newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Astros concerns include impossible task of replacing Gerrit Cole

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. — Being labeled MLB ’ s biggest cheaters is not the Astros ’ only problem .
They have to find a starter to replace Gerrit Cole , now the Yankees ace .
That means finding 20 wins , an .800 winning percentage , a 2.50 ERA , 212 innings and 326 Ks , not to mention four postseason victories last October .
Lance McCullers Jr. , come on down .
Complicating matters is the fact McCullers is coming off Tommy John surgery .
Don ’ t forget the Astros still have Justin Verlander and Zack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You have to replace the victories , No .
1 , ” Baker told The Post recently at the Astros ’ complex .
“ And they say victories aren ’ t important .
They are way important .
Then you have to replace his seven innings a start .
You got Verlander and Cole back to back , your bullpen is basically taking a rest .
Somebody has got to pick up those innings .
That ’ s why McCullers is going to be so big for us.
” Baker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite the job ahead of him but he also knows how much talent the Astros possess .
As for McCullers coming back from Tommy John surgery , Baker has had a front row seat to the advancements made through the years with that surgery .
“ Tommy John was my teammate , ” Baker said .
Yes , that Tommy John , back with the Dodgers in 1976 , ’ 77 and ’ 78 .
Tommy John had TJ surgery in 1974 .
“ ( McCullers ) comes from good lineage , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will be even if he is better.
” McCullers was 29-22 over 83 appearances and 80 starts before undergoing surgery .
He is known for his nasty curveball but insisted it was not overuse of the curveball that led to the surgery .
“ I ’ ve come a long way these last 16 months , ” McCullers said .
“ Not only physically but mentally .
It felt like a lifetime but here we are .
I am very excited to contribute to the team and not only run to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for teammates ) .
” The rehab was difficult .
As McCullers said , “ There were times you think you were swimming in quicksand.
” McCullers will be limited to about 150 innings .
“ Cole was one of the best in the game , ” Jose Altuve told The Post .
“ That ’ s the reality .
We got to deal with reality and now we have to face him .
But faces change every year and this year we have McCullers and he is going to play a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t compare the two .
Cole is more fastball .
McCullers is more curveball .
They are two different guys but McCullers is going to be a big part of our success.
” McCullers , 26 , said he has changed for the better as a result of the surgery and has matured .
“ I ’ m a father now and my priorities are a lot different than they used to be , ” McCullers said .
“ You come out of the rehab process in a better state of mind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( media ) .
”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Being labeled MLB’s biggest cheaters is not the Astros’ only problem. They have to find a starter to replace Gerrit Cole, now the Yankees ace.
That means finding 20 wins, an .800 winning percentage, a 2.50 ERA, 212 innings and 326 Ks, not to mention four postseason victories last October.
Lance McCullers Jr., come on down. Complicating matters is the fact McCullers is coming off Tommy John surgery. Don’t forget the Astros still have Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke at the top of their rotation.
“You have to replace the victories, No. 1,” manager Dusty Baker told The Post recently at the Astros’ complex. “And they say victories aren’t important. They are way important. Then you have to replace his seven innings a start. You got Verlander and Cole back to back, your bullpen is basically taking a rest. Somebody has got to pick up those innings. That’s why McCullers is going to be so big for us.”
Baker, 70, knows he’s got quite the job ahead of him, but he also knows how much talent the Astros possess. As for McCullers coming back from Tommy John surgery, Baker has had a front row seat to the advancements made through the years with that surgery.
“Tommy John was my teammate,” Baker said. Yes, that Tommy John, back with the Dodgers in 1976, ’77 and ’78. Tommy John had TJ surgery in 1974.
“(McCullers) comes from good lineage,” Baker said. “Imagine how good he will be even if he is better.”
McCullers was 29-22 over 83 appearances and 80 starts before undergoing surgery. He is known for his nasty curveball, but insisted it was not overuse of the curveball that led to the surgery.
“I’ve come a long way these last 16 months,” McCullers said. “Not only physically but mentally. It felt like a lifetime, but here we are. I am very excited to contribute to the team and not only run to the clubhouse to get waters and bananas (for teammates).”
The rehab was difficult. As McCullers said, “There were times you think you were swimming in quicksand.” McCullers will be limited to about 150 innings.
“Cole was one of the best in the game,” Jose Altuve told The Post. “That’s the reality. We got to deal with reality and now we have to face him. But faces change every year, and this year we have McCullers and he is going to play a big, big role. You can’t compare the two. Cole is more fastball. McCullers is more curveball. They are two different guys, but McCullers is going to be a big part of our success.”
McCullers, 26, said he has changed for the better as a result of the surgery and has matured.
“I’m a father now and my priorities are a lot different than they used to be,” McCullers said. “You come out of the rehab process in a better state of mind. I don’t care about social (media).”
Now it’s about replacing Gerrit Cole.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Kelly Ripa reveals why she decided to stop drinking alcohol

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Kelly Ripa joked that she stopped drinking when Ryan Seacrest became her morning show co-host , but that wasn ’ t the real reason why .
The 49-year-old “ Live !
With Kelly and Ryan ” co-anchor told People that her initial decision to give up alcohol started out simply enough .
“ I did a sober month — all my girlfriends did it , we all did it together — and I just never went back to it , ” she told the magazine .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopping drinking , he ’ s like , ‘ I got here and you stopped drinking.
’ It really was not that.
” The decision to stay sober came easily to Ripa because of how much better she felt about herself .
“ It wasn ’ t even really a thought process .
It felt great , I felt like I looked great , I felt like I didn ’ t feel hungover , ” she explained .
“ Not that I was a heavy drinker — I wasn ’ t someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glasses of wine at a girl ’ s night out dinner ; I would feel it the next morning.
” Ripa , who has three children with husband Mark Consuelos , said sobriety came easier to her than quitting smoking .
“ Quitting smoking I really had to think about , ” she shared with the publication .
“ I was like : ‘ Smoking leads to cancer and it will kill you.
’ It was a thing I had to tell myself .
And I was like , ‘ It gives you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was really terrifying.
” “ But you don ’ t want to die early , needlessly , over cigarettes , ” she continued .
“ Over something you don ’ t even like that much anyway .
But drinking was very easy I didn ’ t really think about it at all .
”

Kelly Ripa joked that she stopped drinking when Ryan Seacrest became her morning show co-host, but that wasn’t the real reason why.
The 49-year-old “Live! With Kelly and Ryan” co-anchor told People that her initial decision to give up alcohol nearly three years ago started out simply enough.
“I did a sober month — all my girlfriends did it, we all did it together — and I just never went back to it,” she told the magazine. “Ryan likes to blame himself for me stopping drinking, he’s like, ‘I got here and you stopped drinking.’ It really was not that.”
The decision to stay sober came easily to Ripa because of how much better she felt about herself.
“It wasn’t even really a thought process. It felt great, I felt like I looked great, I felt like I didn’t feel hungover,” she explained. “Not that I was a heavy drinker — I wasn’t someone who got drunk — but even like two glasses of wine at a girl’s night out dinner; I would feel it the next morning.”
Ripa, who has three children with husband Mark Consuelos, said sobriety came easier to her than quitting smoking 25 years ago.
“Quitting smoking I really had to think about,” she shared with the publication. “I was like: ‘Smoking leads to cancer and it will kill you.’ It was a thing I had to tell myself. And I was like, ‘It gives you wrinkles.’ And that was the thing that was really terrifying.”
“But you don’t want to die early, needlessly, over cigarettes,” she continued. “Over something you don’t even like that much anyway. But drinking was very easy I didn’t really think about it at all.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Men posing as charity worker, detective scam elderly woman in Brooklyn: cops

A man posing as both a charity worker and a detective duped a Brooklyn woman out of close to $ 4,500 , cops said Thursday .
The 78-year-old woman was heading to a doctor ’ s appointment when she was approached by a dapperly dressed man as she waited for the bus near Lenox Road and Bedford Ave in Kensington on Jan. 22nd at around 12:35 p.m , police said .
The man asked if she would donate money to a church charity , and after she agreed , he accompanied her home — where she handed him $ 3,300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then dropped off the woman at her doctor ’ s appointment in Sheepshead Bay , according to police .
Cops believe he struck again with an accomplice , when they called the same septuagenarian posing as detectives five days later on Jan. 27th at around 11:45 a.m .
The man on the phone told her he needed to pick up money from her apartment as evidence , cops said .
When one of the men came to get the money , she handed him about $ 1,200 , police said .
Police are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was last seen wearing a black double breasted coat , a black cap , khakis and loafers .
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD ’ s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS ( 8477 )

A man posing as both a charity worker and a detective duped a Brooklyn woman out of close to $4,500, cops said Thursday.
The 78-year-old woman was heading to a doctor’s appointment when she was approached by a dapperly dressed man as she waited for the bus near Lenox Road and Bedford Avenue in Kensington around 12:35 p.m. Jan. 22, police said.
The man asked if she would donate money to a church charity, and after she agreed, he accompanied her home — where she handed him $3,300 in cash, cops said.
He then dropped off the woman at her doctor’s appointment in Sheepshead Bay, according to police.
Cops believe he struck again with an accomplice, when they called the same septuagenarian posing as detectives five days later, around 11:45 a.m. Jan. 27.
The man on the phone told her he needed to pick up money from her apartment as evidence, cops said. When one of the men came to get the money, she handed him about $1,200, police said.
Police are looking for the two men — one was last seen wearing a black double-breasted coat, a black cap, khakis and loafers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Lindsey Vonn enjoys ‘crazy adventure’ in a bikini, P.K. Subban reacts

Former Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn announced on Christmas Day that ...

Lindsey Vonn is on a “crazy adventure” with her BFF.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the retired skier, 35, posted a photo of herself in a red bikini on the beach with her pet dog Lucy.
“Just 2 girls on a crazy adventure…,” Vonn captioned the snap, teasing a “#secretproject.”
Vonn’s stunning shot was naturally met with a flurry of comments featuring emojis with heart-shaped eyes, as well as a special reply from fiancé P.K. Subban.
“CRAZZZZY glutes,” the Devils defenseman, 30, responded, adding emojis of a heart, fire, eyeballs, and a tongue for good measure.
In August, Subban’s rep confirmed to Page Six that the NHL star and Vonn were engaged. Subban presented Vonn with an emerald ring from Beverly Hills jeweler XIV Karats, according to Vogue, as green is her favorite color and emerald represents his birthstone for May.
Over the holidays, Subban received a ring of his own from Vonn, who proposed to him.
“We talk about equality but actions speak louder than words. Men should get engagement rings too and this is what PK deserves,” she shared on social media at the time.
The couple has been together since early 2018.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--AI therapists may eventually become your mental health care professional

“ Alexa , I ’ m depressed.
” The idea that a tabletop virtual assistant such as Alexa or Siri knows or cares how you ’ re feeling sounds straight out of some neurotic comedy .
Today , at least .
Mental health is a brave new frontier for artificial-intelligence and machine-learning algorithms driven by “ big data.
” Before long , if some forward-looking psychologists , doctors and venture-capital investors have their way , your therapist could be a virtual human able to listen , counsel and even bill for that 50-minute hour .
“ AI will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a California psychiatrist and author of a series of self-help e-books showing individuals how to integrate a broad-based plan for their mental health .
AI tools , he adds , will allow mental-health providers to “ optimize patient care on the basis of each individual ’ s unique history , symptoms , needs , financial constraints and preferences.
” What if you need an anti-depressant or another psychiatric medication ?
AI can help a psychiatrist pinpoint the exact drug or drug class that your body will respond to , shortening or even eliminating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side-effects — that frustrates both patients and doctors .
Algorithms also can tell , based on someone ’ s age , gender , responses to questions and other factors , if that person is about to attempt suicide ; Facebook for example , uses an algorithm that flags a post if it contains words that suggest suicidal thoughts or self-harm .
As mental disorders rise — the cost to the global economy is projected to be $ 16 trillion over the next decade , according to the Lancet Commission — caring for patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental-health professionals .
Current diagnosis and treatment methods , while skilled and insightful , can not fully capture the unique needs and complexity of every patient — not without time , money and a willingness that many people simply do not have .
AI-based therapies have the potential to be faster and cheaper and therefore more effective , which in turn can encourage patients to continue their counseling .
Data-based precision mental health also appeals to cost-conscious employers and insurance plans .
Startups with traction in this area include Quartet Health , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , a unit of Alphabet which has partnered with health-care systems and health plans in several US states , with a particular focus on underserved Medicaid patients .
Another startup , Lyra Health , matches employees to health professionals using big data to diagnose mental conditions and counts eBay and Amgen among its customers .
“ We can predict whether someone would recover if they took a specific treatment , ” says Adam Chekroud , a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Spring Health , a startup whose predictive models detect mental states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies including Gap and Amazon ’ s Whole Foods use Spring Health ’ s technology for their employees .
After answering questions about personal problems and behaviors , employees are directed to an in-network provider who is given specific treatments that Spring Health determines are most likely to help that patient .
Adds Chekroud : “ When people did what was predicted [ for them ] , they were twice as likely to recover.
” Encouraging outcomes are also apparent from smartphone-based “ chatbots ” that use AI to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotionally troubled people build life skills and self-compassion .
CBT is a proven way to treat depression and CBT-based chatbots , or “ conversational agents ” — which simulate human conversation through voice and text — have been shown to reduce depressive episodes in users after just two weeks of daily interaction .
For example , Woebot , a chatbot that Stanford University clinicians originally developed for college students , is now a downloadable app with venture funding .
Woebot introduces itself as an “ emotional assistant ” that is “ like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during difficult times and not-so-difficult times.
” Its chatty interface is friendly and colloquial , gently probing about feelings and habits .
“ This allows me to find patterns that are sometimes hard for humans to see , ” Woebot explains .
Chatbots like Woebot aim to tap into the root of psychotherapy — a therapeutic relationship of trust , connection and a patient ’ s belief that a provider understands and cares about their feelings , thoughts and experiences .
Chatbots aren ’ t yet so sophisticated , but Woebot reminds you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a session ends with the app offering an element of positive psychology , such as practicing gratitude .
Clearly , AI has the potential to reshape mental-health care in powerful and meaningful ways — if people choose to get help , or are able to find it .
One of every five adults in the US experienced mental illness in 2018 , according to the US Department of Health and Human Services , but less than half received treatment .
One reason is that psychiatrists and psychologists in the US are concentrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northeast and on the West Coast .
More than three times as many psychologists practice in New England , for example than in the Gulf states .
Many rural counties have no mental health professionals .
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to treatment is an age-old cultural stigma about mental illness and therapy .
The irony is that while mental disorders now are more out in the open , privately many patients and their families carry shame and embarrassment about it .
Add financial constraints and lack of health insurance for some and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need psychological counseling go untreated .
The gap in care is global : the World Health Organization reports that one in four people globally will suffer from psychological distress at some point in life , but two-thirds will never seek help .
“ Stigma is something we can do a great deal about , ” says Bandy Lee , a psychiatrist on the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine ’ s Law and Psychiatry Division .
“ It takes very little to acquire an attitude of openness and educate the public in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view mental illness .
This has happened with cancer and AIDS — we don ’ t immediately prejudge the person because of the illness and we don ’ t consider the illness to define the person.
” Using AI-based tools to destigmatize mental illness , lower treatment costs and promise care for people who have limited access to it would be a giant leap toward mainstreaming mental health .
Moreover , for therapy-resistant people , virtual therapists present a unique solution .
Just as patients are more likely to open up to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more personal , intimate information “ face-to-face ” with a humanoid-like machine than to a live human .
The AI in the virtual human , in turn , is designed to sense a person ’ s intonation , movements and gestures for clues to their mental state .
Could machines that look , act and sound human replace psychologists and psychiatrists ?
Probably not — that possibility is limited so far by a lack of technological understanding and infrastructure — but many clinicians fear this future nonetheless .
Virtual therapists are available anytime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never tired , never fatigued ; they can build a giant database of what you say and how you say it , ” says Skip Rizzo , director for medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California ’ s Institute for Creative Technologies .
Rizzo and his colleagues are leaders in the research and development of virtual humans for mental health treatment , but he insists that the technology exists solely to alleviate the shortage of providers .
“ We ’ re not making a ‘ doc in a box , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re helping a person to put a toe in the water in a safe , anonymous place where they can explore their issues.
” If all this sounds like science-fiction , it isn ’ t .
Consequently , like a dystopian science-fiction story , the known rewards of AI carry unknowable risks .
AI poses sobering ethical issues that psychologists and psychiatrists , along with the data scientists and companies creating the technology , are just beginning to confront .
Who owns your mental health ?
Who has access to the data ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Might your record be used against you by employers , by governments ?
David Luxton , a clinical psychologist and an authority on the ethics of artificial intelligence in behavioral- and mental health care , is concerned about these questions and more .
“ Who is controlling the technology ?
” he says .
“ I would be reluctant to provide private information about my mental state on a mobile app or the internet .
How do you know what the company is going to be doing with that information ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biased .
Algorithms look for patterns — that ’ s how Amazon and other retailers can tell you what to buy , given what you ’ ve purchased or shown interest in .
But algorithmic patterns can be harmful , making systematic errors that , for instance , favor one ethnic or cultural group over another or define your emotional state based on incomplete data and inaccurate assumptions .
Before long the pattern becomes self-reinforcing in its confirmation bias , leading to unfair and unfortunate results .
Given these dangers , the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revise and update codes and practices to ensure that AI-based mental health tools are used ethically , with particular attention to privacy and transparency rules and laws .
“ We ’ ve got this stuff in our hands , ” Luxton adds .
“ Where are we going to be in the next 10 years ?
” If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental-health crisis , the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at any time at this toll-free telephone number : 1-800-273-8255 .

“Alexa, I’m depressed.” The idea that a tabletop virtual assistant such as Alexa or Siri knows or cares how you’re feeling sounds straight out of some neurotic comedy. Today, at least.
Mental health is a brave new frontier for artificial-intelligence and machine-learning algorithms driven by “big data.” Before long, if some forward-looking psychologists, doctors and venture-capital investors have their way, your therapist could be a virtual human able to listen, counsel and even bill for that 50-minute hour.
“AI will be a game-changer,” says James Lake, a California psychiatrist and author of a series of self-help e-books showing individuals how to integrate a broad-based plan for their mental health. AI tools, he adds, will allow mental-health providers to “optimize patient care on the basis of each individual’s unique history, symptoms, needs, financial constraints and preferences.”
What if you need an anti-depressant or another psychiatric medication? AI can help a psychiatrist pinpoint the exact drug or drug class that your body will respond to, shortening or even eliminating the trial and error — and its side-effects — that frustrates both patients and doctors. Algorithms also can tell, based on someone’s age, gender, responses to questions and other factors, if that person is about to attempt suicide; Facebook for example, uses an algorithm that flags a post if it contains words that suggest suicidal thoughts or self-harm.
As mental disorders rise — the cost to the global economy is projected to be $16 trillion over the next decade, according to the Lancet Commission — caring for patients with precision is a Holy Grail for mental-health professionals. Current diagnosis and treatment methods, while skilled and insightful, cannot fully capture the unique needs and complexity of every patient — not without time, money and a willingness that many people simply do not have. AI-based therapies have the potential to be faster and cheaper and therefore more effective, which in turn can encourage patients to continue their counseling.
Data-based precision mental health also appeals to cost-conscious employers and insurance plans. Startups with traction in this area include Quartet Health, whose backers include GV (formerly Google Ventures), a unit of Alphabet which has partnered with health-care systems and health plans in several US states, with a particular focus on underserved Medicaid patients. Another startup, Lyra Health, matches employees to health professionals using big data to diagnose mental conditions and counts eBay and Amgen among its customers.
“We can predict whether someone would recover if they took a specific treatment,” says Adam Chekroud, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Spring Health, a startup whose predictive models detect mental states and recommend appropriate treatment.
Some large companies including Gap and Amazon’s Whole Foods use Spring Health’s technology for their employees. After answering questions about personal problems and behaviors, employees are directed to an in-network provider who is given specific treatments that Spring Health determines are most likely to help that patient. Adds Chekroud: “When people did what was predicted [for them], they were twice as likely to recover.”
Encouraging outcomes are also apparent from smartphone-based “chatbots” that use AI to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which can help emotionally troubled people build life skills and self-compassion. CBT is a proven way to treat depression and CBT-based chatbots, or “conversational agents” — which simulate human conversation through voice and text — have been shown to reduce depressive episodes in users after just two weeks of daily interaction.
For example, Woebot, a chatbot that Stanford University clinicians originally developed for college students, is now a downloadable app with venture funding. Woebot introduces itself as an “emotional assistant” that is “like a wise little person you can consult with during difficult times and not-so-difficult times.” Its chatty interface is friendly and colloquial, gently probing about feelings and habits. “This allows me to find patterns that are sometimes hard for humans to see,” Woebot explains. Chatbots like Woebot aim to tap into the root of psychotherapy — a therapeutic relationship of trust, connection and a patient’s belief that a provider understands and cares about their feelings, thoughts and experiences. Chatbots aren’t yet so sophisticated, but Woebot reminds you that it will check in every day and a session ends with the app offering an element of positive psychology, such as practicing gratitude.
Clearly, AI has the potential to reshape mental-health care in powerful and meaningful ways — if people choose to get help, or are able to find it. One of every five adults in the US experienced mental illness in 2018, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, but less than half received treatment. One reason is that psychiatrists and psychologists in the US are concentrated in urban areas, mostly in the Northeast and on the West Coast. More than three times as many psychologists practice in New England, for example than in the Gulf states. Many rural counties have no mental health professionals.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to treatment is an age-old cultural stigma about mental illness and therapy. The irony is that while mental disorders now are more out in the open, privately many patients and their families carry shame and embarrassment about it. Add financial constraints and lack of health insurance for some and it’s clear why many people who need psychological counseling go untreated. The gap in care is global: the World Health Organization reports that one in four people globally will suffer from psychological distress at some point in life, but two-thirds will never seek help.
“Stigma is something we can do a great deal about,” says Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist on the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine’s Law and Psychiatry Division. “It takes very little to acquire an attitude of openness and educate the public in ways that could change the way we view mental illness. This has happened with cancer and AIDS — we don’t immediately prejudge the person because of the illness and we don’t consider the illness to define the person.”
Using AI-based tools to destigmatize mental illness, lower treatment costs and promise care for people who have limited access to it would be a giant leap toward mainstreaming mental health. Moreover, for therapy-resistant people, virtual therapists present a unique solution. Just as patients are more likely to open up to a chatbot, studies show that people reveal more personal, intimate information “face-to-face” with a humanoid-like machine than to a live human. The AI in the virtual human, in turn, is designed to sense a person’s intonation, movements and gestures for clues to their mental state.
Could machines that look, act and sound human replace psychologists and psychiatrists? Probably not — that possibility is limited so far by a lack of technological understanding and infrastructure — but many clinicians fear this future nonetheless. Virtual therapists are available anytime, anywhere. “They’re never tired, never fatigued; they can build a giant database of what you say and how you say it,” says Skip Rizzo, director for medical virtual reality at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies.
Rizzo and his colleagues are leaders in the research and development of virtual humans for mental health treatment, but he insists that the technology exists solely to alleviate the shortage of providers. “We’re not making a ‘doc in a box,’ ” Rizzo says. “We’re helping a person to put a toe in the water in a safe, anonymous place where they can explore their issues.”
If all this sounds like science-fiction, it isn’t. Consequently, like a dystopian science-fiction story, the known rewards of AI carry unknowable risks. AI poses sobering ethical issues that psychologists and psychiatrists, along with the data scientists and companies creating the technology, are just beginning to confront. Who owns your mental health? Who has access to the data? What happens if the data is hacked? Might your record be used against you by employers, by governments?
David Luxton, a clinical psychologist and an authority on the ethics of artificial intelligence in behavioral- and mental health care, is concerned about these questions and more. “Who is controlling the technology?” he says. “I would be reluctant to provide private information about my mental state on a mobile app or the internet. How do you know what the company is going to be doing with that information?”
More chillingly, machine-learning algorithms can be biased. Algorithms look for patterns — that’s how Amazon and other retailers can tell you what to buy, given what you’ve purchased or shown interest in. But algorithmic patterns can be harmful, making systematic errors that, for instance, favor one ethnic or cultural group over another or define your emotional state based on incomplete data and inaccurate assumptions. Before long the pattern becomes self-reinforcing in its confirmation bias, leading to unfair and unfortunate results.
Given these dangers, the time is now, Luxton says, to revise and update codes and practices to ensure that AI-based mental health tools are used ethically, with particular attention to privacy and transparency rules and laws. “We’ve got this stuff in our hands,” Luxton adds. “Where are we going to be in the next 10 years?”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental-health crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at any time at this toll-free telephone number: 1-800-273-8255.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Harry Reid doesn’t support Bernie Sanders’ ‘impractical’ Medicare-for-all plan

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke out against Democratic front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-Vt. ) signature campaign proposal , Medicare-for-all , saying there was “ not a chance in hell it would pass ” in Congress .
“ I think the world of Bernie Sanders , ” Reid ( D-Nev. ) said in an interview with ABC News Political Director Rick Klein Wednesday , before issuing the caveat that he was against the Democratic socialist ’ s single-payer health care plan .
“ I ’ m against it .
It ’ s impractical…There ’ s not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress ] , ” he told Klein .
Instead , Reid said that he supported expanding the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare , and passing a public option .
The longtime Nevada lawmaker went on to praise Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, who he said he discovered and brought to the Senate , and billionaire former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg , who he said deserved recognition for his philanthropic work and contributions to fighting climate change and gun violence .
“ One of the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I discovered Elizabeth Warren , brought her to Washington when we had the Wall Street collapse .
She became head of the oversight committee and did a really good job…so I think the world of Elizabeth Warren , ” Reid said .
“ [ Bloomberg ] has , like a lot of candidates , a lot of warts and pimples , ” he quipped , adding “ But the one thing I have to say about him is no one in the country has done more in climate and guns than he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no other reason , those two things that he ’ s done I think have been wonderful.
” The former Senate Majority Leader also issued words of caution to Democrats regarding the current commander-in-chief .
“ [ Trump ] could win , and we have to be vigilant and make sure we do everything , and that the man is not reelected , ” Reid warned , saying that Democrats could not “ take for granted that Trump will lose .
”

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke out against Democratic front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) signature campaign proposal, Medicare-for-all, saying there was “not a chance in hell it would pass” in Congress.
“I think the world of Bernie Sanders,” Reid (D-Nev.) said in an interview with ABC News Political Director Rick Klein Wednesday, before issuing the caveat that he was against the Democratic socialist’s single-payer health care plan.
“I’m against it. It’s impractical…There’s not a chance in hell it would pass [in Congress],” he told Klein.
Instead, Reid said that he supported expanding the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and passing a public option.
The longtime Nevada lawmaker went on to praise Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who he said he discovered and brought to the Senate, and billionaire former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who he said deserved recognition for his philanthropic work and contributions to fighting climate change and gun violence.
“One of the things that I feel very good about is that I discovered Elizabeth Warren, brought her to Washington when we had the Wall Street collapse. She became head of the oversight committee and did a really good job…so I think the world of Elizabeth Warren,” Reid said.
“[Bloomberg] has, like a lot of candidates, a lot of warts and pimples,” he quipped, adding “But the one thing I have to say about him is no one in the country has done more in climate and guns than he has. So I respect him if for no other reason, those two things that he’s done I think have been wonderful.”
The former Senate Majority Leader also issued words of caution to Democrats regarding the current commander-in-chief.
“[Trump] could win, and we have to be vigilant and make sure we do everything, and that the man is not reelected,” Reid warned, saying that Democrats could not “take for granted that Trump will lose.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Sheinelle Jones from ‘Today’ undergoing vocal cord surgery

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) Sheinelle Jones is taking a six-week hiatus from the “ Today ” show to undergo surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal cord .
Jones , 41 , is having the procedure four years after she first noticed a problem with her voice and got diagnosed with a polyp , a noncancerous growth common in singers that ’ s usually caused by overuse of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3rd Hour of Today ” on Thursday .
While her condition initially improved after vocal therapy and other non-surgical treatments , things got worse last year and she finally decided to undergo surgery .
“ It ’ s been a long time coming , ” Jones told her co-hosts on the air , adding that these days she ’ s been turning down public speaking engagements and even skipping out on brunch with her girlfriends , saying “ the champagne [ in mimosas ] makes me lose my voice.
” Following the surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to speak at all for two weeks .
She plans to return to the NBC morning program after six weeks of recovery .
Jones said she tried to explain the no-talking bit to her three children and also noted , “ I booked a hotel room , ” though it ’ s unclear how long she ’ ll be staying there to get some quiet R & R .
She and husband Uche Ojeh wed in 2007 .
She co-hosts the “ 3rd Hour of Today ” with Al Roker , Craig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on maternity leave .

Sheinelle Jones is taking a six-week hiatus from the “Today” show to undergo surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal cord.
Jones, 41, is having the procedure four years after she first noticed a problem with her voice and got diagnosed with a polyp, a noncancerous growth common in singers that’s usually caused by overuse of the voice, she announced on “3rd Hour of Today” on Thursday. While her condition initially improved after vocal therapy and other non-surgical treatments, things got worse last year and she finally decided to undergo surgery.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Jones told her co-hosts on the air, adding that these days she’s been turning down public speaking engagements and even skipping out on brunch with her girlfriends, saying “the champagne [in mimosas] makes me lose my voice.”
Following the surgery, Jones said she’s not supposed to speak at all for two weeks. Her final day on the NBC program is Friday before an expected six weeks off to recover.
Jones said she tried to explain the no-talking bit to her three children and also noted, “I booked a hotel room,” though it’s unclear how long she’ll be staying there to get some quiet R&R. She and husband Uche Ojeh wed in 2007.
She co-hosts the “3rd Hour of Today” with Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer, who is out on maternity leave.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Novak Djokovic’s father goes all-in with ‘jealous’ Roger Federer bashing

Novak Djokovic ’ s outspoken father has struck again , unloading on tennis legend Roger Federer for being “ jealous ” of his son .
Fresh from Djokovic ’ s Australian Open triumph , which included a semifinal win over Federer , the Serbian star ’ s dad has again gone after the 20-time grand slam champion .
Srdan Djokovic has repeatedly attacked Federer ’ s character after first accusing the Swiss ace , who recently underwent knee surgery and will be out through the French Open , of being very different off the court to the gentlemanly reputation he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first attacked Federer by saying : “ Federer is perhaps still the best tennis player in history , but as a man he ’ s the opposite.
” Novak Djokovic went on to apologize for his father ’ s claim , but Srdan , it seems , has never forgotten .
His latest attack on Federer came through Serbian newspaper Novosti , where he again questioned Federer ’ s “ humanity.
” “ Federer has been jealous of Novak from the moment he made his breakthrough because he knew that my son was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tower over him , ” Srdan said .
“ Federer is an outstanding tennis player , but I couldn ’ t say that about his humanity.
” Srdan declared his son will shortly equal Federer ’ s record of 20 grand slam crowns — he is still three behind following his eighth Australian Open triumph .
While his father continues to do his best to create a divide between the stars at the top of men ’ s tennis , Djokovic on Wednesday moved to dispel myths that he is affronted at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embraced him in the same way Federer and Rafael Nadal are revered all over the globe .
According to Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo , Djokovic said he does not feel animosity about the lack of respect from some crowds around the world .
Djokovic was taunted by the Aussie crowd during his Australian Open final win over Dominic Thiem .
“ I ’ ve read a lot of stuff suggesting that I am disliked but I really don ’ t have that impression , especially off-court , ” Djokovic said .
“ Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to add fuel to the fire ?
I don ’ t want to stir up negative emotions — hatred and anger .
I have no ill feelings for people who don ’ t support me .
Having said that , I am not proud of my occasional reactions on the court as my passion gets the better of my self-control at times .
“ I will always admit that I do make mistakes and I always try to learn from them .
You reap what you sow and it is never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I invest my energy in those stories that I am not loved , that story will keep growing and why would I want that ?
Of course you always want for people to cheer for me , but I don ’ t want that negativity .
Those are not the kind of flowers that I want to grow in my garden .
“ It is a fact that most fans support Federer and Nadal against me but that ’ s due to what they represent in world tennis .
It doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it certainly doesn ’ t mean that I need to turn Serbia against the rest of the world just because fewer people support me in grand slam finals .
”

Novak Djokovic’s outspoken father has struck again, unloading on tennis legend Roger Federer for being “jealous” of his son.
Fresh from Djokovic’s Australian Open triumph, which included a semifinal win over Federer, the Serbian star’s dad has again gone after the 20-time grand slam champion.
Srdan Djokovic has repeatedly attacked Federer’s character after first accusing the Swiss ace, who recently underwent knee surgery and will be out through the French Open, of being very different off the court to the gentlemanly reputation he is famous for.
Srdan in 2013 first attacked Federer by saying: “Federer is perhaps still the best tennis player in history, but as a man he’s the opposite.”
Novak Djokovic went on to apologize for his father’s claim, but Srdan, it seems, has never forgotten. His latest attack on Federer came through Serbian newspaper Novosti, where he again questioned Federer’s “humanity.”
“Federer has been jealous of Novak from the moment he made his breakthrough because he knew that my son was better than him and that he would tower over him,” Srdan said. “Federer is an outstanding tennis player, but I couldn’t say that about his humanity.”
Srdan declared his son will shortly equal Federer’s record of 20 grand slam crowns — he is still three behind following his eighth Australian Open triumph.
While his father continues to do his best to create a divide between the stars at the top of men’s tennis, Djokovic on Wednesday moved to dispel myths that he is affronted at the way the global tennis audience has never embraced him in the same way Federer and Rafael Nadal are revered all over the globe.
According to Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo, Djokovic said he does not feel animosity about the lack of respect from some crowds around the world. Djokovic was taunted by the Aussie crowd during his Australian Open final win over Dominic Thiem.
“I’ve read a lot of stuff suggesting that I am disliked but I really don’t have that impression, especially off-court,” Djokovic said. “Even if that was true, why would I want to add fuel to the fire? I don’t want to stir up negative emotions — hatred and anger. I have no ill feelings for people who don’t support me. Having said that, I am not proud of my occasional reactions on the court as my passion gets the better of my self-control at times.
“I will always admit that I do make mistakes and I always try to learn from them. You reap what you sow and it is never my intention to generate bad energy. If I invest my energy in those stories that I am not loved, that story will keep growing and why would I want that? Of course you always want for people to cheer for me, but I don’t want that negativity. Those are not the kind of flowers that I want to grow in my garden.
“It is a fact that most fans support Federer and Nadal against me but that’s due to what they represent in world tennis. It doesn’t mean that fans hate me and it certainly doesn’t mean that I need to turn Serbia against the rest of the world just because fewer people support me in grand slam finals.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Trump calls out Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin for ‘Bloombefg’ typo

President Trump on Thursday called out a Washington Post columnist after she misspelled Michael Bloomberg ’ s last name “ Bloombefg ” while she was live-tweeting the Democratic presidential primary debate , suggesting she brush up on her spelling — quickly .
“ ( Jennifer Rubin ) , the wacko ‘ conservative ’ of the @ washingtonpost , must learn how to spell the name Bloomberg before it is too late & he is gone !
” Trump wrote on Twitter early Thursday morning .
He was responding to another tweet remarking on the typo and the former New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas debate .
“ To be fair , Bloombefg was not the candidate who just had the worst debate performance in modern history , Bloomberg was , ” Eldon Katz wrote .
Rubin , covering the debate , wrote about Bloomberg under attack on the stage by the other Democratic contenders .
“ Bloombefg calm and not scrapping .
smart to go high , ” she wrote on Twitter .
The internet had a field day with the gaffe , and “ Bloombefg ” was trending on the site in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair , Bloombefg was not the candidate who just had the worst debate performance in modern history , Bloomberg was , ” tweeted Eldon Katz .
Rubin retweeted another posting Thursday morning as her response to Trump ’ s .
“ Mr .
Magoo attacks columnist for poor eyesight .
But if @ JRubinBlogger is being attacked by both Donald Trump and Bernie supporters , she ’ s doing it right , ” Matt Bennett wrote .
Trump blasted Bloomberg ’ s debut debate performance Wednesday evening during a rally in Arizona at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on stage .
“ Now they have a new member of the crew , Mini Mike , ” Trump said .
“ No boxes , we call him ‘ no boxes.
’ And I hear he ’ s getting pounded tonight .
You know he ’ s in a debate ?
I hear they ’ re pounding him.
” Thursday morning , Trump tweeted a link to an interview Bloomberg gave to Chris Wallace , the host of “ Fox News Sunday , ” in 2011 in which the mayor called the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the REAL Mini Mike .
He admitted , many times , that he is ‘ a fan of Donald Trump .
He ’ s a New York ICON.
’ Thank you Mike !
, ” Trump wrote .
Bloomberg , who is self-funding his campaign , appeared at the debate for the first time after he met the polling criteria to qualify .
He has spent more than $ 400 million on campaign ads since he entered the race in November , bypassing the first four contests in Iowa , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to concentrate on the Super Tuesday when 14 states go to the polls on March 3 .

President Trump on Thursday called out a Washington Post columnist after she misspelled Michael Bloomberg’s last name “Bloombefg” while she was live-tweeting the Democratic presidential primary debate, suggesting she brush up on her spelling — quickly.
“(Jennifer Rubin), the wacko ‘conservative’ of the @washingtonpost, must learn how to spell the name Bloomberg before it is too late & he is gone!” Trump wrote on Twitter early Thursday.
He was responding to another tweet remarking on the typo and the former New York mayor’s disastrous performance at the Las Vegas debate.
Rubin, covering the debate, wrote about how Bloomberg was under attack on the stage by the other Democratic contenders.
“Bloombefg calm and not scrapping. smart to go high,” she wrote on Twitter.
The internet had a field day with the gaffe, and “Bloombefg” was trending on the site in New York by the morning.
“To be fair, Bloombefg was not the candidate who just had the worst debate performance in modern history, Bloomberg was,” tweeted Eldon Katz.
Rubin retweeted another posting Thursday morning as her response to Trump’s.
“Mr. Magoo attacks columnist for poor eyesight. But if @JRubinBlogger is being attacked by both Donald Trump and Bernie supporters, she’s doing it right,” Matt Bennett wrote.
Trump blasted Bloomberg’s debut debate performance Wednesday evening during a rally in Arizona at the same time as the Democrats were on stage.
“Now they have a new member of the crew, Mini Mike,” Trump said. “No boxes, we call him ‘No Boxes.’ And I hear he’s getting pounded tonight. You know he’s in a debate? I hear they’re pounding him.”
Thursday morning, Trump tweeted a link to an interview Bloomberg gave to Chris Wallace, the host of “Fox News Sunday,” in 2011 in which the mayor called the president “a New York icon.”
“This is the REAL Mini Mike. He admitted, many times, that he is ‘a fan of Donald Trump. He’s a New York ICON.’ Thank you Mike!,” Trump wrote.
Bloomberg, who is self-funding his campaign, appeared at the debate for the first time after he met the polling criteria to qualify.
He has spent more than $400 million on campaign ads since he entered the race in November, bypassing the first four contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina to concentrate on Super Tuesday, when 14 states go to the polls on March 3.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ sashays to Showtime in June

“ RuPaul ’ s Drag Race All Stars ” is sashaying away to a new channel : The new “ All Stars ” season is moving from VH1 to Showtime , where it will premiere Friday , June 5 at 8/7c , TVLine has learned .
“ ’ RuPaul ’ s Drag Race All Stars ’ is a culture-defining show that fits perfectly within the contemporary programming Showtime offers in both scripted and unscripted , ” Showtime entertainment president Jana Winograde said in a statement .
“ We are excited to take advantage of our relationship with our new sister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this sensational series and bring in this passionate and robust fanbase.
” The fifth season of “ All Stars ” will see fan favorites from past seasons of “ Drag Race ” return for a shot at a $ 100,000 cash prize and a spot in the “ Drag Race Hall of Fame.
” ( “ All Stars ” was renewed for Season 5 back in August . )
This marks the second network change for “ All Stars ” : The first two seasons aired on Logo , before moving to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The new season of “ RuPaul ’ s Drag Race ” — with guest judges including Nicki Minaj , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Robyn , Leslie Jones , Normani , Daisy Ridley , Winnie Harlow and Jeff Goldblum — will still air on VH1 .
It debuts Friday , Feb. 28 , at 8 pm .

“RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” is sashaying away to a new channel: The new “All Stars” season is moving from VH1 to Showtime, where it will premiere Friday, June 5 at 8/7c, TVLine has learned.
“’RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ is a culture-defining show that fits perfectly within the contemporary programming Showtime offers in both scripted and unscripted,” Showtime entertainment president Jana Winograde said in a statement. “We are excited to take advantage of our relationship with our new sister company VH1 to present a special edition of this sensational series and bring in this passionate and robust fanbase.”
The fifth season of “All Stars” will see fan favorites from past seasons of “Drag Race” return for a shot at a $100,000 cash prize and a spot in the “Drag Race Hall of Fame.” (“All Stars” was renewed for Season 5 back in August.) This marks the second network change for “All Stars”: The first two seasons aired on Logo, before moving to VH1 for Seasons 3 and 4.
The new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” — with guest judges including Nicki Minaj, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Robyn, Leslie Jones, Normani, Daisy Ridley, Winnie Harlow and Jeff Goldblum — will still air on VH1. It debuts Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 pm.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--South Korea reports first coronavirus death as 2.5M people urged to stay home

SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea reported its first death from the new virus on Thursday while the mayor of a southeastern city urged its 2.5 million people to stay inside as infections linked to a church congregation spiked .
The death was the ninth confirmed from the virus outside mainland China .
Other deaths have occurred in France , Hong Kong , Japan , the Philippines and Taiwan .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the South Korean man , believed to be about 63 years old , died at a hospital on Wednesday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials said he had been hospitalized due to schizophrenia for an extended period and recently suffered pneumonia symptoms .
The center also confirmed 22 additional cases of the virus , raising the total in South Korea to 104 .
Twenty-one of those new cases were in and around the city of Daegu , where the mayor urged citizens earlier Thursday to stay home and wear masks even indoors if possible .
In a televised news conference , Mayor Kwon Young-jin expressed fears that rising infections in the region will soon overwhelm the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgent help from the central government .
“ National quarantine efforts that are currently focused on blocking the inflow of the virus ( from China ) and stemming its spread are inadequate for preventing the illness from circulating in local communities , ” Kwon said .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 49 of 73 new patients confirmed in the city ’ s region in the past two days went to services at a Daegu church attended by a previously confirmed virus patient or contacted her elsewhere .
That patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 60s who has no recent record of overseas travel , according to center officials .
She tested positive for the virus on Tuesday .
The center ’ s director , Jung Eun-kyeong , told reporters that it ’ s still unclear whether she was a “ super spreader ” of the disease or merely the first patient detected in the area .
Jung said officials were screening some 1,000 people who attended services at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus with the woman on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 and were placing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which claims about 200,000 followers in South Korea , said it has closed all of its 74 sanctuaries around the nation and told followers to instead watch its worship services on YouTube .
It said in a statement that health officials were disinfecting its church in Daegu and were tracing the woman ’ s contacts .
The Daegu church has about 8,000 followers .
It said church officials have advised followers since late January to stay at home if they had recently traveled overseas or were experiencing even mild cold-like symptoms .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold and kept coming to the church because she hadn ’ t traveled overseas , church officials said .
“ We think it ’ s deeply regrettable … for causing concerns to the local community , ” the statement said .
Shincheonji , which translates as “ New heaven and new Earth , ” is a controversial new religious movement established in 1984 by Lee Man-hee .
The church describes him as an angel of Jesus sent to testify about the fulfilled prophecies of the Book of Revelation .
The explosion of infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as some new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area where the sources of infection are unclear , have raised concern that health authorities are losing track of the virus as it spreads more broadly in the country .
Kwon spoke shortly before South Korea ’ s government acknowledged for the first time that the country was beginning to see “ community transmission ” of the illness , albeit at a “ limited range.
” “ We are seeing infections in some areas like Seoul and Daegu where it ’ s difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infections , ” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said , adding that the government would need to change its quarantine strategy that has focused on tracing contacts .
In a telephone conversation with Kwon later Thursday , President Moon Jae-in said the central government will provide all available assistance to help Daegu fight the virus , according to the presidential Blue House .
Separately , Moon also talked on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss cooperation in combating the virus .
During the 30-minute call , they agreed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection treatments and strengthen cooperation between quarantine authorities , his office said .

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea reported its first death from the new virus on Thursday while the mayor of a southeastern city urged its 2.5 million people to stay inside as infections linked to a church congregation spiked.
The death was the ninth confirmed from the virus outside mainland China. Other deaths have occurred in France, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the South Korean man, believed to be about 63 years old, died at a hospital on Wednesday and posthumously tested positive for the virus. Officials said he had been hospitalized due to schizophrenia for an extended period and recently suffered pneumonia symptoms.
The center also confirmed 22 additional cases of the virus, raising the total in South Korea to 104.
Twenty-one of those new cases were in and around the city of Daegu, where the mayor urged citizens earlier Thursday to stay home and wear masks even indoors if possible.
In a televised news conference, Mayor Kwon Young-jin expressed fears that rising infections in the region will soon overwhelm the city’s health system and called for urgent help from the central government.
“National quarantine efforts that are currently focused on blocking the inflow of the virus (from China) and stemming its spread are inadequate for preventing the illness from circulating in local communities,” Kwon said.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 49 of 73 new patients confirmed in the city’s region in the past two days went to services at a Daegu church attended by a previously confirmed virus patient or contacted her elsewhere. That patient is a South Korean woman in her early 60s who has no recent record of overseas travel, according to center officials. She tested positive for the virus on Tuesday.
The center’s director, Jung Eun-kyeong, told reporters that it’s still unclear whether she was a “super spreader” of the disease or merely the first patient detected in the area. Jung said officials were screening some 1,000 people who attended services at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus with the woman on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 and were placing them under home isolation.
The church, which claims about 200,000 followers in South Korea, said it has closed all of its 74 sanctuaries around the nation and told followers to instead watch its worship services on YouTube. It said in a statement that health officials were disinfecting its church in Daegu and were tracing the woman’s contacts. The Daegu church has about 8,000 followers.
It said church officials have advised followers since late January to stay at home if they had recently traveled overseas or were experiencing even mild cold-like symptoms. But the woman assumed she had a common cold and kept coming to the church because she hadn’t traveled overseas, church officials said.
“We think it’s deeply regrettable … for causing concerns to the local community,” the statement said.
Shincheonji, which translates as “New heaven and new Earth,” is a controversial new religious movement established in 1984 by Lee Man-hee. The church describes him as an angel of Jesus sent to testify about the fulfilled prophecies of the Book of Revelation.
The explosion of infections in Daegu and the neighboring region, as well as some new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area where the sources of infection are unclear, have raised concern that health authorities are losing track of the virus as it spreads more broadly in the country.
Kwon spoke shortly before South Korea’s government acknowledged for the first time that the country was beginning to see “community transmission” of the illness, albeit at a “limited range.”
“We are seeing infections in some areas like Seoul and Daegu where it’s difficult to confirm the cause or routes of the infections,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said, adding that the government would need to change its quarantine strategy that has focused on tracing contacts.
In a telephone conversation with Kwon later Thursday, President Moon Jae-in said the central government will provide all available assistance to help Daegu fight the virus, according to the presidential Blue House.
Separately, Moon also talked on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss cooperation in combating the virus. During the 30-minute call, they agreed to facilitate the sharing of information gained from infection treatments and strengthen cooperation between quarantine authorities, his office said.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Ex-rugby player Rowan Baxter stalked estranged wife, tracked her phone before murder-suicide, parent

Ex-rugby player Rowan Baxter stalked estranged wife, tracked her phone before murder-suicide, parents claim

An ex-pro rugby player , his estranged wife and their three ...

Former Australian pro rugby player Rowan Baxter had been stalking and tracking his estranged wife’s phone before he burned her and their three kids to death in an “ambush” attack inside their car, her distraught parents said in a new interview.
Hannah Clarke, 31, and the couple’s children, Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, died in the Wednesday blaze in Brisbane. Baxter, 42, who was badly burned, managed to escape the car, but then stabbed himself to death.
Hannah’s parents, Lloyd and Suzanne Clarke, told Daily Mail Australia the murder-suicide was the culmination of a “downward spiral” that began when Hannah left her controlling and abusive husband of 11 years.
“Everything got worse after she left as he couldn’t control the situation anymore,” Suzanne Clarke said.
“She had to get the kids and just go without saying anything, because he was such a control freak and would get into her headspace and she would give in,” Lloyd Clarke told the outlet.
“He thought he was hard done by and wanted 50 percent of custody and we knew that couldn’t work,” he added. “The guy didn’t work, he couldn’t support his own family. It started getting ugly.”
Baxter, a former player for Australia’s National Rugby League, was allowed to see the children on weekends, but drop-offs and pick-ups ultimately led to tension and even an assault.
Following a recent assault, Baxter wasn’t allowed within about 65 feet of Clarke — and it wasn’t clear how he even managed to get inside the car, much less set it on fire.
“We still don’t know how he got so close,” Lloyd Clarke told the outlet. “He’s obviously ambushed her somehow, I’m sure she would not have stopped for him. She would be more likely to try to run over him.”
Clarke’s parents believe Baxter hacked her phone so he could track the device — as he often “knew things he shouldn’t have known.”
She was forced to change her passwords multiple times, they said.
“He was going through her phone and tracking her whereabouts,” Suzanne Clarke said. “It was really scary.”
The family believes the ambush killing was a last-straw act for Baxter, who had been controlling and emotionally abusive since the beginning of his relationship with Clarke.
“He had to hurt us because we’d beaten him,” the woman’s grieving dad said. “He was spiraling and had run out of people to sponge off. Looks like all of a sudden he decided there was only one way out.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--The ESPN pressure has never been greater for Alex Rodriguez

In ESPN ’ s reshaping of its “ Sunday Night Baseball ” game broadcast , ...

There is nothing Alex Rodriguez likes more than being the center of attention. Now, on ESPN’s premier baseball game broadcast, A-Rod will be just that.
ESPN decided its new “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast team will be Matt Vasgersian and Rodriguez, with Buster Olney returning as the dugout reporter, The Post has learned.
The only change is that ESPN has dropped Jessica Mendoza from Sundays.
This means, more than ever, Sunday nights will be the Alex Rodriguez Show.
The new Sunday team’s first regular-season broadcast will actually be on a Thursday, March 26, the Opening Night game between the in-the-news Astros and Mike Trout’s Angels.
Mendoza received a new contract extension and will call TV games as a lone analyst, as well as the World Series radio broadcast. However, the actions by ESPN’s hierarchy display an addition-by-subtraction Sunday approach in an attempt to upgrade baseball’s second-most prestigious booth after Fox’s World Series team.
ESPN is also changing lead producers, as Jeff Dufine has replaced Andy Reichwald.
With the new setup, Rodriguez can show he truly is as dedicated to the game as his Instagram posts attest. Either Rodriguez will demonstrate he really is a baseball gym rat, or be guilty of falsely presenting something on social media, like many before him.
In the two-person booth, Rodriguez will have even more room to roam, go deeper and demonstrate that he can be as good on games as he has been in Fox’s studio.
He and Vasgersian are in the final year of their contracts.
While Mendoza did not speak that much in the Sunday booth, she was another voice for Rodriguez to lean on. The reoccurring issue, though, was Vasgersian was forced to fill in too many blanks when the analysts were not prepared to go deeper.
Ideally, with the lulls in action of the modern game, three in the booth for a regular-season baseball game is probably, in most cases, the right number.
There is a lot of time to fill, so if ESPN had gone through and hired David Cone to join Rodriguez, it would be better positioned for a strong weekly broadcast.
The pitcher-hitter dynamic makes sense, as Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez prove nightly on SNY. Cone, who remains at YES, is still a potential ESPN option in the future.
The aspect of Sunday night that makes the broadcasters such a focus is that, despite the exclusive national window, the matchup really isn’t that unique. The exact same teams have already played on Friday and Saturday.
On top of that, no matter who is playing, the nature of baseball makes it so probably around a third of the 25 or so games they do on Sundays are going to be stinkers. This is when the booth becomes even more important.
Meanwhile, Vasgersian will be broadcasting in his walk year. ESPN considered replacing him with either Jon Sciambi or Karl Ravech for this season. It chose to keep Sciambi and Ravech on weekday TV games. Though Vasgersian hasn’t been the issue the last two years, the offseason wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence.
The importance of ESPN’s top baseball crew could grow in the coming years. ESPN/ABC is expected to make a run at more MLB playoff games. If that were to happen, it would make ESPN’s top perch even more prestigious.
Vasgersian and Rodriguez, with Olney on the side, have the first crack to claim it. Rodriguez, beginning Opening Night with the cheating scandal, will be the center of attention.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--L Brands boss Leslie Wexner to step down as company sells off Victoria’s Secret

Retail tycoon Leslie Wexner will leave the helm of his L Brands conglomerate amid scrutiny of his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein , as the company sells off its struggling Victoria ’ s Secret lingerie brand .
Wexner , 82 , will step down as CEO and chairman of L Brands , which he founded and has led for decades , after private equity firm Sycamore Partners takes control of Victoria ’ s Secret in a deal valuing the underwear chain at about $ 1.1 billion , the company announced Thursday .
Sycamore will pay about $ 525 million for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Secret , which will become a separate privately held company with L Brands holding the remaining 45 percent , according to a news release .
That appears to be a steep discount for a brand that posted more than $ 7 billion in net sales during L Brands ’ s 2018 fiscal year .
Wexner will remain on the L Brands board but will eventually be replaced as CEO by Andrew Meslow , whom the company named chief executive of Bath & Body Works , the conglomerate ’ s beauty retailer that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Les Wexner is a retail legend who has built incredible brands that are household names around the globe , ” Allan Tessler , L Brands ’ s lead independent board director , said in a statement .
“ His leadership through this transition exemplifies his commitment to further growth of Bath & Body Works and Victoria ’ s Secret and driving overall shareholder value.
” News of the deal sent L Brands shares down 11.3 percent to $ 21.81 in premarket trading as of 9:04 a.m. Long a dominant player in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secret has recently wrestled with falling sales and allegations of inappropriate behavior toward its models that were detailed in a New York Times exposé earlier this month .
Reports emerged in January that L Brands was in talks to sell the brand to Sycamore , which has previously snapped up flailing retail outfits such as Talbots , Limited , Hot Topic and Nine West .
Wexner — the longest-serving CEO of an S & P 500 company — has also faced questions about his relationship with Epstein , the pedophile financier who died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex-trafficking charges .
Wexner has said he ’ s “ embarrassed ” about his connections to Epstein and has accused him of misappropriating more than $ 46 million while serving as Wexner ’ s money manager .
Victoria ’ s Secret recorded more than $ 1.4 billion in total sales for the quarter that ended in early November .
That amount accounted for more than half L Brands ’ s roughly $ 2.6 billion in sales for the quarter but marked a 7.6 percent decrease from the comparable period in the prior year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Works saw sales rise in that quarter to about $ 1 billion from roughly $ 956 million the year before .
Combined international sales for Victoria ’ s Secret and Bath & Body Works were roughly flat at about $ 133 million .

Retail tycoon Leslie Wexner will leave the helm of his L Brands as the retail conglomerate sells off its struggling Victoria’s Secret chain.
The 82-year-old billionaire — who, in addition to criticism of the lingerie giant’s supermodel-driven marketing has weathered scrutiny of his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein — will step down as CEO and chairman of L Brands.
Wexner will step down after buyout firm Sycamore Partners takes control of Victoria’s Secret in a deal valuing the underwear chain at about $1.1 billion, the company announced Thursday.
Sycamore will pay about $525 million for a 55-percent stake in Victoria’s Secret, which will become a separate privately held company with L Brands holding the remaining 45 percent, according to a news release.
That appears to be a steep discount for a brand that posted more than $7 billion in net sales during L Brands’ 2018 fiscal year.
Whitney Tilson, founder of Empire Financial Research, said he believes L Brands botched the Victoria’s Secret deal describing it as a “fire sale,” saying Sycamore should have paid at least double for the lingerie giant.
“The only rational explanation I can come up with for selling this asset at such a low price is that the business is a lot worse than people think,” Tilson told The Post.
Wexner has led the company he founded for 57 years — the longest-running CEO stint in the S&P 500. Following his exit, Warren Buffett will become the longest-tenured CEO in the S&P 500, having led Berkshire Hathaway for 50 years.
Wexner will remain on the L Brands board but will eventually be replaced as CEO by Andrew Meslow, whom the company named chief executive of Bath & Body Works, the conglomerate’s beauty retailer that will become a standalone public company.
“Les Wexner is a retail legend who has built incredible brands that are household names around the globe,” Allan Tessler, L Brands’ lead independent board director, said in a statement. “His leadership through this transition exemplifies his commitment to further growth of Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret and driving overall shareholder value.”
News of the deal sent L Brands shares down as much as 11 percent during the trading day. After hours, they dropped 22 percent, to $18.17.
Long a dominant player in the global lingerie market, Victoria’s Secret has recently wrestled with falling sales and allegations of inappropriate behavior toward its models that were detailed in a New York Times exposé earlier this month.
Reports emerged in January that L Brands was in talks to sell the brand to Sycamore, which has previously snapped up flailing retail outfits such as Talbots, Limited, Hot Topic and Nine West.
Wexner — the longest-serving CEO of an S&P 500 company — has also faced questions about his relationship with Epstein, the pedophile financier who died by suicide last August while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Wexner has said he’s “embarrassed” about his connections to Epstein and has accused him of misappropriating more than $46 million while serving as Wexner’s money manager.
Victoria’s Secret recorded more than $1.4 billion in total sales for the quarter that ended in early November. That amount accounted for more than half of L Brands’ roughly $2.6 billion in sales for the quarter but marked a 7.6 percent decrease from the comparable period in the prior year.
By contrast, Bath & Body Works saw sales rise in that quarter to about $1 billion from roughly $956 million the year before. Combined international sales for Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works were roughly flat at about $133 million.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Lili Reinhart reveals her sweet dream about Luke Perry

Almost a year after Luke Perry ’ s tragic death , Lili Reinhart is still dreaming about him .
The “ Riverdale ” and “ Hustlers ” star tweeted on Wednesday to her 2.9 million followers , “ I had a dream last night that I saw Luke… and I hugged him so hard and cried into his shoulder , telling him how much we all miss him.
” The “ Beverly Hills , 90210 ” star , who died suddenly in March 2019 at age 52 of a stroke , most recently made headlines for the perception that The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Memoriam ” segment — since his final project was an appearance in “ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , ” which won Brad Pitt an Oscar .
( The Oscars later gave a lame apology ) .
On “ Riverdale , ” Perry played Archie ’ s dad Fred .
The show wrote the character off in a tribute episode in October .
( In the show ’ s plot , Fred was killed by a hit and run when he stopped by the side of a remote road to help another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real-life pal Shannen Doherty . )
The cast and crew told The Post that filming the tribute episode was cathartic but difficult .
Skeet Ulrich , who plays F.P .
Jones — Fred ’ s friend — told the Post , “ It was literally almost impossible to utter lines .
The emotion you try to bury from the four months prior to [ Perry ’ s death ] happening until we ’ re asked to re-examine it in the episode … it ’ s one of the hardest experiences I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I think his spirit was visiting me in my sleep , ” Reinhart , 23 , concluded on Twitter about her dream .
“ Letting me know he ’ s smiling brightly on the other side .
”

Almost a year after Luke Perry’s tragic death, Lili Reinhart is still dreaming about him.
The “Riverdale” and “Hustlers” star tweeted on Wednesday to her 2.9 million followers, “I had a dream last night that I saw Luke… and I hugged him so hard and cried into his shoulder, telling him how much we all miss him.”
The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star, who died suddenly in March 2019 at age 52 of a stroke, most recently made headlines for the perception that the Academy Awards omitted him from its “In Memoriam” segment — since his final project was an appearance in “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood,” which won Brad Pitt an Oscar. (The Oscars later gave a lame apology.)
On “Riverdale,” Perry played Archie’s dad, Fred. The show wrote the character off in a tribute episode in October. (In the show’s plot, Fred was killed in a hit-and-run when he stopped by the side of a remote road to help another driver, played by Perry’s real-life pal Shannen Doherty.)
The cast and crew told The Post that filming the tribute episode was cathartic but difficult. Skeet Ulrich, who plays F.P. Jones, Fred’s friend, told The Post, “It was literally almost impossible to utter lines. The emotion you try to bury from the four months prior to [Perry’s death] happening until we’re asked to re-examine it in the episode … it’s one of the hardest experiences I’d had [to do] on film.”
“I think his spirit was visiting me in my sleep,” Reinhart, 23, concluded on Twitter about her dream. “Letting me know he’s smiling brightly on the other side.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Morgan Stanley to buy E*Trade in all-stock deal worth $13 billion

Morgan Stanley announced plans Thursday to buy discount brokerage E*Trade for about $ 13 billion in a deal that will boost the investment bank ’ s wealth management business .
The all-stock deal , expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year , will create a combined platform with more than 8 million client accounts and relationships and $ 3.1 trillion in assets , according to the bank .
“ The combination adds an iconic brand in the direct-to-consumer channel to our leading advisor-driven model , ” Morgan Stanley chairman and CEO James Gorman said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent in premarket on news of the takeover , which comes on the heels of Charles Schwab ’ s blockbuster $ 26 billion acquisition of TD Ameritrade that was announced in November .
Morgan Stanley shares were down 5.7 percent in early trading at $ 53.07 as of 8:28 a.m. E*Trade CEO Mike Pizzi will continue running the business under Morgan Stanley ’ s ownership , the bank said .
One of E*Trade ’ s independent directors will also be invited to Morgan Stanley ’ s board , according to a news release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will be able to take our combined offering to the next level and deliver an even more comprehensive suite of wealth management capabilities , ” Pizzi said in a statement .
Founded in 1982 , E*Trade has grown to comprise more than 5.2 million client accounts and more than $ 360 billion in client assets , according to the news release .
The digital brokerage has more users but a smaller asset portfolio than Morgan Stanley , which boasts 3 million “ client relationships ” and $ 2.7 trillion in assets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stanley will have a much smaller brokerage business than the combined Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade , which will boast 24 million brokerage accounts with more than $ 5 trillion in client assets .
But Gorman reportedly wants to compete with the likes of Schwab and brokerage giant Fidelity Investments as Morgan Stanley continues a turnaround that started in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis .
“ We ’ ll take on Schwab .
We ’ ll take on Fidelity , ” Gorman told The Wall Street Journal , which broke the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This isn ’ t about legacy-building ; it ’ s about getting [ Morgan Stanley ] ready for prime time .
”

Morgan Stanley announced plans Thursday to buy discount brokerage E*Trade for about $13 billion in a deal that will boost the investment bank’s wealth management business.
The all-stock deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year, will create a combined platform with more than 8 million client accounts and relationships and $3.1 trillion in assets, according to the bank.
“The combination adds an iconic brand in the direct-to-consumer channel to our leading advisor-driven model,” Morgan Stanley chairman and CEO James Gorman said in a statement.
E*Trade shares skyrocketed more 22 percent in premarket on news of the takeover, which comes on the heels of Charles Schwab’s blockbuster $26 billion acquisition of TD Ameritrade that was announced in November. Morgan Stanley ended the day down 4.6 percent, to $53.75.
E*Trade CEO Mike Pizzi will continue running the business under Morgan Stanley’s ownership, the bank said. One of E*Trade’s independent directors will also be invited to Morgan Stanley’s board, according to a news release.
“By joining Morgan Stanley, we will be able to take our combined offering to the next level and deliver an even more comprehensive suite of wealth management capabilities,” Pizzi said in a statement.
Founded in 1982, E*Trade has grown to comprise more than 5.2 million client accounts and more than $360 billion in client assets, according to the news release. The digital brokerage has more users but a smaller asset portfolio than Morgan Stanley, which boasts 3 million “client relationships” and $2.7 trillion in assets.
Even after the deal closes, Morgan Stanley will have a much smaller brokerage business than the combined Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade, which will boast 24 million brokerage accounts with more than $5 trillion in client assets.
But Gorman reportedly wants to compete with the likes of Schwab and brokerage giant Fidelity Investments as Morgan Stanley continues a turnaround that started in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
“We’ll take on Schwab. We’ll take on Fidelity,” Gorman told the Wall Street Journal, which broke the news of the E*Trade deal. “This isn’t about legacy-building; it’s about getting [Morgan Stanley] ready for prime time.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Pole vaulter nearly castrates himself in viral mishap

A freak pole vaulting accident turns out to be every man ’ s worst nightmare .
Zach McWhorter , a 21-year-old student athlete from Brigham Young University , was nearly maimed during a routine practice run that was captured on video .
He clears the bar with ease , but the clip takes a frightening turn when the pole , instead of falling safely to the side , wedges itself at the least opportune angle imaginable : directly beneath him , impaling his groin area .
“ That one time the pole went through my n–s…18 stitches later… RIP to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s caption reads .
The post has gone viral with more than 18.7 million views and 3.6 million likes .
He also shared a graphic image of his underwear with a gaping hole through which the pole had torn .
“ I could see right into my scrotum , ” he told Buzzfeed after the accident .
Lucky for McWhorter , his father is also his coach and a trained urologist .
“ Immediately after the incident , we got in his car and drove to the hospital and he sewed me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McWhorter said .
Shocking , it doesn ’ t sound like there will be lasting effects .
“ Fortunately , as far as I know , there is nothing wrong with my testicles — just a scar .
One day , we ’ ll find out if they function or not , ” McWhorter said .
The young athlete says he has learned an important lesson from the ordeal .
“ Don ’ t free-ball ( wear shorts without spandex inserts ) ” and “ always put a cap on the end @ @ @ @ @

A freak pole vaulting accident turns out to be every man’s worst nightmare.
Zach McWhorter, a 21-year-old student athlete from Brigham Young University, was nearly maimed during a routine practice run that was captured on video. He clears the bar with ease, but the clip takes a frightening turn when the pole, instead of falling safely to the side, wedges itself at the least opportune angle imaginable: directly beneath him, impaling his groin area.
McWhorter shared the horrifying video on popular social media platform, TikTok.
“That one time the pole went through my n–s…18 stitches later… RIP to my future kids,” the video’s caption reads. The post has gone viral with more than 18.7 million views and 3.6 million likes.
He also shared a graphic image of his underwear with a gaping hole through which the pole had torn.
“I could see right into my scrotum,” he told Buzzfeed after the accident.
Lucky for McWhorter, his father is also his coach and a trained urologist.
“Immediately after the incident, we got in his car and drove to the hospital and he sewed me up. It required 18 stitches!” McWhorter said.
Shocking, it doesn’t sound like there will be lasting effects.
“Fortunately, as far as I know, there is nothing wrong with my testicles — just a scar. One day, we’ll find out if they function or not,” McWhorter said.
The young athlete says he has learned an important lesson from the ordeal.
“Don’t free-ball (wear shorts without spandex inserts)” and “always put a cap on the end of the pole.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--UES collector sues Princeton for backing out of $1M art deal

The apartment at 330 W. 72nd St. , owned by the ...

An Upper East Side art collector is suing Princeton University for leaving him high and dry in a $1 million art deal after the school got cold feet and became concerned the pieces were bogus.
Attorney Vincent Fay, 78, agreed to sell 17 works from his collection to the Princeton University Art Museum for $945,000 in November 2018.
The university made an initial payment of $472,500 in December that year, but when it came time to pony up the rest in June 2019, the school wrote Fay a letter expressing “serious concerns regarding the authenticity, provenance and market value of the objects,” and refused to pay the remained $472,500, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court.
Princeton demanded Fay return the initial payment in October and said it was revoking the deal — even though the institution was not in “possession of any evidence that indisputably establishes that any of the Works are not authentic,” Fay’s suit says.
Fay and his wife Margaret Fay have acquired numerous pieces of art over the past 60-plus years, including pieces displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre Museum, the Museo del Barrio, Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and other museums in Europe.
Reached by The Post, Fay’s lawyer, John Cahill, declined to name the pieces in question “out of respect for the art.”
“I don’t like to taint it,” he said. “The art will outlive all of us, and it is good to keep it untainted. Princeton hasn’t said why the art isn’t authentic.”
Reached by The post, Fay would only say, “You can bet it’s not 17 Picassos I sold to Princeton.”
He declined to comment further. Princeton University did not respond.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--The Rangers finally have a meaningful game again

Winning makes it far easier to tune out all the ...

RALEIGH, N.C. — Let’s shuffle back through the microfilm of history to find the most recent game the Rangers played that had as much importance in the standings as Friday night’s match against the Hurricanes.
Flip, flip, flip.
Ah, here we are: The Winter Classic at Citi Field on Jan. 1, 2018. The Rangers of Alain Vigneault beat the Sabres in the frigid Queens air, 3-2, bringing their record to 21-13-5. Those Blueshirts, still with such close proximity to the previous half-decade of chasing the Stanley Cup, felt pretty good about themselves. So did Vigneault.
Then, they lost 11 of their next 15, and on Feb. 8, the front office sent out a letter to the fans explaining that it was beginning a rebuilding process that still plows on, with the future more of a focus than the present. Veteran assets were sold off, and Vigneault was fired after a bizarre rant in Philadelphia following the final loss on the season.
The organization then hired David Quinn out of Boston University, and the Rangers didn’t play one game in the 2018-19 season that felt like it had actual implications toward a playoff push. There was another sell-off at the 2019 deadline, and another team-wide malaise followed.
But this season? This season has felt a little different from the beginning. Even if Chris Kreider gets traded, and even if any other assortment of posturing for the future happens before Monday’s deadline, there is a sense this current playoff push — no matter how overly optimistic it might be, or how shortsighted it might look come Tuesday — is a positive.
Igor Shesterkin was in training camp, and he is the No. 1 option in goal “right now,” if not for the foreseeable future. Henrik Lundqvist finds himself as the third goalie in a two-goalie rotation between Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev, even if the soon-to-be 38-year-old Lundqvist might get the start against the Hurricanes, against whom he has a sterling record.
If Lundqvist were to get the start, that would be because Quinn thinks it gives his team the best chance to win — and the coach wants to win this game probably more than any other since he took over behind the bench. After starting this little two-game road trip with a 6-3 win Wednesday night in Chicago, the Rangers have won five of their past six, eight of their past 11, and 12 of their past 18. They are 31-24-4, their 66 points placing them six out of the second wild-card spot with three teams to leapfrog.
One of those is the Hurricanes, who stood at 72 points. Also at 72 were the free-falling Islanders, who scored only two goals in a just-completed, disastrous 0-4 road trip, and who are 17-17-5 since their historic 17-game points streak that helped them start the season 16-3-1.
It even seemed as if the injuries were finally catching up to the Blue Jackets, who brought a six-game losing streak (0-3-3) into Thursday night’s match against Vigneault’s new team, the Flyers. The game was a battle for third place in the Metropolitan Division, with the Flyers going in holding it with 73 points and the Blue Jackets having 72.
The Panthers and Maple Leafs also continued their battle for third in the Atlantic, both at 70 points going into their respective games Thursday night.
This might all seem like a lot of nonsensical jostling, but 13 of the Rangers’ final 23 games are against opponents currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They have one more against the Islanders, at the Coliseum on Tuesday in the first game after the deadline. They have three against the Flyers, and one against the Panthers.
A few loses, and they would be buried. Losing Kreider or another big piece off their roster to a trade, and their faint hopes would diminish.
But right now, they have a big game Friday night. And they haven’t been able to say that in a long, long time.


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Brooklyn clocktower penthouse available for first time in 23 years

People wonder if we ’ re still living in the era of ...

Tucked away surreptitiously behind the clock face of Brooklyn’s landmarked Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company building in Dumbo is a penthouse that is headed to the market Friday for $2.35 million, Mansion Global has exclusively learned.
The clock, which doubles as a unique window offering views over the nearby Brooklyn Bridge, the East River and across into Manhattan, is a relic of the building’s industrial heritage that dates to the late 1800s and includes the tenure of the long-shuttered local newspaper, the Brooklyn Eagle.
It’s an “iconic New York property,” says listing agent Nick Gavin of Compass, who is handling the sale with his colleague, Josh Doyle.
“There are buyers in the market that are waiting for authentic, true loft space buildings that have history and bricks and beams. There are buyers that are a little bit tired of glass towers,” Gavin says.
“People want a connection to older New York and older Brooklyn,” he says. “You certainly feel the history here.”
The property is being sold by architect Michael Davis, who has owned the home since 1997, he writes in an email. Mansion Global could not determine how much he paid for the property.
When Davis bought the one-bedroom spread, the home was in a drastically different condition to the brick-covered loft that listing photos reveal today.
It was “generic in the extreme with a few ghastly ‘Miami Vice’ flourishes,” says Davis, referring to the 1980s cop television show.
It was packed with sheetrock, glass brick, low ceilings, small rooms, popcorn plaster and faux wood veneer cabinets with melamine counters, he says, “but with a huge clock facing the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River.”
The most important phase in transforming the space was demolition, he tells Mansion Global.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement The clock face doubles as a window that looks out to the Brooklyn Bridge. Compass Interior details include a cute kitchen and built-in storage. Compass Advertisement It's a one-bedroom apartment. Compass Advertisement
“I tore out all the walls, revealing brick on four sides, exposed an additional five feet of ceiling height,” he says. “The objective was to reveal the character and scale of the industrial space that had preceded the conversion to residential use, and all the artifacts and infrastructure that had been concealed.”
After close to 100 years functioning commercially as a warehouse or offices, the nine-story building was converted into residences in 1980.
Now the home is fitted with skylights, wooden floors, and exposed pipes and beams still run through the space.
Davis wanted the feel of the home to be “groovy,” he says. “The coolest loft in Brooklyn on an intimate scale, a treehouse in the rigging of the Brooklyn Bridge.”


newyorkpost--2020-02-20--Amazon whiffs big with silly Al Pacino Nazi-hunting series ‘Hunters’

Al Pacino has played mobsters , murderers and Satan himself .
Now ...

TV review Hunters Hunters is available Friday on Amazon Prime.
People wonder if we’re still living in the era of Peak TV.
For a few years, it seemed no one could do anything wrong. There were blockbuster shows, fresh voices and movie stars who weren’t really stars anymore but didn’t seem to mind because they were starring in “prestige” TV projects with other actors they used to see in the movies. But then the world of streaming TV exploded, executives wrote big checks for the most obscure and half-baked projects, and we were left gasping and horrified.
Now, with Friday’s premiere of “Hunters” on Amazon, it’s fair to say that Peak TV is over.
Created by David Weil, “Hunters” wants to be a thriller about Nazis trying to create a Fourth Reich in the summer of 1977 and the vigilantes who track them, but it also wants to view their activities through the simplistic, heroes-and-villains lens of a comic book. With star Al Pacino dispensing lines like, “You should read the Torah more. It’s the original comic book,” you know “Hunters” is headed for trouble. Weil and his executive producer Jordan Peele also throw in the occasional deranged fantasy musical sequence. Because the main subject is too heavy? Whatever the urge, the shifting tones and conflicting storytelling severely limit any chance for this series to thrill you, let alone keep your attention.
From Amazon’s point of view, the hook is Pacino, fresh off his ninth Oscar nomination for “The Irishman.” No stranger to TV (he has two Emmy awards), Pacino stars as Meyer Offerman, a Holocaust survivor and septuagenarian Bruce Wayne. Employing a guttural German accent, Pacino leads a band of vigilantes that includes fellow Jews and two refugees from the identity politics casting department: an Asian guy (Louis Ozawa Changchien) and a Pam Grier knockoff in an Afro (Tiffany Boone). There’s also an acerbic British nun. Go figure.
The vigilantes are all fired up when one of their own, Ruth Heidelbaum (Jeannie Berlin), is murdered in the Brooklyn home she shares with her 19-year-old drug-dealing comic-book selling grandson, Jonah (Logan Lerman). Our sympathies are meant to go toward poor, abject Jonah, but he is hard to take. Let’s start with his vocabulary. It consists of three words: “What the f–k?” Sometimes he changes it up, as an improvisational comic book bro is wont to do, with “Who the f–k?” Jonah even drops F-bombs when conversing with his grandmother — who does that? Dudes in contemporary Hollywood movies, that’s who. Lerman overacts in so many scenes you just want to tell him to calm down. Let Pacino do the overacting.
As Pacino and Lerman, the Batman and Robin of the piece, zero in on the Nazis, a female, African-American, gay FBI agent (Jerrika Hinton) is investigating the deaths of senior citizens in the South. These separate storylines threaten to come together as Nazi hit man Travis Leich (Greg Austin) knocks off the hunters. Were the creators able to decide which story they wanted to tell, the show would be in better shape, though the execution verges on the turgid throughout. One senses that they saw the rushes and decided to go back to some of brighter locations, like Coney Island, and add a ridiculous dance sequence — where Jonah and his buddies are suddenly grooving to “Stayin’ Alive” — to take our minds off the tedious violence. (One bit of fact-checking: the Bee Gees song did not hit the radio until later in 1977, when “Saturday Night Fever” came out).
It’s a shame that Pacino picked this script as his first regular TV series because there isn’t a superhero out there who can save “Hunters.”