newyorkpost--2020-06-23--How Big East assistant coaches are fighting for social justice

For days , Mike Anderson couldn ’ t sleep .
The death of George ...

It’s about using their platform. Trying to foster change. Doing anything in their power to educate others about racial inequality and police brutality.
That’s why St. John’s assistant coaches TJ Cleveland and Van Macon didn’t have to think twice when approached about joining Coaches for Action, the group of minority Big East assistant coaches who have come together to try to do their part to implement change.
The idea was hatched by Marquette assistant coach Dwayne Killings and the group’s founders include UConn’s Kimani Young, Villanova’s Kyle Neptune and Providence’s Ivan Thomas. It has 21 members, including Seton Hall’s Duane Woodward and Tony Skinn, and has met three times on Zoom with a plan for weekly meetings.
“This is about us trying to figure out how to move forward and get things in the right direction,” Macon said in a phone interview. “We’ve all had to deal with it. I’m sure if you call anyone [in Coaches for Action], they would all say they have had to deal with [racial injustice] at one time or another. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we’ve become numb to it a little bit and we’re kind of let it go, and I think now it’s to the point where people aren’t going to let it go anymore. Now it’s time to have tough conversations with each other to see how we can make things a little bit better.”
There are three core initiatives. Coaches for Action has talked to Big East athletic directors about supporting the Black Lives Matter movement with a Black Lives Matter patch on their home and away jerseys, with every coach in the conference donning a Black Lives Matter pin. There was positive feedback for the idea, but it has yet to be formally agreed upon by the league.
“I think it would send a strong message,” Cleveland said. “I think our league has already sent a message, if you look at the diversity of coaches we have, especially with the number of minority coaches we have in the league. I think they would be in the forefront of involving everybody and using this platform would speak volumes.”
The group also wants to create a scholarship fund to help first-generation minority students that have a 3.0 GPA or better and attend Big East schools. Lastly, all members have committed to encouraging players, coaches and others in Big East communities to vote in local and national elections and are asking their respective programs to host voter registration drives in October.
The hope is that this catches on, that other coaches see what the Big East coaches are doing, and either join Coaches for Action or create their own groups. It is open to more than just minority coaches. Anyone can join.
“We’re trying to advocate and push for change, find different ways and share different ideas, to make this country better,” Cleveland said.
Cleveland and Macon said both St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson and athletic director Mike Cragg were very supportive of them joining Coaches for Action, and they plan to do even more on their own with St. John’s and Anderson in terms of bringing to light racial issues. Anderson told The Post he won’t schedule any basketball activities for Election Day, plans to have the entire team register to vote and be active in the community spreading awareness.
“We have to start somewhere,” Cleveland said. “We’ll start with our players and in the community.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Long line of voters waiting to cast ballots in tight Engel-Bowman primary

Voters waited in an hours-long line outside a Yonkers polling site Tuesday night to help decide the hard-fought Democratic primary @ @ @ @ @ Engel and insurgent Jamaal Bowman in the 16th congressional district encompassing parts of the Bronx @ @ @ @ @ line to vote right now at Yonkers High School , ” Bowman , a former @ @ @ @ @ with a video showing long lines of socially distanced voters waiting outside to vote .
@ @ @ @ @ who endorsed Bowman over fellow incumbent Engel , retweeted Bowman ’ s video and noted @ @ @ @ @ polling site in her Bronx-Queens 14th congressional district .
“ We are seeing reports of @ @ @ @ @ 3 hours in LeFrak City as well , ” AOC said of the polling site @ @ @ @ @ complex .
“ Other poll sites are much faster .
If you can , STAY @ @ @ @ @ said the first-term congressman , who faces a spirited primary challenge from former business journalist @ @ @ @ @ .

Voters waited in an hours-long line outside a Yonkers polling site Tuesday night to help decide the hard-fought Democratic primary election between veteran Rep. Eliot Engel and insurgent Jamaal Bowman in the 16th congressional district encompassing parts of the Bronx and Westchester.
“The line to vote right now at Yonkers High School,” Bowman, a former middle school principal tweeted along with a video showing long lines of socially distanced voters waiting outside to vote.
Meanwhile Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Bowman over fellow incumbent Engel, retweeted Bowman’s video and noted long lines at a large polling site in her Bronx-Queens 14th congressional district.
“We are seeing reports of voting lines as long as 3 hours in LeFrak City as well,” AOC said of the polling site at the massive Queens apartment complex.
“Other poll sites are much faster. If you can, STAY IN LINE!,” said the first-term congressman , who faces a spirited primary challenge from former business journalist and CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--David France says there are ‘many lessons’ from AIDS era relevant today

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Director David France says “ there are @ @ @ @ @ learned from AIDS ” about how to solve the COVID-19 crisis .
During an online @ @ @ @ @ France said since the pandemic started , he ’ s rewatched “ How To Survive @ @ @ @ @ 2012 documentary about the AIDS epidemic — “ with fresh eyes … It offers kind @ @ @ @ @ through , interfacing with science … at a time when expertise is really the key @ @ @ @ @ movie shows it ’ s “ possible to engage with your community of experts in @ @ @ @ @ and “ insist upon urgency , but also morality and kindness and humanity .
”

Director David France says “there are so many lessons to be learned from AIDS” about how to solve the COVID-19 crisis.
During an online talk with IFC Films, France said since the pandemic started, he’s rewatched “How To Survive a Plague” — his 2012 documentary about the AIDS epidemic — “with fresh eyes … It offers kind of a blueprint for getting through, interfacing with science … at a time when expertise is really the key tool.”
He said the movie shows it’s “possible to engage with your community of experts in ways that are productive” and “insist upon urgency, but also morality and kindness and humanity.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--MLB 2020 season is officially a go

MLB 2020 season is officially a go

If somehow the entire 60-game regular season and playoffs are ...

After a harrowing journey, Major League Baseball finally is ready to exchange lineup cards to signal the start of action.
(Actually, there won’t be any such exchanges thanks to the coronavirus, but you get the idea.)
When commissioner Rob Manfred and the MLB Players Association agreed on terms of their COVID-conscious health and safety protocols on Tuesday night, they formalized the restart of this most unusual season. Players must report to spring training, most of which will be held at team’s ballparks, by July 1, with the intention of holding Opening Day on July 23 or July 24 and running a 60-game regular season — assuming the pandemic doesn’t worsen to the point of causing a shutdown.
“Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon,” Manfred said in a statement. “We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with Baseball again soon.”
“All remaining issues have been resolved and Players are reporting to training camps,” the PA said in a statement.
Hence they go forward in what will be a most unusual campaign. While the length will be record-settingly short even if it concludes, what will really stand out is the way the game will be played in order to protect the participants from the coronavirus.
As expected, the universal designated hitter will be used to protect pitchers; as things stand now, pitchers will return to hitting in the National League for 2021. And as a method of managing the length of games and limiting participants’ exposure to one another, the minor league rule of starting extra innings with a runner on second base will be utilized, though not for the postseason. The three-batter minimum for pitchers, which Manfred instituted before the shutdown, will stick.
In the interest of halting the spread of germs, pitchers can bring a wet rag to the mound as a healthier alternative to licking their fingers.
“The health and safety of players and employees will remain MLB’s foremost priorities in its return to play,” the league said in its statement. “MLB is working with a variety of public health experts, infectious disease specialists and technology providers on a comprehensive approach that aims to facilitate a safe return.”
A flurry of other regulations will go into effect, from roster management (they’ll start at 30 and dwindle down to 26, with designated taxi squads) to an Aug. 31 trade deadline to the schedule (the standard six divisions will exist, with regional travel only) and much more.
In the coming days, teams will learn if any high-profile players opt out, either because they are high-risk (in which case they’ll get paid with service time) or because they don’t deem this mini-season worth the effort and aren’t feeling particularly cooperative following the exchange of accusations and insults with the owners. These players would give up their salaries. Any of the latter defections would further hurt this season’s credibility, which already has taken a beating thanks to the bitter, torturous talks that brought things to this point and faces immense challenges in navigating the disease that has spiked in important baseball states like Arizona, Florida and Texas.
For all of the obstacles that loom, however, baseball has arrived at one of its most hallowed mileposts: Pitchers and catchers — and infielders and outfielders — will re-report next week.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Drag-racing deputies under investigation by Dallas County Sheriff’s office

Drag-racing deputies are under scrutiny after they were filmed burning rubber in their patrol vehicles .
The Dallas County Sheriff ’ s Office announced late Monday that it would investigate a viral video showing two deputies drag racing their marked cruisers in front of a cheering crowd at the Yello Belly Drag Strip in Grand Prairie , Texas , the local ABC affiliate reported .
The race took place on Thursday night and was not authorized by the sheriff ’ s office , which only found out about the incident when footage from the strip began circulating online Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows the deputies peeling out with their roof lights flashing as a small crowd roars .
Spectators at the scene came to the defense of the speeding lawmen , saying it was a way to boost community-police relations .
“ In the eyes of the public , we saw it as a sign on positivity , based on [ what ] we have going on in this country , ” one participant told the station .
“ We don ’ t think it ’ ll be right if they got in trouble .
@

Drag-racing deputies are under scrutiny after they were filmed burning rubber in their patrol vehicles.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office announced late Monday that it would investigate a viral video showing two deputies drag racing their marked cruisers in front of a cheering crowd at the Yello Belly Drag Strip in Grand Prairie, Texas, the local ABC affiliate reported.
The race took place on Thursday night and was not authorized by the sheriff’s office, which only found out about the incident when footage from the strip began circulating online Friday, according to the report.
The video shows the deputies peeling out with their roof lights flashing as a small crowd roars.
Spectators at the scene came to the defense of the speeding lawmen, saying it was a way to boost community-police relations.
“In the eyes of the public, we saw it as a sign on positivity, based on [what] we have going on in this country,” one participant told the station. “We don’t think it’ll be right if they got in trouble.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Rosanna Scotto’s husband now on quarantine nail-clipping duty

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Rosanna Scotto ’ s husband @ @ @ @ @ toenails .
The “ Good Day New York ” anchor and Fresco by Scotto owner @ @ @ @ @ her usual pedicurist , Louis John Ruggiero “ saw me one day struggling to clip @ @ @ @ @ took pity on me.
” Meanwhile , she said it ’ s important that unruly @ @ @ @ @ Ruggiero while they sleep .
“ He ’ s a lawyer , so I have @ @ @ @ @ everything good and safe and nobody gets hurt , ” she quipped .

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Rosanna Scotto’s husband has taken to clipping her toenails.
The “Good Day New York” anchor and Fresco by Scotto owner tells Page Six that without her usual pedicurist, Louis John Ruggiero “saw me one day struggling to clip my toenails” and “took pity on me.”
Meanwhile, she said it’s important that unruly nails don’t nick Ruggiero while they sleep.
“He’s a lawyer, so I have to make sure I keep everything good and safe and nobody gets hurt,” she quipped.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Nuggets star Nikola Jokic tests positive for COVID-19

Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic , who recently spent time with tennis star Novak Djokovic in their native Serbia , has also tested for positive for COVID-19 , sources told ESPN .
Jokic ’ s return to the U.S. — in preparation for the resumption of the NBA season — will be temporarily delayed , though ESPN reports that the 25-year-old is asymptomatic and expected to be able to travel within a week , before teams first arrive at the Disney campus in Orlando on July 7 and the regular season picks back up on July 30 .
Jokic ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third-best record in the Western Conference .
Since play was suspended on March 11 , the formerly bulky big man has lost roughly 40 pounds and is reportedly in excellent shape to improve on last season ’ s Game 7 loss in the Western Conference semifinals , which marked the Nuggets ’ best playoff run in a decade .
This season , the All-NBA center has averaged 20.2 points , 10.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists .
In March , Denver coach Michael Malone also contracted the virus , though he wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody test in late May .
It was also reported that two members of the Phoenix Suns had also tested positive for the virus on Tuesday , the first day of team-administered coronavirus testing .
As for Djokovic , he and his wife , Jelena , have tested positive for coronavirus after receiving public backlash for hosting the controversial Adria Tour and reckless partying in the middle of a pandemic .

Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic, who recently spent time with tennis star Novak Djokovic in their native Serbia, has also tested for positive for COVID-19, sources told ESPN.
Jokic’s return to the U.S. — in preparation for the resumption of the NBA season — will be temporarily delayed, though ESPN reports that the 25-year-old is asymptomatic and expected to be able to travel within a week, before teams first arrive at the Disney campus in Orlando on July 7 and the regular season picks back up on July 30. Jokic’s Nuggets (43-22) currently hold the third-best record in the Western Conference.
Since play was suspended on March 11, the formerly bulky big man has lost roughly 40 pounds and is reportedly in excellent shape to improve on last season’s Game 7 loss in the Western Conference semifinals, which marked the Nuggets’ best playoff run in a decade. This season, the All-NBA center has averaged 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
In March, Denver coach Michael Malone also contracted the virus, though he wasn’t informed of it until taking an antibody test in late May.
It was also reported that two members of the Phoenix Suns had also tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, the first day of team-administered coronavirus testing.
As for Djokovic, he and his wife, Jelena, have tested positive for coronavirus after receiving public backlash for hosting the controversial Adria Tour and reckless partying in the middle of a pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--PGA Tour pros offer opinions on hulked-up Bryson DeChambeau

The Travelers Championship is on the clock .
When the RBC ...

CROMWELL, Conn. — “I knew this was going to come up.’’
Those were the first words out of Jon Rahm’s mouth when he was asked about the new hulked-up, bulked-up Bryson DeChambeau on Tuesday in advance of this week’s Travelers Championship.
DeChambeau and his addition of some 25 pounds of muscle, which has allowed him to increase his ball speed to an unheard-of 200-plus mph, has been all the rage on the PGA Tour since its 2020 COVID-19 restart — more so than Daniel Berger and Webb Simpson, the winners of the past two events.
The new DeChambeau has yet to use his freshly minted muscles to hoist a trophy. He finished tied for third at the Charles Schwab Challenge two weeks ago and tied for eighth at last week’s RBC Heritage.
But the 26-year-old DeChambeau is trending in more ways than one — in locker-room and driving-range conversations among fellow PGA Tour players, on TV broadcasts and on social media.
“Let me start off by saying what he’s done is no fluke,’’ Rahm said. “He’s put in an incredible amount of work for months now. Even though he hasn’t won yet, he’s been up there, and we’ll see. More than anything, I think he deserves more credit than criticism just because he worked really hard to get to where he is and to be precise with that length.’’
That length could — and should — prove to be an advantage on this week’s course, which is more beneficial for the long hitter than the past two tournament venues.
“I think this golf course suits me a little bit better,’’ DeChambeau said. “I definitely feel like I can let it go a lot more. It’s fun attempting to do things that I’ve never done before, and having iron shots into holes that just didn’t even make sense to me a year ago.’’
Will that translate, a year after he missed the cut in three of the four majors, into his first win since 2018 (when he captured four of his five career wins)?
“I’m just going to keep giving myself chances [and] it’s eventually going to happen,’’ DeChambeau said. “Right now, I’m just playing a numbers game trying to beat the casino.’’
Last season, DeChambeau’s average ball speed was 175.4 mph, which ranked 42nd, well behind Cameron Champ’s PGA Tour-leading 190.7 mph average. By comparison, his ball speed was measured at 191 mph on the first hole at Colonial.
“It’s so difficult to increase club-head speed that much,’’ Paul Casey said. “It’s like going faster in a car. To make a car go 180 miles an hour, it needs this much horsepower. To make it go 200 miles an hour, you almost need double the horsepower. It’s crazy how he’s been able to do that. [He’s] going to be a force to be reckoned with if he can harness that and control it.’’
There are questions about DeChambeau’s added weight and aggressive new swing move, which looks rigid and potentially harmful to his joints.
“If I swung that fast right now, I would probably be injured, but clearly I’m not at the same weight, I’m not in the same fighting class that he is right now,’’ Jordan Spieth said.
“We don’t know how his body is going to react to this,’’ Rahm said. “How long will he be able to play with that weight without maybe having injuries? We don’t know how much the human body is supposed to withstand, and those speeds are pretty crazy. Hopefully he stays healthy and keeps playing good golf and evolves the game.’’
Patrick Cantlay wondered aloud: “I’m really curious mostly to see if it inspires other guys to do something similar.’’
Changing the game is not DeChambeau’s goal.
“I still have not reached No. 1 in the world [and] I still have not won a major,’’ he said. “I hope to achieve those goals soon. Why I went on this journey of hitting it far [is] because it did get boring for me for a little while and I said, ‘I need to make it interesting. I need to spice things up for myself.’ I was able to do that in the offseason and then during the quarantine.
“When I stop learning is the day I’ll obviously burn out. Burnout for me is when I don’t have anything else more to learn in the game of golf, and I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.’’


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--DOJ fielding news industry’s antitrust complaints about Google

The Department of Justice is taking aim at big tech ...

Join the New York Post and Mansion Global for a live conversation on how COVID-19 has affected top real estate markets in the US, Friday, 6/26 @ 12 p.m. EST. Register here.
Google is getting fat off the struggling news industry by using its position as the nation’s dominant search engine to force publishers into unfair agreements, according to a new research report.
The Alphabet-owned internet company has become such a powerful force for driving Web traffic that it even dictates how news publications format their web pages, the shocking news-industry paper says. This has resulted in news organizations being “forced to build mirror-image websites.”
Google does this by telling news companies that they have “no choice but to implement Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) standard — or else lose critical placement in mobile search and the resulting search traffic,” according to the paper by News Media Alliance, which calls itself the “voice of the news media industry.”
Google then uses the AMP format for quick-loading pages to cash in at the expense of publishers, including by sending news created by others directly to its own mobile users, the report adds. One major newspaper, according to the paper, found that using the AMP link resulted in 39 percent fewer readers subscribing to their publication.
The AMP format has also kneecapped publications’ ability to implement flexible paywalls on their sites, forcing them to either completely rebuild their paywall options for AMP, or otherwise put a paywall on all or none of their articles.
The News Media Alliance white paper, which blasts Google as a “monopoly power” and a “free-rider” getting rich off the labor of others, has made its way to Justice Department officials preparing a broader antitrust lawsuit against Google, according to reports.
Antitrust officials have recently been in contact with executives at News Corp., one of the trade group’s members, about their concerns, according to the Irish Times and the Wall Street Journal. News Corp. owns the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. Other members of the News Media Alliance include the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Los Angeles Times and The Seattle Times.
The complaints come as already-struggling newsrooms are slashed and shuttered at a faster-than-expected pace due to the pandemic, which has crushed ad sales. The industry had long suffered from declining ad revenue due to the rise of news aggregators like Google and Facebook that now siphon off the bulk of digital ad sales.
As the June 18 paper points out, the $98 billion Google made last year from search and advertising alone is “roughly four times the total annual revenue for circulation and advertising of all US news publishers combined.”
The News Media Alliance asks that “antitrust enforcers … address Google’s abuse of its market power” and that publishers be allowed to “join forces and negotiate collectively with Google.” It also asks Congress to help ensure that news publishers are compensated for their content.
“Journalism is essential to a functioning democracy and requires substantial investment,” the paper says. “Google is advancing its own dominance while inflicting harm on the news industry.”
Neither the Department of Justice, which is also looking to reign in illegal content on Big Tech websites, nor Google responded to The Post’s requests for comment Tuesday.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Foul play suspected in case of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen

Army investigators suspect foul play in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen — who went missing from the Texas base two months ago .
Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia made the revelation at a Tuesday press briefing after joining Guillen ’ s family in a meeting with Fort Hood officials .
“ They have now used the words foul play , ” Garcia told reporters , according to a live stream of the press conference posted to Facebook by KWTX News 10 .
“ They are convinced now that there is foul play involved and they ’ re following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , the army upped a reward offer to $ 25,000 for information about Guillen ’ s whereabouts .
The 20-year-old member of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was last seen April 22 in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters .
The nationwide search for Guillen — whose car keys , room key , ID card and wallet were later found in the armory room where she had been working — has also included efforts by actress Salma Hayek .
“ One of Vanessa ’ s dreams has always been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia said at Tuesday ’ s press conference , which was also attended by Guillen ’ s family and their lawyer .
“ Now we ’ re dealing with a tragedy .
A tragedy that involves Vanessa being missing two months now , ” the lawmaker said .

Army investigators suspect foul play in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen — who went missing from the Texas base two months ago.
Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia made the revelation at a Tuesday press briefing after joining Guillen’s family in a meeting with Fort Hood officials.
“They have now used the words foul play,” Garcia told reporters, according to a live stream of the press conference posted to Facebook by KWTX News 10.
“They are convinced now that there is foul play involved and they’re following all the leads that they can.”
Last week, the army upped a reward offer to $25,000 for information about Guillen’s whereabouts.
The 20-year-old member of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was last seen April 22 in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters.
The nationwide search for Guillen — whose car keys, room key, ID card and wallet were later found in the armory room where she had been working — has also included efforts by actress Salma Hayek.
“One of Vanessa’s dreams has always been to join the US Army,” Garcia said at Tuesday’s press conference, which was also attended by Guillen’s family and their lawyer.
“Now we’re dealing with a tragedy. A tragedy that involves Vanessa being missing two months now,” the lawmaker said.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Looted Bronx businesses need more than token help from the city and state

This is what The Bronx looked like just hours after ...

One key corner of the Bronx faces an added burden as it reopens: Criminal gangs looted over 100 stores on and around Fordham Road the night of June 1, and the mainly mom-and-pop operations are struggling to find the cash to make even modest repairs.
Yes, Mayor Bill de Blasio days later announced a $1.25 million grant fund to help out. But the $10,000 grants cover just a fraction of the losses — and are dead slow in coming.
The City reports that only five of 125 applications had been approved as of Monday. And many victims only received the forms a week or so ago.
Jessica Betancourt’s Bronx Optical Center lost over $170,000 in cash and merchandise to looters. She told the website the city’s response was “B.S.”
Most of the businesses weren’t insured for theft on this scale, and even those that were (like Planet Pharmacy, owned and operated by Nigerian immigrants) are struggling with the paperwork.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. slams the state as well as the city. Economic-development agencies should’ve rushed in to offer low-interest loans to these hard-hit small businesses, he says, calling it a lost opportunity to help minority-owned enterprises in a borough that was on the comeback trail.
“Mayor de Blasio — and Gov. Cuomo, too — are missing the opportunity to send a strong message to looters and vandals that they won’t surrender to destruction,” Diaz told The Post.
We’re no fans of economic-development programs, precisely because the benefits flow mainly to the politically connected. If they don’t work to help these shops now, that’s one more reason to zero them all out.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--John Bolton says Mike Pompeo only backs Trump for ‘political future’

A federal judge has denied a request by the Trump ...

Former national security adviser John Bolton fired back at Mike Pompeo on Tuesday, saying the Secretary of State only sticks with President Trump to protect his “political future.”
“I think his political future is very much tied to the Trump administration and I can understand what he’s doing,” Bolton charged in a Fox News interview.
Bolton separately told “CBS Evening News” on Tuesday that he “felt sorry for” Pompeo.
The secretary of state “made a decision, which is certainly his to make, to tie his political future to Donald Trump. I think that’s what he continues to do. I feel sorry for him for doing that,” Bolton said.
Pompeo, who is interested in running for president himself one day, on Monday bashed Bolton as “not dissimilar” to Edward Snowden, the exiled whistleblower who in 2013 exposed US surveillance programs, including the dragnet collection of domestic call records. Pompeo advocated Snowden’s execution.
Pompeo also said Bolton was cut out of White House deliberations because of his reputation as a leaker.
“The president and others, myself included, had to cut him out of meetings because he was leaking or he’d twist things or he’d lie,” Pompeo said.
Bolton’s 592-page anti-Trump chronicle “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir” was released Tuesday after many of its key allegations were reported last week.
According to Bolton, Pompeo often agreed with him during his 17 months in office. Bolton alleges that Pompeo passed him a note during Trump’s 2018 Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that said Trump was “full of s–t.”
Trump administration officials say Bolton’s book includes classified information, which may subject him to loss of book revenue and prison time.
A federal judge declined to order the book’s release be halted, but noted Bolton “just walked away” from an incomplete pre-publication review process.
A Pompeo spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Cardi B’s famously split Bonnaroo 2019 jumpsuit headed to auction

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens @ @ @ @ @ to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) A bodysuit in which Cardi @ @ @ @ @ and revealing — wardrobe malfunction is going up for auction .
The Bronx native twerked @ @ @ @ @ Bonnaroo festival that the multicolored onesie ’ s back seam ripped and the rapper had @ @ @ @ @ Tenn. , stage .
The custom piece designed by Yousef Aljasmi has since been repaired @ @ @ @ @ block at the Nate D. Sanders auction house on Thursday .

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A bodysuit in which Cardi B suffered a famous — and revealing — wardrobe malfunction is going up for auction.
The Bronx native twerked so aggressively at the 2019 Bonnaroo festival that the multicolored onesie’s back seam ripped and the rapper had to leave the Manchester, Tenn., stage.
The custom piece designed by Yousef Aljasmi has since been repaired and will be on the block at the Nate D. Sanders auction house on Thursday.
Bidding will start at $8,000.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--NYC DOE needs to quit chasing ideology and focus on opening schools this fall

You already can see that the reopening of city schools this fall is shaping up as a complete disaster — because too many of the people in charge would rather focus on other cares .
City Department of Education officials seem more concerned with issues like “ white privilege , ” and not how to get kids back to learning in the classroom .
Families now have no clue what the school day ( or week ) will look like when the new year begins in just over two months .
Which days , if any , will kids do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may need to scramble to find adult supervision .
One principal warns that students may be in school just a third of their time , as The Post ’ s Selim Algar reported .
In-person art , music , science , tech and phys-ed “ in the traditional sense ” are out , Brooklyn ’ s PS 107 Principal Eve Litwack notes .
As is pretty much all specialized learning , since folks must keep apart .
“ At a certain point , this isn ’ t school anymore , ” a mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know what to do.
” And the central bureaucracy is offering most schools no guidance on likely social-distancing rules , online-class standards or anything else .
It ’ s as if everyone from Chancellor Richard Carranza on down has just checked out .
Or is busy with stuff like like Tuesday ’ s “ Anti-Racist Community Meeting , ” sponsored by DOE ’ s Early Childhood Division .
Forget reading and ’ rithmetic ; it ’ s Racism 101 for .
.
.
preschoolers .
( And with teachers strictly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too . )
Meanwhile , at a UFT delegate meeting last week , union officials warned that “ it ’ s pretty clear we aren ’ t going back into buildings ” unless the feds dump millions in aid on the city ’ s schools .
On Tuesday , Mayor Bill de Blasio blithely insisted that “ most ” parents are “ willing ” to handle the uncertainty about the fall ; only the “ privileged ” are looking to flee the system .
Translation : The only parents who aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones who can ’ t afford anything else .
Everyone in “ the other New York ” will just have to put up with incompetence and chaos .

You already can see that the reopening of city schools this fall is shaping up as a complete disaster — because too many of the people in charge would rather focus on other cares.
City Department of Education officials seem more concerned with issues like “white privilege,” and not how to get kids back to learning in the classroom.
Families now have no clue what the school day (or week) will look like when the new year begins in just over two months. Which days, if any, will kids do remote-learning from home? Parents with jobs may need to scramble to find adult supervision.
One principal warns that students may be in school just a third of their time, as The Post’s Selim Algar reported. In-person art, music, science, tech and phys-ed “in the traditional sense” are out, Brooklyn’s PS 107 Principal Eve Litwack notes. As is pretty much all specialized learning, since folks must keep apart.
“At a certain point, this isn’t school anymore,” a mom at the school sighs. “Parents don’t know what to do.”
And the central bureaucracy is offering most schools no guidance on likely social-distancing rules, online-class standards or anything else. It’s as if everyone from Chancellor Richard Carranza on down has just checked out.
Or is busy with stuff like like Tuesday’s “Anti-Racist Community Meeting,” sponsored by DOE’s Early Childhood Division. Forget reading and ’rithmetic; it’s Racism 101 for . . . preschoolers. (And with teachers strictly segregated by race or ethnic group, too.)
Meanwhile, at a UFT delegate meeting last week, union officials warned that “it’s pretty clear we aren’t going back into buildings” unless the feds dump millions in aid on the city’s schools.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio blithely insisted that “most” parents are “willing” to handle the uncertainty about the fall; only the “privileged” are looking to flee the system. Translation: The only parents who aren’t rushing to find other options are the ones who can’t afford anything else.
Everyone in “the other New York” will just have to put up with incompetence and chaos.


newyorkpost--2020-06-23--Billionaire investor says Elizabeth Warren is right, ditches $16B hedge fund

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Register here A billionaire activist investor declared that “ Elizabeth Warren is right ” as he left the helm of his giant hedge fund to focus on environmental and social-impact investing .
Jeffrey Ubben — a corporate cage-rattler who has prodded for change at behemoths including Microsoft , BP and Nintendo — said he is leaving his $ 16 billion hedge fund , ValueAct Capital , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more socially conscious .
On his way out , the 57-year-old financier took the opportunity to blast corporate greed on Wall Street .
“ Companies , as governed today , with investors asking for more current returns and more buybacks and so forth , aren ’ t working for society or nature , ” Ubben told the Financial Times in an interview .
The San Francisco-based tycoon , whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at $ 6.4 billion , went on to dismiss activist investors who “ bully little companies to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strategy has played itself out .
“ Finance is , like , done .
Everybody ’ s bought everybody else with low-cost debt .
Everybody ’ s maximized their margin .
They ’ ve bought all their shares back , ” Ubben said .
“ There ’ s nothing there .
Every industry has about three players.
” “ Elizabeth Warren is right , ” he added , referring to the US Senator who has been a gadfly for private equity companies for years , introducing legislation to curb their power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ValueAct in 2000 , said his new fund , Inclusive Capital Partners , will seek to create big returns by pressuring big companies to tackle environmental and social problems .
“ When you ’ re talking about addressing climate change with a business solution , that is the biggest problem in the world , ” Ubben said .
“ That ’ s like a 10-times-your-money deal .
”

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An activist investor declared that “Elizabeth Warren is right” as he left the helm of his giant hedge fund to focus on environmental and social-impact investing.
Jeffrey Ubben — a corporate cage-rattler who has prodded for change at behemoths including Microsoft, BP and Nintendo — said he is leaving his $16 billion hedge fund, ValueAct Capital, to start a new fund that’s more socially conscious.
On his way out, the 57-year-old financier took the opportunity to blast corporate greed on Wall Street.
“Companies, as governed today, with investors asking for more current returns and more buybacks and so forth, aren’t working for society or nature,” Ubben told the Financial Times in an interview.
The San Francisco-based hedgie went on to dismiss activist investors who “bully little companies to sell to private equity,” opining that the strategy has played itself out.
“Finance is, like, done. Everybody’s bought everybody else with low-cost debt. Everybody’s maximized their margin. They’ve bought all their shares back,” Ubben said. “There’s nothing there. Every industry has about three players.”
“Elizabeth Warren is right,” he added, referring to the US Senator who has been a gadfly for private equity companies for years, introducing legislation to curb their power in July 2019.
Ubben, who founded ValueAct in 2000, said his new fund, Inclusive Capital Partners, will seek to create big returns by pressuring big companies to tackle environmental and social problems.
“When you’re talking about addressing climate change with a business solution, that is the biggest problem in the world,” Ubben said. “That’s like a 10-times-your-money deal.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--10 ‘Cheers’ Episodes You Have to Rewatch Before It Leaves Netflix

We ’ re arriving at the end of an era—Netflix ’ s Cheers era .
For as long as we can remember , Cheers has been a constant presence on Netflix , stretching as far back as at least 2014 and the launch of this very site .
Over the past six years , Cheers has helped us fall asleep , made us feel autumnal , cured our hangovers , helped us fall asleep again , made us think about gay representation , got us through a garbage dump of a year , let us look at Superstore in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hammered post-finale special , gave us all the feels—and for all that , we are truly thankful .
And now it ’ s leaving Netflix on June 30 .
Okay , truth : Cheers will presumably still be available to stream on Hulu and CBS All Access after it leaves Netflix , and the show will be part of Peacock ’ s library when it launches in July .
If you want to watch Cheers , you probably already have a subscription to a streaming service that will let you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major .
An entire generation of fans discovered Cheers via Netflix , ensuring that the best sitcom of the 20th century would remain relevant in the 21st .
So many of us—myself included !
—associate the show with this specific service , and its departure feels major .
It signals not only the end of Netflix ’ s Cheers era , but a massive , definitive shift in what Netflix values in its library ( original content is in , classics are out ) .
So , with all that in mind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make time for before Netflix closes its doors on Cheers for good .
Consider this your last call .

We’re arriving at the end of an era—Netflix’s Cheers era. For as long as we can remember, Cheers has been a constant presence on Netflix, stretching as far back as at least 2014 and the launch of this very site. Over the past six years, Cheers has helped us fall asleep, made us feel autumnal, cured our hangovers, helped us fall asleep again, made us think about gay representation, got us through a garbage dump of a year, let us look at Superstore in a new way, confounded us with it’s hammered post-finale special, gave us all the feels—and for all that, we are truly thankful.
And now it’s leaving Netflix on June 30.
Okay, truth: Cheers will presumably still be available to stream on Hulu and CBS All Access after it leaves Netflix, and the show will be part of Peacock’s library when it launches in July. If you want to watch Cheers, you probably already have a subscription to a streaming service that will let you do so. But this moment is still major. An entire generation of fans discovered Cheers via Netflix, ensuring that the best sitcom of the 20th century would remain relevant in the 21st. So many of us—myself included!—associate the show with this specific service, and its departure feels major. It signals not only the end of Netflix’s Cheers era, but a massive, definitive shift in what Netflix values in its library (original content is in, classics are out).
So, with all that in mind, here are 10 episodes that you need to make time for before Netflix closes its doors on Cheers for good. Consider this your last call.
1 "Give Me a Ring Sometime" (1x1) It’s beyond rare for a pilot episode to be included on any show’s must-watch list, but Cheers has a beyond rare pitch-perfect pilot. The show emerged fully-formed with a perfectly assembled cast, fully realized characters, and razor sharp wit. Never forget, Shelley Long won an Emmy for her very first episode playing Diane. That’s a lot to live up to, and she definitely rose to the challenge during her run. Stream "Give Me a Ring Sometime" on Netflix
2 "Coach's Daughter" (1x5) Nicholas Colasanto played the lovably dim Coach with such warmth and heart, any last-minute Cheers binge has to include quite possibly his finest performance—one that came so early in the show’s run! When Coach’s daughter comes back to Boston with a deadbeat jerk for a fiance, it’s up to the usually oblivious bartender to point out the obvious. The fact that Cheers went this sentimental this soon and pulled it off shows how strong this series was from the start. Stream "Coach's Daughter" on Netflix
3 "Homicidal Ham" (2x4) The bar was fully stocked with weirdo side characters, none more dangerous than the memorably named Andy Andy, an ex-con with a taste for theatrics and desire for Diane. Those character traits come to a head in his second appearance, when a performance of Othello takes a potentially deadly turn for Ms. Chambers. Stream "Homicidal Ham" on Netflix
4 "Fairy Tales Can Come True" (3x4) “Heartwarming” and “sweet” are not two words you’d think to use for a Cliff Clavin-centric episode, let alone one set on Halloween. But that’s just what this Season 3 fairytale is: heartwarming and sweet. Perpetual sad sack Cliff finally hits it off with a lady at a costume party and asks her out on a date (sans mask). That leads to a nerve-wracking will-she/won’t-she-show-up wait that’ll make you swoon just a teeny tiny bit for the bar’s resident blowhard. Stream "Fairy Tales Can Come True" on Netflix
5 "The Heart Is a Lonely Snipehunter" (3x14) Whereas other shows continually fail to add likable new characters that feel integral to the show’s lineup, Cheers excelled from the moment they added their first new series regular: Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane. This episode fully welcomes Frasier to the cast via a dirty and devious prank. Starting here, Frasier is not just Diane’s boyfriend, but his own fully neurotic and petty weirdo. Hey, he fits right in with the rest of the gang! Stream "The Heart Is a Lonely Snipehunter" on Netflix
6 "Dark Imaginings" (4x19) Woody’s addition to the cast after Coach’s passing before Season 4 gave the series different angles to explore, especially now that Sam Malone wasn’t the hottest and youngest dude in the bar. “Dark Imaginings” pulls on that thread, unraveling Sam’s macho exterior and exposing a previously unseen vulnerability. It’s not played for laughs, either. Sam Malone, this is your life. And also Cliff and Frasier get into a squabble about vegetables that look like celebrities. Stream "Dark Imaginings" on Netflix
7 "Thanksgiving Orphans" (5x9) When everyone’s Thanksgiving plans fall through, the bartenders and barflies begrudgingly come together for a meal. To cut to the chase: this is the best Thanksgiving episode of all time, and the argument can easily be made that it’s the greatest Cheers episode of all time. This is the show at its peak, the cast at the height of their collective power, and what it says about the meaning of family is remarkable. And it also ends with the messiest food fight you ever did see. Stream "Thanksgiving Orphans" on Netflix
8 "How to Win Friends and Electrocute People" (7x7) If you’re a Cliff Clavin completist, you have to watch this Season 7 episode that pushes the postal postal worker past his limit. After realizing that his know-it-all antics have alienated himself from people that are essentially the only family he has (other than his ma), Cliff undergoes some portable shock therapy that is definitely not medically sound, but it does give us some of John Ratzenberger’s best physical comedy. Stream "How to Win Friends and Electrocute People" on Netflix
9 "Days of Wine and Neuroses" (9x14) We have to acknowledge the fact that Cheers replaced two absolutely essential original cast members—Coach and Diane—with two more characters—Woody and Rebecca—who would become as beloved as their predecessors. That’s practically unheard of in TV history. This Season 9 episode is a tour de force for Kirstie Alley, whose immensely harried Rebecca completely falls apart after getting the one thing she’s always wanted: a proposal from the dashing Robin Colcord. Stream "Days of Wine and Neuroses" on Netflix


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Ex-Wirecard CEO Markus Braun released on $5.6 million bail

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Register here Former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun was released on bail following his arrest in connection with the payments company ’ s $ 2.1 billion accounting scandal , reports say .
Braun , 50 , posted his bail of 5 million euros ( $ 5.6 million ) on Tuesday , a day after he turned himself in to German prosecutors who accused him of falsifying income to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to multiple news reports .
Munich prosecutors lifted an arrest warrant against Braun , who resigned from Wirecard last week , even as they continued to investigate him , Reuters reported .
Authorities say he used bogus income from transactions to inflate Wirecard ’ s sales volume and assets .
Braun was arrested the same day Wirecard admitted 1.9 billion euros that went missing from its accounts likely never existed .
That followed the payment processor ’ s Thursday revelation that its auditor refused to sign off on its 2019 accounts over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiral .
German prosecutors are also probing the rest of Wirecard ’ s former management board — including ex-chief operating officer Jan Marsalek , whom the company fired Monday , the Financial Times reported .
Marsalek is said to be in the Philippines and looking for records to clear up the case , according to Germany ’ s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper .
The massive accounting scandal has caused Wirecard ’ s stock price to plunge more than 80 percent in just five trading days .
The company ’ s shares were trading below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 191 euros in 2018 .

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Former Wirecard CEO Markus Braun was released on bail following his arrest in connection with the payments company’s $2.1 billion accounting scandal, reports say.
Braun, 50, posted his bail of 5 million euros ($5.6 million) on Tuesday, a day after he turned himself in to German prosecutors who accused him of falsifying income to make Wirecard more attractive to investors, according to multiple news reports.
Munich prosecutors lifted an arrest warrant against Braun, who resigned from Wirecard last week, even as they continued to investigate him, Reuters reported. Authorities say he used bogus income from transactions to inflate Wirecard’s sales volume and assets.
Braun was arrested the same day Wirecard admitted 1.9 billion euros that went missing from its accounts likely never existed. That followed the payment processor’s Thursday revelation that its auditor refused to sign off on its 2019 accounts over the missing cash, kickstarting a downward spiral.
German prosecutors are also probing the rest of Wirecard’s former management board — including ex-chief operating officer Jan Marsalek, whom the company fired Monday, the Financial Times reported. Marsalek is said to be in the Philippines and looking for records to clear up the case, according to Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
The massive accounting scandal has caused Wirecard’s stock price to plunge more than 80 percent in just five trading days. The company’s shares were trading below 15 euros Wednesday morning, down from about 191 euros in 2018.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Steve Bing’s death officially ruled suicide as coroner closes case

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Hollywood mogul Steve Bing’s death has formally been ruled a suicide, Los Angeles County’s coroner has confirmed.
Bing — the 55-year-old father of Elizabeth Hurley’s 18-year-old son — died Monday after plunging from the 27th floor of his apartment building in LA’s Century City.
The cause of death was listed as “multiple blunt trauma” and ruled a suicide, records show. The case is listed as closed.
Bing became a major Hollywood producer and investor after inheriting $600 million from his grandfather, New York real estate developer Leo Bing, when he was 18.
Bing produced the 2000 Sylvester Stallone film “Get Carter” and was a major investor in the 2004 Tom Hanks animated film “The Polar Express.”
He was also a producer on director Martin Scorsese’s 2008 Rolling Stones documentary, “Shine a Light,” and a co-producer with Mick Jagger on a forthcoming documentary on Jerry Lee Lewis.
“It’s so sad to hear of Steve Bing’s passing,” Jagger said on Twitter. “He was such a kind and generous friend and supported so many good and just causes. I will miss him very much.”
Bing also donated millions to the Democratic Party, with Bill Clinton tweeting Monday that he “loved Steve Bing very much.”
“He had a big heart, and he was willing to do anything he could for the people and causes he believed in. I will miss him and his enthusiasm more than I can say, and I hope he’s finally found peace,” Clinton wrote.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Elizabeth Hurley and Steve Bing in 2001 MEGA The Los Angeles apartment building where Steve Bing died by suicide. SplashNews.com Advertisement Outside the Los Angeles apartment building where Steve Bing died by suicide. APEX / MEGA Advertisement
He is perhaps best known, however, for being the father of Hurley’s son, Damian — initially denying being such until a DNA test proved otherwise.
Hurley said she was “saddened beyond belief” by his death, sharing a series of snaps of them together, saying they had recently “become close again.”


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Let Mindy Kaling Write the Rom-Com Feature She’s Always Wanted

In 2011 , Mindy Kaling wrote in a New Yorker essay : “ What I ’ d really like to write is a romantic comedy .
This is my favorite kind of movie .
I feel almost embarrassed revealing this , because the genre has been so degraded in the past twenty years that saying you like romantic comedies is essentially an admission of mild stupidity.
” It ’ s nearly 10 years later .
And it ’ s Mindy Kaling ’ s birthday .
Isn ’ t it time she got that rom-com feature ?
That New Yorker essay—which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characters in romantic comedies and also predict the 2016 film The Do-Over—was in part a response to a pitch meeting where Kaling was told studios weren ’ t interested in movies about women falling in love .
Studios were interested in movies based on board games .
Despite that advice , Kaling ’ s been hanging out in her favorite genre since the start of her career , well before Netflix made romantic comedies cool again .
Though she doesn ’ t often get credit for it , the epic love story of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t have been a fraction of what it was without Kaling in the writers ’ room .
( And later , in that room as an executive producer of the show . )
Kaling penned some of the most iconic Jim and Pam episodes , including “ The Dundies , ” “ Secret Santa , ” and “ Niagra Part 1 and 2 , ” aka the wedding episode .
“ Their relationship was the best example of what could happen when you go to work every day , ” Kaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weekly .
“ Even if it ’ s a job that you don ’ t like , you could find the love of your life there.
” The Mindy Project is a tricky one .
When Kaling graduated from The Office to her own show , I felt sure she was going to serve us that delicious rom-com realness .
And for two years , she did .
The first two seasons of The Mindy Project were a chef ’ s kiss homage to the quintessential rom-com When Harry Met Sally .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Mindy Lahiri ( Kaling ) went from a playful rivalry at their prestigious OB/GYN office in New York City , to a deep friendship , to a romantic relationship .
Had it been the movie that Kaling pitched to those execs in 2011 , the story would have ended there , and it would have been perfect .
Instead , over the course of the next four seasons , Danny went from the perfect rom-com love interest to an abusive boyfriend that Mindy ultimately forgives , and it understandably turned many off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kaling ’ s adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu was essentially an unapologetic mishmash of every ’ 90s romantic comedy trope in the book .
For some , that was a bad thing .
For others , it was too difficult for a remake Hulu series to live up to the beloved Richard Curtis film .
( After all , the original had Hugh Grant . )
The result was Kaling ’ s first real critical flop .
But despite the poor reviews , Kaling quickly re-proved her mastery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ever , the Netflix series that debuted in April .
Co-created by Kaling and Lang Fisher , Never Have I Ever stars the very charming Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a high school sophomore named Devi who ’ s obsessed with romance .
It ’ s a pitch-perfect teen rom-com , from the classic love triangle to the enemies-to-friends-lovers trope .
In fact , it ’ s my favorite Kaling romantic comedy yet , and I surely hope the future seasons continue to deliver .
But I can ’ t help but think how perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been as a feature film .
The catharsis !
The romance !
The gloriously uncomplicated happily-ever-after fade out !
It would have surely gone down in the romantic comedy history books as one of the all-time greats .
Kaling did achieve her feature film aspirations last year with Late Night , starring Emma Thompson as an established late-night comedian and Kaling as her fresh-faced diversity hire .
It ’ s a fascinating and enjoyable look into the unfair world of late-night comedy , but it ’ s surely not the low-budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting back in 2011 .
The core relationship , between Thompson and Kaling , is sweet , but not romantic .
I want to see Kaling write the movie she called “ her favorite kind of movie , ” and I think the various studio executives in charge of that kind of thing should make it happen .
I know it would be a great movie .
I feel it in my bones .
She ’ s more than proved herself in the genre .
She already has the in with Netflix , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success with rom-coms like To All The Boys I ’ ve Loved Before .
It ’ s perfect !
What are you waiting for , nameless studio execs ?
It ’ s her birthday , for Pete ’ s sake !
Watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix Where to watch The Mindy Project Where to watch The Office

In 2011, Mindy Kaling wrote in a New Yorker essay: “What I’d really like to write is a romantic comedy. This is my favorite kind of movie. I feel almost embarrassed revealing this, because the genre has been so degraded in the past twenty years that saying you like romantic comedies is essentially an admission of mild stupidity.”
It’s nearly 10 years later. And it’s Mindy Kaling’s birthday. Isn’t it time she got that rom-com feature?
That New Yorker essay—which goes on to mock the unrealistic female characters in romantic comedies and also predict the 2016 film The Do-Over—was in part a response to a pitch meeting where Kaling was told studios weren’t interested in movies about women falling in love. Studios were interested in movies based on board games. Despite that advice, Kaling’s been hanging out in her favorite genre since the start of her career, well before Netflix made romantic comedies cool again. Though she doesn’t often get credit for it, the epic love story of Jim and Pam on The Office surely wouldn’t have been a fraction of what it was without Kaling in the writers’ room. (And later, in that room as an executive producer of the show.) Kaling penned some of the most iconic Jim and Pam episodes, including “The Dundies,” “Secret Santa,” and “Niagra Part 1 and 2,” aka the wedding episode. “Their relationship was the best example of what could happen when you go to work every day,” Kaling once said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Even if it’s a job that you don’t like, you could find the love of your life there.”
The Mindy Project is a tricky one. When Kaling graduated from The Office to her own show, I felt sure she was going to serve us that delicious rom-com realness. And for two years, she did. The first two seasons of The Mindy Project were a chef’s kiss homage to the quintessential rom-com When Harry Met Sally. Dr. Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) and Dr. Mindy Lahiri (Kaling) went from a playful rivalry at their prestigious OB/GYN office in New York City, to a deep friendship, to a romantic relationship. Had it been the movie that Kaling pitched to those execs in 2011, the story would have ended there, and it would have been perfect. Instead, over the course of the next four seasons, Danny went from the perfect rom-com love interest to an abusive boyfriend that Mindy ultimately forgives, and it understandably turned many off from the show, despite favorable reviews.
Kaling’s adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu was essentially an unapologetic mishmash of every ’90s romantic comedy trope in the book. For some, that was a bad thing. For others, it was too difficult for a remake Hulu series to live up to the beloved Richard Curtis film. (After all, the original had Hugh Grant.) The result was Kaling’s first real critical flop. But despite the poor reviews, Kaling quickly re-proved her mastery of the genre with Never Have I Ever, the Netflix series that debuted in April.
Co-created by Kaling and Lang Fisher, Never Have I Ever stars the very charming Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as a high school sophomore named Devi who’s obsessed with romance. It’s a pitch-perfect teen rom-com, from the classic love triangle to the enemies-to-friends-lovers trope. In fact, it’s my favorite Kaling romantic comedy yet, and I surely hope the future seasons continue to deliver. But I can’t help but think how perfect Season 1 of Never Have I Ever would have been as a feature film. The catharsis! The romance! The gloriously uncomplicated happily-ever-after fade out! It would have surely gone down in the romantic comedy history books as one of the all-time greats.
Kaling did achieve her feature film aspirations last year with Late Night, starring Emma Thompson as an established late-night comedian and Kaling as her fresh-faced diversity hire. It’s a fascinating and enjoyable look into the unfair world of late-night comedy, but it’s surely not the low-budget romantic comedy Kaling pitched in that studio meeting back in 2011. The core relationship, between Thompson and Kaling, is sweet, but not romantic. I want to see Kaling write the movie she called “her favorite kind of movie,” and I think the various studio executives in charge of that kind of thing should make it happen. I know it would be a great movie. I feel it in my bones. She’s more than proved herself in the genre. She already has the in with Netflix, a. studio which has seen pretty good success with rom-coms like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. It’s perfect! What are you waiting for, nameless studio execs? It’s her birthday, for Pete’s sake!
Watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix
Where to watch The Mindy Project
Where to watch The Office


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Bronx girl struck by fireworks through bedroom window

A 3-year-old girl was injured when illegal fireworks blasted into a bedroom in the Bronx early Wednesday morning , sources @ @ @ @ @ was just before 12:15 a.m. when the fireworks shot through the sixth-floor bedroom window of @ @ @ @ @ Street apartment building , near West 167th Street , sources said .
The little girl @ @ @ @ @ family at the time , police said .
Just before the blast , a group @ @ @ @ @ were seen lighting the fireworks on the street , according to the sources .
The @ @ @ @ @ Hospital with minor burns to her left arm .
Police said one person is in @ @ @ @ @ fireworks but could not provide more information .
Charges are pending .
Illegal firework activity @ @ @ @ @ this past month , prompting Mayor de Blasio to announce a crackdown — that targets @ @ @ @ @ users .

A 3-year-old boy was injured when illegal fireworks blasted into a bedroom of her Bronx home early Wednesday, sources told The Post.
It was just before 12:15 a.m. when the fireworks shot through the sixth-floor bedroom window at the Anderson Street apartment building, near West 167th Street, where the child lives with his mom and two siblings, sources and neighbors said.
The little boy was with his family watching the fireworks being set off at the time, police said.
Just before the blast, a group of four or five men were seen lighting the fireworks on the street, according to the sources.
The toddler was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital with minor burns to her left arm.
Police said one person is in custody in connection with the fireworks but could not provide more information. Charges are pending.
Illegal firework activity has skyrocketed in the city this past month, prompting Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce a crackdown — that targets sellers, not users.
Residents in the Highbridge apartment building said they’ve been tormented by fireworks all week.
“There are four guys who pull up right here every night around 1 [a.m.] and unload boxes of fireworks right here,” said Carlon Hosten, 21. “They go from 1 to 4 with 20-minute breaks in between so you start to go back to sleep and boom!”
Hosten said the illegal activity continues — even as police drive by in marked cars.
“The cops passed by while they are setting the fireworks off. Last night, they passed four times while it happened!” Hosten said.
Cars parked outside the building were littered with debris from fireworks packaging.
“Last night they lit off a whole box right here near the building,” said Maya Anderson, who’s lived in the building her entire life. “Why aren’t they stopping it? Waiting for something worse? A baby got burned. Isn’t that bad enough?”
Additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Terry Crews: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ trashed 4 new episodes after George Floyd’s death

In the months since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police , there has been extra spotlight on “ Brooklyn Nine-Nine , ” as the comedy follows a blundering police force .
The show wrapped its seventh season in April , but star Terry Crews said on Tuesday that showrunner Dan Goor “ had four [ new ] episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash .
We have to start over .
Right now we don ’ t know which direction it ’ s going to go in.
” Crews added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations and we hope through this we ’ re going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year .
We have an opportunity here , and we plan to use it in the best way possible.
” The actor called the reaction to the death of George Floyd “ Black America ’ s # MeToo movement.
” “ We always knew this was happening , ” he said , “ but now , white people are understanding.
” Earlier this month , Goor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter , indicating that he and the cast had made a $ 100,000 contribution to the National Bail Fund .
The show also stars Andy Samberg , Stephanie Beatriz , Andre Braugher and Melissa Fumero .
NBC has renewed the Golden Globe Award-winning series for an eighth season last November .
The series is produced by Universal Television , a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios , Fremulon , Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment .

In the months since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, there has been extra spotlight on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” as the comedy follows a blundering police force.
The show wrapped its seventh season in April, but star Terry Crews said on Tuesday that showrunner Dan Goor “had four [new] episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash. We have to start over. Right now we don’t know which direction it’s going to go in.”
Crews added that the cast has had “a lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations and we hope through this we’re going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year. We have an opportunity here, and we plan to use it in the best way possible.”
The actor called the reaction to the death of George Floyd “Black America’s #MeToo movement.”
“We always knew this was happening,” he said, “but now, white people are understanding.”
Earlier this month, Goor tweeted a message of support for Black Lives Matter, indicating that he and the cast had made a $100,000 contribution to the National Bail Fund.
The show also stars Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Andre Braugher and Melissa Fumero.
NBC has renewed the Golden Globe Award-winning series for an eighth season last November.
The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, Fremulon, Dr. Goor Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Five Yankees storylines to watch as spring training 2 begins

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With fingers firmly crossed that health and safety issues don’t get in the way of spring training rebooting next Wednesday, MLB will attempt to open a spring training that vanished March 12 due to the coronavirus, an effort that still offers plenty of hurdles to overcome before a regular season can begin.
Tuesday the union informed MLB the players will report for spring training on July 1 ahead of a 60-game season.
For the Yankees, that means Spring Training 2 will be held at Yankee Stadium and run roughly for three weeks, with games that count beginning in late July. The Yankees were last seen in West Palm Beach, Fla., on March 12, and baseball has been a ghost for roughly three months.
As for the actually playing of baseball, the Yankees were favored to win the AL East for a second straight season when COVID-19 changed the world. And that was with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and James Paxton not expected to be ready for Opening Day. Hicks said last week, before George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa was closed, that he would be ready to play. The feeling around the team is Stanton and Paxton will be, too. The Yankees haven’t provided a medical update on Judge’s top right rib condition.
Here are five Yankees storylines ahead of the relaunch of spring training:
1. Had the season began on March 26, the starting outfield would have likely been Mike Tauchman in right, Brett Gardner in center and Clint Frazier in left. Now, if Judge is healthy, he will be in right, Hicks in center and Gardner or Stanton in left. Tauchman remains a valuable left-handed hitter who can play all three outfield spots.
Paxton wasn’t going to be ready for Opening Day due to February back surgery, but the lengthy delay should allow him to start with the rest of the team.
2. Aaron Boone has been a big-league manager for two seasons and is in new waters with a much shorter schedule to navigate. How Boone will use his starting pitchers at the outset since they won’t have a full six weeks of spring training is a big question.
Boone is in better shape than most big-league managers because of the depth and talent of his bullpen, which can cover for a group of solid starters none of whom will be asked to provide five innings at the beginning.
In Chad Green and Luis Cessa he has right-handers who can work multiple innings.
Of course the strength of the pen is Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Green.
3. All eyes will be on Gerrit Cole’s first Yankees experience, but he can only pitch every fifth day. What Jordan Montgomery, J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Paxton, who can be a free agent following the season, do will be as equally important to the Yankees in a short season. Montgomery has pitched four big league innings since May 1, 2018, following Tommy John surgery.
4. The Yankees didn’t retain shortstop Didi Gregorius, who signed with the Phillies as a free agent, because they believe Gleyber Torres can shift from second to short. Torres isn’t the fielder Gregorius is and doesn’t have ideal range for a shortstop but if he makes the routine plays the Yankees will have a premium bat at a premier position.
5. The AL East will be a two-team race between the Yankees and Rays. However, in a short season it is not out of the question a lesser team could swipe a title.
So with every game carrying extra weight, Boone will likely act earlier with pitching decisions and be quicker to sit slumping hitters.
And pay attention to when trades can start to be made or when a trade deadline is set, since GM Brian Cashman will have to move quickly to make a deal if things don’t go well at the beginning.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--North Korea suspends planned military action against the South

North Korea 's embassy in Moscow has threatened to use its ...

North Korea announced Wednesday that it was suspending its planned military action against the neighboring South — a war it had threatened would end in devastation for the US.
After weeks of ratcheting up tensions, leader Kim Jong Un made an unexpected about-face during a video-conference meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday.
A national security body overseen by the dictator “took stock of the prevailing situation and suspended the military action plans against the South,” the statement said.
No reason was given for the unexpected halt other than discussions continuing on bolstering the country’s “war deterrent.”
Seoul was “closely reviewing” the North’s report, according to Yoh Sang-key, a spokesman of South Korea’s Unification Ministry.
Experts warned that it could be only a temporary move to make room for South Korea to make concessions in ongoing negotiations between the neighboring nations.
“What’s clear is that the North said (the military action) was postponed, not canceled,” said Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean military official who participated in inter-Korean military negotiations.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, also warned, “Now isn’t the time for anyone in Seoul or Washington to be self-congratulatory about deterring North Korea.
“There may be a pause in provocations or Pyongyang might temporarily de-escalate in search of external concessions. But North Korea will almost certainly continue to bolster its so-called ‘deterrent.’
“As long as the Kim regime refuses to denuclearize, it is likely to use Seoul as a scapegoat for its military modernization and domestic politics of economic struggle after failing to win sanctions relief.”
Until Wednesday’s announcement, it was Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who had made most of the threats against South Korea.
It was the first time Kim Jong Un had been heard from for almost two weeks.
Officials noted it was also the first time he was known to have used video conferencing — further heightening speculation that it could be because of the coronavirus, despite the North claiming to have no cases.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement North Korean soldiers at a guard post in Paju, at the border with North Korea AP/Kim Do-hoon A North Korean soldier stands guard at a sentry post in the North Korean town of Kaepung on the western border with South Korea. EPA Advertisement
The announcement came as the North claimed it had printed 12 million propaganda leaflets to drop from balloons over the South in revenge for leaflets from the South decrying life across the border.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Kim’s decision to halt military action would also stop the leafleting campaign.
Nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington largely stalled after Kim’s second summit with President Trump last year in Vietnam.
David Helvey, the US acting assistant secretary of defense on Indo-Pacific affairs, said last week that North Korea’s recent actions showed it still “presents an extraordinary threat” to the US and its allies, according to the Wall Street Journal.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Five storylines facing Mets as ‘summer’ training set to begin

Second in a series analyzing the New York Mets .
The ...

When spring training was suspended in March, the Mets were still trying to configure their rotation and get multiple rehabbing players ready for the season.
More than three months later, as they prepare to resume workouts next week — this time at Citi Field with MCU Park in Brooklyn as a potential overflow site — the issues have shifted somewhat.
Most notably, Noah Syndergaard underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his 2020 season, and Michael Conforto’s oblique strain that threatened to keep him sidelined for the early weeks of the season has healed.
Barring another coronavirus setback, the 60-game season will begin in about a month. Here are five storylines to keep in mind heading into Spring Training 2 — or more accurately, Summer Training:
1. Steven Matz and Michael Wacha were hovering around one rotation spot in the first spring training, with it possible the Mets would employ a job share of sorts, alternating the lefty and righty. With Syndergaard’s spot up for grabs, there seems to be a chair for everybody — with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Matz and Wacha in the rotation.
It’s possible Seth Lugo would be considered, but the Mets’ preference is to keep the top reliever from the past two seasons in the bullpen. Wacha has a history of shoulder issues, but might benefit from a season in which he is asked to start just 10-12 games. If there is a rotation injury, the Mets might have to look toward untested David Peterson or Franklyn Kilome, with Walker Lockett and Corey Oswalt as other options.
2. There’s every reason to believe at this point the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will vote on awards for this abbreviated season. DeGrom has won the past two National League Cy Young awards, but his chances of becoming just the third pitcher to win as many as three straight, figure to be affected. After all, mere mortals can get hot over a stretch of 10 starts and post terrific numbers.
It’s the truly gifted who endure the grind of a season and emerge from the pack. Would anybody be surprised if there is a reliever that makes 30 appearances this season and allows only one or two runs and wins the award?
3. Neither Yoenis Cespedes nor Jed Lowrie had appeared in an exhibition game when spring training was suspended, but Cespedes was close to testing his legs on the bases. Lowrie was still wearing an extensive leg brace and probably further away from playing than Cespedes.
The Mets have bigger plans for Cespedes if he’s deemed healthy. With the DH in play for at least this season, Cespedes could provide an extra bat to the lineup without putting too much stress on his surgically repaired heels. Lowrie provides a backup at second and third base. He would be a nice extra piece if he can play.
4. Edwin Diaz was off to a shaky start in the Grapefruit League after a disastrous first season with the Mets, but Jeurys Familia was showing signs he could be in for a rebound year, 30 pounds lighter, after flopping in 2019.
The biggest question mark in the Mets’ bullpen was Dellin Betances, attempting a comeback after appearing in only one game last season for the Yankees. The veteran right-hander had his exhibition game debut delayed and was attempting to increase his velocity from the 90-91 mph range when the shutdown was imposed.
5. Luis Rojas, the Mets’ rookie manager, has been awaiting his first real game. In a 60-game season, mistakes will be magnified. Mickey Callaway had two straight brutal first halves with the Mets, but the team, in both seasons of his regime, played markedly better in the second half. Rojas has got 37 percent of the schedule to prove himself in his first season.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Tiny dogs’ attempt to jump over stream is a total ‘wash’

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It takes more than courage to cross a stream. When two petite pooches tried follow a larger dog over a small body of water, the result was a soaking-wet fail. Watch the funny moment filmed by Joshua Grimsdale, 17, in Hemel Hempstead, UK.
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newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Ja Rule’s big fat Greek commercial

Ja Rule’s big fat Greek commercial

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) • Ja Rule told Page Six he has no regrets after filming a wacky , low-budget commercial for a Greek restaurant .
• Lady Gaga ’ s a multimillionaire and her dad still got a box of Oreos for Father ’ s Day .
• And Gilbert Gottfried ’ s daughter had a Zoom bat mitzvah that featured some accidental geriatric nudity that probably wasn ’ t kosher .
Here ’ s a closer look at some of today ’ s stories : 50 Cent may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new commercial by his rap nemesis Ja Rule .
Ja ’ s “ cheesy ” ad for an LA Greek deli called Papa Cristo ’ s went viral and was boosted when Fiddy commented in a since-deleted post : “ This what happens … I ’ ll have you and your whole label selling gyros.
” The pair ’ s had beef since the ’ 90s .
But Ja may have had the last laugh , telling Page Six ’ s Tashara Jones that the ad is part of a promo for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Show-Off.
” “ I ’ m a marketing genius , and this is all working exactly how I wanted it to , ” Ja told us .
“ I did this commercial on the TV show that I ’ m doing with [ LA Lakers star ] Dwight Howard , Bella Thorne and Bruce Willis ’ daughters , all kinds of people … the premise of the show is we create our own TV shows within the show.
” Multimillionaire Lady Gaga sent her dad a box of Oreos for Father ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the singer is said to be worth $ 275 million , restaurateur Joe Germanotta seemed perfectly happy with the cookie gift — which usually costs about $ 4 for a box .
He told FOX Business ’ s Dagen McDowell : “ My daughter Stefani , you know , aka Lady Gaga , she sent me a box of Oreos .
It was a great day.
” The Zoom bat mitzvah for stand-up comic Gilbert Gottfried and wife Dara Kravitz ’ s daughter , Lily , last week had a surprise appearance when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She wasn ’ t familiar with how to work Zoom and proceeded to take off her bathing suit , get naked , and take a shower in the middle of the bat mitzvah and entirely on camera , ” said a giggly source .
Apparently someone remarked , “ OMG Francine is naked !
” “ She couldn ’ t figure out how to get the sound to work , so she couldn ’ t hear anyone telling her she was naked , ” the source said .
“ And she didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see her get undressed , walk around her bathroom , take a shower , answer the phone with a close-up shot.
” Page Six ’ s Mara Siegler and Emily Smith were told that the woman , Francine Leibman , had just returned from the pool , and it was her first time ever using the videoconferencing platform .
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 , @ @ @ @

In this episode:
Ja Rule told Page Six he has no regrets after filming a wacky, low-budget commercial for a Greek restaurant.
Lady Gaga’s a multimillionaire and her dad still got a box of Oreos for Father’s Day.
And Gilbert Gottfried’s daughter had a Zoom bat mitzvah that featured some accidental geriatric nudity that probably wasn’t kosher.
Here’s a closer look at some of today’s stories:
Ja Rule has no regrets
50 Cent may have fallen for a trap when he trolled a new commercial by his rap nemesis Ja Rule.
Ja’s “cheesy” ad for an LA Greek deli called Papa Cristo’s went viral and was boosted when Fiddy commented in a since-deleted post: “This what happens … I’ll have you and your whole label selling gyros.” The pair’s had beef since the ’90s.
But Ja may have had the last laugh, telling Page Six’s Tashara Jones that the ad is part of a promo for his new TBS show, “Celebrity Show-Off.”
“I’m a marketing genius, and this is all working exactly how I wanted it to,” Ja told us. “I did this commercial on the TV show that I’m doing with [LA Lakers star] Dwight Howard, Bella Thorne and Bruce Willis’ daughters, all kinds of people … the premise of the show is we create our own TV shows within the show.”
Gaga’s gift
Multimillionaire Lady Gaga sent her dad a box of Oreos for Father’s Day, he revealed Monday.
Although the singer is said to be worth $275 million, restaurateur Joe Germanotta seemed perfectly happy with the cookie gift — which usually costs about $4 for a box.
He told FOX Business’s Dagen McDowell: “My daughter Stefani, you know, aka Lady Gaga, she sent me a box of Oreos. It was a great day.”
Zoom nudes
The Zoom bat mitzvah for stand-up comic Gilbert Gottfried and wife Dara Kravitz’s daughter, Lily, last week had a surprise appearance when a 70-year-old guest accidentally exposed herself.
“She wasn’t familiar with how to work Zoom and proceeded to take off her bathing suit, get naked, and take a shower in the middle of the bat mitzvah and entirely on camera,” said a giggly source. Apparently someone remarked, “OMG Francine is naked!”
“She couldn’t figure out how to get the sound to work, so she couldn’t hear anyone telling her she was naked,” the source said. “And she didn’t realize that we could all see her get undressed, walk around her bathroom, take a shower, answer the phone with a close-up shot.”
Page Six’s Mara Siegler and Emily Smith were told that the woman, Francine Leibman, had just returned from the pool, and it was her first time ever using the videoconferencing platform.
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--2020-06-24--MLB is back: Answers to seven pressing questions

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Have the warring parties ...

On Tuesday night, the return of Major League Baseball became official. Here’s betting you have some questions about where things stand now. Here are some answers:
Q. So we’re good to go? I can pull my Aurelio Lopez jersey out of storage and get ready to watch some baseball?
A: You can (RIP Senor Smoke). The MLB Players Association checked off the last two boxes on Tuesday: It notified MLB of its readiness to start spring training on July 1, with Opening Day set for July 23 or 24, and it signed off on the safety and health protocols.
Q. When you talk about being able to “report to spring training by July 1,” what happens if a certain player — say, an international player who returned home during the shutdown — can’t get there by then?
A: No biggie. As long as most of the players are ready by that date. Though keep in mind that no one will take the field unless he tests negative for COVID-19.
Q: How will the schedule work over 60 games? Will they maintain the traditional divisions?
A: Yes, the traditional divisions will be intact. Teams will stay within their regions, meaning that the Yankees and the Mets will compete against clubs only in the two East divisions. To get to 60 games, a logical breakdown would be 10 games against each of the four teams in your own division, for a total of 40, and then four games against each of the five teams in the corresponding division from the other league, for a total of 20.
Q. Will there be a trade deadline?
A: Yes. It will be Aug. 31.
Q: Will there be the typical postseason awards like Most Valuable Player, Cy Young (left), et al.?
A: That’s in the hands of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. I see no reason why we wouldn’t grant those as long as the season actually concludes.
Q: What are the odds that the season actually concludes?
A: Let’s generously put them at 20 percent.
Q: So in the wake of a brain-melting near-month of petty acrimony amid one of the most challenging times in our country’s history, did either side actually prevail?
A: The players won by a score of -10,000 to -15,000 — which is to say that while both lost big, at least the players galvanized like we haven’t seen in a generation and, anecdotally speaking, captured far more public support than they had in previous disputes. Whether this extremely modest victory can lead to tangible gains for the players in the next round of collective bargaining remains to be seen.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Softball players ‘walking away’ from team after anthem flap

When major sports return to the US , there will no ...

When major sports return to the US, there will no doubt be a greater number of players kneeling during the national anthem in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The issue has already popped up in pro softball, with Olympian Cat Osterman writing on Twitter on Monday that she “will not represent” the team she signed with because of their activity on social media on the subject.
A tweet on Monday by the ScrapYard Dawgs featured a picture of Osterman and her teammates standing during the anthem with a caption that read, “Hey @realDonaldTrump Pro Fastpitch being played live @usssaspacecoast @USSSAPride Everyone respecting the FLAG!”
The team’s tweet has since been deleted, but not before it drew criticism from Osterman and her teammates, who also threatened to leave the team.
Another fellow Olympian, Natasha Watley, tweeted: “Seriously fuming right now… @ScrapYardFP you are better than this! Haven’t we been going over this for the last 3 weeks? This is not funny at ALL! Has nothing to do with respecting the flag and ALL to do with respecting ALL Americans in this country regardless of color of skin.”
The issue has resurfaced more fervently in recent weeks following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, but has simmered since former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began to kneel during the anthems before NFL games to protest police brutality.
President Trump has criticized Kaepernick and others for not standing during the anthem.
The 37-year-old Osterman, who came out of retirement last year, also tweeted: “I DO NOT support the comments made during our game by @scrapyardfp & I will not represent them. We as a people are working towards change, and THIS IS NOT IT.”
The team’s next game is scheduled for Wednesday.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Three Rockies, including All-Star Charlie Blackmon, have coronavirus

MLB and the players union finally came to a formal agreement on a 60-game regular season on Tuesday , but @ @ @ @ @ struck again as three Colorado Rockies tested for COVID-19 .
Right fielder Charlie Blackmon , @ @ @ @ @ reliever Phillip Diehl and righty pitcher Ryan Castellani tested positive for coronavirus following recent workouts @ @ @ @ @ to The Denver Post .
Several Rockies had been taking live at-bats during the workouts @ @ @ @ @ Post that one player was showing symptoms and the other two were asymptomatic .
After @ @ @ @ @ , the rest of the Rockies players were tested and their tests came back negative @ @ @ @ @ .
Coors Field has been closed for the week after MLB ordered spring training facilities @ @ @ @ @ Phillies and Yankees were among big-league teams to have members of their organizations test positive @

MLB and the players union finally came to a formal agreement on a 60-game regular season on Tuesday, but the specter of the coronavirus struck again as three Colorado Rockies tested for COVID-19.
Right fielder Charlie Blackmon, a four-time All-Star, left-handed reliever Phillip Diehl and righty pitcher Ryan Castellani tested positive for coronavirus following recent workouts at Coors Field, according to The Denver Post. Several Rockies had been taking live at-bats during the workouts.
Sources told The Denver Post that one player was showing symptoms and the other two were asymptomatic. After the three players tested positive, the rest of the Rockies players were tested and their tests came back negative, according to the report.
Coors Field has been closed for the week after MLB ordered spring training facilities locked last week after the Phillies and Yankees were among big-league teams to have members of their organizations test positive.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--WI state senator reportedly assaulted during protest that toppled statue of abolitionist

A Democratic state Senator said he was assaulted outside the Wisconsin state capitol building in Madison Tuesday night after protesters toppled two statues — including one created by a pioneering woman sculptor and another of an abolitionist who died fighting the Confederacy in the US Civil War .
State Sen. Tim Carpenter told a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter at the scene that he was attacked while taking a photo of protesters on his way back to complete some late-night work at the Capitol .
A picture posted on Twitter by the reporter , Lawrence Andrea , showed Carpenter doubled over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident .
“ I don ’ t know what happened… all I did was stop and take a picture , and the next thing I ’ m getting five , six punches , getting kicked in the head , ” he said .
This new round of protests in Madison were sparked by the recent arrest of a black man who entered a restaurant near the capitol with a megaphone and a baseball bat .
He was identified by the Wisconsin State Journal as Devonere Johnson , a local activist and organizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white customer inside the restaurant .
In the footage , Johnson calls the man racist , and shouts various profanities through the bullhorn he ’ s carrying .
During the protests Tuesday , attendees toppled Wisconsin ’ s ‘ Forward ’ statue , a seven-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting a woman standing on the prow of a boat .
It was made by the artist Jean Pond Miner , and was placed near the capitol steps in 1895 — ‘ an unusual honor for a woman of her day , ’ according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group also dragged away a statue of Col. Christian Heg , an abolitionist who died fighting for the Union during the US Civil war .
That statue was thrown into a nearby lake , according to the Journal Sentinel .

A Democratic state Senator said he was assaulted outside the Wisconsin state capitol building in Madison Tuesday night after protesters toppled two statues — including one created by a pioneering woman sculptor and another of an abolitionist who died fighting the Confederacy in the US Civil War.
State Sen. Tim Carpenter told a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter at the scene that he was attacked while taking a photo of protesters on his way back to complete some late-night work at the Capitol.
A picture posted on Twitter by the reporter, Lawrence Andrea, showed Carpenter doubled over on one knee in apparent pain following the incident.
“I don’t know what happened… all I did was stop and take a picture, and the next thing I’m getting five, six punches, getting kicked in the head,” he said.
This new round of protests in Madison were sparked by the recent arrest of a black man who entered a restaurant near the capitol with a megaphone and a baseball bat.
He was identified by the Wisconsin State Journal as Devonere Johnson, a local activist and organizer who was shown on cellphone video following a white customer inside the restaurant. In the footage, Johnson calls the man racist, and shouts various profanities through the bullhorn he’s carrying.
It’s unclear what prompted the altercation.
During the protests Tuesday, attendees toppled Wisconsin’s ‘Forward’ statue, a seven-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicting a woman standing on the prow of a boat. It was made by the artist Jean Pond Miner, and was placed near the capitol steps in 1895 — ‘an unusual honor for a woman of her day,’ according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Later, the group also dragged away a statue of Col. Christian Heg, an abolitionist who died fighting for the Union during the US Civil war. That statue was thrown into a nearby lake, according to the Journal Sentinel.


newyorkpost--2020-06-24--Mike Tyson warns Jamie Foxx about upcoming biopic

Jamie Foxx has transformed for his latest role , bulking up ...

Mike Tyson has no doubt that Jamie Foxx will do a “great job” portraying the 53-year-old boxer in a forthcoming biopic but advised caution ahead.
“I’m very grateful. I’m very excited about it,” Tyson recently said in an interview with Charlie Mack, according to the Sun. “I’m gonna sit down and tell him the truth and he’s gonna have to learn to process that.”
Tyson continued, “It’s not going to be pretty.”
Last week, Foxx spoke about his upcoming turn as the controversial heavyweight, revealing he’s doing 60 pull-ups, 60 dips and 100 push-ups every other day.
“I ain’t got no legs. I ain’t got no calf muscles, so we’re gonna have to get some prosthetics for that,” Foxx quipped on “Catching Up with Mark Birnbaum.”
Foxx, 52, also recounted his first encounter with Tyson during the Q&A.
“I was on stage doing stand-up years ago. I get to my Mike Tyson joke, I was a young dude, like 22. I get to my Mike Tyson joke and nobody claps, nobody laughs,” Foxx said, noting Tyson was in the building.
Foxx said he did the joke and received a standing ovation from Tyson.
“I started hanging out with Mike Tyson, so I got a chance to see Mike in two different ways, two different lives. I saw him at the height of his career, and then, when things got bad, when things got bumpy, I also saw him as well,” Foxx said.
The Oscar-winning actor is ready to convey both the highs and lows of Tyson’s storied career.
“What I’m excited about the movie is to show those moments of the different Mike,” Foxx said.
“I think everybody, from young and old, will be able to understand this man’s journey,” he added.