos, tigers, guns and stripper poles

Americans began receiving the first batch of coronavirus relief checks this week , and now many are taking to social media to brag about the assortment of purchases — both strange and savvy — they ’ ve already made with them .
While many are using the emergency cash to pay bills for necessities and living expenses , others are putting the money towards strange impulse buys .
Among the more trivial items people have reportedly used the stimulus money for are an inflatable dinosaur costume — although the buyer argues the $ 35 purchase was totally worth it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it plus look at that price !
I shoulda bought 2 , ” the proud dino suit owner tweets .
“ F - - k it I ’ m buying a stripper pole with my stimulus check .
We have to invest in our future , ” tweets a future exotic dancer .
Some are jokingly planning to team up , so they can use their economic impact payments to buy a baby tiger .
“ Hear me out — Who wants to combine their stimulus checks with me , and we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely fan of “ Tiger King.
” It ’ s hard to argue a canopied bed is ever essential , but one mom bought a princess-themed one for her kid .
The same argument goes for a woman who used her check to buy a high-end sex toy , although she concedes she bought the stimulator only after paying off a credit card .
One hobbyist “ burning through ” their stimulus check indulged in paintball equipment , while another caved and bought a pricey pair of Yeezy shoes .
At least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash , went towards buying a Bird One e-scooter , which retails for $ 1,299 .
Others are considering purchasing personalized insight from celebrities .
“ Thinking about buying myself a cameo from Big Ed with this stimulus check , ” writes a fan of reality show star Ed Brown .
Another early check recipient spent her cash on a “ warm and cozy ” coat which , while arguably an essential buy , might be out of season .
Some opted for much more practical decisions , choosing pragmatism over indulgences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ check on her electric bill , car payment and a credit card bill , with enough leftover to buy tank tops and a bidet .
“ And just like that , it ’ s gone , ” she tweets .
Another woman treated herself to two Walmart stuffed animals after paying her water and electric bills .
Media worker Ryan Cole put his check towards paying off Sallie Mae like a boss .
“ Put that # Stimuluscheck to good use , ” he tweets with a screenshot of his payment confirmation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her check back into the stock market and some in her savings for a savvy investment .
After joking she ’ d spent her money on a house , a good Samaritan revealed she and her boyfriend had actually both donated their checks to Feeding America .
Others are still in the planning stages for what they ’ ll do with the money .
“ Looking forward to using my # Stimuluscheck to purchase another AR-15 and some 30rd mags , ” writes one gun-lover .
For those without direct deposit , checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can check the status of yours and even speed up getting the dough , but be sure not to fall for these scams .

Stimulus checks are funding a national pandemic of impulse buys.
Americans began receiving the first batch of coronavirus relief funds this week, and now many are taking to social media to brag about the assortment of purchases — both strange and savvy — they’ve already made with them.
While many are using the emergency cash to pay bills for necessities and living expenses, others are putting the money toward wild splurges.
Among the more trivial items people have reportedly used the extra bucks on is an inflatable dinosaur costume — although the buyer argues the $35 getup was totally worth it. “I actually have good use for it plus look at that price! I shoulda bought 2,” the proud dino suit owner tweets.
“F - - k it I’m buying a stripper pole with my stimulus check. We have to invest in our future,” tweets a future exotic dancer.
Some are jokingly planning to team up, so they can use their economic impact payments to buy a baby tiger. “Hear me out — Who wants to combine their stimulus checks with me, and we can buy a tiger,” writes one likely fan of “Tiger King.”
It’s hard to argue a canopied bed is ever essential, but one mom bought a princess-themed one for her kid. The same argument goes for a woman who used her check to buy a high-end sex toy, although she concedes she bought the stimulator only after paying off a credit card.
One hobbyist “burning through” their stimulus check indulged in paintball equipment, while another caved and bought a pricey pair of Yeezy shoes. At least one entire stimulus check, and possibly additional cash, went towards buying a Bird One e-scooter, which retails for $1,299.
Others are considering purchasing personalized insight from celebrities. “Thinking about buying myself a cameo from Big Ed with this stimulus check,” writes a fan of reality show star Ed Brown.
Another early check recipient spent her cash on a “warm and cozy” coat, which, while arguably an essential buy, might be out of season.
Some opted for much more practical decisions, choosing pragmatism over indulgences.
One woman has already spent her entire check on her electric bill, car payment and a credit card bill, with enough left over to buy tank tops and a bidet. “And just like that, it’s gone,” she tweets. Another woman treated herself to two Walmart stuffed animals after paying her water and electric bills.
Media worker Ryan Cole put his check towards paying off Sallie Mae like a boss. “Put that #Stimuluscheck to good use,” he tweets with a screenshot of his payment confirmation.
One woman chose to put part of her check back into the stock market and some in her savings for a savvy investment.
After joking she’d spent her money on a house, a good Samaritan revealed she and her boyfriend had actually both donated their checks to Feeding America.
Others are still in the planning stages for what they’ll do with the money.
“Looking forward to using my #Stimuluscheck to purchase another AR-15 and some 30rd mags,” writes one gun lover.
For those without direct deposit, checks may not arrive until mid-August or later. You can check the status of yours and even speed up getting the dough, but be sure not to fall for these scams.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Feds want $182K from Colombo boss who won money in prison ping-pong injury settlement

She wants an offer no one can refuse .
The judge ...

The feds want to seize back more than $182,000 from a Colombo family street boss who was awarded the money through a personal injury suit against the government when he cracked his own kneecap playing prison ping-pong.
Prosecutors have filed papers to get their hands on Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli’s settlement money to partially satisfy a $360,000 forfeiture order related to a pair of robberies in the 1990s.
The feds found out through an investigation into the 67-year-old wiseguy’s finances that his only “significant asset” at this point is his personal-injury award, court papers state.
“The government’s investigation indicated that the proceeds of the Defendant’s offenses, which date back to the 1990’s, have been dissipated, disposed of or transferred to third parties, or are otherwise not available for forfeiture,” an inspector with the US Marshals Service wrote in court papers.
The forfeiture bid is subject to approval by Brooklyn federal Judge Brian Cogan.
Gioeli was accused of masterminding the 1992 robbery of Furs by Mina, a Nassau County clothier, in which he and two Colombo associates posed as a father-and-sons trio out shopping, court records show.
They restrained the shop owner and looted the store, making off with 150 fur coats stuffed into trash bags — a roughly $900,000 haul.
A jury in 2012 acquitted Gioeli on the fur store robbery and another 1995 stick-up at a Long Island bank — it also cleared him on charges that he orchestrated the 1997 murder of NYPD officer Ralph Dols Jr., who made the fatal mistake of marrying Colombo consigliere Joel “Joe Waverly” Cacace’s ex-wife.
But jurors found Gioeli guilty of plotting the murders of at least three gangland rivals.
While locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Gioeli — who suffers from diabetes and heart disease — took up playing table tennis twice a week for exercise.
But during a 2013 match, he chased after a loose ball and slipped on a puddle of water and went down on one knee — roughing himself up so badly that he needed surgery and a 30-day hospital stay.
Brooklyn federal Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, who presided over Gioeli’s $10 million personal injury lawsuit, said that the injury was half his own fault because he frequently played ping-pong near a leaky shower station — but laid the other half of the blame at the feet of the government for not keeping the area safe.
Gioeli is locked up in federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, and is scheduled to be released in May 2024.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Pennsylvania is place to watch for whether post-shutdown recovery works

New York could lose $ 9.7 billion in tax revenue by ...

Since the shutdown began, Pennsylvanians have filed nearly 1.1 million claims for unemployment benefits. That’s an astounding 18 percent of the 6.1 million state residents working in February — a Depression-evoking figure. The Keystone State is a harbinger, of the job losses in other states and potentially of President Trump’s reelection hopes.
The state’s system for processing jobless claims hasn’t frozen up under record inquiries. Which means the job losses reported by Pennsylvania will start showing up in other states soon, as more people access Web sites or get through to phone lines. New York, for example, recorded nearly 800,000 new claims over the last three weeks. Two months ago, it had 9.2 million workers — bigger by half than Pennsylvania’s workforce.
As national jobless figures continue to rise, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Keystone State. Pennsylvania is a state that closely tracks national averages: In racial demographics (82 percent white), household income (nearly $60,000), labor-force participation (63 percent), college-educated adults (31 percent), public-sector taxes and spending and pragmatic politics, it offers a snapshot of the United States as a whole.
The job market is also diverse, from its two big cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, to affluent exurbs and struggling Rust Belt towns. Out of 6.2 million jobs in February, Pennsylvania boasted 820,000 professional and business jobs; 580,000 in manufacturing; another 580,000 in leisure, entertainment, hotel and restaurant jobs; 330,000 in finance; and 270,000 in construction. The state has 140,000 farmers.
Pennsylvania started 2020 with a healthy job market and low unemployment. Overall job growth was steady, with gains made nearly across the board, from finance and construction to leisure and hospitality. Pennsylvania’s economy did show some pre-pandemic weaknesses. Employment in the manufacturing sector shrunk slightly, even as it continued to grow modestly in the rest of the country.
The shutdown has obliterated what was left of this modest success, and the job losses are likely to dwarf those following the 2000 and 2008 recessions. The hospitality and retail industries are immediately at risk, with hotels, restaurants and retail stores essentially shuttered, except for some grocery and food-delivery work.
That’s bad for Philadelphia, whose 1.6 million residents, many lacking a college education, disproportionately depend on tourism for retail, leisure and hospitality jobs, which had risen by 43 percent since 2000, to nearly 100,000. In 2018, 45 million people visited Philadelphia, with China the second-biggest source of overseas tourists. Lancaster County’s Amish Country, Hershey, Gettysburg and the Poconos depend acutely on tourism.
Plus, reduced demand from global manufacturers could harm the state’s steel production; travel restrictions on migrant workers could hurt farming. Banking-industry losses, as unemployed workers can’t pay their bills, would mean finance layoffs. Even government workers aren’t immune. Though Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a sturdily balanced budget in February, the coronavirus likely means a multibillion-dollar shortfall.
Pennsylvania, then, will be a microcosm of how well Washington’s rescue-and-recovery measures are working. The state’s now-idle workers will benefit from supplemental unemployment insurance, passed by Congress last month with the CARES Act, which will largely replace their lost income. The state and local governments will likely receive $5 billion in direct federal aid, part of the same rescue package. Small businesses can apply for forgivable loans.
When the edict comes that people are free to go about their lives again, how quickly will small businesses be able to reopen? Will firms rehire people soon enough so they can regain confidence and start spending again?
Cities like Philadelphia could suffer for months or years, as people shy away from transit, avoid dense urban areas or shift to working from home. Conversely, cities could experience a new boom, as people quickly regain urban employment and splurge on trips and meals.
Nobody knows the answers to these questions. It could take years for a final verdict, though one interim judgment will take place this November. It’s hard to imagine Trump’s reelection unless he wins Pennsylvania again. The president’s political future, therefore, hinges on whether the rescue and recovery meet voters’ expectations.
Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor of City Journal, from which this was adapted. Twitter: @NicoleGelinas


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Trump accuses NYC of padding its coronavirus death toll

More than 10,000 people have died of coronavirus in New ...

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President Trump on Wednesday questioned Mayor Bill de Blasio’s revised coronavirus death toll — a day after New York City revised how it tracks fatalities by adding more than 3,700 victims who died of apparent coronavirus symptoms and were never tested.
“I see this morning where New York added 3,000 [sic] deaths because they died. Rather than [a] heart attack, they say heart attack caused by this,” he said during the daily briefing of the Coronavirus Task Force, referring to COVID-19.
Responding to a question about the staggering US death toll, which topped 27,000 Wednesday, the president suggested that the Big Apple added the new deaths to the tally “just in case” the victims had the virus.
“If you look at it, that is it. Everything we have is documented and reported great. What they are doing is just in case — that is OK. We have more cases because we do more reporting.”
Freddi Goldstein, a spokeswoman for de Blasio, ripped Trump’s remarks.
“These were people with names, hobbies, lives. They leave behind grieving loved ones. They deserve to be recognized, not minimized,” she said.
The city announced Tuesday that more than 10,000 people have died of coronavirus in New York City, including 3,778 cases in which someone never got tested for it, some of whom never made it to a hospital.
The update came after The Post reported last week that the city’s death tally was short by thousands of people due to a surge in New Yorkers who were dying at home.
Probable coronavirus deaths were more common than confirmed coronavirus deaths among victims age 75 and older, according to the city Health Department.
Probable COVID-19 fatalities were also more likely to occur in Manhattan and Brooklyn compared to the other boroughs, the data shows.
More than 90 percent of confirmed COVID-19 deaths happened at city hospitals while about 60 percent of probable coronavirus fatalities occurred in hospitals.
The other 40 percent of probable coronavirus victims died at their own homes or in nursing homes.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--New Jersey man tried to use coronavirus symptoms as excuse for speeding

This guy ought to keep his eye on the speedometer , not the thermometer .
A New Jersey man who @ @ @ @ @ the speed limit on a highway tried to dodge a trip to jail by claiming @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus symptoms , police said Wednesday .
Christopher Ospina , 20 , of Haledon , @ @ @ @ @ 130 mph while heading west on I-80 Tuesday , according to state authorities .
Ospina @ @ @ @ @ Lodi and stopped at a gas station .
But he later jumped back into his @ @ @ @ @ he spotted State Troopers coming for him , police said .
The speedster later turned @ @ @ @ @ State Police Station , where he tried to tell troopers he had COVID-19 symptoms before @ @ @ @ @ , cops said .
It was not clear if he was really sick .
Ospina @ @ @ @ @ for comment .

This guy ought to keep his eye on the speedometer, not the thermometer.
A New Jersey man who was clocked going nearly twice the speed limit on a highway tried to dodge a trip to jail by claiming he had come down with coronavirus symptoms, police said Wednesday.
Christopher Ospina, 20, of Haledon, NJ, was clocked doing 130 mph while heading west on I-80 Tuesday, according to state authorities.
Ospina pulled off the interstate in Lodi and stopped at a gas station.
But he later jumped back into his BMW and sped off when he spotted State Troopers coming for him, police said.
The speedster later turned himself in at the Totowa State Police Station, where he tried to tell troopers he had COVID-19 symptoms before being hauled off to jail, cops said. It was not clear if he was really sick.
Ospina could not immediately be reached for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Trump threatens to declare Congress adjourned to make recess appointments

President Trump threatened Wednesday to circumvent the Senate and unilaterally name people to federal posts using recess appointments during the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump said he has the power to declare that both chambers of Congress are in recess so that he can make appointments and curtail Democratic opposition that has delayed judicial and other confirmations .
“ The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments , ” Trump said in a White House press conference .
“ It ’ s always roadblocks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House will not agree to that adjournment , I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress .
The current practice of leaving town , while conducting phony pro forma sessions , is a dereliction of duty.
” The Democratic-held House and Republican-led Senate technically are still in session , though most lawmakers have left town .
Both chambers are holding pro forma sessions until at least May 4 , with most lawmakers not attending to pass legislation .
These sessions prevent the president from making recess appointments .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was outraged that Michael Peck ’ s nomination is still pending to lead the Broadcasting Board of Governor , whose Voice of America division Trump said is responsible for “ disgusting ” news coverage .
“ If you heard what ’ s coming out of the Voice of America , it ’ s disgusting .
What things they say are disgusting toward our country , ” Trump said .
“ And Michael Peck would get any do a great job , but he ’ s been waiting now for two years.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by name .
“ There are currently 129 nominees stuck in the Senate because of partisan obstruction , ” Trump said .
“ The positions include the director of national intelligence to members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors , the assistant secretary of Treasury for financial markets of the United States .
And the undersecretary of agriculture responsible for administering food security programs.
” Recess appointments were controversial under former President Barack Obama , and Trump ’ s threat could face legal trouble due to a unanimous 2014 decision from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges united to strike down three appointments made by Obama during a period where the Senate said it was in session .
The unanimous justices wrote : “ For purposes of the Recess Appointments Clause , the Senate is in session when it says it is , provided that , under its own rules , it retains the capacity to transact Senate business.
” Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , whose GOP caucus holds 53 Senate seats , and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not immediately offer comment .

President Trump threatened Wednesday to circumvent the Senate and unilaterally name people to federal posts using recess appointments during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump said he has the power to declare that both chambers of Congress are in recess so that he can make appointments and curtail Democratic opposition that has delayed judicial and other confirmations.
“The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments,” Trump said in a White House press conference.
“It’s always roadblocks and a waste of time. If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress. The current practice of leaving town, while conducting phony pro forma sessions, is a dereliction of duty.”
The Democratic-held House and Republican-led Senate technically are still in session, though most lawmakers have left town. Both chambers are holding pro forma sessions until at least May 4, with most lawmakers not attending to pass legislation. These sessions prevent the president from making recess appointments.
Trump cited examples of holdups, saying he was outraged that Michael Peck’s nomination is still pending to lead the Broadcasting Board of Governor, whose Voice of America division Trump said is responsible for “disgusting” news coverage.
“If you heard what’s coming out of the Voice of America, it’s disgusting. What things they say are disgusting toward our country,” Trump said. “And Michael Peck would do a great job, but he’s been waiting now for two years.”
Trump cited other pending nominees, but not by name.
“There are currently 129 nominees stuck in the Senate because of partisan obstruction,” Trump said. “The positions include the director of national intelligence to members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the assistant secretary of Treasury for financial markets of the United States. And the undersecretary of agriculture responsible for administering food security programs.”
Recess appointments were controversial under former President Barack Obama, and Trump’s threat could face legal trouble due to a unanimous 2014 decision from the Supreme Court, where liberal and conservative judges united to strike down three appointments made by Obama during a period where the Senate said it was in session.
The unanimous justices wrote: “For purposes of the Recess Appointments Clause, the Senate is in session when it says it is, provided that, under its own rules, it retains the capacity to transact Senate business.”
The office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), whose 47 caucus members can filibuster nominees, did not immediately offer comment.
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose GOP caucus holds 53 Senate seats, said McConnell and Trump spoke on Wednesday about “Senate Democrats’ unprecedented obstruction of the president’s well-qualified nominees.”
McConnell “pledged to find ways to confirm nominees considered mission-critical to the COVID-19 pandemic, but under Senate rules will take consent from Leader Schumer,” the McConnell spokesman said.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Britney Spears dances to ‘genius’ Justin Timberlake’s ‘Filthy’ on IG

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 ) 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 ) A post shared by Britney Spears ( @ britneyspears ) on Apr 15 , 2020 at 2:43pm PDT Better late than never .
Britney Spears has , at long last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ Man of the Woods ” and its lead single “ Filthy , ” two years after the song ’ s release date .
Spears broke her historic silence on Instagram Wednesday evening , posting a clip of herself … grooving to the song on her back porch .
“ This is my version of Snapchat or TikTok or whatever the cool thing you ’ re supposed to do these days [ is ] , ” Spears , 38 , wrote .
“ As you can see I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just very bored.
” “ PS I know we had one of the world ’ s biggest breakups 20 years ago , ” the missive continues , “ but hey the man is a genius !
!
!
!
Great song JT ” “ Pssss if you KNOW WHAT ’ S GOOD , ” Spears finishes her note , cryptically .
“ Blogs are already plotting their outrageous stories , ” Spears ’ sister , Jamie Lynn , commented .
“ You keep having fun and looking cute tho !
!
” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not . )
Spears then posted a follow-up video , indicating she performed 13 turns while continuing her listen of the song .
Spears and Timberlake dated for approximately three years , breaking up in 2002 .
“ Filthy ” debuted at number 9 on the “ Billboard ” Hot 100 in January 2018 and reached the top 5 in Canada .
Timberlake has not yet publicly commented on Spears ’ crucial 11th-hour approbation as of this writing .

Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
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Better late than never.
Britney Spears has, at long last, offered her support to Justin Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” and its lead single “Filthy,” two years after the song’s release date.
Spears broke her historic silence on Instagram Wednesday evening, posting a clip of herself … grooving to the song on her back porch.
“This is my version of Snapchat or TikTok or whatever the cool thing you’re supposed to do these days [is],” Spears, 38, wrote. “As you can see I’m not really dancing folks … I’m just very bored.”
“PS I know we had one of the world’s biggest breakups 20 years ago,” the missive continues, “but hey the man is a genius !!!! Great song JT”
“Pssss if you KNOW WHAT’S GOOD,” Spears finishes her note, cryptically.
“Blogs are already plotting their outrageous stories,” Spears’ sister, Jamie Lynn, commented. “You keep having fun and looking cute tho!!” (Editor’s note: We were not.)
Spears then posted a follow-up video, indicating she performed 13 turns while continuing her listen of the song.
Spears and Timberlake dated for approximately three years, breaking up in 2002. “Filthy” debuted at number 9 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 in January 2018 and reached the top 5 in Canada. Timberlake eventually responded to Spears’ crucial 11th-hour approbation with a cry-laughing emoji and several praise-hands emoji.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Why Trump is totally right to put US funding for WHO on hold

`` We urge the United States to earnestly fulfill their responsibilities ...

All the usual suspects are condemning President Trump for suspending US funding for the World Health Organization, but it was clearly the right call. WHO’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic needs confronting before it does more damage.
In particular, the organization spent weeks echoing Beijing’s lies about the threat and urging action that served the needs of China’s rulers — but not the world’s health.
Consider: Taiwanese experts warned in December that the virus spread rapidly from human to human — but WHO ignored Taiwan, simply because Beijing refuses to recognize the island’s government.
Indeed, China only contacted WHO about the virus on Dec. 31 and insisted there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. In fact, we now know that Beijing knew otherwise but destroyed the evidence.
Yet the world body duly echoed China’s line for weeks, praising Beijing on Jan. 4 for “responding proactively and rapidly to the current incident in Wuhan” and echoing China’s claim of “no evidence of human-to-human transmission” on Jan. 14, before finally admitting the truth on Jan. 20.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is a particular villain. On Jan. 23, he declared that the virus was “not yet a global health emergency.” A week later, the agency did declare that emergency — as Tedros cheered “China’s commitment to transparency and to protecting the world’s people.”
The week after that, he complained about “the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response” as WHO warned the world against limiting travel from and trade with the source of the contagion.
Not until March 11 did the agency even declare a COVID-19 pandemic, after the bug had spread to more than 100 countries.
“The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion,” Trump said Tuesday. And it “must be held accountable.”
Some admit WHO’s bungling but insist that the agency is needed now to coordinate the world response. But the world is better off coordinating without the “help” of an agency that’s been packed with Beijing loyalists ever since 2006, when China engineered the selection of Dr. Margaret Chan as its director-general. (Tedros was also Beijing’s pick, in 2017.)
US taxpayers send WHO about $450 million a year, some 15 percent of its budget; China, just $40 million — yet the agency echoes Beijing’s line faithfully, having yet to acknowledge any of China’s deceptions.
This is not a permanent end to that US funding: It’s a wake-up call that WHO must clean house to become truly non-political before it can be trusted with its official mission: “To promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--New saliva test for coronavirus rolls out in New Jersey

It ’ s enough to make you gag .
Getting tested for the ...

Now you can be tested for the coronavirus by just spitting into a test tube.
A new saliva-based COVID-19 test rolled out in New Jersey Wednesday can yield results within 48 hours, and spares potential patients from having a swab jammed deep into the back of their noses or throats, according to a new report.
The test, developed by Rutgers University and approved earlier this week by the US Food and Drug Administration, is expected to dramatically increase the number of residents that can be screened for the deadly pandemic, ABC-TV News reported.
“We’ve been given clear direction to produce as many as possible,” Nicholas Melchiaorre, manager at Rutgers’ Clinical Genomics Lab, told the news network.
The pain-free procedure calls for residents to spit into a test tube, which is then sealed and tagged with their name and date of birth. The sample is then sent to either Rutgers’ lab or at a Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic’s Lab in South Plainfield for analysis, the station said. Results come back in 24 to 48 hours.
The procedure also limits exposure for health care workers collecting samples, who are not required to lean into cars to collect swab samples.
“How do we come up with ways to mitigate exposure? And we think this is so far the best way,” Malchiaorre said.
The new testing was launched Wednesday at Middlesex County Department of Emergency Management offices on Kilmer Road in Edison, but are being given by appointment only and are limited to county residents, for now, with hopes to expand production, the station said.
It was unclear when or if the new tests would be made available in New York.
The saliva-based test is hoped to replace the current uncomfortable procedure of swabbing patients for samples.
Officials in New York City said Sunday they were likely just days away from running out of the swabs, prompting Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce Tuesday that the Big Apple would start producing its own COVID-19 test kits.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--It sounds like Patriots have NFL Draft plan to find Tom Brady’s successor

If jokes about receding hairlines are any indication , Julian Edelman ...

The Patriots landed the steal of their sport’s history, snagging Tom Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Two decades later, New England doesn’t appear likely to sit back and wait for Brady’s successor to fall into its lap.
Though the Patriots — who hold the 23rd overall pick — currently sit well out of range of landing any of the four quarterbacks projected to be taken in the first round (Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love), NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport thinks Bill Belichick could trade up to land one of the elite prospects.
“The Patriots are going to take a quarterback, probably with a premium pick,” Rapoport said on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I would just imagine it’s not at the pick they currently have.”
Multiple scenarios appear in play. Love would be the easiest to land by potentially trading up a handful of picks, but New England could also trade back for multiple picks — the Patriots don’t have a second-round pick — and try to replicate their success in drafting Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round in 2014, perhaps via Washington’s Jacob Eason.
Another option is passing the torch to Jarrett Stidham, who was selected in the fourth round last year, but threw just four passes as Brady’s rookie backup.
“My understanding is they very much like Stidham. They think his potential is great,” Rapoport said. “There’s a lot of positivity and a lot to like, but they don’t actually know. He’s never done it. … I don’t think they’re going into the draft saying, ‘We got Stidham. We are good.”
As of now, Rapoport predicts 34-year-old Brian Hoyer — who joined New England for his third stint last month — will be the starter, whenever the season begins.
“But that’s something that’ll be ever-evolving as we get into next season,” Rapoport said.


newyorkpost--2020-04-15--Wild video shows Chicago inmate attack officers, free other prisoners

A Chicago inmate can be seen on video as he bludgeons a corrections officer with soap-stuffed sock before stealing the officer ’ s keys and freeing other prisoners .
The shocking surveillance footage from inside Cook County Jail shows the inmate as he slugs three corrections officers , leaving two of them unconscious , during his brutal attack early Tuesday .
Cook County Sheriff ’ s office said detainee Dante Jeffries , 30 , began his violent spree around 3:40 a.m. when he grabbed an officer who was bringing around breakfast .
Jeffries pulled the officer into his cell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choked him until he lost consciousness , the sheriff ’ s office said .
The inmate , who already was facing charges of attempted murder in the shooting of a Chicago police officer , then grabbed the officer ’ s keys and passed them to his cellmate who began opening other cell doors .
A corrections officer eventually arrived with a stun gun to order Jeffries and his cellmate , Sharelle Sims , back to their cell — but not before Jeffries punched a second officer in the face and began attacking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first officer he took down .
Jeffries has been in custody since July 2017 on attempted murder charges tied to a robbery at a cellphone store on Chicago ’ s South Side .
The robbers shot a police officer in the leg at the scene .
He has previous convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon , domestic violence , and drug possession .
Sims , 23 , has been in custody since last August and faces charges of being an armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a firearm .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon .
The Cook County Jail is among the top coronavirus hotspots in the country , with three detainees having died from the virus , the Chicago Sun-Times reported .
There were 326 confirmed cases among detainees , while another 196 correctional officers have fallen ill as of Tuesday evening , according to the outlet .
It wasn ’ t clear on Wednesday whether the melee was related to the coronavirus outbreak at the jail .

A Chicago inmate can be seen on video as he bludgeons a corrections officer with soap-stuffed sock before stealing the officer’s keys and freeing other prisoners.
The shocking surveillance footage from inside Cook County Jail shows the inmate as he slugs three corrections officers, leaving two of them unconscious, during his brutal attack early Tuesday.
Cook County Sheriff’s office said detainee Dante Jeffries, 30, began his violent spree around 3:40 a.m. when he grabbed an officer who was bringing around breakfast.
Jeffries pulled the officer into his cell, battered him with the stuffed sock and choked him until he lost consciousness, the sheriff’s office said.
The inmate, who already was facing charges of attempted murder in the shooting of a Chicago police officer, then grabbed the officer’s keys and passed them to his cellmate who began opening other cell doors.
A corrections officer eventually arrived with a stun gun to order Jeffries and his cellmate, Sharelle Sims, back to their cell — but not before Jeffries punched a second officer in the face and began attacking a third officer who came to assist the first officer he took down.
Jeffries has been in custody since July 2017 on attempted murder charges tied to a robbery at a cellphone store on Chicago’s South Side. The robbers shot a police officer in the leg at the scene.
He has previous convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, domestic violence, and drug possession.
Sims, 23, has been in custody since last August and faces charges of being an armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a firearm. He has previously been convicted for armed robbery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The Cook County Jail is among the top coronavirus hotspots in the country, with three detainees having died from the virus, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
There were 326 confirmed cases among detainees, while another 196 correctional officers have fallen ill as of Tuesday evening, according to the outlet.
It wasn’t clear on Wednesday whether the melee was related to the coronavirus outbreak at the jail.


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Emirates airline passengers undergo coronavirus blood tests before boarding

Some Americans ’ coronavirus stimulus checks are reportedly disappearing because their ...

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Emirates airline has begun administering coronavirus antibody blood tests on passengers before they board its flights at Dubai International Airport, according to a report.
The airline claims to be the world’s first carrier to conduct such rapid blood tests, the first of which took place Wednesday on passengers boarding a flight to Tunisia, CNN reported.
The results of the tests, which were conducted by the Dubai Health Authority, were available within 10 minutes.
“We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights,” airline chief operating officer Adel Al Redha told CNN in a statement.
“This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers traveling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates,” he added.
Emirates has not indicated whether passengers would be refused boarding based on the results of the serology tests.
The tests — which aren’t meant to diagnose active infections — check for antibodies, or proteins, in the immune system. Their presence means a person has been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies against it.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Passengers on an Emirates flight to Tunisia were all tested for COVID-19 before departing from Dubai. Emirates Passengers on an Emirates flight to Tunisia were all tested for COVID-19 before departing from Dubai. Emirates Advertisement
Meanwhile, Etihad Airways, also in the United Arab Emirates, has announced that self-service kiosks will be set up at its airport in Abu Dhabi to help identify travelers with medical conditions, possibly including the early stages of COVID-19, according to CNN.
The technology is designed to monitor a passenger’s temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate.


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Some banks are taking coronavirus stimulus checks for overdrawn accounts

The feds have delivered stimulus checks to millions of Americans , ...

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Some Americans’ coronavirus stimulus checks are reportedly disappearing because their banks are pocketing the money.
Some banks are putting customers’ deposits from the federal government toward negative balances in their accounts — leaving those unfortunate taxpayers with nothing, the New York Times reported Thursday.
USAA — a financial services company that serves people in the military — kept $2,400 from a Minneapolis woman and her disabled veteran husband because they had an overdrawn account, according to the paper. The woman was reportedly planning to use the money to pay rent and buy formula for her infant daughter.
And Benji Pedro of South Carolina told the Times that Safe Federal Credit Union kept his entire $1,200 stimulus payment to help pay back an account that was overdrawn by $2,650 because he had forgotten to cancel a pair of music subscriptions.
Another woman had to battle with Digital Credit Union in Massachusetts to keep all of the $2,400 that she and her husband were due to receive, the Times reported. The credit union reportedly kept $1,000 at first because of an overdrawn account but relented after the customer called multiple times.
While the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill Congress passed last month largely protects the payments from state or federal debt collection, the feds have told banks there’s nothing to stop them from taking the money to pay off outstanding debts they’re owed, The American Prospect reported this week.
That could spell trouble for the more than 39 million Americans who had racked up at least one fee in the past year for having insufficient funds or overdrawing their bank account, according to a 2018 Pew Charitable Trusts report.
JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and Citibank have all said they will abstain from grabbing the money. The banking giants pledged to pause collections on negative balances or give credits to people with overdrawn accounts.
“Our goal is to provide much needed and immediate support to American families during these unprecedented times,” David Chubak, Citi’s head of US retail banking, said in a statement.
After the Times published its Thursday story, USAA said it will also pause collections on negative account balances for 90 days so customers can access their full stimulus payments.
The move will apply retroactively to any accounts that had negative balances when the first stimulus checks were deposited, the company said.
“We understand the challenges our members may face as result of this pandemic,” USAA spokesman Matthew Hartwig said in an email. “We are working hard every day to offer solutions that help them make ends meet.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Navy may reinstate USS Theodore Roosevelt captain after controversial firing

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The Navy may reinstate the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt , who was removed from his post after he pleaded for help with the coronavirus outbreak aboard his aircraft carrier , according to a report .
Adm. Michael M. Gilday , the chief of naval operations , is considering whether to reinstate Capt .
Brett Crozier , who was removed from his command after his letter to top brass was leaked to a San Francisco newspaper , Defense Department officials told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions have been made , ” Gilday ’ s spokesman Cmdr .
Nate Christensen told The Times in a statement on Wednesday , adding that the admiral was reviewing the findings of a preliminary probe into the events involving Crozier ’ s removal .
Crozier , who also tested positive for COVID-19 , was dismissed by then-Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after sounding the alarm about the outbreak in the leaked memo .
Modly later resigned after delivering a speech to the Roosevelt ’ s crew on the ship ’ s public-address system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid ” for not realizing his message would be leaked .
President Trump has indicated that he may reconsider Crozier ’ s firing after saying the captain “ had a bad day ” and had “ made a mistake ” in writing the memo .
But it remained unclear how Trump would view a move to reinstate Crozier , or when such action would be taken , according to the newspaper .
Crozier was cheered by his crew as he left the carrier , which is docked at Guam while 615 crew members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one has died .
He was reassigned to a shore position in San Diego but remains under quarantine on Guam .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The Navy may reinstate the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who was removed from his post after he pleaded for help with the coronavirus outbreak aboard his aircraft carrier, according to a report.
Adm. Michael M. Gilday, chief of naval operations, is considering whether to reinstate Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from his command after his letter to top brass was leaked to a San Francisco newspaper, Defense Department officials told the New York Times.
“No final decisions have been made,” Gilday’s spokesman, Cmdr. Nate Christensen, told the Times in a statement Wednesday, adding that the admiral was reviewing the findings of a preliminary probe into the events involving Crozier’s removal.
Crozier, who also tested positive for COVID-19, was dismissed by then-Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after sounding the alarm about the outbreak in the leaked memo.
Modly later resigned after delivering a speech to the Roosevelt’s crew on the ship’s public address system in which he slammed Crozier as “stupid” for not realizing his message would be leaked.
Modly’s trip to Guam reportedly cost taxpayers $243,000.
President Trump has indicated he may reconsider Crozier’s firing after saying the captain “had a bad day” and had “made a mistake” in writing the memo.
But it remained unclear how Trump would view a move to reinstate Crozier, or when such action would be taken, according to the newspaper.
Crozier was cheered by his crew as he left the carrier, which is docked at Guam while 615 crew members have tested positive for the illness and one has died.
He was reassigned to a shore position in San Diego but remains under quarantine on Guam.


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Robot forces hungry man to chase after his Chick-fil-A

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So much for door-to-door service. When Los Angeles resident Yousif Khogali ordered Chick-fil-A for lunch, he didn’t expect he’d have to chase it down. He captured his funny pursuit of the Postmates robotic delivery driver named “Serve,” as he tried in vain to get his hands on his lunch.


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Celebrity style is suffering

Celebrity style is suffering

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 ) From DJ Khaled to Anna Wintour , celebs are missing their glam squads , stylists and barbers .
Chris Cuomo ’ s losing it while his brother , Governor Andrew Cuomo attempts to save New York and Martha Stewart knows she knows she shouldn ’ t mix Instagram and alcohol .
DJ Khaled is desperate for a haircut during quarantine DJ Khaled is determined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high water or health crisis .
The music superstar , 44 , took to Instagram Monday to lament the current state of his strands , posting side-by-side shots of his somewhat shaggy appearance in quarantine versus his typically well-groomed ‘ do and beard .
“ THEY DONT WANT ME TO GET A HAIRCUT SMH !
” Khaled wrote .
“ I will get haircut I will figure it out soon lol 😂 ” While he could easily take the situation into his own hands as fellow stars Carson Daly and Blake Shelton have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ producer seems set on a professional cut , adding ( perhaps in jest ) that he ’ s planning to buy his barber a “ spacesuit ” so he can snip away safely .
In the comments , the star ’ s friends told him not to stress about giving his usual grooming routine some time off .
“ Let ’ s both shave it off , ” urged nightlife king David Grutman , while DJ Seani B pointed out , “ We all in da same boat my G. ” “ Went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” another fan joked .
Khaled ’ s comments come after fans poked fun at his graying hair in a family snap he shared on Sunday , with comments including , “ Someone send @ djkhaled at hat ” and “ You need a cut bro.
” Chris Cuomo says he loves his job , won ’ t quit after trashing CNN gig CNN host Chris Cuomo has had an apparent change of heart , claiming Tuesday that he loves his job — a day after publicly griping , “ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t think it ’ s worth my time.
” “ I didn ’ t mean it that way , ” the TV host insisted on satellite radio of his diatribe the day before — in which the “ Cuomo Prime Time ” star said he is no longer interested in “ trafficking in things that I think are ridiculous.
” That includes “ talking to Democrats about things that I don ’ t really believe they mean ” and “ talking to Republicans about them parroting things they feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he claimed of the rant , “ It wasn ’ t about CNN .
It wasn ’ t about me wanting to leave my job.
” He said critics have shot back , “ ‘ Yeah , but you said it.
’ “ ‘ But how did you mean it ?
’ ” he said people should ask him .
Cuomo said he was addressing “ my frustrations about journalism and being worthy enough ” to be part of the profession .
He said he will continue to follow a story anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
“ And I am so proud of the team , ” he said of his colleagues at the network .
“ I ’ m happy to be one of their teammates .
… And you don ’ t hear that from a lot of anchors .
“ I can ’ t believe how lucky I am to be working with people like this , ” Cuomo said .
Booze and social media apparently don ’ t mix well for Martha Stewart .
The 78-year-old delighted fans recently when she left a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downing too many cocktails .
Stewart ’ s comment on the chicken farm account The Best Little Hen House in Texas accidentally came out : “ M as me sure you feed and wAter them daily And keep the heat lss as no MK in s as Nd when you can finally come back to nyc who is going to take care for them ?
?
” She then followed up with a laughing crying emoji face alongside , “ What a mess I have been drinking.
” Fans went wild for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t think I could love @ marthastewart48 even more than I already do .
Apparently I was wrong .
💗 ” On Friday , the lifestyle guru appeared on “ The Dr. Oz Show ” from her farm in Bedford , NY , where she acknowledged that her self-quarantining digs are a cut above .
“ I have the geese being born , the chicks being hatched , the horses need cleaning and exercising , ” she explained .
“ So I ’ m lucky , I ’ m just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the countryside.
” And in true Martha Stewart form , she advised viewers not to “ mope around .
Get the jobs done .
It ’ s a good time to organize your home.
” Catch up on all episodes of “ We Hear ” by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts .
New episodes come out every Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday .

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From DJ Khaled to Anna Wintour, celebs are missing their glam squads, stylists and barbers.
Chris Cuomo’s losing it while his brother, Governor Andrew Cuomo attempts to save New York and Martha Stewart knows she knows she shouldn’t mix Instagram and alcohol.
Here’s a closer look at today’s stories:
DJ Khaled is desperate for a haircut during quarantine
DJ Khaled is determined to get a haircut — come hell, high water or health crisis.
The music superstar, 44, took to Instagram Monday to lament the current state of his strands, posting side-by-side shots of his somewhat shaggy appearance in quarantine versus his typically well-groomed ‘do and beard.
“THEY DONT WANT ME TO GET A HAIRCUT SMH !” Khaled wrote. “I will get haircut I will figure it out soon lol 😂”
While he could easily take the situation into his own hands as fellow stars Carson Daly and Blake Shelton have done, the “Wild Thoughts” producer seems set on a professional cut, adding (perhaps in jest) that he’s planning to buy his barber a “spacesuit” so he can snip away safely.
In the comments, the star’s friends told him not to stress about giving his usual grooming routine some time off. “Let’s both shave it off,” urged nightlife king David Grutman, while DJ Seani B pointed out, “We all in da same boat my G.”
“Went from we the best to we depressed,” another fan joked.
Khaled’s comments come after fans poked fun at his graying hair in a family snap he shared on Sunday, with comments including, “Someone send @djkhaled at hat” and “You need a cut bro.”
Chris Cuomo says he loves his job, won’t quit after trashing CNN gig
CNN host Chris Cuomo has had an apparent change of heart, claiming Tuesday that he loves his job — a day after publicly griping, “I don’t like what I do professionally. I don’t think it’s worth my time.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” the TV host insisted on satellite radio of his diatribe the day before — in which the “Cuomo Prime Time” star said he is no longer interested in “trafficking in things that I think are ridiculous.”
That includes “talking to Democrats about things that I don’t really believe they mean” and “talking to Republicans about them parroting things they feel they have to say.”
But Tuesday, he claimed of the rant, “It wasn’t about CNN. It wasn’t about me wanting to leave my job.”
He said critics have shot back, “‘Yeah, but you said it.’
“‘But how did you mean it?’” he said people should ask him.
Cuomo said he was addressing “my frustrations about journalism and being worthy enough” to be part of the profession.
He said he will continue to follow a story anywhere “because of my commitment to the job.
“And I am so proud of the team,” he said of his colleagues at the network. “I’m happy to be one of their teammates. … And you don’t hear that from a lot of anchors.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to be working with people like this,” Cuomo said.
READ MORE
Martha Stewart posts gibberish Instagram comment while drunk
Booze and social media apparently don’t mix well for Martha Stewart.
The 78-year-old delighted fans recently when she left a gibberish comment on an Instagram post after downing too many cocktails.
Stewart’s comment on the chicken farm account The Best Little Hen House in Texas accidentally came out: “M as me sure you feed and wAter them daily And keep the heat lss as no MK in s as Nd when you can finally come back to nyc who is going to take care for them??”
She then followed up with a laughing crying emoji face alongside, “What a mess I have been drinking.”
Fans went wild for the exchange, with one writing: “I didn’t think I could love @marthastewart48 even more than I already do. Apparently I was wrong. 💗”
On Friday, the lifestyle guru appeared on “The Dr. Oz Show” from her farm in Bedford, NY, where she acknowledged that her self-quarantining digs are a cut above.
“I have the geese being born, the chicks being hatched, the horses need cleaning and exercising,” she explained. “So I’m lucky, I’m just so blessed to be out here in the countryside.”
And in true Martha Stewart form, she advised viewers not to “mope around. Get the jobs done. It’s a good time to organize your home.”
Catch up on all episodes of “We Hear” by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Giants and Joe Judge ready for virtual offseason reality

You better know what to do when circumstances change , when ...

X’s and O’s are on hold until the Giants are comfortable with all the other buttons on a keyboard.
The Giants and other teams with first-year head coaches will begin the virtual offseason program Monday, followed in one week by the rest of the NFL. Coaches and players will tune in remotely from computers and phones via meeting software, much like many businesses and schools operating under coronavirus restrictions.
“We’re going to start out with position meetings,” coach Joe Judge said Wednesday on a conference call from his Massachusetts home. “We’re going to take our time making sure that, first off, all of the players are sound and set up on how to use the software. Before we get into too much of the football, we’re going to make sure that everyone knows where to find all of the information.”
Gives new meaning to starting at square one.
Judge also will address the collective team for the first time Monday before turning it over to his three coordinators. Since he was hired Jan. 7, Judge has been allowed to engage only in non–football communication with players, some of whom have not been through the facility to meet him.
“There’s an important element of just getting to know the players,” Judge said, “and them getting to know us that has to take place.”
Old video was uploaded to team-issued iPads two weeks ago and the new playbook followed, but football is not Do-It-Yourself. The virtual offseason — like past OTAs — is voluntary and players cannot be penalized for skipping, though participation over the next four weeks could be more important than ever.
“What we’re dealing with right now is a lot of uncertainty, so we have to control what we have the ability to control,” Judge said. “As a staff right now, we want to make sure we get the installs in the way we want to and, whether our players get back to us this spring or not, they have a solid base on the knowledge of our program so when we start practicing competitively in training camp they have a good start.”
The offseason program will consist of classroom instruction and virtual workouts. Teams are permitted to send equipment valued at no more than $1,500 to players.
“There is no generation of players more prepared for this offseason than the ones we are going to deal with now,” Judge said. “They are very technologically savvy. They are going to have a lot of feedback and we are going to rely on them in terms of how we can improve our meetings.”
Because of social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines this is different than 2011, when the NFL was in a lockout but players could travel or meet up in groups to train. NFL team facilities are closed and will remain so until all 32 can open simultaneously under individual state laws.
Judge’s primary emphasis is to get the Giants physically ready so injuries are minimized whenever normalcy is restored.
“The first part of it ties into the playbook and the material,” Judge said. “Eventually, we will talk as a team in terms of how we’re going to conduct the team, how we’re going to practice. It’s important the players not only know what you’re going to do, but how you’re going to do it. They have to understand where they’re going to fit in the puzzle.”


newyorkpost--2020-04-16--Former Giant and Jet Jay Feely is stepping up in coronavirus fight

As the novel coronavirus has wrecked the New York area , ...

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Easily lost in the avalanche of uncertainty and anxiety during this coronavirus crisis are the random acts of kindness taking place from one side of the country to the other.
They’re happening all over New York City — as simple and moving as those nightly 7 o’clock pot-clanging exercises out of apartment windows as well-deserved shows of public appreciation for hospital workers.
Two time zones away, a former New York athlete who still considers himself part New Yorker is doing what he can to make a difference.
Jay Feely was a kicker for the Giants from 2005-06 and for the Jets from 2008-09, two of his most memorable stops in a 13-year NFL career. He’s now an NFL color analyst for CBS Sports. Giving back has been in his blood (more on that in a moment) longer than kicking field goals.
Feely, who’s 43 and living in Scottsdale, Ariz., has created a brilliant and beautiful way to give back by purchasing meals from restaurants whose business has been ravaged by the effects of the nationwide shelter-in-home orders and handing them out to hospital workers and first responders in his area.
“I was sitting at home thinking, ‘What can I do? How can I help?’ ’’ Feely told The Post on Wednesday. “It has been a way to get out and say, ‘Thank you.’ ’’
He’s done more than that. His mission not only has brought business to empty, suffering restaurants, but also has lifted the spirits of the people who are working hardest during this crisis. As of Wednesday night, he had raised more than $18,000 and done six restaurant-to-meal-donation missions. He has a seventh scheduled for Thursday.
Feely began by creating a GoFundMe page, asking for donations so he could buy the meals. He also asked for restaurants that were open and hurting for business to contact him. From there, he has taken the generous donations of strangers and used the money to buy meals for those who need and deserve them most.
“Let’s utilize and leverage my platform and try to have an impact,’’ he thought to himself.
Feely has done just that, and born out of it is this win-win for the restaurants and the hospital workers and first responders that’s more perfectly executed than the best snapper-holder-kicker field-goal operation.
For his first mission, Feely targeted a Scottsdale restaurant named Zinque that had just opened in December. He bought 300 meals from it and delivered them to nearby Banner Desert Medical Center. Along with his son, Jace, and daughter, Lexi, he has been doing it since.
“Helping the restaurants was my biggest thing at first,’’ Feely said “These restaurants are down 80, 90 percent business, so I thought, ‘What can I do to help them? Yeah, we can buy some meals from them takeout, but what else can we do?’ ’’
This is how Zinque general manager Jeff Berger described the plight of the restaurant during COVID-19: “We’re struggling to survive.’’
Feely was blown away by the response when he brought those 300 dinners to the hospital the first night.
“It’s humbling when you go to an ER and all you’re doing is bringing them some food and they’re super thankful,’’ he said. “I’ve always believed in community service and the value of developing your kids and trying to create a heart to serve in your kid.’’
That life goal brought Feely to Haiti several times to help rebuild homes after earthquake devastation. It was on one of those trips that he met a young native named Wedner Delmont, who served as a translator for Feely and his family and whose family’s home was destroyed in an earthquake.
Feely was so moved by Delmont that he invited him back to Arizona to live with him so he could go to college. Delmont has since graduated from Grand Canyon University, has a job, is about to get his Masters degree and is supporting his family.
“He had such a profound impact on my kids, as much as we did for him, he probably did as much or more for my family,’’ Feely said. “That’s what we’re called to do — help when we have an opportunity.’’
That help gene Feely was born with is going a long way in a time in our lives when help is in short supply.
Just ask Kristin Dossetti, who along with her husband, Emmanuel, own that Zinque restaurant in Scottsdale. She called Feely’s random act of kindness “a reflection of the best of who we are.’’
“There really is a domino effect by what he’s done,’’ she said. “When people hear of someone like Jay doing that they think, ‘How can I do that?’ It’s kind of like you’re throwing a stone into a pond. The ripple effect is pretty enormous.’’