newyorkpost--2020-11-11--DOE postpones long-awaited admissions sessions day after announcing them

As part of new guidelines issued late last month , the ...

The Department of Education suddenly nixed a series of parent meetings on high school admissions Wednesday — just a day after announcing them.
Already frustrated by an ongoing lack of clarity on entry criteria for next year, parents said they were shocked by the postponement.
“This is sadistic,” said Deborah Alexander, president of Community Education Council 30 in Queens. “We have been waiting for eight months at this point.”
The department said Wednesday that they scrapped the virtual sessions because they’ve yet to settle on admissions policies.
“Postponing these meetings until we have an admissions policy is common sense, and we look forward to holding them soon, once we have more information to share,” said spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon. “These meetings were organized earlier this year and will be rescheduled.”
Parents were especially taken aback by the move because the DOE sent out alerts for the meetings on Tuesday.
The DOE emailed flyers advertising 10 informational sessions for parents to be held between November 16 and December 19.
But families who clicked a signup link Wednesday were greeted with a message announcing their indefinite postponement.
“Thank you for your interest in an admissions information session,” the note read. “These events have been postponed until further notice and we will notify you once they are rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
The message then advertised a series of online videos to help parents navigate the often byzantine admissions process.
“Good news!” the note exclaimed. “We made the information from these presentations available as a video series that you can watch anytime, from anywhere. These videos walk you through how to participate in the admissions processes for high schools and Specialized High Schools.”
But parents said DOE video clips won’t cut it.
“What have they been doing all this time that they don’t have this basic information?” Alexander said. “We need to give these kids some footing. We are talking about a lot of families here. This isn’t some niche group. This is all high schools.”
The DOE has not yet provided any specific information for screened school admissions for any grade level.
Parents said this void has made it impossible to begin the process of evaluating and applying for schools.
Screened admissions have become a contentious political topic in recent years, with critics arguing that they benefit kids of means and elbow out black and Latino applicants.
Backers counter that many top city schools with competitive admissions have high immigrant and low-income enrollment.
The DOE has said that it will tailor screened school admissions to account for the impact of the coronavirus.
Many traditional metrics like grades and standardized test scores have either been overhauled or cancelled outright due to the pandemic.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--Passenger on first Caribbean cruise since March tests positive for COVID-19

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A passenger aboard the first cruise in the Caribbean since the onset of the pandemic reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday .
The preliminary positive , the results of a rapid test on SeaDream Yacht Club ’ s SeaDream 1 , was reported by Gene Sloan , a senior travel reporter covering the voyage for The Points Guy .
Sloan said the vessel ’ s captain , Torbjorn Lund , announced the case via shipwide intercom just afternoon as the ship was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and non-essential crew were told to isolate in their cabins .
The SeaDream 1 , carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew , began its cruise on Saturday from its home port of Barbados .
It will now return there , Sloane wrote .
The vessel was the first to cruise the Caribbean since March .
Sloan said that in order to board the ship , all passengers had to test negative twice — once days before departure and another the day of .
A third test was slated for Wednesday .
The passenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the test , the captain had announced .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
A passenger aboard the first cruise in the Caribbean since the onset of the pandemic reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The preliminary positive, the results of a rapid test on SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream 1, was reported by Gene Sloan, a senior travel reporter covering the voyage for The Points Guy.
Sloan said the vessel’s captain, Torbjorn Lund, announced the case via shipwide intercom just afternoon as the ship was anchored in the Grenadines.
All passengers and non-essential crew were told to isolate in their cabins.
The SeaDream 1, carrying 53 passengers and 66 crew, began its cruise on Saturday from its home port of Barbados. It will now return there, Sloane wrote.
The vessel was the first to cruise the Caribbean since March.
Sloan said that in order to board the ship, all passengers had to test negative twice — once days before departure and another the day of. A third test was slated for Wednesday.
The passenger who tested positive felt sick leading up to the test, the captain had announced.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been Giants’ MVP thus far

Brett Favre and Eagles coach Doug Pederson were teammates with ...

The standard bearer for defensive coordinators around here — or anywhere — is, of course, Bill Belichick. They may have nicknamed him Captain Sominex back in the day for his monotone delivery, but every last Giant — Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson included — knew they could trust his beautiful football mind.
Belichick’s genius over the years has included hiring the best and brightest assistants, and it should be recognized that Joe Judge, the latest branch of the GOAT’s tree, hired the Giants’ 2020 MVP to date:
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Even before he installed the play in the Saturday walk-through practice that resulted in Logan Ryan’s game-sealing interception of Alex Smith on Sunday, Graham has fielded a chameleon, shape-shifting defense from week to week that no longer resembles the Keystone Cops each and every week.
One of Graham’s motivational tools is quoting Spurs five-time NBA champion coach Gregg Popovich:
“I don’t know the exact wording of the quote, but he always kind of brings it up to us,” Blake Martinez told The Post after practice Wednesday, “and it’s about putting your own individual self aside for the better part of the team, and that’s always been something that he’s told us to kind of resemble and be about as an individual, and as a captain, as a leader, as a teammate, to be that type of person.”
The actual Popovich quote is likely this one: “It’s not about any one person. You’ve got to get over yourself and realize that it takes a group to get this thing done.”
Asked how the Giants defense is a reflection of their Yalie coordinator, Martinez said: “His intensity, and then his attention to detail, his passion for the game. Everybody knows what they’re supposed to do and knows what type of energy to be at when they’re doing it.”
By no means is this one of those intimidating, feared Giants defenses of yesteryear that compelled their blue army in the stands to howl, “dee-fense, dee-fense, dee-fense,” and maybe if Graham had an elite pass rusher and dependable No. 2 cornerback, the Cowboys and Eagles would not have fashioned game-winning drives in the last minute.
But from week-to-week, Graham has more often than not moved his chess pieces around in a manner that might have impressed Bobby Fischer. He has torn a page out of the book of Coach Aristotle, who told us long before Tom Landry was a Giants DC that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Eagles running back Boston Scott may have caught the winning TD pass from Carson Wentz last month, but the return of Miles Sanders and possibly right tackle Lane Johnson and let guard Isaac Seumalo as well, would raise the bar for Big Blue — especially for Leonard Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence — that Graham set in August when he said: “I want our toughness to jump off the film.”
Graham, remember, has made do without Lorenzo Carter, Xavier McKinney, Oshane Ximines, DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal. Big Blue’s defense is 15th in yards per game and 13th in points per game, compared to 25th and 30th last season, respectively.
Graham engaged Tom Brady in a death struggle, and four takeaways by the defense keyed the win in Washington.
He has done it — brace yourselves, haters — with Dave Gettleman All-Stars:
Cornerback James Bradberry (three interceptions, 12 passes defended, three shy of his career high): “Elite,” Martinez said. “His ability to understand situations in the game, ability to understand what his opponent’s trying to do against him, understanding scheme, and then just his athletic ability to go and make the plays that he does every week against top receivers in the NFL.”
Defensive back Logan Ryan (53 tackles, one INT, seven PDs): “Intellectual,” Martinez said. “He is just so smart, he is able to understand what offenses are trying to do and able to adapt in all situations, whether it’s the first play of the game or the 60th play of the game. And at crucial moments, he knows where to be and exactly what to relay to every single one of us on the field.”
Defensive tackle Leonard Williams (five sacks): “He’s a beast,” Martinez said. “Different animal out there. When he’s been on the top of his game, I don’t think anybody could stop him.”
He’s benefited from playing alongside Dexter Lawrence and Dalvin Tomlinson, and vice versa. “I love playing beside him,” Tomlinson said. “I feel like we feed off each other. He does a lot of the dirty work.”
Safety Jabrill Peppers (43 tackles, one INT, two tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovered): “He’s a guy that kind of reminds me of the Energizer Bunny commercial,” Martinez said. “He’s going 24/7.”
Inside linebacker Blake Martinez (defensive captain, 92 tackles, two sacks, one INT): Invaluable quarterback of the defense and tackling machine. “Intellectual brutality — a guy that knows where to be, knows how to get there pre-snap, post-snap,” Martinez said, “and then does it with relentless physicality in the right way so I’m not overdoing it missing plays.”
If it looks like they’re having fun, it’s because they are.
“It’s just awesome to be able to have this type of dynamic with this team,” Martinez said.
Because of this type of defensive coordinator … MVP Patrick Graham.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--Biden taps longtime adviser Ron Klain as White House chief of staff

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped his longtime adviser Ron Klain as his incoming White House chief of staff , the transition team said on Wednesday .
As a key member of the new administration , Klain will help Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris build a team of advisers for his presidency , the Biden camp said in a statement .
Klain , who served as Biden ’ s chief of staff during his vice presidency , helped lead the Obama administration ’ s response to the Ebola outbreak and has reportedly taken an interest in government reaction to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s work in the Obama administration in his statement released Wednesday night .
“ Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together , including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014 , ” Biden said .
“ His deep , varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring our country together again , ” he added .
Klain added in the statement that it was the “ honor of a lifetime ” to be given the position .
“ I look forward to helping him and the Vice President-elect assemble a talented and diverse team to work in the White House , as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change , and seek to heal the divides in our country , ” he said .
The president-elect may also name other top White House advisers later this week , CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications director Kate Bedingfield and senior adviser Symone Sanders , could be top contenders for senior positions in the administration , NBC News reported earlier this week .
Biden has said he won ’ t name cabinet nominations until after Thanksgiving and is hoping to do so by early December .
On Wednesday , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said on CNN that he would take the Labor secretary position if he was offered the job .
“ If I had a portfolio that allowed me to stand up and fight for working families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I would , ” Sanders said .

President-elect Joe Biden has tapped his longtime adviser Ron Klain as his incoming White House chief of staff, the transition team said on Wednesday.
As a key member of the new administration, Klain will help Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris build a team of advisers for his presidency, the Biden camp said in a statement.
Klain, who served as Biden’s chief of staff during his vice presidency, helped lead the Obama administration’s response to the Ebola outbreak and has reportedly taken an interest in government reaction to the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden praised Klain’s work in the Obama administration in his statement released Wednesday night.
“Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014,” Biden said.
“His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” he added.
Klain added in the statement that it was the “honor of a lifetime” to be given the position.
“I look forward to helping him and the Vice President-elect assemble a talented and diverse team to work in the White House, as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change, and seek to heal the divides in our country,” he said.
The president-elect may also name other top White House advisers later this week, CNN reported. Top campaign officials, including communications director Kate Bedingfield and senior adviser Symone Sanders, could be top contenders for senior positions in the administration, NBC News reported earlier this week.
Biden has said he won’t name cabinet nominations until after Thanksgiving and is hoping to do so by early December.
On Wednesday, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said on CNN that he would take the Labor secretary position if he was offered the job.
“If I had a portfolio that allowed me to stand up and fight for working families, would I do it? yes, I would,” Sanders said.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--It’s once again time, boys and girls, for the Bill & Chirl Hour

It ’ s a new pilot project without a plan — or ...

New York City’s low-comedy co-mayoralty was heard from again this week, as Bill de Blasio and Chirlane McCray announced a trial scheme to send social workers instead of cops to deal with outbursts of public derangement. Think of it as “Bill & Chirl’s Excellent Adventure Part II: Crazy Is As Crazy Does.”
Crazy, because the de Blasios have already shredded more than $1.25 billion on a mental-health contrivance, ThriveNYC, but have yet to document a dime’s worth of value for the effort.
Crazy, because the de Blasios offer no justification for the new program, to say nothing of operational details of any sort.
Crazy, because they announced a largely identical initiative just a year ago: Cops and social workers were to respond together to incidents involving mental illness. Then they simply forgot about it. This happens a lot on Planet Blas.
And crazy, because let’s face it, the first time an angel-dusted psychotic takes a rusty bayonet to an ill-trained social worker, with no cop on the scene, all that would be left of the program would be recrimination and litigation.
That last one is an ugly image, but well worth pondering: The NYPD has come a very long way in the 36 years since Eleanor Bumpers, a mentally ill grandmother, attacked cops with a knife in her Bronx apartment during an eviction — and was shot to death in response.
Back then, officers largely approached the mentally ill armed with hard weaponry and a strong sense of self-preservation. Violent confrontations didn’t happen every day, but they also weren’t uncommon. Today, the opposite is true: Cops are well-trained in dealing with mental instability, weapons are a last resort, and deadly violence is rare.
If that weren’t the case — that is, if police misconduct directed toward the mentally is indeed an institutional problem — the co-mayors would have been able to cite some examples Tuesday when they revealed their latest brainstorm. But they didn’t, because they couldn’t, and so that should be that. Right? Alas, wrong.
It is always a mistake to assume a de Blasio announcement is in any way connected to genuine need, coherent goals or realistically anticipated outcomes. Words are tossed out, usually followed by gobs of tax dollars, and then Mr. and Mrs. Mayor wander off toward their next distraction.
If this weren’t so — if, for example, ThriveNYC were a coherent effort to cope with mental illness — Gotham’s public spaces wouldn’t once again be crowded with howling-at-the-moon, self-medicating lunatics and aggressive cardboard-cup shakers. But they are. If you doubt it, take a trip to downtown Brooklyn, to Penn Station or to the Broadway median on the Upper West Side. You’ll see soon enough.
But what of the cash poured into ThriveNYC — again, $1.25 billion with 14 months left to go for Blas and his bride? What happened to it all?
Has there been a whole lot of grifting going on? Or are the de Blasios just everyday schnooks? Hizzoner spent much of his first term under investigation for campaign-finance grifting (DA Cy Vance let him off on the grounds that whatever the mayor might have done his lawyer said was OK, so it was OK.) Anything is possible.
And as for schnookery, well, the couple did honeymoon in Havana. What could be more schnookish than that?
Either way, here come the man and his missus for another helping of tax dollars, to be spread among the not-for-profiteers and related advantage-takers who fund so much of what passes for competitive politics in New York.
This explains political New York’s profound lack of curiosity about such programs.
Whether Bill and Chirlane eventually find employment in that world is an open question. He is going to need a job in 14 months, such low-grade back-scratching would be wholly in character — and it would help explain a policy initiative that otherwise makes no sense whatsoever.
The Big Apple has been in the deep weeds before, but never quite like this. Virtually everything the de Blasio mayoralty laid its hands on cratered long before the coronavirus arrived: mental-health administration, yes, but also policing, housing, schools and the maintenance of public spaces.
The city is on its knees now and would have been close to it irrespective of the pandemic, and the best the mayor can do is to propose vague solutions to problems that don’t exist. Typical, but crazy.
Twitter: @RLMac2


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--Rangers’ plan for Vitali Kravtsov could work out for everyone

When Chris Cuylle took his son , Will , to try out ...

Regarding the Rangers:
1. The training camp battle for a top-nine right-wing spot is not expected to include 2017 first-rounder Vitali Kravtsov, who has had an impressive start to his season while on loan to Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.
The Post has confirmed that while the Blueshirts have the contractual right to recall Kravtsov at any time, there is an understanding that the winger will complete the season in Russia before he’d be summoned to North America.
The KHL season, which has been conducted through numerous positive tests for COVID-19 — that is an anecdotal representation of the situation through discussions with NHL personnel and player agents, given that positives and cases are not reported — is scheduled to end on Feb. 27. The playoffs would conclude April 30.
The NHL remains focused on starting on Jan. 1, or shortly thereafter. If that becomes the case, and, say, Traktor, currently third in their division at 15-9, goes a couple of rounds deep into the KHL tournament, Kravtsov would theoretically become free to join the Blueshirts toward the end of March, which might be about halfway through the NHL season.
Kravtsov has drawn praise not only for his production (eight goals, three assists in 17 games), but for his work habits and the development of his 200-foot game. If his evolution continues, Kravtsov will be in much better position to claim a spot in New York when he returns to North America. And the Rangers’ left wing/right wing imbalance would be addressed.
By the way? A rookie named Don Maloney once joined the Rangers about halfway through a season, and that worked out pretty well for everyone.
2. I wouldn’t expect the Rangers to move either Adam Fox or Tony DeAngelo from the right to the left. There is just no one else to play the right side at the moment. Which means the left side features Ryan Lindgren, Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson, with Libor Hajek, K’Andre Miller and Tarmo Reunanen expected to contend for spots on the roster.
And, with Lindgren-Fox as etched-in-stone a combination as you’ll find on the team, engraved even more deeply than Artemi Panarin-Ryan Strome and Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad, training camp will determine whether Smith will reprise his late-season and qualifying-round role as Trouba’s partner.
Could one of the kids play well enough to earn that assignment? If past is prologue to the opening of the season, keep in mind that Hajek partnered with Trouba for 18 of the first 20 games last year.
3. Whither Brett Howden, the natural center who moved to the wing for last season’s final 36 games before moving back to the middle for all three games of the qualifying round, where he was one of the team’s most imposing players?
Howden, 22, has Panarin, Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere ahead of him on the left and Zibanejad, Strome and Filip Chytil ahead of him in the middle.
If the Blueshirts shift one of the left wings to the other side, Howden could compete for the third-line job on the flank. Morgan Barron, who has spent the majority of the offseason training with Chris Kreider at the Prentiss Academy in Connecticut, and who, we are told, is evolving into beast-body mode, will contend for that job, and so will Brendan Lemieux.
Are fourth-line minutes in the middle the best use of Howden’s time? In normal times, Howden would probably be better served by getting first-line minutes in Hartford.
But the AHL isn’t scheduled to start play until Feb. 4, so the question instead becomes is Howden better off in New York with fourth-line minutes or on some sort of taxi squad going through extended spring training?
Rhetorical question, likely.
4. A reminder that the Rangers did not have a center win as many as 50 percent of his draws last season, the overall 46.6 percent success rate at the dots ahead of only the Sabres’ even more wretched 45.9.
Howden, 48.2 during the year following a 48.4 rookie season, did win 11 of 21 draws in the qualifiers, so there’s that teeny sample size off of which to build. Free-agent signee Kevin Rooney, who will compete for a fourth-line spot, has a 47.4 career percentage at the dots.
5. Before Brad Park, before Arnie Brown, before Rod Seiling, before Dale Rolfe, there on the blue line was Jim Neilson, who crafted one of the most impressive understated careers in Rangers’ history.
The Chief passed late last week at the age of 79. One of the first NHL players of indigenous heritage, Neilson was an inspiration to his community. I was able to spend some time with him at a morning skate a few years ago in Winnipeg. The pleasure was all mine.
Neilson, who arrived in 1962-63, played 811 games in the Blueshirt, 10th in franchise history, fifth among defenseman behind Harry Howell, Brian Leetch, Ron Greschner and Marc Staal.
First, it was Neilson with Howell, Doug Harvey (!), Larry Cahan and Junior Langlois and then it was Neilson with Park, Seiling, Brown and Howell.
He was a key player in the transformation from laughingstock to contender. He was a big-time Ranger and a role model.
RIP, No. 15.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--Staggering number of players have won individual honors vs. Jets in 2020

Playing the Jets has been beneficial for plenty of teams this season .
The Broncos snapped a three-game losing streak against them .
The Cardinals and Bills snapped two-game losing skids against them .
Monday night , the Patriots ended their losing streak at four with their comeback win .
But playing the Jets has also had its benefits for individual players .
Patriots kicker Nick Folk became the sixth player this season to earn Player of the Week honors for the league for what he did against the Jets .
That is a staggering number .
There have only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them a player has had one of the best performances of that week against the Jets .
It started with Week 3 when Colts cornerback Xavier Rhodes won AFC Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting Sam Darnold twice and returning one for a touchdown .
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week the next week after kicking three field goals , one from 53 and one from 54 , against the Jets .
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray made it three straight weeks when he threw for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a rushing touchdown to get NFC Offensive Player of the Week .
After a week of no award winners against the Jets ( shame on you , Dolphins ) , Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes earned AFC Defensive Player of the week for his game against the Jets with two sacks and an interception .
Patrick Mahomes took home AFC Offensive Player of the Week the following week after putting up 416 yards and five touchdowns on the Jets .
Folk made it three weeks in a row after he kicked three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as time expired to beat the Jets .
The Jets won ’ t be able to help anyone win hardware this week during their bye , but the Chargers players should start getting excited .
The Jets come to town on Nov. 22 .
Justin Herbert or Joey Bosa are Player of the Week favorites that week .

Playing the Jets has been beneficial for plenty of teams this season. The Broncos snapped a three-game losing streak against them. The Cardinals and Bills snapped two-game losing skids against them. Monday night, the Patriots ended their losing streak at four with their comeback win.
But playing the Jets has also had its benefits for individual players. Patriots kicker Nick Folk became the sixth player this season to earn Player of the Week honors for the league for what he did against the Jets. That is a staggering number. There have only been nine weeks and in six of them a player has had one of the best performances of that week against the Jets.
It started with Week 3 when Colts cornerback Xavier Rhodes won AFC Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting Sam Darnold twice and returning one for a touchdown.
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week the next week after kicking three field goals, one from 53 and one from 54, against the Jets.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray made it three straight weeks when he threw for a career-high 380 yards with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown to get NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
After a week of no award winners against the Jets (shame on you, Dolphins), Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes earned AFC Defensive Player of the week for his game against the Jets with two sacks and an interception.
Patrick Mahomes took home AFC Offensive Player of the Week the following week after putting up 416 yards and five touchdowns on the Jets.
Folk made it three weeks in a row after he kicked three field goals, including the 51-yard game-winner as time expired to beat the Jets.
The Jets won’t be able to help anyone win hardware this week during their bye, but the Chargers players should start getting excited. The Jets come to town on Nov. 22. Justin Herbert or Joey Bosa are Player of the Week favorites that week.


newyorkpost--2020-11-11--AOC & Co.’s loathsome plan to keep lists of pro-Trumpies

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she doesn ’ t know whether she wants ...

In Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado,” a man named Ko-Ko appointed to the job of Lord High Executioner tries to figure out whom he should have killed. “There will be,” he says, “no difficulty in finding plenty of people whose loss will be a distinct gain to society at large.” And then he reveals that he has “a little list” — a list “of society offenders . . . who never would be missed!”
Ko-Ko’s example is being followed exactly by a group of petty and loathsome enforcers of pious attitudinal orthodoxy who have appointed themselves to the collective post of Lord High Career Executioner in post-Trump America.
They literally talk about the “lists” they are making of people who have committed the grievous evil of working for the administration they hated, with the stated goal of ensuring such people don’t find employment afterward.
Last week, there arose something that calls itself the Trump Accountability Project. Its founding manifesto contains these words: “We should welcome in our fellow Americans with whom we differ politically. But those who took a paycheck from the Trump administration should not profit from their efforts to tear our democracy apart.”
Following the oxymoronic sophistry of these two contradictory sentences, the manifesto goes on to name three types who should be punished economically. First, those who elected Trump by working on his campaign. Second, those who staffed his government. And third, those who funded him.
That may not go far enough, though. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks people need to collate information on anyone who might ever have said anything positive about Trump — lest such people scrub their records and try to pretend they were critical of Trump all along.
Ko-Ko Cortez is an elected official and deserving of public scrutiny for her words. I will not name others among the worst offenders, the list-makers who have begun their mischief trying to punish a law firm for the crime of having the Republican Party of Pennsylvania as a client and are already moving on to person after person.
I am not in the business of serving up people with whom I disagree in hopes they will then be burnt to a crisp by those on my side on social media. But I note how airily they seek and pursue the economic ruination of people who went into public service — even if it was public service for a president whose policies might be deemed contemptible.
I know many of the Trump staffers, too, and, yes, in some cases, I find their motivations dark and their views abhorrent.
But I know many more who are genuinely committed to advancing policy goals they believe, and I believe, will benefit the American people and the world. They are not in it for the money or the power. Relatively speaking, you don’t make tons of money working for government.
Moreover, their very invisibility and their lack of public profile suggest they don’t have a lot of power. And their interest in highly specific and technical matters that help make the world go round while the rest of us do whatever it is we do is why we call it “public service” to begin with.
Meanwhile, some of these bullies who flatter themselves that they had only been motivated by their disgust at the conduct of the Big Orange Bully sit comfortably on their perches, their fortunes advanced by the legions of anti-Trumpers who have spent the past few years stuffing dollars in their garters like aroused businessmen at Scores — even as our heroes pay off the mortgages renegotiated at astonishingly low interest rates during the Trump administration while their 401(k)s grew handsomely.
Some version of this list-taking happens after every administration. Accomplished people found it difficult to find employment in DC after the first Bush administration came to an end, because Democrats were in charge of the legislative and executive branches, and they were considered right-wing handmaidens. But that was an informal partisan sorting, not a conscious and deliberate campaign.
In my youth, the blacklist of Hollywood Communists was almost universally considered to have been a moral calamity, even though the things those people believed and the causes they advanced were among the greatest evils the world has ever seen.
Welcome to the new blacklisters — same as the old blacklisters. Joseph Ocasio-McCarthy, your time is now. You’ve got a little list.
jpodhoretz@gmail.com


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--The Upper East Side townhouse from HBO’s ‘The Undoing’ is for sale

The Australian actress likes that she can discreetly drive her ...

The asking price might have been its undoing.
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant’s 19th-century Manhattan townhouse on HBO’s hit show “The Undoing” is on sale for $30 million — a hefty discount from its $35 million price tag when it went on the market in 2018.
At 8 East 63rd St., the five-story townhouse, built in 1878 by C.P.H. Gilbert, is steps from Central Park, between Fifth and Madison Avenue. Gilbert built the mansion to resemble an 18th-century British townhouse on what is now known as Fifth Avenue’s Gold Coast.
On the show, Kidman’s character, Grace Fraser, is an uber-wealthy therapist whose beautiful life with her husband, Jonathan, played by Grant, is shattered after she helps a woman who is later murdered.
The series, however, doesn’t feature shots from inside the actual townhouse, and a new buyer will need to be uber-wealthy as well — to spend millions more to bring the 10,000 square foot residence back to single-family mansion status, brokers say.
At 25 feet wide, the New English classical brick and brownstone mansion features nine bedrooms, six fireplaces, rounded bay windows and two private terraces on one of the most coveted blocks in the city. The listing was first reported by Newsweek.
The original owner, Joseph Hodges Choate, was a lawyer who led the US delegation to the Second Peace Conference at The Hague in 1907, according to the listing.
Today, the stately residence has been cut up into two duplex rental units, now vacant, and a ground-floor commercial space — but its beautiful bones are evident everywhere.
The home’s original details include herringbone floors, historic moldings, a formal, square staircase and ceilings that rise to 11.7 feet.
There’s a drawing room with rounded bay windows that would be perfect for entertaining, along with a library boasting a fireplace, and a formal dining room that opens to a terrace overlooking townhouse gardens.
Kidman and Urban are buying a $3.5 million pied-à-terre — a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in another historic building downtown in TriBeCa — 108 Leonard St., as The Post reported exclusively.
Built by McKim, Mead & White, the landmarked building was once home to the New York Life Insurance Company but was converted to condos in 2018 — and spans the block between Lafayette and Broadway.
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The couple’s main residence is in Nashville these days, but they also own an Australian farmhouse, a penthouse in Sydney and a mansion in LA.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--7 peacekeepers, including Americans, killed in helicopter crash in Sinai desert

Seven people were killed , including five Americans , on Thursday when a helicopter involved with a multinational peacekeeping force @ @ @ @ @ Sinai desert , according to a report .
An Israeli source told Agence France-Presse that @ @ @ @ @ Force and Observers , which was co-founded by Israel in 1979 when it signed a @ @ @ @ @ In addition to the Americans , a French national and a Czech citizen also perished @ @ @ @ @ to AFP .
Brad Lynch , an official with the MFO , said it was @ @ @ @ @ involving one of our helicopters today , ” but had no details on fatalities .
@ @ @ @ @ based in Rome , is not linked to the United Nations .

Eight people were killed, including six Americans, on Thursday when a helicopter belonging to a multinational peacekeeping force that monitors the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement crashed in the Sinai Peninsula during a routine mission, officials said.
One American was badly injured in the crash of the UH-60 Black Hawk, which went down near the island of Tiran, the Multinational Force and Observers said.
The Rome-based MFO, which was created by Egypt and Israel after they signed the peace agreement, said the two others killed were a French peacekeeper and a Czech member of the force. It did not release the names of the dead, pending notification of their families.
Israeli and Egyptian officials said the US survivor was evacuated by the Egyptian military and then transferred to an Israeli aircraft for transport to Israel, the Washington Post reported.
“An IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) helicopter carrying elite search and rescue soldiers… evacuated an injured American MFO peacekeeper to an Israeli hospital for medical treatment,” the Israeli army said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi sent his condolences to the families of the victims, stressing that “security and stability in the region is extremely important.”
The officials said the crash appeared to have been caused by a technical failure and there were no signs of an attack. Islamic militant groups affiliated with ISIS are known to be active in the region.
“During a routine mission in the vicinity of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, eight uniformed members of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) were involved in a helicopter crash,” said a statement from the MFO cited by the Military Times.
“We are deeply saddened to report that seven MFO members were killed; this includes five U.S. citizens, one French, and one Czech,” it said.
“The MFO will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. At this point, there is no information to indicate the crash was anything except an accident. We greatly appreciate the cooperation and support of Egypt and Israel in the recovery effort,” the MFO added.
It did not give a precise location of the crash or say whether the chopper crashed on land or into the Red Sea.
An Egyptian official speaking on condition of anonymity said it went down over Red Sea waters outside the country’s territorial boundaries.
The Czech military’s chief of staff, Gen. Ales Opata, identified his country’s victim in a Facebook post as Sgt. Maj. Michaela Ticha.
“I am terribly sorry. You can never get ready for some things. Condolences to her family,” Opata said in a tweet.
Thirteen countries contribute troops to the MFO’s mission, which was established as an alternative to the UN, with the US making up the largest contingent, with about 450 personnel among more than 1,150 covering an area of 3,860 square miles.
The other countries are Australia, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Britain and Uruguay.
The MFO’s responsibilities include monitoring troop levels along the border and ensuring the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Tiran.
The administration’s recent budget calls for $30 million in funding for the organization, but former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley have informed lawmakers that the US may soon plan to withdraw its personnel from the effort, the Military Times reported.
Last year, the US provided $31 million to the MFO, which draws most of its budget in relatively equal proportions from the US, Israel and Egypt, according to the outlet.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Moderna stock jumps after key step toward COVID-19 vaccine results

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
Moderna ’ s stock price jumped early Thursday as the biotech firm drew one step closer to revealing how well its experimental coronavirus vaccine works .
Shares in the Massachusetts-based company climbed about 3.3 percent to $ 85.20 in premarket trading as of 7:53 a.m. after it announced that it has enough data from a late-stage clinical trial to assess the shot ’ s efficacy .
Moderna said Wednesday that enough people in its Phase 3 study had contracted the coronavirus for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interim analysis ” of the vaccine .
The company had planned to take that step after recording 53 COVID-19 cases among the trial ’ s 30,000 participants , but it said the analysis will include “ substantially more ” than that because of a surge in infections across the US .
Moderna said it is preparing data on those cases for submission to the study ’ s independent data safety monitoring board , which will perform the analysis and make a recommendation .
That means Moderna could soon release early data on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly coronavirus , following Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s Monday announcement that their candidate was more than 90 percent effective in a similar large trial .
Moderna didn ’ t say when it plans to release the results of the interim analysis , but Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , indicated that it likely won ’ t be long .
“ We were told that literally in the next few days to a week they ’ ll be doing the same thing of looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ago , ” Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , said at a Financial Times event on Wednesday .
Fauci reportedly said the rate of effectiveness for Moderna ’ s vaccine should be similar to Pfizer ’ s because the shots are “ identical in many respects.
” Both use messenger RNA , manufactured genetic material that ’ s injected into cells to provoke an immune response in the body .
“ It may not be 95 percent , it might be 90 percent or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is going to be up there , ” Facui said , according to Reuters .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
Moderna’s stock price jumped early Thursday as the biotech firm drew one step closer to revealing how well its experimental coronavirus vaccine works.
Shares in the Massachusetts-based company climbed about 3.3 percent to $85.20 in premarket trading as of 7:53 a.m. after it announced that it has enough data from a late-stage clinical trial to assess the shot’s efficacy.
Moderna said Wednesday that enough people in its Phase 3 study had contracted the coronavirus for an independent panel to conduct its first “interim analysis” of the vaccine. The company had planned to take that step after recording 53 COVID-19 cases among the trial’s 30,000 participants, but it said the analysis will include “substantially more” than that because of a surge in infections across the US.
Moderna said it is preparing data on those cases for submission to the study’s independent data safety monitoring board, which will perform the analysis and make a recommendation.
That means Moderna could soon release early data on how effectively its vaccine helps ward off the deadly coronavirus, following Pfizer and BioNTech’s Monday announcement that their candidate was more than 90 percent effective in a similar large trial.
Moderna didn’t say when it plans to release the results of the interim analysis, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, indicated that it likely won’t be long.
“We were told that literally in the next few days to a week they’ll be doing the same thing of looking at the data as the Pfizer people did a week ago,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a Financial Times event on Wednesday.
Fauci reportedly said the rate of effectiveness for Moderna’s vaccine should be similar to Pfizer’s because the shots are “identical in many respects.” Both use messenger RNA, manufactured genetic material that’s injected into cells to provoke an immune response in the body.
“It may not be 95 percent, it might be 90 percent or 96 percent, or 89 percent, but it is going to be up there,” Facui said, according to Reuters.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--US workers file 709,000 new unemployment claims amid COVID-19 spike

Another 709,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continued a slow recovery threatened by a dangerous new wave of coronavirus infections , the feds said Thursday .
The latest initial jobless claims brought the number filed during the COVID-19 pandemic to a seasonally adjusted total of more than 67.4 million — a figure larger than the population of the United Kingdom , the US Department of Labor data show .
The fourth straight weekly decline in new filings came as the US grappled with a record-setting spike in virus cases that ’ s led some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on businesses like those that sent unemployment to record levels in the spring .
“ Surging virus cases remain a downside risk despite favorable news on the vaccine front , ” Bloomberg economist Eliza Winger said in a commentary .
“ Health risks will likely affect mobility and activity in the near-term until a vaccine is widely available.
” Last week ’ s jobless claims beat economists ’ expectations for 730,000 filings but remained above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 for the 34th consecutive week .
Continuing claims , which measure ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about 6.8 million in the week ending Oct. 31 , marking the seventh straight weekly drop in that seasonally adjusted figure .
But the number of people claiming extended benefits from the feds after exhausting their 26 weeks of state payments rose yet again to about 4.1 million in the week ending Oct. 24 , up from more than 3.9 million the prior week .
The latest jobless claim figures followed last week ’ s jobs report showing the US adding a better-than-expected 638,000 jobs in October as the economy continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face obstacles going into the winter as coronavirus infections continue to break records across the nation .
More than 143,000 cases were reported in the US Wednesday as New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo set a 10 p.m. curfew for restaurants and bars in the state .

Another 709,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continued a slow recovery threatened by a dangerous new wave of coronavirus infections, the feds said Thursday.
The latest initial jobless claims brought the number filed during the COVID-19 pandemic to a seasonally adjusted total of more than 67.4 million — a figure larger than the population of the United Kingdom, the US Department of Labor data show.
The fourth straight weekly decline in new filings came as the US grappled with a record-setting spike in virus cases that’s led some parts of the country to impose new restrictions on businesses like those that sent unemployment to record levels in the spring.
“With each passing week, many businesses see an extension of diminished revenues, particularly those in the leisure, hospitality and travel spaces,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate. “With more restrictions, either from governments or self-imposed by consumers, there’s no let-up in pandemic fatigue.”
Last week’s jobless claims beat economists’ expectations for 730,000 filings but remained above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 for the 34th consecutive week.
Continuing claims, which measure ongoing joblessness on a one-week lag, fell to about 6.8 million in the week ending Oct. 31, marking the seventh straight weekly drop in that seasonally adjusted figure.
But the number of people claiming extended benefits from the feds after exhausting their 26 weeks of state payments rose yet again to about 4.1 million in the week ending Oct. 24, up from more than 3.9 million the prior week.
Those extra federal benefits are due to run out on Dec. 26, putting workers on the edge of a fiscal cliff unless Congress acts to keep the program going.
The labor market’s recent growth could also face obstacles going into the winter as local and state officials move to stem the virus’s spread. Chicago issued a “stay-at-home advisory” on Thursday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo set a 10 p.m. curfew for the state’s restaurants and bars.
“The clock is ticking,” said Andrew Stettner, an unemployment expert and a senior fellow at the Century Foundation think tank. “It would be unconscionable and unprecedented for Congress to cut off aid to millions of jobless workers the day after Christmas in the face of a worsening pandemic.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--North Carolina mom charged after toddler found with missing fingernails

A North Carolina mom is facing criminal charges after hospital staffers found her 20-month-old child with multiple missing toenails and @ @ @ @ @ Nikki Manning , 30 , of Greenville , was arrested Tuesday on a charge of @ @ @ @ @ physical injury after the toddler was taken in early October to a hospital where the @ @ @ @ @ the Pitt County Sheriff ’ s Office said Wednesday .
Staffers at Vidant Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ workers about the child ’ s missing fingernails and toenails – and noted that the @ @ @ @ @ , sheriff official said .
The child , whose gender was not specified by authorities @ @ @ @ @ and cocaine , according to an arrest warrant obtained by WCTI .
Manning , who @ @ @ @ @ County Detention Center , was released after posting $ 75,000 bond , sheriff officials said @ @ @ @ @ if Manning has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf .
Attempts to @ @ @ @ @ immediately unsuccessful .

A North Carolina mom is facing criminal charges after hospital staffers found her 20-month-old child with multiple missing toenails and fingernails, authorities said.
Nikki Manning, 30, of Greenville, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of felony child abuse inflicting serious physical injury after the toddler was taken in early October to a hospital where the disturbing injuries were noticed, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Staffers at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville notified child welfare workers about the child’s missing fingernails and toenails – and noted that the toddler tested positive for narcotics, sheriff official said.
The child, whose gender was not specified by authorities, tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, according to an arrest warrant obtained by WCTI.
Manning, who was booked into the Pitt County Detention Center, was released after posting $75,000 bond, sheriff officials said.
It’s unclear if Manning has hired an attorney who could speak on her behalf. Attempts to reach her early Thursday were not immediately successful.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Braunwyn Windham-Burke claims her husband enabled her alcoholism

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Braunwyn Windham-Burke is coming clean about her husband Sean ’ s role in her alcoholism .
On Wednesday night ’ s episode of “ The Real Housewives of Orange County , ” Braunwyn told co-star Gina Kirschenheiter that Sean managed and enabled her when she was drinking .
“ I ’ m lucky , though , because I have Sean , ” she said while acknowledging that she tried to keep her sobriety under wraps .
“ He has been managing me for so long .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image I needed protected.
” The mom of seven explained that Sean would help take care of her when she was drunk at events or became sloppy .
The 42-year-old then said , “ He actually started going to Al-Anon too because he ’ s very — … he ’ d be like , ‘ Oh , I ’ ll come and get you .
I ’ ll do this .
I ’ ll babysit you . '
” In a previous episode , Sean — who ’ s been married to Braunwyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enabling ” his wife during a Valentine ’ s Day dinner .
“ I kinda feel guilty about enabling you to let things go so far , ” he said .
“ Of course I saw that there was issues.
” When Braunwyn asked him why he let her spiral , he responded , “ I think because in my mind I try to make your life like the best I can even if it ’ s not the right choice .
I don ’ t know .
I think I get lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new episode , Kirschenheiter , 36 , also questioned Braunwyn and Sean ’ s relationship .
Braunwyn previously confessed that she and Sean had split for a time over a decade ago , but they worked things out and even had a vow renewal ceremony .
Now , Braunwyn and Sean appear to be going through another rough patch in their marriage as they are not currently living together .

Braunwyn Windham-Burke is coming clean about her husband Sean’s role in her alcoholism.
On Wednesday night’s episode of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Braunwyn told co-star Gina Kirschenheiter that Sean managed and enabled her when she was drinking.
“I’m lucky, though, because I have Sean,” she said while acknowledging that she tried to keep her sobriety under wraps. “He has been managing me for so long. He has been really good at keeping the image I needed protected.”
The mom of seven explained that Sean would help take care of her when she was drunk at events or became sloppy.
The 42-year-old then said, “He actually started going to Al-Anon too because he’s very — … he’d be like, ‘Oh, I’ll come and get you. I’ll do this. I’ll babysit you.'”
In a previous episode, Sean — who’s been married to Braunwyn for 20 years — admitted to “enabling” his wife during a Valentine’s Day dinner.
“I kinda feel guilty about enabling you to let things go so far,” he said. “Of course I saw that there was issues.”
When Braunwyn asked him why he let her spiral, he responded, “I think because in my mind I try to make your life like the best I can even if it’s not the right choice. I don’t know. I think I get lost up in it too.”
In the new episode, Kirschenheiter, 36, also questioned Braunwyn and Sean’s relationship. Braunwyn previously confessed that she and Sean had split for a time over a decade ago, but they worked things out and even had a vow renewal ceremony.
Now, Braunwyn and Sean appear to be going through another rough patch in their marriage as they are not currently living together.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Disney+’s First Year Gave Us Two Culture-Defining Hits—and There’s More on the Way

Where were you a year ago today ?
Okay , that might be hard to recall considering that the last eight months have felt like eight years .
But today ’ s a big anniversary in the streaming world , a year to the day since the landscape expanded and made room for another continent .
It ’ s been exactly a year since Disney+ launched .
And what a year it ’ s been !
Whatever quibbles , qualms , trials , and tribulations subscribers had with Disney+—a service that many signed a three-year contract for sight unseen—have faded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
It ’ s actually hard to imagine the streaming world without Disney+ , placing it on the upper tier alongside Netflix , Prime Video , and its cohort Hulu .
That alone is something for Disney to celebrate , because Disney+ ’ s launch a year ago today kicked up a tornado of frenzied streaming service launches ranging from underwhelming to downright fiascos .
Of course , Disney+ could ’ ve seemed like a fiasco if you just looked at November 12 , 2019 and called it a day .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Disney , Star Wars , Marvel , and , uh , National Geographic beyond stoked—and then they had to wait .
Launch day in 2019 was plagued with buffering errors as users took to Twitter , complaining that they were streaming a circular blue swoosh instead of The Little Mermaid or The Simpsons or the masterpiece called Fuzzbucket .
There were also groans about yet another unwanted change to Star Wars : A New Hope .
For a second , “ Maclunkey ” was more viral than The Mandalorian .
Looking back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park taught us that every major attraction has glitches upon opening , and no Disney+ subscribers got snatched up off a toilet and tossed around like a rag doll .
Whatever errors subscribers faced at launch , users quickly moved on to more important things , like Baby Yoda .
And this is a big deal ; a lot of new streaming services have struggled to get past the initial WTF-ness of their launch .
HBO launched HBO Max and people are still confused about how it differs from HBO Go and HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be made available on Roku .
And then there ’ s Quibi ( RIP ) .
Disney+ has done a decent job of fixing glitches and answering subscriber demands .
For example , after the masses ( rightfully ) shouted about Disney only offering classic Simpsons seasons in a butchered , 16:9 aspect ratio that cut off many of the show ’ s visual gags , Disney+ added an option in the spring to toggle to the correct , original ratio .
However , it has been a year and Disney+ still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some animated series episodes—like X-Men—being out of order .
What ’ s the deal , Disney ?
Aside from a few major hits ( I ’ m getting to those ) , Disney+ has struggled when it comes to original content .
In the Netflix era , originals are what drives people to a streaming service .
Yes , Disney+ launched with a wildly stacked library comprised of nearly every single blockbuster film of the past 20 years as well as a few dozen of the most culturally significant films in history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just look at Apple TV+ , a service comprised solely of originals .
If you ’ re not into morning show drama or Jason Momoa rapping , then there was no reason to get Apple TV+ .
Disney+ ’ s library is essential to keeping it in the conversation .
Just look at this past October , the first Halloween season with Disney+ .
As the exclusive streaming home of the increasingly iconic Halloween film Hocus Pocus , Disney+ no doubt kept subscribers streaming all month long .
Going off Google traffic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Halloween yet .
But a service needs a healthy lineup of originals , content that viewers haven ’ t seen before , to excite them and keep them .
Disney+ gave us arguably the biggest TV show and movie of the past year ( I ’ m going to get to them ! )
… but what else ?
A lot of Disney+ ’ s original content skews towards niche , documentary shows ( re : cheaper to produce ) like Marvel ’ s Hero Project , The Imagineering Story , and Prop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that reunited real classmates to put on their old high school musicals , was a lot of fun but it didn ’ t spark a lot of buzz .
Other unscripted shows—Shop Class , Be Our Chef , The Big Fib—uh , also exist .
It ’ s even been hard for Disney+ to get eyes on genuinely great shows with impressive pedigrees .
Disney+ gave the Muppets another shot with the fun—and briefly buzzy—Muppets Now , but the buzz wasn ’ t even brief for The Jim Henson Company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Watch Earth to Ned !
It is very , very good !
Still , beyond the two mega-hits ( I swear I ’ m getting to them ! )
, Disney+ has created a couple of mid-level successes that are on-par with other hot shows .
High School Musical : The Musical : The Series earned solid reviews , won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming , and will be coming back for Season 2 .
And just last month , Disney+ ’ s National Geographic wing debuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even if you aren ’ t watching the handsomest show on TV , it ’ s generating Google traffic on par with some of fall 2020 ’ s most talked about shows ( HBO ’ s The Vow , Apple TV+ ’ s Ted Lasso , Netflix ’ s The Great British Baking Show , and HBO Max ’ s Raised by Wolves ) .
And just so you know I ’ m not forgetting anything , Netflix ’ s The Haunting of Bly Manor and HBO ’ s Lovecraft Country blow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the water , traffic-wise .
So The Right Stuff is comfortably in the second-tier of fall 2020 hits , alongside solid company .
So how has Disney+ become a streaming giant when most of its originals are mostly just as big as other Apple TV+ and HBO Max originals ?
Two words : Mandalorian and Hamilton .
I ’ ll start with Hamilton , the feature film version of the era-defining Broadway blockbuster that smartly dropped on the series over the Fourth of July holiday during a pandemic .
We were all shut-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift our muddy spirits .
Enter : Hamilton .
Hamilton was a smash hit for Disney+ , becoming the biggest movie on streaming of the year .
And since most movie theaters have been closed for the past eight months , “ biggest movie on streaming ” basically means “ biggest movie , period.
” Hamilton ’ s success overshadowed Disney+ ’ s other big feature-length drop of the summer , Beyonce ’ s Lion King-inspired visual album Black is King .
While Black is King was nowhere near the cultural moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at # 14 on the list , behind Netflix originals Enola Holmes and Rebecca ) , it ’ s still just impressive that Disney+ dropped a Beyonce visual album .
Honestly , Beyonce adds cred to everything .
It ’ s also good for Disney+ that Hamilton was a major success because Mulan didn ’ t fare as well .
After having its release delayed by COVID-19 , Disney decided to release the live-action adaptation as an add-on to Disney+ , charging $ 29.99 for unlimited access .
When the film hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for a boycott due to , well , a lot of reasons .
Mulan came in at # 6 on the most-streamed movies list , right behind another Disney+ film with significantly less hype and no additional fee : Phineas & Ferb the Movie : Candace Against the Universe .
But just like those launch day glitches last November , people quickly moved on from Mulan ’ s pricey experiment .
Why ?
The Mandalorian Season 2 debuted .
Yeah , it ’ s time to talk about The Mandalorian , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that made Disney+ ’ s launch last year a pop culture moment .
The show did exactly what Disney hoped it would do : it sparked a conversation and became the breakout show of the past 12 months .
It won the platform 7 Emmy awards ; animated series Forky Asks a Question brought that total up to 8 wins .
How big is The Mandalorian ?
Just look at the stats : Yes , Netflix ’ s Tiger King had a ridiculous spike in popularity back in the spring , one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But in terms of prolonged popularity , The Mandalorian is only matched by Paramount ’ s hit series Yellowstone .
This is exactly what Disney wants .
With such a wide range of IP to choose from , Disney can quickly move the conversation away from failures ( Mulan ) towards successes ( The Mandalorian Season 2 ) .
Honestly , forget Hamilton and The Mandalorian .
You can really really sum up Disney+ ’ s success in another two words : Baby Yoda .
The little critter has become an unofficial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unofficial that Disney insists on calling Baby Yoda by another name entirely ( “ The Child ” ) .
Within weeks of his debut , he was already on South Park and Saturday Night Live .
For a few months at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 , Baby Yoda was the biggest star in the world—bigger than Taylor Swift , Beyonce , Kanye West , and Kim Kardashian .
I ’ ve spent a lot of time talking about traffic and awards and buzz , but really it all comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subscriber number .
That shows just how big Disney+ is , a year into its run .
The service says it has 60.5 million subscribers , which places it behind Netflix ( 193M ) and Prime Video ( 150M ) in America .
Hulu , which is often bundled with Disney+ , is right behind with 35.5M .
And then there are the newbies , all the services that launched after Disney+ .
Peacock has 15M , Apple TV+ has 10M , HBO Max has 8.6 , and then Quibi has people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is reportedly around 72,000 ) .
Can Disney+ keep up this momentum ?
Absolutely .
There should be no doubt about that , because the platform is this big without having deployed one of its biggest selling points : Marvel .
The first original Marvel Studios TV series , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , was supposed to bow in the fall .
The pandemic halted production on the show and pushed back its release date to sometime in 2021 .
Instead , the quirky sitcom WandaVision is coming out first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature of WandaVision ( again—it ’ s a sitcom with a sinister tinge starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany ) means that the full impact of the MCU won ’ t be felt on Disney+ until The Falcon and the Winter Soldier hits .
That series stars fan favorites Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie , as well as plenty more characters from the movies , and it ’ s an action series more in line with what fans have gotten from Marvel on the big screen .
WandaVision will be a hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soldier could very easily be the next Mandalorian .
With new Star Wars and Marvel shows debuting back to back as well as more original features ( Black Beauty and Soul are coming out soon ) , Disney+ is just now starting to flex a year into its existence—and it ’ s already the third-biggest streaming service in America .
But really , as long as Disney+ has Baby Yoda , they ’ re set .
And next year , he ’ ll have some superheroes to play with .

Where were you a year ago today? Okay, that might be hard to recall considering that the last eight months have felt like eight years. But today’s a big anniversary in the streaming world, a year to the day since the landscape expanded and made room for another continent. It’s been exactly a year since Disney+ launched.
And what a year it’s been! Whatever quibbles, qualms, trials, and tribulations subscribers had with Disney+—a service that many signed a three-year contract for sight unseen—have faded away over the course of the past year. It’s actually hard to imagine the streaming world without Disney+, placing it on the upper tier alongside Netflix, Prime Video, and its cohort Hulu. That alone is something for Disney to celebrate, because Disney+’s launch a year ago today kicked up a tornado of frenzied streaming service launches ranging from underwhelming to downright fiascos.
Of course, Disney+ could’ve seemed like a fiasco if you just looked at November 12, 2019 and called it a day. The site’s highly-anticipated launch had fans of Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, and, uh, National Geographic beyond stoked—and then they had to wait.
Launch day in 2019 was plagued with buffering errors as users took to Twitter, complaining that they were streaming a circular blue swoosh instead of The Little Mermaid or The Simpsons or the masterpiece called Fuzzbucket. There were also groans about yet another unwanted change to Star Wars: A New Hope. For a second, “Maclunkey” was more viral than The Mandalorian.
Looking back, though, so what? Jurassic Park taught us that every major attraction has glitches upon opening, and no Disney+ subscribers got snatched up off a toilet and tossed around like a rag doll. Whatever errors subscribers faced at launch, users quickly moved on to more important things, like Baby Yoda. And this is a big deal; a lot of new streaming services have struggled to get past the initial WTF-ness of their launch. HBO launched HBO Max and people are still confused about how it differs from HBO Go and HBO Now. It took months for Peacock to be made available on Roku. And then there’s Quibi (RIP).
Disney+ has done a decent job of fixing glitches and answering subscriber demands. For example, after the masses (rightfully) shouted about Disney only offering classic Simpsons seasons in a butchered, 16:9 aspect ratio that cut off many of the show’s visual gags, Disney+ added an option in the spring to toggle to the correct, original ratio. However, it has been a year and Disney+ still hasn’t fixed the problem with some animated series episodes—like X-Men—being out of order. What’s the deal, Disney?
Aside from a few major hits (I’m getting to those), Disney+ has struggled when it comes to original content. In the Netflix era, originals are what drives people to a streaming service. Yes, Disney+ launched with a wildly stacked library comprised of nearly every single blockbuster film of the past 20 years as well as a few dozen of the most culturally significant films in history. A streaming service needs that stuff; just look at Apple TV+, a service comprised solely of originals. If you’re not into morning show drama or Jason Momoa rapping, then there was no reason to get Apple TV+.
Disney+’s library is essential to keeping it in the conversation. Just look at this past October, the first Halloween season with Disney+. As the exclusive streaming home of the increasingly iconic Halloween film Hocus Pocus, Disney+ no doubt kept subscribers streaming all month long. Going off Google traffic, Hocus Pocus just enjoyed its most popular Halloween yet.
But a service needs a healthy lineup of originals, content that viewers haven’t seen before, to excite them and keep them. Disney+ gave us arguably the biggest TV show and movie of the past year (I’m going to get to them!)… but what else?
A lot of Disney+’s original content skews towards niche, documentary shows (re: cheaper to produce) like Marvel’s Hero Project, The Imagineering Story, and Prop Culture. Encore!, the reality show that reunited real classmates to put on their old high school musicals, was a lot of fun but it didn’t spark a lot of buzz. Other unscripted shows—Shop Class, Be Our Chef, The Big Fib—uh, also exist. It’s even been hard for Disney+ to get eyes on genuinely great shows with impressive pedigrees. Disney+ gave the Muppets another shot with the fun—and briefly buzzy—Muppets Now, but the buzz wasn’t even brief for The Jim Henson Company’s criminally under-watched talk show Earth to Ned.
Watch Earth to Ned! It is very, very good!
Still, beyond the two mega-hits (I swear I’m getting to them!), Disney+ has created a couple of mid-level successes that are on-par with other hot shows. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series earned solid reviews, won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming, and will be coming back for Season 2. And just last month, Disney+’s National Geographic wing debuted the 1960s astronaut drama The Right Stuff. Even if you aren’t watching the handsomest show on TV, it’s generating Google traffic on par with some of fall 2020’s most talked about shows (HBO’s The Vow, Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, Netflix’s The Great British Baking Show, and HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves).
And just so you know I’m not forgetting anything, Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor and HBO’s Lovecraft Country blow the rest of these shows out of the water, traffic-wise. So The Right Stuff is comfortably in the second-tier of fall 2020 hits, alongside solid company. So how has Disney+ become a streaming giant when most of its originals are mostly just as big as other Apple TV+ and HBO Max originals? Two words: Mandalorian and Hamilton.
I’ll start with Hamilton, the feature film version of the era-defining Broadway blockbuster that smartly dropped on the series over the Fourth of July holiday during a pandemic. We were all shut-in and needed something to stream, something to lift our muddy spirits. Enter: Hamilton. Hamilton was a smash hit for Disney+, becoming the biggest movie on streaming of the year. And since most movie theaters have been closed for the past eight months, “biggest movie on streaming” basically means “biggest movie, period.”
Hamilton’s success overshadowed Disney+’s other big feature-length drop of the summer, Beyonce’s Lion King-inspired visual album Black is King. While Black is King was nowhere near the cultural moment that Lemonade was (it’s at #14 on the list, behind Netflix originals Enola Holmes and Rebecca), it’s still just impressive that Disney+ dropped a Beyonce visual album. Honestly, Beyonce adds cred to everything.
It’s also good for Disney+ that Hamilton was a major success because Mulan didn’t fare as well. After having its release delayed by COVID-19, Disney decided to release the live-action adaptation as an add-on to Disney+, charging $29.99 for unlimited access. When the film hit, critics and fans were split and many called for a boycott due to, well, a lot of reasons. Mulan came in at #6 on the most-streamed movies list, right behind another Disney+ film with significantly less hype and no additional fee: Phineas & Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe.
But just like those launch day glitches last November, people quickly moved on from Mulan’s pricey experiment. Why? The Mandalorian Season 2 debuted.
Yeah, it’s time to talk about The Mandalorian, the A-list, blockbuster, game-changing sci-fi show that made Disney+’s launch last year a pop culture moment. The show did exactly what Disney hoped it would do: it sparked a conversation and became the breakout show of the past 12 months. It won the platform 7 Emmy awards; animated series Forky Asks a Question brought that total up to 8 wins.
How big is The Mandalorian? Just look at the stats:
Yes, Netflix’s Tiger King had a ridiculous spike in popularity back in the spring, one that maybe we’re ashamed of now. But in terms of prolonged popularity, The Mandalorian is only matched by Paramount’s hit series Yellowstone. This is exactly what Disney wants. With such a wide range of IP to choose from, Disney can quickly move the conversation away from failures (Mulan) towards successes (The Mandalorian Season 2).
Honestly, forget Hamilton and The Mandalorian. You can really really sum up Disney+’s success in another two words: Baby Yoda.
The little critter has become an unofficial mascot for the streaming service, so unofficial that Disney insists on calling Baby Yoda by another name entirely (“The Child”). Within weeks of his debut, he was already on South Park and Saturday Night Live. For a few months at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, Baby Yoda was the biggest star in the world—bigger than Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about traffic and awards and buzz, but really it all comes down to a service’s reported subscriber number. That shows just how big Disney+ is, a year into its run. The service says it has 60.5 million subscribers, which places it behind Netflix (193M) and Prime Video (150M) in America. Hulu, which is often bundled with Disney+, is right behind with 35.5M. And then there are the newbies, all the services that launched after Disney+. Peacock has 15M, Apple TV+ has 10M, HBO Max has 8.6, and then Quibi has people who forgot to cancel their free trial (which is reportedly around 72,000).
Can Disney+ keep up this momentum? Absolutely. There should be no doubt about that, because the platform is this big without having deployed one of its biggest selling points: Marvel. The first original Marvel Studios TV series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, was supposed to bow in the fall. The pandemic halted production on the show and pushed back its release date to sometime in 2021. Instead, the quirky sitcom WandaVision is coming out first, presumably in December.
The niche nature of WandaVision (again—it’s a sitcom with a sinister tinge starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany) means that the full impact of the MCU won’t be felt on Disney+ until The Falcon and the Winter Soldier hits. That series stars fan favorites Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, as well as plenty more characters from the movies, and it’s an action series more in line with what fans have gotten from Marvel on the big screen. WandaVision will be a hit, no doubt, but Falcon and Winter Soldier could very easily be the next Mandalorian. With new Star Wars and Marvel shows debuting back to back as well as more original features (Black Beauty and Soul are coming out soon), Disney+ is just now starting to flex a year into its existence—and it’s already the third-biggest streaming service in America.
But really, as long as Disney+ has Baby Yoda, they’re set. And next year, he’ll have some superheroes to play with.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Man found fatally stabbed inside minivan in Staten Island

A 53-year-old man was found stabbed to death inside a minivan in Staten Island , cops said Thursday .
Cops @ @ @ @ @ call for a wellness check around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when they found Michael Ryner slumped @ @ @ @ @ the shoulder and back in the driver ’ s seat of a black Dodge Caravan @ @ @ @ @ Julian Place in Tompkinsville , police said .
Ryner — who lives about a mile @ @ @ @ @ rushed to Richmond University Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .
No one @ @ @ @ @ to the slaying by Thursday morning .

A 53-year-old man was found stabbed to death inside a minivan in Staten Island, cops said Thursday.
Cops were responding to a 911 call for a wellness check around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when they found Michael Ryner slumped over with stab wounds to the shoulder and back in the driver’s seat of a black Dodge Caravan on Bay Street near St. Julian Place in Tompkinsville, in front of an MTA Transit Police building, authorities said.
Ryner — who lived about a mile from the scene — was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
He did not appear to have any connection to the MTA building, cops said.
No one had been arrested in connection with the slaying by Thursday morning, and the motive was unclear.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Tropical Storm Eta makes landfall in Florida again

Tropical Storm Eta has made landfall in Florida for the second time – this time near Cedar Key early Thursday @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Center .
The storm was packing sustained winds of 50 mph as it arrived @ @ @ @ @ Gulf Coast , where it will continue to unleash rainfall across the state , the @ @ @ @ @ 7 a.m. , it was about 10 miles west of Gainesville and maximum sustained winds @ @ @ @ @ mph after it pummeled western Florida for much of Wednesday , when it strengthened to @ @ @ @ @ reported .
Eta first made landfall in Central America last week as a powerful hurricane @ @ @ @ @ and swept through Lower Matecumbe Key late Sunday .
It is expected to move through @ @ @ @ @ to weaken , emerging off the Southeast coast by Thursday afternoon and then fizzle into @ @ @ @ @ it moves out to sea on Friday , Weather.com reported .
The system could produce @ @ @ @ @ to 3 inches in the Florida Peninsula on Thursday .

Tropical Storm Eta has made landfall in Florida for the second time – this time near Cedar Key early Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm was packing sustained winds of 50 mph as it arrived along the Gulf Coast, where it will continue to unleash heavy rain across the state before finally exiting over the Atlantic later Thursday, the NHC said.
As of 7 a.m., it was about 10 miles west of Gainesville and maximum sustained winds had decreased by about 5 mph after it pummeled western Florida for much of Wednesday, when it strengthened to a hurricane briefly, WESH reported.
The storm’s effects were felt across several states, including the Carolinas, Virginia and parts of Maryland, where its moisture contributed to widespread flash floods, according to the Washington Post.
In North Carolina, crews were searching for five missing people after at least 33 campers became trapped at the Hiddenite Family Camp Ground near the overflowing South Yadkin River, WBTV reported.
Eta first made landfall in Central America last week as a powerful hurricane, then slammed into Cuba and swept through Lower Matecumbe Key late Sunday.
It is expected to move through northern Florida as it continues to weaken, emerging off the Southeast coast by Thursday afternoon and then fizzle into a non-tropical low-pressure system as it moves out to sea on Friday, Weather.com reported.
The system could produce localized rainfall totals of up to 3 inches in the Florida Peninsula on Thursday.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors requests meeting with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris

Patrisse Cullors , a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement , has requested a meeting with President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to discuss the “ expectations ” she has for their administration .
In a letter sent to the 2020 Democratic running mates after their win over the weekend , the anti-racism activist highlighted the electoral power that came with her movement ’ s backing .
“ Without the resounding support of Black people , we would be saddled with a very different electoral outcome .
In short , Black people won this election , ” Cullors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations around the nation , Black Lives Matter invested heavily in this election .
‘ Vote and Organize ’ became our motto , and our electoral justice efforts reached more than 60 million voters.
” “ We want something for our vote .
We are requesting a meeting with you both to discuss the expectations that we have for your administration and the commitments that must be made to Black people , ” she continued .
While highlighting the importance of the black community as a voting bloc , Cullors went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by those she represented .
“ We want to be heard and our agenda to be prioritized .
We issue these expectations not just because Black people are the most consistent and reliable voters for Democrats , but also because Black people are truly living in crisis in a nation that was built on our subjugation , ” she began before arguing that the US ’ efforts toward improving circumstances had been insufficient .
“ Up until this point , the United States has refused to directly reckon with the way that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This can not continue .
Black people can neither afford to live through the vitriol of a Trump-like Presidency , nor through the indifference of a Democrat-controlled government that refuses to wrestle with its most egregious and damnable shame , ” Cullors wrote .
The activist did not shy away from critiquing Biden and Harris ’ individual records on issues of race , arguing instead that their time in the White House could be an opening to correct past errors .
“ Both of you discussed addressing systemic racism as central to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also expressed regrets regarding your record on issues impacting Black people .
The best way to ensure that you remedy past missteps and work towards a more just future for Black people — and by extension all people — is to take your direction from Black grassroots organizers that have been engaged in this work for decades , with a legacy that spans back to the first arrival of enslaved Africans , ” the BLM leader said .
Over the course of the 2020 campaign season , the former vice president was brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myriad of issues , including his support of the 1994 crime bill , his opposition to federally-mandated busing and his praise for two US senators who identified as segregationists .
He was also widely condemned for saying during an interview with African American influencer Charlamagne tha God in late May , “ If you have a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me or Trump , then you ain ’ t Black , ” though he later apologized .
Harris , meanwhile , has faced criticism over her record as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skewed in favor of police and was too slow , and even sometimes mum , on criminal justice reform .
As California ’ s attorney general from 2011 to 2017 , she refused to endorse a 2015 bill calling for a special prosecutor to investigate deadly police shootings , the Sacramento Bee reported back in August .
She also rejected calls from civil rights groups to investigate deadly police shootings in Los Angeles and San Francisco , following the 2014 police-involved killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri .
Cullors closed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Harris ’ earliest convenience , but reiterating her desire to be included in the Biden transition team ’ s planning and policy work .
The activist is the protégé of Eric Mann , former agitator of the Weather Underground domestic terror organization , she explained in a 2018 interview with Democracy Now !
In a recently resurfaced 2015 video , Cullors describes herself as “ a trained Marxist.
” “ The first thing , I think , is that we actually do have an ideological frame .
Myself and Alicia in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referring to BLM co-founder Alicia Garza .
“ We are trained Marxists .
We are super-versed on , sort of , ideological theories .
And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many , many black folk , ” Cullors added in the interview with Jared Ball of The Real News Network .
A Biden transition team spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post ’ s request for comment on if they had received the letter .

Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, has requested a meeting with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to discuss the “expectations” she has for their administration.
In a letter sent to the 2020 Democratic running mates after their win over the weekend, the anti-racism activist highlighted the electoral power that came with her movement’s backing.
“Without the resounding support of Black people, we would be saddled with a very different electoral outcome. In short, Black people won this election,” wrote Cullors, 36. “Alongside Black-led organizations around the nation, Black Lives Matter invested heavily in this election. ‘Vote and Organize’ became our motto, and our electoral justice efforts reached more than 60 million voters.”
“We want something for our vote. We are requesting a meeting with you both to discuss the expectations that we have for your administration and the commitments that must be made to Black people,” she continued.
While highlighting the importance of the black community as a voting bloc, Cullors went on to explain why those she represented felt changes were so urgently needed.
“We want to be heard and our agenda to be prioritized. We issue these expectations not just because Black people are the most consistent and reliable voters for Democrats, but also because Black people are truly living in crisis in a nation that was built on our subjugation,” she began before arguing that the US’ efforts toward improving circumstances had been insufficient.
“Up until this point, the United States has refused to directly reckon with the way that it devalues Black people and devastates our lives. This cannot continue. Black people can neither afford to live through the vitriol of a Trump-like Presidency, nor through the indifference of a Democrat-controlled government that refuses to wrestle with its most egregious and damnable shame,” Cullors wrote.
The activist did not shy away from critiquing Biden and Harris’ individual records on issues of race, arguing that their time in the White House could be an opening to correct past errors.
“Both of you discussed addressing systemic racism as central to your election campaigns. Both of you also expressed regrets regarding your record on issues impacting Black people. The best way to ensure that you remedy past missteps and work towards a more just future for Black people — and by extension all people — is to take your direction from Black grassroots organizers that have been engaged in this work for decades, with a legacy that spans back to the first arrival of enslaved Africans,” the BLM leader said.
Over the course of the 2020 campaign season, the former vice president was taken to task over his positions on a myriad of issues, including his support of the 1994 crime bill, his opposition to federally mandated busing and his praise for two US senators who identified as segregationists.
He was also widely condemned for saying during an interview with African American influencer Charlamagne tha God in late May, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” though he later apologized.
Harris, meanwhile, has faced criticism over her record as a federal prosecutor, with skeptics saying she skewed in favor of police and was too slow, and even sometimes mum, on criminal justice reform.
As California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017, she refused to endorse a 2015 bill calling for a special prosecutor to investigate deadly police shootings, the Sacramento Bee reported in August.
She also rejected calls from civil rights groups to investigate deadly police shootings in Los Angeles and San Francisco, following the 2014 police-involved killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Cullors closed the letter again requesting a meeting at Biden and Harris’ earliest convenience, but reiterating her desire to be included in the Biden transition team’s planning and policy work.
The activist is the protégé of Eric Mann, former agitator of the Weather Underground domestic terror organization, she explained in a 2018 interview with Democracy Now!
In a recently resurfaced 2015 video, Cullors describes herself as “a trained Marxist.”
“The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers,” she said, referring to BLM co-founder Alicia Garza.
“We are trained Marxists. We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk,” Cullors added in the interview with Jared Ball of The Real News Network.
A Biden transition team spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on whether it had received the letter.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Masters 2020 hit with rain stoppage after it barely began

The 2020 Masters had barely teed off before it was brought to a halt .
Roughly half an hour into @ @ @ @ @ Masters — postponed to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic — the tournament is already @ @ @ @ @ Rain forced everyone off the course after only three groups teed off , two on @ @ @ @ @ on the 10th .
Rain was expected to wreak havoc on the first round with @ @ @ @ @ , Ga. throughout the morning , but it could clear up in the afternoon .
@ @ @ @ @ National , the projected weather for the rest of the weekend shows they should have @ @ @ @ @ of the way .
The stoppage came before 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau ( @ @ @ @ @ Woods ( 7:55 a.m. ) could begin their rounds .

The 2020 Masters had barely teed off before it was brought to a halt.
Roughly half an hour into the first round of the Masters — postponed to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic — the tournament was already in a weather delay. Rain forced everyone off the course after only three groups teed off, two on the first hole and one on the 10th. The tournament is set to resume at 10:22 a.m.
Rain was expected to wreak havoc on the first round with scattered thunderstorms forecasted for Augusta, Ga. throughout the morning, but it could clear up in the afternoon.
Fortunately for those at Augusta National, the projected weather for the rest of the weekend shows they should have an easier time the rest of the way.
The stoppage came before 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (7:33 a.m.) and Tiger Woods (7:55 a.m.) could begin their rounds.


newyorkpost--2020-11-12--Trump among long-shots to replace Alex Trebek as ‘Jeopardy!’ host

Bookmakers are offering bets on who will be Alex Trebek ’ s replacement as the host of “ Jeopardy !
” — including longshot candidates such as President Trump .
The commander-in-chief is included in a list of the top 30 possible replacements offered on Sports Betting , with other unlikely contenders including Piers Morgan and UFC commentator Joe Rogan .
Unsurprisingly , the Greatest of All Time “ Jeopardy !
” winner Ken Jennings — who was recently brought in as a consulting producer and brand ambassador — remains the clear favorite to take the hot seat .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 for every $ 100 they bet .
“ It will be Ken Jennings – no question , ” Sean Moore tweeted alongside an online list also making him favorite .
“ He was brought on board as a consultant and I ’ m sure he will be new host.
” Another commentator , Kyle Stevens , tweeted , “ We all know it ’ s going to be Ken .
The rest of the names are just there for entertainment.
” Jennings ’ keenest competition on Sports Betting comes from “ Good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 59 , who has reportedly already been lobbying for the job .
He ’ d also be doing his backers a favor , winning $ 325 for every $ 100 they bet if he got hired .
Rounding up the top five favorites for bookmakers are LeVar Burton , astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and “ Wheel of Fortune ” host Pat Sajak , who would get backers $ 1,600 for every $ 100 bet .
Meanwhile , Trump — No .
30 on the list — would help his backers make a fortune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every $ 100 they bet if he went from the White House to “ Jeopardy !
” James Holzhauer — one of the greatest ever “ Jeopardy !
” champs — comes in at 29th place on the list , with +2500 odds , likely because he lacks charisma , Sports Betting ’ s Adam Burns told the Toronto Sun .
Other long-shot bets include actress Rosie Perez and talkshow queen Oprah Winfrey , as well as UFC commentator-turned-podcast king Joe Rogan , who ’ d win his backers $ 6,600 for every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other long-shots include Jon Stewart making his TV return , as well as former “ America ’ s Got Talent ” judge Piers Morgan .
“ The idea of Piers Morgan becoming the Jeopardy host is terrifying .
Like exchanging a diamond for a turd , ” one not-a-fan tweeted in reply to a list circulating on Twitter .
Sports Betting ’ s Burns predicted that the show would not pick “ someone to be another Alex Trebek ” — and that gamblers could be in for a nervy wait .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little while to make sure to pick the right choice , ” he told the Toronto Sun .

Let’s meet today’s contestants …
Bookmakers are offering bets on who will be Alex Trebek’s replacement as the host of “Jeopardy!” — including long-shot candidates such as President Trump.
The commander-in-chief is included in a list of the top 30 possible replacements offered on Sports Betting, with other unlikely contenders including Piers Morgan and UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
Unsurprisingly, Greatest of All Time “Jeopardy!” winner Ken Jennings — who was recently brought in as a consulting producer and brand ambassador — remains the clear favorite to take the hot seat. With even odds, gamblers would win $100 for every $100 they bet.
“It will be Ken Jennings – no question,” Sean Moore tweeted alongside an online list also making him the favorite. “He was brought on board as a consultant and I’m sure he will be new host.”
Another commentator, Kyle Stevens, tweeted, “We all know it’s going to be Ken. The rest of the names are just there for entertainment.”
Jennings’ keenest competition on Sports Betting comes from “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos, 59, who has reportedly already been lobbying for the job. He’d also be doing his backers a favor, winning $325 for every $100 they bet if he got hired.
Rounding up the top five favorites for bookmakers are LeVar Burton, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak, who would get backers $1,600 for every $100 bet.
Meanwhile, Trump — No. 30 on the list — would help his backers make a fortune, with them winning $100,000 for every $100 they bet if he went from the White House to “Jeopardy!”
James Holzhauer — one of the greatest-ever “Jeopardy!” champs — comes in at 29th place on the list, with +2500 odds, likely because he lacks charisma, Sports Betting’s Adam Burns told the Toronto Sun.
Other long-shot bets include actress Rosie Perez and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, as well as UFC commentator-turned-podcast king Joe Rogan, who’d win his backers $6,600 for every $100 they bet on him.
Other long shots include Jon Stewart making his TV return, as well as former “America’s Got Talent” judge Piers Morgan.
“The idea of Piers Morgan becoming the Jeopardy host is terrifying. Like exchanging a diamond for a turd,” one not-a-fan tweeted in reply to a list circulating on Twitter.
Sports Betting’s Burns predicted that the show would not pick “someone to be another Alex Trebek” — and that gamblers could be in for a nervous wait.
“They’re probably going to take a little while to make sure to pick the right choice,” he told the Toronto Sun.